I do not own anything from Charlie and the Chocolate factory. All rights and likenesses belong to Roald Dahl, Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. No profit is being garnered from this work. Serious note here: The real-world organization that collects hair to use to make wigs for children with cancer is called "Locks of Love." If you are interested in contributing, check out the link at . Get fashionable and helpful at the same time! – Stealth Phoenix
Chapter 31
There was a pounding on the door.
Veronica ignored it to snuggle deeper into the warm blanket. Maybe it was the residual effects of the Wonkavite, or maybe finally telling Willy about her past, but she had slept without nightmares for the first time in almost three months.
The pounding continued.
She rolled onto her back, stretching well-rested limbs until they threatened to cramp. Her eyes felt so heavy and the room was comfortably dark, she started to doze once more. There had been a disturbing moment in her dream last night where a man approached her – the face wavering between Victor and Marcus – but Willy had appeared and they had segued into a Rogers/Astair dance sequence that left the shadowy figure behind.
There was a particularly loud thump outside followed by a small cry.
Veronica's eyes slammed open and she shot out of bed to the door. Was someone hurt?
Monica stood outside, sitting cross-legged on the ground, holding her head in pain. Veronica dropped to her hands and knees, "Monica! Are you alright?"
"Glad to see you awake – I ended up ramming the door and hit my head. No worries, it just stings a bit right now," The small woman smiled ruefully while rubbing her forehead.
Veronica sat back in relief, "I'm glad it's minor. It's rather a dramatic way to yank someone out of bed, mind you. I'm not used to actually getting sleep anymore - sorry about not waking up quicker."
Monica climbed to her feet and patted her on the shoulder. "No hard feelings, dear. Now, we've got to get busy – we need to get you prepared for the ceremony tonight."
Veronica was surprised, "Me? What for?"
"You are a part of all this, be it that you came into that part rather late – but we want you to come to both the re-enactment of Won-Ka discovering the tribe and our ceremonies at the village later on," Monica explained, moving into the bedroom, leaving Veronica to follow.
Veronica felt a quick spurt of panic – she still had to finish the touch ups for the presentation, not to mention she didn't know when Willy wanted to actually give it to them…Crap!
Thinking a light speed, a feat unaccomplished to date due to terminal lack of caffeine, she blurted, "I need to get something out of my studio first."
Monica raised an eyebrow, pausing while she dug through the dresser drawers looking for something appropriate for Veronica to wear. "You've spent enough time in there alone for a while, can't it wait?"
"I'm afraid not. In fact it's critical to my piece of mind. Please?" She begged.
Monica had nodded reluctantly and started to open her mouth to say something, but Veronica was already gone. "Wait!" she shouted belatedly.
Veronica was running at a flat sprint toward the Wonkavators, her bare feet slapping against the cool floor. She dove inside and frantically pressed the buttons to take her to her studio, "Com'on old girl – let's get there in a hurry!" she whispered to the Wonkavator who seemed to be taking far too long to close the glass doors.
The Wonkavator seemed to take the challenge personally as it took off with unprecedented speed, throwing itself around corners and hurtling through the factory leaving a sonic boom in its wake on the long straight stretches. The only thing keeping her from being flattened to the floor in a greasy mess was the purple strap hanging from the ceiling.
She reached the studio in record time, absently patting the door of the Wonkavator in thanks. She grabbed the handle and pushed to go in…
…only to slam into the door when it wouldn't open.
"What the hell?" she growled, slamming her shoulder into the door again in frustration. For a good five minutes she pried at the door, picked at the lock and generally did everything in her power to get the door open. The light was on the security box indicating that there was power to the system, it was as if it no longer recognized her.
A long stream of sulfurous swearing escaped her lips as she drew back her foot to kick the door.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. No shoes, remember?"
