Title: Braces I hate the most.
Author: MaRaMa-TSG
Word Count: 1,752
Rating: PG
Pairing: None
Chapter Summary: Finally out of Dr. Wonka's office, a bit of quality time in the Great Glass Elevator. And singing! And laughing!
Warnings: None
A/N: Was listening to the soundtrack as I wrote this. I also got new ideas for this story. I intended it to be a short one at first but if I continue what I have planned it might be an ongoing story. So little to write… So much time…

Wait…

Chapter Two: Quality Time in the Great Glass Elevator

"Ouch!"

"Don't move, Willy!"

"That hurt!"

"It will hurt more if you keep squirming in the chair. You should be ashamed Charlie behaved better than you. You're a grown man!"

The young boy had to bite his lip to suppress a chuckle at the chocolatier's frustrated groan.

The whizzing noise stopped followed by a sigh from Dr. Wonka and he sat upright again. "All done, you can open your eyes now."

Willy opened his eyes slowly, after having them closed shut throughout the whole cleaning. They hurt a bit. He immediately took a gloved finger to his teeth and felt his aching gums. Then withdrew it and saw a bit of blood on the tip of his finger and flinched.

"That's what happens when you don't stay still." Dr. Wonka then proceeded to take off his gloves and wash his hands. After drying them a new set of gloves was quickly put on. He turned around to face his patient. "Well, see you in six months son." He smiled. "Or sooner if you don't floss." The smile widened becoming slightly sinister.

Wonka silently left the chair messing with his teeth and walked out of the room. Charlie, who had been by Wonka's side all the time, followed behind.

"Mr. Wonka..."

He turned around to look at Charlie, still rubbing a gloved finger to his front teeth and saw him pointing to his belongings lying on the waiting room's couch.

"Oh, yah!" He gave Charlie a weak smile as he quickly put on his black winter coat, his 'hip, groovy' sunglasses, picked his cane up and then took his hat placing it back on his head. "Ow!"

'Aw, gosh darn it! It's right where the hat rests.' He thought after being harshly reminded of his injury, the hat was taken back off and he massaged the small lump on the side of his head with his fingers the same way his father had done earlier. Although gloved hands didn't give the same comfort ungloved did.

"I can carry that for you, Mr. Wonka." Charlie stretched a hand waiting for his mentor to give him the hat, smiling broadly.

Wonka looked at him for a moment processing that request. He didn't want to treat Charlie like a slave or lackey. But Charlie's eyes showed some excitement on the concept of carrying his beloved hat. Wonka smiled and bent down smiling cheerfully. "I have a better idea." Carefully he placed his top hat on Charlie's little head, and then frowned a bit as it slid down covering his eyes. It was just too big for the boy. But Charlie was giggling instead and he pulled it back up holding it in place with one hand. "How do I look?"

Wonka smiled again placing a hand on his thigh while keeping the other on his cane. "Like a little chocolatier!" The older man looked as excited as Charlie did at this point.

"Well, let's go now." Wonka got a bit closer and Charlie turned his head to hear him whisper. "This place still gives me the wheelies." Charlie bit his lip to hold back laughter from Wonka's face as he said that. The young boy was still getting used to the chocolatier's exaggerated facial expression.

Wonka stood upright and turning on his heels walked out in a hurried manner, his cane taping on the floor as he walked. Charlie nearly had to run to keep up behind him. Neither of them noticed a smiling dentist that had been watching the whole time. Dr. Wonka let out a sigh of contentment and disappeared into another room as the door closed behind the two.

As they walked out of the building and headed to the Great Glass Elevator Charlie couldn't take his eyes off his mentor. He was so different when they visited his father, even for their routinely check ups.

"Mr. Wonka?" Charlie had to speed a little to walk right next to his mentor, holding the hat firmly on his head to keep it from falling. He looked up at him. Wonka didn't seem to hear him so he called again a bit louder. "Mr. Wonka!"

Wonka suddenly remembered he wasn't alone a slowed down (to Charlie's relief) looking over his shoulder with that fake smile of his. "Yes, my dear Charlie?" He then continued to look forward maintaining the smile.

"Why do you always seem so quiet when we come here?"

Wonka stopped completely, keeping the smile frozen on his face but seemed to think for a moment. Finally, he blurted out an answer. "I don't know!" He started walking again.

Charlie reached out and pulled his arm to make him stop. He wasn't taking that as an answer. He felt Wonka's arm tense and pull back a bit as he stopped. When he looked up at his mentor's face he saw a frightened look. He made a mental note of not acting so abruptly with Mr. Wonka. Still he accomplished what he wanted. Wonka had stopped walking so he continued. "Is it because of what your father might think?"

