Cassandra swung her legs back and forth in her seat, waiting for her "adoptive" parents to come back out with their new child. She supposed that they would be her sibling, but she never felt comfortable calling Willow and V-GR her parents. She instead referred to them as her "caretakers". She sighed as she thought about everything that had transpired since V-GR decided to adopt her into their family, and something in particular stood out to her.

"Cassandra." he said to her, "Is your Papa named, 'Gregor'?"

"Oh, yes." she responded, still kind of sad, "He wasn't around often though."

"Cassandra, my father's name is Gregor."

"Really!?" she beamed, "Does that make you my brother!?"

"Well, not necessarily." he tried to explain to her, "He built me. I recognize that key you were using, actually. It matches my father's craftsmanship." he continued with an amused smile, "If anything, you're my half-sister."

"That's amazing! We were connected from the start!" she jumped up to smile dazzlingly.

She was with her own family after all.

Cassandra smiled. She would be 7 years old soon. She would get to celebrate with her new family. Her true family.

Willow lay in V-GR's arms, exhausted after the consciousness inside her was expended into the body Jonathan had built for them. All she wanted to do was sleep, but she knew that couldn't be done yet. She still had something she needed to do.

The beeping sounds were what got her to open her eyes.

V-GR gasped, his screen glitching as he cried, "Oh my goodness, Wil! He's beautiful!"

"I wanna see..." Willow reached out her arms, so Jonathan rested the new robot in them. V-GR tickled him under his chin.

He had a big head, with three lit shapes on his face; two eyes and a mouth. He had V-GR's arms and Willow's hands. He didn't have legs or treads, instead he hovered slightly above the ground. He was twice as tall as Willow, but was still less than a head shorter than V-GR.

Oh wow. It's so bright. he blinked, speaking in Binary code, Mom, is that you?

Willow hugged him tightly, Yes...yes it's me...I-I'm...your mother... Willow cried at that declaration. She had a son! She was a mother! And V-GR was the father!

She couldn't remember the last time she was so happy.

Cassandra watched EVE open the door to Jonathan's lab, WALL-E close behind, "You ready to meet my grandchild?"

She giggled, "Are you ready to meet your grandchild?"

EVE sharply inhaled, "Yes."

As soon as the door was open, Willow ushered everyone inside, "Come in! Mom! Dad! Cassy! You have to meet my new son!"

"Oh, Willow..." EVE was getting somewhat nostalgic, "This reminds me of when you were born..."

Willow giggled as she gently rocked him back and forth.

"M-may I hold my grandson?" EVE asked tearfully.

Willow in response carefully handed him over to her. EVE cradled him gently, the biggest smile on her face, "Now will you tell me his name?"

Willow rolled her eyes, "No. Son, why don't you tell her your name?"

He smiled, his eyes turning up sweetly;

Hi, Gramma! My name is Cobalt!

EVE brushed her thumb along his cheek, "Cobalt...where did you get the idea for that name, Wil?"

"Because Cobalt is an element that can be reinforced into a powerful metal." Willow replied, "His eye color kept making me think of it."

"Cobalt..." EVE nuzzled him affectionately, "Cobalt!"

"Hey! I want a turn!" WALL-E huffed.

"Okay, okay. Here you go." EVE handed Cobalt to him, "Careful now."

WALL-E held his grandson with wide eyes, just like he did when he first saw Willow. He held his wonder a moment longer before bursting into tears.

"Dad!?" Willow exclaimed.

"My baby's all grown up!" he wailed, "I remember holding you just like this when I couldn't even string full sentences together! I can't believe it's been almost eighty years since then and now you have a child of your own!"

"Calm down, Baby..." EVE hugged him, one arm around Cobalt as well as her husband.

"I'm so proud of you, Willow!" WALL-E continued sobbing, "I love you so much!"

"Dad, it's okay." Willow said as V-GR jumped down to kneel with them.

Ah! Claustrophobic! Cobalt gasped.

"I can't...I c-can't..." WALL-E whimpered.

"V-Gr!"

Everyone looked up at the voice.

V-GR smiled, "Mom!"

"I came as soon as I heard!" Amery exclaimed, "I want to hold him too!"

Oh boy... Cobalt sighed.

"Be patient, Coby." Willow replied, "This is something you'll have to get used to."

Cassandra pushed into the room after Amery, smiling at Cobalt until he turned his head in her direction.

"I know you!" Cassandra ran to him and pressed her ear to his chest. Her eyes closed sweetly, "Yeah. That's the same sound."

Cobalt gave her a big hug, not bothering to speak, as words were not needed.


"This is amazing..." V-GR held his son and his girl in his lap, "I never thought I'd feel like this..."

Willow leaned back into Cobalt's chest, listening to the thrumb of his processor, "Me neither..."

They looked out over the scenery. Civilization was now more than twice as large as it had been on the day Willow was born, and now she was in the arms of both her boys. It was heaven.

"Hey, V-Gr?"

"Hm?"

"I've always wondered something..." she clasped hands with her son, "What does 'pale-moon' mean?"

"Pale-moon?" V-GR nuzzled his face into the back of Cobalt's head, "It's a term used often on my old planet. It refers to a skin tone that's so pale that the person is white as a sheet of paper. My dad had pale-moon skin, and often people referred to Cassandra as a pale-moon child."

"It has a nice ring to it." she remarked.

"Paaale...moooon...chiiild..." Cobalt tested the words on his developing voice-chip.

"Good job, sweetie." Willow cooed, making Cobalt beam with pride.

"Hey, guys." Cassandra peeked around the corner, "You ready to go home?"

Cobalt gave an affirmative beep, rising from his father's lap and setting his mother gently on the ground. Once they got back outside, they all walked together, hand in hand, as they made their way back home.

An unlikely - but perfect - family of four.

THE END