Luminescent blue eyes opened in the dark. It took a lot of effort.

EVE couldn't remember when it had started. Was it just after he left, or was it a few weeks later? Had it been a month or a year? She wasn't sure anymore.

People liked to say that EVE was aggressive, and she could be at times, but on the inside, she was actually very soft. She supposed it rubbed off on her from spending so much time with WALL-E. In turn, he learned how to defend himself from watching EVE and her sisters fight. He could laser your eyes out if you weren't careful.

EVE's internal clock softly beeped at her; it was 1:00 am, and she still couldn't find the energy to go into stasis. How many hours had it been since she started trying? 5 hours? 12? It all blurred together by now.

She remembered once, a long time ago, when WALL-E would sing her lullabies when she couldn't sleep. She remembered how his rusty hinges squeaked with every subtle movement. She remembered how, no matter what kind of ailment he had, or how progressed his Alzheimer's became, he never forgot about his wife.

How many times would she think of him before she could finally sleep?

"Haha! I know! Nobody gets as offended as old Margaret!"

"Robots have been around for millennia now! It's amazing people like that are still around!"

"Humans never change, eh?"

EVE's family had gathered to share recent news, but she wasn't really listening. One voice was missing. The family wasn't complete without him.

"Um, actually..." Aya laced her fingers together, "We have some troubling news..."

"Hm?" Fletcher leaned forward in his chair, "What's wrong?"

Aya took a shaking breath, "Eve?"

EVE tiredly lifted her head.

"Um...should I just say it? I don't want to be insensitive...I just...you know..."

Talking took too much effort, so EVE just replied in Binary, iTell them./i

"Okay..." everyone tensed as Aya inhaled, her speaker cracking, "Well, you see...Wall-E has passed away..."

Hearing it out loud made all the feelings come barreling back ten-fold. EVE shook as she choked back a sob. Was he really gone forever?

"Oh no!" Leah gasped.

"Not Wall-E..." Giga-Robo replied.

"That's horrible!" Fletcher covered his mouth with one hand.

Nos stayed quiet. He'd already heard the news, but that didn't make it any less heartbreaking.

Rose grabbed EVE's hand under the table and squeezed. She supposed this was supposed to be comforting, but it just made her heart ache. A few other family members had their own reactions, but EVE tuned them out. She knew she'd be the first target of pity for everyone, and she did not want anyone's pity.

It's not like WALL-E's death was particularly bad or anything, in fact he died with a smile on his face. Everything had been perfect. EVE took him on one last date, flew with him through the sky to gaze at all the stars, had one last dance...EVE held him close and sang to him until he fell asleep, his hardrive breaking down and losing all of its data. Everything about him was so broken, EVE could barely stand to look at him.

She had given him one last kiss, one last song, one last dance.

One last perfect moment. He died happy.

EVE kept telling herself that, over and over, but no matter how many times she reaffirmed that he'd had the best life he could ever ask for, why...?

Why does it still hurt so much?

EVE broke down right there. She couldn't hold the tears back anymore. All her sisters rushed around her to give her hugs, but it didn't seem to work. After losing so many friends to time; John, Mary, Jonathan, Hannah, Ted, AUTO, Rio...

Why did he have to be next?

It had been a few weeks. There had been a wake and a funeral. Trees were planted in all the graves, and WALL-E had specifically asked to be buried under the giant oak tree that towered over the first forest in New York City. More than 100,000 people (human and robot alike) came to his funeral, and thousands mourned his death long after it was all over.

EVE stared at the grave for a long time. Her eyes wouldn't move from his name carved into the ornate stone that was placed over his body near the tree. He was one with the Earth, just like he had always wanted.

She wanted to be with him so bad.

A hovering sound behind her brought her back to reality.

"Eve?"

She knew the voice. It was her sister Leah. She was too tired to respond, it was taking everything she had just to stay in the air.

"Um, V-Gr called today." Leah hovered a little closer, "He says they have an extra room in the house for you. He tried to call your comm link, but you wouldn't pick up."

EVE figured she would have missed calls, but she didn't care either.

I don't want the bed. EVE insisted, I stay in the yard, in his truck.

"Eve..." Leah moved to EVE's side to grab her hand, "Have you not been sleeping?"

I slept. EVE said. It wasn't a lie; She'd managed to stay in stasis for 14 minutes before she had a nightmare about WALL-E falling into a garbage grinder. She couldn't get her processor to calm down until morning.

"Well, clearly not very well." Leah stepped in front of EVE, "Come stay with me and Rose, okay? I can help you."

EVE scowled, I don't want your help.

Leah narrowed her eyes, taking both of EVE's hands in her own, "It wasn't an offer; it was a command. You shouldn't be alone at a time like this, believe me!"

EVE tried to stand tall, I don't want your help!

"Well then what do you want, Eve!?"

EVE was doing her best to look angry and not sad, I want to be with WALL-E!

"Eve, listen to me-!"

"I SAID I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP!" EVE pushed Leah away, "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Leah looked heartbroken.

"Just leave me alone with him!" EVE turned back to stare at the grave.

Leah wanted to keep trying to persuade EVE to come home and get some rest, but she knew her sister's resolve.

Leah sighed, "You won't find him out here." she backed off a little bit, "I'm going home now. You know where to find me."

And then she was gone.

EVE felt numb.

"I'm sorry..." the roboticist told them (EVE couldn't remember his name, she thought it might be "Gerald"), "But his circuit boards are too damaged. He will begin to lose memories. We can't upload his consciousness to a new computer without damaging his current memories."

EVE tried to process this. It didn't work.

"I'm sorry, Wall-E." Dr. Gerald continued, "But you only have a few more years left to live."

WALL-E let his frown deepen, "I understand."

EVE wasn't taking it well.

WALL-E took her hands in his, "Eve, it's alright!" his voice was calm, "I've lived a good life! Don't worry about me. I'll wait for you."

EVE shook her head. She knew this day would come, but she never realized how fast time could fly. Now her baby was at death's door while her system was still functioning at optimal conditions.

EVE whispered, "It's not okay."

"Yes it is, Eve." he smiled warmly at her, "Just because I'm going to die doesn't mean I'd ever leave you. I'll be with you. As long as you remember me, I will be by your side forever."

"No! Don't talk like that!" EVE exploded, "You're not going to die! You're not going to leave me all alone! You'd never lose your memories!" EVE began to cry, "You'd never forget about me!"

"Eve." WALL-E held EVE's head still, cupping both of her cheeks in his hands. He spoke softly, forcing her to be quiet so she could hear him, "I will never forget you. I promise."

Dr. Gerald frowned, "Don't make a promise you can't keep, Wall-E."

WALL-E glared at him, "I. Will. Never. Forget. My. Wife."

EVE was touched, but the dread was too strong to really feel, "Wall-E..."

"Evah." WALL-E wrapped his stiff arms around her, resting his head beneath hers, "I love you. I could never express how much I love you."

"WALL-E!" EVE returned the hug, sobbing into his neck, "WALL-E, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME! I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU, PLEASE!"

Please...

Please stay with me...

EVE finally found the strength to pry herself away from the grave, heading back home to go to bed.