"Okay folks, make space here, make space!" Lightning finally heard through the crowd around him in the Racing Museum's lobby, much to his relief. His signing wheel was really starting to cramp up!
"More time for autographs later," the Sheriff said with his light on. "It's time for Mister McQueen to move to our dirt track and take a few laps. That's what you all came to see, right?"
"Yeah! . . . Yes! . . . Alright!" voices in the crowd began to say in agreement and anticipation as visitors started to move back from around Lightning, and even out of the building, starting to head for the track.
Fortunately Lightning began hearing Sarge outside, starting to herd the crowd in the right direction. He also saw Red outside the door, pointing his monitor up the road.
Lightning looked up from signing his last autograph, still with a professional, but also sincere, smile on his face. "Guys!" he said, his smile widening even more, upon seeing that almost half the town had come to rescue him from the museum, as busy as Lightning knew everyone was.
Fillmore told him, "I'm just sold out, man!"
Luigi said, "Guido is handling our final tire sales for the afternoon. It's 'a time to get ready for the racing!"
Even Flo had showed up, saying, "The only way I could keep Mia and Tia focused was to put them in charge of the cafe and just come here. I don't know what I'll find when I go back!"
But Flo had also brought someone else to help escort Lightning across town to the dirt track.
Sally nervously emerged from behind Flo, clearly showing Lightning through her downcast glance that she felt she had let him down. Flo gave Lightning a knowing look, inviting him to motor over beside Sally as they started to leave the museum, escorted by the Sheriff and others.
"I'll lock up behind 'ya all," Flo said, moving behind the two of them.
After an exhausting afternoon of meeting and greeting his fans single-handed, Lightning was very glad to see Sally, no matter what had happened earlier. He could see that she needed his understanding, and encouragement. He was also determined not to let this opportunity that Flo had clearly helped arrange between them get away.
"Hi, Sal . . . I am so glad to see you," Lightning said softly to her in the middle of the crowd that surrounded them, as he nudged up against her.
"Hi, Stickers . . ." Sally nervously said still looking down.
Flo had obviously said something to her, because Sally's demeanor now changed as she motored slowly alongside Lightning into town along the road, as a crowd continued to surround them.
"Stickers," Sally began talking quietly to him as she looked at him directly now, "hey, I'm sorry for what happened earlier . . . I . . ." She had trouble continuing as she looked down again.
"Hey, Sally . . . whatever it is, it's alright," Lightning quietly assured her. "I just need you . . . I want you . . . on my team, on our team, okay?"
"That's just it," Sally responded with some sadness. "There's a lot you don't know about me — a lot that's happened before. I can't talk about it now . . . especially out here in the middle of everyone," she laughed briefly. "But I'll try to, sometime. For now, just know that there are reasons why I do, or can't do, things sometimes . . . okay?"
"Being out here with you, in front of cameras for instance, really makes me nervous," she quietly confided to him. "I'll try explaining why at some point. Know that I'm trying right now though, okay? Flo just told me not to give up. She told me that cars like you don't come to town here every day, and I believe her."
"Sally," Lightning gently responded, "this means a lot to me . . . everything in fact. Hey, is there anything I can do for you, right now?"
"Oh, Stickers . . ." Sally sighed, deeply touched by his gesture. "I'd suggest a drive, just the two of us, up to the Wheel Well . . . but I know you've got an appointment with the track, and we've all gotta make 'Radiator Springs Racing Night' a success here.
"So," she said, touching a fender to him, "Could we just do all this together tonight? I promise I'll try not to bug out on you again."
"Sally Carrera, Ka-Chow! Absolutely!" Lightning said, gladly accepting her suggestion, and her offer.
"And hey," Lightning offered, wanting to go the extra mile for her, "if you need to disappear to the shadows . . . you know, take care of other things . . . as long as I know we're part of a team together, I'm great with whatever you feel you need to do, okay?"
"Lightning," Sally said, stopping them both as they arrived at the intersection and turning to face him despite the crowd pressing around them, "Do you know just how good that makes me feel?"
