Gah, I love you guys! Thanks so much for the 12 reviews! I've NEVER gotten that much on one chapter! Now, to clear something up for somebody, Lexie is NOT the person in the picture that Doc keeps. She's Ramone and Flo's daughter. Doc's, uh, picture person was from his 50s life. And finally, people who agree with me Lightning isn't gay! I mean, I have NOTHING against people with different sexualities, but it just kind of shocks me, you know?

So anyway, the story! YAY!

"Just remember what I said. Get 'em and go."

"Trust me, I'll do it."

"Good. Don't disappoint me. I don't want to see him there, got it?"

"I know. I'm on my way, don't worry. What have you got to lose?"

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There were days when he felt like just leaving and going back. But he didn't. Ever since he arrived there was only one thing that was holding him back.

Sally.

That one word made his engine get butterflies. By now it was pretty clear he loved her. The whole town of Radiator Springs knew it. He used to have fans all over him. The fans used to have him all over then. But that changed.

He had to ask her something that night.

He just wasn't sure he had the guts to ask.

"Lightnin'! I've been thinkin' about it. With you askin' Sally to marry ya, and with me askin' nobody, I figered that you'd better tell me HOW yer gonna ask 'er."

"I told you not to say it so loud. Think about it Mater. If somebody finds out, Sally finds out, and that is not good."

"But yer askin' tonight!"

"I know. I'm just nervous. What if she says no?"

"Then yer just not gettin' married to 'er, that's all."

"That's all? It could mean a break-up, and I don't really want that."

"Yer just not gettin' married, then. I think I said that."

"But I love her, Mater. It's more difficult than just not getting married. It's the difference between winning and losing her."

"I guess yer right. But what in tarnation do I know about gettin' married and whatnot? I'm just a tow truck. G'night, Lightnin'."

"See ya, Mater."

Lighting McQueen was ready.

At least, he thought he was.

Okay, maybe he wasn't. But he was going to do what he had to do.

He could see her inside the Cozy Cone Motel from his house. Alone. Just waiting. For him. For him who was waiting for her.

He was SO not ready.

There was a part of him wanting to just to ask right then, but there was another part that didn't want to ask at all. He couldn't think of what to do. This has to be hard for anybody, thought Lighting. There can't be somebody confident enough to think that no matter how much of an idiot they are, somebody like Sally would definitely marry them. This is Sally we're talking about.

Sally.

His engine started to feel a little jittery.

He was just standing there, waiting for her to say to herself 'Oh yeah! I have a date!' and drive outside to find her boyfriend.

Sally looked at her clock. Why wasn't he there yet? It was 10 minutes past the time he said he was going to be there. But she didn't see the former rookie racecar anywhere.

"Sally!" Lightning yelled. He wasn't getting any attention from her. "C'mon, Sal, I'm out here!" Still no answer.

With his last attempt to get her to at least look out the window, he revved up his engine so loud, the whole town could hear.

Sally jumped and screamed. What WAS that? She looked outside to find her boyfriend just staring at her. Only her. There were plenty of people watching, but she couldn't tell. It felt as if they were the only two people who lived there.

There was no question about it, Sally loved Lightning. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her. She was happy.

Sally drove outside, to where Lightning was.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I scare you?" Lightning said.

All Sally could do was laugh. He had said that to her when he had been arrested. Sure, it was annoying then, but he was making a joke out of it, now. "Well, a little bit, but I'll be alright," said Sally, quoting what Mater had said back to Lightning, even though the question was clearly not directed at him.

"Ha ha, but seriously. Did I?"

"Yeah, but I'm fine."

"Okay, good. Uh, sorry."

"Oh, no, it's fine. Seriously. So, where are we going?"

"You'll see. Follow me."

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"So this is it, huh?"

"Yeah, it is. You like it?"

"It's beautiful."

Sally and Lightning were both talking about where they were. Lightning had found a place where you could go down to the bottom of the waterfall. It was absolutely gorgeous, and would make anybody melt just looking at it.

"Seriously, it's, it's amazing." Sally looked at Lightning. "Thank you."

Lightning put on a smile. "Good to know you're happy." He nudged her a little and she nudged back. They cuddled a little. Unfortunately, that was interrupted by somebody they didn't expect to see at all.

"Howdy, you two."

Lightning and Sally just looked at the person as if they were crazy. Then again, they were. Coming during their date was just, well, insane. In unison, they yelled "MATER?"

"Yup, that's my name."

"What," said Lightning. "Are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was jus' here to see if you remember that you were gonna ask Miss Salleh to marry yeh."

"You WHAT!" said Sally.

Mater looked at Lightning, who was giving him a dirty look. "How loud was that?" asked Mater.

"Just a little too loud, Mater. Just a little too loud."

"Well, sorreh 'bout that. Anyways, yuh forgot to bring this, whatever it is. G'bye, again!" Mater left a piece of paper. He decided it was about time to leave, knowing that maybe, just MAYBE, he shouldn't have done that.

Sally just stared at Lightning. Lightning stared at Sally. "You weren't."

"I wish I could tell you that was true."

"Lightning…" Sally couldn't find words to say at all. She looked at the piece of paper. What was on it? She opened up the piece, and began reading it.

Dear Sally,

I'm not quite sure how to explain this, but you are the most amazing person I've ever met. I love every single bit of you, and hope to God that will never, ever change.

There is something I've been hiding for a bit that I think you might want to know. Mater's been teasing me about it. I might as well ask. I think it's about time I make a commitment with you, and I'm not talking about just getting tattoos that say each others name on them. I'm in serious consideration of this. So I'm gonna say it now.

Sally Carrera, will you marry me?

I'm sorry if you think that it's a bit shallow of me not to ask in person, but the truth is, I'm worried about being rejected. When you have your answer, come over, and say yes or no.

Love,

Stickers

Lightning was biting his tongue. Had Mater not have come to ruin the whole proposal, he wouldn't be so nervous. The plan was to give Sally the note at the end of the date, and then wait for in answer when he was at his house. Not for Mater to come in and ask "Did you ask yet?" and then for Sally to ask what they were talking about. For Pete's sake, Mater TOLD Sally! He pretty much asked Sally FOR him! "You, you know, it's not supposed to be like this, Sal."

Sally just looked at him, confused, and a little weirded out. "What do you mean? The proposal or Mater always invading us?"

Lightning thought about that statement. "Well, when you think of it, both. I mean, it's not like it's supposed to be perfect, but it's not supposed to be so, so meaningless."

"Asking me to marry you is not meaningless, Lightning. I love you. You know that. And I know you're scared about rejection. I've rejected a few people in my life. I guess I know how they must feel now. You think you know somebody enough, and then they just leave you forever. Just because they weren't ready to say yes to a question."

"You took the words right out of my mouth."

There was a little bit of silence. Sally didn't know whether Lightning was marriage material. She had thought about it long and hard. Whether it would affect them in the long run or not, she didn't know. But she was going to do what she had to do.

"Yes."

"What?"

"Yes, Lightning! Yes! I'll marry you!"

"You will!"

"I mean, yeah. I guess so. Why wouldn't I?"

Gah, there HAD to be something going wrong about that proposal, and who better to ruin it than Mater? Once again, THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! 12, people, 12! But I could ALWAYS use more.

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