A/N Hello! This fic will be posted as a series of oneshots, not necessarily in any order. They'll span all time frames and several AU's. I was inspired to writing these oneshots by the wonderful NurfHurdur. If you haven't read Life's Highway, you MUST. Anyways, this first story is in line with the canon and takes place in 2007, the first race after the tie breaker. Enjoy!
In case you thought I did, I don't own Cars.
Going to the races was something Sally hadn't done since she was a child. Her father had taken her once- without telling her mother- and it had been a blast. But since then, she hadn't been again, and honestly couldn't say she was much aware of the sport since then. Sure, she knew who the King was, and she had a vague knowledge of who Lightning was when he crashed into town, but she'd never been an active fan before.
That had changed this year. It was the start of the 2007 season, and she found herself in Florida with her boyfriend in the pit area of the track. There seemed to be two groups of girlfriends and wives around the track. One group was very elitist and snobby, preferring to sit up in the sponsor boxes and drink fancy champagne than to actually pay attention to the race or to their significant others. The other group was more her speed- friendly and sociable, hanging out more often on Pit Row and kissing their husbands good luck before the race.
Lynda Weathers was chief among the second group, despite Strip's retirement. Sally had been utterly lost upon arriving at the track- Doc and Lightning had gone off to look at something on the car and she had been left at Lightning's trailer with nothing to do but look around cluelessly. Luckily for Sally, Lynda had came along and, seeing how lost the younger looked, decided to show her around the track. Lynda made sure she knew where everything was- the infield first aid tent, snack bar, the clean restrooms that only the officials knew about- and introduced her to the rest of the Weathers family.
Sally thought that The King might be a bit aloof (and he had a right to be, with as much talent as he had!) but he was so friendly to her that Sally could imagine him fitting right in in Radiator Springs. The King had an easy confidence about him that put everyone around him at ease.
Cal Weathers was just as friendly, though not quite as confident, as his uncle. Cal's wife Nicole was energetic to the point of being hyper, and Sally found herself swept away by the little brunette's enthusiasm.
Lynda also took her over to the Dinaco tent. By now the racers were qualifying, but everyone seemed more focussed in getting set up for the main event the next day. Lynda introduced her to Tex Dinoco himself. Tex was the picture of a Southern gentleman. If Sally had met him on the street, she'd have never known that the man was a billionaire.
Far too quickly, the day was over, and she was heading back to the hotel with Lightning. She hadn't had such a warm reception since she'd arrived in Radiator Springs.
She told Lightning all about the events of her day. Lightning told her that he had qualified on the pole (she'd been studying up on racer lingo and was happy she didn't need to ask what it meant). Not too long after dinner, Doc came by and ordered Lightning to bed.
"But Doc!" Lightning protested. "It's an afternoon race! Besides, I'm not even tired yet."
Doc raised an eyebrow, then took out his wallet. He laid a fifty dollar bill out on the table. "Kid, if I turn these lights and the TV off and you aren't asleep in 20 minutes, you can keep that.
"Haha! Be prepared to lose big time old man! I could stay awake all night!" Lightning leapt up, confident in himself. Sally giggled to herself as Lightning raced around to get ready for bed.
Doc rolled his eyes. To Sally, he quipped "Perhaps I should bribe him on the racetrack too."
She laughed. "But aren't you bribing him to stay awake?"
Doc chuckled. "As long as he gets in that bed with the lights off, his Circadian rhythm will take over from there. I think the kid's forgotten that he was up at 4."
Sure enough, Doc and Sally waited for barely 10 minutes in the dark before Lightning was snoring softly, sprawled out in his bed.
"Impressive." Sally whispered to Doc.
"Call it a doctor's intuition." Doc responded as he gathered up his fifty and put it back in his wallet. "Goodnight Sally."
"Night Doc." Sally replied before settling in with her book.
They headed back out to the racetrack the next day right after lunch. Sally once again found herself a little lost in the massive pit area. Today it was much worse, since everyone was hustling about to get ready for the big race.
