Today is a very special day! It's June sixteenth, Fudge's birthday! To celebrate, here is a brand new update of Raising Fudge!

The concept of this is briefly touched upon in Fabulous Cars Crazy Fudge Popcorn, but I decided to flesh it out here.

An OC I have mentioned several times in the past, but has never appeared until now makes their debut in this fic: Fudge's therapist (though, I recently changed her name because I didn't like it). So, there is some insight into her. Well, I think it's insight. You might call it unnecessary information. XD I doubt she'll become a regular OC, but I do want to use her a little more often.

Plus, as I promised at the end of Girls' Night, I got a special announcement at the end of this update, but you'd know what it is if you've looked at my COFTR update.

Birthday Blues

Ten-year-old Fudge was sat in a waiting room that had become familiar to her over the past few months. The walls were a warm peach shade and lined with posters and pamphlets covering a wide range of issues, from eating disorders to abuse and domestic violence to homophobia. The goldfish swam around in their clear tank, filled with vibrant colours. A forklift, a plane and a little Toyota about her age were chatting loudly. Judging by the identical logos on their bags, the three of them all went to the same school.

"Fudge Rossi-Topolino?!" a breathless voice called out as the automatic doors slid open.

Fudge rose from the leather couch and jumped to her feet. In front of her, Dr. Kirsten Snow was smiling warmly.

Fudge had been seeing Dr. Snow for about eight months. After Doc had passed away, it became clear that she had serious abandonment issues because her mother had abandoned her when she was a baby. So, her dads found her a therapist (since the human girl had very little contact with her own species, Luigi and Guido decided it would be best to send her to a human therapist) and all three of them liked her very much.

Initially, Fudge had had no idea what to expect when she was told she was going to see a therapist, but when she thought of the word doctor, Dr. Snow was pretty much the opposite of what came to mind.

Dr. Snow had dark curly hair and dark eyes. She wore big glasses with light pink frames and looked to be in her late forties to early fifties. She'd always reminded Fudge of a tree. Not just because she was the tallest human woman the young girl had ever met (well over six foot, for sure!) with a giraffe neck, but also because she wore these long flowing outfits, often green and decorated with leaves. She had leaf jewellery as well: earrings, necklaces, lots of rings. She also really liked birds and often brought them into work. So, sometimes, she had a bird on her shoulder too. She did just then. Fudge recognised the bird as her blue parakeet, Buzz.

"I'm so sorry I'm late!" she apologised. "I was just on my lunch break at the café down the street and lost track of time! Then I had to go back because I forgot my purse!"

"That's okay", Fudge assured her, hiding a smile. Her therapist was the most disorganised, absentminded and simply scatterbrained person she had ever met. Even more so than Fillmore. It was something else about her that didn't fit the doctor image Fudge had. The things Dr. Snow forgot to do was absolutely amazing! She had forgotten to buy food and worn odd socks to work more than once. One time, she had even forgotten to get dressed in the morning and came to work in her pyjamas! That was an interesting session.

"(I will be back for her in about an hour)", Guido informed Dr. Snow, who understood because she had done a lot of travelling and was fluent in seven languages, Italian being one of them. "(I have some errands to run.)"

"(That's fine)", Dr. Snow assured him. "(I'll see you in an hour, then.)" She turned to Fudge. "Are you ready?"

"Yep", she confirmed.

"(You remember where to go if I'm running late?") Guido quizzed her.

The girl nodded. "(The library!)" The library was right next door, so if whoever was picking her up was running late, Fudge would kill time there.

Guido gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "Si."

"Okay!" Fudge was about to follow her therapist, but turned and waved. "Bye, Babbo!"

Guido smiled and waved. Then he left.

Dr. Snow smiled, feeling proud of Fudge. Her first session, it had taken nearly five minutes for her parents to leave because she was still clinging to them. Her abandonment issues were still there, but at least here, she knew that her Babbo was going to come back for her.

Dr. Snow led Fudge into her office and the second they stepped inside, she uttered the same words she used every time without fail: "I'm so sorry for the mess. Every time I swear I'm gonna get this place straightened out, something more important comes up. Have a seat wherever you can find one."

