I was quickly up to speed, and driving on the wall, with no problem at all. I was ready, I was focused. I got to the turn, and began the slide. In an instant, I could tell something wasn't right. I wasn't sliding on an angle as much as I had been before!

I barely had time to yelp in surprise as I dropped off the edge of the cliff, and directly into the cactus patch. There were cactus spines everywhere! Now I knew how Lightning felt…

I bit back a scream of pain and anger, then tried rolling out. What I failed to realize was that all my tires were popped, thanks to the devil's plants of the desert. I cursed a stream of words under my breath that would've made a sailor blush, then I tried crawling my way out. I had to crawl backwards, and with my rear bumper higher than my hood, but I think I was able to back up far enough.

I was able to get myself spun around, and I began my tiring ascent. "Help!" I called, hoping that one of the others were watching. No such luck, and I clung to the lip of the cliff like a lifeline, even though it was driving the spines deeper into my wheels with every passing minute.

If you don't know what it feels like to have cactus spines wedged in your tires, getting closer to your rims every second, well, think of it as getting cactus spines wedged underneath your fingernails. It sucks, bigtime.

Finally, nearly three hours later, I heard someone calling for me. "I'm here!" I called hoarsely, my voice nearly gone for calling out every time I thought I heard something.

"Foxy?"

"Over here! I screwed up, and ended up in the cactus patch." I called back, and I heard tires rolling over. I shut my eyes in shame, not wanting to deal with being screamed at for the moment.

"Oh, poor kid. We've gotta get ya outta there..."

My eyes blinked open, and I looked up helplessly at the owner of the voice. From this angle, it was hard to tell who it was, other then that they were light blue.

They grabbed my tires, and I winced, inhaling sharply as they unknowingly drove several cactus spines deeper into my tire. With a sharp tug and a grunt, I was back on cactus-free land, staring into the worried brown eyes of none other than Strip. "How'd ya manage that?" He asked, and I sighed.

"I don't even know. One second I'm flying along, just fine, then the next I'm in the cactus patch and there's spines being driven closer to my rims every second." As I looked down at my tires, I began hatching an idea. I could reach my mouth with my tires, I knew that much, so it was just a matter of finding the spines and yanking them out. "Hmm…" It wasn't long before I found a particularly painful one, and yanked at it. I squeaked in pain, but continued pulling, my teeth latched over it, until it came out. I tossed it to the side, intending to make a pile. I pulled out all that I could reach, and discovered that although all four of my tires were flat, I could still hobble. Somewhat.

I followed Strip up to the town, and he called out that he had found me.

"There you are! Where were you?! We looked down at the Butte, but didn't see you earlier!" Flo exclaimed worriedly, and I got the feeling that something was up.

"I got stuck in the cactus patch for a while. What's wrong?"

"Lily's gone!"

My bumper dropped, and I began hobbling back towards the dome, my flattened tires looking pathetic, even to me. "Lily? Jimi?" I called frantically. I heard a familiar whimper, and there was Jimi's grin. Where had the whimper come from though? "Jimi, where's Lily?" He shrugged his tires outwards, and I called for her again. I heard the familiar whimper, and began looking around frantically. "Lily? Lily, where are you?"

The whimper turned into a squeal as I neared the tree, and I looked up into the branches. There was Lily, and it appeared that she had gotten herself stuck, and now couldn't get down. "Lily, jump. I'll catch you."

She shook her hood frantically.

"Lily, I can't climb up and get you. Honey, you've got to jump down." She whimpered again, and I watched as the tears filled her eyes. Now I felt horrible. "All right, I'll-I'll-I'll go get Red. Just don't move an inch, okay? Please?" She nodded with a whimper, and I hobbled off again in search of Red.

"She's stuck up in the tree, and she won't come down, not even if I tell her to jump." I explained hurriedly, wincing at the pain in my undercarriage from the cactus spines. It could wait, we had more pressing things to attend to.

We arrived at the tree, and Lily instantly began whimpering again when we neared. It was obvious that she wanted to be near us, but didn't want to get down due to her fright. "Lily, just hold on, all right? We'll have you out soon." I called, and Red soon had the ladder hoisted to her height.

She scrambled onto it, and he lowered her to the ground. When she was safely on the ground, he nuzzled her gently, glad that she was safe.

"Thank you, so much, Red!" I replied, grinning.

He blushed, then scuffed a tire through the dirt.

