Wheatley stumbled through the brush after Chell. Various burrs and other plants stuck to his jumpsuit, trying their hardest to remain there. They'd been walking for a while now, tramping through the woods on a mission.
"Um, luv? Where are you taking me?" he panted. "I hate to be a bother because this is the- what? Fiftieth time I've asked, I think. But that's not the point."
"Then what is the point?" Chell sighed.
She was growing a bit tired of his whining, but wasn't too annoyed. Overtime she'd learned to be patient with him. Not just him either. Between teaching him how to handle this whole 'being human' thing and leading the rest of the team back home, patience is something she clung to (mostly for her own sanity) now more then ever. The trip to her home in the woods took twice as long this second time around. She expected it to take longer than the first time she'd taken the trip, but not this long. Rick kept wandering away when he got bored, searching for a new 'adventure' of some kind. Space kept getting distracted by the smallest things, which turned out to be bugs half the time. Athene wasn't as much of a problem as the others, but whenever the rest of the team stopped for a break, the turret would be on edge the whole time. At one point they even came across a few birds, and one had flown out up out of the wheat and startled Athene, causing it to fire blindly in the air until it was sure the bird was no longer a threat.
And Wheatley...
Oh boy...
For a short while he seemed to be taking his new form of life pretty well. Then reality slowly began to sink in and he started panicking over insignificant little problems. Eventually his legs started aching because of all the walking he'd been doing, and he swore up and down that he might've been injured.
Throughout this whole ordeal, Chell constantly found herself face-palming. She could've sworn there was a sizable bruise on her forehead by now.
Today she thought it might be different, and for a while it looked like it. Then just as the day was winding down and everyone made camp under a few trees, he started complaining. Of course, Chell ignored him up until it started to sound urgent.
"But I might actually die this time!" he'd whined. "I've got this pain right here, yeah? And it really hurts. I figured yep, why not go to Chell and ask for help? She knows everything there is to know about humans. So here I am once again, asking you for help."
Chell sighed.
"You're just hungry."
She rose to her feet and motioned for him to follow.
"C'mon, we'll get you something."
Which led them to their current objective: foraging. Chell had to forage for food a few times throughout the trip, but it was mostly for herself since Wheatley refused to eat time and time again. Every time she offered him something he either had some lame excuse, or batted the offer away.
"Wherever it is we're going, can we hurry it up by any chance? I don't think this pain- er, hunger thing- I don't think it's going away."
"Maybe if you ate when I told you then you wouldn't be hungry." Chell scoffed.
"That's fair I guess." Wheatley sighed. "But can we hurry up anyway?"
Something crunched underneath Chell's boot and she stopped in her tracks just below a few trees. She lifted her foot to find the bottom of the boot soaked in mashed fruit. Chell glanced up at the trees above, then smiled.
"Apples, finally." she sighed with relief.
Wheatley carefully stepped over the apple minefield to stand next to Chell and admire the trees.
"Huh, I didn't know they grew so many on one tree. There's a fun little fact, isn't there?"
Chell surveyed the trees, searching for one she could climb. She immediately picked one out, and got straight to work. First she tested the lower branches to see if they would hold. Once she was sure the branches would hold up to her weight, she carefully chose one, wrapped her arms around it, and dragged herself upwards. After a few years of falling from trees around her home, Chell had learned to be much more careful. When her strategy for climbing trees proved to be safe she kept using it until it became almost a second instinct.
Wheatley watched in awe as Chell easily wove through the branches, collecting apples along the way. Whichever ones she deemed worthy for picking would be carefully plucked from their places and shoved into her pockets. The ones that weren't would simply be examined and tossed to the ground. She moved quickly and cautiously, clinging to the tree with her legs and only keeping one arm free to pick apples with. Wheatley couldn't help but be amazed at how easy this seemed to be for her. She was nearly ten feet off the ground, yet wasn't even slightly afraid to fall. Chell looked focused, but almost bored with the task. It's as if it were as simple to her as making a bed, or writing her own name. Although she's probably never written her name before, he didn't doubt that she'd do it flawlessly the first time she tried.
Chell inched back down the tree and marched right back to Wheatley. She held out an apple, grinning smugly.
"Can you say 'apple'?"
"Hah, funny. Very funny, luv." Wheatley chuckled.
Chell playfully nudged his shoulder.
"I try. Now eat your apple before you starve to death."
"Oh, right- yeah that's right." he stuttered, carefully taking the apple into his hands. "Um, thank you."
Chell pulled another apple from her pocket and bit into it with a satisfying crunch. Wheatley observed her first few bites into her apple, then looked back at his own. It couldn't be that difficult, could it? It's just an apple.
"Okay then, here goes."
He took a deep breath.
"Any minute now. Yep, just gonna... eat this apple. Nice and crunchy, nothing to be afraid of. Uhhh-"
"Wheatley," Chell sighed. "Just eat the apple. It won't kill you."
"Fine! No need to rush me, I'm getting there."
Wheatley glanced at it, uncertain.
Going on three just gives you too much time to think about it.
He closed his eyes, and took another deep breath.
"One!" he shouted, making Chell flinch beside him.