She whirled around to see a groggy Willy leave the Wonkavator behind her. He showed a sign of hasty dressing as his shirt wasn't tucked in and the normally constrictive collar was open exposing milky white skin. Willy's boots were unzipped and one leg was tucked into the top of his right boot. The top hat was perched on mussed hair and there was no sign of the jacket. He still wore his purple gloves, but the cuffs of his shirt were rolled back showing lean muscled forearms. His face was unshaven and he blearily staggered over to where she stood by the door.
He looked utterly delicious.
He grabbed the handle of the door and whistled a little of Beethoven's Eighth Symphony and the door popped open. He gestured for her to go in, "Sorry about that. After you passed out, I told Nei-Vil to shut off access unless Charlie or I was with you."
Veronica was stuck between gratitude for his concern and irritation that he felt that she needed a keeper in her own studio. She silently passed him and waited for him to close the door.
"Sorry to disturb you – you look as if you need a few more hours of sleep," she said softly, turning on the equipment to heat and running eyes over the last few ornamentation to ensure nothing had cracked or warped during her time away.
Willy just leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest with a yawn, "I was waking up anyway. The Oompa Loompa have this long drawn-out cleansing ceremony Charlie and I have to get shuffled through before they start their ceremony."
He watched her work, still dressed in her pajamas. The thin cotton shorts were riding low on her hips, the shorts sliding up her muscled legs appealingly every time she moved. The short-sleeved button-up top rising up to show a wide swath of taunt abdominal skin every time she raised her arms above her head – a sight that caused Willy's mouth to water with longing. Her long hair was starting to curl at the ends and fluffed around her face framing the delicate features.
This is better than what I was dreaming about anyway, he thought fondly.
"Monica indicated I am to do something similar. I got so wrapped up last night I completely forgot about finishing this before today. I am terribly sorry…" She said, using the soldering iron to fasten a bit of shiny black armor to the piece in front of her.
Willy shrugged and she was momentarily distracted by the movement. He looked so touchable…the formal air he carried was gone and the rumpled clothes from the night before just emphasized his lean body in ways that made her want to drop everything and help him get even more disheveled.
Focus! She snapped at herself, for she realized she had frozen with the iron in one hand and was staring at him distractedly.
Veronica applied herself diligently for the next 45 minutes. There was a knock on the door during a particularly delicate operation. Willy answered the murmured question and opened the door to allow Charlie to slip in.
Charlie was startled by Willy's unusual form of dress. The taller man gestured toward the working woman in explaination, "She shot out of her room so fast this morning I didn't get the chance to pull myself together. It doesn't really matter since we're going to get make-over's by the Oompa Loompa a bit later anyway." Willy stifled a yawn with one hand, re-crossing his arms to slump against the wall.
Charlie stopped to admire the view as well - Veronica was doing something that required her to stand on tip-toe to add the piece and the top was riding high and tight across her chest.
Willy noticed and sent a black look his way, Mine! The look said.
Charlie blushed in apology.
"Is she almost done?" he asked, shivering anew at the sight of the lurking sculpture.
"Actually – come over here for a second to hold this, I need another hand – you too Willy," Veronica commanded. "It won't hold – there's a fault in the seam here and not enough time to re-cast. I'm going to have to do a patch job to make it hold until tonight."
The urgency of the words brought both them both over in a run, she shoved a pair of gloves at Charlie and he pulled them on before gently bracing an outstretched limb.
"Push harder Charlie. Willy, you brace from the other side. I've got to let go to grab the soft-ball," she said. Willy took up the counter-pressure on the other side and she slipped out to grab the small sauce pan off the stove. Using a wooden spoon, she dribbled a quantity onto the marble countertop. She used the spoon to flip and fold the rapidly thickening liquid until she nodded with satisfaction and set the pan down.
To Willy's horror, she started to reach down with her bare hand to what he knew was molten sugar, "Wait!" he yelped.
She ignored him and began kneading the mound with quick gestures – not seemingly affected by the flesh-warping heat. She picked up the small ball in one hand and came toward Charlie. "Willy, could you trade with Charlie? I'm going to work this in around the weakened area, and I'll need you to readjust accordingly while I work."
