About a week later, Wonka finally gets Veruca to enter the Nut Sorting Room. His failure was getting her to come down the steps. Refusing once again to fix the scratches she left on the floor. "We'll try again next month I suppose..." He says mostly to himself.

Veruca is wearing an apple green dress today. Green is her least favourite colour, so she usually wears it when she expects to get messy.

"Did you wanna make peanut butter paint today?" He looks down at her with a smug grin.

She returns the smile. Happy that he realized this before she had to tell him. "I want to make blue. Exactly like the walls in the clinic."

• • •

Several hours of making gallons and gallons of peanut butter paint the colour of cotton candy had Veruca getting impatient. "Why are we still here? We should've moved on to something else by now." She complains.

Wonka's eyes were distant as he mindlessly crushed up nuts for yet another batch of paint. Another flashback?

"Mr. Wonka!" She shouts.

"Huh?" Regarding the fact that she was no longer crushing up the nuts, he knew she wanted to move on. "I really can't dilly dally. Peanut butter paint is quite popular at the moment. I still need to make a lot more. Go on and do some work in Puppy Dog Tails or something. I can't join you right now."

Veruca's already cleaned up her peanut powder and stored it in its correct container. Squirrel crawled up her arm and away from its little pile of snacks on the corner of the white table. "We're going to be late for dinner." She tells him while hanging up her white paint-covered apron.

"Well what if your mom made something with mayonnaise in it? Have you any idea where mayonnaise comes from? It's disgusting. It comes from old, rotten eggs that smell like sweaty feet." He tells her, fluttering his gloved fingers.

Veruca watches him for a short moment. Seeing that she was going to have to go home by herself. "Alright. But if you don't come to dinner, everyone will know that it's because you don't want to see Anthony."

Wonka frowned at her. Knowing he couldn't even deny what she said as truth. The family had decided that tonight would be the night for Julia's old friend to come visit. From the moment he had met him, Wonka didn't like him. Numerous times he would scowl at Wonka when he wasn't even doing or saying anything to him. Then he'd be as sweet as candy as soon as he was around Julia. He just couldn't put his finger on it. What did Anthony have against him? Was it that Wonka had become a multi-millionaire with his own hard work and creativity; while Anthony inherited all his money from his father? No. It couldn't be. He didn't even know who he was at that time. Maybe it's because his mother choked to death on a PB and J sandwich, and doesn't like that he smells like peanut butter. Or maybe it's that Vivian had said something bad about him. What if she said more bad things about him over dinner? Wonka couldn't have that. Not people talking behind his back inside of HIS factory.

"You know what?" He shot up out of his chair. Knocking a few peanuts onto the floor. "I will come with you. I will have dinner. And I will not let anyone spread lies about me!" He says all while holding up his index finger. He takes off his apron, picks up his cane, and marches out of the room. The room with four walls painted different pastel shades of pink, blue, yellow, and green.

Veruca, with Squirrel sat upon her shoulder by her bouncing curls, skips along behind him. Excited at being able to have another ride in the glass elevator.

• • •

Five family members, one pet, and one guest were comfortably seated before the wooden dinner table. The room fully alight by cozy flames along the walls and from the golden chandelier above. A little extra light from the windows behind parted red curtains.

Amethyst eyes stared down the man sitting in his usual seat across from Julia. Stepping out of the doorway, releasing his hands from the golden doors, they swing back and forth. Once, then twice, then stand still.

His body is stiff as he sinks down into the seat at the end of the table; nearest to the kitchen doors. To his left is Squirrel in their highchair. It squeaks at him, then looks over to the man sitting in his seat between Veruca and Rupert. The girl looks at the questioning animal, and whispers to it. "He's only visiting. He won't always be in his seat."

Wonka felt a small bit of relief at being reminded that he won't be here long, and won't have to sit as close to Vivian next time. The confidence he felt in Peanut Butter Paint was completely gone now that he was in the same room as the man he previously wanted to avoid.

Vivian's attention wasn't on Wonka at the moment. Her twitching grey eyes were on the furry little creature that she hated so much.

"Veruca..." Her old voice tried to be gentle, but held a cold warning under its tone. "We don't keep animals at the dinner table when there's guests around."

It was well known by the family (and Wonka) that Vivian was the only person who was really bothered by the squirrel. To her, animals were only good for food, clothing, or being used for other such things. Pets were not useful. They were only a burden.

"Veruca!" She tries more harshly after being ignored.

