Author's Note: This is the story I've been promising to write between Making It Through and improving Quest for the Cup. You'll probably understand the importance of it later, though it does mean some major changes to both Quest and Staying Strong. I like how parts of this have turned out, though other sections aren't so good. I've still got to start chapter 4, yet I'm already working on chapter 5...Not sure how many chapters this one is going to have, it doesn't really take off until the third chapter, but the first two are just as important. Also it takes place before the movie, so no Lightning.

I have to thank LightningAndDoc for giving me the idea for this one - all because of that one review I found inspiring. I think LightningAndDoc will know which one I'm talking about.

Disclaimer: Still don't own Cars, I do however own Skye and Alisa Armstrong. Please don't use them without asking my permission first!

Per Chance

It was a quiet sort of evening in Radiator Springs. Actually, it was always quiet in Radiator Springs, in Sally's experience at least, if one didn't count the argument or three the war veteran and his hippy neighbour got into each day.

Sally had been in the town for a few years now, and not once had she seen a traveller. It seemed to her, and the rest of the residents, that she was destined to be the last to travel on their part of old Route 66 for some time.

When she decided to settle in the town they put her in charge of the Cozy Cone Motel. When needed, she was also the town's attorney, though she hadn't been needed in either role yet. It was only a matter of time, she told herself for the millionth time, though not really believing it.

She thought about the town and her friends as she sat in the shade at the abandoned Wheel Well Motel. The days seemed to pass in the same routine – always starting at Flo's café in the morning, and ending there in the evenings. Often it was open for most of the night as well.

Sunset was approaching, and Sally, fed up with waiting for non-existent customers, was watching the sunset from her favourite spot outside Wheel Well. It was almost silent up there, and she got a good view of the valley spread out below. Their little town was the only settlement for as far as the eye could see. When she had run away from LA, she wasn't really expecting anyone to find her, though she was immensely glad they had. She'd broken down on the road near the old sign, where Sheriff found her some time later, lonely, tired, and completely lost. Her new friends gave her the strength she needed, partly why she'd stayed there.

With a soft sigh she turned to head back to the town. Try as she might, sometimes she struggled to stay as positive as the others. They insisted time and time again that they would be found eventually. She wasn't so sure – eventually seemed like an awfully long time.

A quiet sound caught her attention as she turned back onto the road. She paused, listening carefully, a slight frown on her face. It was almost like the sound was being carried on the gentle wind that blew across the entrance to the motel, but something told her what was making the sound was close to her.

She drove back to the motel and peered inside. A small, silver car was partially hidden in the shadows. She looked young, not even an adult yet. Her silver frame was dusty, as though she'd been on the road for a long time. Twin, clean tracks ran down her hood where her tears had fallen.

"Miss?" She called softly.

The car flinched and looked up quickly.

"What's wrong?"

The girl bit her lip, avoiding eye contact. Sally could tell she was scared. She backed away, reaching for her phone.

"What have you got?" Doc asked as he pulled up at the motel some time later.

Darkness had fallen over the valley. Sally turned to him, using only her side lights to see. It was quiet in the motel now. Doc quickly switched to his side lights as well so as not to blind her.

"In here." Sally led him to the entrance of the motel. "I don't know how long she's been here."

Doc looked into the gloom. The silver car was barely visible in the dim light. Her eyes were open, but it was as though her mind was elsewhere entirely. If he was to take a guess at her age, he would have said thirteen, yet it didn't quite add up somehow. In the low lighting he could see an old injury to her left side near her wheel arch.

He cast a glance in Sally's direction and flicked his high beams on. The girl blinked in the sudden brightness and pulled back into the shadows, the only evidence left was her hazel eyes watching them warily.

"It's alright, miss." Doc tried to reassure her. "We won't hurt you. We're here to help."

She blinked again, squinting in the bright light. He went back to his side lights, leaving a pair of bright, hazel orbs glowing in the darkness.

"You're kind of young to be out alone, aren't you?" Sally said cautiously from beside Doc.

"I'm sixteen." The girl replied stonily.

"Do you parents know you're out here?" Doc shot another glance at Sally.

The girl closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Don't know where they are." Her voice was barely audible.

"Well now, why don't you come down to the town tonight? We can find you some place to stay, and Sheriff can help you find your parents." Doc suggested.

After a moment the girl opened her eyes again and nodded, not particularly wanting to stay on the exposed plateau for another night.

"What's your name?" Sally asked the young car as she emerged from the motel.

"Skye."

"C'mon then, Skye. We'll show you the way to the town. It's not far."

The girl looked as though she was about to protest, say something along the lines of 'mum told me not to trust total strangers', but she had seen what could pass for a town in the valley – the first she'd see in two days.

Doc took the lead as they headed off the hill and past the waterfall. Skye fell in beside Sally, following Doc silently. As they entered the forest Sally sped up to drive alongside Doc.

"Where's she going to stay?" She asked quietly.

Doc glanced in his mirrors. He suspected Skye wasn't normally so quiet. She could have been shy, but he suspected it was somehow linked to her parents.

"What do you think?"

"I don't know, Doc. I think she needs someone to support her, but then she doesn't know us, so she might not be happy to stay with one of us."

"The Cozy Cone, then?"

"Cone number one. It's closest to the office if she needs anything in the night. There's normally someone around during the night anyway."

Doc nodded, still watching the young Daewoo. There was something about her that reminded him of himself – a sort lost look about her.

Doc realised they would have to drive straight past the V8 Café in order to get to the Cozy Cone Motel, and at that time of the night, the whole town would be there, with the possible exception of Sheriff. It was a long time since any new vehicles had arrived in the town – Sally being the most recent visitor – so it was likely Skye would get a lot of attention. A brief look in Sally's direction told him she was thinking the same thing.

"I'll distract them." Doc offered. "You take her straight to the motel. We can find Sheriff in the morning."

Author's Note: It was only a matter of time before a silver Daewoo Matiz appeared in one of my stories. Basically, she's my dad's car, except I've given her a different name. And purely by coincidence, she does have an injury to her left side near the front wheel arch. My dad accidentally caught the car on the garage wall the other night, after I'd come up with that detail for the character. I've nicknamed her 'Kelly' in real life, but that didn't work out for story, so she's now Skye. Dad said Kelly is a lot better than calling the car 'Road Kill' (the last three letters on the number plate are KLL - it's the same method we used for naming the old Ford Focus - ADM became Adam, and that is the same car that appears in Quest for the Cup.)

Anyway, enough of the history. A few reviews would be nice (hint hint).