So, Fudge moved a big black binder, drowning in Post-It notes, that was on a chair and picked up the stray Post-It notes that fell out.

"Don't worry about that", Dr. Snow tried to stop her. "I'll get to it later."

But Fudge knew better! Once the last of the Post-It notes had been stuffed inside the binder, Fudge took a seat.

Dr. Snow's office had also become familiar to Fudge over the past year. The walls were green and covered in photos of landmarks and landscapes all across the world. The desk and chairs and coffee table were overflowing with papers and little knickknacks she'd collected from her travels. There were plenty of cushions strewn all over the place as well. No two cushions were the same. If there was one thing Dr. Snow hated, it was convention, so she often made a point not to make things match.

Outside, there was a large courtyard with a fountain. Several people were out there, having lunch or emerging from the library next door and settling in with their books. Sometimes, if the weather was decent and it wasn't too crowded, they would have their sessions in the courtyard.

Fudge watched as her therapist tossed her purse under the desk and the keys to her motorcycle in a cabinet labelled URGENT PAPERWORK. She knew the older human was never going to remember where the purse or the keys were.

"Hot chocolate?" Dr. Snow suggested.

Fudge smiled. "Yes, please." She didn't have hot chocolate very often, but it was nice in her therapy sessions. "Just remember to check the milk." She wouldn't put it past the therapist to give her expired milk.

Dr. Snow laughed and started the usual search for the cocoa powder (which was in the cabinet labelled PATIENT FILES); the milk (in the crisper in the fridge and, thankfully not expired yet) and the cups (under the cushions on one of the armchairs). Then she had to take a book and a pen out of the microwave (Fudge knew better than to ask how they got there; Dr. Snow wouldn't have a clue either!). Apart from that, the hot chocolate was ready without incident. They were ready to begin the session!

"So", Dr. Snow began (she had a great voice; a bit of an accent left over from growing up in Oklahoma and she spoke slowly in a calm, friendly, laidback manner, so it sounded more like a casual conversation than a therapy session; she never raised her voice either), "how have you been since we last spoke?"

"Pretty good", Fudge replied, fiddling with a toy she'd found on the floor. There were lots of toys to squeeze or fiddle with in the office. "Lightning just won his fourth Piston Cup."

"So, I've heard." The therapist smiled. She loved to hear about Fudge's family. She'd never met any of them, except for Luigi and Guido, but, based on what she'd heard from Fudge, they weren't an ordinary family and, as you may have guessed, ordinary was not Dr. Snow's style. "You must be very proud of him."

"I am", Fudge confirmed. "He's still got some post-season stuff to do, so he's not home yet. I've just been hanging out... helping my family with their shops and stuff."

"Good... Any nightmares?"

"Not recently. My last one was about... three weeks ago, I think."

"Good." Then Dr. Snow got to the point. As usual, she kept up being calm and friendly, but she was also very direct. "So, your dads tell me you've got a birthday coming up."

Fudge nodded. "Yeah, in two days. I'll be eleven."

"Eleven, huh? Well, I wanted to talk to you because your dads also tell me that your birthday can be difficult for you."

At once, the young human girl knew what she was referring to. Her smile faltered and she went a little cold. So, she picked up the cup of hot chocolate to feel the warmth.

"Can you tell me a little bit about that?" Dr. Snow pressed gently.

Fudge sighed. "I don't know why it's so bad around my birthday. Maybe because my mom abandoned me right after I was born. But my nightmares are worse. They happen more often and they're even scarier. And then, I wonder who I am."

Dr. Snow cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. "Why do you wonder that?"

"I don't know... I guess 'cause I don't know who my birth parents are. I mean, I love my family, but... When I think about my mom abandoning me, sometimes, I wonder whether I really belong in Radiator Springs."

"Fudge, do you really think that matters? What your mother did to you was horrible, but does that really mean you don't belong in Radiator Springs?" That was something else Dr. Snow often did; if she disagreed with her patients, she wouldn't come right out and say it. Instead, she would ask questions diplomatically to make them think.

"Probably not", Fudge acknowledged, "but that's how I feel sometimes."

Dr. Snow nodded understandingly. "Is this because you're not a car?"

