A/N: Sorry for the wait. I'm juggling a couple of stories at once these days and I sort of got writers' block on this one. Thanks for sticking with on this, to those of you who have. And to those who are just showing up, thanks for reading and reviewing!
Chapter Six: Viewing Paradise
After recovering from the sudden shock, Neiko picked herself up off the elevator floor where she had fallen in a tangled heap. Blushing furiously in embarrassment, she avoided Willy's gaze as much as possible but she could have seen that smug grin of his one hundred feet away in a dark room.
"You might have warned me," she muttered sourly.
"What would have been the fun in that?"
"Go to hell." She couldn't manage to summon much venom though.
"You say that but you don't mean it."
"Wanna bet?"
He was silent for a moment but appeared entirely unperturbed. Then he pointed casually past her and said, "You may want to turn around."
"Oh, so now you're…" The sarcastic retort died in her throat as she realized that she was now looking at a mountain. Her mouth went dry and she could do nothing but stare stupidly, her previous annoyance completely forgotten.
"Welcome to Fudge Mountain!" Willy exclaimed brightly. She would have turned to face him but couldn't tear her eyes from the snowy peak in front of her.
"F…Fudge Mountain?" she asked weakly. "Is that…?"
"Yep. Made entirely of my finest fudge! See the Oompa Loompas on that cliff there? They dig out the fudge that we use here each week. They have to wear those really thick jumpsuits though because it has to be refrigerated and they can't stand the cold."
"You have a mountain…of fudge…inside?"
"Yeah!" She turned and stared at him blankly. "What?"
"Nothing. Never mind." Neiko couldn't quite wrap her mind around it so she simply let it go as the elevator glided onward to the next room.
Next, they passed through a room where Oompa Loompas were shearing pink sheep. She looked to Willy for an explanation and found him looking uncomfortable.
"Do I dare ask?" Neiko said, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, it's just…they…"
"Cotton candy?"
"Among other things…"
Neiko paused. "You're wearing pink underwear aren't you?" One look at Willy's face told her she was right and she let out an un-ladylike snort of laughter. "You're a real manly man aren't ya?"
"Hey now! That's not fair!"
"No, no. You earned that one. Cuz you're not just wearing pink underwear. You're wearing pink, cotton candy underwear!"
"The candy is processed out," Willy said moodily.
"Ah."
Another connection tunnel and suddenly they were heading straight downward, accompanied by the explosions of fireworks all around them.
"Welcome to Target Practice." He was still sulking.
"Oooo…Neat!"
"Yah."
"Oh cheer up. I don't care about your pink undies."
Willy glared at her and stuck out his tongue when she wasn't looking but he said nothing.
At the bottom of the shaft, the elevator shot to the left. They found themselves in a tight, dark tunnel with rough rock walls. Suddenly, the space opened and Neiko could see lights shining through the gloom. Then, Oompa Loompas became visible, a few at a time, mining some crystallized substance from the walls.
"These are the rock candy mines," Willy announced, sounding only slightly less put-off than before.
"You mine rock candy! I thought it was made using crystallized sugar."
"Usually. But I was lucky enough to find a vein of it forming naturally when I was expanding the factory downward. It has to be processed of course, but that's no trouble."
"How can that be? It's not actual rock."
"No, of course it's not. I believe it formed from fossilized deposits from ancient sugarcane plants that mixed with condensation on the limestone down here."
Neiko blinked at him. "Who are you and what have you done with Willy Wonka?"
"What? I'm not stupid ya know."
"No…but you're not the most scientific of beings either."
"Sure I am!"
"Uh…prove it…?"
"You got it." He pressed another button and they sped off, heading for parts unknown.
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A few minutes later, the elevator docked in a huge room filled with stainless steel, glass tubing, and colorful equipment.
"This," Willy said, stepping out of the elevator and spreading his arms wide, "is my Inventing Room! This is where I design and perfect all my latest and greatest inventions!" All of a sudden, his proud grin faltered and he began to look nervous.
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'Oh no,' Willy thought. 'How could I be so stupid? I led her to this place. I practically just handed her all my secret inventions! What now?'
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He looked back and saw Neiko standing where he had left her, looking at him expectantly. It soothed his nerves slightly to realize that she was waiting for his permission to look around.
"Go ahead and explore. Just…don't touch anything. Kay?" 'What the heck,' he thought. 'She probably wont even know what she's looking at.' Still, he felt very nervous about this and he couldn't help but fidget as she walked away.
Neiko had seen the suspicion in his face and she could guess what he was thinking without too much effort. She was glad, however, that he hadn't thrown her out right then. It showed progress but she didn't want to push it. She wandered off between the many large machines but tried not to move too quickly or look too excited. She didn't want to set off any alarm bells in his head.
