Story Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again

great details of the contrast in tones of Ginger with her husband talking about having kids alongside the schemes/plotting

 

I meant to do a longer chapter with Jeremy, Jemima and the Toymaker included, but I've been shorter on time lately.

Appreciated @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

More to come soon.

 

The black taxi drove down the main street past the road leading to the Cruncher factory.
"There it is!" exclaimed Jeremy, pointing his finger out the window. "It's Lord Cruncher's factory!"


Workers could be seen carrying heavy crates and pieces of equipment while militia men ordered them around. The factor workers were mostly women, mixed with some older men.

"I don't see Lord Cruncher or the car," Jemima said as they drove past it. The factory and the people assembled around it were already getting smaller as the Toymaker drove on.

"That's because the car's not at the factory," the Toymaker replied, "They've taken it to the old Cruncher estate."

"Ah, we're going into the belly of the beast now," Grandpa Potts remarked, "Deep into the heart of enemy territory."

"Truly's friend Ginger lives there," Jemima pointed out, "She got married to Lord Cruncher a few months ago."

"I don't think they like Dad much," Jeremy added, "They probably doesn't like us either."


They drove on through the town, which was still damaged from Lord Cruncher and Commander Lemmon's adventure in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Throughout the nearby streets, repair crew was in the middle of fixing the signs that had been knocked down and the buildings that had been crushed in by the car.

The Toymaker steered the taxi to the right, in the opposite direction from the police station and from Mr. Coggins' junkyard.

They continued through the outskirts of town, into a grove of trees that formed a tunnel.
After this, the scenery looked like a barren wasteland. Black smoke ahead indicated that the Cruncher manor was close.
The children both shivered slightly at the sight of the scary mansion in the distance.

"Not too much further," the Toymaker said.

"Lord Cruncher's keeping Chitty here?" Jemima asked curiously, "What does he want it for?"

"That Cruncher's a no-good thief, I suspect," Grandpa said, "He's nothing compared to your old man, and so he has to steal what doesn't belong to him."

"We'd better teach him a lesson, then," Jeremy said with an anger to his adolescent voice that did not match his usual gentle personality, "Teach him to cross our family."

"I hope he hasn't done anything awful to the car," Jemima said, "Daddy and Truly will be so upset."

Neither sibling would acknowledge the very real possibility that their father, still missing at sea, had died in the battle at the German coast.

"You'll have to sneak inside, of course," the Toymaker said to the children, "We cannot go with you two any further."

The Toymaker pressed down on the brakes and stopped the taxi about a hundred yards away from the mansion, just in front of a locked gate and fence cutting into the gravel road.

"It looks dangerous," Jemima fretted, "How are we going to get Chitty out?"

"We're not going anywhere," Grandpa reassured her, "We'll think of a way."

"We'd better get going," Jeremy urged as he started to climb out of the taxi, followed by his sister.

A uniformed soldier hiding in the long brown reeds of grass caught sight of the taxi and the two pubescent children climbing out. He turned and hurried back to a cluster of his fellow militia men and said, "The Potts children are here. They have a taxi cab and two men helping them."

"We'd better inform his Lordship," the squad leader said.

Lord Cruncher and Commander Lemmon had just managed to strap a propulsion unit to either side of the shiny Chitty. Sitting in the driver's seat, Cruncher said, "What do you say, old chap? Shall we take her for another test drive?"

Just then, the soldier came running into the secret lot behind the mansion. "Commander! My lord! The children have arrived."

"Capture them and bring them inside," Lord Cruncher ordered, "Commander Lemmon, you know what to do."

Lemmon smiled and grabbed his whip, running after the soldier. He pulled a whistle from his uniform pocket and blew on it.


All of the sudden, several large dogs came running out of the mansion's front entrance, barking viciously as they joined the militia soldiers in prowling the property of Lord Cruncher's estate.

Jeremy and Jemima had just managed to crawl through the gate leading onto the property when they heard the loud barking of a doberman.

"There they are!" a man shouted.

A uniformed soldier came running towards the two of them, side by side with a large, scary dog.


The two children screamed.
"Run!" Jemima shouted as they both took off running in the opposite direction.

The dog continued barking as he sped up after them. Another dog, a bulldog, jumped out of a bush and joined the chase.

"They're getting closer!" Jeremy panted, quickly running out of breath.

"Keep running!"

More dogs and soldiers were appearing around the Cruncher property, chasing after the Potts children as they fled in terror.

Suddenly, a small, black horse-drawn carriage came galloping across the barren field, appearing from behind the fence surrounding Lord Cruncher's mansion.

"We're trapped!" Jemima exclaimed as the horses quickly caught up to them. The man steering the coach cracked his whip, forcing the horses to stop.

"Get in the carriage, children!" the mustachioed military officer urged, "I'll protect you."

The dogs were very close behind. Jeremy and Jemima looked back in terror as their pursuers cornered them, growling ferociously.

Somebody inside the coach opened the door, and a gloved hand beckoned the two siblings inside.

"Climb aboard!" Commander Lemmon said, "I won't let them hurt you."

Jeremy started towards the carriage, but Jemima reached and caught his sleeve.
"Remember the Child Catcher?" she reminded him. Jeremy looked up at the man, seeing the glint in his eye.

He started to run again, but a vicious doberman appeared in front of him, gnashing his teeth and barking. Jeremy and Jemima screamed in terror as the dogs approached them and the strong men grabbed them and hoisted them up into the air.


"HELP!" the children cried as the men dragged them to the open carriage, "HEELLP!"

Hands clamped down over their mouths and held on tight to their wrists and ankles. Jeremy and Jemima continued to cry out as the soldiers threw them into the carriage and slammed the door shut.

Commander Lemmon cracked his whip and steered the horse carriage back towards Lord Cruncher's mansion. He would teach those two brats a lesson.
The sound of the horses stomping mostly drowned out the sounds of the two children screaming and pounding on the inside of the coach. Lemmon perked up his ears at the sound of their cries. He enjoyed terrifying these children perhaps more so than he did the navy men under his command. Every scream of terror made him smile even more.

 

OH NO!

 

There was a point in time when I used to watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang nearly every week.

Commander Lemmon would not last long in the GFFA. He would go the way of Admiral Ozzel.

 

Next chapter will contain the emotional climax of the story. I had to rework the location of a particular scene, and I’ve changed a detail about the resolution.


I will return to the Chittyverse when I am done with this story. I am developing another sequel set in 1968.


@Cowgirl Jedi 1701 It’s one of my favorite movies. And you’re right about Lemmon.

 

Truly anxiously hung up the phone inside her office at the Scrumptious candy factory. She was running out of options now. She knew that Ginger, like most people she knew, had never approved of her marriage to a poorer man, but she wondered whether her old friend was lying about having seen the children, or whether Ginger had helped steal the car. Truly didn't want to think about it, enough was already causing her distress. Truly glanced at the two framed black-and-white photographs on her desk. One was of her wedding to Caractacus in late 1910, the two of them in a passionate embrace. The other was of her late father, who by then relied on a walking cane due to a stroke.

