Author's Note: Hello again! It's been over a year since I've updated this fic, but as I've said before, I haven't forgotten about it. Between school and work, I don't have much time to take you guys to Radiator Springs. :( However, if anyone here follows me on my Instagram (same name), you would have seen that I have been editing and I have finished all of the old chapters. I didn't rewrite them, but I did fix up some of the spelling and formatting errors. I'm sure there are some that I've missed, but I just wanted to make my really old writing tolerable for you guys (and myself) and get back to writing new chapters for this story!

With Cars 3 coming out before we know it, it's always a fun idea to read and write about Radiator Springs! So, after this chapter, there are three more to be released before the new ones! To give myself time (because you all deserve new chapters that are well-written, don't you?), I'll space out the chapters. It's also so that those of you who still read it have something to look forward to. :)

See you guys in the chapters ahead!

Chapter 19 - "We Will Go to the Backup Plan"

"Come on, Leo, it isn't that hard," said Vermella. She had her trunk open, trying to get Jane to climb in. Jane was up on her back tires, holding her front tires on Vermella's bumper. She groaned as she tried to pull her weight on her little axles.

"Are you kidding me? Don't you know how to climb yet?" Vermella teased.

"I'm trying!" said Jane, "I can't do it! Can you tilt a little?"

"You ain't gonna learn anything that way. If this is all you know, then your parents were terrible."

Jane stopped for a moment, "..were?"

"You're making it sound like I killed them or something. They're still alive. They're still out there."

Jane smiled, "Oh! Okay! So, when do I get to see mommy and daddy again?"

"Soon."

Jane tried to lift herself again. She finally got up to lifting her back tires off the ground. She kicked around a bit to hopefully pull herself up even more.

"Come on, Leo! You almost got it!"

Jane groaned some more and pulled.

And pulled.

She was able to get herself up enough to lean forward and let the weight of her front half pull her down and into the trunk.

"Good girl! See? Now, if I helped, would you have learned how to climb in?"

"No…no, I guess not!"

"Alright now, Leo, let's go."

Vermella closed her trunk. As Jane watched the last bit of moonlight filter in through the space between open and shut, she began to breathe harder. In such a small area, Jane was running out of air.

"Get me out!" Jane yelped. Vermella's body shook back and forth on her shocks from Jane's struggling.

"Leo, listen to me. Are you listening?" asked Vermella, "I don't think you're listening."

"Uh…yeah!" said Jane.

"Can you hear me well?"

"Yeah, sort of!"

"Okay, Leo, do you remember that Mustang emblem that was on my trunk?"

"Yeah!"

"I need you to push it out."

"What?"

"I said PUSH it out."

"Okay!"

Jane felt her tire around for the bump where Vermella's Mustang logo was.

"I can't see anything!" yelled Jane. Her yelling only made her breathing worse. The heat from her breath filled the trunk space around her more and more, "I can't breathe!"

"Leo, what I tell you about not learning anything if I helped you?"

"Please open your trunk!"

"What did I tell you?"

"Open!"

"Tell me what I told you. You have enough air to say those words. That mean you have enough air to tell me what I just said to you."

"I can't breathe! Please!"

"If you're talking, you can breathe. It's impossible to talk without breathing."

"Help!"

"What did I tell you?"

"He-! You told me I won't learn anything unless I do it!"

Vermella idled there for a few moments thinking about what Jane said.

"Close enough."

"Help!"

"Nope, I won't help you."

"Please! I can't find it! It's too dark in here!"

"Use your headlights."

"I don't know how!"

"How do you not know how to use headlights? Okay, listen to me, here's a fast way to find your headlights. If you do this every time, you'll be turning them on in no time. Are you listening?"

Jane was breathing hard. Through her breaths she said, "Yes!"

"Okay, I want you to relax yourself."

"I can't!"

"Yes you can. You need to tense your shocks to climb. If you couldn't climb into my trunk that easy, then your shocks were way too relaxed. If they were that relaxed before, they can relax again. Listen to me. Talking to me is only wasting your time. Close your eyes and relax yourself."

Jane closed her eyes and let out the remaining breath she had inside of her. She drooped on her tires.

"Okay, now this is going to be a bit hard, but it'll get your headlights on. It's going to take practice, but this is how I learned. I want you to feel around inside of yourself for the sw-"

Jane's horn honked loud enough for Vermella to jump out of her chassis.

"That was the HORN. Will you WAIT for me to finish?" Vermella scolded, "Anyway, I want you to feel inside for the switch."

Jane thought very hard, which pressed buttons inside of her. She pressed a button that turned on lights, but they were small and yellow which flashed on both sides of her body - hazards.

When the lights flashed on, Jane hurried her eyes to look around. Flash on, she saw the back of the Mustang logo. Flash off, it was gone. Flash on, she saw it again. Flash off, she lost it again. Flash on, Jane reach her axle out. Flash off, she couldn't see anything. Flash on, she pressed her tire against the back of the Mustang logo. Flash off, she could see anything. Flash on, she pushed on the logo. Flash off, and the logo dropped out of its socket and onto the asphalt outside of the trunk. Light from a streetlight outside seeped in. Jane pushed her face up against the hole and took in a deep breath of fresh air.

"Good job, Leo! How are you doing?"

"I'm…okay…"

"Good! Got your headlights working?"

"Yeah, and they blink at the same time!"

Vermella's eyes rolled, "Those are called hazard lights."

"Where are we going?" asked Jane.

"It's night time, we should probably find a place to stay for the night."

"Where are we going?"

"Hang on, Leo."

