Title: "Most Important"
Author: Pirate Turner
Rating: G
Summary: Truth comes to light when Mater blames himself for wrecking one of Lightning's races.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, names, codenames, places, items, fandoms, titles, and etc. are always © & TM their respective owners, not the author, and are used without permission. Any and all original characters and everything else is © & TM the author and may not be reproduced in any way without the author's express, written permission. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: 244. That's the number of stories that were sitting on my hard drive collecting dust because I lack the energy and time to take care of them as I once did. My betaing pattern has always been to write, then type up if written on paper, the story, read it aloud to my beloved Jack and our children, editing as I go, and then finally format and post. Sadly, this part is simply taking too much of my time and energy, and my beloved Jack and I have too little time together in person these days to be able to keep up with my stories. So what to do? Give up writing? I actually considered it for a while, tried to make excuses to myself other than the large number of stories collecting cyber dust on my computer, as to why I lacked the energy and Muse to write new tales. And then, with the turn of the new year, I decided to stop running and face the problem. The problem is, quite frankly, that once one gets so bogged down in formatting and editing that writing is no longer a pleasure but the actual posting of those writings becomes a hassle and - egad! - work, it's time to cut something out, and that will never be the writing process. So, in short, yes, there will be mistakes in this tale. Yes, it's missing about half of the header information I usually include. But I wrote it for pleasure and am posting it in hopes of sharing that pleasure with others. Do with it as you will.

The Mustang sneered at the crowd's favorite sports car over their uproarious applause. "Enjoy the music while you can, McQueen. It won't last."

Lightning vroomed his engine at his opponent. "I'm winning this race," he boasted proudly. He shot him one of his famous grins that was so bright it hurt. "I'll beat you every time." He gave the crowd another of his trademark smiles, and they went wild.

"You sound so sure about that."

"That's because I am sure. I'm not guessing that I'm better than you. It's a fact; just ask any race fan."

"We'll see about that." The Mustang's engine snarled at McQueen, but he ignored Musty and turned his full attention onto the competition at hand.

The crowd's and especially his friends' voices shouting his name seemed to fill his purring motor with fresh oil. He would win this race! He had the whole of Radiator Springs behind him! He had a whole world of fans! "MCQUEEN!" one voice shouted higher than all the rest. Lightning smiled. He had a truck who loved him! He would win!

The gun fired. The flags dropped. The racers took off. Lightning was already in the lead, but then he heard a change in the cheering. Mater's voice had shot to a high pitch and then disappeared. Lightning rounded the corner and looked to his pit crew just as Mater shouted again.

But, this time, he wasn't screaming Lightning's name. He was just yelling as his tires spun out of control beneath him. Doc tried to stop him, but Mater changed directions to keep from hitting the old Hudson Hornet and slipped out onto the track.

Lightning's and Mater's windshields shot wide as they found themselves almost engine to engine. In that split second, Lightning's sole objective in existence changed completely, going from winning his race to doing nothing more or less than saving the truck he loved.

"MATER!" he shouted. "GET OFF THE TRACK!" He could tell he was trying to do just that, but the old truck's tires spun beneath him, frantically trying to take him everywhere but where he was trying to go. Watching Mater's tires led Lighting to spot the large patch of oil running beneath them and spreading quickly.

The other racers were catching up, and Mater was about to become the proverbial sitting duck. Small cars were coming on to the track with flags for the race to stop, but Lightning knew it wouldn't be enough. The other cars were going too fast to stop in time to keep from hitting Mater, even if they started braking now.

"STOP!" he roared as the crowd gasped and whirled around to face the oncoming cars. Most were trying to stop, but the Mustang wasn't slowing and was now in the lead - and laughing. Lightning's oil boiled. He growled as Musty zipped circles around him.

And then he caught sight of Doc and their friends out of his rearview mirror. Lightning smiled the brightest smile of his life, which made Musty pause and frown in confusion. Lightning's immense joy in that moment came from two sources: his love for Mater, including his knowledge of how much Mater loved him and how he would do anything for him, and the cherished memories of all their times together.

"Come on, shugah!" Flo cried as Lightning whispered, "Kachow!" The sun shone upon his sparkling grin. Its sparkle reflected onto Doc's mirrors, then Ramone's, Luigi's, and finally Red's before bouncing up, hitting a helicopter, and coming back down - squarely and fully into the unexpecting Mustang's windshield!

The purple car screeched and slammed on his brakes but couldn't stop in time. He ran headfirst into the railing and kept going until he slammed into a wall. Lightning smiled again, a safer smile this time, as smoke circled up from the Mustang's engine and he cursed a blue streak.

Lightning glanced at Doc, who nodded and led the procession of his pit crew out onto the tracks to circle the Mustang. Lightning turned back to Mater and gently touched his front bumper to his. "You don't happen to know that car, do you, sweetheart?" he asked where all the crowd could hear.

"As a matter of fact, I do!" Lightning could barely hear Mater's next words of explanation above the crowd's booing. "He gave me free oil and a check up!"

"Luigi tell you always come to Luigi for check up!" Luigi called angrily and glowered even more fiercely at the now cowering Mustang.

Mater shrugged and looked sheepish. "It was on the way," he said, "and free."

"Don't worry about it, darling." Lightning kissed Mater again. "Everything's going to be just fine."

"But - But I wrecked your race!"

Lightning's engine purred to him. "You're more important than any race," he vowed. Mater beamed, the happiest he'd ever been, as Lightning kissed him passionately many more times before the whole world!

The End