Not for the first time since Caractacus had been sent off to war, Truly began to pace the wide, empty hall of her office, with Edison sitting dutifully at the foot of her desk.

"I don't know what I'm going to do, Edison," Truly said. "I feel completely lost and helpless." Far too many times recently, she had found herself on the verge of tears.

Her bespectacled secretary Philip appeared at the doorway. Though he shared a similar attitude towards Truly's marriage as the lords and ladies of the aristocracy, he had an expression of genuine sympathy.

"Is there anything I might do to be of aid, Lady Potts?" he asked somberly.

"No thank you, Philip," Truly replied, "You may take the rest of the evening off if you would like."

Philip nodded and said, "I'm terribly sorry about everything, my lady."

"Thank you," Truly said, turning to the window. As Philip disappeared, Truly peered her head into the production room where her workers were happily stirring the large pots and moving trays of sweets from rack to rack, marching up and down the staircases.
Though Truly would run the Scrumptious Sweet Co for years to come, a quarter century later she would turn the factory into a home for the many orphans of another war. She would give away her family's vast fortune and spend the rest of her life in modesty.

But the future was far from Truly's thoughts now. She gazed out the window at the setting sun, feeling hopeless.

As she turned to exit her office, Truly pulled a Toot Sweet from the bowl on her desk and tossed it to Edison, who grabbed it in midair with his teeth.
Edison followed Truly as she walked into the empty lobby and climbed up a spiral staircase leading to the factory's second floor. As she walked down the halls of her factory, Truly began to sing.

Do I dare to hope for another day,
When I feel lost, will I find a way,
to see the shining light of another day?

I thought my life had a plan,
Two wonderful children and a lovely man,
What do I do, to see the light,
will you shine for me, shine in the night?


Miles away, Caractacus Potts stepped into the city limits, having walked a long way the harbor where the Vulgarian children had dropped off him and the other men. He too began to sing as he marched into the streets of town, in a more soft, soothing tone than he had to the men on the Confection.

Always hold your light, tight to you,
Keep a light and hold it true,
Whenever you find
Yourself in a bind,
Your light will see you through.


He continued his path ahead, past the passing carriages and shops, seeing the high towers of the very same factory where he had first won Truly's admiration. The now deceased Lord Scrumptious would later walk her down the aisle to him and give her away, with Jeremy bringing them their rings and Jemima leaving flower petals on the aisle.

Truly continued to sing as she roamed the second floor, with Einstein blowing his candied whistle to the melody.

I want to hope, I want to believe,
That there is some good at the end of this grief,
That there may come a day
When we can happily play,
And throw all our troubles away

Approaching the factory’s sign and bright green lawn, Caractacus kept up his melody as well. He remembered his own mother singing the same melody to him as a child, and he remembered his first wife singing to the unborn Jeremy and Jemima as well, shortly before her passing.

We don’t have far to go
To the top of the mountain,
At Hushabye mountain they don’t know.
Of war or pain or sorrow.
It isn’t far to go,
Until the light sees us through.

Climbing back down to the first floor, Truly kept on singing as well, as if it fueled her with hope.

I will be there every step of the way,
Every step through Lullaby bay,
And I will see you at the top of the mountain,
Where we will find the light to guide us through...

As soon as Truly let out the last line, she gasped loudly in shock and covered her mouth to muffle her own scream.
The factory doors slid wide open as Caractacus Potts marched in, singing,

and I will be standing next to you!


Truly screamed in sheer joy as her heart inflated. Caractacus raced towards her as well, his face equally illuminated with a smile.
The husband and wife met one another half way, holding on tight to each other as they locked lips in a kiss that they never wanted to end. Edison barked elatedlu, licking Caractacus’s legs as his master’s fingers stroked the top of his head with his feet hand

“Oh, Truly,” Caractacus said, “My dear, sweet Truly. I didn’t know when I’d see you again.”


“I was worried something awful had happened to you,” Truly replied, unable to stop her chest from beating heavily.

“Well, here I am, alive and well,” Caractacus replied, “And I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am.”


“Oh, Mister Potts, I never want to let you go again.”


The two of them clasped hands and ran across the factory as Edison continued to play the whistle. As they entered the main production room, all the aproned factory workers cheered as the two danced around the floor, consumed with sheer joy.

As Caractacus twirled Truly back and forth, the workers each produced a small Toot Sweet whistle and played along to the rhythm. Caractacus and Truly stared lovingly into the other’s eyes, neither wanting to break the contact.

At the top of the mountain, a happy day.
For the light in the sky has shown us the way.
And now we can throw our troubles away,
For I am glad to be here with you today

Look above for the light in the sky.
The stars shining bright connecting you and I,
I will never forget the love we share,
At the top of the mountain. You and I....



As the song ended, Truly leaned back in her husband’s arms, then leaned forward to plant another kiss onto his lips.
The two of them held each other for several minutes longer, unwilling to spoil the bliss before them.

At last, Truly’s smile disappeared as she returned to reality. Still locked in her husband’s embrace, she said, “Something’s happened to the children. They’ve gone after your missing motorcar.”


Caractacus became serious as well and nodded. “I know just where we need to go,” he said, “And luckily, we have some help.”


He gestured for the Vulgarian children to come
in, and they came happily pouring into the factory to greet Truly, who was equally happy to receive them. She opened her arms as they came running to her.

“We love you, Truly!” the boys and girls exclaimed.

“We’ll do anything for the Potts family,” Captain Peter added.

“What are we going to do?” a young girl asked.
“Well, lucky I have a plan,” Caractacus said, “but it’s going to be a major team effort.”



At Lord Cruncher’s manor, the taxi was now facing away from the gate. Grandpa Potts finished tying the rope attached to the taxi to the bars, then hurried into the passenger seat of the car.

“All ready to go,” he said.
The Toymaker replied, “I don’t think this is going to work.”

He looked back at the relatively thin rope connecting the car to the gate and shouted, “One, two, three!” He pulled the throttle hard, driving the taxi forward.

The rope spread apart before splitting in half, nowhere near strong enough to break open the gate.

“Well, that’s one idea muffed,” Grandpa remarked.

“There must be another way to open the gate,” the Toymaker replied.


Inside the mansion on the other side of the gate, Ginger had returned to her book when the telephone once again rang. Knowing better than to call for her husband at a time like this, Ginger went to answer it with an annoyed sigh.

She picked up the receiver and said, “Lady Cruncher.”

A pause as Ginger heard Truly’s voice.


“Why heavens Truly, whatever are you talking about? Potts is back?”

“Ginger, listen. There is a good deal I must tell you.”
She listened intently as Truly told her the rest.



Suddenly, a man on a horse appeared on the road leading to the Cruncher mansion. The horse was dragging something on a rope.


“What is that?” the Toymaker wondered.

“One of the old army cannons,” Grandpa replied, “I’d recognize them anywhere. Why, one day when we marched from India...”


The Toymaker climbed out of the vehicle, and Grandpa followed. The man on the horse was none other than Robinson, Caractacus’s comrade in the navy.

About five more horses appeared in front of the taxi. Unlike the horse dragging the cannon, the other horse saddles had a child on each one.


