A/N: Hello everyone, I just would like to thank kuappafanit for the favorites and follows.
-kuappafanit- Thank you for the kind words. Hopefully I can continue to reach your expectations. As far as the answers to your questions, you're absolutely right. I won't answer and spoil the ending. Thank you for your review.
It was amazing what a simple vacation can do to one's morale. Amora could almost sing when she reentered the facility. She smiled even when she saw the empty secretary desk and the empty lobby. She has been keeping track of Aperture's declining stocks. Black Mesa has been spreading nasty rumors about Aperture, but it didn't matter. With various community outreaches, Aperture was sure to be back on top.
"Amora, can you come to Mr. Johnson's office?" Caroline called out as Amora passed by quickly. The younger woman stopped immediately.
"Of course," Amora responded turning on her heel to follow the assistant to the CEO's office. The other woman was unusually quiet.
Before Caroline pulled the handle, she turned to Amora. "You must understand something before you go in. What you are about to see can't be spoken about. Not to Curra, not to Rick, to absolutely no one."
Amora noted how serious the woman sounded. It frightened her a little as if the older woman was asking her to hide something very important. "I promise. I won't tell another soul."
Caroline narrowed her eyes and looked into Amora's own as if trying to find some lie in her gaze or burn holes in her head. "Okay, come on in." Caroline opened the door slowly and only wide enough to allow Amora in. Amora stepped cautiously into the room. The door closed almost silently.
"Mr. Johnson, please don't do that," Caroline said frantic hurrying forward to the desk. Amora's attention was drawn to the man behind the desk. She was so used to seeing Cave Johnson smiling and laughing. What she saw now was a man silent as he poked at the lesions on his face. Amora gasped at the markings on the older man's face, knowing they must hurt.
"Mr. Johnson, what happened to you?" Amora gasped putting her hands over her mouth. "Are you okay?" She stepped forward in an effort to help.
"Do I look okay?" Mr. Johnson said a little gruffly. "There seems to be minor side effects to my antiwrinkle cream. Nothing that the boys in the lab can't fix."
"Okay, what did you need me to do?" Amora asked stepping closer to the CEO's desk and lightly putting her hands on it.
"We need you to keep this out of the media. Simply put, we need you to be the public face of Aperture at least until this blows over," Caroline stated quickly. "You won't be running the facility, but you'll be speaking to all the reporters and any other public officials."
Amora nodded her head understandingly. If this side effect became public knowledge, it would be another nail in Aperture's coffin. "Don't worry. There's no way anyone is going to find out. I hope you get better Mr. Johnson," Amora said reaching out to put a comforting hand on his. Amora was dismissed and she walked to her office slowly stopping by the water cooler quickly for a drink of water.
"Hey, Moron, you forgot this," a voice said snidely. Amora looked up from the water cooler to see Wheatley struggling with an armful of lab coats. A man shorter than the blonde tossed another lab coat onto Wheatley's head. "And once you dropped those off at the dry cleaners, you can get us our coffee," the other scientist continued. Amora narrowed her eyes as the man pushed her friend almost causing him to drop all of the clothing. She didn't hesitate for a moment crumbling her cup and dropping it to the ground. Amora stomped over to the two males pointing accusingly to the other scientist which must have looked amusing due to her small stature.
"Robert Burns, you have no right to speak to Wheatley like that," Amora nearly growled as she glared at him. The dirty blonde scientist looked almost amused as he looked down on her.
"You have to sic your girlfriend on me, moron?" Robert said with a chuckle looking down at the shorter woman. "I hate to break it to you, but I'm not scared of Aperture's bimbo."
"Don't you think that's crossing the line a little? Amora is brilliant and kind and considerate," Wheatley started.
"Robert," Amora interrupted Wheatley. "You were working on the repulsion gel project were you not? I would hate for the public to know that you were behind that fiasco. You might even be prosecuted if you have knowledge of the possible side effects. I'm sure Cave would fire you on the spot," Amora stated hoping she came off as threatening. Robert narrowed his eyes. "I would apologize now if I was you and for good measure you can take care of these," Amora said smugly taking the lab coats from Wheatley and dropping them into the arms of the other scientist.