Lily latched onto his tire, and wouldn't let go, babbling indiscernibly.

Red chuckled silently, then detached her from his tire before driving back to the cafe.

"Lily, how did you get in the tree?"

She shrugged her tires outwards, which of course meant, 'I don't know, I don't even remember five minutes ago.' I chuckled quietly and rubbed her roof gently. "No more trees until you know how to get yourself down, okay?" She nodded, looking up at me oddly. That's when I remembered, my tires were flat, and I was covered in cactus spines. "Yes, I'm covered in cactus spines. I know, Lily." I nudged her back into the dome, then I proceeded to hobble over to the cafe. "Crisis averted, thanks to Red." I gave him a smile, and was met with a certain firetruck's crushing hug.

"Now, what to do about yer tires, Foxy."

"Oh yeah. Those." I replied, and Flo looked over in my direction.

She gasped, and rolled over. "Foxy! What did ya do?"

"Cactus patch, then I tried climbing out." I replied, lowering my hood. I was in bigtime trouble, and I knew it.

"You're completely covered in cactus spines…" She replied, her eyes saddening quickly.

"I got the ones out of my tires, but that's about all I could reach." I replied guiltily, my front bumper nearly touching the ground.

"C'mon, Foxy. Let's get you over to Doc's."

"But he isn't even here. Does that mean I've got to stay there until he gets back?"

"No, of course not! They're gettin' pulled out!"

I stiffened, my heart racing frantically-or would it be my engine? "Wh-Who's pulling them out?"

"I reckon I'll do it." Sheriff replied, pulling forwards.

"But-But-But it's gonna hurt!" I squeaked, scrambling backwards, my tires fumbling about wildly.

"It ain't gonna hurt a bit." Sheriff insisted, pushing me towards the clinic.

I tried struggling, but it was no use. My tires had no traction, now that they were flattened. I was pushed clear onto the lift, even though my brakes were on the entire time. There was just no stopping it. I might as well have been sound asleep with how easily he was able to push me.

He raised the lift, and I began wondering how he knew how to do all of this. As far as I knew, Doc had never had Sheriff in the clinic with him when he had been working on anyone. He stopped the lift, then rolled under.

I instantly tensed, thinking that this had been a horrible idea, from the very beginning.

"Geez, you're full of 'em!" He exclaimed, and I said nothing.

The pain started up again as soon as he yanked the first one out.

"Ah!"

"One down, 'bout two million left." He commented, chuckling slightly before yanking another one out.

I sighed and shut my eyes, begging for this to be over quickly.

As it was, it took the better part of an hour just to get them all out of my undercarriage. Now that the extremely awkward part was over, I felt the lift being lowered. I blinked my eyes open, and gasped involuntarily, trying to jump backwards. There was Sheriff. Right. In front. Of me. "Dammit, Sheriff! Don't do that!" I snapped, and he chuckled.

"Sorry Foxy." He replied, not sounding sorry at all.

I groaned, wanting this to be over already.

He just continued yanking them out of my back bumper and quarter panels. As soon as he spoke, I leapt off the lift, and began hobbling towards the door. Seconds later, I yelped as something latched onto my back left tire, and began pulling me back. I tried clawing my way to the door, but it was no use. My tires still slid on the floor, as they had before. The force behind me was stronger than I was, and soon had me right back where I started. "Foxy, ya ain't done yet."

"Ohhh." I groaned, and slumped towards the floor.

I leapt into the air a few seconds later with a yelp. "Hey, watch it!"

"I told ya that ya weren't done yet, so stay put!" He yelled back, and I sighed miserably, lowered my hood, and tried counting the tiles on the floor, anything to avoid talking to Sheriff. I honestly couldn't think of any way that this could get more awkward.

"Why do ya think of it as awkward?"

I jumped. Had I really said it out loud?

"Foxy?"

I began babbling ineffectively, hoping that something would fall out of my mouth that sounded like a feasible reason. Just my luck. All that came out was something I didn't even understand.

"Huh?" Sheriff asked, eyelid raised.

I sighed, hanging my hood. Of course, my mind wasn't going to make this easy, and apparently neither was my mouth. "It just… it's awkward, okay? I don't know how to explain it, it just feels like it is…" I mumbled, my front bumper resting on the floor. I could feel the odd look I was getting from Sheriff, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get out of there. All at once, there was no longer any tugging or pain, and I blinked in confusion, looking up.

