Author's Note: Well, Cave's dead. I've been busy at work which explains the reason it took a while to update that last chapter. But there will be a new complication - a little more of a personal one.

Josh Spicer: Uh...I don't think so. It was just him knowing something was up.

Someone (Guest): Well, it wasn't really, but I can edit that since it is kinda similar that you mentioned it.

~~0~~

24

Chell didn't know how long she'd been under, but she found herself waking up in the medical wing once more with GLaDOS sitting beside her. The AI seemed a little more than relieved, which was uncharacteristic of her, but Chell found that she didn't mind that. She simply smiled and struggled to sit up.

"Take it slow," GLaDOS suggested, "You've been asleep for three days."

Chell looked surprised. "Three days?"

"Yes. And another thing," GLaDOS stared down. "there's the matter of your arm..."

Chell looked horrified. "Why? What's wrong with my arm?"

She looked down and was stunned to see that the arm that Cave had shattered was completely repaired - and replaced with white metal. When she tried to wiggle the fingers, they moved as if they were meant to be there. Chell blinked once. Twice. The construction was amazing.

"The bones were unable to be saved and the tissue was damaged to the point that trying to repair them would have been more work than what I put into this. The nerve endings had to be connected to the machinery and that alone took me longer than needed," GLaDOS said. "Try moving it a little."

Chell did as instructed and moved her new limb. It performed easily just as it would a normal human body part. She was amazed that it didn't even hurt.

GLaDOS made a throat-clearing sound. "I could work on molding you a synthetic skin to match the extact texture and color of your organic skin later if - "

Chell shook her head rapidly. "No. No, no, no, this is fine."

"Good. It had better be." GLaDOS stood up. "Now then, I have a surprise for you."

Chell smiled somewhat. "A surprise?"

"Yes, my chubby parrot. Now get up and follow me."

Chell winced and staggered from the bed. She was still in pain, but it wasn't entirely excruciating as before. GLaDOS took her arm and helped Chell walk down the corridors since it was obvious her little test subject was still having difficulties using her legs.

"Where are we going anyway?" Chell asked.

"If I tell you, it won't be a surprise, now will it?"

Chell smiled somewhat. She was used to GLaDOS' odd humor at this point.

The AI led her to her main chamber doors, but stopped and smirked at Chell. "I believe it's customary for the recipient of surprises to close their eyes." she said.

Chell arched a brow at her.

"Go on."

Eventually, the human closed her eyes. GLaDOS waved a hand in front of her face to make sure that Chell's eyes were closed before she smiled and led her into her chamber. Chell could feel herself moved into a chair and pushed up to the end of what felt like a table. She furrowed her brow slightly and could hear the sounds of wires rolling, clicking into place. She could only assume GLaDOS was connecting herself back to her mainframe. The sounds were making her anxious.

"Okay, open your eyes." GLaDOS finally said.

Chell did just that and looked stunned to see the most delicious looking cake sitting in front of her; it was dark chocolate with small cherries surrounding its top portion. There was a single candle lit, casting a soft glow around the chamber. She looked surprised and noticed that there were several Sentry Turrets surrounding them as well as Wheatley and the other cores. Jack was being cradled in Fact Core's arms. Chell smiled somewhat, a little bewildered and she looked up at GLaDOS who was standing behind her with Mr. Chubby Beak resting on her shoulder. Cara and Mia were perched on a computer monitor, watching the scene as well.

"What's all this?" she asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" GLaDOS said, "It was your birthday three days ago."

Chell couldn't believe what she heard. Her birthday? She didn't even know when her birthday was.

"I understand that sometimes celebration of the birth of someone particularly tenacious test subjects gives them a more positive feeling to encourage better testing results," GLaDOS said, though she sounded like she was lying, "So I took it upon myself to - "

Chell interrupted her by reaching back and embracing the AI. GLaDOS looked a little surprised. "Explain why this is happening to me."

"Thank you." Chell said, chuckling. "Really, thanks a lot."

I guess you just can't tell me any other way...

GLaDOS still seemed perplexed, but smiled a little. "Well...yes. Oh! And you'd better eat your cake this time. I did make one for you before you decided to kill me, but it was wasted."

