Alright, now here's where the actual story begins. I own nothing, blah blah blah, (random disclaimer crap)

- 1. Lonely Nights -

It was a warm night, with a gentle breeze blowing through Axar. At this time, everyone was indoors having dinner and happy conversation with their families. Everyone but one.

Eve looked back toward M-O's home, which she had just left. She could still see M-O and his wife, Heather, standing in the doorway talking until a small girl, Grace, the youngest of M-O's four children, came running up and pulled them back inside.

She had to turn away. She couldn't bear to see such affectionate displays without drowning in memories of him, of her first love. Of Wall-E.

Wall-E. The man who had forever changed the lives of everyoe on the Axiom when all he'd been trying to do was tell her that he loved her. He had died beneath the Holo-Detector so the rest of them could be saved. To most, he was nothing more than a misplaced garbage worker who happened to stumble across a plant while picking up trash. But to her, he was the world. He, and he alone, had the key to her heart. He had always been there whenever she needed him, no matter what. He had protected her, made her laugh, comforted her, needed her. But now...Now she was alone. The world that had seemed so warm and bright before was now cold and bitter. All she could do was wander through it, lost in her mourning. And there was no one to save her, no one to help her out. She wished she had never let Wall-E go, or at least that she had gone with him. Then they might still be together. She would still be in his arms, instead of wandering around Axar talking to the wind because the people were tiredof her mourning. All she got from them was a halfhearted "It'll be all right." or "Wall-E wouldn't want you to be like this." She knew they meant well, but they just didn't understand! None of them had ever experienced what she and Wall-E had felt for each other! They didn't understand the deep connection the two of them had felt or the times they had spent together becoming even closer to each other. She thought of all the dreams the two of them had shared together, dream that would never come true now. Because her Wall-E was gone, never to return.

She looked up and was surprised to see that she had walked almost out of Axar's boundaries. She had no clue that she had gone so far. She was about to turn around when her eyes fell on what looked like a large pile of trash down on the side of a creek.

Well, there was one person she hadn't tried to talk to yet. She walked toward the trash pile slowly. As she approached, she could see where openings had been left to make windows in the large shanty-house. Thin wisps of smoke curled out through the windows and Eve could see the flickering of candlelight from inside. It was hard to believe an animal would live here, let alone a person. She stepped up to the piece of plywood that was meant to be the door, but would fall in if you knocked too hard. She took hold of the wood in one hand and rapped loudly on it with the other.

Something stirred inside and Eve could hear an odd, three-beat gait moving toward her. Then the door moved shakily inward to reveal the occupant of the shanty.

Eve gasped when she saw him. Her former commander was almost unrecognizable under the layers of filth that now covered him, and the various blankets and rugs he had draped around him for clothes. His hair was a dirty, matted mess, his face sunken in, his back hunched over as he leaned on a wooden staff in one hand. When he moved, he shuddered, as if he would collapse any second. This was the man she remembered as Auto. Or at least, what was left of Auto.

"Eve?" He wheezed. Even his voice was weary and weak.

"Auto...can I...I need someone to talk to. You're the only one I haven't spoken to.

"Speak away." Auto rasped out before breaking into a coughing fit. When the fit ended, his breath came hard and fast.

"Let's go sit down first." Eve said gently placing a hand on Auto's back to help guide him back inside. She noted the feeling of his spine protruding from the rest of him and the bony feeling of his ribs under her hand. Auto slowly limped along beside her, leaning on his staff for support. They came into the main part of the house. Eve guided Auto over to an old dilapidated sofa, where she gently helped Auto lower himself down to sit on it. Then she took her seat beside him. In front of them, an overutrned crate served as a table. Candles burned in various places throughout the house, the flickering light doing its best to hide Auto's sunken in features. He turned to face Eve, and his eyes caught her attention, for they were the biggest change in his appearance. On the Axiom, Auto's blue eyes had been icy cold and harsh. But now, as Eve looked into them, she saw warmth and kindness almost like what she had seen in Wall-E's eyes, and something inside told her to hide nothing, to just tell Auto everything. She could see no trace of malice in his face.

