The two looked to each other rather proudly as they regarded the now-shining kitchen. They had managed to get every corner and cranny of the place into sparkling glory, Wheatley even helping with a sponge tied to his handle. And now it was done, the two had gotten cleaned up, the cake was sitting there in all its glory… and all they had to do next was decorate it!

"Cherries are it love! We're almost done! Then we can…" Wheatley paused for a moment, gazing off into nothing," What's going to happen after this? Is she just going to let us go or… Ooooh no. This could be very bad, EXTREMELY bad!"

Chell paused her recent search through the fridge, and looked to him. She thought for a moment, biting her lip, before giving a shrug. They'll jump that hurdle when they get to it, she guessed. She returned to her work as the AI just sighed before wheeling over to the cake.

It was a black forest cake, covered in chocolate frosting with a lone candle stuck in the middle of it. It looked so barren, so decoration would help. Somewhere deep inside the core's processor asked what it was even for anyways. He shoved the bit of code to the side as he heard a slight groan form behind him. He turned to the sound to only find the former test subject setting two plastic containers of lemons and blueberries on the counter.

"Uh, lady. It said cherries, not lemons and blueberries." He noted, looking to her with confusion.

Chell gestured to the fruit, and then made a wide sweeping gesture to the entire kitchen.

She was quite thankful that the core picked it up right away.

"There… aren't any."

She nodded.

"Well, these'll have to do." He gave his equivalent of a shrug as he watched the subject nod again and pick up the fruits. They headed to the counter, and he watched her delicately place the lemons in a ring around the candle. The blueberries were separated and put around the edge.

"So, the cake's fine, right?" Wheatley piped up.

Chell looked to him with a serious expression, and then nodded.

"Good, perfect, actually!"

The two gave the other a dark grin.

"Let's do this"

/

"Oh good, you finished. Congratulations, you managed to complete the job without maiming yourself violently or dying." GLaDOS greeted the two as they walked in, confetti raining from the ceiling as she spoke, the human quickly hitting out any that would have possibly landed on the cake," What did that confetti ever do to you?"

Chell decided to ignore the comment and walk forward with the cake, Wheatley following next to her head on a recently built management rail. The flame flickered dangerously, but stayed strong.

"Anyway, thank you for completing the Aperture Science cognitive brain function task. You managed to complete what no others have done with only one major accident. Once again, Bravo. Please put the cake on this panel, and then you may go and do whatever it is you do in the outside world. Probably not science or anything."

"The accident? Pfft. What accident? Definitely one that's not going to be repeated as one. Hehe… Seriously not happening again!"

The former test subject glared at the core, whom gave a nervous smile and stopped talking.

The human sat the cake warily on the panel, looking to Wheatley, who gave a short nod. She stayed directly in front of it though, almost face to face with the massive AI.

"Good. We would like to thank you for furthering the cause of science. Now please get out of my facility."

Chell suddenly grabbed a chunk of the cake in her hand, the other doing the same so as to put it on top of Wheatley.

"What are you two-"

The AI was shocked to find her vision being destroyed by the chocolaty goodness that was supposed to further science.

Some plopped down onto her head from above, laughter joining it as the two probably were proud of their work.

"You know that spot in Android Hell I saved for you two?" she asked quietly, almost mouse-like.

"I think the reservations are about to expire." The wall behind her opened up, panels folding away to show a large storage of food. Some claws came from the ceiling and reached in, picking up anything in reach.

Chell grabbed the cake and took a couple steps back from the large machine, breath catching in her throat. Why on earth did she decide to listen to the thing that was supposed to make bad ideas?

Wheatley rolled back on his rail," Y'know? I would love to stay and fill those reservations in Android Hell… but I have a date with- uhh… Space Core?" he attempted to whiz away, but his exit was immediately blocked by panels.

"You're not going anywhere." The AI gave a lowly laugh.

Chell gave him an incredulous look while he looked panicked.

Smaller claws came from the ceiling, picking specifics from the large pile of held food. One was thrown at the two, Chell and Wheatley dodging out of its path.

It was a couple containers of spices, which shattered upon impact and left a little cloud. Chell coughed as the powder caught in her throat, burning and itching and making her eyes water.

Chell rubbed at her eyes with her free hand, the destroyed cake weighing heavily in the other. She quickly looked up to see raw chicken be thrown once again at herself and the core.

