Hell, everybody! I have another Cars story here for you today. In this one, Lightning and the rest of the Radiator Springs gang spend a romantic Christmas time at Flo's ahd learn not to take their love ones for granted. I hope you enjoy it!

It didn't snow in Radiator Springs during the winter holidays, being situated in the middle of the desert as the little town was, but that didn't stop the citizens of Radiator Springs from celebrating Christmas.

They were all gathered at Flo's, where the owner of the restaurant herself had set up a big Christmas tree in the middle of the room with some help from everybody in town. Everyone there was excited to eat the big Christmas dinner Flo had planned and open the presents everybody had brought for each other, but they were also overjoyed to be in each other's company, espically Lightning and Sally.

The young, lovestruck couple was sitting at a table toward the back of the room, clasping each other's hands, and staring at each other from across the table with pure love and devotion in their eyes.

"You two lovebirds should go kiss under the mistletoe."

Started, Lightning and Sally looked up at the sound of the voice, both of their young, attractive faces blushing red from embarrassment. They relaxed somewhat and their shoulders sagged with relief when they saw the person who had spoken was only Flo herself. She was walking up to them, with a warm smile on her face, and one hand placed on her hip. She was balancing a plate of food in her other free hand.

Sally laughed. "That does sound like a good idea," she said, beaming at Flo, and turned back to Lightning, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "What do you think, Stickers, honey?"

Lightning began to sputter, quite taken aback and caught off guard by Flo's unexpected suggestion, foreseeing the potiential romantic consequences it had for his and Sally's relationship. He loved Sally with every fiber of his being and did have plans on marrying her someday, but he wasn't quite sure if he wanted to give up his racing career to settle down with someone, not just yet, anyway. He was much too young to retire. "S-S--Sure," he said, frantically nodding his head, and gulped. "It sounds nice."

Sally beamed at him. "You just made me the happiest person here," he said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze, and quickly rose up from her chair. "Come on, let's go."

Lightning couldn't help but smile at Sally's enthusiasm, which was contagious. "Okay," he said, letting her lead him to a doorway at the other end of the room, skidding to a halt when Sally came to an adrupt, sudden stop and her eyes went to the slim, tall man sitting slumped in the chair, somehow looking quite smaller than his actual height. "It sounds great-" he stopped when he caught sight of the man.

Sally grabbed him by the shoulder and gently began to shake him. "Ssh, Lightning, look," she said, and titled her head toward the man, trying to indicate him without him noticing.

It took Lightning a moment to realize who it was.

"Oh, Strip," Lightning said, his voice a low whisper, and he started toward the man.

Strip "The King" Weathers had once been a racing legend. He had even been one of Lightning's inspirations, but he had been the shadow of the man he had once been ever since his wife had died several years ago, which was understandable, but it disheartened Lightning to see him in such a pitiful state.

"I'm going to go talk to him," Lightning said, despite Sally's quiet, feeble cries of protest, and made his way toward him. "Don't worry, I won't talk to him long."

When Lightning reached the old man, he draped his hand over one of Strip's narrow shoulders and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Hey, old man," he said, giving him a small, sad smile when the man slowly looked up at him. "What's up?"

Strip snorted. "You should know," he said, glaring at Lightning, and narrowed his eyes at him, clearly irirated by Lightning's presence interrupting his rare moment of peace and quiet. "Why are you even asking me?" He looked away from Lightning and lowered his gaze, staring down at his gnarled, arthritic hands.

"Because I care about you," Lightning said, giving him a genuine, sympathetic look.

Strip sighed, sinking further in his chair in defeat. "Cal's been trying to get me to be his crew chief, to help me take my mind off things, but I just can't," he said, shaking his head, and squeezed his hands into firsts, wincing at the unbearable pain even this small movement had no doubt caused him. "I'm too old."

Lightning knelt down in front of him. "I think you could," he said, peering into his face with a look of concern crossing his expression, giving him a small, reassuring smile. "I think that would be the perfect thing for you to do."

Strip raised his weary gaze back up at him. "You're not messing with me, are you, kid?" he asked, gaping up at him in disbelief, lifting a skeptical eyebrow up at him.

Lightning shook his head. "No, definitely not," he said, slowly rising back up. "I think you would be a great crew chief, espically Cal's, you being his father and everything." He placed his fists on his hips and gave him that infamous, lopsided grin of his. "Nobody would be able to teach him the ropes better than you can."

Lightning was relieved to see the old, familar glim that had used to always be glinting behind Strip's eyes when they had been friendly rivals racing together come back into his wise, ancient gaze for the first time in years. "That's true," he said, a slow, smile streching across his gaunt, angular face, which was lined with wrinkles. "I'll think about it."

"That's great," Lightning said, and turned to walk back toward Sally, thinking he would never take her love for granted, not after Strip had lost Lynda and seeing what her death had done to him. "Take care, Strip."

"You, too, kid," Strip said, and Lightning could feel his firm eyes on him as he made his way back toward Sally and took hold of her hand.

"How's Strip?" Sally asked, looking back over her shoulder at Strip as they walked by him,

"He's still missing Lynda, of course, like he always will, but I think he'll be all right," Lightning said, leading her toward the mistletoe. "I talked to him a little bit." Once they were standing under the mistletoe, he circled his hands around her tiny waist, and planted a lengthy, romantic kiss on her lips under the mistletoe. After the kiss had lasted several minutes, he pulled back away from her with great relectuance, not wanting to let go of her, and smiled at her. "I love you."

"I love you, too, honey," Sally said, holding her hand up against the side of her hand, still reeling from the kiss. "I hope I never lose you like that."

"Don't worry, you won't, not if I can help it, " Lightning said, his determined expression. "I promise." He sighed and closed his eyes, resting his head on her shoulder.

"I'll hold you to it," Sally said, and rested her chin on the top of his head, closing her own eyes.

Lightning made a vow to himself right then and there to make sure he would always keep his promise to Sally, no matter what.

THE END