I swear I'm still alive! My mum decided she was going to attempt to download some stuff this weekend and I couldn't get on the computer. Aaaaaand!... You guys finally get a physical description of Aleera. So with that said, I proudly present the next chapter:

Chapter 7

The next morning, Willy walked Aleera down to the bucket's for breakfast. Aleera however didn't touch her food. Actually, she just sat there, staring into space, not even the pleasant babble of dear grandma Georgina could get the girl to do any thing more than nod.

Willy glanced from person to person as he ate. He had already decided that it was best not to bring up the night before, and hoped that she would do the same. When he finished, he pushed his plate away from him and beckoned to Charlie. He, in turn, beckoned to Aleera, who seemed to be looking for an excuse to move.

Mrs. Bucket, however, had other ideas. She grabbed Aleera's arm and pulled her back inside. "No you don't!" she said in a manner that made Aleera think of a hen clucking over a chicken. "You're staying here, and we are going to get you cleaned up. Then, we are going to the store, to but some decent clothing." She looked at Willy daring him to say something.

Willy may be many things, but he wasn't a miser. He shrugged his shoulders and took out his (gasp!) purple wallet and handed it to the woman. He then looked at Charlie who nodded approvingly. Turning back to Mrs. Bucket and said, "Kay….have fun then" grabbing his cane ant top hat he turned on his heel and walked out of the little house. Charlie followed close behind him, leaving a very grumbly Aleera behind.

"I – I can't. It wouldn't be right. The money's not mine." These and other useless protests reached the ears of Alice bucket as she and Aleera walked from shop to shop in the market, leaving each one with yet another outfit for Aleera.

"Nonsense!" exclaimed the woman pulling the frail girl through the crowed streets. "Mr. Wonka gave you the money to spend."

Aleera murmured something incomprehensible as she stumbled down the street after an enthusiastic Mrs. Bucket.

………………………………

Willy walked into the bucket's house that night completely exhausted. He collapsed in a chair at the table and ate with great vigor the food Mrs. Bucket put in front of him. It wasn't until Charlie said something to him that he looked up.

Charlie sat across from him, and from where he was sitting, he could see the ladder to the loft. It was then he noticed that there seemed to be someone new in the house. He was about to say something when the person turned around. Willy gasped and dropped his fork when he realized that it was Aleera.

It was amazing how much a bath and new clothing could do. Her hair was no longer a greasy tangled mess, but soft and bouncy. Her waist length spiral curls weren't black as he'd originally thought. Her hair was actually the color of black cherries which threw into sharp relief her odd eyes. Her outfit complemented her figure perfectly. The dark green floor length dress fit and emphasized her curves.

Willy felt his mouth go dry as she sat next to him. "Good evening star shine the earth says hello!" he said weakly.

Aleera pursed her lips. God she hated it when he said that. She was about to tell him just that when Mr. Bucket walked in. "evening buckets!" he said sitting down.

Aleera froze. Her hand hovered over her plate, eyes wide. She lowered her hand slowly and sat still for a full thirty second before whispering "too many… there's just too many!" she shook her head and bolted out the door.

"Was it something I said?" Asked Mr. Bucket confused

Mrs. Bucket shook her head "no, she does that every now and then. Personally, I think that she's afraid of adults."

"That's ridiculous!" exclaimed Grandpa George "she's always talking to that old coot!"' he pointed to his wife.

Charlie shook his head. "She got the mental state of a two year old." He said "I don't think she likes people who are …well… mature."

His mother nodded in agreement. "Go talk to her Charlie; try to explain things to her."

He got up. "I'll be back."

What ever he said to her, it was enough to get her to calm down enough to come back inside and finish her meal. In fact, it was enough to get her to tolerate the presents of all of the adults at the factory 99 of the time. As the weeks passed, she got better at being with the adults and stopped bolting out of the room at random times.

And so the weeks passed and she began to fall into a routine. She spent the days with Charlie and Willy in the inventing room, and the evenings with Mrs. Bucket cooking dinner.

She began to enjoy to odd chocolate makers company, and he the same with her. She some times lost him when she began to speak in riddles and he'd have to ask her what she meant. But she was patient and explained. Most importantly, she was able to follow every thing the chocolate maker said. Some times she listened to him ramble, and sometimes she commented, but mostly, they had a mutual unspoken understanding of one another and worked in silence.

Charlie stood on the sidelines and watched it all. The change in both of them was amazing. Willy no longer flinched when she accidentally brushed against him, and she no longer glared at him when he called her star shine. All in all, things were certainly looking up the couple.

Until the letter.

It came in the mail, as most letters do. Willy was sitting at his desk when the oompa loompa brought in the big pile of mail. Most of it was fan mail, which was immediately tossed aside. He'd look at it later, but right now there were more important things to read.

Like this one. He opened it and read the first few lines……oh no. no, no and no!

This couldn't be happening! No to him! He reread the letter. Nope. Still the same.

Jumping out of his chair, which fell over with a loud bang. Leaping over his desk, he ran out of his office to tell the buckets the horrible news.