Portal 2- Spacosity- Reunion

A/N- This is a sequel to 'Separated'. I suggest reading that before you read this.

"It's kinda sad really" Rick stated, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. His arms were folded tightly over his chest, and a frown was fixed upon his face.
"Fact: She is going to die alone, as she will never stop waiting for him" The pink haired core known as Fact drawled, adjusting his glasses. Rick's emerald eyes narrowed in sudden annoyance as the statement, and he pointed threateningly at Fact.
"Oh shut up, you four eyed loser" he growled. "Stop spoutin' trash like that!"
Fact glared back at him, a defiant glint in his eyes, and he stood up a little straighter, pushing Rick's hand away from his face without missing a beat.
"Fact: The fact core is ALWAYS right" he snapped, his tone icy.
"Zip your lip pinkie, or I'm gonna come over there and pull your underwear so far up your butt, your clones will feel it!"

-

The only female of the group watched them silently, her orange eyes skipping to each core as they argued. She pulled her knees up to her chest and sighed, shaking her head. The urge to ask a multitude of questions pressed at her mind, but she managed to hold it back. She was waiting, albeit, impatiently, for her sensors to tell her that night had finally fallen on the outside world. Upon doing that, she would go out, as she did every night and gaze at the stars, her mind always upon her best friend, her best friend up in space.

The loss of him had hit the Curiosity core hard; he was the only person who would answer all of her questions with as much enthusiasm as she had asked them with. She watched the stars twinkle merrily in the sky and every night, she wished she could be up there with him, exploring space, meeting the sun, searching the planets. But she wasn't. She was stuck on Earth with a Fact core who lied all the time, and an Adventure core who spent most of his time arguing with fact.
Rick looked down at Curiosity as the orange core let out a small, resigned sigh, and he frowned, trying to conceal his concern as best he could.

"Curi…" he began slowly, and the orange core lifted her head to look at him questioningly, and he almost smiled at the look in her eyes. "It's been near enough three months since he left. He 'aint coming back. You gotta let go"
Curiosity stared at him for a moment, her arms tightening around the hold she had of her knees. Her lips pressed together in a firm line, and Rick bent down beside her, putting his hands on her shoulders.
"I miss him too, a 'lil bit. Always going on about Space…" he chuckled to himself. "That would've been a pretty awesome adventure for him. I'm jealous"
Curiosity bit her lip hard to try to stop herself. But it was hardwired into her system. She just HAD to know!
"…What's space like? Will I go to space? Why should I give up?" she finally bit out, the questions spilling from her lips before she could stop them, but something was different, her voice lacked her usual curious enthusiasm. Her voice was slightly mournful and she noted, with some concern that her chest had been getting heavier as the days went on.
"Oh boy" Rick sighed, shaking his head slowly. "Curi, listen to me-"
"Rick" Curiosity stopped him, and the core looked at her in genuine surprise, she had never said his name before. "Why does my heart hurt?"
Rick stared at her for a moment, his mouth open in slight surprise before he shook his head, unsure about how to answer her, and he stood, exchanging a look with Fact, who simply shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to get involved.
"I'm sorry we can't do anything to help you little missy. It's my job to help damsels in distress, but I think you're one damsel I can't save…"
Curiosity looked down at the ground and traced a pattern with her index finger, a pattern she had memorized by heart. The outline of a small spaceship.

