Radiator Springs was as busy as ever.

Doc immediately found himself immersed in the hustle and bustle of the town as he tried to locate a parking spot big enough for Mac to unload Lightning from the trailer. Ideally he would have parked as close to his garage as possible, but de decided against it when he saw the large crowd of paparazzi that had made themselves comfortable at his front door. It didn't take a genius to figure out that someone had tipped them off as to Lightning's recovery.

Growling with impatience, Doc finally found a deserted area close by Sherriff's station. Mac pulled up behind him. "Well at least he's gunna know that his fans didn't abandon him just because he's been out of commission!" Mac chuckled. Doc snorted. As if the kid needed another ego boost. Rapping a tire against Lightning's trailer, Doc called out to him so that he would open up the door. Receiving no response, Doc asked Mac to release the door automatically. Just as the door began to lower itself, Doc heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"So I see the invalid's returned!" Sherriff had come out the back door of the station to greet them. "I suppose we won't get any peace around here anymore". Doc gave Sherrif an incredulous look. "Well it certainly didn't look peaceful when we drove in! In case you haven't noticed, the area's so crowded around here that the main road's blocked!" Sherriff merely shrugged. "Hey, at least these folks haven't been passing their time destructing public property or tipping Franks tractor herd! Radiator springs has been calmer than ever without that little trouble maker." This was directed at Lightning, but the tease went unnoticed by the "little trouble maker" as he was sound asleep in his trailer, snoring lightly.

Doc stared at him in disbelief. "I could have sworn the kid would be dying to get out of there!" Mac laughed as he detached himself from the trailer. "The Boss? Naw, it never fails. Once he gets into the trailer he's out like a headlight." Doc let a small smile escape as he watched his charge nap. Despite all of his protesting, the kid had really needed his rest after his accident. However, the moment did not last long.

"Where's my best buddy?!" called Mater, the town's resident tow truck as he barreled towards the assembled crew. "McQueen! Where'd ya get to!" The moment the trailer had come into his sights, Mater happily blasted his horn at full volume, startling Lightning so much that he immediately accelerated on waking and crashed right into Sherriff. Recovering quickly, Lightning backed a good distance away from the police car before greeting Mater cheerfully and asking him about all that he had missed during his recovery.

Of Course Lightning denied ever being asleep the whole drive to the clinic.

"My eyes were just closed; I was adjusting to the light!" Lightning argued.

"Uh huh. And I suppose that snoring I heard was really you singing?" Doc shook his head. "We really have to work on your taste in music".

"I DO NOT SNORE!" Lightning cried, but his argument was swallowed up by the noise of the crowd as they approached Doc's place. No sooner than when they had come into view did Doc hear the now familiar call of "the twins".

"IT'S LIGHTNING!" Mia and Tia shouted excitedly as the sports car came into view. The determined fans had followed Lightning nearly his whole career, with a small exception when the rookie had gone missing for the better part of a week and began to cheer for Chick Hicks. Lightning had forgiven them immediately; he seemed to have a soft spot for them. He shot the sisters a wink followed by a winning smile, causing them to shriek all over again. Doc, however, believed that they were as shallow as a hubcap filled with water, and ignored them.

"Lightning!" A reporter called out to them. "Is it true that you won't be participating in the racing season?" Lightning gave a good humored laugh. "Of course not! One little setback isn't going to affect my career! In fact-" Doc interrupted by not-so-discreetly clearing his throat, and raised an eyebrow.

"Er…..Lightning seemed to take the hint, (or threat), and quickly shifted gears. "Er, in fact, I've ….decided to use the rest of the season to perfect my technique. I'll be training until the year's end, where my next competition will be in the State Derby." The last few lines were spoken with an inflection, as if he were asking permission from a source behind him. Off camera, Doc smiled and nodded his approval. They would have a few months for Lightning to build up his strength again, and they'd still have extra time to train as well.

At Lightning's statement, the crowd of news cars immediately pressed closer, all shoving microphones in Lightning's face and demanding answers.

-"Does this mean you won't be participating in the Piston Cup re-match after the elimination of Chick Hicks?"

