Chapter 1:

A scream echoed through the house, and Chell woke form her, thankfully, dreamless sleep. The woman jumped out of bed hurriedly. It had been fifteen years since she had escaped Aperture and started her new life on the surface. She even had a daughter, Cara, who was thirteen. Though she managed to make her life relatively normal, her dreams were haunted by the treacherous laboratory and the malicious AI who ruled like a queen over it.

Chell's bare feet pounded against the floor with each step as she ran to her daughter's room, the sound of screaming and clattering coming from there, "Cara?!" She called to her daughter, though didn't get a response.

She burst into her daughter's room, "Cara I'm here-!" She stopped, gasping in surprise at what was before her.

Cara was in the clutches of a strange man, his tall form standing over her like a demon. He chuckled and stepped forward, dragging the whimpering, crying Cara with him. His almost strawberry blonde hair shone in the scant light pouring through the doorway, the glare from his glasses along with his devilish grin struck the former test subject with fear. Her thoughts went wild. What was he doing here? What did he want with Cara? Why did his chuckle sound so familiar?

"Hello Love." he said, his voice dripping with contempt, "It's been a while, huh?"

The gears in Chell's brain were working overtime, trying to figure out how she knew the man. The clothes weren't familiar, and neither was the backpack that seemed to weigh him down. That voice, the pet name, there was only one person she knew that spoke like that, and he wasn't even a person. She stepped back in horror and disbelief when she had realized who was standing in front of her. God, how was this possible?

"Wheatley?" She asked, her voice hushed as if his name was a curse.

"Correct, my brain-damaged friend!" He said with a condescending smile, "Took a little while to figure that one out, though I should've anticipated that. You were never the brightest banana in the bunch. Anyways, I'm back and better than ever! What do you think of my new getup?"He asked sarcastically, "Do you think it's too much?"

Her eyes furrowed as she balled her hands into fists to stop the shaking, "I...I don't understand... Why are you here? How are you you here? How are you human?" Her confusion was making her indignant.

Wheatley took another step forward, Cara whimpering as he dragged her along. Chell could see her daughter visibly trembling with fear. Her eyes were squeezed shut, tears continuing to roll down her face. She wouldn't dare look at her captor, let alone fight against him. She knew that there was no way she could get herself out of this. The helplessness of it all made her more anguished. Her eyes pleaded for her mother to save her, to do whatever she could to get her free.

"GLaDOS rescued me. Plucked me from the cold vacuum of space. She even found a human body I could live in. A real human body! No more management rails or being picked up and dropped like a piece of trash! I can go where ever I want, whenever I want!" His smile, for a small moment, turned genuinely happy. However, his lips quickly curled into a snarl, "That was two years ago. I was floating around for thirteen years, Chell!"

Chell's eyes darted from her daughter to Wheatley; was this her fault? Her heart was pounding in her ears as she tried to figure out a way out of this. She had no portal gun, she had nothing but her words to free her daughter.

"What does this have to do with Cara?" She asked, trying to steady her voice.

His lips pulled back into a mirthful smile, "Think of her as an...incentive." Wheatley's grip tightened at the word, eliciting a sob from Cara.

Chell bit her lip, practically frozen in place, "Incentive for what?" She demanded.

"Come back to Aperture."

Her heart sank as her eyes went downcast. The order was simple enough, but she couldn't do it. That part of her was long behind her, and she was not about to go back to that hellhole.

"I..."She began quietly, "I can't. I won't go with you! That part of me is gone, Wheatley..."

His smile fell,"alright, alright, fair enough." He chuckled, looking to Cara, "I guess you're going in you mother's place, then."

She fought against him once more, trying to reach for Chell, "No! Please, Mom, don't let him take me!" She cried before he yanked her back to him.

"Shut up!" He barked at the preteen, making her whimper quietly.

When he tugged her, Chell stepped forward, "Please!" She pleaded, "Don't hurt her!"

His smile returned, "Oh, I wont hurt her. Though, I can't promise GLaDOS won't." He chuckled, "Nevertheless, I really must go. Say goodbye to your precious daughter, Chell."

A hand freed itself and pressed a button on his backpack, and it sprouted some sort of jet pack. The engine started up, lifting both Cara and Wheatley off the ground. Cara began to scream once more, struggling against him and calling out for her mother. By the time Chell sprang into action, He was already out the window, which was broken from his entry. She ran to the window, hearing Cara's scream grew fainter and fainter as they disappeared into the horizon.

Chell had never felt so helpless in her life. She collapsed on the floor, tears welling in her eyes. This couldn't be happening. This was all just a bad dream. She just watched her old enemy, her old friend, take away her child, and she did nothing to stop it. She cradled her face in her hands, breaking into racking sobs.

Chell awoke that morning from the cold breeze the broken window let in. She hadn't even noticed she passed out on the floor. She gasped her daughter's name as she sat up frantically. Her denial was still evident as she tried to convince herself that she was still dreaming. However, the pain of the sharp glass on her leg brought her to reality. It wasn't a dream, this was real, and she had to rescue Cara. She had to return to Aperture.

She stood up, groggily dusting herself off as she looked around. Cara's blanket was tossed around, laying on the floor in a haphazard pile. A lot of her belongings that were usually on her dresser or side table were on the floor, either broken or close to it. The signs showed an evident fight between Wheatley and her daughter. It made her wonder how long this had gone on before she woke up, and whether or not she would've been able to save her if she had woken up faster. However, none of this mattered now. She just needed her back.

Chell had kept everything she had with her when she was finally allowed to leave Aperture in the attic. Although she knew it reminded her of the trauma she experienced in the depths of the laboratory, she didn't have the heart to let them go. Climbing up to the attic, she immediately spotted her things. Her jumpsuit and long fall boots sat neatly on top of her companion cube. She touched the charred, dented cube, remembering the deadly tests she had to perform during those days. Now, the cube just sat there, collecting dust along with her other things. Grabbing the clothes from the cube, she shook the dust from the fabric and immediately began to throw it on.

A part of her wondered if she still had it in her, if she'd be able to go back into that place without completely breaking down. She knew that regardless, she had to go back. There was no other choice. However, she was filled with dread as she imagined the new horrors that awaited her return. What did GLaDOS plan for her? What did she plan for Cara? Was she doomed to solve an endless stream of tests, just like Chell was? The thought terrified her, driving her to move faster. After she put on her long-fall boots, She grabbed a duffel bag and left to the kitchen. She grabbed as much food as she could fit into the bag, not knowing how long she'd be gone. The former test subject grabbed her keys and began to leave through the front door.

Before she left, she took one last look of the house. It felt as if she was saying goodbye to her new life, like that was the last time anything would ever be normal again. She felt foolish that she ever thought it was possible to be normal after everything. No matter how long it took, something always dragged her back. She remembered everything that happened in that house. Cara took her first steps in the living room. She spoke her first words in the kitchen. This house, her home, housed so many memories. It just broke her heart to leave it. Her face hardened with determination, and she left, locking the door behind her.