Title: Braces I hate the most. 3?
Author: MaRaMa-TSG
Word Count: 3,487
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Is called fan fiction for a reason, isn't it?
Pairing: None
Chapter Summary: Dinner, flashback and decisions.
A/N: Took me heck of a while to feel like writing again. Thanks to all those other Wonka!Fiction writers out there and the reviewers for the inspiration I needed. The writing style will change about halfway on the fic because I wrote half of it a long time ago and by now I picked a new way of writing.

Chapter Three: Decisions

Mrs. Bucket looked at her husband smiling as they both heard a pair of familiar and happy voices getting closer to their home.

The door burst open with such force everyone jumped and stared at it with shock. The shock then turned into curiosity of how the door could still be in its hinges after that. Mrs. Bucket gave a warning look at the culprit. "Willy…" She said, dragging the 'y' at the end.

Willy Wonka stood frozen with his left arm still stretched, half-clenched palm facing the door. His entire body was tense, shoulders slightly raised while he made a comical sneer and his right eye half closed and twitching slightly. While still frozen in that posture his eyes darted around looking at everyone in the house then back at Mrs. Bucket. The grimace turned into an awkward smile as he mouthed the word 'oops.' but not sound came out except for a nervous breathy chuckle.

"Staying for dinner, Willy?"

Wonka's smile turned into a toothy grin as he lifted his head to look at Mr. Bucket who was putting plates on the table all the while smiling at Willy. He cocked his head to the side in a quick moment while he nearly squeaked. "Sure!"

Charlie pushed his way in under Willy's arm, making the man gasp slightly, took a deep breath and smiled. "Hi, mum! Hi, dad! Hi, Grandpa Joe! Hi, Grandma Josephine! Hi, Grandpa George! Hi, Grandma Georgina!" Then he set Willy's hat on a table near the door and went to hug each one of his relatives.

Willy walked in after the boy and looked at Mrs. Bucket that was now serving the food at the stove. When she turned she jumped a bit not expecting him there then smiled when she saw his expression.

"I'm terribly sorry for slamming the door like that, Mrs. Bucket." Willy had such an adorable 'puppy face' expression, head lowered and all, that she couldn't help but smile as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "That's ok, Will--ohmygosh!" she covered her mouth with one hand and stared at Willy's face.

Willy was confused and started to panic. "What? Please don't tell me there's a whangdoodle behind me because I left my machete in my room." A forced smile crept to his face as he shook his head matter-of-factly.

Everyone just stared at him, trying to process what he had just said but quickly dismissed it when they remembered who the speaker was. Mrs. Bucket continued. "Willy, how did you get such a nasty looking bump on your head?" She brushed a bit of his hair back to get a better look.

"Oh….that…" Willy started explaining but got cut off and frowned.

"Oh…oh dear. Let me look for some ice. Willy, sit down. I'll be right back!" All the while she was talking Willy had raised a finger and opened his mouth several times to speak but she was speaking to fast herself. He retracted the finger to form a fist making his gloves squeak and stood helpless as he watched her rushing to the back of the room. He turned to Charlie with his jaw slightly dropped, then closed it with and raised his eyebrows, making Charlie snicker.

"Are you ok, Mr. Wonka? You didn't slam against the Great Glass Elevator again did you?" Grandpa Joe asked with some concern.

"Well, actually…"

"He fainted at Dr. Wonka's office and hit his head on the floor."

Willy glared at Charlie for both interrupting him and for the way he said it. Well, at least he didn't say that he had indeed slammed against the elevator again. So yeah, he could forgive him.

Mr. Bucket came over to Willy and pulled a chair next to him. "Then you better sit down. Don't want you getting dizzy and falling again. Head wounds are very serious." He motioned him to sit. Willy hesitated at first, then smiled and did so. "I'll get the coat for you."

Willy looked over his shoulder as he felt Mr. Bucket tugging at his coat shoulders and moved his arms free. Mr. Bucket quickly set it on the rack besides the table where Charlie had placed the hat. Then Charlie took his cane and did the same. "Eh-Heh thanks. All this isn't necessary… you know… you really shouldn't worry your little noggins! I'm perfectly fine! I had actually forgotten about it. …Really." His voice lowered by the end, making the 'Really.' nearly inaudible. All this attention was making him uneasy, even if he knew they were just concerned. He just wasn't used to it…yet.

"Here, Willy, hold this to your head."

