Warning: This fanfic has major spoilers for Portal 2. If you don't mind spoilers or have completed the game, go ahead and read. If not, I reccomend you finish the game first.

"Sonic, my radar is picking up something falling from orbit." I looked up from the video game I was playing to tell my little brother, "Probably just a meteorite. They fall all the time. People call them shooting stars." I went back to my video game, but Tails turned the tv off. "This is important Sonic, I need you to pay attention."

Fine, he had me where he wanted me. He was blocking the power button anyhow. "I'm all ears." He smiled. He always liked it when he had me beat. "The radar also picked up some interference, like someone trying to send a signal. Listen."

He walked over to the console and pressed a button. Through a lot of static I heard a voice. A familiar voice. "Hello? C-can anyone hear me? I hope this thing is working. Um, I'm going to fall out of orbit soon. Hopefully somewhere around Aperture. Probably not though. So, if you can hear me, please help. I'm no good at crash landings."

The accent proved my theory of who was falling. It was someone I was going to rescue immediately. There was no way I was going to let him fall and go offline. "Tails, figure out exactly where he's going to land. I'll prep the Tornado."

I ran off to the garage, which connected to the runway. The Tornado was still my plane, but Tails used more often than me. That doesn't mean I don't know how to fly it though. I hopped in the pilot's seat and started the engine, the doors to the runway opening.

Tails ran in and said, "Near the northwest loop in Green Hill Zone. Can I come?" I shook my head no. I hated leaving Tails out of it. I mean, he was my little brother and all, but this was something I had to do alone. It was deeply personal. He'd understand soon enough. "Sorry Tails. Maybe next time."

The Tornado sped across the runway and launched itself into the air. I swerved the joystick controls and made my way to Green Hill as fast as I could. As soon as I arrived at the loop Tails had mentioned, there was something falling out of the sky.

I landed the plane and hopped out, positioning myself to catch it. I did, but on the way down it had been screaming in fright. And I knew that voice better than anyone. I set him down and rolled him over so his optic could see me.

A round robot with handles and a blue eye. That's what he was to strangers. To me, he was everything. "Hi Wheatley." I said calmly, trying not to scare him after such a long fall. "What were you doing in space?"

He looked at me and said happily, "Sonic? Is that really you? Oh god how long has it been? Last I saw you had left the facility. Tell me she didn't kick you out? I mean, she kicked me out, but that's my problem not yours. And you saved me from becoming a pile of scrap metal! Oh, some things never change do they?"

He was right. Some things never change. He was still the motor-mouth I remembered him to be. I smiled. "Okay, in order. Yes it's really me, it's been five years, no she didn't kick me out, and of course I saved you. I'd never let you get hurt. Why were you in space?"

Wheatley turned away a bit, a sign that he was embarrased. I gave him a reassuring smile and said, "It's okay. You know I don't share her opinions." He sighed. "Well, she was still crazy, and I was helping a human girl named Chell escape. You remember that I was in charge of the test subjects? Well, the emergency power ran out so I tried to save them all. Chell was the only one alive enough to save. So we had to kick her off her seat of power. Chell hit the stalemate button and I switched places with her. I went powermad. When she got her spot back she and Chell threw me into space."

He turned back, his optic shrinking as he looked me in the eyes. I knew that look. It was fear, mixed with guilt and shame. I sat down so I was close to his height. "I forgive you. I'll always forgive you." His optic expanded, this time being a look of happiness with some slight doubt. "What about her? I mean, she is the reason you exist."

I stood up and grabbed him, staring him staight in the eye so he would know I was telling the truth. "Wheatley, she is the reason I exist. You are the reason I'm alive. You mean everything to me. You taught me a lot. You raised me. I know I left when I was ten, but that was because I couldn't take any more of mom's insanity. I was gonna come back for you dad. I guess I got distracted for too long."

Wheatley now had a happy expression. "Well then. We've got a lot of catching up to do. How about you take me back to your place and we'll talk more there?" I nodded. "Deal." My place was Tails' spare bedroom, but it was time Tails learned the truth anyway.