Robert turned his gaze from one to the other, "I apologize for my actions." With another grumble the scientist took away the lab coats. Amora took a couple of deep breaths trying to calm herself.
"Thank you, Amora. You didn't have to do that. I could have taken care of the lab coats and the coffee. It's not difficult and I'll still be able to continue my work and finished it too."
"Do they always call you a moron?" Amora asked barely hearing Wheatley.
"Yes. I don't like it and I remind them I'm not a moron, but they don't listen."
"Don't believe what they say," Amora turned to finally face the man. She looked into his blue eyes, "In my opinion, you're not a moron. You may be impulsive and an optimist, but you're not a moron." Amora sighed.
"That's very nice to say Amora. Um, sorry about him calling you my girlfriend. I know girls don't like when people do that. Paisley always gets upset when people assume we're dating. I guess us being second cousins doesn't help, but maybe it's just a girl thing. But it could have been offensive to you because I know that you and Neil are pretty serious and it wouldn't be good to have rumors spread."
Amora almost cheered at his little spiel, but she barely managed to control her urge to dance. "Neil and I are just friends, Wheatley," Amora said as Wheatley paused in his talk.
"Oh, that's good news. I mean, uh, I wasn't supposed to say that. Lovely weather we're having today. Nice and snowy. Perfect for a snowball fight," Wheatley stuttered.
Amora took a deep breath, "Wheatley?" She hadn't meant his name to be a question, but he probably didn't hear it because he said her name at the same time. "Sorry you go first."
The taller man ruffled his hair. "Um. I don't know how to ask, but if you aren't busy tonight, would you like to go to dinner and maybe a movie. You don't have to go if you don't want to and I won't feel offended if you say no. It would just be nice to spend time with you. Just you and me. That sounded a little creepy. I mean, um," he paused slightly.
"I would love to," Amora said taking advantage of his pause to speak.
"Wait, what. A-are you serious?" Wheatley asked, looking confused and shocked at her response.
"Positive," Amora said, "You want to meet after the facility closes?"
"Yes, that would be the best time. We will meet in front of the building and then go eat. And then watch a movie. I don't even know what is playing. Do you like seafood? I don't so I hope you don't want to eat some. You're not vegetarian are you. Oh, we can't go anywhere that there are peanuts. We wouldn't want another allergy attack," Wheatley rambled.
"Wheatley," Amora called quietly. Wheatley paused for a moment to hear her out. "We can figure this out tonight."
"Of course, we are both very busy and …okay I started to ramble again, "Wheatley said embarrassed. "I'll see you tonight." He hurried off leaving Amora. The woman pumped her fist when he entered the elevator. Dancing to the music in her head.
"You know if you keep doing that, people will think that you're crazy," Rick's voice said smugly. Amora spun around to face the man who was looking amused.
Amora crossed her arms and looked at her feet embarrassed. "You're the only one who sneaks up on me. How do you even do that?"
Rick laughed and ruffled her hair, "You see everything from the vents."
Amora looked at the man disbelieving. "I don't think they're supposed to support a person's weight." Rick shrugged at the comment.
"So you're going on a date with the intern?" Rick said raising an eyebrow at her.
"He's name is Wheatley," Amora said with a sigh.
"Should I scare him a bit? Make sure he doesn't get any ideas," Rick offered motioning to his whip.
"No, big brother," Amora said exasperated at the thought.
"Have to make sure my little sis is taken care of," Rick said once again ruffling her hair. Amora smiled glad that the man did treat her like a younger sister. "On a different note, Caroline and I are going to a science convention, alone. Just the two of us. You're advice worked."
Amora smiled sadly knowing that the reason why Rick was invited was because Cave wouldn't be able to. "I'm glad to hear that. Be careful."