"That's part of it, but it also feels a little more complicated than that too." She shrugged. "I can't explain it." She sighed. "And this year's gonna be even worse 'cause Doc's not here."

Dr. Snow gave her a sympathetic smile. "You must really miss him."

"I do. It's gonna be weird not having him around this year."

Meanwhile, Guido really was running errands. However, he didn't want his daughter to know what errands he was running. Since her birthday was coming up, he was busy buying presents and decorations and the ingredients for the cake Flo was planning on baking. Everyone in Radiator Springs knew what a difficult time of Fudge's birthday was for her. So, they were always determined to get it right. This year, they were especially determined since Doc was no longer going to be around. Fudge had been angry and upset when he died, feeling like he had abandoned her like her mother did. So, they feared that this birthday would be more difficult for Fudge than ones in past.

Just as Guido was grabbing a bag of sugar, his phone rang. Quickly, he answered it.

"(Guido, where are you?)" It was Luigi.

"(At the supermarket, buying the ingredients for the cake.)"

"(Don't forget the strawberries)", Luigi reminded him.

"(I won't)", Guido assured him.

"(We have been very busy choosing the music and thinking of games for Fudge's party)", Luigi went on.

"(Good)", Guido told him. He knew there was something Luigi wanted to ask, but wasn't. He also knew what that something was. "(I did not have any problems dropping Fudge off with Dr. Snow. She just said goodbye and let me leave.)"

"(Good.)" Luigi sounded very happy to hear that. "(Well, I think that is a very good sign that her abandonment issues are getting better. I hope she will have a very happy birthday this year.)"

Guido smiled. "(I hope so too.)"

Once he had the stuff he needed from the supermarket, Guido checked the time. An hour had passed since he dropped Fudge off. And it would take ten, fifteen minutes to get to her. For a moment, he worried Fudge feeling abandoned, but then he remembered what a scatterbrain her therapist was. They were probably still talking. Still, he knew he'd better hurry.

"Babbo, Babbo, Babbo!" Fudge cried, exiting the building and running towards him. He only just had time to shift his bag of groceries and presents out of the way before Fudge ran into his arms.

Guido hugged her back. "(That's quite a hello!)" he remarked with a laugh. He kissed her.

"(I missed you, Babbo!)" Fudge replied.

"(I missed you too! How was your session?)" the forklift wanted to know.

"(Pretty good! Dr. Snow says to keep writing in my journal and she wants to see me after my birthday.)"

"(Okay, we can arrange that. But for now, let's get you home.)"

"Yeah!" Fudge agreed.

"So, we have the music chosen", Luigi announced, satisfied, consulting his to-do list. "We have decided what games we are going to play and we have everything we need for them."

"Once Guido gets back, I will get right onto the food", Flo added.

Luigi nodded. "Good, good. I think we are just about ready for the party."

"Well, that's good", Ramone informed him, "'cause guess who's coming!"

As quickly and quietly as they could, everyone hid all evidence of what they'd been doing. When Fudge came in a few seconds later, she didn't suspect a thing.

"Hi, guys!" she greeted them all, running directly to her Papà.

"Hey, Fudge!" everyone responded.

"How are you, my little angel?" Luigi questioned, hugging and kissing his daughter. "Everything is okay, no?"

"Yep!" Fudge confirmed. "Everything's fine."

"We're getting a little worried about you, honey", Flo commented, sending a glass of lemonade and a homemade chocolate chip cookie Fudge's way, for which she was thanked. "You've been going to the doctor quite often lately."

Only Guido and Luigi knew that Fudge was seeing a therapist; they didn't think that there was any reason for everyone else to know. So, they would always say Fudge had a doctor's appointment, which wasn't technically a lie.

Fudge smiled. "Don't worry about me, Aunt Flo. Everything's fine."

That was when the phone rang.

Flo was quick to answer it. "Flo's V8 Café... Hey, honey! How you doin'?!" She whispered to the others, "It's Lightnin'!", and everyone perked up. "We're all fine. We can't wait for you to come home... It is?... Oh... Oh... I understand... Yeah, she's right here. I'll let you tell her." The former show car turned around. "Fudge? He wants to talk to you, honey."

Fudge lit up. "Hi, Lightning!" she exclaimed into the phone.