"Are you alright? Doesn't that hurt?" Charlie asked, seeing the molten sugar in her bare hand.
Veronica looked puzzled for a moment, before her expression cleared with comprehension, "Oh yes. Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you two. Scars, remember? I don't have any sensation on most of the bottoms of my hands and the scarring is very tough there, so I can work with my bare hands where most can't."
Willy traded positions with Charlie in a delicate ballet of movement. Veronica approached him and wormed her way under his supporting arms to start molding the sugar in the area between the limb and the main body of the piece. He found her scantily clad bottom rubbing enticingly against him as she worked. Her smell filled his sensitive nostrils and he had to bite his lip to provide some sort of sensatory distraction.
Her thin hands quickly worked and smoothed the re-applied sugar, thickening it in some areas, just adding a slight supporting layer in others.
She stood, feeling Willy's hot breath upon her shoulder as he held the candy limb. She had felt his reaction to her presence and felt compelled to freeze in place in order not to embarrass them in front of Charlie.
"Okay – let go…slowly….good!" Veronica said in satisfaction, tossing the rest of her molding material into the pot. "It's done."
'Wonderful. Charlie, I want you to go grab one of the super large boxes and about 10 feet of the 6 inch wide red ribbon from the packaging room. We're going to need a flatbed as well, so grab one and bring it back. We need to get this packaged quick and delivered to the Oompa Loompas to open tonight." Willy ordered, resting one hand on her hip. She could feel him trembling.
Charlie bolted off on his errand. As soon as the door shut, Willy grabbed her to twirl Veronica to face him. He didn't hesitate to dive headlong into a heady kiss, pulling her closer frantically.
They staggered back, her back hitting the counter with a muffled grunt, he pressed her back to lean against the surface as he ravaged her lips.
She grabbed him back, hands caressing his firm behind and running fingers through the dark hair with nails scraping his scalp delightfully. Veronica took the opportunity to run her hands up under his shirt to greedily caress the warm bare flesh of his back. She slowly dragged her nails lightly down his spine, making him bow backward and whimper at the contact – she felt a reactionary twitch against her stomach.
"That was just evil. Were you trying to kill me?" he panted, pulling away and pulling her upright to rest his forehead against hers, eyes glimmering with lust.
One hand grazed her bare back under her sleep shirt and she gasped at the contact. The naughty hand traveled up and down her bare back, at one point curving around to – almost - achingly graze against the sides of her sensitive breast. The sounds being wrenched from her throat was sweet music to his ears.
"Hey – I was just trying to work. You were the one driving me mad with all that rubbing," She retaliated brokenly, kissing his stubbly chin, loving they way the course hair rasped against her lips.
There was a knock at the door indicating that Charlie had returned with the promised items.
It was with the greatest reluctance that they parted company for the moment – without uttering a word, they agreed that anything more would lead to activities that would scar Charlie for life if he returned to see them…
…regardless of how much they wanted to or how good it would feel.
Charlie hauled the flatbed in and while he and Willy situated the box on the trolley as she cleaned up the mess made from her work that morning and prepared the sculpture for its move to the box – trying to cool her libido.
The flattened box was centered on the cart; all three of them with careful hands lifted it and placed it in the middle before folding the sides up and sealing the box around it. Veronica watched with apprehension as Willy and Charlie scuttled around the box, ensuring that nothing was crushed or rested against the sides during transportation causing it to break.
Satisfied, Willy nodded at Charlie and they pulled the ribbon up and around to tie the top. One carefully placed finger finished the huge bow and the present was done.
Veronica felt a massive wave of relief and loss with that gesture. The project was now officially done and delivered – it was out of her hands. This must be what parents feel when their children leave for college, she reflected. Although she seriously doubted the indifferent attitude most parents would hold toward the prospect of their offspring being devoured by a tribe of pygmies.
