A/N: This chapter is a lot shorter than the last but I decided it was more important to keep myself updating regularly. The end of this chapter also seemed like a neat little stopping point when I wrote it, so here it is. Fear not, Chapter 6 should be fast in coming.

Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed: snip-snippet, Jareth's Genevieve, katplwe, word junky, Kurama13 and everyone else.

I'm a sucker for reviews so please keep em coming! I love knowing what people think about my work! You guys rock!

Chapter 5: The Adventure Begins

Saturday evening found Willy Wonka sitting by the window in his bedroom watching for Neiko. Obviously, he couldn't stand outside for fear of attracting unwanted attention. Instead, he would alert the Oompa Loompas when she arrived and they would let her in. He had spent the entire week trying to convince himself that he wasn't making a huge mistake. Each morning when he woke up, he was horrified by his decision and spent the entire day worrying about it. Then, evening would find him looking out at the deserted front wall and remembering why he would miss her if she didn't come back.

He had felt a desire to please her and see her face light up again as it had when she had first seen the Chocolate Room. Being near her was far from comfortable but it was less painful than he would have imagined. He had been away from people for so long and had convinced himself so completely that it didn't matter, that he had paid no attention when, every-so-often, he longed for human company. Now, it seemed, in light of this new arrival in his life, the instinct for companionship was kicking into overdrive. For the first time in his life the factory, empty but for the Oompa Loompas, felt like a prison. The thought of remaining here alone seemed unbearable and yet he couldn't go out. It had been far too long. But if he could trust her to come in… Could he trust her? He supposed he would have to. But only a little.

Just then, he saw her approaching the front gate. He felt his heart constrict at the sight of her. How was he going to get through this? He was terrified of her. That was what that meant right? He called down to the Oompa Loompas to open the gate using an intercom and then headed for the great glass elevator. He tried to swallow his fear as the elevator opened onto the entrance hall.

As he stepped out into the open he saw Neiko creep shyly through one of the large doors at the other end of the hall. Her face showed excitement tinged with uncertainty. Willy battled with anxiety as he walked closer to her and stopped in front of her. It was different, meeting her on level ground like this. Last time he'd had a small chance to get used to her before he had really had to face her.

"Good evening Starshine," he choked out. "The earth says 'hello'"

His whole body was trembling now and she was looking at him strangely. He clenched and unclenched his hands at his sides in anxiety, smiling so hard that he was actually gritting his teeth. After a moment of awkward silence his smile began to falter. At this point, Neiko seemed to take mercy on him and, quirking an eyebrow, said, "Well hullo…Earth?" Then she shook her head and grinned broadly, stifling a chuckle. Nonplussed, Willy furrowed his brow and compressed his lips in a pout.

"There you go again," he muttered.

He saw her face sober quickly and the grin was replaced by a gentle look.

"Oh don't be angry. I wasn't being mean." She smiled at him a little wryly. "What's the amazing chocolatier doing with so many self-esteem issues anyway?"

Willy just continued to glower at her.

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Neiko resisted the urge to reach out and touch him because she knew that if she did he would freak out. It occurred to her that she would have to be much more careful with him than she had been. In spite of a seemingly boundless ego, his feelings were easily hurt. That part of him, more than any other, intrigued her. He was a good guy, she realized. Strange but also wonderful in many ways. Despite his quirks, or perhaps because of them, she was beginning to really like him.

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Willy watched as a range of emotions washed over Neiko's face. Regret, sadness, resolve, and what seemed to be affection, ending in a small, shy smile that he could neither explain nor fully describe. Whatever it meant, he found himself less nervous because of it, if perhaps a little giddy. He felt a blush rising in his cheeks though he wasn't sure why. He tried to dismiss the feeling. Willy realized that she was probably expecting him to say something and he felt himself growing nervous once more. He shifted anxiously and plastered on a smile.

"Let's move along shall we?" He beckoned her to follow.

Willy led Neiko to the Great Glass Elevator which was still waiting in its port. He wondered where he should take her. 'Where would she like to go?' he asked himself. 'What would she like best?' Suddenly, he got a better idea.

"How bout we take the scenic route?" he asked, turning toward her in the elevator.

Neiko shrugged. "Works for me."

He watched her examine the elevator buttons and their labels, her jaw dropping at the sheer number of them. He grinned.

"How many floors are in this place?" she asked in disbelief.

"Those aren't floors," he explained. "They're rooms. This isn't your average up and down elevator." With that, he pressed a button and sent the elevator rocketing to the right, much to Neiko's shock and dismay.

A/N: The next chapter is gonna be a little weird for me because I never really wanted to write a tour chapter but I suppose it's kind of necessary in this case. I'll try to break it up so it doesn't get boring.

-BTW: We won't see the Inventing Room in Chapter 6. It always seemed strange to me that he showed the kids his most secret room right up front. I don't think he trusts Neiko quite that much yet.