Oh my goodness I must say thank you so much! I know what an awful author I am, though in my defence I was always writing and I knew it was time to bring Willy and Diana to a close, but to do so there are still a few more chapter.

To receive so many reviews on a story is absolutely phenomenal and to see them still popping up in my inbox always filled me with happiness and guilt. I have read each and every one of them I can guarantee that!

Enjoy this next one!

CHAP 14

Over the course of the next two weeks Veruca did not recover. She had been admitted to the children's ward at Great Ormond Street thanks to father and was receiving round the clock care. Unfortunately no one truly understood what was wrong with the girl. Veruca was prone to fainting at random intervals during the day before turning a slight pink colour all over her body, the nurses could monitor the fainting prescribing all sorts nonsense for Veruca, but the pink tinges had them all at a loss. I visited my sister most days and sometimes stayed with her through the night arguing with myself in the middle of the night while my sister slept, so that I was certain I was going to become an insomniac. It should be a very simple decision to tell the doctors the identity of the contaminated ingredient, but I found myself locking up in fear every time I tried to force the words out. To tell would mean ruining my family name, my name and most importantly any attempt so minuscule, I might have had at salvaging my relationship with Willy Wonka. The things he knew and suspected me of were bad enough. To come forth and admit I was the sole reason for his depressive state by stealing the Vitamin W and thereby selling out to one of his biggest competitors was too ghastly to imagine; but I was beginning to realise I would be left with no alternative. If Veruca didn't start improving or, god forbid, got any worse I would have to act. I had been hoping her immune system would build up enough antibodies to fight again the spoiled vitamin, but so far there had been no signs of Veruca making a full recovery. I had to turn to the possibility that the only cure would come from Mr Wonka himself, and that meant revealing my true nature while also begging for Willy to help. Slugworth was patiently biding his time to try and turn the whole event onto me in a last ditch attempt to save himself from going out of business. It might just work too depending on whether or not Mr Wonka decided to press charges against me.

Despite being sick however Veruca was blossoming under all the attention, presents and love that she was being handed on a silver platter. Even I had found myself buying her little trinkets, toys and gifts in some kind of unspoken apology. I thought Veruca would be satisfied I was finally 'seeing sense' but instead all I got from the girl for my presents was a small "Oh, thank you again."

I was still surprised to hear please and thank you come out of her mouth, I still glanced around the room expecting to see someone else instead sitting with us but there never was. Father had cut all ties with Slugworth and was in over his head looking for a new business partner while I sat diligently by my sister's side. At least the bright side for my sister was she was exempt from school and all homework till she was better, but I still tried to encourage her to read and remain educated. Veruca did not appreciate my efforts.

"I don't like reading." She said stubbornly tossing the book to the foot of her bed and crossing her arms.

I sighed and went to retrieve it. "All your classmates are reading them Veruca. They are going to be huge one day. Don't you want to be able to talk about them when you get back?"

"The whole idea seems stupid as if there are such things as friendly giants and girls who can do magic because she was shouted at a lot or people living inside giant fruit. The ideas are completely ridiculous."

"That is what makes them special and magical though. The fact that the children in these books all experience some wonderful and astonishing things, just like we have. They could write a book about Mr Wonka and his factory one day. How will you know you don't like it if you don't read it?"

All I succeeded in doing however was giving Veruca her next hair brained idea however. "That's what I'll do. Instead of reading books I'll get people to write books about me!" She cried pressing her button to summon the poor nurse who was looking after her tonight.

"Good luck with that." I snorted flicking through the book. "At least try it for me. The children make their principal drink from a glass of water with a newt in it and then they terrorise her out of her own school. How could you not love that?" Veruca did look tempted. She took the book from my hands and opened the first page as the nurse came in.

"Oh dear she's glowing again." The nurse said sympathetically as I glanced back at my sister and saw she was indeed glowing pink, her little arms, leg and face all a bright pink colour as if she was permanently flushed.

"Apparently. At least if she stopped glowing we could take her home." I murmured and the nurse nodded.

"I know dear. But unless we find the cause of it there is nothing really we can do." Ivy nodded as Veruca put down the book, scowled at her pink skin and gestured for the nurse to come closer.

