"Look! Look!"
GLaDOS glanced up from her computer monitor to see Chell running up with a large box.
"Look what Chell finded!" Chell said happily, holding out the box to GLaDOS.
"It's found, Chell." GLaDOS corrected gently. "And what's in it?"
Chell ripped open the top of the box, revealing probably the largest cache of toys GLaDOS had ever seen. Toy cars, blocks, balls, action figures, clay… she was pretty sure she even saw a few handheld video games somewhere in there.
Her optic widened. "Wow. This must have belonged to the daycare. That's pretty impressive."
Chell beamed, moreso from the rare praise from GLaDOS than the find.
There was a short pause, then, "Play?"
"Mm?"
"GLaDOS play?"
Oh. "Chell, I can't."
"Why?" Chell cried, looking crestfallen.
"I'm busy," GLaDOS sighed, "And I don't have the needed appendages to use those toys."
After gaining only a blank stare in response, GLaDOS elaborated "Hands. I don't have hands."
"Please?" Chell whimpered.
"No. I'm sorry, Chell, but I can't." GLaDOS said firmly.
"Yes!" Chell shouted, balling her hands at her sides.
"Chell, no."
"Yes!"
"No."
"YES!"
"Chell! I already told you, I am physically incapable of playing with those!" GLaDOS admonished. "Not only that, I am working! I cannot play with you!"
"FINE!" Chell all but screamed, picking up the box and stomping out of the room, pausing only to slam the door on her way out.
GLaDOS groaned, smacking her core on the ground in frustration.
"Great. Just great." She muttered. "Real nice going there, GLaDOS. Smooth as always."
:: That wasn't your fault. ::
"Yes, it was!" GLaDOS insisted. "I should have done something!"
:: Really? Like what? ::
GLaDOS had no answer.
:: Look. Right now, Chell is basically half teenage daughter, half two-year-old. It's a no-win situation. There was no feasible way you could have gotten out of that. Let it go. ::
"But-"
:: She'll be fine. Wheatley will find her. He's good like that. ::
"…"
GLaDOS sighed and went back to work.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Knock knock knock.
"Chell? Are y' in there? Chell?"
Chell made a muffled noise into her pillow.
Wheatley decided that was as much of an invitation as he was going to get, and slowly opened the door.
Chell was facedown on her bed, clutching her pillow to her face. Wheatley walked over, gently shaking her shoulder.
"Chell? Chell, luv, are you okay?"
Chell shook her head.
"No? Well, what happened?"
"GLaDOS not play with Chell." Chell mumbled into her pillow.
"'S that it? Aw, don't take it personally, luv. She's just not really much of a playing person, yeah?"
Chell said nothing, only curling up tighter.
"Hey… did you find these toys?" Wheatley asked with interest. Chell nodded slightly. "Well, these are pre-tty cool…"
As Wheatley rummaged through the box, he noticed one of the cars.
"Aw! Matchbox cars?" He exclaimed. "I used to have a whole mess of these when I was a kid!"
Chell was sitting up now, gripping the pillow to her chest.
"Oh, and blocks! I can make a mean racetrack with these- oh, you've even got a ramp!" Now both Wheatley and Chell were excited.
"Wheatley play?" Chell asked hopefully.
"Oh, sure, luv. I'd love to play with you!" Wheatley grinned.
"Yay!" Chell was beaming as she scrambled out of bed to help Wheatley build what he described as 'quite possibly the most epic Matchbox car racetrack ever'.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"Okay, so, I'll drop the car here. It'll go down the ramp, pick up speed on the Propulsion Gel section, use the Repulsion Gel to jump over the Pop-tart cat and the army soldiers, spiral down past the fighting… uh, flying pink kitten and the yellow mouse thing, and finally fly into the wall directly onto some Adhesion Gel in the shape of a target!" Wheatley explained animatedly.
"Ready, Chell?" Wheatley looked around. "Chell?"
Chell was fast asleep, curled at the foot of her bed.
"Ohhh." Wheatley whispered. Gently, he picked Chell up and tucked her in.
"'Night, luv." He murmured as he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
A/N: Obligatory Chelley. I just had to do it. It is sort of a cute pairing, anyway. :3