"So." Auto said, "You came to talk. Let us talk."

"Are you sure? You probably know what it's about."

"Aye, I do." he said gently, "You are still mourning the loss of your beloved, Wall-E"

"Yes, I am." she said, "but everyone else is tired of me. They tell me to go on and get over it like they did, but I can't. Even M-O, who was his best friend, has told me it's time to move on."

"Why can you not, as they say, 'move on'?" Auto asked, his eyes never leaving her.

"They just don't understand." she said, her eyes starting to water, "They don't know what it was like to love someone like that! They never wanted someone so much! I did. I h-held him, kissed him, felt his t-t-touch. A-and n-n-now he's g-gone!" Just like that, she was in tears as she relived every memory yet again. She was barely aware of it when Auto moved closer and pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and he rested his chin on top of her head as he held her. She felt his thin arms wrapped tightly around her and the heartbeat that came from his small chest. His hand moved up to stroke her hair gently. "They may not understand what you have lost...but I do, Eve." he said softly.

"Y-You d-do?" Auto nodded.

"I was the same way when I lost her."

"Who?" Eve asked, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Auto lowered his head.

"Trissa." he answered. "She was more than I could have ever hoped to deserve." He reached into the folds of his rags and pulled out a small metal pendant on a black cord. He flipped open the pendant with his thumb to reveal a small wallet-sized photo of a man and woman holding a baby. "This is her." he said, pointing to the woman. "And this is our son, Sauron." He pointed to the baby in Trissa's arms. Eve gently took the phot and looked closely at it. She looked at Trissa, and Sauron. Then she looked at the man, Auto.

It was a much younger and healthier Auto that met her gaze. He had one arm around Trissa and one arm beneath Sauron. His bright blue eyes sparkled with life and laughter. And something no one on the Axiom had ever seen. Auto was smiling. She felt a familiar tingling throughout herself as she looked at him, though she couldn't quite remember where she'd last felt it.

"We were so happy together. We thought...we thought..." Auto choked back a sob as tears began to run down his cheeks.

"What happened?" Eve asked. Auto brushed tears off his face.

"I still relive it. Every day, just like it was yesterday."

"Auto? Auto, wake up!" He opened his eyes to his teacher, Proct-R Aberdeen, gently shaking him awake. He couldn't help but notice the sad, worried look on Aberdeen's face.

"What is it?" Auto asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Just...get dressed and f-follow me." Proct-R's voice was unusually shaky, but Auto told himself it was just because his teacher wasn't a morning person. He quickly pulled on his Commander's uniform. He hadn't officially taken the position yet, but he had been given the uniform in advance. As fast as possible, Auto ran a comb through his long black hair and tried to make himself look at least halfway presentable. When he was ready, he followed Proct-R out the door to his room and down the dark hallways of the Axiom.

"Where are we going?" Auto asked.

"To...to meet...the people who will make you commander."

They went down into the very bowels of the great starliner. Auto could hear the low hum of the engines everywhere, and he guessed this was some sort of secret meeting. Why else would they meet here instead of on the bridge. Ahead of him, Proct-R walked stiff legged and straight backed, like a robot of some sort. As they neared their destination, Auto could hear what he thought was a woman and a baby crying. He figured it must be one of the officers who couldn't leave her child at home. But when they rounded the corner and entered the room, Auto's heart froze.

On one side of the room, a steward held a screaming baby in his arms. On the other side, two stewrads restrained a woman Auto knew all too well, his wife.

"Trissa!" he cried and ran over to her.

"Auto, please...They've got Sauron. Oh, please get us out of here!" she sobbed when he put his arms around her. She yanked her own free from the stewards and collapsed against him. Holding Trissa in one arm, Auto used the other to snatch their son, Sauron, from the other steward.

"Ah, Auto. Glad you came." said a cool, smooth voice. "I was beginning to doubt your resolve."

"Commander Gleason. What is the meaning of this?"

