Most of the credit of this story should really go to xForeignxConceptsx, if she hadn't got me back to listening to Snow Patrol, I never would've come across this song I loved all them years ago... so thanks to you, Sarah!

I'll sing it one last time for you,

Then we really have to go,

Cradling his head in her arms, Sally gently ran her hand through her beloved husbands hair, "C'mon, Lightning, I know you can't give in this easily."

"I can," was his reply, putting more pressure on her hand, her fingers intertwined with his own.

"You can't," Sally whispered, putting her lips against his forehead, "just, please, don't leave me, I can't raise a child who doesn't have a father."

"I can."

Sally sighed, moving her head away from his, "if you go Chick won't be able to race again. As much as I want him to be banned NASCAR, you can't go."

"I can."

You've been the only thing that's right,

In all I've done,

Sally gently placed a hand against his cheek, "What about Doc? He won't have anyone to show tricks to."

"He'll understand."

"What about Mater? He won't have anyone to go ghost hunting with."

"He'll understand."

"What about Ramone? He'll have no one to talk to about women and their problems."

"He'll understand."

"What about Sheriff? He'll have no one to practise his high speed chases with."

"He'll understand."

"What about Fillmore? He'll have no one to help win the argument against Sarge."

"He'll understand."

"What about Sarge? He'll have no one to help with the army boot camp."

"He'll understand."

"What about Luigi? You're his best customer."

"He'll understand."

"What about Guido? He needs practise on changing tires."

"He'll understand."

"What about Red? You need to help him water all the flowers in Radiator Springs."

"He'll understand."

"What about Lizzie? You're her sexy hotrod."

"She'll understand."

"What about Flo? She needs someone to kick out of her café when you've had one too many drinks."

"She'll understand."

"What about me? You're the apple of my eye, Lightning. You're my world."

"You'll understand."

"What about your kid?"

"She doesn't need to understand."

And I can barely look at you,

But every single time I do,

"Can you remember our wedding day?" Sally asked, looking around the white room, full of machines just barely enough room for her to move around freely.

"You're hair was pulled back in a bun," He said with a vague smile, "you were so beautiful."

She wiped away the tears that had began to fall freely from his sky blue eyes, "if I was so beautiful, you must have been stunning," she whispered, choking back her own sob.

"No, Sally Sal, if looks could kill, you must be perfectly healthy," He said distantly, his voice barely audible, if it wasn't for the fact of how close she was to him, she wouldn't have heard a word he had said.

"If looks could kill, I'm long dead," Sally said, her voice rising, but yet it was a mere whisper.

Lightning raised a hand and caught a handful of brunette hair in his clenched fist, "You must be the most beautiful woman in the world, Sally Sal, I'm dieing right now."

Sally let a small sob escape; she took his hand which was tangled in her thick hair, "don't be so stupid, you'll be fine. Your baby will help you get through."

Lightning pulled her closer and whispered in her ear, "You'll always be my one and only baby."

I know we'll make it anywhere,

Away from here,

"Can you remember when you first came into town?" She asked, managing to fake a smile through her tears of pain and sorrow.

"I loved you since that moment."

"No Lightning," she said, running her hand through his hair once again she placed her other on her stomach, "this is love."

He took her hand that was upon his head and placed it on her other, "She'll be a fatherless girl. But that's okay, all she really needs is for her to have a mother who can tell her what to do when she falls in love with that guy, what to do when they tell her to go out with them, what to do when she becomes pregnant and her boyfriend runs away…"

"A father for when she needs comfort after arguing with her mother," Sally interrupted, "she'll be the only kid, Lightning, you're the playmate. You act like a kid anyway…"

He put his hands on the back of her head and pulled her closer into a kiss, nothing can stop him, Sally thought, not even death. She pulled away and looked at him, an affectionate smile taking its place on her face.

"I can't believe Chick could do this again, after what happened with Strip…"

"I lied, Lightning," Sally spoke up.

He narrowed his eyes at this, "what's that supposed to mean?"

She sighed inwardly, "It was Junior."

Light up, light up,

As if you have a choice,

"You don't think he's gonna be the next Chick, do you?"

"No, don't go, but not just for me, not just for your daughter, Junior's got a bright future ahead of him with Dinoco, you can't make him leave it."

"Why have you gone so negative all of a sudden? A moment ago you were saying that I wasn't gonna die."

Sally intertwined his golden hair with her fingers again, "you'll never die, you'll be at my side during all the hard times with me and your daughter."

"I was always with you; you know that, even before I met you."

Even if you cannot hear my voice,

I'll be beside you dear,

Lightning sighed deeply, "It's not supposed to end like this, it's supposed to be a peaceful ending, not a sudden stop to breathing!" He exclaimed, his voice going the loudest it had done for hours.

"Honey," Sally practically breathed, "you need to calm down and sleep, just close your eyes…"

"To never open them again," He took her hand, "Sally Sal, can't you see that I'm scared, I'm scared that if I close my eyes, I might not open them again my breathing will stop, I'll just go, without any warning."

