For A Moment - A Wonka AU

Chapter 15: A World of Your Own

Over the course of the next three days, Charlotte and the Wash House workers busied themselves by fixing up the shop. The days consisted of nonstop building, painting, and decorating in secret.

No one other than them knew what was happening behind the doors of the old store, but they were definitely intrigued. Nobody had even touched that building in years, and Charlotte couldn't remember the last time it had even been something. So she didn't blame them for being curious.

Then finally, on a chilly Tuesday morning, the store was complete and ready for its grand opening. Willy was bouncing around the store in a mixture of excitement and nervousness, running around and making sure everything was in order.

"Willy!" Charlotte ran over to him, a huge smile on her face. She was just as excited as everyone else.

"Charlie!" He stopped walking and smiled back.

"Are you ready for this??"

He nodded. "Oh, you know! I can't wait to open up to the public!"

He spun in a circle and looked around the shop. It was so bright and colorful. It looked like something right out of a dream!

He spun back around and faced her. "Okay, I think I'm ready to go out there."

She smiled. "Not yet, you aren't." She reached out and straightened his top hat, which was resting on top of his head. "There we are."

His face flushed and he gave her a sheepish smile. "Oh dear! I must have looked so silly." He made sure his hat was straight, as if afraid she hadn't done it correctly, before walking to the doors of the shop.

She stood watching him. His lips moved slightly and he mouthed the words, 'Here we go, Mama', before putting a bright smile on his face and bursting through the doors.

A crowd had seemed to gather around his store, as if they somehow knew it was opening today.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he said loudly, his voice echoing through the walls of the Galeries. "Greetings to you all and welcome to Wonka's! Tremendous things are in store for you."

A man who was standing at the front of the crowd raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Really? In there?"

Charlotte watched from the inside of the store. She could see why he might have been skeptical, as the lights were completely off and it looked like there was nothing in there, but that was just part of the show. She sighed. She wished people weren't so judgemental sometimes.

This didn't seem to bring Willy's spirits down at all, as his smile only widened. "Humor me, if you will!" he said. "Close your eyes and count to ten."

The man, along with a bunch of other people in the crowd, closed their eyes and mouthed the numbers one through ten.

"Make a wish, now-" Willy lit a match and placed it inside the chandelier as the citizens counted, "-open them!"

As the man opened his eyes, the group got to work. Abacus and Noodle readied themselves and the counter, while Lottie and Piper got ready to work some of the shop's mechanics. Larry yanked a rope and the chandelier shot upward. It rose to the top of the store and illuminated everything inside!

The man practically collapsed in shock and Willy held out his arm to keep him on his feet.

"Here's a store that's like no other!" Willy chuckled and turned towards the entrance of the store. "If it were, I wouldn't bother!"

"There's chocolate bushes.." the man murmured as he glanced around the building.

"And chocolate trees!" Willy added enthusiastically and gestured towards the large chocolate tree in the middle of the store.