For A Moment - A Wonka AU

Chapter 3: Silver Linings

Meanwhile, a disappointed Charlotte made her way back to her father's shop. That was the last place she wanted to go; she would much rather be in her room, reading or writing in her journal.

"Charlotte Fickelgruber," the annoying voice of her father said as soon as she got back.

She sighed, accepting her fate. "Yes, Father?"

"That man you were with..." he murmured.

"Willy?" she finished for him.

"Yes, him." He nodded. "Why were you with a peasant like him?"

Charlotte clenched her fists. Willy wasn't a peasant! She took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking again, "I ran into him on the streets and he wanted me to help him with something-"

"-his Hoverchocs..." Fickelgruber interrupted.

She nodded. "Yeah, that."

His lip curled in disgust. "Those wretched things-"

"They're not wretched!" she exclaimed a bit louder than intended. She immediately lowered her voice a bit at the look on her father's face. "I could tell you liked them. I could tell all of you did."

Fickelgruber frowned. "That doesn't-"

"It does matter, Father! You guys lied to put Willy down! Too bad he's not going to give up so easily!"

"And how would you know that?"

"I-" She paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully. She didn't want him to forbid her from talking to him again (if she even could). "I just have a feeling..."

Her father sighed and picked some dirt off his fingers, scowling in disgust at it. "Well, then, I suppose we'll just have to resort to...other methods..." He walked away, murmuring something about Slugworth and Prodnose.

Charlotte rolled her eyes and went up to her room.

She paced back and forth around the room, dimly lit by the moonlight and a small lantern, thinking. She wanted to go to bed, but at the same time she wanted to do something else. She went over to the window and looked out at the snowy city. But one building in particular caught her eye....

~

Creeping down the stairs and hoping her father had already fallen asleep, she grabbed her jacket and went outside. It was quite chilly out, but as someone who had lived there her whole life, she was practically immune! The snow crunched underneath her boots as she ran across the street. She was the only person outside at this time, which gave her easy access to any shortcuts she wanted to take.

Once she finally reached the building, she debated on which she should do- ask Mrs. Scrubitt directly, or find a way up to the staff rooms herself. She quickly ruled out asking Mrs. Scrubitt, so she looked up at the third floor of the building. How was she going to get there....

She was always good at climbing.

Climbing up the loose bricks and windowsills of the rooms on the other two floors, she climbed up to the window on the far right. If she remembered correctly, that room hadn't been occupied for a while...Perhaps that was where he was?

Once she finally reached the window, her arms were burning. She looked down, wishing she had just stolen a ladder or something. Falling to her death wasn't exactly the most ideal way to go out, she realized.

She sighed and grabbed the bars to the window, pulling herself up to peer inside. Surely enough, he was in there, pacing back and forth with a nervous expression on his face.