If there is one thing that bugged me about Cars 2, it's the fact that Sally had almost watched her boyfriend get killed—and if Sarge hadn't switched the fuel, he would have been—and had absolutely no reaction. No angst, no worry, no "oh-my-God-thank-the-Lord-Jesus-Chrysler-the-man-I-love-is-not-a-smear-of-ash-on-the-road" scene. So I wrote one myself.
The world, it seemed, had finally calmed down.
Not that Lightning wasn't used to craziness. Hell, he was even somewhat used to the violence that sometimes came with racing. While always tragic, a car having a bad crash on the racetrack is never a total surprise. The best thing you can do when you see one is hope that your loved one wasn't involved, and pray for those whose loved ones were.
But this? This was insane.
After the initial adrenaline rush of such simple tasks as tethering himself to his best friend and shouting like a madman (hey, he was caught up in the emotion…and he already had the feeling that a lot of news companies are going to be playing that for a good two years in the future, and the internet a good four), almost getting blown up, having his friends save him from international criminals and finding out his race's sponsor was trying to kill him, he was a little, shall he say, tuckered out.
"So buddy, that is how your attempted murder happened," Mater finished, not quite hiding the pride in himself…ah, he deserved it. Mater had done more tonight than Lightning had ever thought possible for one car.
So, somehow, a weapon perfectly designed to kill him just stopped. Out of a strange chance, he was left to live another day. Well, it was quite the stroke of luck.
Then, he looked past him—to see Sally, teary eyed and breathing slower than he had ever seen her do. He almost winced, knowing that she had heard the full story then. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought about how she'd react to all this!
"Thanks for trying to warn me," Lightning said, smiling back to Mater, "now go bask in your glory."
"Aw, really?"
"Uh-huh."
"Aw, thanks buddy! See you real soon, right?"
"Yeah, real soon," Lightning answered, barely noticing as Mater rushed off to accept his new-found fame.
He drove up to Sally. Her blue eyes bore into him, and her tires were just slightly trembling. After a few moments, she finally looked down
"I…I…I just…" She sighed, biting her lip and squeezing her teary eyes shut. "I can't…I just want you to know…"
"Shh. I know. I know." Just then, like a bullet, the real weight of what just had occurred struck him. From some chance, he was saved a gruesome death in front of his girlfriend. He didn't know what had caused this to happen, but it was enough to make him want to sink to the ground and thank whoever was up there for hours on end. He was alive. Alive and with her.
"If you had died, I don't know…" Sally sobbed once again. She didn't cry often. At most, he occasionally saw his with slightly moist eyes at a particularly brutal scene in a tragic movie. But full, weeping tears? Rare. Maybe even unheard of.
"I know, Sally. It's fine."
"It's fine?" she snapped suddenly, shooting toward him almost up to his face. "You could have been killed, and its 'fine'! ?" She gasped, forcing back her tears and instead shooting him a glare, "Do you have any idea what it would be like for me if you died? For me…for me to have lost you forever?"
He stared at her. She stared back, expectant.
Lightning took one deep, long breath. Actually, yes. He had an idea. He had an idea that was going to stay in his nightmares for weeks, maybe even years. He knew that he could have very well been long gone, that this celebration may have very well been a mourning. Had he been less proud, he probably would have been crying just as hard as she.
"The important thing is that I'm here now, right?" He smiled at her, touching his tire to hers and kissing her cheek. "I'm not dead. I'm right here. I always will be."
She swallowed, sighed again, and nodded, slowly. "You're right. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. This was crazy and emotional for both of us."
She nodded again. "I'm going to go join the festivities."
"You do that."
"You coming?"
"In a bit. Just give me a few minutes."
"Suit yourself."
He watched her disappear into the crowds of people outside of the confines of the royal palace.
What if he had died today? What would she have done? How would she have lived her life after an experience like that?
This was a miracle, at least that's what it seems to be now. He didn't know how he was saved from the weapon. He may never know. But as he watched the only woman he ever really loved drive out, his own mortality struck him harder than it ever had before. This wouldn't be the first or last time his life is risked on the track, not even close. There is always going to be a chance of that huge crash, maybe even twisting and twirling helplessly in the air before landing on his tires as a beat up mess. And he may not have a recently-changed rookie to push him out.
Life is short and fragile, and he had to make the most of it. He didn't want to waste one experience he could have with her. Taking things for granted is the quickest way to turn yourself into a tragedy.
Then, right then, he decided what had to be done.