Life Could Be a Dream

Chapter 27- Back on the Map

So, this chapter will include details of the epilogue scene as well as show how everyone's dealing with the new customers. Enjoy.

Chapter 27- Back on the Map

Things really began to change around Radiator Springs in a very short amount of time. After Radiator Springs and (Historic) Route 66 returned to the map, they had more customers than ever and things didn't stop with the currently-operating businesses. All of the old stores got reopened as well. So was the drive-in theatre and Sarge finally got to open up a boot camp like he always wanted.

Lightning McQueen's racing headquarters was under construction as well, which they hoped and believed would attract more tourists. With more visitors coming through, it became pretty hard to book a room at the Cozy Cone. So... Ta-dah! The Wheel Well was getting ready to be reopened. Everyone was so excited.

Well, there was one resident who wasn't quite as happy about the massive changes as the rest: a little human girl by the name of Fudge Rossi-Topolino. Don't get Fudge wrong. She was happy that everyone else was happy and it was good to see some other humans for the first time in her life. Plus, she loved Lightning. He was still new and interesting to her and so, she had taken to following him around like a lost puppy. Especially when he managed to achieve the impossible: talked Doc, Luigi and Guido into letting him take her for a couple of fast laps around Willy's Butte, which wasn't easy at all.

"This is awesome!" Fudge exclaimed gleefully. She was on Lightning's roof as he raced around the track beside Doc. All three of them were whooping happily.

"Yeah! I'm sure you're havin' fun, now Lightnin' can race on dirt!" Doc teased.

"Yeah, yeah!" Lightning retorted, but he was grinning.

"Well, you sure ain't no dirt boy!" Doc declared.

"Not today, old man!" Lightning agreed. "I know all your tricks!"

But, all of a sudden, Doc gave a yell as he drove straight off the edge of the track!

"Doc!" Lightning shouted. "Doc!"

"Where did he go?!" Fudge demanded worriedly.

Luckily, they didn't have to worry for too long because Doc gave another yell. Then he leapt out, seemingly out of nowhere and was racing across the track again.

"Not all my tricks, rookie!" he called back to Lightning.

"He got us!" Fudge exclaimed in disbelief. "Come on, Lightning! Faster! We gotta beat him!"

"Yeah! Let's go!" The race car shot off after Doc, much to Fudge's delight.

So, that was the fun part of Lightning's return and putting the town back on the map, as far as Fudge was concerned. So, what was the problem? It was just that... well... for a human girl who had lived in a small, quiet and empty town all of her life without any other humans or people her own age, this took a little bit of getting used to. For one thing, it was overwhelming having so many cars and humans flooding into these once empty streets. More people would try to talk to her and she wouldn't know what to say. Plus, she had to be even more careful where she was going...

One day, Fudge had been playing with one of her balls and, when it rolled onto the road, she had just ran out into the middle of the intersection to try and retrieve it.

Luckily, Sheriff had witnessed the whole thing while keeping an eye on the town and his eyes widened in alarm. "Fudge? Fudge!"

He raced forward and grabbed hold of her, yanking her away from the busy intersection where cars had been swerving to avoid her.