"Hey, Fudge-O! How's it going?" The race car sounded genuinely happy to hear his little sister's voice.

"Pretty good!" she replied. "Just the usual, really. What about you?"

"Busy!" he laughed. "A lot of interviews, just renewed my contract with Rust-Eze, filmed a couple of new commercials and a surprise I'll tell you about when I get back. I can't wait to get home and relax for a few months."

"Well, I hope you won't be too tired. We've got a party the day after tomorrow", the human girl reminded him.

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Lightning?" Fudge ventured.

A heavy sigh sounded. "I'm here, sweetie. Listen, I'm really sorry; I know this is last minute, but I... I don't think I'm gonna make it to your party."

"What?!" Fudge cried. "Why not?"

"I've still got a lot of stuff to do here and I just can't get out of-"

"No fair!" Fudge yelped, cutting him off. "You promised!"

"I know I did", he acknowledged remorsefully. "I'm really sorry. I didn't know this was gonna come up."

Without another word, Fudge hung up the phone angrily.

"He is not coming to your party?" Luigi guessed.

"How did you know?"

"I could tell", the Fiat answered, hugging her.

"It's not fair!" Fudge repeated. Her voice was rising and the others knew that she was dangerously close to tears. "Uncle Doc's not gonna be here for my birthday and now, Lightning isn't either! Don't they care?!"

"Fudgie, we have been through this: Doc did not want to leave", Luigi reminded her gently. "He just knew that his time had come."

"And Lightning was very upset, honey", Flo added. "He really wishes he could be here, but he just can't."

"He doesn't care!" Fudge insisted sullenly, finishing off her snack and storming off.

Luigi sighed sadly. "And I thought her abandonment issues were getting better."

Fudge was still bitterly disappointed the next day.

"I can't believe he doesn't wanna be here!" the almost-eleven-year-old moaned.

"Fudge, we've told you, sweetie", Sally explained, trying and half-failing to be patient with the girl (she'd been at it for a while now). "It's not that he doesn't want to be here. He's very upset about missing your birthday."

"I doubt it", she mumbled. "If my own mother left me, then why should anybody else want anything to do with me?"

"Fudge, stop with the self-loathing already!" Sarge scoffed. "We all feel sorry for you, but this is getting ridiculous!"

"You know, Fudge", Red began matter-of-factly, "you're not the only one who grew up without their birth parents."

That was true. Red had grown up in an orphanage after his parents lost their lives fighting a forest fire. Plus, Mater's parents were killed in a road accident. The tow truck was adopted by Sheriff.

Since the fire truck hardly ever spoke, the others would always listen to him whenever he had something to say. However, Fudge wasn't in the mood for listening to anybody.

"No", she acknowledged, "but I am the only one whose mother didn't even want her!"

"Well, when I was your age, I didn't have a family like you do. You have no idea how lucky you are."

"Lucky?!" Fudge echoed incredulously. "Is that what you call someone who nobody wants?!"

"Fudge", Luigi warned. "Calm down. We know you are upset. Now, you are only making yourself feel worse."

"And you obviously don't care!" Fudge snapped.

"That is enough!" the Fiat scolded her. "Go to your room!"

"Fine!" Fudge stormed off.

You see?! Fudge told herself. They don't want me! They just want to get rid of me!

Wednesday June 15th 2011

It's my birthday tomorrow. I WAS excited for it. I guess I still am, but it sucks that Uncle Doc and Lightning aren't gonna be there. I wonder if anybody else is planning on not showing up. I wouldn't be surprised. Do people really like me? Or do my family just think it's too late to abandon me like my mom did?

"Okay. I think it is time you were in bed."

Reluctantly, Fudge capped her pen and snapped her journal shut. Then she stood up and crawled under the covers. Luigi tucked her in.

"Good night, my angel!" He gave her a big kiss.

"Night, Papà... Where are you gonna be tonight?"

Luigi frowned, puzzled. "I will be here. The store is open for another hour- we are closing late tonight because it will be closed tomorrow- and then I am going to sleep too."

"Okay..." Fudge sounded uncertain.

"Don't worry. I am not going anywhere. I am not leaving you. I would never miss my daughter's special day."