Willy jumped letting out a soft gasp and looking to his side. He didn't notice when Mrs. Bucket came back, she was holding a bag of ice in front of him now. He stared at the bag for a moment as if trying to figure out what it was. He looked up at Mrs. Bucket with a faint, nervous smile. "I'm ok! I really am."

Mr. Bucket sat across from Willy and smiled kindly to his wife. "Honey, maybe you should let him eat first. They must be starving."

"Oh you can bet on that!" he quickly interjected making himself comfortable in the chair and at the same time dragging it away from Mrs. Bucket. He picked up the silverware holding a utensil in each hand and stared to his plate like it was the most interesting he'd ever seen.

Mrs. Bucket looked a bit disappointed that her efforts were in vain and turned back to the kitchen. "Well, then. I'll put the bag in the fridge to keep the ice from melting in case you need it later."

Willy nodded energetically still smiling at his plate like he was addressing it instead.

Everyone waited until she was at the table to start eating. Mr. Bucket said, "So what did Dr. Wonka told you, son?" as he placed a slice of bread on his plate while he smiled at Charlie.

Willy held the fork inside his mouth after taking a bite just as Mr. Bucket asked and looked trough the corner of his eyes to the young boy.

Charlie beamed at his father and said, "He said I've been taking good care of my teeth and was proud of knowing I've been flossing."

Willy took the fork out of his mouth and started to chew slowly as his eyes looked back at Mr. Bucket.

Mr. Bucket said, "That's my boy. Now Willy…"

Willy smiled, still chewing and raised his eyebrows to indicate he was paying attention. "What exactly happened? Why did you fainted?"

Willy's jaw chewed more slowly as his eyes lowered and he frowned slightly as he concentrated looking for an answer. His eyebrows raised again as he returned his gaze to Charlie's father. He chewed at normal speed again and finally swallowed flashing a toothy grin before saying, "I don't remember." Then he quickly took another mouthful of food as if the subject was over. Or at least it was, for him.

Everyone at the table, except Willy, looked at Charlie knowing they weren't getting any answers from the chocolatier.

Charlie casually took a sip from his glass of orange juice, courtesy of Mrs. Bucket saying he needed more vitamins than what chocolate milk had and Willy was not gonna change her mind, said, "Dad, you know about those new cleaning utensils the dentists have now?".

Everyone looked at Mr. Bucket as he nodded, Willy just gazed and got back to his plate to take another mouthful, he was eating rather quickly now.

Charlie continued, "Well, Mr. Wonka hadn't seen them the last time we went because he was looking around the house with mom. So today he decided to 'supervise' how Dr. Wonka cleaned my teeth and when he heard the noise it made he fainted."

Everyone heard Willy mumble something about 'ripping his teeth off' but when they looked he was gulping down his mug of chocolate milk. At first he had a small frown in annoyance but his features softened and his eyes were closed.

Mrs. Bucket. "Oh Willy, you poor thing." She ignored a glare from her husband; they had already argued that she was settled in treating Willy like a second son. After all he acted like a child most of the time, sometimes Charlie seemed more mature than him. She was pleased when she couth a tiny smile on the corner of Willy's lips.

Charlie finished his food and took another sip from his juice then said, "Dr. Wonka carried him to another chair and placed an ice bag on his head. When he finished with me he checked on him again and said that it wasn't as bad. That it would heal fast."

Mrs. Bucket smiled, "Oh so it got treated then."

Charlie smiled at her and said, "Yep."

Mrs. Bucket said, "So no need for the ice bag here then. Anything else happened?"

Charlie opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a loud bang on the table as Willy put his mug down and let out a long sigh breathing out, "Oh, how I love this stuff..." He opened his eyes and looked at Charlie with his trademark plastic smile and said, "Well, let's go! There's so much to be done today! We've lost enough time already at my father's house. Me really mustn't dilly or dally anymore!" as he quickly rose from his chair and flinching as its leg scraped the floor.

Mrs. Bucket raised her hand in a 'stop' gesture as she said, "Hold on, Willy. I think Charlie was gonna say something."

Willy sneered rolling his eyes and then turned his gaze to Charlie sitting back down.

Charlie gave him an apologetic look and said to his mom, "Dr. Wonka said I need braces because I have an overbite." He glanced to Willy once again; he was looking at the empty plate in front of him with a worried expression. "Mr. Wonka doesn't like the idea." He watched Willy close his eyes now, like he was about to get some awful news.