-"Did you not receive a clean bill of health from Dr. Verte?

-"Are you afraid to race again after your crash?"

-"Is any damage that you received permanent?"

-"Did you escape from the hospital due to mal treatment?"

-"Why won't you race McQueen?"

-"Is it true you've been unable to drive past 30 mph since the accident?"

"Hey- Hey, time out! Lightning cried as the crowd's frenzy grew. "There is NOTHING wrong with me. Dr. Verte DID give me a clean bill of health, there was no great escape from the hospital. Just because I'm not competing for the Piston Cup doesn't mean I'm afraid to race, I'm just taking a little time off to train. End of story."

Lighting began to push his way through the crowd, Doc right behind him. There was a great cri of protest, and they could still hear questions being shouted at Lightning as approached the clinic. Unfortunately, just as they had reached the entrance, a particular question reached McQueen's ears.

"McQueen, why don't you give us a lap to prove your fit to drive?" Lightning stopped in his tracks. Seeming to realize that they had struck gold, the reporters grew quiet as they waited for a response. Doc closed his eyes, silently begging Lightning not to do what he knew he was about to. The kid had nothing to prove and he knew it. But he had been cooped up for so long in that blasted sham of a hospital, and here was a chance for him to test out the pavement after his "imprisonment", with the added bonus of it being caught on camera to prove that he was not simply hiding away to lick his wounds.

But it was too soon.

"Kid…" Doc said warningly, trying to push his way towards Lightning and make eye contact with him. But Lightning had already turned around, another winning smile already plastered on his face. "Well, maybe just one".

Doc groaned.

And so the crowd relocated to Willy's Butte. Doc had tried to let his disapproval be known to Lightning by his constant glares, but the rookie seemed oblivious to them in light of a chance to test his new-found strength. For just a moment, Doc was reminded of the hot-rod who had torn apart their entire town last year, using the statue of their founder, Stanley as his tool of destruction. The townspeople had all long ago forgiven Lightning for the disaster, (especially since they had pretty much forced him to repave the entire road).

Things had changed so much since then. Lightning had made friends in Radiator Springs, and had learned that he did not just need to win the race in order to be a good racer. But there were times, like right now, when a bit of Lightning's old personality would show up. Doc had no doubt that the kid was no longer the selfish brat that had he had been before, or else he wouldn't have wasted his time with the rookie. Doc could forgive this, because even though Lighting could be a little thick headed sometimes, he knew that Lightning had truly come to care for the town and all of its inhabitants. He and Lightning had formed such a tight bond over the last year; that Doc had almost begun to think of Lightning as a son. Doc sometimes wondered if he had overstepped his boundaries as a mentor, perhaps becoming too involved in Lightning's life, but it seemed that he needed the kid as much as the kid needed him.

"Hey Pops!" Lightning shouted as he approached, rousing Doc from his musings. Staring at Lightning for a moment, he wondered if he was really insulted by the term.

"Pops?" Doc asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well of you're going to play the part of the overprotective father…." Lighting joked, obviously trying to lighten his mentor's mood.

Doc snorted. "Over protective? Anyone in his right mind would know that it's foolhardy to run a race right after you've come back from the hospital. You're supposed to be taking it easy!"

"Oh come on Doc," Lightning said, nudging him affectionately. "It's only one lap, not a whole race. Not to mention that it's one lap that you've made me drive a million times!"

Doc merely turned away, muttering about thick-headed hot-shots and broken windshields. Lightning rolled his eyes. "Doc, I promise I'll be careful, O.K?"

Doc simply grumbled.

Lightning must have realized that he wasn't making any progress with him, because Doc heard him sigh and drive away. Upon being notified that a "race" was to take place, Luigi had driven down to the Butte at top speed, zooming by Doc in order to take his post at the starting line in order to lower the flag. Doc watched from the sidelines, looking closely at Lightning as he began his inner chant. Doc could practically hear Lightning mouth the words "I am speed" over and over again as he began to rev his engine. Doc had already made his way halfway around the track when he heard the dreadful sound from earlier. He paused and watched his charge with a careful eye. Suddenly, Luigi lowered the flag, and every camera on the premises began to follow Lightning's progress around the track. Doc could tell the exact moment when Lightning decided to throw caution to the winds and began to accelerate, giving a cheerful cry as he began to round a corner. With the acceleration came the intensified sound of his engine, making a noise so unnatural that Doc had to cringe. Lightning was approaching the halfway point when Doc began to feel real alarm at the situation. Image be damned, he needed to get the kid out of there. He began to drive after Lightning, intending on stopping his progress. But it soon became apparent that he was too late.