"Some people would", the human girl muttered bitterly.

Luigi sighed. "I think you need to get some sleep." He gave her another kiss, "Tomorrow is a special day. I love you so much!"

Slowly, he drove out of the room, switching the light out.

Fudge was nervous about having a nightmare, so she switched her bedside lamp on and grabbed a book (a Babysitters Club book; they used to be Sally's, but she gave them to Fudge recently). Reading served two purposes: making her feel tired and distracting her, so she wouldn't think about her nightmares. Her dads didn't mind, as long as she was in bed. They knew about her reasons for reading.

So, the human girl read for a little while. Eventually, she turned the lamp off, lay down and closed her eyes. Of course, right on cue, a familiar scene played out before her eyes...

"Happy birthday, Fudge!" the residents of Radiator Springs exclaimed warmly when she arrived at the café.

Fudge smiled. "Wow! Thanks, guys!" She marvelled at the large amount of presents stretched out before her. "Gosh, which present should I open first?"

"This one, definitely!" Luigi brought forward the biggest present of all. "I just know you are going to love it", he added ominously.

"Wow, it's so big! I wonder what it is!" Fudge squealed, filled to the brim with curiosity and excitement.

Carefully, she tore off the bright wrapping paper. It seemed to take a long time. Whatever could be under the paper?

Finally, she unearthed a ginormous cardboard box and before she had a chance to wonder what was inside, the box flung open and inside was Mary Wilcox! The horrible social worker who tried to force her out of Radiator Springs! Oh, no! What did she want?

"SURPRISE!" everyone hollered, Mary included.

Fudge was stunned, confused and nervous. What was going on?

"What do you think's going on?!" Mary laughed. Then she explained everything to the girl, speaking as if she were talking to the slowest, dumbest person in the world. "This is your birthday present. I'm taking you to your new family."

"New family?" Fudge repeated. "What about my family in Radiator Springs?"

That made them all laugh hysterically.

"Oh, wait! You're serious!" Luigi realised. "Let me laugh even harder!"

And so he did. So did everyone else. The laughter lasted a long time. Eventually, all of them turned into horrible monsters, laughing and laughing until their faces melted. Mary, Luigi and Guido were the most horrible monsters of all.

Luigi had just closed the tyre shop for the night and was just about to go to sleep. As he always did, he decided to check up on Fudge before he went. He opened the door just a crack. He didn't even need to turn the light on. The glow-in-the-dark moon and star stickers on the ceiling lit up his daughter's face enough for him to see that she was fast asleep. And completely terrified. The poor girl was trembling, shaking her head rapidly and whimpering in her sleep. There were occasional mutters, but she wasn't muttering words, just these strange noises.

"Fudgie!" he cried softly, making his way over to her bedside. He stroked her hair. "It's okay. Shh! Shh! Papà's here. Papà's here. No one is going to hurt you. No one is leaving you."

Most of the time, if he just did that, Fudge would calm down and he wouldn't have to wake her up. Unfortunately, this was not one of those times.

When Luigi stopped laughing, he spoke to Fudge in the exact same tone Mary Wilcox had used: as if she were stupid. "Fudge, your mother abandoned you, remember? What makes you think we want her rejects?"

His daughter- or ex-daughter- couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You don't want me anymore?"

Guido laughed bitterly. "And I thought you were too stupid to ever catch on! Mary! Take her away!"

"Please don't do this!" Fudge begged tearfully.

"You heard what they said!" Mary snarled, holding onto Fudge with an iron grip. "Let's go!"

"No!" Fudge screamed. "NO! PAPÀ! BABBO! Please don't let her take me!"

Mary looked up at Luigi and Guido. "Don't worry. I'll take very good care of her."

Luigi shrugged. "I don't care what you do to her. That's not our problem now."

"Papà!" Fudge cried as Mary dragged her off. "You can't do this to me!"

"I am your father! I can do whatever I want!" Luigi let out a horror movie laugh.

"Well, he's not your father anymore!" Guido pointed out. "And neither am I!"

"No!"

But it was too late. They had disappeared from view.

"No!" Fudge cried out in her sleep. "NO! PAPÀ! BABBO! Please don't let her take me!"