“Children, I’m glad you could make it,” the Toymaker replied.


“I hope we aren’t too late,” Robinson said. He climbed down from the horse and began to unfasten the cannon from it. “Us seamen owe everything to these children, and to good old Caractacus Potts.”

“Well then,” said Grandpa, “We’d better get the cannon ready to fire. Allow me.” He raced to the cannon and quickly helped Robinson finish untying it.
The Toymaker joined them and the three men carried the cannon with all of their might towards the gate before setting it on the ground.

The Vulgarian children climbed down from their mounts and hurried over, eager to be a part of it.


“Now, stand back,” Grandpa said as he prepared to light the cannon, “This part is a bit messy.”

 

The militia men held the two Potts children tightly, covering their mouths with strong, meaty hands. Jeremy and Jemima struggled fruitlessly as they were dragged into the fenced compound behind Lord Cruncher's mansion.
The metal fences all formed a maze that led from the backyard to the mansion's back door to the secret passage to Cruncher's secret yard of military weapons where Chitty was being kept.

Commander Lemmon was waiting in the mazed compound just behind the mansion, his teeth shining in the light of the dawn and the whip in his hand eager to be cracked.

The men threw Jeremy and Jemima onto the ground, and Commander Lemmon approached them while raising his whip. The two terrified children backed into the corner, speechless with fear.

"So, you're the two brats of the crackpot inventor Potts," he sneered, "Well, you'd better hope you don't go the same way as your crazy old man."

"Our dad is a genius!" Jeremy snapped back, "He's created more than you could ever hope."

"Let us go, or you'll be sorry," Jemima added defiantly.

"Quiet!" Lemmon shouted, cracking his whip and causing both children to shudder with fear. "I am never letting you go!"

"Are you going to whip us?" Jemima asked.

"Oh, you two don't know the pain you are in for," Lemmon replied, "Caractacus Potts thinks he can outshine me, who has spent my lifetime in the cold and mud for the British Empire. He will not build a few lucky machines and win favor so easily. I will make him and you both suffer for it."

He raised the whip and stepped closer to the children, who had nowhere to go and no way to get up and run. They had lost all nerve and were trembling with sheer terror now.

"You, boy, you don't look far from fighting age," Lemmon snarled, "You think your life will be full of innocent bliss, but you'll soon see the horrors of the field for yourself. Nothing but the most ruthless discipline will groom our soldiers to do the kingdom proud, and now you will get your first taste."

Both Jeremy and Jemima screamed as Lemmon brought his arm down, but no sooner did he do so than a pack of barking dogs raced past the children at the sound of a Toot Sweet whistle. Lemmon growled as he was knocked over by the dogs, who completely ignored the two children. The dogs hurried to the now-opened door of the mansion where Ginger Baker stood blowing a candied whistle, unseen by Lemmon.


As the dogs stopped in front of Ginger, she started to play a tune. It was a tune the two bewildered children recognized- they had sung it with Truly four years earlier on the beach, when they had first taken Chitty for a drive.

As a matter of fact, Truly Scrumptious Potts was standing in the front yard of the Cruncher estate, along with her husband, Grandpa Potts, the Toymaker, Edison the Vulgarian children, and Robinson, playing the same tune on her whistle. Dozens of militia dogs had surrounded the group, led by several of Commander Lemmon's troops.

As Truly played the whistle, the large, vicious dogs who had surrounded them gathered around her.

"Now!" Caractacus said, signaling to the rest of the group.

Everybody pulled several Toot Sweets from their pockets brought to them from the Scrumptious factory and tossed them to the dogs.

"What the devil are they doing?" the lieutenant demanded as the dogs eagerly scoured the field for the flying treats. Many of the caught the sweets in their mouths and started to blow them to the same tune Truly was playing, Edison included.

"Now let's see the magic at work," Caractacus said.


"It's those blasted dog biscuits!" the lieutenant snapped, "Men, you know what to do!"

The militia troops began to draw their pistols, but Truly continued to play louder, causing the dogs to become agitated with their masters. The members of the rescue party tensed with sudden alarm as the men pulled out their guns and raised them, but before they could do anything, the dogs began to pounce on the soldiers, causing several confused guns to fire bullets high into the air.

"Get down, children!" the Toymaker encouraged, as he, Grandpa, and Robinson grabbed as many Vulgarians as they could and pulled them into the grass out of harms way.


Truly continued to play as she followed the dogs, running past the disheveled men towards the mansion.


Inside the weaponry lot, Lord Cruncher heard the tune played across the property and looked around in confusion. Why were all the dogs barking and going crazy, he wondered. Then he heard the distinct, individual sound of a Toot Sweet.

"That blasted, balloon headed, no good Potts!" he snarled. He grabbed his rifle and hurried after the sound, his mind racing with rage.


As the children finally slumped upwards against the wall onto their feet, their backs still against the cold metal, Commander Lemmon regained his footing after the confusion. He turned to the children and made a fist, his face red with rage and the brows of his curled mustache pointing upwards.

With a howl, he lunged forward to let loose with everything he had, but the dogs came running back and leapt on him, digging their teeth into his arms and legs.

"You mangy mongrels, let me go!" he hollered as the dogs pulled him to the ground on his stomach, his whip forgotten and his hat discarded. The dogs clamped tightly to Lemmon's sleeves as they began to drag the struggling commander away.

The children watched the dogs carry Lemmon and heard his screams grow fainter. They recognized Lady Baker as she appeared from behind the metal barrier.

"It's Miss Ginger!" Jeremy exclaimed, "Are you here to help us?"

Ginger hesitated, finding herself reluctant to say anything that went against her husband's wishes. She didn't want to think what would have happened if it had been Lord Cruncher rather than his repulsive accomplice holding the whip and threatening the children.

"Listen, children, there isn't much time," Ginger said, "I'll show you where the car is so that you can get away from here. Your father and Truly are waiting."

"Thank you, thank you very much!" the children exclaimed as Ginger pointed them in the car's direction.

As they rounded the corner, they could not help but notice that Ginger's outfit closely resembled that of the doll on the music box from Vulgaria. Ginger remained behind as the children hurried towards the lot, staring wistfully after them.


Jeremy and Jemima arrived in the weaponry lot where Lord Cruncher did many secret dealings. They frantically looked around past the tanks, missiles and ammunition until they found the shining motorcar, with two propulsion units tied to each side of it.

"There's Chitty!" Jemima exclaimed, "She's here!"

"Let's jump in!" Jeremy said as they ran towards it as fast as they could. Around them, they could still hear the chorus of Toot Sweet whistles and barking dogs.

"But how are we going to get it out of here?" Jemima asked as Jeremy climbed up into the driver's seat. She hopped into the passenger's seat next to her brother.

"Easy, we drive," Jeremy replied with a grin. Pulling the throttle, he took the wheel of Chitty and began to steer it in a very shaky manner.

"Oh, please be careful," Jemima said as Jeremy nearly collided the motorcar into one of Lord Cruncher's heavy cannons.

"I've got us both taken care of, Jemima, don't worry," Jeremy replied as he drove the car through the maze, causing the hordes of dogs to scurry out of the way.