-

"Spaaaaaaaaaaaaaace!"
Curiosity looked up, her eyes wide. She knew that voice…It was all she thought about day and night. How could she ever forget it?
"What was that?" she asked, crawling towards the glass wall of the room. She pressed her hands against it, frowning slightly at the catwalk and rail before her.
"What was what?" Rick asked, glancing over at her.
"Fact: Curiosity's sanity meter is reaching its peak" Fact drawled, but Curiosity ignored him, staring determinedly at the rail. She had definitely heard his voice. Was he here? Did he come back? Oh so many unanswered questions!
"HELP ME! HELP ME! HELP MEEEEEEE!" a sudden voice screamed, the volume increasing with time. Curiosity sat up a little straighter, noting that the voice was different to any other she had heard, the accent was strange to her….
A male core, attached by a hook at his belt to the rail came shooting past them. He was clinging onto his glasses with one hand and his bright blue eyes were alight in fear.
"SHE'S GONNA KILL ME!" he bellowed, panic evident in his tone as he disappeared down a tunnel.
"What in the blazes-?!" Rick yelled, jumping up onto his feet, staring at where the core had disappeared to.
"Who was that?" Curiosity asked, staring in the same direction. "Where is he going? Why does he need help?"
"That was that moron core the pretty lady and the boss took care of!" Rick informed her, looking surprised.
"Fact: He is going to be brutally murdered" The fact core stated in a uncaring tone.
"WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
"What the-?" Rick began, and as the three cores glanced back at the rail, a very familiar core shot past, a wide grin on his face, his golden eyes alight with mirth.
"Space!" Curiosity cried, jumping to her feet. He was back!
"Space?!" Rick bellowed in disbelief, running his fingers through his hair.
"SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!" the core in question yelled as he disappeared around through the tunnel in which the moronic core had been taken.
Curiosity pulled a hairpin out of her hair, running over to the front door. She couldn't even remember how she had come by the object, but she had found that it was quite useful in unlocking doors.
She pushed open the door, only one thought on her mind: to find Space.
"Hey, wait up there!" Rick called out, turning to watch Curiosity run out of the room and towards the catwalk. "You can't just run off!"
"Space, come back! Where are you going?" Curiosity yelled, and she too vanished down the tunnel.
"Well" Rick sighed, before his lips curved up into a grin. "Looks like we're going on a little adventure!"
"Fact: The Fact core is not a stupidity core, and is not suicidal like his companions, therefore, he will be staying put"
"Suit yourself pinkie" Rick shrugged, not really caring, and with a loud battle cry, he too ran out of the room after Curiosity.

-

Curiosity could not remember a time she had run this fast. In fact, Curiosity could not remember a time where she had had to run at all. The job of a core wasn't to run around after all, it was to follow one simple command or emotion and was supposed to stick to it.
She supposed that's why running was so hard to her. She had saved up numerous amounts of energy before, but the only way she had ever exerted that energy was by asking questions.
Her heart beat furiously as she pushed herself harder and harder. It seemed like a hopeless quest. She was just following an empty rail, nothing was there…They were too far ahead. But she wasn't about to give up any time soon.
"SPACE!" she managed to gasp out , pushing her aching legs forward with all the strength she had. "W-Where ARE YOU?"

Her legs trembled with the effort, and she stumbled forward, only to be grabbed around the waist, and suddenly, she was moving very fast.
"What's going on?" she gasped, her eyes widening. She looked to her left, and her face lit up in delight. Rick was clinging onto a hook on the rail, allowing it to pull the two of them forward.
"Just you hold on little Missy! Old Rick's got this one covered babe!"
His face was alight with excitement, and he was grinning, obviously delighted with the prospect of going on an adventure AND with being able to save the lady.
"Can we go faster?" Curiosity demanded, and Rick shook his head.
"It goes as fast as the rail takes us Curi" he explained. "I can't move it any faster!"

Curiosity frowned and reached forward, grabbing onto the hook in front of them with both of her hands.
"What the heck are you doing?? Curi!" Rick yelled as Curiosity swung herself free from his hands, clinging onto the hook just as the catwalk disappeared from underneath them and the rail tilted upwards, carrying them up over what appeared to be a bottomless pit.
"This is the best day ever!" Rick bellowed, and Curiosity looked back at him, hoping her arms would hold out for this.
"Rick!" she called out. "Can we move forward?"
Rick stared at her for a moment before he seemed to realize what it was she wanted to do, and he nodded.
"I think so, but it's gonna be freaking dangerous!"
Curiosity nodded to show she understood. "Will it take us to Space? I really wanna see Space!"
"Yeah Curi, It'll take us to Space, now move it missy!"
Curiosity pressed her lips together and reached out, grabbing onto the hook in front of her with one hand. When certain she had a good grip, she swung her body forward and grabbed onto the hook with her other hand. Rick did the same behind her, and Curiosity felt her heart hammering even more at what they were about to do. Voicing her fears aloud to Rick however caused the green haired core to simply laugh.
"They say Curiosity killed the cat, but if your plan fails, Curiosity is gonna kill the Rick! So let's hope this works!"