"Oh the help..." I rolled my eyes at this and issued the nurse with an apology straight away. "I need you to get me a writer. Jacqueline Wilson or someone like her please. I need someone to write the story of my and I wanted it to be called: Everything I Always Wanted I Got."

"I'm sure it'll win the nobel prize for literacy my dear." The nurse appeased her at once, fully aware of Veruca's tendencies and Ivy smiled at her gratefully.

"I think it should be called 'Spoiled Children always end up in the Rubbish Chute' personally." I quipped and the nurse giggled beside me while Veruca sent me a nasty look. She was beginning to turn even more pink the angrier she became.

"Or maybe I'll write it about you and call it 'The Spy Who Lost Love?" Veruca smirked challengingly and some of the colour left my face at her words. "See I twisted one of the James Bond film titles around." She explained.

"I get it." I said bluntly and Veruca eyed me as if she didn't understand where she had gone from teasing to insulting. The nurse sensed the awkward tension filling the air and quietly excused herself, jotting down the time and reasons why Veruca had begun to glow on her clipboard. I waited till she had left.

"You can be so unfeeling at times." I commented, taking the book out of her hands and packing it away into my bag to many protests.

"No I want to read it now."

"You only want to read it now Veruca because I took it away from you." I retorted harshly holding my bag up for emphasis. "You haven't learned anything have you?"

"Yes I have." She argued back while I jutted my hip to the side mocking her. "Remember when you said you wanted to dye daddy's hair pink huh sweetie? Maybe this is a repercussion from that."

"I only said that to cheer you up because you've been so miserable and grumpy." Veruca shouted back. "Now since I've been sick you've got even more grumpy." She took a deep breath and pointed a finger right at me. "And don't use big words that I don't understand!" She screamed and I shook my head.

"I'm going to get a coffee sister." I told her heading for the door to her private ward. "Now I'll be back in twenty minutes and I expect and apology." I snapped making sure to slam the door on my way out.

I could hear her screaming in the ward as I marched down towards the nearest cafe that sold coffee. I loathed screaming at my sister and what she had said had struck a nerve. I had indeed become even more depressed since she fell ill. I wanted her to be well again and she could do it for me. She was unable it seemed. I ran my fingers through my hair as I paced outside the cafe desperately before sitting down on the bench outside.

It was then I spied the small brown haired boy and his grandfather with large spectacles hanging round by the lifts as if they weren't sure whether to go any further or not. I knew them at once. "Charlie? Grandpa Joe?" I did feel a little silly calling him my grandpa too, but I didn't know what else to call him by. They turned round looking incredibly sheepish as Charlie gave me a small wave in greeting.

"Oh, hello Diana. I hope I'd see you before we went up." Grandpa Joe moseyed on over and sat beside me on the bench.

"We weren't sure about handling Veruca without you being there." Charlie added and I smiled gently at the thought of my younger sister tearing their heads off, demanding they fetch her a prize winning author, or her book again.

"No I think you were smart to wait for me." I told them both as Charlie lent his hands against my knees.

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" Charlie asked me and I hesitated.

"Not really to be perfectly honest." I said the words through gritted teeth,a false smile stretching across my face.

"Really?" Charlie raised his eyebrows and my eyes widened. If I couldn't fool a child then I certainly wouldn't be able to fool anyone else.

"It's true that I don't know what's wrong with her." I said cautiously and the two Buckets leaned in closer to me at once making me want to shrivel inwards into myself. "But I may know what the contaminated ingredient is."

"What is it?" Charlie asked at once and Grandpa Joe laid a hand on his grandson's arm.

I took a deep breath. Their eyes were too innocent and too pure to lie to their faces. "It's Vitamin W. It confirms how Slugworth stole from Willy as he is the only one with access to Vitamin W and he created it." She explained and they both nodded though Charlie looked confused.

"So why didn't you just tell the doctors and then we can stop Mr Slugworth and it's the perfect way for Mr Wonka to forgive you." It was so simple to the child. It should be that simple.

"Let's wait for Diana to finish Charlie." Grandpa Joe said and I nodded.

