Hey, ya'll! I wanted to post something tonight, and all of a sudden this popped into my mind. This is set before the movie, during Mcqueen's previous races and such and such. Before he meets his missing piece ;)

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN CARS OR CARS 2! Ohhhh, I wished I did though. Maybe I'll ask Santa Clause…

Something Missing

He knew it was ridiculous. He had it all; the money, the fame, the girls. All he needed was his piston cup and he'd be the happiest car on Earth. Or at least, that's how he used to feel. He had always felt like he was on top of the world and that nothing can or would even dare to knock him down. Chick would tremble before him in his scrawny little tires. He was speed. He was THE Lightning Mcqueen.

But lately, the self-acclaimed physical ambassador of speed had felt out of sorts. His thoughts often wandered off as he rode alone in his trailer when he was being hauled by his sole friend, Mack. He couldn't possibly be unhappy. Why, that would make no sense. How could someone who practically had everything want anything else? Was he being greedy? No, he was a nice guy. Or… at least he thought he was.

All of sudden, he started doubting everything about himself, only to pull himself together for the races. Even with the tricked-out transportation, the hot cars on his tailpipe wherever he went, and the gobs of revenue he pulled in just be doing what he did and loved, he still didn't have something. It was something important. Something vital. And it was missing.

He frowned at himself. Maybe he was just over-thinking this all. Maybe he did have this thing, but just didn't look hard enough for it. He examined himself, his surroundings, the screaming fan girls chasing after his trailer, the merchandise modeled after him that covered the walls. To his disappointment, he still couldn't find it. He took a deep breath and tried to pry his mind away from the subject. His mind wasn't budging, however, until it would find the missing piece.

He scolded himself for not having self-control. Then rolled his eyes with a grin as he heard a fan girl scream his first name. What a great life he had.

So why did he feel so empty. So…unhappy.

That was it, happiness.

Wait, he was happy. He was happy when he raced, he was happy when he beat Chick, he was happy when he bragged and posed for the news reporters and their image-hungry camera crews. He was happy…right?

No, you aren't

The voice was random. He looked around the trailer as if someone had been in there with him to say those words. He knew they had really came from him and that they were true.

They were true in the fullest sense. He wasn't happy. How could he be happy? There was no real point in his existence, no real purpose.

Except being an instrument of speed, he thought to himself with another grin.

But the grin faded away as quickly as it had came, for as he looked out the side window, he could see the sun setting low, setting in motion a cascade of purples, oranges, and pinks across the sky, curling and mixing to create a magnificent sunset.

He frowned at the beauty.

For the beauty of this scene only told him of the soon approaching night. Night was rapidly becoming his least favorite part of the day. Or more specifically, his dreams were.

His dreams were usually centered around him winning the coveted cup or hanging out in the Dinoco penthouse with the hot twins he had noticed followed him to most of his races.

But, now his dreams were different.

They brought him the missing piece; the happiness.

They were simple at first. A soft playful voice chuckled, calming him in a strange way. Her voice became clearer and clearer each night. He wanted to see her. He only had glimpses of her. Soft headlights, smooth sides, warm eyes. He knew it was her. His dream girl. He had even seen a flash of baby blue in one of his dreams.

Every race, he would look for her in the stands before turning his attention back to the reporters and cameras. He never saw her. He'd seen similar ones, but none as perfect and special as her. As the time past, he started to realize maybe he couldn't have her. He had always been allowed to have anything.

Maybe this was the Manufacture's way of punishing him for being too arrogant.

Him? Arrogant? No way.

He gazed out the window, his spirits lowering by the second as the sky soon was completely darkened. Mack had slowed down due to a minor traffic jam. He sighed.

He lowered down on his tires, the stress and exhaustion from the day finally rushed over him. His eyes battled his heavy eyelids. This was the way sleep always came, carrying him away like a gentle tide. This was when the unreachable happiness began.

She chuckled and whispered a simple word to him.

Stickers

For some reason, he knew she was referring to him somehow. It was playful and harmless. He sighed as the images started, sending him tumbling through the endless happy thoughts that HAD to just be made up in his head.

He'd never get his missing piece, would he?

Authors Notes: Turns out, he does! And you know who I'm talking about! ;)

Hope you enjoyed it. Please review.