A/N: This is mainly a one-shot about Cruz accepting certain changes in her life. I've always wanted to explore this concept so I hope you guys enjoy! Per usual, the bold indicates flashbacks and the italics are mainly Cruz's thoughts (since it is taken from her perspective).
Disclaimers: I don't know much about NASCAR or the Piston Cup Series in the Cars universe so some of my racing knowledge won't be accurate. Also, this story might not be up to par compared to my usual works. I was honestly in the mood for some Lightning and Cruz moments and I just wanted to write it as fast as possible (the story might be a little rushed). I also don't own "The Radiator Springs 500 ½" Cars short. This short and all the concepts of the Cars franchise belong to Disney and Pixar.
I still hope you enjoy!
It was Cruz's first race without Lightning. This reality hit her when she left Radiator Springs to attend the final race before the mid-season break. When he said goodbye to her without entering the trailer, she finally realized that her worst fears were coming to fruition. It was weird to see Lightning switch back to his glossy, red Radiator Springs paint job. She missed the "Fabulous Lightning McQueen" paint job, the one that she was all too familiar with. She didn't want to leave without him. It just didn't feel right. Of course she knew that she would return after this race was over, but her anxiety wasn't allowing her to think clearly.
As Mack pulled away from the town, Cruz closed her eyes to remember Lightning's last words to her before she left. He was the last one to say goodbye. She could see his gentle smile and feel the touch of his tire on her fender. She didn't even have the strength to look him in the eye.
"You're gonna do great kiddo," he said with a warm smile as Cruz turned to reverse into the trailer.
Cruz only nodded slowly, doing a horrible job of hiding her sadness. She reversed into the trailer, hoping (with every bolt in her body) that Lightning would follow behind. Her engine raced once he drove closer to the ramp.
Please come with me!
"You'll be fine Cruz. Once this race is over, you'll be back home before you know it," Lightning said, trying to console a grief-stricken Cruz.
"Goodbye Mr. McQueen," she said in a somber tone as she pressed the button to close the trailer door.
Cruz opened her eyes and tried to play some of her favorite tunes. The music was loud enough to distract her mind, but it didn't help her to forget about the situation. Her mind kept going back to that moment. The day that Lightning broke the news to her.
Cruz was smiling brightly as the paparazzi took multiple pictures of her and the trophy from her recent win. Everyone was congratulating her on her win, but no one was happier than her crew chief.
"You're making me proud out there kiddo. Keep this up and you'll be one step closer to winning your second Piston Cup!" Lightning exclaimed.
He was truly beaming with pride. Cruz was elated to see that she put a smile on her mentor's face. They both went into the Dinoco building to add the trophy to the grandiose display of her past wins. As Lightning watched Cruz put her trophy in the display case, he felt his engine rattle as he thought about telling Cruz the news. He knew that she wouldn't take it lightly, but he didn't want to leave her without an explanation. After she locked the trophy case, Lightning motioned for Cruz to follow him into a private room. Cruz was zipping around the room, still excited about her win.
"Did you see me out there Mr. McQueen? I was going faster than I've ever gone before! I think I beat my top speed! It was incredible!" she beamed.
Lightning chuckled quietly to himself. His smile faded once he realized how this news would ruin her mood. In all of her excitement, Cruz caught a glimpse of Lightning's somber facial expression.
"What's wrong Mr. McQueen?" she asked, finally calming down.
Lightning took a deep breath. "Cruz I need to tell you something important. I want you to listen carefully to what I'm about to say."
Cruz smirked. "Whoa Mr. McQueen! You're scaring me," she said with a nervous laugh.
"This is serious Cruz. I'm sorry to tell you this, but I'm resigning as your crew chief," he said with a frown.
Cruz's face froze. Her whole world felt like it was shattering into a million pieces. She felt like her engine was going to explode. A thin line of water formed on the bottom of her windshield. She opened her mouth, but nothing was coming out. Lightning gave her a few minutes to catch herself. He could see that she wasn't taking the news well. After a few minutes of brutal silence, Lightning tried to snap Cruz out of her trance.
