Author's Note: Yeah, I'm bad at updating. I've got most of the story written, I just haven't got around to updating it in almost 4 months. I'm working on the last chapter at the moment, though it's proving tricky. I've got a couple of chapters for you tonight.

Disclaimer: Don't own Cars. Do own Jason Brooke, Skye Armstrong and Hugh Carrera-McQueen. No takey without permission please!

Holding On

Chapter 10

"Lean in to the turns, Lightning!" Strip sat on the small hill overlooking Willy's Butte as the red car sped around the track.

There was another race on Sunday, and Lightning was a long way behind with his training. The situation with Doc had been quite a distraction, but the good news Jason gave them earlier that week had spurred Lightning on. If there was one thing he really wanted to do, it was win the season, and he was determined to do it for Doc.

"You need more speed when you come out of the turns!"

Lightning flashed passed Strip and headed around the top end of the track, leaning into the turn as much as he dared and trying to accelerate more as he straightened up afterwards.

"Much better!"

Strip kept Lightning at it for a few more laps before telling him to stop for the day.

"You might not be one hundred percent, but you're fit to race on Sunday."

The two cars turned and found a third vehicle had joined them. Doc was sitting in the shade of a nearby cactus watching them. Lightning wondered how long he'd been there, for a light film of dust covered his dark blue paint.

"I, on the other hand, won't be joining you on Sunday." Doc sighed.

"Don't worry, Doc. I can be the kid's crew chief again." Strip drove alongside Doc as they returned to the town; Lightning shot off ahead, eager to see Sally and Hugh after the early training session.

"The kid's doing well. Thank you, Strip."

"Least I could do." Strip glanced at him as the buildings at the edge of the town came into view. "Feeling better?"

"Skye and Jason have done a good job." Doc nodded.

"You're lucky to have such a wonderful daughter."

They paused down the road from the café and watched the activity. Skye and Jason were sitting next to each other, both laughing at something Mater and Ramone were saying. Doc looked at her fondly.

"She's one in a million."

He continued to watch her for a few minutes after Strip left him before driving into the café and sitting beside her. He was very grateful for everything Skye, Jason and all his friends had done for him.

Sunday found the cars in Radiator Springs gathered around Lizzie's old television, eagerly awaiting the start of the race. Mack had taken Lightning down to Phoenix on Friday so he could get some last minute practice time in on the track, and the team followed early Sunday morning, leaving Doc, Skye, Sally, Hugh, Red and Lizzie behind. Doc had somehow managed to persuade Jason he would be fine with Skye looking after him, and the older doctor had gone with the team as their medic.

"Daddy?"

He glanced at his daughter and smiled as the music signalling the start of the program drifted out of the ancient speakers. Nearby Sally was busy trying to get Hugh to sit still, while Red and Lizzie looked on in amusement.

"I'm fine, sweetheart." He reassured her, letting her lean lightly against his side as they settled.

At the track, Lightning line up nervously with the rest of the racers. Chick was at the front of the field as usual, while he was more towards the middle, the last few races having not gone his way. Doc had called earlier, before the team arrived and well before the race was due to start, to wish him luck and give him a few pointers. In all of the races since Doc's return, Lightning had managed to place within the points, though he was still a long way behind Chick in terms of points. With the season coming to a close there was a lot of work to do if he was going to get the Piston Cup.

"Go for it, buddy. Show them what you've got." Strip's voice crackled over the team radio.

Lightning missed the 'float like a Cadillac, sting like a Beemer' that Doc gave him just before the start of a race, but tried to turns his thoughts from the car that usually sat atop the crew chief podium and made an effort to get his mind on the race. He vaguely heard the call of 'gentlemen, start your engines', and moved his gaze to vehicle holding the flag, all the time half-heartedly revving his engine.

Doc gazed at the screen, focussing on the pictures of Lightning that were being relayed across the country. The determination he had seen on the young car's face a few days ago was absent now, and though they were already half way through the race, he still hadn't made any moves to pass the cars in front. In fact he made some quite costly mistakes that left him being overtaken and falling steadily behind in the field. Doc could only watch as Lightning messed up yet another turn and let three more cars pass him.

"He's in trouble." Doc muttered.

"What do you mean?" Sally glanced at him.

"Look at him. He's making too many mistakes. If he's not careful he's going to crash out again. He's clearly not into it." Doc sighed in frustration. "I should be there."

"Maybe you can't make a physical appearance, but there might be another way you can be there."

Doc tore his eyes from the screen and turned to Sally for a moment. "What do you have in mind?"

Lightning glanced at the tower in the centre of the arena. He was way down the list, and definitely outside the points.

"Come in, kid. You need tyres and fuel." Strip sounded resolved to whatever the result of the race would be.

Lightning watched the rear end of the car in front disappearing around the corner, knowing he should be trying to catch up. He pulled into the pit lane and along to where his friends waited for him.

"Come on, kid. We both know you're better than this." Strip said to him in an attempt to motivate him.

Lightning merely sighed and let his friends do what was needed to get him ready to go back on the track. A shrill ringing noise came from one of them, causing him to look up as Mack blushed and backed off a short way to answer his phone.

"Get back out there, kid."

Lightning sped out of the pit lane and returned to the track a few places down from when he'd gone in. The determination he'd felt earlier in the week was long gone, despite knowing Doc would be fine. It wasn't that he was unhappy with the race, or his crew, it was more that he missed Doc's encouraging presence. While Strip made a good crew chief, Lightning also knew he wasn't the right crew chief for him.

He managed to take back a few places over the next ten or so laps as more cars pitted, but his mind was still elsewhere, until he got a surprise over the team radio.

"Hey, rookie."

Lightning almost crashed in shock when he heard Doc's voice in his ear.

"I thought you weren't coming?"

"I'm in Radiator Springs, watching you on the TV. Mack hooked his phone up to the radio … Sally's idea."

"She's great." A dreamy expression spread across Lightning's face.

"Keep your head in the race, Lightning." Strip's voice interrupted the call briefly before he handed the line back to Doc.

"Come on, rookie, we all know you're better than this. What's going on out there?"

Lightning sighed. "I don't know." He looked across the infield to where Chick was overtaking another car on the far side of the track. There weren't enough laps left for him to catch up with his rival. "I guess I'm just not with it this week."

"We'll try again in the next race, kid." Doc said sympathetically; every racer was entitled to the odd bad day. "Just do what you can out there."

Author's Note: Apologies for the long delay. Fingers crossed it won't be so bad this time around. I can't say how long it'll be though, as I want to get the last chapter written before I post many more chapters. I'll try not to make it too long. Another chapter coming up shortly!