Chapter 4: What Would Happen if Doc never died during Cars 2?

~Part 2~

Doc's P.O.V.

I didn't have time to investigate what Mater had supposedly gotten himself into; we all had to get ready for the first race here in Tokyo. But I had this abnormal feeling that something happened yesterday which made such an impact on life. Oh, that could just be my imagination...

Once the race had started, I made the mistake of letting my mind wander. Curse my suspicions about Mater, no one could blame me really. He's been acting strange this morning and barely said anything, which was very unusual for being Mater. But now, I should pay my attention on the race.

Lightning was doing really well. That dirt track section gave him first place, and he was still in the lead. Half of my mind was on Lightning, and the other half on my suspicion about Mater. Well, it should've been on what Mater was doing, because next thing we knew, Mater was gone, but was still telling Lightning things through his headset. Mater said something about staying outside, so Lightning moved to the outside, causing Francesco to pass him. He swerved back inside.

Where did Mater go? I wondered, looking around. I stopped looking, deciding Lightning was going to need my help if he wanted to get the lead back. I doubted he would, though…

Mater was now saying random things into his headset. Something about a non-existence girlfriend and now suddely karate?!

What the heck, Mater?

The race was over. Francesco was first. Lightning was second the car by the name of Carla was third, but that's not important. While the press was interviewing Francesco, Lightning slipped away from the attention. I didn't thought about confronting Lightning about the race and what happened. Unfortunately, the Italian made almost ticked off by talking like that.

"This is -a boring."

Go home then if this is boring! I thought angered and I managed to throw him a dirty glare, at least back in my days racers had actually something that was called respect! I shook my hood, I didn't had time for this!

He and Mater were having an argument in the pits. I had to go stop it, but I was too late.

"Lightning!" I tried to go after him, but he was swarmed by press. I'll give him a talk later...now I had to go comfort Mater.

"Mater?" I called. Where'd he go now...?

Next thing I know, Mater's gone and once we got back to the hotel, he had left a note. What now? I hope nothing is wrong...

As Lightning reads the note out loud, Guido and Luigi cry. Sarge looks on the verge of tears, and Fillmore...well, no one can ever really read his expression with an exception of Sarge, of course. Don't ask me how I know it, I just do it.

Once Lightning finished with the note, Luigi pushed it aside to reveal some P.S. notes. The first one was something about ordering a movie from the hotel, that shouldn't be a problem. Lightning had too much money, so the rented movie was the least of our problems for now. And the next was…I have no idea, I think it was some inside joke about the "PP"and there was a few more pages. I sighed.

"Well, at least I know if he's at home then he'll be safe…" Lightning said. Everyone nodded in agreement. But my thoughts was still on Mater, last night's happenings. I recall Mater talking about his "date", flame throwers and some carate things. If my suspictions was right, then...

I shook my hood again. Can't be! If I was right, then fate had a terrible fun time toying with me and my past, too much I got involved back in my days. I frowned, what was gone was gone. End of story.

I didn't understand why, but for some reason, I still had that Aston Martin car in my mind.

Soon the time came for the race in Porta Cosa, Italy. Still worried about Mater, we prepared for the race. Lightning didn't had his mind on the race, he's been worrying about Mater the whole flight to Italy. Of course, I didn't left his side for a second and especially when he seemed so fragile for now. He and Mater was best friends, much like me and Sheriff. Naturally, I understood how it felt, having a fight and then feel so completely guilty to no end.

Lightning seemed to be heard by Francesco. I hope for Chrystler's pity that...racer won't bother him or taunt him again. Sometimes, my wishes aren't always so lucky and I put on my headset, I wanted to know what was going on!

"I'm just worried about Mater." Lightning said minutes later, expressing his worry for Mater, who's most likely back home. I sighed, Lightning really needed to let it go of things and Mater will always be there when we return. Their friendship was actually easy to repair once I could hit common sense into the kid.

Lightning...

Then Francesco began to meddling into my rookie's business. I sighed roughly. Just quit your yapping, will you? I thought. At first, Franscesco seemed to understand with empathy, only to taunt him later about he is home and his mother was appearently there and watching.

That guy is really obnoxious. If I could just get my tires on him once for all...

"And there were the insult we were missing. Grazie!" Lightning said, revving his engine and grinned sarcastically. I rolled my eyes amused, sometimes he reminded too much of my younger self.

"Don't worry, rookie. You can beat this guy. No distractions, and you'll do fine." I told him through the intercom, Lightning couldn't have anymore distractions. This was a race after all!

"Even when Mater isn't here, he's a distraction..." Lightning started, but I interrupted him before this was getting outta hand.

"Don't worry about him, kid. Just focus. I'll take care of everything else, you know that as well I do."

"Thanks, Doc."

"What did I just tell you? Focus! The light's about to go green!"

"Oh, right!" Then he took off.

Lightning finished first. This race really made me worried, considering that big crash that made me wince. The kid and Francesco have no idea that a big crash happened behind-WHAT THE HECK IS THAT!?