"Cruz, can you hear me?" he asked as he waved his tire in front of her face.
"Huh? Oh, I just... I just want to know why. Why are you leaving?" Cruz said as she tried to blink back some tears.
"I know this is hard for you, believe me, it was hard for me to make this decision too," Lightning said as he went on to explain.
Lightning's voice was beginning to echo out of existence. His speech was slurred and his words sounded like utter gibberish. All that talk about contractual obligations, charity races, and keeping the Rusteze company going didn't provide Cruz with a sufficient explanation. Her thoughts sent her into a frenzy:
Was I not good enough? What am I supposed to do now? Tex owns both companies, can't he just expand Rusteze on his own? Why did he need Mr. McQueen to do that for him? What about me? Why is this happening?!
"Do you understand now Cruz?" Lightning asked as he finished explaining.
Cruz regained her composure and tried to muster up a confident smile. "I understand Mr. McQueen. Things change right? I'm fine with it," she said as her lips quivered.
Lightning narrowed his eyes and cocked a brow at her. "You sure?" he asked, watching Cruz struggle to maintain her bravado.
"I'm positive. Let's go home. That race tired me out," she said as she rushed out of the room.
A knock on the trailer door pulled Cruz back into reality.
"Hey Cruz, are you ready?" Mack called from outside the trailer.
Cruz blinked rapidly. Her eyes darted around the trailer and stopped on the plasma TV screen. She didn't recall turning it on. She looked closer at the bright screen and saw that she had two missed calls from Lightning. She didn't even hear the phone ring. Cruz jumped as she rushed to call him back.
"Cruz are you doing okay in there? They're calling all the racers to the track!" Mack said as he tried to get Cruz to come out of the trailer.
"Wait! I'm not ready! I need to call Mr. McQueen!" Cruz said as she frantically pressed all the buttons on the control panel. Her mind was racing so fast that she forgot which button to press in order to make a video call.
"Uh Cruz? The racers are getting into their pole positions!" Mack said as he began to panic.
"Just give me a minute!" Cruz yelled as she tried to press more buttons. Her frustration caused her to press the wrong button, which shut off the TV entirely. "Noooooo!" Cruz yelled as she saw the blank screen.
"Cruz I need you to come out of there. You're going to miss the race!" Mack said as he gave one more knock.
Cruz sighed as she pressed the button to open the trailer door (at least that one was easy to recognize). There was no use in trying to call Lightning back. There was no time.
Cruz rushed over to the track and quickly made her way to her pole position. She didn't even have time to stop by her pit area. As always, Jackson began to tease her. In her eyes, his lips were moving but nothing meaningful was coming out of his mouth. She just shut him out entirely.
"Good afternoon Cruz!" a cheerful voice said as it erupted through her speakers.
She didn't recognize the voice at first. It definitely didn't sound like The King. This voice sounded like it belonged to a much younger car. While she was cruising around the track waiting for the green flag to drop, she glanced over at her pit area and saw Cal Weathers on the crew chief stand.
"Cal? Is that you?" Cruz asked, not believing her eyes.
"Yes ma'am! It's me!" he said in a gleeful tone. "My uncle had an important meeting to go to and he asked me to fill in for him. Look, I know we've never worked together like this before and I might not be as good as Lightning when it comes to this stuff, but we can give it a try right?" he said with a crooked smile.
Cruz looked down at the track beneath her. Her engine rattled as her oil pressure soared to unimaginable heights. Her thoughts went on a rampage once again: How could this be happening? Cal is a great guy and all but he's never done this before! Will I even win this race? Do I even want to win at this point? How could I have missed two calls from Mr. McQueen?!
Losing that valuable video call from Lightning was eating her up inside. It would've given her a much needed boost of confidence.
It's alright Cruz. You can do this. You can use that negative energy to push through to the positive!
