"Hello, Susan. I think I have something here that belongs to you."

The programmer glanced up, mouth dropping open in a mixture of shock and mild horror as she spotted the mismatched pair standing in the door of her office.

With a little gasp, she sprang to her feet, crossing the room in a few swift strides and furiously scolding the child cradled in the older woman's arms as she moved.

"Chell! I told you to stay right here! Have you been bothering Miss Caroline again?"

The girl's only response was to bury her face against the woman's neck. Turning to her employer and nearly wringing her hands with anxiety, she spluttered out what she hoped would pass for an adequate apology.

"Ma'am, I am so sorry-"

The older woman cut her off, smiling gently and bouncing the child lightly in her arms.

"Oh, nonsense. We had a good time, didn't we, chickadee?"

She turned to give her companion a warm, conspiratorial grin, and the little girl smiled shyly in response, hiding her face behind a chubby hand.

Chuckling lightly, and giving her a little kiss on the nose, Caroline surrendered her burden to the arms of its parent.

"How old is she, now?"

Susan accepted the girl with a yielding smile, gently smoothing a loose lock of hair off of her daughter's forehead.

"Oh, right in the middle of the terrible twos. And believe you me, they are terrible. Arnold and I can't get her to sit still for long, can we, kiddo?"

Chell smiled even wider, bringing up her other hand to cover her face, and both women couldn't help but return the expression.

"Well, she's certainly a little adventurer. Awfully quiet, too. Made it all the way down to the GLaDOS chamber, and we didn't even know she was there until she tugged on my coat."

A shadow seemed to pass over her face as she mentioned the skeletal supercomputer, and Susan gnawed guiltily at her lip for a moment before finally speaking up.

"Ma'am, this may be out of line to ask, but you... you don't really-"

Closing her eyes and sighing wearily, Caroline shook her head.

"No, Susan. I don't. But you and I both know that 'no' isn't an option around here."

The younger woman pressed her lips together and stared at the floor, struggling to find the right words to express her regret. Her employer spared her the trouble by speaking first.

"Don't be like that. I know your feelings on the subject, and trust me, the blame isn't on you, in my mind."

Susan closed her eyes, nearly trembling with relief.

"Thank you, ma'am. That's... probably the best thing I could ever have hoped to hear from you."

A hand slid gently onto her shoulder, and she opened her eyes to find the older woman smiling at her with an expression somewhere between sorrow and encouragement.

"We should talk more often. I'd like to know how your part of the project is coming along. And I wouldn't say no to spending some more time with this little rascal, either, if you ever need someone to watch her."

Feeling a similar smile creep across her own face, Susan met her employer's eyes.

"I might just take you up on that, ma'am."

For a moment, neither of them moved, reluctant to dispel the warmth of their understanding. Then, finally, Caroline turned.

"Well, I'd best be going. We have a lot to do if we want to get her operational before the bankruptcy pulls us under. Have a pleasant evening, Susan."

Hoisting her child further up against her hip, the programmer nodded pleasantly.

"Same to you, ma'am. Say goodbye to Miss Caroline, Chell."

The little girl stared solemnly for a moment, one fist in her mouth, before lifting her other hand, opening and closing it in an unskilled imitation of a wave.

The older woman paused in the doorway to return the gesture, letting out a laugh that nearly bordered on a sob before vanishing into the dark hallway beyond the door.