Wheatley rolled away from it and looked about for some ammunition. Finding none that he could carry, he then promptly decided to aid the human.

With another cough, she was already off and running towards the mainframe, throat still burning but objective set in stone. The former test subject grabbed another handful of the chocolate, lemon juice squeezing out between her fingers.

The AI, who was formerly focused on the blue-eyed core, noticed Chell too late, and got another smear on her faceplate. She growled dangerously low as the grinning human mischievously darted towards the kitchen.

Panels immediately went up to block her passage, the former test subject almost running right into them. She went to run around them, but more came up to block her passage.

The core went to follow and somehow help her, but was halted by a renegade melon.

Chell looked back and had to duck a sailing turkey leg. She got back up immediately and looked back up at the wall of panels. An idea flashed through her, it could work, or not.

GLaDOS would have grinned if she could have, but she instead gave a small laugh. She had her just where she wanted her. Her claw dove for the kitchen, rifling through the cabinets until she found her perfect weapon. She raised the maple syrup up high, ready for an explosive launch. She would never be able to get this out of her hair!

The human readied her arm, flattening the plate of the cake in one arm. She could fantly see the mainframe's wires, but that was enough for her aim. She leaned back, then threw herself and the cake forward.

Wheatley narrowly dodged the flying cake," Oy, careful! You almost hit me!"

The massive robot ad already released her specialty, and it arced in the air towaards the subject.

Almost in slow motion, the small core witnessed what would probably only happen this once. Cake splattered onto the AI and syrup oozed onto the test subject.

And the panels lowered as they stared at each other hostilely.

Chell began to snicker, covering her mouth with one hand as she looked at the cake-smeared AI. Wheatley followed suit, case rattling as his voice processor shook his being.

GLaDOS glared at Chell, and then slowly turned to Wheatley. Suddenly a small laugh hiccupped out of her system, and she whipped back in what seemed like shock. She stared at the ground before meeting their gazes once again, their laughter dying down. They all looked to each other.

Chell heard wooshing behind her, and she turned away from the mainframe to find the elevator once again own. She grinned in hope, could she really be letting them go? After all that.

"Deadly Neurotoxin Emitters Online."

Her smile dropped like as tone as the vents began to slowly pump out the green gas. She gave the AI a look or really-know? The AI returned thus with a smirk, before coiling back.

"Get out of my facility." her voice dripped with artificial sweetness that hid hostility.

Chell looked to Wheatley, and bit her lip. Did she really want to, after all that happened…

With a sigh, she resignedly put out her arms.

"What are you doing? You should be leaving! In that elevator right now or else she'll…: he trailed off and started staring at her, "You… want to take me with you?" he seemed disbelieving.

She nodded and cocked her head with a smile, the smell of neurotoxin making her really want to speed this up.

"I- after everything I've done to you. You still…"

The human once again nodded, starting to get a little impatient with his sentiments.

"I- thanks." he gave a smile with his optic, and dropped from his management rail. She cupped her arms, almost crumpling from the sudden weight. She winced and shifted him before jogging to the elevator. The doors closed behind her and she turned.

GLaDOS was silent as the elevator rose, but the former test subject thought she could faintly hear her say,"Good Luck." It was probably her imagination, but she smiled softly, re-adjusting her grip on the core once again.

"We're actually leaving." the core said breathlessly as they passed through the earth. He looked up to her," And after all that happened, you still took me? Why?"

Chell looked off in thought, before shrugging. The elevator rose and rose, and the core's optic flicked about nervously.

The elevator slowed to a stop, the familiar door opening with a faint hiss. She stepped out of the elevator, a sense of deja-vu washing over her. As the light blinded the both of them and fields of gold waved in the wind, she took in a deep breath and sighed. The crystal blue sky and bright sun was now back and would stay.

Wheatley was silent and looking about in wonder, and excitement. He gasped at the sights and the sounds.

And they left for home.


A/N Thank you for reading BLCK! Hope you liked the last chapter, or is it really?

Still considering an epilogue, what do you guys think? Thanks for the favs and follows, this story actually has more follows than any of my others, which I will take as a good thing! Once again, constructive criticism will still be appreciated, and let me know if you want me to do an epilogue!

Hope you liked all the story!