Mrs. Bucket gave a quick look to Willy and said, "Yes, I was talking to your father about that the other day. Maybe is better to have them now than later when it gets worst. Well, what do you think, Charlie?"

Willy opened his eyes and stared in disbeliefs to Mrs. Bucket, "Wait, so you won't force him to wear them, or punish him for saying 'no' and saying that he needs them because another adult, and an expert at that, said so then it must be true?"

Mrs. Bucket just smiled at him, "Of course not. We would never force Charlie to take a decision. Charlie knows well about that kind of stuff. His father used them some years ago."

Willy gaped, "…wow." Then he looked at Charlie smiling, a smile that reminded the boy of that faithful day right when Willy Wonka had said 'Oh, my dear boy, you've won!' but this time the words were, "Oh good, Charlie, you don't have to wear those dreadful things at all!"

Charlie looked down a bit trying to find the right words, "But, Mr. Wonka, I was thinking in having them put on." He watched how his mentor's cheerful smiled dropped once again. "I've been teased at school for having 'rabbit teeth'"

Willy frowned and looked down again as he processed the words, "…oh." Was all he could manage. "But…" he thought another moment then raised his gaze to Charlie and continued smiling a hopeful smile. Much like the one he used when he told Charlie there were other things in his factory besides chocolate. If he got Charlie to change his mind once he could do it again. But, was it really like that or had Charlie made Willy change his mind instead? He should think about that later. "Rabbit teeth would be extremely helpful! You'd be able to chew trough things no other kids could!" his smile faded when he saw the expression of the rest of the Buckets looking down to his plate once again and whispering. "Or maybe not."

An awkward silence filled the house as the rest of the family finished their food, Willy just kept staring at his plate and sometimes the squeak of rubber could be heard from under the table.

Then everything started to fade, the sounds of silverware against porcelain, the rubber against rubber, the faces, the gazes, that voices calling "Mr. Wonka?...Willy?"…

((A small child walked down the sidewalk, alone. His eyes focused on the ground in front of him as if he was keeping an eye on anything that might trip him. Other children walked by him, some ignored him because they were too busy chatting to each other or simply because they rather not talk to him. He, however, preferred the ones ignoring him over the ones that would whisper to each other and point, soon followed by chirping laughter. If he didn't see them, they wouldn't be there, they wouldn't exist. So the ground was his best friend. It didn't mock him, it didn't laugh or point. It let him walk over it instead of it walking over him like everything else.

A school bell rang in the distance and he heard a scatter of footsteps rush by him. He also felt when something hit his shoulder and sent him tumbling to the ground. He got his hands in front of him just before he landed so he could stop his head from hitting but felt something wet hit his face and get into his eyes. He couldn't rub them, he tried, but something stopped his small hand from reaching. Yes, there was something new on his face. His head for that matter. Wires, metal, screws. All held tightly pressing against his teeth and cranium. He closed his eyes tightly to force some tears out from irritation and then blinked a few times. When he opened his eyes he saw something awful. Something he didn't want to see but couldn't help it. A metal monster clutched at his face. The ground, his friend, was making him see that, was showing him what he hated, it was mocking him. He could hear the laughter coming from everywhere. It was laughing at him. It was calling him names. It was making fun of him. "Metal head!" "Can you hear radio waves with that?" "I'd say it suits him." " A freak gotten freakier!"

"…stop…"

It didn't obey. "Hahahah, look, he's gonna cry." "Careful not to get those wet, they might get rust in your teeth!" "That's the newest piercing fashion? Ugh! I would sue whoever did that to me!" "Maybe we should stay away from him, that thing could attract lightning!"

"…please…no more…" He could feel the tears run from his eyes, his closed eyes. Because not even the ground was his friend now. It kept mocking him. But now his thoughts did, his eyes where closed so there was no one but himself.

"You have awful teeth, son! Haven't you been flossing like I said? You'll get them ugly and twisted if you don't. And we can't have that now can we?" "This will make you learn. Want life easier? Don't want to floss? Then don't. With this you would never have to floss again and the children at school will never call you names over your twisted teeth"

"Willy?"

"Leave me alone!"

"Willy, are you ok? Get off the floor and come to class. Willy? ...Willy…))

"Willy, dear. Are you alright? Please say something."