"This good!" she said as she boldly kissed him right in front of everyone.
A loud cheer went up among the crowd as dozens of cameras flashed away.
Doc pulled up next to Flo as they tried to stay close behind Lightning and Sally.
"Flo, you done good," he said quietly to her with satisfaction.
"It's not over yet, but they've turned a corner," Flo responded, also quietly. "Pardon the pun," she added.
Doc didn't ask Flo what she meant by her veiled metaphor, but he had his own ideas. Feeling the pain of his crack, he also had ideas of what might need to happen, soon.
Continuing together along the side street out towards the dirt track still surrounded by crowds and their flashing cameras, Sally quietly confided with Lightning.
"I took a risk just now," she quietly said to him, looking ahead as they slowly motored along. "There are parts of my history that can bite me, still hurt me. They're part of the reason I left my law practice in L.A. and broke down here. I can't explain it all right now, but I need to know that you'll be with me if anything comes up . . . or is revealed, okay? Just so you know though, I didn't do anything wrong. And it won't hurt you or your sponsors . . . just me. And believe me, it's painful," she concluded, fighting off tears.
"Sally," Lightning said, making a decision on the spot, "I am here for you, no matter what. And I'll make sure the entire team . . . the entire town . . . is here for you, too."
"Some of them already are," she quietly replied. "Remember, I've been here a while."
"You know," she hinted to him as she looked over at him now, "you could wind up being stuck with me . . . for a long time."
"Hey," he said, "I already know what long races are about. I think I'm ready to learn what long times are about, too."
"Excuse me!" they both heard as bright camera lights focused on them.
"Dana Starlighter from Streets Tonight Entertainment News TV," a white Mercedes sports car now said with a cameravan right beside her. "We couldn't help noticing, Lightning, that you seem to be with someone here. Are you two seeing each other? Are you prepared to say anything?"
While being direct with the press was his style, Lightning looked at Sally, gently smiling, and allowing her the option of saying as much or as little as she chose.
Sally took a breath and looked directly at the reporter. "Yes," she confirmed, "Lightning and I are seeing each other now. We're together."
"We are," he concurred beside her. Cameras began to flash wildly, as Lightning then gave Sally a proud, admiring smile.
"Your name, miss?" Starlighter asked.
"Carrera. Sally Carrera," the blue Porsche now more confidently answered.
"Lightning McQueen, do you think this will perhaps diminish your image and popularity to some degree, especially with your single fans?" Starlighter then boldly asked.
"Not at all," Lightning responded directly as he kept looking at Sally. "Finding one car, one special car, never hurt The King, Strip Weathers. So why should it hurt me? I just hope that my single fans find for themselves what I'm beginning to discover here with Sally. Besides, I'm here to race, and I don't intend to stop doing that. Racing is what my fans are here for, too."
"So you two are serious then?" Starlighter probed.
Lightning looked at Sally for a minute. They both smiled.
"Yes . . . Yes . . ." they each said.
As the cameras continued to flash wildly around them, "Well, I may have done it now," Sally now quietly confided to Lightning through her own forced smile. "And 'ya know, Flo was right, 'jumping off the cliff of fear' in life — facing and doing the thing you've come to be most afraid of — doesn't feel so bad once you do it."
"Sally, I can't tell you how much this means to me . . ." Lightning said back to her through his own trademark forced smile.
"You just did, Stickers," she said back to him as they continued smiling for the cameras together.
"And you know," she now said openly, facing him, "You are worth it," as she gave him another direct kiss, almost just for the cameras now, to wild cheers around them.
"Kaaa-CHOWWW!" was all Lightning could say as she ended their kiss.
"Shall we get you down to the track?" Sally offered.
"Right you are!" he said to her.
"You just remember how right I am, and we'll do great," she said to him playfully.
"Okay folks!" Lightning said more loudly to everyone now. "It's time for me to put on some moves for everyone . . . and for my girlfriend here, Sally."
