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Keep On Truckin', Ch. 6

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Keep On Truckin’
(sequel to IMYOR62)

Chapter Six:
Wedding Bells and Tiny Tires

“Just five more minutes, Mom,” mumbled a half-asleep Mack. The semi shifted on the mattress, splaying his tires out beneath him and arching his fifth wheel as he stretched and yawned. Vee chuckled and nudged him again. Mack groaned. “One more minute, pleeeaasssse!”

“I’m afraid it can’t wait another minute,” Vee told him. Her tank churned unpleasantly and she nudged him even harder. “Unless you don’t mind getting puked on, I seriously recommend moving out of my way.”

Mack’s eyes snapped open. One look at Vee’s pale face and he scrambled away from her. The comforter tangled around one of his rear tires, causing him to yank it out from under her when he moved. Vee yelped and tumbled off the bed.

Mack gasped. “Chrysler, are you okay?” he asked. He reached a tire out to help her up.

“Well, that didn’t help any,” she replied, looking slightly green. She made an ugly face as she fought back another wave of nausea. “I’ll - urgh - be right back.” And in the blink of an eye she was gone. A moment later Mack heard wretching noises coming from somewhere outside. He grimaced at the sound and quickly busied himself with making the bed.

A few minutes later he drove outside to check on Vee. He hadn’t bothered to look at the clock, but judging from the sun’s position in the sky it had to be nearly ten a.m., if not later. Though he rarely slept past eight, Mack had had too much on his mind (and in his bed) to allow for a full night’s rest. Not that he could complain. Vee certainly provided a good distraction from his thoughts, and the fact that she had been the inspiration for said thoughts in the first place testified to just how good a distraction it had been.

He found her parked at the edge of the track that stood between the garages and the main building of Lightning’s racing headquarters. She was staring across it as though she were the sole spectator of a race that only she could see. And indeed she could almost see her competitors whiz past her in a shimmering blur, could nearly hear the roar of engines and the screams from the crowd.

Her tank fluttered again, then settled. Far more real to her now was the sensation of morning sickness and the presence of the baby growing inside her. Vee couldn’t help but wonder how this very unexpected and life-altering event would affect her racing career. She had little time to dwell on it, however, as the sound of a familiar diesel engine roused her from her thoughts.

Mack drove up behind her. “Feeling better?”

Vee shrugged. “Eh.”

“Oh. Well then, I guess going to Flo’s for Sunday brunch wouldn’t appeal to you right now, would it?”

“Not particularly, no.” She turned to him suddenly and smiled. “Not to eat, anyway, but it would be the perfect place to tell everyone the news!” Mack smiled back. Sunday morning at Flo’s was the one time and place where every car in town could easily be found.

* * *

A half hour later Mack and Vee arrived at the café. The entire population of Radiator Springs was there, with the exception of Doc and Lizzie. Mater surrendered his spot by the end pump so that the two could park side by side, Vee just under the awning and Mack beside it. Flo noticed them right away and rolled over to them.

“Well look who finally decided to show up at the crack of noon!” she declared, a sassy smile on her gleaming chrome lips. “I was just about to send out a search party for you two!”

“Not me, man!” Ramone chimed in. “If I know what they was up to, and I bet I do, I wouldn’t be goin’ up and disturbing them. You know what I’m sayin’, ese?” He gave them a wink. Mack blushed, but did not respond.

Ramone grinned. “Oh yeah, I know that look!” he said with a snicker. “I was right, man! What’d I tell you?” He gave Flo a nudge and she slugged him in return.

“What can I getcha, hun?” Flo asked Vee.

“Oh, nothing for me, thanks,” the Chrysler replied, still looking somewhat pale.

Mack brushed his tire against hers in a comforting gesture. “I’ll have the usual,” he said.

Vee looked around the lot. Everyone was busy either laughing at some joke, chewing their food, or chatting up a neighbor. Aside from Flo, Ramone and Mater, none of them seemed aware of her presence. That is until she noticed Doc watching her a short distance away. The Hornet had just arrived from his clinic with a shakier-than-usual Lizzie in tow. Judging by the extra large, extra black cup of coffee Flo served her, the old Model T was suffering from a nasty hangover.