Finally, after several would-be crashes, the children and Chitty made their way out of the maze, the sound of Truly's melody still playing.

"Follow the tune!" Jemima said as Jeremy drove Chitty into the field.

A moment later, a large group came running across the field in the distance. The two faces that caught the attention of the children were those of Truly and their father.

"Jeremy! Jemima!" Caractacus called out, waving to them as he rushed towards the motorcar.


"It's Daddy! Daddy's here!" yelled Jemima, all fear and restraint forgotten.

"Daddy's here! He's all right!" Jeremy shouted, turning the wheel in the direction of the group coming towards them. They had not seen their father in many weeks, and had deep down feared the worst. But here he was, as alive as ever and once again there to rescue them.

The motorcar could not have reached Caractacus and company fast enough.

 

Wonderful reunion!!!

 

Marvelous reunion, I can hear them singing!

True evil has an excellent dentist, it seems.

Charming part of the scene, well done and fitting in with the ambiance of the film.

 

this is the song they are playing

 

Before Jeremy and Jemima climbed out of Chitty, Caractacus wrapped both of his two children in his arms and held them as tight as he could.

"Oh, how I thought about you two every day at sea," he said, having never in recent memory felt so emotional, "I'm so happy to see you both."

"We missed you, Daddy," Jeremy said, feeling eight years old again as he held on tight to his father's waist, "We really missed you."

"Please don't go away ever again," Jemima added as she also hugged Caractacus.

Caractacus pulled them both out of the car as they clung tightly to him.

Finally, the two children let go of their father and turned to Truly, wrapping their arms around her sleek dress.

Truly held them tightly before seizing both Jeremy and Jemima by the collar and shaking them.

“Don’t you two ever scare me like that again!” she scolded, a very stern look on her face.


“We’re sorry, Truly, really,” Jemima replied, “We didn’t mean to scare you.”


“But we got Chitty back,” Jeremy added, “See?”


“You sure did,” Caractacus said proudly, “I’m very proud of you both.”


“We mustn’t stay here,” Truly said, “They’ll be after us.”

“Look!” Captain Peter said, pointing as several militia men appeared in the distance coming around from both sides of the Cruncher manor.

“We’d best be going,” the Toymaker said.


A massive engine sounded from the direction of the broken gate, and a medium sized semi-truck, with a wide, wooden storage compartment attached to the driver and passengers’ seats drove up to the front lawn, stopping before the Potts family, Robinson, the Toymaker and the Vulgarians.


“All aboard!” called Cole from the driver’s seat.

Goldsmith quickly hopped out of the passenger door and hurried to open the wooden ramp to the back of the truck, which was specialized in delivering crates.

“Go on, children!” the Toymaker urged, ushering the Vulgarians into the truck as the men came running towards them.

“Jeremy, Jemima, Grandpa, get in the back, Caractacus ordered, opening the passenger door of Chitty for Truly.


“No way am I getting into that nasty, smelly, motorcar!” Grandpa said as Caractacus, Truly, and the children climbed aboard.

Once the Toymaker, Robinson and the children got in the truck, Cole wasted no time in spinning the larger vehicle around and driving back in the direction he had come.

“Grandpa, come on!”
Jeremy shouted as the militia troopers surrounded them.


“Halt!” the Lieutenant snapped at them, pulling out his pistol from its holster.

Reluctantly, Grandpa climbed into the back seat next to Jemima and Caractacus slammed his foot onto the gas pedal.

“To the cars!” the Lieutenant ordered. The men ran towards the large garage on Cruncher’s property that housed several military vehicles in order to keep up the chase.

As Chitty Chitty Bang Bang reached the ruins of the gate that the cannon had blasted open, Jemima said, “Daddy, stop!”

Caractacus slowed down, but didn’t slam the brakes.

“Why?” he asked.


“You see, we couldn’t have escaped from Commander Lemmon without Ginger,” Jemima said, “She saved us from getting beaten.”


“Beaten?” Truly exclaimed in horror.

“When this is over, I’m going to teach that Lemmon a lesson he won’t forget,” Caractacus vowed. For the first time ever, he felt genuine hatred for another human being.


Lord Cruncher emerged from the metal-walled maze leading into the secret weapons lot with his rifle clutched in his hands.

He looked over in surprise as Commander Lemmon came staggering out of the bushes. His uniform was torn in several places, and his mustachioed face was covered with visible scratches and bruises.


“Good golly, old man, what happened to you?” Cruncher asked.


Commander Lemmon panted as he reached his co-conspirator, seething with rage.

“it was... that treacherous...leech..of a wife of yours.”


“Ginger? Whatever are you talking about?” Cruncher asked.


“She set the dogs on me,” Lemmon replied, his face red with anger as well as dog scratches, “She helped the Potts children get away.”


“I don’t believe it,” Cruncher replied, suddenly feeling shaken with a feeling of shock, “She looks down on those dirty brats and their worthless father.”


“With respect, my lord, you need to put that woman in her place.”


Cruncher swallowed hard, unhappily aware that he needed to accept reality.

“I’ll deal with her. Go keep up the chase and get that motorcar back.”


Lemmon ran towards the garage where his men were already driving after the fleeing Chitty.

With a scowl, Lord Cruncher turned to re-enter the maze before he bumped into his wife on her way out.


“Oh, darling!” Ginger cried, taking a step backwards.


Lord Cruncher glowered down at her.
“Commander Lemmon has just told me a terrible thing. I want to believe that it’s not true that you helped the Potts children escape.”

Ginger blinked in surprise, but nevertheless knew she could not pretend.
“Commander Lemmon is not an honorable man,” Ginger replied, her voice filled with an irreverence that she had never used with her husband, “Surely, Bo, you must realize that that.”


Cruncher did not like his wife using his first name, but ignored that. Instead, he replied, “You know that the Potts family is beneath our kind. You know that the old inventor is good for nothing, and that Truly made a sad mistake marrying him.”

“I know that you would have rather married her, and I understand,” Ginger replied, “But Commander Lemmon nearly beat the innocent children with his whip! I know that you are better than him, darling.”


Hoping for the best, Ginger touched her husband on his cheek, but Bo batted her arm away with his gun.

“How dare you lay your hand on me, you treacherous bat!”


Ginger cried out in pain opened her mouth in horror as Bo moved his rifle back as if about to strike her with it.


Before he could, the loud sound of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang roared across the grass and the golden flash of the car appeared.


The headlights of the car made contact with Cruncher’s body and sent him flying across the lawn. His body struck the exterior wall of his secret production facility and he rolled limp onto the grass.

“Bo!” Ginger cried in alarm.


The car stopped and Caractacus, Truly, Jeremy, Jemima and Grandpa were inside.


“We couldn’t let him hurt you, after you helped us,” Jeremy said.

“Ginger, we couldn’t have rescued them without your help,” Truly said, “We had to do something.”


“Truly...” Ginger gasped in shock, “I can’t believe it.”


“Thank you for what you did for my children,” Caractacus said, speaking to Ginger for the first time since his wedding to Truly four years earlier.