Vermella slammed on her gas pedal and sped away from the area. Jane flew back in her trunk. The crystallized desert snow kicked up from behind Vermella as she dashed. In front of her was the same sheet of ice Jane slipped on before. Vermella watched as the thick ice sheet came closer and closer. When it touched her two front tires, she slammed on her brakes. She slid right across the ice sheet at the same speed with no problems at all, then continued on her way until her headlights shined on a dull, brown, rusty tow truck that was in her way. She slammed on her brakes again. Jane flew forward and bashed her face against another wall in her trunk. She lifted her tire to try to soothe the spot.

The tow truck turned and looked at Vermella. It was Mater. Mater stared until his eyes focused past her high beams. His jaw dropped at her beauty. That color, those lips, those eyes, she was perfect. Vermella noticed Mater starting at her in awe, which made her smile.

Another sucker.

Mater watched in a trance as her lips curled like a perfect crescent moon. When she smiled, her bottom lip came out just enough to form a perfect little bump. Her upper lip sat perfectly on top.

"Hooowdy," Vermella sang. Mater gulped. Her voice, so angelic, soft as a cloud, if a car was ever able to touch one.

"Ha-Howdy there," Mater smiled.

"What's yooour name?" Vermella asked seductively. Mater rubbed his left front tire around in the snow. He looked up at the night sky to avoid eye contact with her.

"Well, erm, my name's Mater. Like Tomater, but without the 'ta'!"

Vermella leaned on her side and lifted an eyelid, confused, "That's a very interestin'-"

"What's yer name?" Mater asked suddenly.

"My name's Vermella, spelled V-E-R-M-E-L-L-A. You know that double L? That's pronounced like a 'y'. Think of my name like it's got the month of May in there. Ver-May-Uh."

"I guess that won't be hard to remember! Nice to meet you, Vermelah."

Vermella's eyes narrowed and she pulled close to his face.

"You know, Tomater, I really don't like when cars say my name wrong," said Vermella. The tone of her voice, not so angelic anymore.

"Well, maybe ya shouldn't have spelled it. Now I'll jus' git confused," Mater replied.

Vermella stared at Mater with a blank expression on her face. After a few seconds, she rolled her eyes. She realized the type of car she was dealing with.

"So, Mater, is it? Yeah, do you know where we-erm-I-I, can find a motel 'round here?"

"Yeah, there's one in Radiator Springs! Come on! It's really close!"

Mater swung his tow hook out and hooked Vermella's bumper.

"What are you DOING?" Vermella screamed.

Jane saw his tow hook from the little hole, "Mater!"

Mater's eyes widened and he looked around.

"Jane!?" Mater called out.

Vermella's entire expression dropped. She bit down on her bottom lip.

"Well, gee! Thanks for findin' 'er! I was lookin' everywhere!" said Mater.

"Uh…well…erm…I'll give her back to ya, but you need to get me to that motel first!" said Vermella.

"Sure thing!"

Mater started to drive towards Radiator Springs. Vermella watched as everything was moving away from her, as if driving in reverse. Mater pulled up in front of the Cozy Cone and looked in the lobby.

"Hm…," said Mater, "Mrs. Sally ain't here."

"What does that mean?" asked Vermella.

Vermella struggled around for a bit and unhooked herself from Mater's bumper, "So…what? I can't stay here?"

"Well, ya can. I got a key that Mrs. Sally gave me if I ever needed to give a car a room in an emergency."

Mater looked at the lights which showed the cone's numbers. The only light that was lit up was cone number four.

"There's only one room left!" said Mater, "I'll just git ya in that one."

She followed Mater over to the garage door. When Mater opened it, Vermella drove inside cautiously. Every little thing was…caution cone themed.

"This'll have to do."

Mater smiled sweetly, "Enjoy your stay! I'll let Mrs. Sally know that you're staying here in the morning."

Mater shifted in reverse, but then stopped.

"Hey…wait a minute," said Mater, "I almost forgot Jane! I need ta give 'er back ta Mrs. Sally!"

Her pupils constricted and she flung herself around, "Wait..Leo is the daughter of the owner of this place?"

"Well, I dunno who Leo is, but Jane sure is!"

Vermella thought to herself, thinking of all the ways she could possibly cover herself.

"YOU," she said firmly. Suddenly, that sweet voice that hypnotized every car was gone. It was raspy again. The voice she used when she spoke to Jane or any other car that she does "business" with.

Vermella took her tire and grabbed under Mater's front bumper. She pulled him inside of the cone and stretched out her back axle to press the button that shut the garage door.

"Listen here, Tomater, tell me everything you know."

"Well, that won't take too long," he said with a chuckle.

"I mean about LEO."

"Who's Leo?"

"LITTLE EXPENSIVE ONE."

"Huh?"

"JANE."

"Ya know, Ver-mel-ah, for someone who doesn't like their name being said wrong, you sure mess up Jane's name real good."

"It's VER-MAY-AH."

"No, no, no. You even said it. Her name's Jane. See? Told ya!"

Vermella cringed at Mater's stupidity, "Mater, tell me everything you know about Leo."

"It's Jane."

"Jane."

"Well, I know she's Mrs. Sally's daughter, she's tiny, she's got two different colors in her eyes, she never had another color fade in so she's pearl white, she still smells like new car, she's the daughter of Lighting McQueen, she-"

"What did you just say?"

"She?"

"Before that."

"McQueen."

"THE WHOLE SENTENCE."

"She's the daughter of Lightning McQueen...she."

"That's why she's so…expensive…"

"Well, she didn't really cost anything. I don't know if you know, but when two cars love each other-"

"ENOUGH," Vermella got close to Mater and said, "You tell anyone that I have her daughter, no one will ever have the chance to get her name wrong ever again."

Mater started to tremble, "Uh…uh…okay, Ver-mel-ah."

Vermella got even closer, "Another thing. You get my name wrong one more time, and no one will have the chance to screw up your name anymore either."