Wonka turned his head slowly to Charlie; a slight smile began to reappear on the corners of his mouth. It, however, didn't feel comfortable there because his mouth was twitching slightly. "It's pretty chilly out here, isn't it?"

Charlie nodded a bit frustrated but it was clear Wonka didn't want to talk about it. He soon started walking again, still looking at Charlie. "We should hurry into the Great Glass Elevator and go ba…"

WHAM!

Charlie winced and just stared, waiting for Willy to pick himself from the ground as he always did. This seemed to make him less embarrassed than when he was helped up.

Willy stood back up rather quickly; he ran a hand trough his hair and dusted the backside of his coat. "Go back to the factory, heh." He blushed notably as he pressed the button of the elevator and, with a 'DING', the doors opened. They both silently stepped inside. As soon as the doors closed Wonka pressed another button (followed with another 'DING') and seemed to brighten instantly. The elevator slowly rose from the ground and made its way up to the clouds keeping a smooth steady pace.

"Now what was the question again, little Charlie?"

'Ah, so he wasn't avoiding the subject, he just wanted to get out of there.' "You don't have to talk about it if you don't really want to, Mr. Wonka."

Wonka thought for a moment, then smiled widely again, showing all his perfect white teeth. "I wouldn't be much of a mentor if I kept things from you, now would I, dear boy?" He continued before Charlie could answer. "You're the only person I can trust, Charlie. You're probably the only person I'll ever speak to." Charlie was surprised when he saw his mentor go down in one knee to be at his height, keeping himself in balance with both hands on top of his cane he leaned close to Charlie's face. "I will let you in a little secret." Wonka's smile was instantly replaced by a very serious expression that Charlie thought looked out of place in the always cheerful demeanor of the man. Then again, he had been looking quite out of character the whole day. Charlie nodded so he would continue.

"My…father…scares me sometimes." Wonka's eyes trailed to the side and Charlie imagined he might be going into one of his flashbacks. But then he looked at Charlie again. "I'm afraid of what he might do to you…"

Charlie's eyes grew wide at this. Did he mean that Dr. Wonka would harm him? Had Dr. Wonka ever harmed his son…physically as well as emotionally? Charlie opened his mouth but no words came out.

"Charlie, I don't want you to wear those awful things. Your teeth are fine! He's just too obsessed with perfect smiles." The cheerful smile came back. "Personally, I think it's perfect as it is now." The chocolatier stood upright once again, smiling and staring forward. Even though, there was nothing to see but cotton white clouds.

There was a long silent. Charlie was still wondering if Dr. Wonka had ever hurt his son physically. He suddenly felt bad for him but he didn't dare ask, at least not for now. Maybe he just said it because of the braces he had to use when he was a child. According to his description they weren't comfortable at all and caused him lots of pain. Yeah, that must be the 'hurting' he was afraid off. Nothing to fret about.

The silence didn't last long as Wonka started humming a song to himself. It was his 'Welcome Song'. The song got stuck in Charlie's head instantly and he pushed his thoughts away humming it as well. He didn't notice the smile on his mentor's face.

Charlie started singing and bobbing his head from side to side. "Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka, The amazing chocolatier! Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka, Everybody give a cheer! He's modest clever and so smart he barely can restrain it! There's so much generosity there is no way to contain it"

Wonka followed, bobbing his head much more excitedly. "To contain to contain to contaiiiiiin!" lifting his cane in the air as he intoned the last part.

Charlie started laughing and so did Wonka. Suddenly Charlie felt a warm hand on his shoulder and was pulled closer towards his mentor, who was now smiling kindly at him. Charlie felt happy just by standing next to the man he used to idolize. He felt lightheaded for a moment. This was his greatest dream come true.

"Charlie?"

He looked up at the man returning the smile.

Wonka's eyes were half closed as he looked down and the boy with a light, happy smile on his face. A smile Charlie hasn't seen before but he somehow felt important for being the reason of it.

"Thank you for being my friend."

More silence followed. Charlie was just enjoying the closeness with his mentor. He had closed his eyes by now. Wonka, however, couldn't stay silent or still for long. He lifted his cane and taped the back of 'Charlie's hat' making it fall on his eyes again giggling soon after.

"Hey!" Charlie lifted it back up to see his mentor bobbing his head again with a giant grin while looking down at him.

"Chewing, chewing, all day long!"

More laughter and singing.

And even some dancing from Wonka.