“Mister Potts, I don’t know where to begin,” Ginger said breathlessly, “I was very wrong about you, very wrong.”


“Why don’t you come along with us?” Jemima asked.


Ginger looked at her unconscious husband with guilt. “I couldn’t possibly...I owe myself to him.”


“You’re one of my oldest friends,” Truly said, “I can’t leave you here with him.”
She looked with disgust at the unconscious Cruncher’s body.


“Please, go on,” Ginger replied, “They’ll be after you again soon.” She hesitated before saying, “Thank you, all of you. Truly, Mister Potts, children, I wish I had a family as happy as you.”

The sound of several engines came around the house as Ginger disappeared back into the metal labyrinth.

Commander Lemmon was in the passenger seat of the lead car, which surrounded Chitty and its occupants on either side of the Cruncher mansion.


“What are we going to do?” Jeremy asked.


“I have an idea,” Caractacus replied, “Dad, do you have any matches?”

Grandpa nodded and pulled a small matchbox from his utility belt.


“You have nowhere to run, Potts,” Lemmon snarled as he approached their car, “I will make the lot of you suffer like you’ve never imagined.”


Caractacus turned to Lemmon with a glare of pure disgust. “I’m going to make you pay for what you did to my family,” he replied, “You’ve got nothing inside you but evil. Dad, light it up!”


Grandpa Potts leaned back in the seat of Chitty and reached towards the propulsion unit tied to the car. Caractacus started driving away from Lemmon and towards the row of military cars blocking them in from the other side of Cruncher’s property.

“Hurry, Grandpa, hurry!” the children shouted as Lemmon and his cars drove after Chitty. Once Grandpa was finished lighting the propulsion units on the left side of the car, he passed the matches to Jeremy and Jemima, who struck the propulsion units on the right and lit them up.

“Hold on!” Caractacus yelled as Truly clung to his arm tightly and Grandpa Potts wrapped an arm around both Jeremy and Jemima to keep them from falling out of Chitty
Just as Caractacus was about to collide with the row of cars ahead, Chitty lifted off the lawn and over the heads of the military men, who gave out cries of shock and surprise.

“It’s flying! The damn car is really flying.”


“So it’s true,” Lemmon snarled, before shouting, “After them!”


“I don’t like this at all!” Grandpa exclaimed as Chitty hovered about ten feet off the ground. The propulsion units guided it towards the creek that bordered the Cruncher property. A dozen military cars drove after the hovering Chitty in pursuit, with Commander Lemmon in the lead.



“Hold tight, everybody!” Caractacus yelled as he drove through bundles of trees, the car still being propelled by the four fuel packs attached.

“They’re gaining on us!” Truly cried, looking back at the pursuing vehicles.

“Heads down!” Grandpa ordered the children as they drove in the way of a large fir tree branch.

Once they cleared that obstacle, the Potts family was over the creek where the cars could not follow.

“To the road!” Lemmon shouted as his driver led the other cars towards the gate. The array of black military vehicles sped through the Cruncher property to the wrecked gate, allowing them to get the the open road to continue the chase.


Meanwhile, the propulsion units were not allowing Chitty to change direction. All appeared well for a short while as the Potts family flew ten feet over the countryside, until the loud motors sounded behind them.


“How much longer can we fly like this?” Truly wondered.

“Daddy, they’re back!” Jeremy shouted as Commander Lemmon sped below them.

“What are we doing to do?” asked Jemima.

"Don't worry, children, Chitty will protect us," Caractacus assured them, not the least bit worried.

Chitty sank lower towards the ground as Lemmon's car came fifty feet behind the Potts family.

"This old pile of scraps isn't going to do us anymore good!" Grandpa shouted, "We're finished!"

"DADDY!"

A bullet flew past the car from Commander Lemmon's vehicle.

The wicked commander chuckled viciously as he fired his rifle at Chitty, aiming to kill.

"Children, keep your heads down!" Truly shouted as Lemmon fired again.

The next shot scraped the door of the car on Grandpa's side.

As the propulsion units wore out, the military vehicles grew closer, and the car sank lower to the gravel road, Caractacus knew there was one thing left to do.

"Children, Grandpa, untie the propulsion units."

"What are you saying, boy?" Grandpa demanded incredulously.

"Do as he says," Truly insisted firmly.

Jeremy and Jemima began to untie the pack on their side of the car knotted to the side, allowing it to drop.

The car titled to one side in the air as the pack exploded behind them.

Lemmon screamed as his driver veered the car to avoid the explosion.

He dropped his rifle on the road and tumbled from the car as it erupted into flames, sinking into the ditch on the side of the country lane.

As the other propulsion unit dropped onto the pavement and exploded, the rest of the military cars scrambled to avoiding, colliding into one another and the drivers shouting in anger and confusion.


Without the propulsion units keeping the car airborne, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang dipped towards the pavement below.

The children screamed in terror for a brief moment before the front of Chitty dipped upwards, soaring without help from the propulsion units higher than it had before.


"I don't believe it!" Grandpa hollered, "We're flying!"

"Chitty can fly!" Jemima exclaimed in delight, "It can really fly!"

"It was all real the whole time!" Jeremy shouted.

Caractacus and Truly looked at each other across the space between the two front seats and smiled knowingly at one another, their hands connecting briefly. They had never forgotten the magic, and now the others saw it too.



As Chitty's height reached the top of the hills, Mr. and Mrs. Potts began to sing,
Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,
Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,

Jeremy and Jemima now joined in:
Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,
Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,

Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,
Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,"

All four of them sang together now as the car soared unbelievably high above ground:

OH, YOU, PRETTY CHITTY BANG BANG CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, WE LOVE YOU,
AND OUR CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG LOVES US TOO!

HIGH, LOW, ANYWHERE WE GO, ON CHITTY CHITTY WE DEPEND,
BANG BANG CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, OUR FINE FOUR FENDERED FRIEND,
BANG BANG CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, OUR FINE FOUR FENDERED FRIEND.


Commander Lemmon recovered his footing as he climbed to his feet alongside the smoldering remains of his own vehicle. He started to run back to the massive wreckage of cars to recover his lost rifle, but the men who had been driving them were nowhere in sight.

In fact, they had all been tied up and bound at the side of the road. Lemmon gaped in alarm as the crack of a whip sounded behind him.

He turned to find an angry mob of navy men facing him, led by Cole, Robinson and Goldsmith.

"There's the bloody maniac!"

"Time for a lesson you won't forget, you mangy slime!"

Lemmon looked in fear at the men, who were furiously approaching him.

Trying to recover his courage, Lemmon said, "You'll all be tried and hung for treason. Especially you three!" He pointed furiously at Robinson, Cole and Goldsmith.

"We're finished with you, Lemmon!" Goldsmith spat.

The men circled angrily around Lemmon, backing him away.

"Wait until the Admiral hears of this!" he said, unable to hide his fear.

The angry mob parted way for Admiral Fleming to step forward, carrying Lemmon's own whip. Nobody looked more furious than himself.

"Saul R. Lemmon, I hereby strip you of all ranks and titles, and condemn you to be court-martialed," Fleming declared, his aged features scowling at the terrified Commander, "You will be found guilty of high conspiracy and treason and dealt the maximum penalty."