Looking around, she supposed she had been wrong about him after all. It was strange to think that he had created all of this. He must be quite the scientific mind indeed. He certainly didn't look it.
The room was actually very impressive. All around her, the clinks, rattles, and clicks of the machines drowned out all other noise. Bright lights flashed brilliant colors and everything seemed to be in constant motion. As she explored, she felt Willy's presence following behind her at a distance. Finally she turned to face him.
"I'm not gonna walk off with anything."
"How do I know that, huh?"
"Look, I know it's hard for you to wrap your mind around but you can trust me. I'm not here to spy on you. I just want to know you. All the same, if there's something you don't want me to see, you don't have to show it to me. It's your factory, after all. If you don't feel comfortable having me in here then let's go somewhere else."
"Really?" Willy asked in surprise.
"Sure. Let's get out of here." She started back toward the elevator.
"Thanks," Willy said quietly. He turned to follow, still in a state of mild shock.
They got back into the Great Glass Elevator and Willy looked at her thoughtfully for a moment.
"Hm…I think that just about covers everything I was going to show you…Hey, I've got an idea! He pressed a button and the elevator sped off once more.
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They arrived in the Chocolate Room a few minutes later and Neiko turned to Willy looking a little confused.
"I figured you might not be ready to leave yet and you seemed to really like this room last time so…" He looked embarrassed like he thought he might have done something wrong. For her part, Neiko was just happy that he wasn't in a rush to get her out the door.
"Thank you." She smiled softly. "May I?" she asked gesturing toward the river bank.
"Uh huh." Willy nodded amiably, feeling much better after what had happened in the Inventing Room.
Neiko walked over and sat down on the banks of the chocolate river. Turning back, she beckoned Willy to come sit beside her. He hesitated for a long moment and she gave him a pleading look and a smile. Finally, he shelved his misgivings and joined her on the Swudge grass.
"Why did you invite me to come back?" she asked quietly. The question took him by surprise and before he could think of some witty comeback, the truth came tumbling out.
"I guess…I guess I've been kinda lonely all these years. Never really realized it until I had to face someone again." He shrugged in an attempt at nonchalance but his face remained pensive.
For a long time they sat side-by-side, not touching, and allowed a companionable silence to spread between them. Willy was the first to break it.
"Back then I thought, with all the spies and bad people out there, I was better off alone. After a while, I just got used to it…but I guess I didn't really. I just forgot about the alternative. Until I met you anyway."
"And what do you think of the alternative so far?" Neiko asked with a shy, inquisitive smile.
He looked up at her and their eyes met. Willy felt a strange, electric shiver run up his spine and he was reminded of a similar sensation he had felt as a teenager. For a moment, he was seventeen again; shaky and stupid and out of his depth. He swallowed hard and forced himself to form words without stuttering.
"I like it a lot. And I…I've missed it." He dropped his gaze to his knees which were propped out in front of him.
Neiko raised a hand to his cheek and he flinched slightly before raising his head to look at her.
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Neiko felt Willy trembling slightly under her touch. She could tell he wasn't really comfortable with her yet but she got the impression that he wanted to be. When their eyes met, she smiled reassuringly and stroked his cheek, waiting for him to calm down. Slowly, almost without thinking, she leaned forward and touched her lips to his. He started violently and his whole body tensed up at the contact but he didn't move away. She felt him begin to relax once more and she waited patiently for him to return the kiss. When he finally did, it was timid and inexperienced but so soft and gentle that it made no difference. She closed her eyes and leaned in further as he reached up to run his fingers through her hair. She ended the kiss and rested her head against his shoulder. Again he tensed slightly but recovered and drew her against him, tentatively wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Well I've never done that before," he said a little breathlessly.
"Never?" Neiko raised her eyebrows in surprise and turned to face him.
Willy shook his head, looking suddenly embarrassed and he refused to meet her eyes.
Neiko was shocked to realize just how alone Willy had been, apparently even before the factory closed. It made her sad but it also explained a lot. She reached up and tucked a lock of his hair behind his ear, marveling at how soft and fine it was.
"That's okay," She smiled. "There's got to be a first time for everything I suppose."
"Thanks," he said shyly, gracing her with a beautiful and genuine smile.
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They say like that for a long time and Willy spent most of that time wondering just what was going on. He had never been this close to a girl before and he was scared. He was happy too though. It actually felt kinda good. Weird. It was around midnight before she left for home and even after all was silent; he knew he would never get to sleep.
Author's Notes:
-Woohoo! I finished the tour!
-I know I said I wasn't going to reveal the Inventing Room in this chapter but it just sort of…happened. I guess Willy isn't naïve enough to plan a tour of it but he is occasionally petulant enough to use it to prove a point. LOL
Please keep reading and reviewing!