"You're right Cal. Let's do this thing!" Cruz said as the pittie waved the green flag in the air.
Cruz was trying her best to put the techniques that Lightning taught her into practice, but every maneuver made her think of him more. Her mind was miles away from the racetrack. She could remember all the training sessions at Willie's Butte. Even now she pictured herself following behind Lightning as they raced on the old dirt track. The happiness that she felt from remembering their training sessions faded into guilt as the plasma TV screen came back into her memory. All she could see was: 2 missed calls from Chester Whipplefilter (for some reason she still had his disguise name from the Crazy-8 Demolition Derby as his main contact name). The guilt washed over her like a violent tidal wave. She fell behind more racers as time went on. She clearly wasn't thinking straight.
"Cruz, what's going on? Are you okay?" Cal called out to her, but Cruz wasn't listening.
All she could think about was missing those video calls. It was the last ten laps and that's when Cruz finally snapped out of her stupor. She maneuvered her way through the pack of racers that passed her before. By the last lap, she finally caught up to the leaders. She was able to come close to both Danny and Jackson. They were ahead of her but she was coming up fast. She tried hard to pass them on the inside, but they crossed the finish line before she had a chance to make her move.
3rd place. I've never gotten 3rd place before. Cruz was always used to winning. The lowest place she's ever gotten (with the exception of this race) was second place. This was a new low for her and it didn't feel good at all. To top it all off, the rain started to pour heavily. Cruz sighed as she tried to make her way over to victory lane. She couldn't stop staring at Jackson's smug smile on the jumbotrons. He seemed so proud of himself for finally getting another win. As she continued staring, she forgot to look where she was going and got stuck in a mud puddle near the field.
Are you kidding me?! Cruz struggled to break free from the sticky mud puddle. No matter how much she revved her engine, her tires wouldn't budge.
Jackson and his entourage were passing by at that exact moment. Cruz tried to quiet her engine. She closed her eyes, hoping to become invisible. Unfortunately, Jackson heard the roar of her engine. When he saw her sinking into the puddle, he let out a loud, menacing laugh.
"Hey guys, get a load of costume girl! She's stuck in the mud just like her career!" he said as he and his entourage bursted into laughter.
Oooooo! That wasn't even clever!
Cruz just rolled her eyes and waited for them to drive away. She continued to rev her engine, but it was no use.
"Don't worry Cruz I got ya'!" Cal said as he pushed Cruz out of the puddle.
"Thanks Cal," she said with a sigh as she looked down at her muddy tires.
"Awww, it was no problem. Don't pay those guys any mind. I think you did pretty well out there. You had me worried for a minute. I'm glad that you were able to bounce back," he said with a bright smile.
"Cal you're really sweet but third place doesn't cut it for me," Cruz whined.
"Yeah I understand that, but third place is better than last. You did really well in my book."
"Yeah I guess. Anyway, thanks for being my crew chief today. I know it seemed like I wasn't listening but I really appreciate it."
"No problem Cruz. I know that this transition is hard for you, especially after Lightning decided to step down. You two made one heck of a team. I know how much he means to you and you have no idea how much you mean to him. He talks about you all the time when me and Bobby are around. I get that losing a bond like that is difficult to handle all at once. Just try to stay focused. You don't want to ruin your career over this. You have to stay strong," Cal said with a warm smile.
"I'll try," Cruz said with a nervous laugh.
"You'll be fine. You'll see," Cal said as he drove back to the Dinoco building. Cruz stayed there for a few minutes, pondering the advice that Cal gave her.
He's right Cruz. You can't let this situation ruin the legacy that Mr. McQueen started with you. Things will get better.
When Cruz got to Mack, she was ready to go home. The ride seemed longer than usual. She sat in the trailer just staring at the window, admiring the beautiful sunset on the horizon. She gazed at the various cars speeding down the highway. She didn't bother to turn on any music or the TV. She couldn't bear to hear comments from the press about Jackson's win. All of the day's misfortunes were weighing heavily on her. From missing that video call to losing that race, Cruz was officially ready for this terrible day to end. As she was dozing off, a loud popping sound woke her from her slumber.