-

"Can you hear that?" Curiosity asked after a few moments of the two of them swinging forward on the hooks.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"RIDE THE MILKYWAY!"
"I hear it alright" Rick called out from behind her. "Keep movin'! We're getting close!"
Curiosity nodded, her arms trembling from the strain of holding on for as long as she had. She continued to push herself forward, gritting her teeth together as her arms screamed in protest. She was unsure about how long she could hold on for, until she saw a yellow figure up ahead of her.
"Space!" she called out, and he glanced up, looking surprised. His eyes widened when he saw her and he reached out in her direction, trying to grab ahold of her, even though she was much too far away to be touched by him.
"Curiosity!"

Curiosity continued to swing herself forward, Rick close on her tail as she felt a new found energy fill up her body. She couldn't give up now! He was so close! She swing from hook to hook, oly stopping when she was hanging from the hook directly next to his. Space's face lit up when he realized she was there, and he reached out a hand to her, his smile bright.
Curiosity smiled widely, unabled to believe he was back. She had so many questions! O many things to ask! But...She stared at his hands and reached out her own towards him. Questions could wait a little longer.
As she reached for his hand, she was suddenly aware that she was quickly losing her grip on the hook, her arms steadily growing weaker by the second. She made a desperate grab for Space's hand as her left arm gave way, but missed, falling away from the hook.

"CURI!" she dimly heard Rick yell through her panic, and shut her eyes, preparing for the long fall, when two hands grabbed onto her wrists, holding her in place and stopping her from falling. She look up, her heart pounding to see Space staring down at her, his face uncharacteristically scared, his hands holding firmly onto her wrists, and in return, she grabbed onto his for a firmer grip.
"Nice catch kid!" Rick called out, and Curiosity pulled up her legs with a gasp as they were dragged over a catwalk, to avoid collision. "Okay, prepare yourselves for a bumpy ride!" Rick instructed. "Curi, let go and fall onto the catwalk! I'll untie Space!"

Curiosity felt her eyes widen, and she shook her head abruptly. No way. She had only just got him back! She was not going to let him go!
"Do it!" Space urged her, and she looked up to see his once again eager face smiling down at her. "Then I can tell you all about Space! The moon! About the time I met the sun!"
Curiosity stared at him for a moment and couldn't hold back the one question she was almost afraid to receive an answer from.
"Will you really come back?"
Space smiled at her, lowering himself so he was almost at face level with her. He laughed exuberantly and pressed his forehead against hers, causing a small electrical spark to run between the two of them which in turn, made Curiosity's eyes widen in surprise and slight embarrassment.
"Yes" He murmured, and his hands slipped out of hers, causing her to tumble down onto the catwalk and roll slightly, feeling slightly breathless and in shock.

-

Curiosity slowly sat up, staring at the rail disappearing off into the darkness, her mouth open in slight shock. She felt slightly warm, as if her internal circuits had been jolted with the electricity that had run through her when Space touched his forehead to hers. She raised a slow hand up to her forehead, lightly touching the area which he had touched and almost immediately, before she could stop herself, she began to fire out questions, not caring if no-body was there to answer her at that moment.

"What was that? Why did he do that? Will he really come back? Why do I feel so warm?"
That last question had her intensely puzzled, and despite herself, she felt a tiny smile curve her lips, though she wasn't really sure why. She glanced at the rail again and her smile faded. Was he really coming back...? Where were they? Were they okay?
"Look at meeee I'm a rocket ship!" she heard a voice call, and straightened slightly, seeing Space run out of the darkness, his hands held over his head and the tips of his fingers pressed together to make a triangle above his head. Rick followed behind him, looking quite pleased with himself, his hands linked behind his head casually, a smirk on his face.

Curiosity pulled herself up slowly, feeling a wide smile spread across her face. Space stopped running when he saw her, and he grinned, letting his arms fall down by his sides.
"Hi!" he called out, and Curiosity felt her smile widen even more as she ran towards him, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. Space stumbled back, startled before laughing and hugging her back tightly.
"Tell me all about Space!" Curiosity managed to say, her voice muffled as her head was hidden in the crook of Space's neck. Space nodded enthusiastically, and Curiosity pulled away, her eyes sparkling with happiness. He could practically see the questions running around in her head, and he marvelled over how much he had actually missed her.

