Hello There! Welcome back to this little story which has been hammering around inside my head, making me neglect my housework and family until it works its way out of my aching head. Seriously. Anyway, this is a nice long chapter, and hopefully will calm the voices in my head for at least a short time. eh-heh...I apologize for any spelling errors, but I was too tired after writing this by hand and then typing it in to do any major spell-checking.

Disclaimer: (doncha just hate this darn things!) I don't own any characters from D.R.'s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; only the plot line and characters I have invented for this fan fiction, which I make up in my sad, sick widdle brain. I am making no profit from this—it is just an effort to save my sanity.

That being said, enjoy!

Chapter 3: Get Me To The Ball On Time!

The next several days went by in a blur as Sarah got caught up in the excitement. She immediately called the RSVP number on the back of the ticket, giving the operator on the other end her name and the embossed bar code on request. A moment later she was put on hold, and she nearly laughed aloud as the mellow voice of Sammy Davis Jr. singing Candyman came over the line. Less than a minute later, another voice came on the line and congratulated her warmly. After requesting her address, she was told that a limousine would arrive at 7:30 on the night of the ball to deliver her to her destination.

The next call she made started out joyful and ended on a sour note. Her mother was absolutely thrilled when she heard the news of Sarah's lucky find; her father, practical as always, had other ideas about what she should do with her prize, and wasn't hesitant in sharing them.

"Really, Sarah, don't you think it would be better to sell it and use the money to get something you really need instead of going to some silly party? With what they're going for you could replace your car, buy a good computer, and cover your own books and expenses for quite some time."

Her mother, who was firmly behind her daughter, tried to intervene but with little success. "Arthur, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity---it's not about the money! She's the one who found the ticket---let her do what she pleases with it and stop hounding her about it. She's an adult, after all."

"Fine then….if she's an adult, let her pay her own expenses then. She'd have a tidy sum if she'd just do as I say and sell the bloody thing…what the blazes would she do with a truckload of chocolate anyhow?"

She listened to her parents argue back and forth on the homes two extensions for a while before ending the call, citing a headache which for once wasn't feigned. She was distressed and hurt by her father's anger and disapproval, but her emotions made her even more determined to go to that birthday celebration and have a great time. Her decision wasn't just based on the fact that going to the ball would irritate her father; she was also as curious as the proverbial cat to learn more about the famous chocolatier and his protégé.

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Her calling the RSVP line must have been released to the public, because less than an hour after the disastrous call to her parents, the phone began to ring and didn't stop for hours. The first few calls were from newspapers and even a couple of radio stations, seeking information, voice cuts and quotes from the newest ticket holder. Interspersed with those calls were outrageous offers to buy the ticket, most of which concluded with comments of where she could stick her truckload of chocolate when she calmly turned them down flat. While anatomically impossible, picturing the suggested actions taking place on some of the less likeable of her acquaintances proved highly amusing.

She was soon made aware by her annoyed floor mates that several local TV stations had brought vans that were currently parked in front of their dormitory, waiting for her to emerge for interviews. Dismayed by this turn of events, Sarah realized that if she dawdled any longer, she was going to be late for work. Hustling into her uniform, she calmly headed out the door, her ponytail bobbing with each step beneath her visor. She was quickly approached by a news crew, and hesitantly answered their questions as best she could. Towards the end of the interview, she was actually starting to enjoy the attention when she was asked how she liked Wonka's chocolate. She thought about it for a moment before answering the question truthfully with a cheeky grin and sparkling eyes. "I can't honestly say that it is better than sex, but I would definitely rate it a very close second!"

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Later that evening……

On opposite sides of London, two men were watching the evening news.

The first was seated at a local pub, and nearly choked to death on his glass of Guiness when he heard his daughter talk about her sex life on national television……

On the other side of town, the other man giggled so hard at her words that he spewed hot cocoa all over his black velvet smoking jacket and paisley silk pajama bottoms. Rising from his quadruple-sized purple bean bag chair, he called for one of his pint-sized attendants to clean up his dropped mug of the chocolate beverage before turning off the tv, and retiring to bed, grinning ear to ear and actually starting to look forward to hosting the upcoming ball…..

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Finding just the right costume to wear to the big event was the next big dilemma Sarah had to face. Over the next few days she visited several nearby costume shops, but hadn't yet spotted a costume that caught her eye. She was just about to break down and go back to her old Dorothy costume she had worn in her senior year in the school production of The Wizard of Oz when her best friend and roommate Jen came up with a great idea.

"Y'know Sar, I might not have mentioned it before, but you bear a striking resemblence to Jennifer Connelly---why not go as Sarah from the movie Labyrinth? I can just picture you in a poufy white dress like the one she wore in that ballroom scene after she ate the spelled peach? That would be awesome, and definitely one of a kind at the masquerade."

