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The Birthday Tour: Part II

I tensed up at his sudden action, shocked that he made the first move to hug me.

I relaxed against him as he rested his head right against mine, exhaling shakily onto my shoulder. I opened my eyes as he let me go, taking a nervous step back. I let go of his coat, my hands remaining where they were in the air.

"I apologize... hehe, uh..." he murmured sheepishly, and I just stood there, a smile creeping onto my face.

"No, no no, don't be sorry... I... It was just unexpected, is all..." I rubbed my arm with my hand shyly, and he cleared his throat.

"On with the tour, then?" He perked up his tone, acting as if it never happened. Part of me was grateful he did, but the other part of me wanted him to embrace me again...

"Sure!" I chirped back, and I followed him out of the Fizzy Lifting Drinks Room.

We walk down a couple hallways, and he rounds a corner, back to his cheery self. "Behold the Wonkamobile. A thing of beauty is a joy forever."

He giggled lightly, and I saw Oompa-Loompas fill the odd contraption with some sort of liquid.

"Willy, what's that they're filling it up with?" I asked.

He shrugged indifferently, and listed, "Oh, ginger ale, ginger pop, ginger beer, beer bubbles, bubble-ade, bubble cola, double cola, double bubble burp-a-cola, and all the crazy carbonated stuff that tickles your nose. Few people realize what tremendous power there is in one of those things."

"Is this gonna go fast?" I asked him, getting on the seat next to the driver's.

He smirked at me and said, "Hold on tight. I'm gonna really open her up this time and see what she can do. Swifter than eagles... stronger than lions..."

He started the machine up, and with some spurts and spouts, it began to move... very slowly. I giggled at the silliness of this and looked at Willy, who was smiling like a giddy child as he pulled levers and turned knobs.

I laughed once more, and suddenly, white foam shoots out from a tube on top of the mobile, flying into our faces.

"Ohhhhhhhh!" I gasped, getting completely soaked in soda foam. Willy chuckled, getting some on his clothes as well.

"Must be a leak in the distilling tubes," he observed nonchalantly, grinning widely.

"I really hope this doesn't stain my clothes. If it does, you are paying my cleaning bill," I said with a playful laugh.

The mobile went through some sort of open gateway, and immediately, everything was returned to its normal, if not a better and cleaner, condition.

"What did we just go through?" I asked, smirking with curiosity.

"Hsawaknow," Willy replied. I gave him a disbelieving look.

"Gesundheit," I blessed with a mocking grin, teasing him as if he sneezed. He laughed and shook his head.

"I didn't sneeze," Willy denied.

I raised a brow and asked, "Then, was that Japanese?"

He smiled and said, as if it was obvious, "No, that's 'Wonkawash' spelled backwards."

He pulled a lever and the machine came to a stop. "That's it, my dear. The journey is over."

I bursted out into a fit of laughter.

"Finest bath I've had in twenty years! Let's do it again!" I cheered gleefully. He laughed again and looked at me, smiling with sincerity.

"You are too gosh darn adorable, you know that?" He chuckled and slid off, facing me. He raised his arms up and motioned for me to climb off. I hopped out, and he caught me, his hands on my waist. I placed my hands on his shoulders for balance, nearly falling when I reached level ground.