To say Doc was angry would be an understatement. The Hudson Hornet was prepared to bulldoze everyone in the town, and at least one person outside of it. Doc believed his anger was perfectly justified, therefore he let it have full reign.

It was the stupid news team's fault for baiting Lightning into a race in the first place, testing his strength before he was ready. It was Lightning's fault for accepting their ridiculous challenge in the first place. And most of all, it was Dr, Verte's fault for releasing Lightning without making sure that he was fit to drive. The more Doc thought about it, the angrier he got. Had that damned convertible even given Lightning a proper check-up? As far as Doc could remember, it had only been the aides who had seen to Lightning. Dr. Verte had only popped in long enough to check in on his paperwork and give his prized patient a pep-talk before dashing off. Doc vowed that as soon as Sally was back from Los Angeles where she had been visiting her family for the last month, he would ask her to help him sue Dr. Verte out of a practicing licence. And as for his "prized patient"…

"AND FURTHERMORE"- Doc yelled, finishing off one of the longest rants that he'd ever given once they had returned to the clinic, "IF I EVER HAVE TO SAVE YOUR REAR BUMPER BY CALLING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EVER AGAIN, I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU WISH YOU'D COMBUSTED! "

Lightning flinched and exchanged a glance with Mater, who had towed him back from Willy's Butte less than a half hour ago. "I don't think Red really minded helping out" Lightning said cautiously. "It all worked out in the end…"

Doc's eyes bulged. "ALL WORKED OUT? YOU WERE IN FLAMES!" Lightning was spared an encore of Doc's shouting by the entrance of a rather disgruntled Sherriff.

"I just can't get them to leave!" he said angrily. "I even threatened to throw them all in the compound!"

"Then why didn't you?" Doc growled savagely.

"Well it's not like I have whole squadron at my disposal, Doc!" Sherriff complained. "The most I can do with so many of them out there is to put on my siren!"

Doc revved his engine angrily. "Oh I'll give you a damned squadron!" and with that he stormed off, obviously not yet out of steam from his previous rants.

Lightning, whose paint was charred all over so that he looked like a burnt marshmallow cautiously tried to push himself forward in order to move the few inches needed to peer at Doc through the window as he unleashed his fury on the crowd. Unfortunately, his progress was halted by his lack of tires, which had been removed as soon as possible and were piled up in a still-smoking heap outside of Doc's clinic, filling the air with the foul stench of burnt rubber.

Sherriff gave a low chuckle as he looked Lightning over and saw what a mess he was in. "So how was your lap, Rookie? I hear you were really on fire, hahaha!" Lightning rolled his eyes at Sherriff's pathetic attempt at humor, but Mater gave a full blown laugh as soon as he got the pun. "That lap is the reason I'll be stuck at Doc's for the rest of my life! You can joke about it all you like, but I'll never be able to see the light of day again! I think I could seriously file an abduction complaint!"

Sherriff merely chuckled again. "Ah don't take it so hard, kid, Doc only terrorizes because he cares!"

"Cares? He's ready to turn me in for scrap metal!" Lightning yelled.

"Well, it was a pretty stupid move," Sherriff reasoned. Suddenly, they heard a number of distressed people yelling for mercy and several loud crashes. Mater rolled over to the door to see what all of the commotion was about. "Gosh, McQueen, Doc's gone and scared off all of them camera fellas! Guess you won't get that video of you racing after all".

Sherriff didn't seem concerned by the fact that his friend may have just harassed countless members of the press to the point of violence. He began to head out, but threw over his shoulder before leaving, "Kid, I don't know much about parenting, but I think it's safe to say you've just been grounded."

Lightning groaned.