Going to the cabinet beneath their shared dorm room's 19 inch tv and dvd player, she grabbed Jen's collectors edition of the 1986 Jim Henson film. She removed the insert booklet and found what she was looking for. The dress the young actress wore was indeed stunning and ideal for her purpose, and at 5'4 and 135, she knew she could carry it off well. Then reality set in and set her hopes to the basement. Doing some quick figuring in her mental bankbook, she figured that if she ate at work and cut out all unnecessary spending for a long while, she had approximately $500 to get her dress, accessories, and hair done. Her heart sank as she realized that a dress so elaborate was way out of her budget. She was about to relate the news to Jen when there was a knock at their door. The two young women were both stunned when they opened the door to see Sarah's mother smiling at them, waiting to be invited in.

"Mom, what are you doing here? Is everything ok….something wrong with Dad?" Sarah's voice was full of alarm….her mom was not the kind of person to show up unannounced.

"Sweetheart, there's been something wrong with your father for years, but for some reason, I can't quite bring myself to give up on him just yet." Her mother's warm laughter was met with giggles from both younger women. Smiling at her daughter and the girl she considered a 2nd daughter as well, she informed them that all was well in the Shawe household. "Actually, I'm here to see if that free spirited daughter of mine had come up with a costume for the big to-do at the factory yet."

Sarah sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "Well, Jen came up with a smashing idea, but there's just no way. It's doubtful that any costume shop would carry something like this.." showing her mom the picture, "And there's no way I can afford to buy it and still feed myself."

Her mother grew serious for a moment. "That's what I suspected might happen, and that's why I wanted to come today and give you this." She opened her purse and handed her daughter an envelope. At her mother's nod of encouragement, Sarah tore it open to find that it was stuffed with what looked like over $1000 in $20 and $50 bills. Stunned at the generous gift, she looked up to find her mother beaming at her, and flew into her arms hugging her fiercely.

"Darling, you look positively flummoxed! Before you ask, your father doesn't know anything about this, and I don't intend to tell him about it either. This is just a smidgen of the inheritance from your Aunt Priscilla. She couldn't stand Arthur's tight-waddedness regarding finances, so she her fortune to me with the strict instructions that it was to be used only frivolous purposes. I don't agree with the way your father has behaved about this whole ticket thing, so I thought I'd do this in honor of Priscilla…and as my own personal rebellion, I might add."

"Thank you, Mum,…I can't say how much this means to me."

"Just knowing that you'll be the prettiest girl at the ball this weekend is thanks enough, darling. Now, you'd best get cracking, Cinderella….time is short, and you've lots to do.

"I don't even know where to start….you don't find dresses like this at the local boutiques."

Margaret Shawe smiled once more, revealing once more the delicious dimples that had caught her husband's eye many years ago. "Why, to the place every girl goes to find the perfect dress for the most important day of her life….a bridal shop, of course!"

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Four days later, Sarah stood in the lobby of her dorm, surrounded by several excited friends and her mother, who was busily snapping photos of her in her dream gown.

The fantasy gown had cost nearly all of the money in the envelope her mother had given her, but it was worth every penny. It was off the shoulder, with a gentle dip that revealed more than a hint of cleavage. The gown's sleeves were large and puffy from shoulder to elbow, and were made of layers of sheer netting with ribbons and appliques. The sleeves from elbow to wrist were of skin tight satin, which came to a point over her hands. The bodice itself, just like the one in the movie, was of satin heavily encrusted with sequins, pearls and appliques, and came to a point at the front over the layers of her hooped and crinolined tulle skirts. She wore her own waterfall crystal earrings, and around her neck she wore an antique rhinestone necklace Jen's grandmother had loaned her for the occasion. The beautician had done an amazing job recreating the hairstyle Jennifer Connelly had worn, and when she had finally looked at herself in the mirror, she had to admit that there was a definite resemblance between herself and the young actress.

As her mother fussed with her gown and the camera, Sarah was suddenly swept back 3 years to the night of her Senior Prom, and smiled as she reminisced about that special evening. That night was special in that she had planned to bid farewell to her virginity, but fate had intervened when her date had passed out after drinking too many glasses of spiked punch. Since then, she hadn't found anyone of the opposite sex worthy of spending time with, in or out of the sack.

Her attention was drawn to the front doors as the squeals of her classmates alerted her to her ride's arrival. She noted with amusement that the long white limousine with its silver trim matched perfectly with her gown. Taking a deep breath and squeezing Jen's hand for courage, she pulled the hood on her faux-ermine trimmed white velvet cloak, and grasped her masque and drawstring pouch before heading out the towards the car. "Break a leg" Jen shouted out laughingly as Sarah stepped out into the cold December night.

The snow, which had been falling heavily all day long, blanketing everything in sight, had slowed to a fall of soft, lazy flakes with drifted down in slow motion. Sarah accepted the chauffer's hand into the limo, and carefully arranged her dress so it wouldn't be crushed on the ride to the factory. She sat back and closed her eyes, sighed deeply and then smiled, a modern day Cinderella ready to dance the night away…