It took only a moment, not even a moment, as I saw her dangling through the portal in space for the surge of emotion to hit me. It took only a second for my reaction to take place but in my mind an entire scene of a life I didn't remember had played in my head at that instant.


"Chell, please be careful. These rails around the generators aren't safe. They're not designed for someone to use the twenty four seven." A soft voice came from my throat.

My?

"I will Mom, don't worry." A young girl with dark wavy hair leaned over a rail looking down at the generators. She flipped her head towards me giving me a bright smile with eyes just like her father's. "I'll be a good girl, Mommy."

Mommy?

"Alright, I'm trusting you." I waved my finger towards her in a stern manner. "No funny business young lady, your father won't be happy if there is any." I began to walk toward the office hanging off the side of the room.

"I know, I know."

I addressed the situation with the scientist. We were finishing the paperwork while a few more scientist came in with their own proposals on the matter. I had to make house calls ever since Cave had gotten sick, he couldn't be going around Aperture in his condition so I had volunteered to take care of matters as usual. I had forced Chell along so she wouldn't be at home watching her father slowly self destruct from the inside.

Then came the sound, the sickly sound.

CRACK.

Metal snapping. My heart jumped. I sprang up to my feet bursting through the door, shoving scientists out of my way. "Chell!" I screamed her name in such panic and fear. I reached the spot where I had left her. The rail now completely gone. My heart stopped.

"Mommy!" I horrified squeal radiated from underneath me.

I quickly looked down, Chell was clinging to the rail as in swung and squeaked from side to side. Tears falling down her face in uttermost fear.

"It's ok Chell, I'm right here!" I dropped to my knees quickly grabbing my daughter's wrist and pulling her up as the rail swung off its last bolt and tumbled to the floor fifty feet beneath us. I held her close coaxing her that it was ok now.

Once the tears dried from her face she looked up at me ashamed, already knowing what was coming.

"What were you thinking?" I gasped at her, rage appearing on my face. "I told you to be careful! This isn't one of your fathers fun science experiments where you can go willy nilly on everything and come out fine! Do you have any idea how scared you made me? I can't afford to lose you too!" The last words slipped out. I hoped she wouldn't notice. I didn't need my little girl knowing her father was going to die soon.

Chell quickly burst into tears again. She began almost screaming apologizes as she gripped my dress sobbing into my chest.

My face slowly softened and I looked down at her. "Don't ever make me scared like that again, I won't always be there to grab you."


Just this one last time I was able to grab you.

I looked at Chell's limp body. No longer was she small, she was a grown woman. She didn't sob apologizes at me or cling to me for help. She wasn't my girl anymore.

"I'm sorry, Chell." I curled back away from her body waiting for her to wake up.