Luigi kept stroking her hair, whispering soothingly, "Just a dream... Just a dream..."

It broke the Fiat's heart to see his daughter suffer like this. Of course, he was overjoyed to have Fudge in his life, but why the hell did she have to go through this? Why did someone as wonderful as Fudge have to hurt and have frequent nightmares? Why couldn't she just be the happy little girl she was before she knew her mother had abandoned her?

"I am right here", he assured her again.

But the nightmare kept going.

The roads were long and winding. Fudge was beginning to wonder how much longer they had to go. She wasn't even sure where Mary was taking her. All she knew was that it was taking a very long time to get there.

"Ah! Here we are!" Mary announced brightly. "Your new home!"

Fudge stared at the ancient, dilapidated, cobwebbed house in front of her. As if on cue, thunder crashed and lightning turned the dark grey sky silver behind the house.

Fudge gulped and turned to Mary. "I don't wanna go in here! I wanna go back to Radiator Springs!"

"Well, they don't want you anymore", Mary reminded her without a shred of compassion. "Now, hurry up! I haven't got all day." Then she muttered something that sounded to Fudge like, "And neither have you."

So, reluctantly, they climbed the creaky stairs outside and Mary knocked on the door.

Slowly, the door opened with a groan. A woman came to the door and Fudge gasped. It was her mother! (In reality, Fudge didn't have a clue what her mother's name was or what she looked like, but she just knew it was her mother, the way you do in a dream.)

"Fudge!" her mother exclaimed, giving her a big hug, to the point where the child was being choked. "Oh, I am so glad you're here!"

"I'm not! I want to go back to Radiator Springs!" Fudge protested.

"But honey!" Her mother sounded astonished and a little hurt. "This is where you belong... You staying for the party, Mary?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

"Party?" Fudge echoed. "What party?"

Her mother smiled. "The two saddest words in the English language. Come on. I'll show you."

Fudge was led into a slightly brighter and more lively room. The only real difference was that there was a cake on the table.

"It doesn't really look like much of a party", the girl observed.

"What are you talking about?" Mary questioned, puzzled. "We got everything we need. Cake, candles..."

"Matches!" Fudge's mother added importantly. She lit one and, within seconds, the entire room was alight.

"Happy birthday, Fudge!" the two women called tauntingly as they vanished into thin air.

Luigi couldn't take this anymore. It was clear that she wasn't calming down. He couldn't let his daughter suffer like this. He had to wake her up.

"Fudgie!" He shook her gently. "Fudgie, wake up!"

But she didn't. She just whimpered as the nightmare continued.

Fudge was trapped. Flames crackled all around her. She searched desperately for a door, but there wasn't one! No windows either.

"Why are you doing this?!" she demands fearfully.

From somewhere above her, she could hear Luigi laughing. "Why do you think?! We don't want you; your mother doesn't want you; nobody wants you!"

"And good news, Fudge!" Lightning called. "I'm not missing the party after all!"

These people were sick. Not only were they killing her because they didn't want her, but they were using her second biggest fear (after being abandoned) to do it.

"Ten bucks says she won't last another two minutes!" Luigi snickered.

"You're on!" Guido replied.

"I can't wait to see her eyeballs explode, man!" Fillmore proclaimed gleefully.

The voices faded away as most of Fudge's so-called family commented on the exciting show they were about to see, except for Sarge and Fillmore. They were arguing over whether or not it was physically possible for her eyeballs to explode.

Fudge didn't scream. She couldn't scream. She couldn't do anything. All she could do was wonder what it was she'd done to make everyone hate her so much. Those were her last thoughts as bright orange flames rose above her like a tsunami and...

Fudge's eyes flew open as she jolted upright in her bed, screaming bloody murder.

"Oh, Fudgie!" Luigi exclaimed softly, trying to pull her in for a hug.

"NO!" Fudge shouted, thrashing madly. "No! Get away from me! You don't love me!"

"Of course I do!" Luigi insisted. He and Guido had never admitted it to anybody but each other, but even though they understood what Fudge was going through, they couldn't help feeling a little hurt when she accused them of not loving her. "I love you very much."

"No you don't! You let the social worker take me! She sent me back to my mother and they trapped me in a burning house!"