She just smiled warmly at him, as they now motored slowly down to the track together, while the Sheriff, Red, and Sarge controlled the growing crowds safely on the viewing bank nearby.
"You want me to start you, Stickers?" Sally asked.
"Please!" Lightning responded.
"Okay, start your engine!" she called loudly for everyone to hear, putting on a show with him now.
Lightning happily revved loudly in compliance.
"Get set!" Sally continued in front of him from the other side of the start line.
Lightning hunched down as he revved some more.
"GO!" she exclaimed.
Off Lightning tore from the start like he almost never had before, throwing up a big cloud of dust behind him. The assembled crowd roared and cheered with approval.
"Sally has got to become part of my active team!" Lightning said to himself as he went into the turn around Willie's Butte. "Part of my show . . . our show . . . our act!"
Lightning banked high up the side of the bowl through the turn around the butte, as high as he dared without starting to slide sideways.
"Yeah! Ka-Chow!" he said, pleased with the turn as he returned to the level straightaway, and prepared for the flat dirt turn.
Boldly accelerating, he briefly turned his front wheels left, he then shifted them right as he felt the rest of him swing sideways into the turn.
"Come on Stickers," Sally said from the start line with increasing loudness, "NAIL THAT TURN!"
Lightning emerged from the turn pointed right up the straightaway back to Willie's Butte and accelerated flat out.
"WHOO-HOO!" Sally cheered as loudly as she could as he zoomed by her.
"It's 'Ka-Chow'!" he reminded her as he zoomed away, preparing for his second turn around Willie's Butte.
"Sorry!" she called after him.
As Lightning was making his second lap, Luigi crossed the track and passed his treasured Ferrari checkered flag to Sally.
"Here," he said, "You wave-a him across the finish line."
"Oh Luigi," Sally said, knowing how much this flag meant to him. "Thank you so much! We'll be careful with it."
Luigi now left her, darting back across the track saying, "This is-a your show with Lightning! Go-a for it!"
Luigi turned back around next to Flo now near the crowd on the other side of the track. Sally saw Flo give her an encouraging wink. Sally gave Flo a thankful smile and wink back.
Lightning was already making his second run around the flat dirt turn.
"How many more?" Sally yelled at him as he approached.
"Three!" he yelled back as he passed her.
"Here," Doc said as he now motored across the track towards Sally.
"Try this on," he continued as he put his Crew Chief's headset on her. "Looks good on you. Now talk to him."
"Stickers?" Sally cautiously said into the mike.
"Sally!" Lightning responded back, amazed and delighted to hear her voice coming in on his crew radio.
"I don't want to distract you," she said guardedly.
"You're not a distraction to me, Sally. Just talk me through," Lightning replied, making clear he was still focused on what he was doing.
"Okay, you're doing great!" she said, easing into her role she'd just been given as his coach. "The crowd has really been wowed by both your high bank turns, and you have been just nailing that dirt turn, Stickers!"
"Thanks! Way to go, Sally!" he replied as he slid through the dirt turn for the third time. "You'd be good at what you're doing!"
"Keep focused," she radioed back, changing the subject. "Two more laps, right? Total of five."
"Correct," Lightning replied as he now went through the bank turn around the butte.
Sally's right, he thought. Business, and safety, now.
"Watch your approach to the dirt turn," she cautioned. "It looks like you're a little off."
"Thanks!" Lightning responded as he made a small correction and commenced the turn again.
Wow! She is good! he thought briefly as he slid smoothly through the turn.
Doc had motored back across the track, and was now next to Mack, having had him turn on his crew radio. Doc, too now smiled with satisfaction at listening to how Sally was doing on the radio.
"Wearing this thing means I can't wildly cheer you as you pass by!" Sally said as Lightning zoomed by her, starting his fourth lap.
"You can still say 'Ka-Chow' though!" he replied.
"When you've earned it after the next bank and dirt turns!" she responded playfully.
