Alyx and Gordon were roaming around for a while. They didn't seem to find anything.

They were at the skeletons storage room; it was a huge place, filled with perfectly good test chamber, sitting there until GLaDOS find some use for. Alyx was holding Gordon's hands, playing with them.

"So… You're telling me this Cave guy created a massive robot to store all knowledge in the world so it could conduct the Aperture Laboratories?"

"More or less." He answered, she was surprised. "It was a while before the incident at Black Mesa, so almost nobody knows what happened here."

"It includes you."

"No! I know that all employees were slaved by the computer, that's all."

"Ok, I get it. Mr. Perfect here doesn't want to admit he doesn't know anything about it."

"Shut up." He said, in child voice.

They were having a good time. At least, trying to. Dog was bouncing too much, what made Alyx hug Gordon tighter.

While they were looking for Chell, she was entering her first test chamber in years. It was, somehow, different. There was a lava lake under them, lots of buttons, five to be exact, and one Discouragement Redirection Cube. There were also five doors, one was the chamber lock, and the other would open as a cube was placed on the buttons. There was a laser near them, in which Wheatley somehow managed to burn himself.

"How can you… Just forget it." Chell said. She turned to him again, looking deep into his still-wet eyes. "How come you thought I was dead? Seriously. If I was dead, my body would've been decomposed by now."

"Ok, err… In my state, when I thought you were really dead, it sounded plausible enough. Why were you… unconscious like that?"

"I drugged her. The adrenalin vapor in the test chamber woke her up. Also your whining." GLaDOS said, manifesting herself. "So, welcome to Collaborating Test Course. Welcome to Test Chamber 1." A large panel showed them a monitor, and another one showed a glass box with two Cheshire Cats. "This test consists in speed. You have five minutes to complete this test; otherwise the cats will be released into the test chamber. Good luck."

The monitor displayed a timer, and the countdown started. Chell portaled to the cube, throwing it to Wheatley. She was so fast; the cube hit him on the face. He screamed again. "Place the damn cube on the button!"

"I am! I am!" He replied, placing it carefully.

"You don't need to be that careful, just fast! Now, come, follow me!"

"Oh God, stop screaming at me! Too much pressure!"

"You two stop screaming! It's going to blow up my speakers!" GLaDOS said in an irritated tone.

"Well, that would be an achievement." Chell replied, going to the first door.

The lava lake seemed to be under the whole test chamber. She had to cross a thin platform made out of metal to get the other cube. There were no portal surfaces. Wheatley waited for her; she ran and threw him the cube.

He grabbed it and went back to the main chamber. When she was doing so, the platform melted, and she almost fell. There was no way she could go back. "Are you trapped?" GLaDOS asked, she remained mute. "Do you want me to get you out of there? You know I won't, but if you ask kindly."

"Shut the hell up." Chell stepped back, took a deep breath and ran. She jumped, hanging on the platform. "A little help here!" Wheatley ran to get her out of there.

They went to the other door. Aerials Faith Plates were bouncing a cube. Wheatley jumped into one of them, without managing to get the cube. Chell grabbed him and the cube.

And they went to the other two doors. At the end, they manage to put all cubes on the buttons and redirect the laser to its place, and the chamber lock opened. They had only 25 seconds to get out of there. Chell was exhausted, she was roaming around the facility earlier, and even before she was fighting against an alien race. It was not easy.

"I'm tired." Wheatley said, going straight to the elevator. "And hungry."

"Do you want some cake?" GLaDOS said, sarcastically. "Oh, I guess you want some, Chell." She pronounced her name with a different tone. "I think you can have after the Course."

"Haha, your jokes are as knew as your design." Chell replied.

"Well, I have the whole eternity to work on mine, you, however…" She won this time, Chell thought. "Wait, how come your Companion Cube was not emancipated by the Emancipation Grid?"

"Oh, that. I found out that everything that has high levels of lead is not emancipated. I ran some tests on my blood after I left here. So, don't be surprised if Companion Cube here be a little heavier."

"Oh, brilliant! That's you always so…" He stopped after Chell gave him the 'shut up' look.

The elevator was going up this time. Bad thing, bad thing, Chell thought. Alyx and Gordon were probably down. It stopped and they left it.

They entered another test chamber. It had the Cats, they were three now. They were sitting, looking at the entrance. There was a cube up in a podium, near a portal conductor panel. The other portal conductor panel was behind the cats, and the button was in another portal conductor panel, far from everything.

Chell and Wheatley were standing behind a glass wall. If one of them cross it, the Cats would be activated.

"Hello again. This next test is just some fun. Your chance to use the Combustable Lemon Launcher." GLaDOS said. "And this consists in… How do I put this in words… strength?"

"Ok, so I must defeat those giant cats… Any idea what are they capable of?" Wheatley laughed nervous.

"Well… They have bullets, sharp bullets. And their tails… Well, just stay away from it."

"Ok… Here's the plan." Chell said, holding Wheatley's shoulder. "I portal there and you stand on the button. Then, I defeat the cats and give you the cube, and we get out of here."

"Ok, I have a better plan." Wheatley said, coldly. He took Chell's hands, his were shaking hardly. "I stand on the button, you proceed to the elevator and I deal with the cats." It was a death sentence, and she realized it.

For him, nothing really mattered if Chell risked her life again. He didn't want to go through all of that sadness and loneliness again, it was too painful. He just wanted her to live.

She got that. She hugged him, holding him tight. "Stay here. I'll deal with the cats. Don't try to stop me, or I'll kill you." She whispered at his ear. "Also, I…" She couldn't finish her sentence.

"Are you forgiving me?" He asked naïve.

"Not yet. Wait for me, and I'll think about it." She said, placing the portals and running to the cats, pointing her Lemon Launcher. The cats were faster now. They surrounded her, aiming for her legs.

Wheatley screamed. He couldn't take it. They opened fire; Chell jumped on its head, so one cat shot another. They were still functional. Wheatley was getting desperate. She threw the lemon, it hit its leg, and one was down, two to go.

One of the cats hit her with his whip-tail, making her fall down and her gun was thrown far from her hands.

"NOOOOO!" Wheatley screamed, running to the cats. He called their attention, so Chell could get up and grab her gun. The thing is, the cats opened fire again.

Chell was able to take one down, before it could kill Wheatley. The other shot his leg, causing him to fall down. Suddenly, an enormous dog-like robot crashed into the test chamber, taking the other cat down.

"What? How come… The security cameras didn't…" GLaDOS was in disagreement. Alyx and Gordon were riding the Dog.

"Hey girl, it's been a while. Wanna a ride?" Alyx asked.

"Yeah, let me grab a friend first." Chell said, picking Wheatley. "Come, I'll take care of it." They mounted Dog, which broke its way out of there.

"How? The security cameras didn't get any sign or them-" They could hear GLaDOS voice getting farther and farther as Dog ran away.

"Hey, so you found me!" Chell said, hugging Alyx and then, Gordon.

"Yeah. It was tough, but we managed to do so. Thanks to Dog!" It replied with a growl.

"Oh, did you find the Turret? What did it say?" Gordon told her about Douglas and the non sense sentences. "Ok, so let's head to the boat."

Alyx came closer to her ear "Is that the one you mentioned?" She whispered.

"Well, it's a long story; I'll tell you when we have time."