Lemmon stammered aimlessly as the men drew in around him, raising their fists. Fleming cracked the whip and moved his arm back.

"Get him!"

The naval soldiers pounced on the screaming Lemmon, eager to make him pay for his abuse.

Far away now, the shining, golden motorcar soared high above the countryside as Caratacus uttered the next line.

You're uncategorical, a fuel burning oracle, a fantasmagorical machine!

Truly added,

You're more than spectacular, to use the vernacular,

You're wizard, sang Jeremy,

You're smashing, said Jemima,

It was Grandpa who let out the next line,

You're keen.

The entire family sang together as Chitty continued to soar.

OH PRETTY YOU PRETTY CHITTY BANG BANG CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, WE LOVE YOU,
AND IN CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, WHAT WE'LL DO!

HIGH CHITTY LOW CHITTY ANYWHERE WE GO, ON CHITTY CHITTY WE DEPEND,
BANG BANG CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, OUR FINE FOUR FENDERED FRIEND,
BANG BANG CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, OUR FINE FOUR FENDERED FRIEND!


Down below at the school where Jeremy and Jemima attended, the students came pouring out the building, amazed at the sight.

As the adults came rushing after them, many of the children pointed to the sky, excitedly watching the flying car.

Many of the townspeople likewise looked up in amazement, including Mr. Coggins and the constable. The lords and ladies that Truly had grown up with from their mansions, the town fair, the factory workers at Scrumptious Sweets Co, Lord Cruncher's workers in the middle of vandalizing the factory, everybody was watching the flying motorcar high among the clouds.

Admiral Fleming and the navy men cheered as they watched the speck in the sky that was Chitty, as did the Toymaker and Vulgarian children.

As the flying Chitty approached the sandy coastline, Caractacus and Truly resumed the joyful song,

You're sleek as a thoroughbred, your seats are a feather bed, you'll turn everybody's head today!
Jeremy, Jemima and Grandpa harmonized on the next line.
We'll glide on our motortrip, with pride in our ownership,

Everybody sang together now,
THE ENVY OF ALL WE SURVEY!

OH CHITTY YOU CHITTY PRETTY CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG WE LOVE YOU,
AND CHITTY IN CHITTY PRETTY CHITTY BANG BANG CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG WHAT WE'LL DO,
NEAR CHITTY FAR CHITTY IN OUR MOTORCAR, OH WHAT A HAPPY TIME WE'LL SPEND, BANG BANG CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, OUR FINE FOUR FENDERED FRIEND,
BANG BANG CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, OUR FINE FOUR FENDERED FRIEND
CHITTY BANG CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG,
FINE FOUR FENDERED CHITTY CHITTY FRIEND!

 

Fantastic all the way around! Glad Lemmon got his just deserts.

 

Superb ending scene with everyone acknowledging that yes, a car can fly! *pictures the look on their faces*

 

One chapter to go. Thanks everyone for reading. I’ve looked forward to this scene the most.

 

I’ve got the last chapter coming. I’m debating on a particular small scene.

 

The shining motorcar flew gloriously over the English coastline and rose high above the clouds. The children gaped in admiration at the wondrous view as Chitty carried them far away.


“Where are we going, Dad?” Jeremy asked.


“Why isn’t it obvious?” asked Caractacus, “We’re going to Hushabye Mountain!”


He steered them to the fantastic, mythical-looking mountain that loomed a short distance from the mainland.


“There it is!” Jemima exclaimed.



“I’ve never seen such a place,” Grandpa remarked.

Edison merely barked to express his excitement.


“Here, nobody knows any war or sorrow,” Caractacus explained, “You’ll be very safe and happy and you’ll be able to play like you haven’t in a long time.”


Truly smiled at her husband and kissed him on the cheek. “Your little motorcar really saved us,” she said, “I always knew you’d do it.”


The motorcar approached the lush green island, headed straight for the summit of the mountain. Far below, the Potts family could hear the festive sounds of music playing and people chanting and singing with joy.



“Oh, let’s go join in the celebration!” Jemima exclaimed with delight.



“I’ve finally made it to Antarctica!” Grandpa Potts said offhandedly.



Caractacus flew Chitty towards the summit, where crowds of people were dancing to the sounds of music playing from various instruments, more elaborate than had ever been seen back home.


Jeremy and Jemima noticed children their own age and younger, and even some teenagers, running by the coast of the island, playing in the sand and in the ocean.


“Oh, I want to join them!” Jeremy said.


“It’s about time we had a bit of fun,” Truly remarked.



“Just look at the snow and ice,” Grandpa added.


Caractacus flew low towards the beach, past the colorful trees and mountain slopes towards the younger villagers of Hushabye Mountain.


Finally, he landed Chitty gracefully on the sand.

As the Potts family got out of their shiny, golden motorcar, several of the children rushed over in curiosity at the sight of the novelty car.


“Whatever is it?

“I’ve never seen such a thing!”



“Our father built it,” Jemima explained to the crowd of children admiring the car.

Caractacus smiled with pride and a amusement and said, “Well, children, I’d reckon you’d better run along and play.”


“Yes, Daddy.”


Jeremy and Jemima joined the others, racing through the sand, engaging in a jubilant game of tag. Edison ran after them, and the children were glad to include the large shaggy dog in their game.



The grown-ups sat back in the car and enjoyed the sound of the music from above.


It wasn’t long before the music grew louder through the tropical canopies. Caractacus and Truly stood up to dance as the arrivals came marching down the jungle slope of the mountain, blowing on their hand-crafted instruments as they rushed to greet the newcomers.


“May I have this dance?” Caractacus asked, flashing his charming grin at Truly.

Truly smiled back, having never been able to resist the charms of this fine gentleman. She took his hand and let him twirl her as the band played and the villagers of Hushabye Mountain danced.


Grandpa Potts took the hand of a local woman and swung her around as the rest of the villagers partnered up with one another and danced.



Lord Cruncher finally woke up slumped in an armchair in his library. Confused, he put a hand to his forehead and felt a large bandage over the injury dealt to his head.


He looked around, unsure of himself before jumping up in elation at the sight of his wife, Ginger.



“Are you feeling all right, darling?” Ginger asked as she came in with a hot tray of tea.



“All right?” Lord Cruncher asked, “Am I feeling all right?”



Ginger backed away nervously, wondering if she should run.



“Why, I’ve never felt better,” Cruncher said, laughing joyfully like he hadn’t in many years, “I’ve got the most important thing in the world to me right here.”


He came forward towards Ginger with his hand extended.


Ginger hesitated before joining hands with him. It was not lost on her what her husband had been ready to do outside the backyard maze, but she desperately wanted to believe what she was hearing.



To her surprise, Lord Cruncher twirled her around and said, “I’ve been thinking, Ginger. You know what I want to do?”



“What is it, Bo?”



“I want to go away. Far away. Let’s you and me start a new life together. We don’t need any of..this,” he said, gesturing around the vast mansion, “Let’s start our family together and really built our lives.”



“Start a family?” Ginger asked, unsure of what she had just heard, “You really want to start a family?”