"Done deal!" he accepted as he rose into the bank turn once again.
Both Sally and Lightning each began to sense how natural these new working roles were feeling to them.
"Good turn!" she said, "But let's see if we can amp both turns and the straightaways up a notch for the final lap for a good finale!"
"Ab-so-lute-ly!" Lightning confirmed, as he accelerated further with full concentration, ready to push his limits, just a little.
He powered into the dirt turn even faster, kicking up an even bigger cloud of dust as he still smoothly slid through it.
"Ka-CHOW, baby!" Sally said admiringly to him as he passed by to start the final lap. "Take it on through and bring it home! . . . To me!"
"You got it, Sal! . . . You got me, too!" Lightning said right back, as he took it almost to the top rim this time on the banked turn around Willie's Butte, higher than he'd seen Doc go before.
Zoom! he went as he leveled off along the back straightaway even faster.
"Left . . . Right . . . Slide . . ." Lightning called out confidently on the radio, as Sally raised the checkered flag in anticipation of his arrival.
The cheering crowd was getting even louder at seeing the flag, and the finale approaching.
Sally waved the checkered flag like a pro as Lightning zoomed by, and slid smoothly to a stop before the bank turn. The crowd roared in approval.
Separated by a few dozen yards along the track, they each smiled at one another as the cheering around them continued.
"Sally . . . you've been around all this before, haven't you?" he said through the radio, not knowing anyone else was listening.
"Not now, Stickers . . . please?" Sally asked gently via the radio as well.
"Okay," he accepted warmly as he motored up close to her. "I trust you . . . and I love you."
"I love you, too," she said warmly to him, as she kissed him once again. "I'll share things with you, all at the right time, okay?"
"Deal," he said reassuringly to her.
The Sheriff now came forward onto the track as emcee for the evening, announcing, "The Fabulous Hudson Hornet . . . who taught Lightning McQueen his moves around this very track . . . will now be available over at the dirt turn to share racing pointers with anyone who cares to gather over there. Meanwhile, Lightning McQueen will be signing more autographs over by his team truck and trailers until it gets dark. Then we invite you all to come over to our main street through town and cruise under our growing collection of restored neon signs! Thank you for coming, and don't forget to drop some contributions into the decorated barrels to help us continue to improve this community, and bring more events like this to you. Anything you want to add, Lightning?"
"Thank you, Sheriff," Lightning now responded, addressing the crowd from the track with Sally at his side. "I also want to encourage you to support these local townscars here, many of whom are keeping their businesses open late just for you tonight. Without these cars, who are my home team now — literally — we wouldn't all be here, or have all this to enjoy. So let's have some cheers and around of applause for the good cars of Radiator Springs, and for the town they've made it! Thank you!"
A raucous, loud cheer went up as all the locals tearfully accepted the crowd's enthusiastic applause.
With the Sheriff once again escorting them with his light on, Lightning and Sally left the track together and made their way amongst a throng of fans towards Mack and his trailers.
Sally paused both of them first by Luigi to return his flag to him.
"Grazie, segñoré," she said warmly to him.
Lightning was quietly impressed at Sally's apparently knowing Italian. He decided he was going to enjoy coming to know and appreciate her many talents, no matter what her past may have contained.
Sally then stopped herself and Lightning near Doc and Mac, offering to return the Crew Chief's headset.
"Just put it in the lead trailer if you like — or better yet, keep it on. 'Looks good on you!" Doc encouraged her.
"Yes, it does!" Lightning concurred. "Keep it on while we sign autographs here!"
"We sign autographs?" Sally said to him in surprise.
"Yeah," Lightning confirmed. "You were my Starter, and my Crew Chief tonight . . . part of the show!"
"In fact, Doc, Flo," Lightning said turning to them, "could you get a digital photo of us together in front of Mack and the trailers here, and run off copies on the color copier I just got for you guys over at the Town Hall for Sally and I to sign together? We'll donate the proceeds to the town for further repairs and improvements. I think we could sell hundreds of these for five, no ten bucks apiece! Way better for the town than what I was doing this afternoon, giving away autographs for free . . . which I'll still do here anyway."