After seeing her settled into a shady parking spot under the awning, Doc glanced over at Vee. It took her a moment to realize that he was staring at her front left hubcap. He met her gaze with a knowing smile. She blushed and smiled back. Mack nudged her.

“You ready?” he whispered. Vee nodded. Together the two drove toward the café and parked in front of the building. From here they had a clear view of all the patrons, and they in turn could easily see Mack and Vee. But even so, no one appeared to take any interest in them, that is until Mack blared his horn. The crowd startled and fell deathly silent. All eyes were on the red semi now, though he wasn’t ashamed in the least. Vee eyed him suspiciously.

“Completely involuntary, huh?” she murmured. “Just like last night?”

Mack blushed, but now that he had everyone’s attention he quickly turned away to address the crowd. “We have a couple of announcements to make,” he said loudly, moving closer to Vee as he spoke. One tire reached out to hers and touched it. He took a deep breath. “Vee and I are getting married!”

“WAAAHOOOOOOO!” Mater’s raucous cheer rang out the loudest amid the excited din that followed. Mack and Vee both laughed as he spun circles in front of them, swinging his tow hook around, shouting to the heavens in his glee. Mack wrapped a tire around Vee and pulled her close. She met him halfway in a kiss that roused several whistles and cat calls from the crowd, particularly from Ramone, who had raised himself up on his hydraulics to see over Luigi. Mater was still cheering loudly. Mack honked again, making him jump.

“We do have another announcement, you know,” Mack said with a grin. He turned to Vee. “You wanna tell them?”

Vee blushed slightly but nodded. She turned to face the crowd. “We’re having a baby!”

The second round of cheers was much louder than the first, so loud that even Mater couldn’t compete. “Well now that were some perdy fast work right there!” he exclaimed. “Ah don’t reckon Ah ever seen no one make a baby that quick before!” Mack stared at him in alarm. Mater chuckled. “Ah’s jist kiddin’, Mack. Ah know’d ya two hadda done a lot more’n that.” He then turned to Vee and gave her a friendly slug on the tire.

“Congrajeelations, Miss Vee! Ah’m happier’n a tornado in a trailer park fer ya!” Vee grinned and slugged him back, as was their usual routine. “And tuh think, this lil town’s about tuh get one car bigger! Why, Ah don’t think we’ve had any young ’uns born in Radiator Springs since - uhhh… Hey Aunt Lizzie! What year was Red born?”

Nearby, Sarge rolled his eyes. “Great,” he mumbled. “That’s all this town needs; another snot-nosed little hotrodder tearing up the road.”

“Ignore him!” Fillmore drawled, unable to contain his own excitement at the news. “The children are our future, man.”

Sarge grumbled something that the bus interpreted as negative and chided him for it. “Say whatever you want, man, but I know for a fact how much you love kids, especially your niece Rosie…”

“Cram a muffler in it, hippie!” barked the Jeep, though there was no mistaking the slight upward curve to his normally stiff bumper.

There was a sudden shout, followed by the deafening honk of a semi horn. Mack and Vee both looked up from the immediate crowd surrounding them to see Midge come barreling toward them with Gaspar right behind.

“Oh MACK!” Midge squealed, throwing her tires around her son. Mack blushed and hugged her back. Tears of joy slid down her hood and splashed on his wheel wells. “Oh my little baby… I’m so happy…” she whispered between sobs.

“Little baby? HA!” Gaspar laughed. He nearly ran Mater over in his attempt to reach Mack. “Not my boy! He’s a man! A man with his own little baby on the way!” He punched Mack in the fender, but Mack was in too good a mood (and being hugged too tightly by Midge) to return the gesture. “Yes sir, Trucker men know how to get the job done!” he added with a grin.

Midge let go of Mack finally and glared at her husband. “Really Gaspar, that’s no way to talk! You’re about to become a grandfather, for Chrysler’s sake!”