“Why yes, my dear lady, let’s renounce the past and start a new life together. We’ll raise wonderful children and we’ll sing and play, and forget about everything here!”



“Oh Bo, do you, do you really mean it?” Ginger asked, completely breathless.


“Every word of it!” Bo Cruncher exclaimed joyfully, wearing a smile that did not seem natural on his face, “what do you say, my dear?”


Ginger studied her husband for a second before realizing that he meant it. Whatever had happened during his unconscious state, her husband was a new man.


“Oh, Bo, I’ve never heard anything better in my life!” Ginger gushed, just before Bo leaned in and kissed her, twirling her around the floor again.



Back on the beach of Hushabye Mountain, Jeremy and Jemima continued their games with the other children, while the grownups danced to the music.


Time seemed to be both endless and nonexistent on the island- several minutes or several years could have passed.



Caractacus and Truly shared a kiss as they moved their feet to their rhythm, never letting go of one another.


“Oh, I hope this day never ends,” Truly said joyfully.


Suddenly, Caractacus’s blissful smile faltered, ever so slightly.


“Is anything the matter, Caractacus?” she asked. As soon as Truly said this, the music began to die down, turning sad in tone.



Caractacus looked over his wife’s shoulder out into the sea beyond.


“This has been the most wonderful day I’ve had in a long time,” he said, “the children are happy and playing, there’s nothing but happiness here.”


“Why yes, I most definitely agree.”



“But there’s still reality to contend with,” Caractacus said.


The last notes from the band’s instruments flickered out in sadness, and the slightest hue of grey appeared in the clouds above.


“There’s still a war to fight and be won, and I can’t escape my duties to my country forever.”



“Yes, but can’t we enjoy the day a little longer?” Truly asked, growing desperate and even slightly terrified. She had just gotten her husband back, she wasn’t ready to give him up so soon.


Even the children had stopped playing and were all looking avidly at the adults in the distance.



“What’s going on over there?” Jemima wondered ,”Why have they stopped dancing?”



Caractacus stepped sadly away from the crowd of dancers and moved towards the shoreline, where the waves were crashing harder against the sand. Truly anxiously followed him, catching him as he maintained his stride.



“This has all been fun, and I’ve loved being home. And Truly, I thought about all of you every day. But they need me, the men out there. And they can’t escape their duty any more than I can.”


Truly understood, but she didn’t want to at all. A moment ago, she had known nothing but happiness and elation. Now, the illusion of it all was crashing down on her.


But Caractacus was right. There was still a war to be fought, and he was loathe to escape from his duties while his fellow countrymen risked their lives. They had just done him a great service, and Truly as well.


Ominously, the sight of a Royal Navy battleship appeared in the distance, approaching the shore. The British flag was very conspicuous sticking up into the air.


“Land Ho!” shouted Admiral Fleming from atop the highest perch.


The chief of the Hushabye Mountain villagers mournfully approached Caractacus and Truly.


“We cannot stay here anymore,” he said, “The grim reality of the world has caught up.”



The chief gestured for his fellow villagers, including the children, to follow. As they started to disappear into the trees and back up the slope, Jeremy and Jemima anxiously ran to join the adults, and Grandpa and Edison came soon afterwards.


“Dad, Truly, what’s happening?” Jeremy asked, not liking one bit of what he saw.


Finally, the battleship, with the name Confection II engraved on the side, reached land, and the anchors lowered onto the sand with an unpleasant crashing sound.



The ramp lowered onto the ground and Caractacus’s fellow seamen came out in rank-and-file order, lining up on the shoreline and at attention.

Jeremy and Jemima clutched at their father’s hands in desperation as Admiral Fleming appeared at the rear.


“Please don’t leave us, Daddy,” Jemima whispered, “not again.”



“Come back, children,” Truly said, tugging at their arms and pulling them away as Caractacus stood in the same position as his fellow navy troopers.


Admiral Fleming marched down and reviewed the men under his command. He turned to Caractacus and broke his serious gaze.

“My boy, Mister Potts, I am very pleased to see you alive and well.”


Caractacus bowed formally and said in a courteous tone, “Thank you very much, Admiral. I am pleased to serve the crown and the flag.”



“And we are pleased to have you among our ranks, my good boy.”


Admiral Fleming then turned to Truly, Grandpa and the children and bowed.

“My dear Lady Potts, and my good friend Bungie, what a pleasure.”


Truly managed to compose a smile. “The pleasure is mine, Admiral,” she said formally, returning the respectful bow, “I’m glad to see you are well.”


“Good to see you again, old friend,” Grandpa replied to Fleming.


“Now, I’m glad that you are all assembled here, before we go,” Fleming said, “because I have a very important announcement for all of you.”


Fleming marched back onto the lowered ramp leading onto the Confection II.



“Caractacus Potts, come forward!” he shouted in his hoarse, aged voice.”



Caractacus nervously marched past his fellow navy crewmen standing at attention, humbly stepping up the ramp and joining his commanding officer.



“The men of the Confection are in need of a new commander,” Fleming said to Caractacus, “And I can think of no better man for the job.”


“Really, sir?”



“Men of the Confection, and family of the honored one, I am pleased to announce that our ship has a new Commander of the Royal Navy. At ease for your new officer, Commander Caractacus Potts!”



The men lost their composure, cheering and clapping in congratulations.


Even Truly and the children brightened up and cheered as Fleming pinned the medal to Caractacus’s jacket.


Caractacus came back down to the shore as the men saluted their new commander.



“At ease,” he said to them before rejoining his family. Jeremy and Jemima rushed up to their father and once again took his hands as he squatted next to them on the sand.



“Are you going away again?” Jemima asked.


“Now children, I want you to listen to me. I would love to stay with you both forever and play, but there is a world beyond this place, and I’ve got to tend to it. You two are still children, and I want you to be children. You will still go to school, and study hard, but when it is time to play, I don’t want you to worry about anything out of your control, including me. One day you too will have to deal with the darker realities of the world. But I don’t want that day to come any sooner than it has to. While you’re young, I want to be young, but be responsible too. Do you two understand?”




Jeremy and Jemima nodded reluctantly. Caractacus gave each of them a kiss on the cheek, and neither of them felt the least bit embarrassed. Many of the men watching tried to hold back their tearful sniffles. Admiral Fleming’s eyes even looked a little wet under his thick white brows and mustache.


“We love you, Daddy.”


“We’ll miss you.”



Caractacus gave Grandpa Potts a silent but dignified embrace.


“Take good care of yourself out there, son,” Grandpa said.


Caractacus nodded and finally reached Truly, knowing that he could not promise with all certainty that this was not goodbye forever.


Truly tearfully embraced and kissed her husband, telling herself that all would be well. She could summon no words.


“You make the battle worth the fighting, all of you,” Caractacus said. He turned back to the men now under his command.


“There’s a war waiting for us,” Caractacus said, “I reckon it’s time to go win it.”


The men saluted with great reverence as Caractacus returned the gesture.


Truly felt words about to escape her lips, but found that they could not pass through her throat. She merely watched as Caractacus led the men aboard the battleship and disappeared with them below deck. She held the children close to her as the ramp lifted, followed by the anchors.