"Oh no, it's quite all right." Anthony cuts in with a polite laugh. "I really don't mind if it's not a bother. I think it's quite cute, actually. I'm sure it's a lot easier than taking care of the whole lot of other pets you used to have. Yeah?"

Veruca took her attention from dipping bread in gravy, to the guest sitting next to her. "Mr. Wonka said I couldn't have one when he showed us around the factory. But then he got me one after he made me leave all my other pets back at our old home. And he got me a big book that talks all about squirrels. And he got me that keyring with the little squirrel on it at my birthday party."

Across from Anthony, Julia takes her eyes away from the person she's much more interested in. Crystal blue eyes sparkled as she spoke of one man to the other. "He's given us so very much. This home. My job. Impossibly wonderful opportunities. And this truly marvelous factory..." Hands held over her heart, her eyes float up to the glimmering chandelier. "It's like a beautiful dream."

"Well..." Wonka sits up straighter and adjusts his top hat with a chuckle. "That's why they call me The Amazing Chocolatier after all.

Anthony's stony gaze lays on Wonka. Defiant amethyst stares right back.

Plastering his friendly smile back on, Anthony looks down at the baked salmon in his plate. Inhaling the scent of lemon (as well as cotton candy coming from the child seated beside him,) he takes his knife to cut into the fish. A few bites in, he hums his praise to Angina. "I had no idea you could cook this well. I guess I'll have to come to dinner more often."

Angina smiles and raises her glass of wine to him.

Keeping up her mask of pleasantness, the eldest of the family eagerly agrees with him. "We would love to have you for supper more often." She touches her wrinkled fingers to Julia's wrist. "Julia will help. She's an excellent baker." Wild grey eyes turn to the younger woman. Attempting to communicate something that Julia didn't care to decipher.

"She makes the best chocolate cake." Wonka chimes in. "Better than I can make. Can you believe that? Better than the best chocolate maker in the whole world. Ha!"

Julia's smile returns. Taking in a breath to speak--

"Julia, won't you play some music for our guest after supper?" The old woman requests quickly. "She plays the piano beautifully."

Anthony gives his most charming smile. "Yes, I remember. She plays the flute perfectly as well." His silver eyes pierced thru Wonka like the blade of a pirate sword. "And she sings with the voice of an angel." He continued with a smirk.

Wonka stared back at him. Ever so slightly tilting his head like a confused puppy.

Certain that he has the chocolatier's attention, Anthony gestures towards Julia's plate. Containing the smallest piece of fish out of everyone else. "There's a new vegetarian restaurant in my town." He tells Julia. "They have plenty of vegan options as well. I hear it's quite delicious. Much better than most places. I'd love to take you there sometime."

Fully capable of deciding for herself, Julia almost accepted the 'friendly' invitation. Had it not been for Vivian jumping in to do it for her. "That sounds wonderful! She'd love to see it soon."

Wonka was already aware of the fact that Julia wasn't a fan of animal products. Eating boneless meat and dairy was only for her health. It became clear to him not long after she found out about how he made whipped cream. He went with her and Veruca on a boat ride along the river and down into the tunnel after the little one had enthused about how fun and colourful it is. Pointing up to the cow, she had told her older cousin "Look over there. Mr. Wonka says it's how he makes whipped cream. Isn't that weird?"

Julia's horrified expression brought down a wave of embarrassment to wash over the chocolate maker. Laughing it off, Wonka tries to explain himself. "It has to be whipped with whips. Otherwise, it'll just be plain cream."

Julia's crystal blue eyes darken in anger. "Mr. Wonka, I admire your strange methods and all the marvelous creations you're able to come up with. But this is simply cruel. Harming an animal like this should never be necessary." Below the glowing blue light of the tunnel, Julia's burning gaze locks with Wonka's nervous stare. "Stop this!" She points to the cow. "All you're doing is hurting her!"

Wonka takes a shaky breath. Hearing the whips crack and the pained moos gradually increased Julia's agitation. Giving in to the woman, the chocolatier sighs. "Stop the boat!" He calls out.

Unlocking the metal gate to the room, Julia rushes in towards the cow. "Lower her down." She commands the little red-dressed workers. The whips stop cracking, and four little pairs of eyes look back at her. A nod of approval from Wonka lead the oompas to follow her order. The word that Dr. Sugar was now in charge of anything related to the animals had not yet reached every oompa in the factory.