There was Sheriff at my right fender, looking worried as well as confused. "How's it awkward, Foxy?" He asked quietly, nudging my fender with his.

"It just… is. I honestly can't explain it, it just feels… wrong…"

He gave me a sideways look, then sighed, lowering his eyes to his hood. "It all depends on how ya look at it, Foxy." He replied, getting back to work.

This baffled me into silence. There was another way of looking at things when one is in an awkward situation? I know I can be a bit close-minded at times, but there really is another side of any awkward situation?

This was complete news to me, and I didn't even feel Sheriff pulling the rest of them out. I snapped out of my thoughts when he nudged me again.

"Foxy?"

"Yeahuhwa?" I replied rapidly, jolting up and blinking rapidly, my eyes wide.

He chuckled, shaking his hood. "You're cactus-spine free."

"Oh. Thanks, Sheriff." I hobbled outside, still pondering over what he had said.

He rolled out after a few minutes, and I parked at Flo's.

"Just when I achieved the element of speed, it's gone before my very eyes." I grumbled, sinking into a miserable mood.

"Don't worry, Foxy. Luigi and Guido will be back with the others, and you'll be able to go as fast as you want down there."

"Yeah, it's the waiting part that's the worst." I sighed, resting my bumper against the ground again. I decided to head over to keep the twins company, figuring that there wasn't anything else I could do that was useful.

When I entered, I was pounced on by the two, and giggled. They knew nothing about what a bad day meant. To them, it was just something new to explore.

I settled onto the mattress, figuring that I might as well catch up on sleep. "Anyone want to sleep with mom?" I looked to the two, and jumped when a distinctly male voice replied, "Sure." When I looked, there was Brian, grinning wickedly at his little joke.

"What now?" I asked, not even bothering to lecture him.

"Can't I come say hello?"

"Not if I'm planning to go to bed, since it isn't like I'm going to be going anywhere anytime soon." I replied, resting my bumper on the mattress gloomily.

He rolled into the dome and nudged me gently with a fender. "It's just a few flat tires, Foxy. It'll be fine in a few days, when they get back."

"Yeah, for someone who's been a car all their life. For a human who turns into a car, it sucks. Especially if that human hasn't even driven a non-living car before." I replied, casting my eyes down to my hood.

He sighed, and leaned against my side with his own. I could feel the slightly comforting heat from his tailpipes, and I leaned back, for an instant thinking back to how the two of us had become nearly as close as Lightning and I. "Oh, Foxy. You know I won't argue with you about it." He sighed again, then pulled away, prepared to leave me to take a nap. He nudged Jimi closer to me, whispering to him.

I couldn't hear what he was saying, and cast a wary look over at him.

He gave me a halfhearted smile, then left. Jimi, meanwhile, looked like he was up to something. He parked directly in front of me, and looked up at me.

I lifted him onto my hood, and he laid down instantly, splaying his tires out in a hug. Lily followed his lead, and pawed at my flattened tire. I lifted her up as well, and she plunked herself down right next to Jimi, thinking that they were laying down for a nap. I couldn't help but smile as I looked down at them, and soon, all three of us were asleep, Jimi still sprawled out.

My nap was longer than expected, and in fact, I was only woken up by one of the twins jumping off my hood. I opened my eyes, and discovered that it had been Lily.

She never had been much of a mother's girl. She preferred to play with the boys, like Lightning, or Red, or even Fillmore. Jimi, on the other hand, was such a sweetheart, giving me a kiss on the hood every morning and night.

His eyes blinked open, and as soon as he spotted me, he grinned. "Hi." He greeted me, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Helloo to you too, Mr. Jimi." I teased gently, gazing at him fondly.

True to his adorable nature, he kissed my hood, then hopped off, giggling irresistibly.

"Ohh, Jimi. You're so sweet." I nuzzled him gently before stretching and rising from the mattress.

He squeaked, then pulled something out from under my side. I gasped and rose up on my shocks in alarm. He whimpered, and I felt something soft touch my side. "Jimi, what did you find, boo?" I asked, using my pet nickname for him. He held up his stuffed bunny that I had made him, a cheeky, adorable grin on his face. "Was Mr. Bunny sleeping with me too?" I asked, tickling him. He squirmed, dropping the bunny and giggling. "Since you found Mr. Bunny, where do you think your other stuffed animals went?" He shrugged his adorable shrug again, his mouth scrunching up, and his front tires turning outwards. I gave him a small smile, then nudged him gently. "Maybe they're in my trailer?"

