Author's Note 2/05/2017: This is a very old fanfiction that I started back when I was in high school. It is actually a couple of years older than when it was published to this site. My writing has since improved. In my free time, I will be rewriting these older chapters*, but I am mainly focused on the new chapters coming out for this story. However, I wanted to take some time out and thank everyone who has been around for so many years. I appreciate every single one of you. Thank you.

*updated 13 out of the 23 that need to be edited

Edit 12/12/16: I have decided to include you guys in my Spotify playlist for this fanfic. I made it public and I add songs to it that inspire me or remind me about the story and its characters. You could call it a "soundtrack". After all, it is themed towards Cars and this story. :) Check out my DeviantArt page (my name there is also 0lemons0) for the link because we can't link on this site. I'll have it in my latest journal entry, then post it to my DeviantID. You have to have a Spotify account though. So, if you have one take a listen sometime!

Prologue

The young red race car gazed into his sweetheart's eyes, "Your eyes are gorgeous, Sally," he whispered.

Sally and Lighting were resting for the evening inside of their humble cone. It was getting late and Lightning made it a point to light some candles for a soft romantic glow. Both of them sipping oil, Sally gently kissed Lighting's lips.

With a smile, Lightning cooed, "I love you."

Sally went to kiss him again, but a knock was heard on their garage door, and Lightning's attention was pulled away.

"Who could that be this late?" Lightning asked.

He turned around to hit a switch with his tire and the garage door opened. He kept himself in front of Sally, just in case, as they both stared at the bottom of the door while it creeped up to see the tires of the unknown car before his or her face. As soon as a rusty brown bumper was visible, Lightning rolled his eyes.

"Hiya buddy!" yelled Mater. Sally cringed at the volume of his voice. Mater looked past Lightning and Sally and saw the candles and then he grinned.

"Mater, me and Sal-"

"Ohh boy!"

"Sally and I-"

"I knowed you saved some of them there candles for me!"

Sally giggled, used to him, but Lightning wasn't all that amused. He just wanted to be alone with her, "Why are you here, Mater?"

"Well actually I'm here because...well.."

"What is it, Mater?" asked Sally.

"Bubba is here! Remember from our Race-O-Rama?"

"Ugh," Lightning revved his engine, "Is he messing with you again?"

"Lightning, don't. You'll get hurt," Sally warned.

"Oh please. The guy is nothing more than a bully."

"No, Lightnin', you don't understand. He ain't back for me. He's back for you!" said Mater.

"Back for me..?" the race car raised a lid, "What did I do?"

"He finally learned that you was the one helpin' my racin'. He says he wants to get rid of me startin' with you!"

"So, let me get this straight," Lightning furrowed his eyelids, "He's mad at me because I tipped you in on one small racing trick?"

"Mhm!"

"He is going to hurt me because you beat him?"

"Yeah! What are we gonna do? Set up another race?"

"No, Mater you need to take the high road. That means no more racing to try to solve problems with this guy. You do realize that I didn't help you in any real way right? It was you who raced him and it was you who won. All I did was tell you how to stick those Rustbucket Stadium turns better."

"I know that! He don't know that!"

Lightning sighed and shut his eyes slowly, "I'll talk to him in the morning."

"I don't think you could wait that long.."

"Goodnight, Mater."

Lightning stretched his axle out and hit the door switch again.

"No wait!" Mater begged, but the door shut anyway. Mater idled quietly outside of the cone and sniffled. The truth was that Lightning could wait longer, but Mater just didn't feel safe. Unlike Sally, he doesn't have a Lightning McQueen next to him to protect him.

Lightning reached over to Sally's tire and rubbed it gently, "Now..," he started, "Where were we?"