Curiosity smiled up at him, instinctively grabbing his hand, causing him to grin cheerfully at her, and her to laugh.
"Alright lovebirds" Rick said, a note of amusement in his voice. "Maybe we should head back?"
Space looked at him for a moment and he suddenly frowned, looking down the rail. His eyes widened slightly.
"Space buddy!"
"What? Who's your space buddy?" Curiosity asked, feeling a sort of pang at his words. Wasn't she supposed to be his space buddy?
Space pointed at the rail, and Curiosity recalled the blue core which Rick had called the 'Moron' core, and she tilted her head to the side.
"That guy was your pal?" Rick asked, not bothering to hide his disdain, but sighed when Space nodded his head firmly.
"We went around Space. Said Hi to the sun! Saw Spaceship, oh oh! We saw moonrocks!" Space cried out, and Curiosity looked over at Rick.
"Are we going to go after him? Will be be ok?" she asked anxiously, holding onto Space's hand a little tighter, causing him to stop his rambling for a moment, and look at her, a sort of discolour appearing on his cheeks. She looked at him, concerned, but he shook his head quickly and looked back at the rail.
"Well, I don't know what we could do if the boss wants him that bad..." Rick said slowly, but shrugged with a grin. "But i'll sure as heck willing to try! Danger's my middle nam-"

He was cut off abruptly by the sound of someone running towards them, the sound echoing down the now silent corridor.
"Move to the side" Rick instructed, and the three of them pressed themselves against the rails of the catwalk as a human female ran past, her dark hair pulled up into a ponytail, her eyes narrwoed in determination. Curiosity knew that look...
"Oh! You're the lady from the test! Hi!" she called out, waving excitedly as the subject ran past them. She glanced at them in slight surprise, but didn't stop to chat to them.
"Lady! Lady HI!" Space called out, grinning. "Come to space next time lady!"
"Well Howdy there" Rick said, glancing in interest at the human as she ran past. "It's been a while..."
The human didn't reply, instead she sprinted away down the catwalk, and the three of them guessed she was following the rail.

"Looks like that pretty lady is gonna sort out your Space buddy there partner" Rick said, his eyes darting towards the direction in which she had run off. "I'm eh...Gonna make sure she makes it over there okay. You guys better head back. You'll be able to find the way back...right?" he glanced at them, unsure.
"Space will lead the way!" Space called out, grinning, and Curiosity laughed, nodding her head in agreement.
"Alright, sweet. See you two later, If I aint dead!" Rick grinned, and sprinted off in the direction the human had disappeared to.
Space and Curiosity watched him leave silently, and when he had vanished into the darkness, Space smiled at Curiosity gesturing forward.
"Shall I tell you about Space??" he asked, unable to keep the eager note out of his tone, and Curiosity nodded eagerly, pleased that she was finally going to get some answers.

-

Returning to their 'area' had taken them a while, but neither of them had minded. Space simply told her everything he had learned, and Curiosity listened attentively, firing quick questions at him whenever they crossed her mind, which he was always happy to answer. Fact had rolled his eyes when the two of them walked in, but he had inclined his head in greeting towards Space, and that was enough to make the Space core happy.

Now, her sensors told her it was finally night time, and so Curiosity was leading Space down some tunnels, heading towards her secret location, where she could stand outside and look up at the stars. She led him out of the darkness of the facility, and his mouth opened in a small 'o' when he looked up at the sky.
"Never seen Space from Earth" he mumbled, but grinned at her, lightly squeezing her hand as a way of thanking her. Her circuitry seemed to turn warm once again, and she smiled at him, sitting down carefully on the ground, causing him to sit beside her.
"Can you show me more things about Space?" she asked, looking up at the sky, and Space nodded, pleased to be able to have something to show to her as he spoke.
"Oh! Oh!" he cried, pointing up at the sky. "Orion! Hi Orion!"
Curiosity followed his pointing arm, and smiled widely at the brightly shining star in the sky.

"You can see some planets from here!" he told her, staring up at the sky, a smile curving his lips. "that one, the bright one! Mars!"
Curiosity stared at her, feeling her awe rise the more he spoke. Space still sounded like so much fun! She hesitated for a moment and then looked at him, voicing a question that had been on her mind for some time now.
"Do you wish you could go back?"
Space looked at her, surprised and then looked back up at the sky, a small frown on his face. He turned to look at her again and unconsciously, his fingers slipped between hers.

"Don't wanna go back to space without you" he told her quietly, and Curiosity smiled, feeling her chest lighten considerably at his words, the warmth of his hand causing her to smile even more. Without really thinking much about it, she rested her head against his shoulder, still looking up at the sky, and Space inclined his head, resting his against hers, also looking up at the stars.