Holy...I'm getting a LOT of reviews! O.o Thank you lots! And...the next chapter is right here. You'll be getting a bonus chapter soon! (This is my personal favorite chapter. One of them, anyway...you'll be informed when it is my FAVORITE chapter.)

"Hurry up," Willy said, taking Lilly's hand and helping her out of the boat. "I don't want you to miss this."

Lilly smiled and laughed again. "Willy…I don't think anything in this factory is going anywhere anytime soon."

"That was a lot of 'any's," Willy said over his shoulder, unconscious to the fact that he kept holding on to Lilly's hand.

They both walked into the Invention Room, and Willy let go of Lilly's hand. He turned to her and smiled.

Lilly walked a little further into the room and looked around, then back at Willy.

"Oddly…" she murmured, "I'm not impressed."

Willy stood completely still, then slowly raised one eyebrow a little way.

"And I'm not impressed," Lilly continued, walking back over to Willy, still looking around the room, "because somehow…." She crossed her arms. "Everything looks the same..." She stopped directly in front of Willy and looked at him. "Because I'm with you again."

Willy looked down at her, his expression unchanging. They stood there for what seemed like several minutes, just looking each other in the eye. Both of them were afraid they would stand there for eternity, not able to come up with anything to say to each other. Then Lilly came out with the Gospel truth:

"Willy, I've been in love with you since I met you all those years ago." She had said it, and she couldn't…STOP saying it. "We were only children, so back then it was a little crush. When you left me because of your father, I was devastated, and I almost tore myself apart." She started to shake now, just a little. "Every day as I grew older, I missed you more. Every hour that I was away from you; every second I didn't see you, I thought I would die of loneliness. I loved you, and having you be away from me hurt more than anything I can ever explain. So all I want you to do now is hold me, and I'll be alright, I promise."

Willy looked a tad bit overwhelmed. "One thing…I've been conflicting with myself about," he nearly choked on his words, "is whether or not I really wanted any human being to say that to me."

Lilly closed her eyes….

"But to hear you say it…somehow…doesn't make it as frightening of a concept…to be loved."

Lilly opened her eyes slowly and looked at Willy again. "I know you can't love me back…."

"Why can't I?"

"Because you don't."

"Who said that?"

"The fact that you're not saying otherwise!"

"That doesn't mean I don't love you."

"Do you?"

"If you force an answer out of me, I assure you it won't be the truth."

"I'm not forcing an answer out of anybody!"

"I don't know how to love somebody!"

Lilly stared at Willy, her eyes wide and her mouth partially agape. Her arms had fallen limp at her sides, and she lost her posture. This was news, alright.

"How can you not know how to love a person?"

Willy looked very anxious all of a sudden, tapping the walking staff against the ground. He looked all around him, biting his bottom lip. "I only said that to distract you."

Lilly raised an eyebrow. "Distract me from what?"

Willy looked at her again, concern in his eyes now. "Distract you from the fact that you're crying."

Lilly blinked, and realized he was right. Tears were slowly streaming down her cheeks, and she also realized that was why Willy looked anxious. As she remembered from when they were kids, he never really seemed comfortable around crying people. He would fidget, and finally find a way to disappear.

But Willy didn't disappear.

"I just hate it when people cry," he said quietly. He closed his eyes and muttered again, "I can't stand it."

Lilly took in a deep, watery breath and slowly reached her hands out and held Willy's face in her hands. When he opened his eyes, Lilly whispered, "I just wanted you to know how I felt about you, that's all…."

Willy looked ashamed suddenly. "Did I hurt your feelings?"

Lilly nodded a little. "Yeah. A little bit."

Willy looked down. "I'm sorry, Lilly. How can I help you feel better?"

Lilly slowly let go of Willy and stepped back a few feet. "You can't…I've…."

Willy suddenly seemed to have realized exactly what he'd just done, and he seemed to have really disliked what he'd just done, because just as suddenly, he grabbed Lilly's arm, took his hat off, and kissed her full on the lips.

Lilly closed her eyes and let the shock of this pass over her head as Willy wrapped his arms tightly around her—a gesture that Lilly found very un-Wonka-like. Nevertheless, when the kiss was over, Lilly found herself in a very warm embrace with Willy. She rested her chin on his shoulder and placed her hands on his back, right below his shoulder blades. They stood like that for several minutes.

"You've always been a part of me," Willy said in a soft whisper. "You've always been my first and only friend, and you always will be my first and only friend."

Lilly suddenly smiled. "What about the Oompa-Loompas?"

Willy tightened the hug, smiling, too. "I would consider them a different kind of friends than you, my dear."

The slyness of his voice was not even attempted to be hidden. And at this, Lilly's grin got wider. "Are you actually saying what I think you're saying, Willy Wonka?"

"Maybe I am."

Lilly snickered. "You're a twisted man, Wonka."

"You know it."