Sally spotted Nicole Weathers over by Cal's pit spot. She was making up her mind whether or not to go say hi when the brunette spotted her.
Nicole bounded over and began speaking rapidly in her cheery, squeaky voice. "Hi! Your name is Sally, right? Oh yes of course it is, I remember it. I'm very good with names you see. You're Lightning's girlfriend, huh? Must be exciting for him- the first race of his life he has his sweetheart watching! And it's going to be so much fun for you too! It's a lot of fun watching the boys race- well sometimes it's a little boring, but there's always something to do or see! So tell me, where are you planning on watching the race from?"
It took Sally's brain a moment to catch up with the dialogue and realize that she'd been asked a question. "Oh, I haven't really given it much thought."
Nicole started off again, bouncing a little on her toes as she spoke. Sally tried to listen, she really did, but the speed of Nicole's speech quickly left her in the dust.
Thankfully, Lynda showed up in time to save her from Nicole. Lynda sent Nicole off to find Cal and walked back towards Pit Row with Sally.
"So dear, where are you going to sit this race? You're welcome to come sit in the Dinoco pits with me and Strip. Don't tell Nicole though. We asked her to go sit up in the sponsor box for the race. Don't get the wrong idea, we adore that girl. Strip just thought that Cal might need an attentive crew chief during his first race, and Nicole does make concentration a bit difficult." Lynda told her.
Sally giggled at Lynda's accurate assessment of Nicole. "I didn't know we could sit in the pit boxes. I thought only crew was allowed in there."
"Well dear, as long as you don't decide to randomly hop over the wall with the crew, it's absolutely fine. You're such a nice girl, Strip won't mind if you want to come sit with us."
Sally was taken aback once again by the Weathers' kindness. "Thank you very much, Lynda, but I think I had better sit in Lightning's pits, at least for my first race. Wouldn't want him to think that I suddenly have eyes for Cal."
Both women laughed. "Well if you're absolutely sure, at least let me walk you back over."
They chatted as they walked back to the pit area. Lynda revealed that Strip was still recovering from his injuries, but once he was feeling better they intended to take a road trip out to Radiator Springs.
"Oh, how wonderful! Let me know when you'll be coming out and I save you a suite at the Wheel Well. Lightning would be thrilled to show you around."
They exchanged numbers and promised to stay in touch about the trip. Sally wandered back over to Lightning's pit area. Everything had been unloaded and was being checked over one last time. Lightning was nowhere to be found, most likely in his trailer suiting up. Sally wandered up to Luigi and Guido and watched as they organized the tires.
"Guido! Face-a the rack that-a way! Much better." Luigi ordered the smaller Italian man. Guido grumbled something back in Italian.
Sally laughed and sat down on the inside wall to watch their eccentric crew hustle about.
"Hello, gorgeous." A voice greets her from behind.
She smiles and turns around. "Hello handsome." She responds to Lightning.
They embrace and kiss. "Are you going to sit with Doc and listen to him yell at me?" Lightning asks.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Sally laughs.
The overhead speakers crackled to life. "All drivers to their cars, all drivers to their cars."
"Good luck babe. You're going to kill it." Sally tells Lightning and gives him a quick peck.
Lightning kisses her back, before sprinting over to meet Doc at his car.
Sally smiles and looks around. She sees Lynda sitting in a folding chair next to Strip's crew chief chair. That seemed as good as an idea as any.
Doc jogged back from talking to Lightning. She stopped him as he was climbing to steps to the crew chief stand.
"Doc! Mind if I come sit with you?" She asked.
Doc shrugged. "Can't guarantee how interesting it'll be, but if you want to I don't have an objection."
Sally skittered up the stairs behind him. She hadn't brought a chair, but she sat on her cooler, which worked well enough. The cars began taking their warm up laps, and she heard Doc begin talking to Lightning. She smiled. The season was starting, and for the first time she actually cared about the points standings.
Am I the only one who thinks that Lynda Weathers and Sally would be great friends? Just me? Okay.
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