Willy opened the door with a flourish and allowed Charlie to wheel the cart outside of the studio. Veronica, after making sure everything was shut off and cleaned up, followed. She yelped as she felt a hand pinch her bottom and she glared at Willy. He looked innocent as he closed the door, but the mischievous gleam in his eye gave him away.
A few of the Oompa Loompa workers looked curiously at their small parade - Willy in his rumpled glory, Veronica in her pajamas and the relatively normal Charlie pushing a large mysterious wrapped package toward the Chocolate Room. What was this? Before long they had a real parade as curious workers followed them.
They entered the Chocolate room, particularly splendid and lush with its increased care. Mic-Ka, Neville and Orville were clustered around a raised platform while sound checks were going on. They turned to see their employer approaching with the cart.
Willy crossed his arms and bowed low to the Chief, Veronica and Charlie followed in suit.
"Chief Mic-Ka. I greet you on this auspicious day celebrating you and your people's great exodus to this new land," Willy said grandly.
"Good day to you and your companions, Won-Ka," Mic-Ka said curiously, handing a roll of blueprints back to Orville. "What is it that we may do for you today?"
"Ah! But it is not what I ask for you to do, but to receive." Willy said, his animated face glowing with happiness. He gestured and Charlie rolled the cart forward. "I would like to give you a gift."
Mic-Ka's eyebrows rose in surprise as well as those of Nei-Vil and the rest of the tribe. He could hear the rising murmer of conversation from the Oompa Loompas present. Won-Ka had already given them so much…
"Won-Ka. As chief of the Oompa Loompa people, I accept your present and thank you for your generosity. You have given us a new life and a brighter future, how are we to accept anything else?" Mic-Ka said, eyes bright with gratitude.
Willy bowed again gracefully, "I present it to you and your people because you are my friends and I wish to celebrate that friendship with you. I thank you – from the bottom of my heart – for restoring my faith in the human race and for helping me in my darkest hour. You are not just my workers – I count you as family."
There was a massive cheer as Willy knelt and extended one finger to shake with the diminutive chief. "What is it?" Mic-Ka whispered to Willy, unheard in the crowd.
"Let's just say it's something I think would fit in better with the ceremonies down in the village rather than here." Willy whispered back. Mic-Ka nodded and gestured toward Orville and Nei-Vil. "Take it down to the village," In the native Oompa Loompa language he whispered to them, "You might want to peek inside and see what it is. Won-Ka thinks it'll work into the ceremonies."
Nei-Vil crossed his arms and bowed, eyes wide, "Sher-Man-Ra was right, Won-Ka does follow his foreseen role without knowing…"
The two Oompa Loompas took the cart and its' contents from the room, followed by the cheering crowd.
The three taller people also found themselves surrounded by a small crowd of irate Oompa Loompas.
"We're supposed to prepare you for the ceremonies and what do you do? You run off on me!" scolded Monica. "Enough of this nonsense – you are coming with me. We'll have to compress the schedule a bit to get you ready in time."
Veronica shot a longing look over her shoulder at Willy as she was nudged at the knees by the persistent little woman. He gave her an apologetic glance as he too was tugged by his pants in the opposite direction, "Sorry – looks like we'll catch up later." His look was just about as forlorn as hers – at this rate she'd never get to spend any time alone with him.
"Great timing, Monica," Veronica grumbled at the Oompa Loompa as they climbed into the Wonkavator to go back to her rooms.
"You're one to talk – if you hadn't been wrapped up in that studio for the last three weeks, you could have been pa-tooking his brains out already," Monica said, unapologetically.
She raised an eyebrow at the little woman, "Pa-Took?"
Monica looked up at her with sheer devilment in her dark eyes, "You know…shag, screw, nail, fu…"
"Thank you – I get it!" Veronica said, blushing wildly – damn Oompa Loompas and their earthy sense of humor.
"You only wish you'd get it now," Monica said, refusing to let her get away that easily. "As it is, you will have to wait until after the ceremonies this evening."