"Honey, I'm with you, I'll never leave your side until this struggle is over, okay? Heck, this isn't even a struggle, we all have heart, each and every one of us knows that you'll survive."

Lightning sighed, "How's the car?"

Sally frowned at this, "what? You're hooked up to machines and the only thing you can ask me is 'how's the car?'!"

"Sally," He said soothingly, trying to calm his wife down, "look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. You think I need some sleep? You look exhausted! Why don't you get some sleep?"

She smiled, resting her head on his chest she wiped away the tears as she felt herself being caught in his embrace, running his hand through her hair, listening to his soothing heartbeat, it was telling her everything was okay, that he wasn't going to go anywhere, before long she found herself sobbing.

"Hey, Sally Sal, what's up?" He asked.

"I don't know what I'd do without you. What would I do without being able to cuddle up to you at night watching the flames of a fire? Waking up to your kiss? Looking into those luscious eyes of yours? Arguing about how long you spend practising when it's no where near the season? Lightning, I cry every night while I watch you sleep… fearing that I'd be here now, just watching you hold your last breath."

Louder, louder,

And we'll run for our lives,

I can hardly speak I understand,

Why can't you raise your voice to say,

"Sally, look, if I'd've known all of this, I would've spent more time with you, you know that, you can tell me anything…"

"I know, I should've told you, I hate myself now." She whispered her face still on his chest, "I love you, Lightning, even if you do get on my nerves."

"That's what couples do; we're here to aggravate each other, we're here to be there for each other, we're here to listen to each others stories of the day, we're here to make sure one another are okay…"

"We're here for each other," Lightning interrupted softly.

Sally looked up at him, cupping his cheek with her hand she admired him, "oh, Lightning, how did I ever manage to live without you? You must be an angel, you answered my desperate prayers."

"Sally, the question is what would I have done without you? If it weren't for you and you're hillbilly hell, I would've still been arrogant; the only love that I would have felt is from the groupies."

Sally smiled again, "let's just hope that never happens again."

To think I might not see those eyes,

Makes it so hard not to cry,

And as we say our last goodbye,

I nearly do,

"I never thought I could find love, I never thought my time would come, but Cupid proved me wrong," Lightning said, wiping away the silent tears from her face.

"Lightning, I don't think we've ever spoken so much in all the time I've known you."

He brought her closer, "I don't think you've meant so much to me in all the time I've known you."

"Please," she quietly pleaded, being caught in his embrace, "never let me go, never let me get hurt by any other persons words."

He put more grip on his hand, holding Sally's hair, "if I make it through this… I promise, no one else can have you, you'll always be mine, if they want to hurt you… they have to destroy me first."

Light up, light up,

As if you have a choice,

Even if you cannot hear my voice,

I'll be beside you dear,

"Sally…" Lightning gasped.

"Wh- what is it?" She asked, slowly sitting up, worried by his sudden outburst, "Lightning, what's the matter?"

"I- I can't… get my breath…" He just about managed to say, Sally could hear it now, the wheeze between each breath he took, trying to force each word out of his mouth, making it sound like the hardest thing to do, to him, Sally thought, it probably is.

"I'll go get someone," She said, beginning to stand up as quickly as she could.

Lightning pulled her back down, "no… don't… don't leave me… alone… please…"

She turned to face him, a concerned expression swept over her face, "Lightning, you could die."

"That's why… I don't… want you… to leave me…"

Slower, slower,

For some reason, he kept remembering when he found out about his daughter, when she placed his hand upon her stomach, it seemed so obvious then… "I'm pregnant…" Those words, he had never heard anyone say two words so softly.

Sally noticed the dazed look about his face, "Lightning!" She exclaimed in blind panic as she ignored all of the noise surrounding her, "please! Honey, don't close your eyes!"

We don't have time for that,

His eyelids grew heavy, all of his surroundings growing into one big blur, just a voice pleading out to him above the screaming machines made him keep his faith, "Please! After all I told you!"

All I want is an easier way,

To get it out of our little heads,

His chest was heaving, trying to get a gasp of air, more was going out than what was going in, Sally was just counting down the seconds… the oh so very short seconds… that her husband could have left…

Have heart my dear,

"No!" Sally screamed, his eyes slowly closing, desperately trying to keep awake, he had to be at Sally's side for when his daughter was born… through all the hard times…

We're bound to be afraid,

The blur of the world continued to worsen. Lightning closed his eyes and everything went black…

Forever.

Sally didn't say anything to this; she just closed her eyes…

Even if it's just for our few days,

Sally ran through the fields of wheat, looking around for her husband, suddenly she stumbled and fell onto her knees but someone caught her by her elbows, she looked up, Lightning was grinning at her. She slowly stood and Lightning pulled her into a closer embrace, placing her head on his chest. He ran his hand through her hair, she listened to his soothing heartbeat, telling her everything's okay…

Making up for all this mess.

She abruptly woke, sighing in dismay as she remembered Lightning's death over a month ago; her pillow was smothered with tears and memories of her husband. "I don't want to do it anymore, Lightning," She whispered, "I can't."

I would like to say this story is for my Granddad, the one who always told me to follow my dreams... Granddad, you rock!