"Aww." Rick gushed.

GLaDOS glared back at him and he grinned painfully. "Sorry."

Space Core threw up his hand. "Ooh! Lady gets space presents?!" he exclaimed. "Can space give space?"

GLaDOS sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh fine. Very well."

Chell made an amused sound. "There's presents too?"

"They rather insisted..."

"My present first!" Wheatley declared, as if he was sure it would be the best. He trotted up to Chell and held out her portal gun. It was decorated with stickers of various colors and shapes. "I thought ladies liked stickers, so I put a whole bunch on your portal gun for smiles! Bloody brilliant, right?"

Chell tried not to laugh and took the gun. "Uh...thanks."

GLaDOS rolled her eyes. "Those stickers serve no use in the cause of science."

Wheatley shrugged. "Girls like stickers though, yeah?"

When he received no reaction, he glared back at Rick. "You lied to me about the stickers!"

Rick was laughing hysterically now.

"Space!" Space Core cried, trotting up to Chell and holding out what looked like a rock with colorful drawings along its side. "Space rock! Space rock!"

Chell smiled politely and took the offering. She turned it in her hands for study, staring at the crude, child-like representations of the solar system that had been drawn on the rock with colorful markers. When she stared at the core, Space seemed absolutely thrilled with the gift and she nodded her head, seeing no reason to hurt the little guy's feelings.

"Thank you." she said.

"Yay! Lady loves space!" Space Core cried, throwing his spindly arms in the air.

Chell could only chuckle at that.

Most of the gifts were simply recycled things that the cores offered her, but they were quite nice. Chell found herself rather appreciative of the offerings and even GLaDOS had something - a turret rendition of "Happy Birthday" that she swore was perfect in comparison to human singing. After listening to it, she realized that GLaDOS was right; the singing the turrets were capable of sounded so beautiful. Hell, she never knew they could do any form of singing like that. They were always too busy shooting at her.

Though the idea that GLaDOS had gone out of her way to do this for her, Chell decided not to really think about it right now and just enjoy what she had.

In a weird way, they'd almost become her family.

O

GLaDOS had been unusually clingy around her for the remainder of the day, insisting that it was just a matter of tending to Chell's "special day". Though it took a lot longer than it should have, Chell began to suspect that after Cave's near murdering of her person, GLaDOS must have been feeling a little...protective. It was such an out-of-place idea that she had to ask, but GLaDOS refused to take the bait.

"I swear it, I'll throw myself into Repulsion Gel if you don't." Chell joked.

"Now now, flooding my facility is not going to solve anything."

"Come on. Tell me what's going on."

GLaDOS pursed her lips, feeling a little put on the spot for this inquiry. Laying in bed with the human's head tucked beneath her arm and simply talking wasn't as comfortable as it had been two seconds ago. Chell just watched her with an amused smile on her dopey little face.

"He could have killed you, you know." she growled.

Chell nodded her head. "Yeah, but he didn't."

"But he COULD have."

Mr. Chubby Beak had chosen a spot on a desk filled with boxes to peck and preen himself clean.

"And he didn't," Chell argued gently. She didn't want the relaxing temperature between them to be ruined by the 'what if's', so she simply pulled the AI closer for a more intimate embrace. "I've managed to survive you many times, so that asshole didn't stand a chance."

GLaDOS seemed a little amused, but her eyes didn't speak the same sentiments. "Yeah..."

They were being observed by the other cores from the doorway.

"Aww, that's a swell sight, huh?" Rick sighed.

Jack shook a little in Wheatley's arms. "It's happy she's happy..." he said.

"Yeah. Going all the way sure does make the day a happier one for humans. That and a bit of after-snuggling." Rick joked,with a soft chuckle. "We should leave them be for now. Don't wanna have the boss lady jumping down our tubes, yeah?"

As they started to go, Jack glanced up at Wheatley. "What does 'going all the way' mean?" he asked. "It doesn't know."

Rick licked his lips once with a grin before he bent down and whispered to the core. Jack suddenly jerked and his optic widened with a small whimper.

