Prompt: Chell and Wheatley are hired to babysit.
"Look, luv, I still have no idea what to do. I was doing research all afternoon, and hardly had a chance to put my shoes on before we left. Can we do this?"
Chell shrugged her shoulders as she knocked on the apartment door. Wheatley groaned in hopeless defeat before the door opened, a smiling lady greeting them.
"Oh, my goodness, you're here. Thank you so much, Chell. And Wheatley, too. I had been hoping you two would show up to watch Kelly tonight, it's the first time we're going to try going somewhere and leave her with someone who isn't her grandmother…"
"Mama!" A young girl ran to the front door, throwing her arms about her mother's leg. "Don't leave yet!" There were tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. Her mother sighed, bending down to lift her into her arms.
"Kelly, dear, be good for Chell and Wheatley. I'm sorry, she's not ready to be left alone while we go out to dinner. But if you will forgive us for leaving her in tears…"
"I'm sure we can cheer her right up!" Wheatley gave a winning smile, beaming with confidence. Chell stared at him for a moment, puzzled as to where it had suddenly come from – but the mother continued talking, drawing her attention back.
"It means a lot. We should be back in a couple hours. Maybe if you just try to entertain her with storybooks or dress-up, it will go by quickly and she will cheer right up."
A man came up behind the mother, pulling a coat over his shoulders, nodding in agreement. "Yes, that's what makes her happiest. It means a lot you can do this."
"It's perfectly all right!" Wheatley rushed to say. "We're happy to help!" Chell nodded in agreement, and the mother let out a relieved sigh as she set Kelly down. With good-byes and comments about where the peanut butter and bread were if she got hungry, the parents left Wheatley and Chell alone in the house with Kelly.
Instantly, she latched onto Chell's leg as a comfort. Chell froze at the sudden attention, slowly glancing down at her.
"I miss my mama and daddy!" She began to wail, and both Chell and Wheatley bristled with shock. They made eye contact across the room for a moment, silently asking each other what to do.
"They'll be back soon!" Wheatley said cheerfully, but Kelly shook her head, tears cresting down her cheeks.
"No no no! They aren't gonna be back! They a-always take me with them or leave me with grandmama, and I want to go too! They're not coming home!"
"They will, just in a couple hours…" Chell got out onto one knee, unable to remove Kelly from her leg. In an attempt to soothe the sobbing child, she began to pat her back. However, the awkward, jerky motion did not do much, and Chell looked to Wheatley again. Her mouth moved in a silent plea: "Do something."
"What was that, luv? Couldn't hear you, probably because - yikes!"
Wheatley started to move, but caught his foot on his undone shoelace. In an almost cartoonish fashion, Wheatley tumbled forward. Arms flailing, he fell right to the floor, face slamming onto the rug.
"Wheatley!" Chell moved towards him, but Kelly held fast for a moment. When she looked back, Kelly had stopped crying, staring right at Wheatley.
"Does he have ouchies?"
Chell gave Kelly a quizzical look. In response, Kelly held up her arm. There was a bright pink bandage on her wrist.
"Ouchies! Does he need help with ouchies?"
"I…" She glanced again at Wheatley, scrambling to a seated position. He was holding his nose, as if he had hurt it - but Chell knew better. He couldn't get injured. So why was he…
"I think I've got a spot of pain in my nose. Possibly my cheek. Just a bit of it."
Chell furrowed her brow, before realizing that Wheatley wasn't talking to her. He had his gaze trained on Kelly as he spoke.
"Ouchies?" she offered.
"If that means pains, then yes. I've got quite a few! You don't happen to have a thing or three for this, do you?"
"Band-Aids! We have lots! Mama always buys them in lots of colors. Can we go get them, please?"
Chell nodded, and was promptly dragged to the apartment bathroom. After locating the bandages, they brought them back out to Wheatley. He sat patiently while Kelly tore open Band-Aids, sticking them wherever he pointed. Before long, his cheeks and nose were covered. Chell even took one to stick to Wheatley's forehead, much to Kelly's amusement.
"All done!" Kelly declared. She stepped back to admire their handiwork and first aid. It wasn't long before she broke down giggling at the sight.
"Thank you, Kelly," Wheatley said. "Means a lot that you were willing to fix me right up."
"My mama always said that I need to treat ouchies right away!"
"And you did a smashing job of it! I appreciate it." Wheatley gave her a bright smile through the band-aids. "Thank you."
"Now we can play, now that you're better! Can we do some games?"
"Of course! Do you wanna play anything specific?"
Kelly hummed as she thought about it, before clapping her hands together. "Dress-up! Oh, oh, fashion show! I want you guys to comment on all my outfits!"
"You want to show off your favorite ones, then? If you're got a fairy costume, maybe you can cast a spell and make my injuries better."
Kelly's eyes shined at Wheatley's suggestion. "I do! It has wings and a wand and a tiara!"
"Go get it then, up and at 'em!" Wheatley laughed as Kelly ran off into her room, bumbling back in minutes later dressed in the full fairy costume. Chell and Wheatley gave critiques all night - the latter doing it in all sorts of voices, filled with dramatic commentary - until Kelly's parents came home to the costumes strewn about her floor and a wide smile on her face. They couldn't thank Chell and Wheatley enough for their help. Wheatley promised: if she ever wanted them to come over again, they would be more than happy to do so.