Willy opened his eyes and looked at his reflection again. This time the reflection wasn't coming from a puddle of water, it came from something shiny and round. Porcelain. A plate! His face was not trapped in metal anymore. No, it was free. Yet the pained expression was the same he first saw. There were tiny drops of water on the plate. His cheeks felt cold and damp and his eyes burned a little. There was also something wrong with his throat, he hated when his throat felt wrong.

"Mr. Wonka?"

Willy looked towards the voice and saw an equally pained expression but this one was of worry. His gaze trailed to the other faces around the table. They all looked the same. Lastly he looked at someone standing besides him.

Mrs. Bucket put a hand on his shoulder but quickly took it away when he moved away from it like he had been burned. "Willy, dear. Is me. What's wrong?"

Willy looked at her for a long time then his expression changed to an awkward smile. "I'm sorry, I was having a flashback." The corners of his smile were trembling and so was his lower jaw. He clamped his jaws together when he noticed this and quickly turned to the table picked up his empty mug and cheerfully presented it to Mrs. Bucket saying in a shaky voice, "More, please!"

Mrs. Bucket too a deep breath at let out a sigh but took the mug and forced a smile herself, "Sure, Willy." She walked to the kitchen.

Willy kept staring at nothing in particular with the smile frozen in his face.

Everyone else at the table seemed to let out a sigh each in unison when Willy got his chocolate milk and started drinking it looking relaxed almost immediately and back to his cheerful self.

Grandma Georgina's was the loudest however so everyone looked at her and she said dreamingly, "Life is so beautiful!"

Some chuckled, all smiled faintly. Charlie got up from his chair and helped his father clean the table and said when he picked up Willy's plate, "I'm sorry I upset you Mr. Wonka."

Willy lowered his mug and shook his head, "Oh, poppycock, Charlie. You did no such thing! Is not your fault my mind seems to wonder off on its own!" He finished by nodding his head and flashing his teeth again. "Oh and…" he pointed at the water drops on his plate. "I think there might be a leak on your roof. You should have it checked."

"Yes…" Charlie looked around and saw everyone looking at each other. "Sure, Mr. Wonka." To tell the man that he had cried during his flashback would have probably made things worse. Even if he knew it and was just covering up. With Willy Wonka it was always easier to just 'play along'.

Willy looked up to where the 'leak' could be coming from saying more to himself than anyone, "And if there was a leak on the roof that would mean there was another darned pipe broke and I would need to have it fixed before it ruin my meadow."

Mrs. Bucket started to wash the dishes and said without looking behind her. "You know dear, you could always seek a second opinion. Go to another dentist and see what they say."

Charlie ignored Willy's beaming grin and said to his mother, "Wouldn't that be a rude thing to do to Dr. Wonka?"

Mrs. Bucket dried her hands as her husband ushered her aside to continue the dishes himself, she pecked him on the cheek and turned to Charlie. "Well, Charlie. You're just gonna be sure that you know every possible solution before you make a decision, don't you think?"

Charlie thought for a moment then said, "Yeah, I guess."

Mrs. Bucket smiled, "I heard there's a new dentist in town that's offering a two for one. Maybe if Mr. Wonka could…"

Willy pouted, "Oh but I already got mine cleaned!"

Mrs. Bucket frowned slightly at Willy for interrupting here and said, "There's always the 'Check up' option, Willy. They'd just look at you and open a record. Charlie got his cleaned too so he wouldn't have them cleaned again.

Willy smiled, "Oh! Ok then, I'll take him!"

Mrs. Bucket smiled a knowing smile at Willy before she said slowly, "It's in the middle of town Willy."

Willy's smile froze once again, "You mean…I have to go to town? With…nosy people and cameras and children and…" he looked down at Charlie. Those puppy dog eyes, oh, he hated that look. It melted him, like chocolate. Charlie was about to cry, he knew it. Oooh no, Charlie couldn't cry. "Gosh darn it…"

Mrs. Bucket squinted and leaned towards Willy, "What was that?

Willy looked up at her again and put his best fake smile on. "No worries, I'll take him! What's the worse that can happen? Is just a trip to town, it'll be quick." He paused to think. "…yeah."

Mrs. Bucket smiled pleased, "Oh good. Then you can go first thing tomorrow morning. Her office doesn't have much patience at that time.

Willy was about to turn and leave but paused and frowned even more deeply turning to Mrs. Bucket, "Wait….Her?"