Lightning knew Sally couldn't refuse such an idea that would benefit the town.
"Okay," Sally said knowingly to him, "'Ya got me. I'm in!"
"Ka-Chow!" Lightning said, winking at her with a big smile.
He was never so happy now as he paired up with Sally in front of the team trailers, as Flo shanghaied 'Snaps' Ollisen, the senior photographer for the Carburetor County Gazette, to take Lightning and Sally's first official picture together. Still wearing the Crew Chief's headset, even Sally had to admit she fit right in with Lightning now.
"Okay Sally, I'll let you in on one of my little trade secrets here," Lightning whispered to her as they lined up for the camera. "For photos, I kinda modify my 'ka-chow' into sort of a 'ka-chang' or 'ka-ching'. It produces a better smile that way."
"You know your stuff, don't you?" she whispered back admiringly to him. "On and off the track."
"Hey, this is a complete package and operation here," he said warmly to her, "and you're part of it now."
For an instant, that caused Sally to freeze and look down. Lightning could tell something was wrong as he quietly nudged her supportively.
She quickly looked back up at him and quietly assured, "I'm okay. Don't worry, Stickers, I'm not going to bolt here. I've promised you that now. There's something I need to talk about with you though, but not now, okay?"
"I gotcha, Sally . . . I understand," Lightning said softly to her as he continued to supportively nudge her. "You let me know if you need a moment or two to yourself, okay?"
"Thanks, Stickers." she said appreciatively. "But 'ya know, I think I'm good — better with you tonight than without."
"Me, too!" he echoed. "Way better with you, than without!"
They both wound up smiling broadly to each other.
Flash! "Perfect shot!" Snaps exclaimed, "Best I've enjoyed taking in some time! Now how about keeping those smiles, but looking at the camera this time!"
Sally laughed as they faced the camera now. Her smile continued to be radiant, natural, relaxed and warm as Snaps took more photos of her and Lightning together. Lightning felt his own smile was bigger and better tonight, too. As a few more photos were taken, he was realizing that Sally was showing herself to be as polished as he was, without crowding him or stealing the show. Once he had not wanted to share the spotlight with anyone. Now, Lightning couldn't imagine not sharing his spotlight with Sally.
"Okay," Snaps said. "That's a wrap! I'll go with Flo here over to the Town Hall, and we'll be back with stacks of the best two photos as quick as we can."
Lightning and Sally relaxed together for a moment, gently leaning into each other as crowds buzzed and grew around them, while Guido and Luigi were still setting up their autograph table next to the team trailers.
All of a sudden, Lightning became a little sad though, as he realized that tomorrow, he, Mack, and at least Doc and Guido, and hopefully Mater, would have to hit the road again, both to meet with his agent, Harv, in L.A., and for another string of races through New Mexico and Texas. Sally looked at Lightning, and could tell something wasn't right.
"What is it, Stickers?" she gently asked despite the crowd around them. "Tell me."
Lightning looked at her and reluctantly said, "Tomorrow, I have to hit the road again. I just got here last night and have been working all day today. I'm glad we're sharing tonight, but I wish we had tomorrow. I also know you're swamped with both our business affairs, but I wish you could come with me. You'd be a wonderful part of this team, Sal, you really would."
Sally looked down for a moment, but then looked back at him.
"Do you feel tired? Like sleeping much tonight?" she asked.
"Well, ordinarily I'd be really ready to sack out in my trailer after something like all this." he confessed. "But right now, I don't want to miss a moment while I'm here with you."
"Tell you what," she offered. "As the Neon Cruise winds down in town, let's quickly check on things at the Cozy Cone together, and then go for a nighttime drive to the Wheel Well where we can watch the moon and stars over the valley together, and we'll talk . . . really talk. About everything, okay?"
"Sally, you don't know how much this means to me," Lightning said.