Julia climbed higher up the white steps as the cow was lowered down to the ground. The pink and orange sunset pattern on her dress standing out against the bright white room. Wrapping her arms around the frightened creature, she turns to look down at her boss. Chocolate brown waves pulling back over her shoulder. "No more whipping." She simply states.

Coming back to the present, in the orange glow of the dining room's firelight, Wonka noticed Julia looking at him expectantly. The sparkle in her eyes mismatching the dirty look he got from Vivian, Anthony, and Veruca. "Huh?"

The girl in the green dress leans closer to Anthony. "He does that a lot. He calls them flashbacks." She whispered.

"Show him that thing you can do with your voice." Julia requests again.

Perfectly white teeth showing in another smile, Wonka giggles to himself. "Oh. Yeah." He clears his throat, then puts on his Mr. Salt voice once again. "Angina, darling, haven't you had enough wine tonight? You're already halfway thru the bottle."

Bringing her fingers up to cover her shy smile, Julia giggles while looking at the unimpressed Anthony. He smiles back only to please her. Beside Julia, her Aunt Angina throws a sour look to Wonka, who unsurprisingly, didn't know what had upset her.

"I do say, Mr. Wonka, that's rather..." Rupert searches for the right word. "...interesting." The man shudders at the creepy feeling he got when hearing Wonka speak in his voice.

Anthony watched each person in the room. Vivian, Wonka, and Julia paid him the most attention. Learning from Vivian about the way that Julia may possibly feel about Wonka had naturally made him his enemy; whether they knew each other or not. This meant he was gonna have to fight for what he wanted. He watched the older man. Observing the way he looked and how he acted around everyone. That stupid way he raised his eyebrows with his eyes opening wider so much of the time. The way he'd often clench his fist so that those weird rubber gloves would squeak louder than an excited squirrel. Anthony would even catch those dark glances that he tried to sneakily throw at him when he thought he wasn't looking. Coming down from his own thoughts, he saw the way Julia was giggling at something he said. Listening now, he heard the girl was giggling along with them.

Eyes switching between Julia and Veruca, Wonka went on with whatever he was talking about. "Even if she was disqualified, she'd still be the largest in the world." He titters.

Meeting Anthony's eyes, Vivian looked deeply worried with a glowing spark of anger.

That spark had bounced off of Anthony. Transforming his friendly smile into a scowl. Breathing slow and deep, Anthony calms himself for Julia. Ready to win her over.

Empty plates being cleared from the wooden table not much later, Julia turns to Anthony after hearing him speak her name.

"Julia, I bought something for you." He starts to reach into his pocket. Concealing something in his hand while he spoke. "It's been too long since we've gotten to see each other. It only seems right that I'd gotten a special gift for you."

He stands and glances around to be sure that everyone was watching; most importantly Wonka. Moving around the table to be right next to her, he gives the woman a little box.

Gold writing on the cover gleamed in the firelight when Julia tilted it for inspection. The words being the name of a very expensive jewelery company. Uncovering the gift inside, Angina and Vivian breathe in amazement.

Inside was a glimmering gold necklace. Five chains of gold that were studded with sparkling diamonds.

Anthony took the necklace from the box, and reached around to clip it around Julia's neck. Adjusting her hair over her shoulders, Anthony then stood back to admire her. Seated there in a royal purple dress, her crystal blue eyes sparkled like her diamonds under the flickering orange glow.

Angina put her hand onto Julia's shoulder. "Darling, you look stunning."

On her other shoulder was Vivian's hand. Much colder, and much more harsh in its deathly grip.

Wonka hears Squirrel squeak. Veruca looks over to hear it squeak a few more times while it looks between Julia and the two younger men in the room. Veruca then looks at Wonka. Her eyes wide with amusement and thoughts that Wonka couldn't read. The girl watches Anthony and Julia a short moment longer, then looks back at Wonka again. Leaning nearer to the highchair, Veruca whispers something to Squirrel. Far too quiet for Wonka to hear.

"What are you guys talking about?"

Julia turns to Wonka. Her smile fading the smallest amount when she saw he was only speaking to Veruca and Squirrel.

Two seats down from Veruca, Rupert speaks over the excited chatter of his guest and family. "Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that Julia had wanted to provide our guest with some special entertainment tonight?"

His smoky eyes watched Julia closely. Wordlessly asking her if she really wanted to perform for him. Not just to do so because of Vivian's pressure.

Nodding her head, she stands to lead everyone into Veruca's ballet room.