"Monica!" she felt like her head was ready to explode with embarrassment.
Monica laughed, "In either case, put it on the back of the fire for the moment. What we do to prepare you is to cleanse you physically, spiritually and mentally. The performance in the Chocolate Room is just to get you taller folks into the right mind-set. When you attend the ceremonies in the village, you do so as our spiritual avatars – you come as a representative of a set of our beliefs. All actions you carry out reflect that – so preparation is essential."
Veronica pondered the matter as they arrived back at her room and Monica met the team of three other Ooompa Loompa women who would be assisting her. They spoke in the rapid native language and Monica turned to Veronica, "Alright. Strip and get in the tub – we need to give you a good scrubbing with salt and other herbs and oils to prepare you. Ray-Nel will be bringing the rest in a while."
"Scrubbing?" She said, apprehensive – this sounded painful.
"Don't be an infant – go on!" Monica snapped. She sounded so much like her own mother that she obeyed without a second thought. Must be universal, she thought.
The next few hours passed in both a blur and with painful boredom. She was scrubbed from head to toe and slathered with some kind of green goo. Then they shoved her into a steam shower to sit for about 10 minutes, smelling vaguely of kelp.
Next came an icy cold deluge that had her yelping and made the small women chuckle with glee. They wrapped her in a cotton robe and went to work on the wild length of hair, combing it out and applying jojoba oil to the long length – meanwhile one woman went to work giving her a pedicure. As Veronica had never had one before she found the experience a bit awkward.
Then came yet another soak, this time in a hot pool scented with flowers, turning her muscles into goo and enabling the women to concentrate on her hands as she soaked. Monica tutted over the ragged nails and hard scars on her hands, only slightly softened by the hot water.
The women hummed as they worked and Veronica found herself drifting. Monica saw this and smiled – their preparations were working. She indicated for Veronica to leave the tub and lay down on a long mat on the floor covered with towels. Veronica sleepily obeyed and as they started to massage oil into her skin, she fell asleep. The women continued to hum while they worked.
Veronica wasn't sure what time it was when she awoke, but her stomach was ravenous and she was light-headed.
"Ah – good! You're up. Time to get dressed and head down to the Chocolate Room, we're about ready to begin," Monica came in, dressed in the Oompa Loompa woman traditional garb, a grass skirt and heavy shell necklace. Her rich brown skin glowed with health and the shiny black hair was bound in a knot that pointed high in the air.
"Will there be anything to eat – I'm starving." Veronica said with a yawn and she rose to her feet and stretched. Her skin felt soft and supple, the long hair up our of her face in some invisible way, although the main body of it still draped down her back in soft waves.
"There will be feasting at the village – you will be able to sip some Po-Ki at the performance to stave off your hunger. Ray-Nel brought your clothing to wear." Monica held up a swath of home-spun unbleached cotton with the consistency of linen.
Veronica slipped into the dress and understood why Monica hadn't offered any underthings to wear. The simple spaghetti straps crossed in the back and the front was draped between her breasts. The back dipped low to drape at the base of her spine – the material was thin enough to show any lines had she tried to wear anything underneath. Still, it was thick enough that it wasn't translucent. The sides were split up to the hips allowing greater leg movement.
Turning to face the mirror – she had to admit that the small women had managed to turn her rough edges into something with a touch more sophistication than she was used to.
Monica ceremoniously presented her with a thick rope of flowers and shells in an intricate pattern. With equal gravity, she accepted and looped the garland around her neck – making her look like some island princess fresh off the boat.
Monica and the women crossed their arms and bowed. In a voice heavy with portent, Monica said, "Ver-Oni-Ka, you have been prepared in accordance with our customs and traditions. Will you join us in the celebration of our exodus from our homeland?"
Veronica returned the gesture – feeling a level of calm and poise drop over her, "Yes. I join you with with a glad heart and an open mind."
It was time for the Exodus Ceremony to begin.