"Because the thing is, I was the one who stole it from Willy back when I was working for him. It's just taken Slugworth this long to 'perfect' them." I made quote marks with her fingers over the word perfect with a scowl upon my face. Slugworth's gobstoppers were far from perfect. "If I tell anyone then Slugworth will let the cat out of the bag. It'll get out that I was a spy and Willy would never ever forgive me for stealing it in the first place."

"This was before you knew each other my dear." Grandpa Joe prodded gently. I knew this too but it wasn't enough for me yet.

"But I never told him the whole time. I had so many opportunities to come clean and I didn't." I sighed putting my head in my hands. "But Veruca isn't getting any better and I'm going to have to get over it all and just tell them. Otherwise she could remain pink forever. It's either that or get Willy to somehow come to the hospital himself to administer an antidote."

"Yeah I don't think that will happen." Charlie mused with a small laugh and Diana nodded.

"Exactly so it will go public. My father can't quell rumours that big no matter what strings he pulls." An awkward silence fell over the three of them as they watched orderlies and hospital staff hustle and bustle before them.

"What if you came with us now and told Willy before it came out? Charlie asked, a bright smile gracing his cheeks.

"What?" I asked a frown forming across my forehead. I had never thought of that, there was one simple problem.

"Charlie my boy, Mr Wonka is not going to want to see Diana. No offence to you of course." Grandpa Joe said soothingly but he too was thinking over the idea. I agreed with him.

I couldn't resist adding. "Why would he want to?"

"Now young lady self loathing will get you absolutely nowhere in life." Grandpa Joe told her sternly. He climbed to his feet with Charlie assisting him as I watched him feeling helpless. "But if we took you into the factory and we managed to catch him off guard. He might just listen to you." He smiled toothily as my head turned instinctively at the sound of his plan.

"The oompa loompas would never let me past the gates." I protested but Charlie and Grandpa Joe were both grinning at each other, their eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Come with us." Grandpa Joe winked and I glanced back at the lifts.

"No, I should stay with Veruca she's..."

"It's far more important we begin working on the cure for her at once." Grandpa Joe insisted. He was right. I peeped up at them through my eyelashes to see both the Buckets, both old and young, were giving me puppy dog eyes. I rolled my eyes and shrugged.

"Fine, but I can't guarantee it'll fix anything." I warned them but the two of them being the lovely souls they were looked as if they'd found a second golden ticket as Charlie seized my hand and began running out the automatic doors and round the back of the hospital. I opened my mouth to ask when I saw it, the Great Glass Elevator waiting for me. I watched Charlie hold his hand out till he made contact with the invisible glass, open the doors and step inside. I followed him wondering how on earth the apprentice chocolatier had managed to get Willy to allow him to use the elevator as we waited for Grandpa Joe. On reflection it may have been a little cruel to tear off without him, but he simply folded his arms pretending to be cross with us before stepping in with a smile. The Great Glass Elevator took to the skies and that feeling of butterflies when you take off in a plane settled in my stomach as we flew high above the Buckinghamshire hospital.

The glass elevator wound through the clouds and soon enough the factory came into view. My stomach clenched on seeing it, so much so I completely forgot I was in an elevator of glass and looked down, forgetting I was safe. I lurched to the side in surprise and Grandpa Joe and Charlie both laughed. "Yes I think it's definitely the right time to reintroduce you two." Grandpa Joe remarked and I stuck my tongue out at him making Charlie smirk. The young chocolatier pressed one of the hundreds of buttons marked BACK TO EARTH and the elevator began to loose altitude at once, diving back to the ground, into the factory where it came to a lovely peaceful rest with a loud ding! To announce their return. I glanced at the other two who gave me placating looks as they stepped out of the Great Glass Elevator, I made to follow when suddenly alarms went off all over the elevator, bright red and whining like a fire truck. INTRUDER ALERT. UNWANTED INTRUDER ALERT and the glass doors slammed shut on her at once. Charlie and Grandpa Joe's eyes widened in horror as I banged against the glass for my freedom but we knew it was in vain.

"Well this makes me feel welcome again." I huffed as the two tried to release me.

