Wow. This story got popular. So why'd I abandon it for so long? Good question...

To my loyal fans: my apologies! I bet you'd thought I'd given up on Rain! Well, I had, but I decided, "What the heck, add another chapter!" I want to be fair to you, you see...you make my world go round.

Yes, there will be more. But I'm thinking only one or two chapters before the end of the story at this point. Sorry to bring your fun to an end, guys...

Disclaimer: WENDI's all mine *ahem* I mean, ALMOST all mine. But Wall-E (the fandom) and Wall-E (the robot) all belong to some other lucky people. Don't I wish I were them.

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Rows of dingy emergency lights flickered on, one by one, around the edges of the Lido Deck. The sparse humans - it may have been pouring down rain outside, but the Axiom museum was never completely empty - began to murmur about how this was the worst storm in months, and they should leave before it got even worse.

Wall-E, EVE, and WENDI, all sopping wet, remained by the door, drip-drying. They were each feeling something different. EVE, of course, was still irritated over her daughter's behavior. Wall-E was feeling rather homesick, and WENDI was simply pouting in a typical Terrible Twos fashion.

EVE had realized, with slight uneasiness, that the little gold bot would have to be punished for pulling off this stunt. She had misbehaved before, of course, but her parents had simply reprimanded her for whatever action. This time, WENDI would have to learn that there would be consequences when she disobeyed.

"Punishment," EVE whispered to Wall-E.

Wall-E lifted his brows and whistled slightly. "Puhhhnnn...esshhhh...mehhhnnnt?" he repeated nervously. He had a vague sense of what the word meant, but surely EVE was not suggesting that they punish their daughter.

"Punishment," EVE said again, a bit more insistently. She knew Wall-E had to try to hard just to look stern, and that he couldn't imagine punishing WENDI for anything, but in order to be good parents, they would have to do this. It wasn't just their right - it was their duty.

Wall-E sighed and tapped his knuckles together anxiously. EVE shot him a sympathetic look, then reached out to pull WENDI over to them.

"WENDI," the probe stated, in a way that said she meant business.

"Nuh," the child-bot almost whined, turning her head so she wouldn't have to meet her mother's gaze.

EVE placed her hand firmly under WENDI's chin and tilted the girl's head up. "Look at me," she instructed. "Naughty. Punishment."

"Puh-ehs-mehh?" WENDI chirped, clearly surprised. Her round green eyes widened to huge circles, and she immediately looked over at her father - obviously knowing who the pushover parent was.

Wall-E sighed and looked pleadingly at EVE, obviously falling victim to their daughter's puppy-dog stare. However, EVE wouldn't allow Wall-E to be wrapped around WENDI's little finger; she simply gave her partner the same stern look. Wall-E sighed again, and his goggles drooped as he said carefully, "Yeeeeesssss...Wen-dee. Puhhhnnnn...ehhhssshhh....mehhhhnnnt."

WENDI gave an indignant sound of protest and tried to fly away, but EVE hadn't released her hold on the little gold bot's arm. The robotic toddler realized this and, seeing she had no choice, resigned herself to her fate.

About then was when EVE realized she didn't actually have a punishment. She'd been so busy realizing that they had to punish WENDI that she hadn't actually given a thought to how.

After an awkward pause, EVE remembered something that the humans used to punish their children. "Grounded," she announced.

"Gown-dihhhd?" mimicked WENDI questioningly. Wall-E also appeared to be confused by this.

"Grounded," repeated EVE. "You stay home."

Well, WENDI knew what that meant. She started to make a noise of complaint - but was stopped abruptly by the loudest explosion of thunder yet. The little gold bot screamed and dived into EVE's arms. Wall-E, too, now seemed jittery, and EVE got the creeping feeling that something wasn't quite right. Pressing WENDI to her chest with one hand, and taking Wall-E's hand with the other, EVE moved forward and squinted out a porthole. Sheet lightning illuminated the dismal landscape and allowed the probe to spot a dark, swirling, funnel-shaped object looming on the horizon.

The humans had been right about the storm getting worse.

"Tornado," EVE whispered, terrified.

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Wow, wasn't that a twist! Don't worry; I can't leave it off at this point! See you guys at the next chapter, and thanks if you've stuck with the almost-dead Rain for this long!