A/N: Hello, everyone! I saw Wonka on Christmas Day, and I absolutely loved it! I think it goes without saying that it got me into a Willy Wonka sort of mood! Oh boy did seeing that movie bring back memories of how obsessed I was with the 2005 movie as a teen. It also got me thinking about how this idea for a Willy Wonka fanfic has been in my head for almost two decades now, but I never had the gumption to put it on paper (or rather, text document! Ha!) But now, lo and behold, here it is, the CATCF fanfic I've been wanting to write for years. A quick shout-out to Miss Wonka, Jareth's Genevieve (now known as Orchisse), and DeppFictionWriters for inspiring me with their fanfics all those years ago. Oh, the wonderful memories!

Also 'The Sweetest Kiss' is a working title (for now) if you guys have any other ideas on what I should name this fic, lemme know in the reviews!

Without further ado, let's get into the story!

CHAPTER 1

Hazel Blackwood's parents died in a house fire when she was thirteen. She was left without a home or guardian, so she lived on the streets by herself and took odd jobs to make end's meet. Jobs varied from day to day, and eventually living on the streets turned into living in an abandoned building. It wasn't the best, but at least it provided her shelter. It just so happened she was pulling her jack-of-all-trades cart through town one day when she took notice of a candy shop on the corner of Cherry Street. It was whimsical, colorful, welcoming, and seemed to be the perfect escape for a difficult life. Up until now, she never once gave that place a thought. As to why, well, that was a mystery…even to her. Overwhelmed with curiosity, she decided to take a look inside. Tidying herself up a little to look more presentable, she set foot into the shop. Normally, she held a sad expression on her face, but a smile started to form on her lips as she looked around.

Brightly colored objects caught her eye on every corner, ranging from lollipops embraced and consumed by fellow patrons to mere decorations. Hazel wasn't sure what it was, but something about this place felt comforting and safe. In fact, it was the most comfortable she had felt in years since her parents passed. She didn't want this feeling to end. She spent the past year unhappy and she was NOT going to go back there again by any means necessary. As Hazel kept looking, she felt a tap on her shoulder, which made her jump four feet. She turned around to find…

"Enjoying your escape from sorrow, are you?"

The stranger was a tall, skinny figure. He wore a top hat and a maroon jacket, while a merry smile was worn on his face. There was something about this man. He had an air to him that read absurd, but also benevolent. Regardless, Hazel remained speechless as he stood before her.

"Now now, I will not bite. You can allow words to come out of that mouth of yours."

Mustering up the courage, Hazel spoke.

"I…I…I had always meant to see what the inside of this place was like. Though…"

"Though…what?"

"How did you know I wasn't happy before?"

"Because I've seen you many times through the windows of the shop. You always look from afar, and every time you appear alone and sad. Perhaps you finally got fed up with that perpetual pessimism and cave into curiosity by finally coming inside."

Hazel was astounded that this fellow knew much about her even upon first meeting.

"Well either way, this could be your first step into finding happiness. What is your name, my dear?"

Hazel took a deep breath and confessed.

"I'm Hazel Blackwood. I'm only 15 and my parents died a few short years ago."

"Per chance you know me already?" The fellow asked.

"I don't think I do…"

"Well, you are aware of the name of this shop?"

Hazel thought for a second or two, then raised her eyes.

"Mister, are you saying that you yourself are…?"

"The one and only!"

Hazel could not believe her eyes or ears. She was in the presence of the genius behind the shop himself: Willy Wonka!

"I…I…I…" she repeated, but then followed up with "…I can't believe it!"

Mr. Wonka smiled and took her shoulder. "Believe it, dear Hazel." He gently giggled and beamed around. "This is my candy shop. The end result of years of perfecting my trade. Every confection you see, hear, touch, smell, and taste here were all conceived by yours truly."

"You must be very proud…"

"Why wouldn't I be? I believe that in life, we should strive to ensure that the impression we leave on others is a positive one. In my case, seeing others happy and enjoying my candy proves to me that I am well on my way to doing that, assuming I haven't achieved it already."

"Sure looks like you have." Hazel said.

"My candy is sure to put a smile on your face. Of course it won't take away all of your sorrows, but everyone has the right to comfort."

"Oh…I'm afraid I don't really have much."

"Not to worry. I think we can arrange a deal. I won't deny a poor soul candy just because they don't have much. Fickelgruber, Prodnose, and Slugworth, perhaps, but not I, Willy Wonka. Now come with me, I've got a lot to show you."

Hazel only backed away. She looked down in frustration and sadness. She hated being a charity case. Willy looked at her and knew immediately what the problem was.

"I know that look. You don't want to be looked down upon because you're a poor orphan. I'm only trying to help you because you're sad, not because of your condition. You see, I don't judge a person by their situation, I only gage them by their attitude while facing it. A person can have all they want in the world, and I would frown because they are bitter and aim to cause misery and pain to others. Now if said person were in that same spot and be a compassionate soul who gives to others, they deserve all the respect in the world. Therefore I look at you and see a broken youth who wouldn't harm a fly. Surely if you looked on the bright side of life, your circumstances wouldn't be as bad."