He squealed, then darted outside.

I sighed, knowing that he'd never be able to reach the lock on his own as I followed after him. I opened the lock, and the ramp lowered.

There, towards the front, was a toy box made by me to house all their toys. There was a dividing piece of wood going down the middle, so they knew whose side was whose, although their first initial marked their side of the box.

He darted inside, then opened the lid. There were all his toys, Mr. Pigglesworth the pig, Ms. Hedgebury the hedgehog, and Stitch, his ragged blue puppy who had gone through multiple emergency stuffing procedures in the middle of the night. I had to laugh at the irony of that name, but it fit. Those two were best buddies, and did everything together, normally. Last night, he had apparently let Mr. Bunny have a turn.

I giggled to myself as I noticed that all his other stuffed animals had clever names, while Mr. Bunny was just Mr. Bunny. You see, I had come up with the name, since he hadn't been able to find anything that sounded clever. He had accepted it like he had come up with it, and there was never any talk of changing his name.

"Hmmm… you seem to be missing somebody… what about Mr. Kitt?" I asked, not seeing his ginger tabby cat.

He whimpered, and began looking, digging until he was nearly in the toy box itself. I giggled, then hoisted him out. He darted throughout the trailer, looking for the kitty.

"Here!" He called, holding a ginger tabby cat triumphantly in a tire.

"Good job! Where was he at?"

"Shelf." He replied, pointing a tire at the shelf with my books on it.

"Was he reading?" I teased playfully, and he nodded with a giggle. "Then you should let him go back to his book. Or did he finish?"

"Finished!" Jimi replied, and I grinned.

"Okay, then put him in here, that way he doesn't decide to go on any more adventures while you're not looking." I told him, and watched as he climbed onto my hood to gain some height. He dropped the kitty in his side, and I saw an old oil can in his side of the box. I reached in and pulled it out. "What is this doing in here?" I asked, looking at him accusingly.

"Drinking." He replied, pointing at his stuffed animals desperately.

"Who was drinking?" I asked, realizing that he had been pretending with it, but had forgotten to throw it away.

He dug through the toy box, actually falling in. I panicked slightly, but after hearing him laugh, relaxed. I watched as the animals moved while he tried to find the animal that had been taking the drink. Suddenly, the animals exploded, leaving him triumphantly holding up a grey elephant, affectionately called Mr. Gump.

"Mr. Gump did it?"

He nodded with a grin.

"Mr. Gump, how could you? You know that when you're finished with your trash, you're supposed to throw it away!" I scolded the stuffed animal, grinning when Jimi gave him a dirty look and shook a tire at him. He was just too cute. "Okay, mister, how about we go get rid of Mr. Gump's trash?" He nodded, and gave his elephant one last dirty look before grabbing ahold of my tire and pulling himself out of the box.

We picked his animals up, put them back, and went to go throw out the oil can. When we had finished, I headed back into the dome, intent on just moping around until the others got back.

To my surprise, Jimi was more than content in snuggling with me, after nudging my giant teddy bear over to my side and flopping onto the belly.

I had originally made it for me, but he seemed to love it more than I did. I gave him a smile, and it faded as I thought over my situation once more.

"Sad?"

"A little bit, yeah."

"Why?"

"It's hard to explain."

He left my side, obviously looking for something. He apparently found what he wanted, because he squealed happily and rolled over to me. He held out my horse, a cute little smile on his face, and I couldn't resist smiling back at him. "Happy?"

"I sure am, munchkin. Thank you." I nuzzled him with a fender, and pulled him closer.

He snuggled into my side, and when I looked over at him next, his eyes were shut tightly. He reminded me of a cat, or something that was perfectly content sleeping the day away. I decided to relax as well, and settled my bumper on the mattress, just enjoying the quiet.

AWWWWW! Such a cutie is Jimi! ^^ I would adore having a munchkin like him running around the house, no problem at all! :D

Did anyone catch the name of his best buddy? Because I don't own the 'blue puppy' he's referencing! XD

I got the idea for 'Mr. Kitt', Jimi's ginger tabby, while I was thinking about Star Wars(there's a Jedi named Kit Fisto in the movies), and it just seemed to fit, since I'm sure Harry has shown little Jimi all the characters in the movie series 'Car Wars'. XDXDXD

I'm glad lots of people really are into this story! It makes me really happy knowing that people read the stuff I put on the site. ^^