“And for this Chrysler’s sake I’ll be the best grandpa ever!” Gaspar vowed as he pulled Vee toward him in a crushing hug. Vee gasped as the wind was squeezed out of her, but she managed a chuckle and hugged him back.

“Whoa! Easy, Dad!” Mack spoke up. “She’s pregnant, remember?”

"Pregnant with my grandkid!” Gaspar said proudly.

“Yeah, well, be careful with her!”

“I am! Vee’s a lot tougher than you give her credit for, ya know.” And as if to prove his point he gave her a rather painful-looking hood noogie.

Mack scowled. “Do you not understand that there’s a baby growing inside her?”

Gaspar snorted. “Oh, you worry too much! Kid’s probably no bigger’n lug nut right now anyway. Why, when your mama was pregnant with you that didn’t stop us from getting - oof!” he was silenced by a thump from Midge. Gaspar blushed. “So uh, when’s the baby due?”

“Mid December,” Vee replied, finally freeing herself from the big rig’s hold. Mack gave her an apologetic look for his dad’s behavior. Midge was next to hug her, though she was far gentler than her husband had been.

“I always knew you were the one,” she said breathlessly. “From the very first day Mack brought you home from school to help him with that English assignment. The way you two were together; so happy, so perfect. I just knew.”

For a moment Vee was speechless, then a small but joyful sob escaped her as she found herself returning the semi’s hug. “Mom…” she whispered, and a single tear slid down her hood. Midge loosened her hold and looked down at the lavender car in surprise. Vee blushed and blinked away another tear. “I’m sorry,” she sniffled. “I didn’t mean… m-my mom said the same thing the night of our prom. I just - I just wish she was here now to see that she was right.”

Midge barely remembered the Chrysler’s mother, who had died in a collision nearly five years earlier. Vee sighed sadly and the big rig pulled her into another hug. “She knows,” she whispered. “And she’s glad… and so am I.”

Vee sobbed again, though this time it was with a smile that stretched from headlight to headlight. “Thanks, Mom.”

Next in the long line of vehicles waiting to congratulate her were Luigi and Guido. “I cannot-a believe it!” Luigi exclaimed. “A wedding! And a little bambino! How bellissimo! I can-a already hear the sound of-a wedding bells and-a tiny tires rolling around -” the little Fiat gasped, then suddenly he was grinning wider than ever. “Oh, the tires! Do you know what-a this means, Guido? We will-a be up to our windshields in tires! Whitewall wedding tires, maternity tires, and-a …” he gasped again to catch his breath, “BABY TIRES!” Luigi swooned from the excitement and toppled over. Guido caught him with his fork blades. “I am-a so happy! I cannot breathe!”

Vee chuckled and rolled her eyes. Once Guido had carted Luigi away, Doc pulled up. He didn’t cheer, and he didn’t congratulate her. His smile said it all. Vee smiled back at the car she had come to look up to as more than a mentor, but a father as well. “Doc,” she said, then paused, her hood flushing pink. “Mack and I have talked it over and, well, we want you to be the one to marry us. Will you do it?”

The Hornet’s look of surprise was quickly replaced by another smile, one far bigger than before. “I’d be honored,” he replied, and hugged her.

Vee turned pinker as she struggled to get her next question out. “And if it’s not too much to ask, would you also - um -”

Doc chuckled. “Of course I’ll be your doctor. What kind of car would I be if I said no? In fact, I’m going to be looking after you and your baby whether you like it or not, missy!”

Vee laughed and hugged him again. “Thanks, Doc.”

“Oh, don’t thank me just yet,” he replied, though he was still smiling. “Knowing you, I don’t think you’re going to be too happy with your choice in prenatal care a few months down the road.”

Mack parked beside her with a smirk. “Good luck getting this one to listen to you,” he said to Doc. “I’ve got my tires full trying to deal with her right now!” Vee laughed again and punched his fender.



Chapter Seven: [link]
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