Hazel look and thought. "You mean like how it's said that optimism won't change your situation, but the way you look at it."

"Precisely! That kind of attitude gets things done, because if you're in a less than desirable spot in life, that optimism could drive you to fix it and find what brings you joy. And that's where I come in. You not only stepped into my shop, but also stepped into a possible opportunity to turn your life around. You should've realized that the minute you set foot here and began to smile."

"Mr. Wonka!" Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a shop worker. "We're running low on strawberries, and one of our newer workers seems to be having difficulty with the macaroons!"

"Oh! I'll be right there!"

The worker suddenly noticed Hazel. "And who might this be?"

"I'm Hazel Blackwood. Willy here is showing me around!"

"Well, hello there. My name is Joe Bucket. Lovely to meet you!"

Hazel smiled. "Your workers seem like really nice people"

"Well? What do you say, would you like to give optimism a chance and be a part of my world?" Willy asked with a grin.

Hazel looked around, reflecting on all the candies and bright decor. She also looked out the window into the outside world from which she walked away from. Looking at the drab, gray streets reminded her of her losses and pain, yet here she felt at ease. And looking at Mr. Wonka, she sensed a feeling of parental compassion she hadn't felt in two years. With all that, she nodded as Willy took her hand.

"Alright, Mr. Wonka. You're right. Show me the way."

—

Within a few months, Hazel's life went from dull misery to colorful joy. During those months, Hazel learned a lot about Willy Wonka, his life, and his views of the world. And Willy learned all about her in return.

"So, why is it that you don't want to be looked on as a charity case?"

"Well, I just feel it's undignified. People would think I'm helpless and cannot do things on my own."

"Can you do things on your own?"

"Well sure…though maybe a *little* bit of help would be nice."

"And that's exactly why we crossed paths. Having seen you around the streets, I had a good feeling you had the ability to accomplish your goals and find what you want. All you needed was that little extra push into the right direction is all, and as fate would have it, my shop is where that push would reside."

Hazel realized here on in that Willy Wonka not only knew his way around a chocolate bar, but had an unfailing sense of decoding the way a person functioned. He could sense emotions from a distance and could deduct secrets nobody else could. Needless to say, Willy Wonka and his insights made for a very effective teacher.

Eventually, those months turned into years, and Hazel finally reached the age of 18, when she no longer would have to worry about being sent to an orphanage. By this time, Willy had allowed her to take up residence in his living quarters just above his shop until she could find a better place to live. It was on her 18th birthday when he told her the exciting news that next year, he would finally fulfill his dream and open up a factory so he could share his creations with the world.

"I can't believe it, Willy! You're going to be world famous!"

"I sure am! My chocolatey genius cannot be confined to just this one spot. The magic of my chocolate only happens when it is shared with others."

Hazel giggled to herself. "I agree there, it's that good."

Within two years, the factory was finally open for business. Willy even made sure that Hazel had a well paying job there, no matter what kind of position it was, and the pay was enough for her to get her own place.

"Looks like you found your happiness after all."

"I sure did. It's like you said all along: optimism wouldn't make all my troubles vanish, but could drive me to improve my situation and grant me the opportunity to do so."

No doubt he had become her dearest friend. However, that happiness was not to last for long.

Willy had soon found out that other candy makers had been sending spies into his factory disguised as workers to steal secret formulas for his confections so that they could use them for their own creations.

Hazel's face fell as she saw her best friend, whom had brought her out of the darkness and into the light, go from cheerful and optimistic to bitter and dreary.

Eventually, she was met with some very sad news.

"I'm shutting down my factory."

"What? You can't do that! This place was your dream! Your passion!"

"I'm not giving up on the dream, it's just…going into hibernation for a little while."

"Hibernation?"

"I'm going to lay low for quite a while. As you know, my rivals have gained my formulas, striving to run me out for good. But remember what I told you about optimism. Keeping your head high in situations like these will present the chance to do the right thing. I'm going to do that and plan for a return so grand that the world will feel it! For now, you just have to hold your head high as well and find your miracle. You were able to do so those years ago when you entered my shop, after all."

After the sad, fateful day when he closed down his factory, Willy continued to support her until she could find another job. It wasn't long until she found work in a distant city. Unfortunately, that meant she had to leave the beloved town she grew up in, and that also meant her and Willy having to go their separate ways.

"Think we may ever meet again?" Hazel asked.

"Only time will tell. If you know by now, my mind has views in all sorts of crazy directions that make sense once you see what's up ahead. So don't be upset when I tell you this: some people are meant to come together, but should said people were ever to part ways and never return, it likely means they were meant to come together just for that allotted time for a specific reason."

"I think I get you. I was unhappy before I met you and became one of your factory's most beloved employees, now I have that happiness again in my life, so therefore I don't necessarily need you to guide me. Right?"

"In a way, yes."

"Well, I still feel like I need to repay the favor."

"Hmmm…I think you will come up with a way in due time."

Hazel couldn't help but reflect on those happy years. She wouldn't have been able to get to where she was had she kept wandering those streets rather than walking inside the Wonka candy shop. She learned so much from Mr. Wonka about life and the chocolate business. She just had to repay the favor.

However, she didn't think that would be an option…or would it?