The diner was currently under construction but people were still allowed to eat there. Men and women were patching up holes in the stone walls with plaster and painting over graffiti. Doug found something oddly familiar about the establishment as he walked in with Wheatley, Valentine, and Spencer in tow. He immediately spotted Chell sitting at a booth to the left. Today, she wore a soft black T-shirt with a shallow V-neck. She also seemed to have cut her hair since the previous day. Her dark hair now ended just below her chin. When their eyes met, she smiled and waved him over to her table. He obliged with Wheatley following.

"Hi, Doug," she said happily as they both sat down across from her. "It's great to see you again. Um, who's your friend?"

"You can speak!" Wheatley exclaimed, smiling. "You're not mute after all! And you cut your hair!"

Chell put a hand over her mouth and Wheatley's smile diminished a little. Was she mortified to see him? He was only relieved when she brought her hand away to reveal a smile. Her eyes even started to tear up.

"Oh my god," she said. She leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Wheatley? Is it really you? I can't believe it!"

"Er, yes. In the flesh," Wheatley said. Doug rolled his eyes at the fact that he was still trying to push that joke onto someone.

"You're actually human?" she asked. "How is this possible?"

"Magic," Doug muttered sarcastically. He looked down at the table.

"What was that?" Chell asked.

"A woman in space turned me into a human and sent me back to Earth so I can find my friend Nora," Wheatley said. "You never met her but she was a huge fan of you. She followed me around Aperture and helped us a bit with escaping GLaDOS. She's brilliant."

"Is that so?" Chell asked, giggling a little. "A fan of me, you say? Well, I'm flattered. And is she still in Aperture?"

"Yes," Wheatley said. "Doug left her in there and I'm going back to save her."

"I only left to get help," Doug said. He kept his gaze down, not wanting to expose how annoyed he was that Wheatley had intervened on his meeting with Chell.

"I'm sure Doug did everything he could for her," Chell said sympathetically. "Right, Doug?"

"Enough about Doug right now," Wheatley said. "Listen, I'm…I'm really, really, really sorry for what I put you through. You were my friend and I betrayed you. I don't expect you to forgive me right away but—"

"Are you kidding?" Chell interrupted. "Of course I forgive you! Friends can be mean to each other sometimes, but it's okay as long as they apologize sincerely."

"Really?" Wheatley asked. "You forgive me already? It was that easy?" He sighed. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that. I've been beating myself up over this while I was floating around in space. I still feel like I need to do something to make us even. I'll think of something I can do for you. I swear I will."

"Don't worry about it, Wheatley," Chell said. "We are even. I'm just happy to see that you're okay. I've been worrying about you both since I left Aperture."

"You have?" Doug asked, looking up from the table at her. "You didn't need to worry about me."

"Doug, you were my guardian angel," Chell said. "You were with me all the way. Well, except for when I fell down that really deep pit. I'm not sure if you would have been able to follow me down there."

"I didn't, but Nora did," Doug said.

"By the way," Wheatley said, "extremely sorry about that."

"Don't be," Chell insisted. "It's okay. Really." She didn't seem as sincere this time, though. Doug could tell that she was still hurt by how Wheatley had turned on her.

"Hey, Doug," Spencer said, coming up to their table with Valentine. "I want to introduce you to someone."

There was a man with them. He was plump with pink skin and fair hair. He looked like he hadn't shaved his face in a week but Doug still recognized him. And he seemed to recognize Doug.

"Say," the man said, "you used to be a regular here. Back before the Black Mesa Incident. Can't quite remember your name, though. It starts with a D, right?"

"Uh, it's Doug," Doug said awkwardly.

"Wait, you already know Uncle Phil?" Spencer asked.

"Doug used to come in here all the time," Phil said, turning to his nephew. "He usually used to read a book as he ate at the counter. The only time he really spoke was when he was ordering or when Ben would start a conversation."

"You know Ben, Doug?" Chell asked. "I live with Ben."

Doug didn't react to this. He was staring out the window as he realized that this was his town. He used to walk to this diner from his apartment all the time. He remembered how tasty their apple muffins were here. Sometimes, the only thing he had to look forward to after work was getting a meal at this diner and listening to the other customers. How the hell had he not recognized this town?

"Um, is Ben still working here?" Doug asked sheepishly. He felt like he needed to see Ben himself to shake out of this shock.

"Well, he's usually here working the counter," Phil said, "but he's sick today. At least that's what Chell tells me."

"He is sick," Chell insisted. "He has a fever."

"It's true," Spencer said. "He usually comes with me on a goodwill expedition to other towns, but he was too sick to tag along the other day."

Doug looked down at the table as everyone around him spoke of the other towns and what kind of supplies they acquired on these trips. The aftermath of the Combine taking over was worse than he had originally thought. It scared him. What else had changed during the time he was in Aperture?