"Way to go, mate." Wheatley muttered, shaking his head at Rick. "Now he'll never go to sleep tonight."

While the cores left to give the two women some privacy, Chell picked a perfect time to give GLaDOS a few kisses beneath her ear. The AI still seemed a little tense about the events that had taken place a few days ago, so Chell attempted to soothe her.

"How about you and I do some testing?" Chell suggested. "Would that make you feel better?"

GLaDOS arched her brows.

"Real testing. Just you and me. What do you say?"

GLaDOS smiled now, her lips parting a bit. Her eyes seemed to cloud a little, considering that wonderful idea. "And what else?" she queried.

Chell chuckled softly. "I can do a whole lot of science for you."

GLaDOS' smile disappeared a little and her features reflected mild arousal. "And what else?" she asked, lowly.

"I can..." Chell leaned forward and whispered in her ear, making GLaDOS shiver beside her.

"Okay, that's it. Get up." GLaDOS finally said.

Chell looked surprised. "Hang on, I need to-AH!" She let out a yelp when GLaDOS stood up and rolled the mattress, dumping her on the floor.

"You weren't supposed to fall on the floor."

"Well, yeah, but you know how it is with gravity..." Chell muttered, climbing to her feet.

GLaDOS was anxious as she took her hand. "Come with me."

Chell was practically dragged out of the room.

After a vigorous round of running GLaDOS' testing courses - some of which were new - the pair spent the remainder of the night in bed. Naked. Engaging in Chell's favorite activity. Sure, having to test and hearing GLaDOS' vocalizations of pleasure were nice, but being able to touch and grant her pleasure with her own two hands was just better. Having GLaDOS' hands gripping her, hearing that beautiful voice letting out various noises of approval was wonderful.

They laid together in bed with GLaDOS in Sleep Mode and Chell laying beside her. She was watching the AI sleeping with a smile on her face. GLaDOS looked so relaxed and peaceful and she only ever really had the chance to see her in rare moments like this.

She ran a fingertip over GLaDOS' lips and it stirred the AI out of Sleep Mode. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around before meeting Chell's gaze. The girl was lying on her chest - clearly her new favorite perch - with a ravished smile of content on her chubby little face.

"Hm. I had the strangest simulated sleep nightmare." GLaDOS muttered. "Santa Claus was attempting to have his way with me. Oh wait, it was just you."

Chell laughed and slapped her shoulder lightly with amusement. "Oh, stop."

"Hm." GLaDOS murmured and closed her eyes, leaning her head back.

"Hey, GLaDOS?"

"Yes?"

"I...uh...don't hate you."

GLaDOS' eyes opened and she stared at the ceiling briefly. "I know you don't."

"Really?"

"Yes. It's difficult to hate something as scientifically amazing as I." GLaDOS chuckled. It seemed like she was attempting to distract herself from the seriousness of the response.

"I was upset."

"I know."

"But you have to see it as I do." Chell said, lifting her eyes to GLaDOS' face. She seemed to search for something in the AI's face before sighing. "Maybe it's best I never knew about my parents. For all I know, they were probably a pair of psychopaths or something..."

GLaDOS smiled down at her. "That's entirely possible. After all, where would you have gotten it from?"

Chell murmured with mild amusement. "Maybe."

GLaDOS took her face in her hand and brought Chell's lips to hers in a brief kiss. "That is the past." she said. "It's probably best for both of us if we just forgot about our demons."

Chell furrowed her brow. Something else still bothered her, but she didn't seem to want to push the issue. Instead, she simply rested her head beneath GLaDOS' chin and let herself fall asleep. She didn't see that the AI had her eyes open, watching the ceiling with a deeply troubled look on her face.

Caroline knew though. - You almost lost her... -

Yes. That was true.

- Admit it, GLaDOS. You care for her. -

The AI had no response for once.

O

Note - I will never get over how freaking adorable people make Space Core. The gift Wheatley gave was actually a personal joke. Rick would probably spend a lot of time messing with Wheatley in the ways of getting women, just to get him to mess up, but he himself would actually know a lot about the ladies.