"Yeah, I think I actually do," she said warmly back to him. "And you know, it's beginning to mean just as much to me, too. That's why I'm ready to talk. I kinda wish I'd been ready now a while ago."
"You've been worth the wait though, Sally Carrera," he said back to her.
"Ohh, Stickers . . ." she simply sighed to Lightning as she nuzzled against him.
Flo now zoomed back with the first batches of photos.
"Okay," she said, "here is the first round of the best two. Snaps is still cranking out more, but here 'ya go to get started."
"Alright everyone!" Flo announced turning to the crowd. "We have the first official photos of Lightning and Sally together for sale right here. Just ten bucks each including their personally signed autographs. Two different pictures. Line forms right over towards the left here."
The fans practically zoomed into forming an orderly line.
Even Flo was amazed. "Didn't know I had that kind of power in me!" she said.
Lightning and Sally paused to take a first look at their photos. One was of them looking and warmly smiling at each other, and the other was of them smiling at the camera.
"Yeah . . ." Sally softly said, almost tearing up with joy as she leaned against him.
"Yeah . . ." Lightning echoed, looking first at the photos and then admiringly at her.
Lightning picked up the first two copies of each photo. Then, handing them to Guido while still looking at Sally, Lightning said, "Guido, could you stash these in my trailer for now. Sally and I are keeping these first ones here."
"Okay!" Guido replied as he took the photos and zoomed around into Lightning's trailer.
"Showtime?" Sally asked.
"Showtime!" Lightning agreed as they proceeded to take pens from Flo and start signing their autographs on each, as Flo remained beside them and sold the pictures. Lightning signed first, then passing each picture over to Sally to sign. She added a little touch though, drawing a small heart in between their names as she signed hers simply "Sally" beneath his.
Lightning looked over and started to notice that. "Way to go, Sal!" he said quietly to her.
"Yeah, I like it," she said softly back to him. "I really like it . . . and this."
— — — — —
Together with Flo, they sold and signed those photos 'til way past sundown. Mack turned on both the trailer lights, as well as his own headlights to provide enough light to see by. Guido was fetching more and more photos from Town Hall as fast as Snaps could print them. Not wanting to disappoint a single fan, Lightning and Sally kept signing photos until the last car in line had what they wanted.
That last fan was Flo, who said, "Now these two photos are going up front and center at the cafe! And I'm not even going to start counting all the money you two made for the town tonight, at least right now! You better get on over to the Neon Cruise quick now though, before they start shutting off the lights."
"Can I take this headset off now?" Sally asked, turning to Lightning with a degree of fatigue.
"Sure, Sal." Lightning said, smiling. "Guido, could you help relieve her of it and put it back where it goes in the lead trailer?"
"Okay!" Guido quipped in his usual way as he helped lift off Sally's headset, then speeding off with it to the trailer.
"You up for a cruise?" Lightning offered to Sally.
"Barely," Sally confided at first, her fatigue catching up with her now. Regaining some strength though as she looked at him, she added, "But no matter what, I want to have our talk tonight."
"Don't worry," Lightning assured to her. "First we'll cruise nice 'n slow, and then get cans of Octane Boost to go from Flo's to keep us running, okay?"
"Deal," she said as she leaned against him as they motored off to join the last cruise down the boulevard through town.
Sally just continued to lean against Lightning, both relaxed and half-fatigued, as they motored up and down the street through town together under the changing neon lights, as oldies played on loudspeakers strung along the tops of the still-closed storefronts in the center of town. Lightning and Sally still acknowledged and waived at fans with a smile as more photos were taken of them slowly cruising together.
I still don't know if I can go with you, Sally now thought to herself as she looked at him while they cruised. But I'm ready to tell you why.
Note: As always CARS characters from the movie are the property of Pixar. Reporter Dana Starlighter and photographer "Snaps" Ollisen (with a tip of the hat to Superman's cub photographer, Jimmy Olson) are my own inventions, so far as I know.
— Norwesterner
