Life Could Be a Dream

Chapter 18- Fudge's Fate

Chapter 18- Fudge's Fate

Once all of the water balloons and other weapons were filled, everyone in town except Doc, Sally and Lizzie headed out to the dirt track to have a big water fight.

"Let's go!" Fudge shouted as everyone made a dash for the best weapons.

Lightning turned to the little girl. "Ready, Fudge?!"

She grinned, aiming her gun. "Ready!"

"Three... two... one... Go!"

Fudge sprayed Lightning with her gun, taking him by surprise.

"Ha-ha!" the human girl cried. "I got you wet!"

"Oh yeah?" Lightning took aim with his water balloons and hurled them at her, prompting a loud squeal from the child.

Everyone laughed. Even Fudge. Then she made her expression determined, glaring at Lightning. She pointed her gun directly at him and opened fire.

"Hey!" he cried teasingly.

"I got him, I got him!" she whooped with joy.

"Way to go, Fudge!" they all congratulated her.

"I'm gonna get all of you!" the human vowed. "Watch me!"

"We're watchin', kiddo!" Sheriff assured her, laughing.

"Ready?" she quizzed them all. "Ready?!"

Fudge pulled the trigger and squirted till every last car around her was soaking wet.

"I got you all, I got you all!" she chanted, dancing around with great glee.

"Go, Fudgie!" Guido shouted, scooping her up. "(You win this round!)" He tossed her in the air gently, chanting, "Fudge, Fudge, Fudge, Fudge!"

The others joined in with the cheering as Guido continued to toss her lightly.

"Fudge, Fudge, Fudge, Fudge!" they all hollered.

The five-year-old squealed with pure joy. Even when Red soaked her with his hose.

Lightning laughed from his spot next to Luigi, the two of them hanging back as the others abruptly started a water assault on the five-year-old, to her delight, as she ran around, squealing and laughing. "Fudge sure seems to be having the time of her life!" Lightning commented.

"I hope so", Luigi remarked and the fact that he was about to cry failed to escape Lightning's attention.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Fudge", Luigi explained, beginning to cry. He took a breath. "She... she can't stay in Radiator Springs much longer."

"What?" That was just about the last thing Lightning expected to hear. "Why not?"

"Have you ever heard of the American Child Adoption and Foster Care Association? They are often called ACAFCA?"

The name sounded vaguely familiar to Lightning, so he nodded.

"Well, they said that she needs to grow up in a larger town where she could have more social interactions, especially with other humans. On her sixth birthday, she has to move to an orphanage in Wisconsin or with any relatives if they can find them."

Lightning couldn't believe it. When Sally had taken him for a drive, she'd taken him up to the Wheel Well and told him the story of how the Interstate took business out of the town and the impacts that that had. Only she hadn't mentioned Fudge's fate. It shouldn't have been surprising to him, though. He remembered how upset everyone had gotten in the courthouse (now, he knew what Sally meant by how important it was for Fudge that they had business in town) and how she said she wanted a helicopter ride if she was still there. It all made sense, but part of him wished it didn't.