"Mack what's going on?" Cruz yelled.
"Uh we got a flat tire," Mack stuttered.
Great! Just great! Just when I thought this day couldn't get any worse!
"Um can we fix it?" Cruz asked, hoping that they can get it fixed so she could go home.
"There's a truck stop nearby. We can stay there until we find someone to fix it," Mack said as he pulled into the truck stop.
The last thing that Cruz wanted to do was spend the night at an old, run down truck stop. The place was like a ghost town and it looked like business has been slow for the past few years. It's a good thing that no one was there to recognize her trailer. She just couldn't deal with the fans or the press. She didn't even bother to come out of the trailer. Just then, the phone started to ring (luckily she heard it this time). The TV screen read: Incoming call from Chester Whipplefilter.
Cruz gasped when she saw the information on the screen. This was her chance to finally get the video call that she needed. All of the excitement wore off once she thought about her loss on the track earlier that day. What if Lightning asks her about the race? What if he wants to know why she did so poorly? She knew that she had to act fast, otherwise she would miss yet another call. She took a deep breath and pressed the button to answer the call.
Both Lightning and Sally appeared on the screen. They were in the Cozy Cone Motel, using the monitor on Sally's desk. They were both overjoyed once Cruz appeared on the screen.
"Hey Cruz!" Lightning beamed.
"Hi sweetie," Sally said with a smile.
"Hi guys," Cruz said with a faint smile. Although she was happy to see them, she couldn't deny the guilt that she felt about losing the race. She knew that Lightning expected better from her and it kills her to think that she might've disappointed him.
"How's my girl doing?" Lightning asked as he flashed a big, bright smile.
"I'm fine," Cruz said with a nervous smile.
"You look exhausted hun. Are you sure you're okay?" Sally asked with a look of concern.
"Yeah I'm really tired," Cruz said, trying to mask her true feelings.
"Well you can always sleep on the way back home. How far are you guys?" Lightning asked.
"Um, about that, Mack got a flat tire so we're at a truck stop trying to find someone to fix it," Cruz said with a sigh.
"Oh. Well look on the bright side, you'll be home in the morning," Lightning said as his bright smile returned to his face.
"Yeah I can't wait," Cruz said as she yawned.
"Alright, we should go and let you get some sleep. Right Stickers?" Sally said as she nudged Lightning's side with her tire.
"Yeah. See you in the morning Cruz," Lightning said.
"Sweet dreams sweetie," Sally said with a grin.
"Thanks guys. Have a good night," Cruz said with a smile.
"You too!" Lightning and Sally said simultaneously.
"Bye guys!" Cruz said as she ended the call.
She closed her eyes and allowed her drowsiness to take over. She eventually fell asleep, grateful that this horrible day was coming to an end.
The next morning, Mack was on the road again. Cruz woke up slowly as she saw that they were moving. Last night was a blur. The only thing she remembered was the video call. She felt bad for cutting the conversation short. She just didn't want to mention the embarrassment of losing the race. Was Jackson right? Was her career beginning to sink into a deep mud puddle? They finally arrived in Radiator Springs. Cruz was overjoyed to finally be back at home. She saw all of the townies as they lined up to meet her. They had a huge celebration for her at Flo's and everyone was having a blast. Everyone was having their drinks and dancing along to the vibrant music that played. In the midst of all the festivities, Lightning drove over to Cruz and told her to follow him.
"Come on, let's take a drive," he said with a wink.
Cruz smiled as she followed behind Lightning. They both cruised past the main street of the town and turned right into a canyon with a pasture of tractors. Lightning made sure to turn left as they drove through the field of tractors (he didn't want to repeat the fatal mistake of turning right).
They drove out of the pasture and came to some smooth, desert hills. They moved with the land as they easily glided up and down the rolling hills.
"Where are we going Mr. McQueen?" Cruz asked with a confused look on her face. She's never been in this part of town before.
