Summery: Christmas time comes around again and Charlie wants to get Willy a present he'd never forget. But has trouble on his search for 'the perfect gift'.

Note: Please ignore any possible spelling mistakes or errors.

Chapter 4

Willy and Charlie sat side-by-side under the shade of a candy tree, relaxing and watching everything around them. For Willy, dinner hadn't been the best so he was constantly plucking swudge from the ground and licking it, letting the mint taste overcome the awful lamb flavor. Charlie was simply thinking over something and staring into space, sighing every once and a while; but Willy was oblivious to it and didn't ask.

Dinner had been seriously quiet that night, well to the Chocolatier it had. Grandpa George had been explaining something which had got the whole Bucket family involved though he hadn't heard any of it, only that Charlie and Grandma Josephine had frowned anytime they put their 'two cents' in and that Mr. Bucket had finished the conversation with a bold nod; some things were better left unknown.

"Charlie?" Willy asked shyly, not changing his 'spaced out' expression. "What does hypothetical mean?"

Charlie didn't answer at first, in fact, he didn't move at all. Willy bended his head over and waved his left hand over the boy's face, Charlie quickly snapped out of his trance and looked around like he'd missed out on something really important. Willy gave a smug grin at his reaction; Charlie's face was bright red.

"Having a flashback, Tomato Head?" The Chocolatier joked, leaning his head back on the candy tree behind him. Charlie shook his head in response and rubbed his cheeks gently, trying to get the color back into them.

"No no no, I was just thinking over something." Charlie simply said honestly, the color returning in his face. "What did you ask?"

"I just wanted to know what hypothetical meant. Your mum was saying it an awful lot earlier."

Charlie stopped smiling and began to stare into space once again. He knew what it meant, just not how to explain it, and for someone who couldn't say edible or improvisation properly and couldn't even utter the word parents or family; it would be pretty hard. And Willy wouldn't be one to get it quickly either, he'd most likely ask either 'why?' or 'use it in a sentence' and the sentence wouldn't make sense to him because it would have been using the word he asked what meant and he'd have to explain the sentence. Charlie was ready to explain, but Willy quickly cut him off.

"That's it! You don't know either." The Chocolatier giggled a bit. "Hard word, ha?"

Charlie was saddened a bit, but didn't say anything, he just nodded and bent his head back on the candy tree; his head hitting the top of Willy's shoulder. The duo took a long breath and held it in for five seconds before letting it go in sync, it all done at the same startled the both of them and they moved a few inches away from each other.

"Mr. Wonka."

"You know you can call me Willy."

Charlie looked up in astonishment, perplexed by his mentor's last comment. "Why?"

"I feel so old being called Mr. Wonka all the time," Willy moaned. "and you're my friend, Sprout, you should be entitled to." Willy had drawn to the word 'old' and that was one thing he hated to be called, when they calmed, Charlie lifted his head in a 'know it all' fashion:

"Then can I ask you why you call me Sprout and then just before you called me Tomato Head?"

"What-" Pouted Willy. "You don't you like it; I could always call you Tomato Sauce or Soup."

Charlie pulled his hands over his mouth, snickering a little. He never objected to being called Sprout, Willy had picked it some somehow one morning rushing through the door of the Bucket house informing him that something was wrong with one of the plants that was growing right next to the house. When Charlie had found that there was actually a sprout growing, they soon found out that the plant had become a mix breed of two of the trees and now grew as a long green vine across the left side of the house. But being called anything made out of tomatoes felt a little strange for Charlie, he didn't have red hair, freckles or anything of the sort; but then again, anything the Willy Wonka did was a little strange.

"You go bright red when you blush." Willy explained. "You remind me of a tomato."

Charlie shook his head a little, keeping a small surprised yet friendly smile on his face. He really wanted to get off the tomato business, looking down at the finger tent his mentor had placed in his lap, an idea soon came to mind which might get the Chocolatier thinking.

"Mr. – Willy." Charlie had up and folded his legs, his hands cupped on his lap. "Can I try something?"

"Wah." Willy left his mouth open while watching Charlie cross his fingers, then look up and wait for him to do the same; Willy was reluctant, but shakily pulled through, copying Charlie. "Now put you thumbs down."

Charlie quickly slammed his thumbs on his crossed fingers and Willy did the same, but still with his mouth open. "What is this for?" Charlie looked over and smiled, Willy's left finger was on top.

"You use the creative side of your brain." Charlie stated.

The Chocolatier lifted his head up; like he understood everything his apprentice was talking about. Charlie looked down at his own hand, his right thumb was on top. "And I use the logic side."

"So you are good at thinking and I'm all that at the arty stuff." It was more or so a comment than a question, like he was talking to himself more than anyone around him. "This is so cool!"

Then the first idea for Willy's Christmas present came into mind. He liked all this weird science stuff like what Charlie had just shown him, like 'Magic Eye' or then books which had puzzles that had no end, all that logic/creative/mind game stuff; he was almost fascinated by it. But then again it wouldn't be the best present to give to someone who'd taken you into the warmth after being in the cold and given you a future, he needed something that he'd keep and remember, like a graduation teddy or a scrapbook.

Once Charlie was out of his thoughts, his was met by his mentor's knees and the end of a very bright glass cane, he quickly stumbled to his feet and looked up at Willy, who tipped his hat then asked:

"And don't forget about the surprise." Willy reminded him.

"And you don't forget to make the star for the tree." Willy tipped his hat again and thanked Charlie for the dinner (though it was horrible) before making his way down to the Glass Elevator.

---

The market place was filled with excessive and possessive Christmas shoppers, trying to get that last little bit of shopping done. That red toy fire truck for Timmy, another Barbie doll for Julia because the first one was eaten by the dog, a bottle of rum for Grandma and some spices for Grandpa, a new pair of socks for dad to add to his 'socks that were given on special occasions but never worn' pile and some bath soaps and shampoo for mum.

Mr. and Mrs. Bucket walked down the long isle of the local toy store, the almost empty trolley maneuvered in front of them as they examined the toys to there left. Two eight year old boys came running past pretending to play cops and robbers by shooting with little plastic guns, almost knocking Mr. Bucket over.

"Dad! Can I get this, it's not much?" A few meters away were a girl around the same age as Charlie and her father. True to what the girl had said, the item she wanted was only $2.00, yet the father declined. The girl had started moaning and crying but the father ignored her, instead grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into the electrical department and were now looking DVD players. The two Buckets exchanged worried and confused glances before continuing to go forward into the next isle where the two eight year old boys were helping there mother choose wrapping paper for some of the gifts that sat in their trolley, the two plastic guns sat right on top.

"It's very busy today." Commented Mrs. Bucket. "It's never like this any other day."

"It is Saturday." Mr. Bucket confirmed. "And everyone loves to Christmas shop during the Holiday season."

An announcement went through the P.A system, telling people that Santa Claus was in the entertainment part of the building and was taking pictures for free and almost in an instant, everyone with children at least five years of age made there way out of the toy shop and over to Santa Claus who was giving candy canes and taking pictures while asking what they wanted for Christmas.

"Charlie used to love Santa, he'd always want to go see him." Mrs. Bucket sighed at the memories of her son at the age of three sitting on the larger mans knee with a worshiping smile on his face, the same one he gave Willy every time he appeared.

A/T: Sorry it took longer than I thought, I have a horrible cold and my Birthday is this Saturday so I'm getting this planned for then. Next chapter we get to find out what the surprise is and Willy makes the star for the tree, I'm almost as excited writing this as some of you are reading it, it's just too fun.