"Fudgie!" Luigi cried. "That was just a dream! I would never do that to you."

"Really?"

"Of course really."

Fudge opened her mouth. Then she closed it again. Then she opened it again. There was a question on her mind. She didn't want to know the answer, but she felt like she had to.

"Do- Do you ever... regret adopting me?"

Luigi looked surprised. "Why would I regret the best thing that ever happened to me?"

It was Fudge's turn to be surprised. "You mean you don't?"

"Of course not!" Luigi assured her, hugging her. "There have been times where I wondered if it was the right decision for you, but never have I wished you were not in my life."

Finally, Fudge threw her arms around him. "I love you, Papà!"

Luigi smiled. "And I love you, Fudge." After a pause, Luigi had a question too. "You don't wish I was not part of your life, do you?"

Fudge shook her head adamantly. "No way."

"Well, you do get upset because you do not have a mother", Luigi reminded her.

The young girl sighed. "I wish I didn't care."

"What?" the Fiat asked, puzzled.

"I wish I didn't care", Fudge repeated. "I love you and everyone else in Radiator Springs. So, I just wish it didn't bother me that my mom doesn't want me, but it really does!" The poor girl was dangerously close to tears. "Please don't be mad at me, Papà!"

"Oh, Fudgie! I could never be angry at you for that. I understand how you feel. Just never forget that I love you very much and I will never ever leave you."

Fudge nodded slowly. "Thanks, Papà."

He held her close and gave her yet another kiss. "You are not alone."

"I know", Fudge muttered. "I'm not the only one here who was adopted."

"That is not what I meant", Luigi corrected her. "I mean, you are not the only one who has found a new family in Radiator Springs." Fudge gazed up at him quizzically. "We have all come from different places. We all found our home and our family here in Radiator Springs. Babbo and I did when we first arrived. They were the first people in America who truly accepted us. And eleven years ago, you found your family here."

She leaned into his hug even more. "You're my Papà!"

Luigi smiled softly. "I am your Papà. I will always be your Papà. You know that, yes?"

The human girl nodded. She looked like she had something else she wanted to ask.

"What is it?" her father wanted to know.

"What made you decide to adopt me?"

"Well", Luigi began slowly. "I remember when I first found you after you were abandoned. You were crying. I think you knew what had happened to you. Then, when I picked you up, I remember you looking into my eyes. You had the bluest eyes I had ever seen in my life." (Fudge's eyes had since faded to a paler blue.) "I knew you were still upset, but somehow, you could sense that I was going to take care of you. And I just knew. I had to be the one to take care of you. I wanted to be the one to take care of you. And I am so happy I am."

"Me too", Fudge agreed, snuggling in closer to him.

Luigi smiled softly, giving his daughter a kiss on the forehead. Funny how he almost never thought of her as his adopted daughter. She was just his daughter.

Slowly, the Fiat's caramel brown eyes shifted away from Fudge and over to the digital clock on the bedside table. According to those glowing red numbers, it was after midnight.

Luigi smiled again and gave his daughter another big hug and another gentle kiss. "Happy birthday, Fudge!"

To me, it seemed to make sense that Fudge's birthday is hard on her because of her abandonment issues. Like I said, because it happened around her birthday.

Okay, now for my special announcement... *Drumroll* As you may or may not know, I have been working on a top secret new story, which I'll have coming soon (I am very excited about it!). There are going to be some new OCs in it. Who are these new OCs, you ask? Well, that's where you come in! If people are interested, I would very much like my readers to help me name my new OCs. Their appearance, personality and role will be taken care of, but I do want you to think of names. They can be male or female; nationality isn't important (in fact, I would appreciate a variety) and right now, I'm just looking for first names, but I'll let you know if I need last names.

Maybe it's a stupid idea, but I hope some of you might be interested. Please let me know! :)

Oh! And please review! :)

P.S. Next month, I'm gonna start a holiday edition of Tales from Radiator Springs. That's not this new story I was talking about above. As you may have guessed, that's just Tales from Radiator Springs, but it's gonna be where I store the holiday specials.

P.P.S. That's funny right there.

P.P... There's a few more pages of P.S.s here.