Wheatley padded quietly down the pristine main hallway of the medical centre, holding his old shell close. He'd just been all patched up, and would've been feeling good if not for one small detail; he couldn't find Chell. GLaDOS wasn't giving him any answers either, so he'd been wandering aimlessly about the countless sterile white rooms in a frantic search for his friend. Had she run off and left him to fend for himself? Was it because she still hated him? Or did she mean to come visit, but never made it? Did GLaDOS do something to her? Each thought only fueled his already panicked mind, causing him to pick up the pace. Eventually, he ditched walking and started sprinting down the hall. Obviously Chell wasn't in the medical centre, so she had to be somewhere else in the facility. Alone. Possibly even hurt and trapped with no way out. The doors flew open and he dashed down the catwalk, desperate to get to her. To help a likely distressed Chell. Wheatley couldn't stand the thought of her dangling over the incinerator, or shot by a turret, or burned severely by a laser, or suffocated by neurotoxin, all without him there to save her. If she ever died while just out of his reach, (or died at all, with him there or not) he would be lost. What kind of friend are you if you betray her once, and then let her perish? What kind of apology is that? He was prepared to do anything it took to save her. He was ready to rush head first into- wait, where was he going?
Wheatley stopped dead in his tracks, then he realized moments too late that the momentum he built from running would send him flying forward. He felt his chin make hard contact with the floor as the rest of his body met it. He laid there for a minute, processing what just happened, then slowly stood up. Wheatley searched the ground for his old shell, spotted it a few feet away, and safely retrieved it. He looked up at his surroundings, which he had not paid much attention to before, being so focused on Chell. He was back in front of the relaxation centre, beholding the seemingly endless void that was home to 'ten thousand bloody vegetables' , and possibly one Chell. He figured he may as well carry on with his search here, since it was already right in front of him. It would be a long, grueling task though. He didn't remember the relaxation centre being this massive. Luckily, he knew just where to start. What he had recalled about the relaxation centre was the block that Chell's room was in. Over the seven years he was gone, he never forgot it.
"Alright then, let's get to work."
Chell tossed and turned, struggling to wake up. Each time she became vaguely aware of her surroundings, she would be dragged back into her all too real nightmare. She watched herself die several different times in several different ways, while either GLaDOS or Wheatley stood by and did nothing about it. Chell never expected GLaDOS to do anything, it was Wheatley not doing anything that scared her. He didn't even react whenever she attempted to scream or save herself. Instead he held a blank stare and said not one word. At one point she'd managed to grab him by the collar of his suit and shake him senselessly. Still, he did nothing about it. What's wrong with him? Is this even the real Wheatley? It never made Chell this distressed to see him so quiet, since he wasn't ever this quiet before. It just wasn't normal. It wasn't him. Chell begged and pleaded him to say something, anything at all. She was grabbed from behind by an unseen force and was being dragged backwards. Chell held onto him ass best as she could, pulling along with her. Without warning, he grabbed her wrist. Chell couldn't read the expression on his face, but she heard his voice.
"Luv! Wake up! Oh I'm so glad I found you, it's great. But you can't lay here forever, come on luv!"
The voice wasn't from this Wheatley. It was from one who cared, and stuck by her side.
Wheatley tugged at Chell's wrist, attempting to pull her from whatever nightmare she seemed to be struggling with. She awoke with a wild look in her eyes as her gaze darted around the room.
"It's okay luv, it's fine. You're okay. Or, at least I hope you are. You seem fine- but that's not important. Oh I'm so glad you're alive."
Her eyes came to rest on Wheatley and his calm(ish) manner. She didn't know why, let alone how, but she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a warm embrace. She didn't even mean to. It just sort of happened. After a moment they both accepted it.
"Okay, I missed you too. Just take your time, that's it."
Chell allowed herself to take this moment of comfort while she still could, taking deep, shaky breaths to calm herself. She'd escaped her nightmare. This was reality. She was actually here, Wheatley was actually here, and they were both alright.
"Alright, can- could you please let go now? I'm being slightly crushed here."
She hadn't realized it, but Chell did in fact have Wheatley trapped in a tight hug that looked more like she was trying to strangle him. She quickly let go and he stepped back.
"Well then, now that we're all caught up, I guess we should probably move on with your plan. Which is... what exactly?"
Chell thought for a minute, then grabbed Wheatley's hand and led him through the door and down the hallway that went to GLaDOS' chamber.
"Wait, we're not going back there, are we? You must be mad if you think she won't kill you."
Wheatley watched his stone-faced companion press on, strutting confidently beside him. Chell remained silent, as always. She didn't care if the AI was hostile. She needed answers. Especially now that she knew the cake was in fact a lie, just not the kind of lie she was expecting.