"We're sorry Diana, this is new. We've never seen this before." Grandpa Joe apologised as the elevator room was flooded with oompa loompa all dressed as security guards. I tried to repress a snigger at seeing them. They looked like orange faced dolls Veruca would dress up in different outfits. We never saw eye to eye as the leader of the oompa loompa security crew reached towards a button we all had not noticed, a fiendishly delighted smirk lighting up his eyes as he waved at me, his gloved finger pressing down on the red button. The floor of the elevator opened at once acting like a chute and I had no chance or warning to try and hold onto something. A scream ripped from my throat as I slid down the long winding slide, my stomach slamming into my throat as I travelled through bends, twists, turns all the while being very thankful I had a strong endurance towards thrills.

The ride literally spat me out into one of the few rooms I had not seen before, but a sign above me told me I was apparently in the TOFFEE APPLE DAPPLE ROOM. Whatever that meant. But if it was where Willy Wonka dealt with prisoners then it wasn't going to be fun. I was falling from the end of the slide into what looked like a giant vat of freshly made caramel and my only thoughts were that the liquid was going to be searing hot, incinerating me inside the sugar goo. It was truly the worst way to go, drowning and being burned alive in caramel. But as my body landed in the mixture I realised this bath had cooled, so much so it was solidifying all around me. I'd landed in the toffee used for the toffee apples, my body sinking half way into the mixture and preventing me from moving my legs at all as they set inside the toffee as if I was a very large hundred and thousand. I pushed and shoved and tried to squeeze my way out with no success at all. All I succeeded in doing was making myself extremely tired. I gave up for the time being. I had to admit it was a very effective way of securing prisoners in what I guessed was Willy Wonka's own kind of wacky dungeon. The term 'Fungeon' from Wreck it Ralph popped into my mind, a film I had once loved and now detested for all its happy candy loving whimsical nature. I really was Vanellope Von Schweetz, the glitch no one wanted around anymore.

The "Toffee Apple Dapple Room' was as astonishing as any other inside the Wonka factory. The walls were striped with a beigey caramel colour and red like a candy cane, and most of the machinery was all operating itself. Rows upon rows of apple were being dropped onto sticks along a conveyor belt and then rows of giant gloved hands, the kind Disney had iconised, came and picked up the apples dipping them in whatever mixture was needed; chocolate, caramel, toffee even some weird flavours I would have never thought would go well with apple. Afterwards the mickey mouse hands picked up the apples and dappled them in the toppings and coatings before setting them to cool. They were wrapped in cellophane and laid inside a box ready to be opened at the sweet stores. As I looked above me I saw the exact same process happening again, only this time the candy apples were the size of limousines and the hands were colossal as they passed the apples along one at a time. I had to rub my eyes at that. Why would Willy need giant toffee apples? No one could ever pick that thing up to eat unless they were Mr Incredible. Maybe they were to add to the chocolate room? A couple of oompa loompas were performing checks and inspections inside the room. They wore hard hats as occasionally the giant hundreds and thousands would become loose and they had to sprint for cover as they fell to the floor the size of baseball bats. It amused me greatly in a spiteful way to see them panicking and running for cover. You could tell it was not a job they enjoyed performing. By now the toffee had set all around me in a giant block and I knew I was stuck in here till someone decided to release me. I lent my head in my hand and resigned myself to watching the oompa loompas running about on their short little legs. I was extremely grateful none of the giant machines need to use the giant toffee batch I was currently occupying, only dipping them in the giant vats of chocolate and caramel. But I knew they would be content with those two flavours forever and when that happened I was in trouble. I didn't understand. I wasn't one of the four beastly children who deserved to be punished was I? I knew I was being stupid second guessing myself like that. While I deserved some form of punishment by Willy I thought I had already received it when Veruca became sick. This was just the run of the mill punishment for anyone trying to sneak inside the factory. I was just the first one to try and do it using the Great Glass Elevator. I remained lost in my own thoughts for about an hour or so, my legs aching furiously from the way the toffee had stopped all motion in them and was on the verge of crying out for help when the doors to the 'Toffee Apple Dapple Room' opened and from my position in the toffee I saw a top hat slowly making its way towards me.

Haha it feels good to be writing to creatively again! I can't make it too easy for her can I?

Hope I still have my flair for this story and I WILL BE UPDATING SOON! I know you don't believe me but I will!

Prying11Pandora7 xx