"Just relax and enjoy the drive," Lightning said as he led Cruz to the cool pool of tranquility.
Cruz marvelled at the beautiful lake. An array of flowers grew at the edges of the lake, creating a peaceful touch to the environment. Large oak trees towered over them as they drove near the lake. The sunset added a graceful touch to the scenery. They continued to drive through the Tail light Cavern. Cruz was in awe at the ambiance of the tail lights hanging in the cave. They created a crescendo of amber lights. It was beginning to get dark. As they drove through the enchanted forest, Cruz stopped midway to gaze at the stars in the sky. Lightning came back to where she was once he realized that she wasn't behind him.
"This is so beautiful Mr. McQueen," she said as she stared at the stars in the night sky.
"Yeah it really is," Lightning said as the two continued to star gaze.
They finally made their way back to Stanley's statue. Cruz was ecstatic about all the exquisite scenery that she saw. On the way back, Lightning was telling her about the time where he was challenged to a race at Stanley's celebration. He told her about how he and the other racers made a right turn at the tractors instead of a left turn. He also told her about all the horrors that came with the experience.
"Wow! I can't believe it! Instead of Stanley's leisurely drive, you guys went on Stanley's drive of terror!" Cruz said as she laughed hysterically.
"Yeah, that's a day I will never forget for as long as I live," Lightning said as he shuddered.
Cruz's smile faded as she thought about the race from yesterday. All those old emotions came right back into her mind. She didn't think that Lightning would be mad at her, but she needed to get it out of her system.
"Thanks for the drive Mr. McQueen. I really enjoy myself," she said in a gloomy tone.
Lightning didn't like Cruz's tone. He immediately turned around to face her. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"I'm fine Mr. McQueen," she said as she looked away from him.
"Come on Cruz, I know you. What's going on?" he said, giving her a stern look.
Cruz rolled her tires against the asphalt. Her eyes remained down on the road; she didn't even bother to look at Lightning. She was too ashamed. "Um, I just feel a little bad about yesterday," she said as she slowly made eye contact with her mentor.
"You mean the race?" Lightning asked. He knew that this conversation was coming.
"Wait, how did you-"
"I saw you Cruz. I was watching the race on TV and I have to say that I couldn't believe my eyes," he said with a serious tone.
"You were watching me?" Cruz asked in shock.
"Are you kidding? Of course I was watching! Just because I'm not on the road with you anymore doesn't mean I don't care about how you're doing."
"Jackson and Danny beat me that's all," Cruz said, making excuses for her loss.
"Now did they really beat you or did you let them win?"
"What do you mean Mr. McQueen? Are you saying that I lost on purpose? I was just having a rough day," she said with a sigh.
"Cruz, we all have rough days but it seemed like you were in another world."
"Maybe you're right. I was in another world. I was in a world where you were the one guiding me out there on that track. I really miss you Mr. McQueen. I just can't get over this. I need you with me. Cal and The King are great and all, but they don't get me like you do," she said as she looked down at the road again.
"Cruz, I know that this is a difficult transition. I want you to know that I'm still here for you. I will still wake you up early in the morning to run laps around Willie's Butte. I'm going to make sure that you're in top shape before you go back to finish the rest of the season. This is going to take some getting used to, but you'll be fine. Besides, you're the maestro of motivation, you'll always push through," he said with a gentle smile.
Cruz needed this moment. Yes, this was a difficult transition, but she learned that life is full of changes. Although she and Lightning were a dynamic duo, all things (both good and bad) must come to an end. This was a shocking experience, but deep down inside Cruz knew that she had the strength to get through whatever the future holds.
"Thanks Mr. McQueen. I really needed this," she said with a smile.
"No problem. Are you thirsty? I'm headed over to Flo's. You can come if you want," Lightning said as he drove over to Flo's V8 Cafe.
"Right behind you old man!" Cruz exclaimed as the two raced over to enjoy some delicious drinks on this beautiful night.