When I looked up I saw...a silvery-blue Aston Martin stuck on a magnet hanging from a helicopter. Hang on, that's the same guy I met at the party! But it looked like he was...no, can't be. The world can't be that small!

But hat has to be the weirdest thing I've seen. I don't know, I was conflicted. A part of me didn't want to give away some certain detail of my past life and a part of me wanted to go and find some help to the Aston Martin. But I knew I couldn't.

"Hey-a Doc? What are-a you-a looking at?" Luigi said, following my gaze. "WHAT IS-A THAT!?"

"No idea actually..." I muttered and tried to pay attention to Lightning again, he seemed so upset about the crash and I suppose I had to talk with him later. This wasn't something he should worry about, he's hellbent lucky to not get into a crash.

"What, man?" Fillmore said, driving over, but the helicopter was gone. Guido had seen it too, as it seems.

"That...was-a the weirdest thing...I have-a EVER seen!" Luigi exclaimed with Guido nodding

I agreed. But the weirdest thing wasn't even that, I wanted to forget the fact that I even KNEW that Aston Martin of all cars!

"Sono d'accordo" Guido agreed.

"What, man? I can't see anything..."

One stare at all of them was enough to make them quiet, I sighed and tried to find Lightning again. Oddly enough, he manages to disappear at the most pelicular moments. That habit needs to stop.

I looked around the pits a good long 30 minutes and I begin to grow worried. Where the heck was he? Not in the pits or the bathroom or getting some cold lemonoil, since the weather was so hot. I'll be damned if that Formula 1 racecar is still stalking and taunting him again or I give him a good-sized and old-fashioned whipping!

Oh, there were the kid! There were some interview with Lightning and for some odd reason, Sir Miles Axlerod. I just stayed behind the the reporter folks, I was tired of getting flashes into my eyes all the time by now. How did the kid even got used of it?

"Sir Axlerod, is the final race still going to take place in London?" One of the reporters asked once Axlerod appeared. Axlerod seemed genuinely upset about the crash, but as I knew better, I still didn't knew if it was true emotions or not.

"The show must go on..." he started off, but I couldn't hear more than that. The reporters were swarming again, buzzing and fussing around with their cameras. Oil-sucking parasites...

"Will the races still require Allinol as fuel?" I perked up by that question, now that was at last some important question.

It seemed like Allinol wouldn't be used in the next and last race in London and I sighed in relief, I had this churning feeling in my tank that Alliol was bad news. I didn't manage to shake off that feeling, though. I happened to know that Sarge didn't trusted the Allinol or Miles Axlerod either, maybe because he was extremely patriotic and there were this feeling about Axlerod that made me worried.

Suddenly, I snapped out of my trail of thoughts and stared back at the interview. Axlerod was appearently done and now, it was Lightning's turn as he won the race fair and square. Lightning was at the sidelines, he looked still upset and nervous. I made a gesture for him to go and not worry. I would have his back covered anyways.

When Axlerod drove off, he turned around and stared at me again. Why now?! I narrowed my eyes at him and before I knew it, I was in the middle of the crowd and clearly had a face-off with Axlerod. He didn't seemed too happy to me and neither was I. The air was suddenly cold and tense, my left eye watched Lightning, who noticed this stare-off with Axlerod.

The Axlerod drove away, careful to not break the stare. Once he was gone, I just gave Lightning an assuring smile. I decided to stay and watch his little interview, it couldn't harm.

I listened carefully, Lightning was really upset about the big crash and I knew for the record that he don't take lightly on crashes ever since the tie-breaker in LA four years ago.

Once he was done with his perspective on the crashes, I supposed there were some harmless questions left now.

"Have you decided what fuel you will use on the next race?" A reporter asked.

"Allinol." Lightning answered confidently and I turned around, widened my eyes in shock. "WHAT?!" I couldn't stop my voice from yelling out that loud, but lucky I wasn't the only one doing that. But I was definately the loud one here.

Author's notes: Well, that went good?

...

I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! I FORGOT! D: Okay, explaination short: Life played and toyed with me, so I forgot this one for a long while. But it's okay! Every week, I will try update a story more. Regardless which one it is, it's at least a update.

I made some major changes here too, so Doc's POV is pretty much to his character in my other stories the "Illusion" Trilogy (the first part is still in progress.), "Polyrhytme" and "My Heart Would Know". But I hope you have nothing against it. ^^

But I see I have gotten great reviews and many suggestions too. Thank you so much for the suggestions, I really appriciate it. A especially sincere thanks to kittyhawk09 and TwinklePie34!

To kittyhawk09: I'll see how I can do, that's a pretty good idea and I haven't thought about it earlier until now when I remember it.

To TwinklePie34: Oooh! Now, that's some great idea! I see what I can do. ;)

In case you forgot, this fanfic contains both Cars and Cars 2!

So, stay tuned!

~ Loopin' Lunan95