He took a sizable bite from the apple, juice covering his face. Wheatley held the apple out and stared at it in disbelief.
Woah, I really just did that? This apple...
Chell raised an eyebrow at him. He just stood there, staring wide-eyed at the large gap in the apple.
"Wheatley? Hey, you okay?"
"This apple... bloody- this is brilliant!" he shouted. "I can't believe I never tried this before! Oh you were right luv, this- oh this is just- wow. Wonderful."
Wheatley scarfed the rest of the apple, not even bothering to wipe the juice from his face as it dripped onto his clothes.
"Okay, slow down!" Chell laughed. "You might choke on it."
"Right, got it. Sorry. Could I maybe have another? Just one more."
Chell handed him another apple and watched him delve straight into it.
Well at least I won't have to fight to get him to eat.
As she continued to provide him with more apples, Chell slowly realized she might've accidentally created another problem: getting him to stop.
"Awww, just one more? I promise after this one, I'll stop."
"No, no more apples."
"But luv-"
"You've already had five!" Chell interrupted. "Keep this up and you're gonna get sick."
"But aren't apples supposed to be healthy?"
"Yes, but they aren't if you've had five in a row."
Wheatley started to panic.
"Oh no, am I gonna die? Is there a limit on apples? How could you let me break the limit?"
Chell rolled her eyes and scoffed.
"No, you aren't going to die. They're just apples. You still don't need any more though."
He crossed his arms and pouted like an angry toddler.
"Fine then, no more apples."
She smiled at him and set a hand on his shoulder. He glanced up at her. Chell laughed again and grabbed his face. She lifted the corner of her shirt to wipe the apple juice off and he tried to pull away.
"Relax, I'm only cleaning you up. Your face is gonna get sticky if you leave that juice there."
"Oh, alright. Carry on then."
Chell cleaned up his face as best as she could. It was still sticky in some places, but she could always fix that later with a bit of water. He watched her work. Her eyes were locked in a focused trance, brows drawn tightly together. Her nose scrunched up whenever she worked a little harder to clear up a spot. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, almost a frown. She was so close to him. His hands started shaking a bit once he realized just how close her face was to his own. Part of him was a bit scared of how little the space between them was. Another part almost didn't want the moment to end. Normally Wheatley didn't like contact. He used to hate the idea of someone being this close up. For some reason it was always different with Chell. Especially now, he found that he didn't mind. He enjoyed when she'd walk beside him, or when she curled up close by at night. Chell made him feel safe when she was nearby. He liked when she sat next to him and watched sunsets, and he found those moments with her were his favorite. No, he didn't want this to come to an end. He wished she would remain this close forever.
Chell finished dabbing at his face and leaned back to admire her work. She caught him staring back at her, wearing a weird smile.
"Uh, Wheatley? You good?"
He snapped out of it and straightened his glasses, looking down at the grass in shame.
"Yes. Yes luv, I- I'm fine. All good over here, yep."
"Good." Chell said, rising to her feet. "Cause we should probably head back before everyone starts to think we got lost."
Without thinking, she held a hand out to Wheatley. She wasn't quite sure why. He could follow her back through the forest with no trouble, so long as she kept an even pace. He didn't need to be carried around anymore, since he could walk just fine. It was too late to take back the gesture though, because he'd already seen it. Chell sighed and kept her hand there.
"Well, come on. We've already established that I won't bite."
Wheatley inched forwards and gingerly placed his hand into Chell's. He didn't know what he expected or why he was so afraid, but whatever made him this way instantly subsided once he felt how soft her hand was. It was strange. He always thought her hands would be a bit more firm from years in the facility, then years in the forest after that. Instead, her hand was soft, warm, and actually quite small compared to his own.
Chell pulled him along. At first he didn't budge, but once he realized she started moving, he began his awkward shuffling behind her.
It was getting a bit dark out now, the sounds of the forest crescendoing as the sun sank lower. Many different bugs joined together in some sort of strange choir, birds chirped their goodnights to one another, and the leaves swayed back and forth in the gentle evening breeze. Despite the noise and the darkness both creeping in around him, Wheatley felt safe, right here next to Chell. She didn't seem to be concerned about their surroundings in the slightest, so why should he? Besides, even if something did jump them, she would protect him. So long as he held her hand, not a force in the world could separate them.
Chell didn't really mind Wheatley holding her hand. It actually felt nice to have someone close by in case of an emergency. Strength in numbers. What bothered her was how quiet he was. He didn't speak once since he grabbed her hand. He just walked beside her, occasionally glancing back at her only to have his gaze flit away again. Although silence was nice once in awhile, it seemed to bother Chell this time. Why was he so nervous?
This isn't like him.
Wheatley took notice of Chell studying his face, and thus begun to mentally kick himself for staring at her.
Cut it out, you twit! he lectured himself. Stop looking at her like that. You know she can see you, right? Stop it!
He was trying his best to conceal his thoughts by keeping a straight face. Unfortunately for Wheatley, this was nearly impossible. He felt his face grow hot with shame as he forced himself to stare off into the trees, instead of at Chell. He could still feel her gaze at the back of his head. Of course, she was still looking at him, head tilted to the side, confusion written all over her face.
