Portal: Love as a Construct

Part Ninety-Two. The Repair

Part Ninety-Two.  The Repair

"And then," Wheatley was telling GLaDOS, with what might've been helpful remarks from Atlas and P-body now and again, "and then I told Moxxi that you were just his girlfriend, and – "

"Wait," GLaDOS interrupted, giving him her attention at last.  "You went to Pandora to get him?"

"Well... yeah.  Been there before.  Remember?"

GLaDOS turned her core to look at him, and her stare made him need to shrink into himself suddenly, even though he didn't know why.  "You took my babies to Pandora without telling me?" she demanded, which promptly shut all of them up.  Now that he was thinking of it... yeah, that'd been... probably shouldn't've done that.

"Babe," Claptrap said, the first thing since they'd returned.  "Take it easy.  There was nothin' to worry about."

"You're right, Claptrap," GLaDOS said, far too calmly, "there's no reason to believe that anybody in that lawless hellhole would take notice of three obviously foreign robots and attempt to make use of them.  It's patently ridiculous of me to think such a thing."

"You have a point!" said Claptrap.  "Or... you would have, if they hadn't gone over there and asked the first guy they saw where I was.  That's, like, a surefire way to instantly get everyone to stay faaaaar away from you."

"I'm sorry," Wheatley said softly, knowing that was the only real way he was fixing this, as helpful as Claptrap was trying to be.  "I didn't think they'd be in any danger!  And I don't think we were, besides!  They're not violent at Sanctuary."

"Most of the time," Claptrap added.  "You do get the odd – oh."  He cut himself off when he noticed Wheatley glaring at him as discreetly as possible.  That was when Atlas and P-body stepped in, chattering and waving their hands about, and GLaDOS seemed disgruntled but not angry with them.  Which... which was good!  Because he didn't want them to be in trouble for helping him.

"Fine," GLaDOS said finally.  "But don't do it again."

He was definitely not planning on it.  "'course, luv."

"And you," GLaDOS said, rounding on Claptrap, "at least do Wheatley the favour of letting him know when you're coming back so he doesn't go gallivanting all over another solar system looking for you."

"I wasn't coming back," Claptrap said.  "I'm only here 'cause he came and got me."

GLaDOS stared at him, motionless.

"I was gonna tell ya," he went on.  "I have like thirty emails drafted.  I know, I know, it's a douche move to break up over email.  But before you smite me, I just... really don't like goodbyes."

"And you would have been saying it why?" said GLaDOS, not sounding satisfied whatsoever.  Claptrap tapped the tips of his hands together in front of him. 

"Babe.  You know what I am."

"Yes.  And?"

"You deserve better."

"That isn't your decision – "

Wheatley was shocked when Claptrap put up his hand and she actually stopped talking.  Wow.  Never thought he'd see the day.

"I just want you to be happy.  Okay?  You can't blame a guy for that!  Even if the way he goes about it is kinda dumb."

"What do you mean, kind of?  It was completely – "