Gleason laughed, "Didn't Aberdeen tell you? Tonight is when I pass my position on to you. Of course, there are certain things that must be done in order to prove you are ready." He eyed Trissa and Sauron.

"One of which is, shall we say, a little cut."

Auto saw the look in his eys and moved to stand in front of his wife and son.

"How DARE you threaten my family, Gleason! You have no right!"

"Oh, I have every right. You know, I went through the same thing on the day of my promotion."

"If you so much as lay a FINGER on one of them, Gleason, I swear I'll kill you with my bare hands!" Auto snarled.

"I'd love to see you try." the emotionless officer answered. He made a grab for Sauron, Who had quieted down upon feeling his mother and father holding him. Auto lunged at Gleason's arm, only to go srpawling on the floor when Gleason's hand smacked him hard across the face.

"AUTO!" Trissa cried. The stewards held her back when she tried to run to his aid.

Again and again, Gleason attempted to reach Trissa and Sauron. And each time he stood in the way, Auto was beaten to the floor.

"I'm getting bored." Gleason said. "Let's move on and get this done, shall we?"

Auto lunged at him again. Gleason only smiled as he pulled out his pace cane and turned on the electroshock. He then spun around and rammed the end into Auto's stomach. Auto's back arched as his body twitched and convulsed. The most horrible sound Trissa had ever heard tore through the air, the sound of her beloved Auto screaming in pain.

Gleason let this continue for about ten seconds before removing the cane. Auto crumpled to the floor shaking and gasping for breath.

"It is time. Restrain him!" he ordered the stewards. Two walked over and yanked Auto roughly to his feet, holding his head so he was forced to look at Trissa as two more stewards took hold of her and led her toward a heavy sliding door. Auto's blood ran cold when he saw the word "Airlock" painted above the door. He began struggling with everything he had against the stewards, whose iron grip didn't even budge.

"No!" Auto cried. "No! Don't kill her! Please! I-I'll do anything! Please, Commander Gleason!" But his words landed on deaf ears. Gleason only gave him a quick glance before opening the airlock door. The two stewards dragged Trissa toward it. She fought them every step of the way. That was how she wanted Auto to remember her, strong and confident, not afraid of even Death itself.

"No! Please! I love her!" Auto's face was soaked with tears, his soft blue eyes full of sadness and worry.

"I know you do." Gleason grinned, "And that's why she has to go. The child too, I'm afraid." As if on cue an escape pod launched out into space.

"SAURON!" Auto and Trissa yelled. "What have you done!?"

"He wasn't even a year old yet!"

"The stronger the bond, the easier it is to break you." was the current Commander's response.

"Trissa! No!" Auto thrashed agaibst the stewards holding him.

"Now the girl." Gleason had a wicked grin on his face. Without the stewards holding him, Auto would have been on his knees as he sobbed uncontrollably. Trissa was dragged forward, the stewards not minding if they stepped on the skirt of her dress.

"Auto, I don't blame you. Please know that. Just...just find Sauron and take care of him! I love you, Auto! Never forget that, or me!" And her words were cut short as the airlock door closed. Time seemed to slow as Auto was forced to stand at the window. He heard the hiss of the airlock opening. Then he saw her.

For just a moment she was still there, still with him. She appeared to be flying, like some sort of angel, against the starry blackness of space. Even in her death, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

The Axiom sailed on as a lone, helpless cry echoed across its bowels, too far away for anyone to hear. It was the cry of a second death, the death of an innoccent soul who tried to save his love.

"Oh, Auto." Eve gasped. But he was not next to her. She looked down and saw him in a heap on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

"TRISSA!" he cried, as if it hurt him to do so. Not knowing what else to do, Eve pulled Auto into her lap, his head resting on her shoulder. His arms wrapped around her and he clung to her for dear life. She held him close and stroked his hair gently as she slowly rocked him back and forth. Soon, Auto's eyelids fell and he was asleep. Eve soon followed.

Okay, so the actual story has begun. There will be a few OCs in here. WHat's going to happen when they wake up? Is Sauron dead? I'll tell you all in the next chapter.