The mistake of not watching where she was going costed her, as a root sticking up from the ground decided to make its appearance and send Chell stumbling forwards, down a slope. Her feet gave out underneath her, bringing Wheatley down after. Despite barely taking any of the beating from the bushes and branches, Wheatley shouted, surprised by the sudden fall. Chell stuck her arms out in attempt to stop sliding, but it was of no use. She slid through a particularly large bush and tumbled out the other end, finally coming to a stop in a large patch of dry, coarse dirt. She allowed herself to lay there a moment, defeated by the forest. Chell was granted no more than a second long break before Wheatley got up and ran to her. He plopped down beside her, hands running wildly through his leaf-ridden hair.
"Oh- oh man alive! Are you okay? You don't look okay- oh please don't be hurt. Or dead. Don't be dead either luv!"
Chell gave a heavy sigh and propped herself up on her elbows.
"I'm not dead, it was just a little fall."
Somehow, this didn't seem to convince him.
"What if you're seriously injured? That 'little fall' did look rather nasty. How are you gonna make it back to camp? How are you gonna walk? How are you even gonna lead us home?"
"Wheatley, I'm fine. It was only a few scratches."
He stood up and started pacing back and forth, throwing his hands up into the air to make wild gestures whilst he rambled on about random scenarios.
"You could've died just now! All because we weren't paying attention! What was I supposed to go back and tell everyone if you took that fall bloody died?"
"Wheatley-"
"They'd think I killed you!" he interrupted.
"Hey!"
The sudden amount of authority in Chell's voice caused Wheatley to flinch and shrink back a little, effectively scaring him, but it worked. He shut up long enough for Chell to stand up and assure him that nothing was wrong. She placed a hand on his shoulder and her look softened.
"I appreciate the concern, but maybe tone it down a smidge? I'll be okay."
He only nodded. Moving slowly as not to startle him anymore, Chell placed her hand in his again. She felt him tense at the contact, but he quickly relaxed, knowing she would be fine. He helped her to her feet, assessing the damage that was actually done. Bruises along her arms, a few on her legs, and small cuts were all the only visible injuries. She didn't seem to be phased by them in the slightest though, and they were so small that they probably couldn't even be counted as injuries.
Wheatley still worried though. All those little gashes had to have been uncomfortable for Chell. He wondered if there were something he could do to help her, but without proper access to materials required for most ideas, (being in the middle of nowhere) not much came to mind. There was one thing though. Luckily for him, they just so happened to have gathered the right recourses just a while earlier. He turned to Chell, who was still picking leaves and twigs off of her clothes.
"Okay, don't worry luv. I've got an idea."
"Worry about what?" Chell asked, not bothering to look up from the leaves on her pants as she brushed them off.
Wheatley stuck a hand in one of her pockets, and his hand came back out wielding a slightly bruised apple.
Chell chose to ignore the fact that he'd just searched her pockets without asking first. One, because he was still learning manners. Two, because he had good intentions anyway. Three, because she was still a little occupied with a stubborn thorn on her shirt.
He examined the apple closely, picked off any dirt, and offered it to Chell.
"Here you go, this should help. Unless that bruise is gonna be a problem, I don't see any reason why this won't work."
Chell finally looked up at him, genuinely confused.
"Uh, help with what? It's an apple."
"I'm aware it's an apple luv, good observation." he said, holding it closer to her. "And because it's an apple it's healthy, right? And I just thought 'you know, if apples are healthy, then they should be able to fix you right up'. So just to clarify, this is for you."
It took a minute or two before Chell (mostly) understood his logic. Of course, his plan wasn't exactly right, but it's the thought that counts, isn't it? Besides, it was hard for her to turn down the offer when he was so eager to help.
Chell laughed as soon as his explanation registered, leaving Wheatley to be slightly confused this time.
"Oh, alright. I'll take the apple." she sighed, still smiling. "Thank you Wheatley."
She took the apple and happily bit into it. Wheatley beamed with pride, thrilled that one of his plans had finally gone right. Chell seemed to bounce along, perfectly fine after she finished the apple and began walking back to camp with Wheatley. He made a mental note for them to find more apples, for they seemed to be some kind of miracle cure.
Chell strode evenly beside him, smiling along the way. It was way too hard not to smile when she was still amused by Wheatley and his blissful (for lack of better word) ignorance. Despite being out in the world for days now, he was still learning some new thing every minute. He was like puppy, out on its first walk. Normally Chell would force this silly little smile away, but this time she thought it just wouldn't be right. Why shouldn't she smile? She was out in the world now, and she had the right to smile whenever she felt like it. She had the right to laugh too. She had the right to do- well... anything really. Hell, at the moment she felt like she could fly if she tried. Chell couldn't quite place it, but something made her feel this way. Something caused her to feel so light and happy. It could've been any number of things. The fresh air, the beautiful sunset, the grass, walking with Wheatley, the apple. Maybe it was the apple. Perhaps Wheatley's reasoning was correct, and apples could fix anything. Or maybe it was just the fact that Chell was holding his hand. Which one it actually was, she didn't quite feel like she was ready to know.