Edison barked after his master as the second Confection began to sail away. Jeremy and Jemima watched in silence as Truly held on tightly to them.


“Look!”


Grandpa Potts gave a military salute as his son appeared on the deck, saluting in the direction of his family, a silent promise emitting from his gaze and landing on the members of his family.



Finally, as the Confection grew smaller and began to disappear into the horizon, Truly began to sing, pulling Jeremy and Jemima close to her.


A light to guide you to another day,

Hold on to your light and you will find your way,

With your special light you’ll be safe and sound



Always hold a light, tight to you

Hold onto your light and keep it true,

Wherever you find yourself, stranded or alone, your light will see you through.



The children hugged Truly, and Grandpa Potts gave her a kiss on the cheek. The four of them, followed by Edison, strode across the gloomy beach to the awaiting Chitty. Grandpa sat between the two children, silently comforting them as Truly climbed into the driver’s seat followed by Edison.


“Are you ready, children?” Truly asked.


“Yes, Truly.”


Truly gazed one last time at the horizon, into which the Confection had completely disappeared.


She swallowed and pulled the throttle on Chitty, driving it across the beach in the direction of the mainland. When the golden motorcar reached the shoreline of Hushabye Mountain, the motorcar lifted into the air, its front pointing upwards as it slowly ascended into the clouds. Behind the children, a strange phenomenon happened: the entire island and mountain vanished from sight, completely invisible.


“Look, it’s Daddy’s ship,” Jemima said, pointing out into the ocean. The others turned their heads to find the Confectionsailing towards a collection of similar-looking battleships. Soon, the ship rejoined the fleet and Admiral Fleming directed the dreadnoughts towards their next crusade. He was a barely visible speck atop the highest perch, shouting orders to the officers under his command.

Caractacus was nowhere to be seen.


Yet he stood in full uniform on the deck of the Confection, silently watching Chitty take flight. Unlike the others, he could still see Hushabye Mountain in the distance. His eyes remained on the motorcar carrying his family home as it floated away.



“Commander,” said a voice behind him, “the men await your orders.”


Caractacus turned around and saluted the man who had spoken. Before going below deck to review the troops, Caractacus picked up the whip given to him by Admiral Fleming and flung it into the water. Then he turned and walked away from the rim and disappeared below deck, ready to assume his new duties.







Wherever you find yourself, stranded or alone, your light will see you through,

See you through.


Truly’s voice carried over a great distance, but she was singing to Jeremy and Jemima inside their home, tucking them both into their own beds. True, they were getting old to share a room, but Truly decided that tonight was a night they needed the comfort of one another.


After kissing the two twelve year olds, Truly turned out their light and left the room.



The next day at school, Jeremy and Jemima crossed through the fence leading into the yard.

Immediately, they were both swarmed by their classmates, who were in disbelief about that they had seen.

“Was that you in the flying motorcar?”

“Did your dad really build that?”



“Why yes, he did,” Jemima replied proudly.



Jeremy froze as Hughes the bully approached.

“If it isn’t Daddy’s little girl and the sissy boy,” he sneered. “Are you two crying because your daddy’s gone now?”


“Yes, we do miss him,” Jemima replied confidently. Jeremy looked at his sister in horror.

“Does your rich candy princess tuck you in and wipe your tears away? Does she sing to you?” Hughes asked.


Jemima was having a terrible time not reacting the way the bully wanted. She stammered, “Y-yes. W-we love Truly.”



“Are you going to marry her?” Hughes asked Jeremy.


Finally, Jeremy spoke up. “Don’t you love your mummy and daddy?”



Hughes frowned in confusion. “I don’t need my mummy and daddy.”



“You wouldn’t cry if they were gone?” Jemima chimed in, “and you wouldn’t miss them?”



Hughes was now at a loss for words.


“We love our daddy and Truly too,” Jeremy said, “And I love my sister.”


Jemima gave Jeremy a quick hug in response as Hughes struggled for a retort. “Why...why don’t you marry her?” Even as he spoke the bully knew he had lost.


“If you don’t have any family you love, I feel sorry for you,” Jeremy said. Together, the two siblings walked away, proud to be side by side.



1918



Crowds of families were gathered at the harbor as the naval soldiers exited the battleships that had brought them home. Families were cheering with delight and crying with emotion as they were reunited with their fathers, sons, husbands, and other.

A family of four stood near the back of the embraces, kisses and chants. Jeremy and Jemima were now near young adulthood, and Grandpa relied heavily on a walking stick. Truly’s face had some more pronounced lines, but she still looked much the same as she had eight years earlier, when she had stopped her car in front of Jeremy and Jemima as they ran into the road.


The men celebrating with their families suddenly pulled away and stood at attention. The Potts family gazed intently as a figure appeared at the top of the ramp. The men saluted their commanding officer, and Commander Potts returned the gesture, a propulsion unit strapped to his back. He said, “At ease,” and the men erupted into cheers, embracing their commander and lifiting him into the air.


“It’s Daddy!” shouted Jemima as the men carried him over the shoulders.



“Dad, over here!” said Jeremy.


Caractacus was dropped in front of his family. He quickly scooped up his two teenaged children, who were both almost as tall as he was now. His father was next, wrapping him in a tight embrace. Finally, Truly gave him a passionate kiss, which drew a big round of applause from the bystanders.


Finally, the Potts family started to run, through the docks of the harbor, past the other families who were joyfully celebrating the end of the Great War. Even Grandpa was able to keep up, assisted by his cane.



Once the family reached the beach, there was no looking back. Caractacus and Truly led the way, with Jeremy, Jemima, and Grandpa running through the sand into the water, laughing in elation and joy.



The now-elderly Edison came running excitedly out of the parked Chitty, joining them as they played in the water and sand.



Soon, they were joined by the families of Caractacus’s comrades, the Robinsons, the Goldsmiths, and many more; their wives and children taking part in the fun.



The Potts family stopped and waved as the former yacht of Baron Bomburst sailed by, with the Toymaker and children on deck, waving right back at them.


Across the bay, the lush, colorful vegetation was visible atop Hushabye Mountain and its beaches.


Everybody laughed and played as if there was no tomorrow. Nothing mattered but the present, filled with love, friendship and family. Their bonds would remain forever, and nothing would be able to break them down.





We’ll be together every step of the way,

Following the light to guide our way,

Look above for the light in the sky.

The stars shining bright connecting you and I,

Remember the days, let the memories stay,

The times we share together, nobody will take away,

Never apart, together we will stay.

Let us enjoy this beautiful day.....


THE END

 

Loved very much the joy on Hushabye Mountain. But oh the bittersweet parting afterwards.

 

Well, I chuckled at this bit and was heartwarmed by the conclusion of your story. I could hear Caractacus' reassurance of his children as well as his preparation of them for adult life. Nicely done! And the music clip was a perfect coda to the fic.

 

Thanks for the feedback everyone

I wanted to make some illustrations but I haven’t had the time or energy.


I am currently writing the first chapter to this story’s sequel, which will be set in 1968, the year the movie CCBB came out.