"What were you going to get the three for Christmas?" Lightning asked Brian in a low voice, making sure that none of the triplets overheard him.
"I'm not sure yet. I might just make the surprise their Christmas present, since it's a bit late." He was right. It was the day before Christmas.
"That's probably the best you could do." Lightning agreed with a grin. "They'll love it though."
"You really think so?"
"What could be better for a Christmas present then their dad coming to live in the town they grew up in, just because they didn't want him to leave?" Lightning replied, and Brian smiled.
"You're right. They'll love it."
DJ and Mack arrived later that day, with Sally heading out to greet them and hide them from the triplets. DJ shoved all the moving boxes into the abandoned building through the back, then locked it back up with the key Sally gave him. He came around front, and was instantly pounced by Sara.
"DJ!"
"Hey, Squirt, you feeling better?" DJ laughed, and Sara hugged his hood tightly.
"I'm all better! Thanks, DJ." She replied, laying on his hood and making her engine purr.
DJ smiled down at her, then watched as she jumped up onto his roof. He tensed up as she neared his spoiler. He was very sensitive there because of his CDs. He could feel her driving around on his roof, near his numerous CDs. "DJ, why does your spoiler look like puppy ears?"
"It does not!" He replied indignantly.
"Does too!" Paul exclaimed, driving up to DJ.
"Hey, stay out of this, you little munchkin." DJ replied teasingly, pointing at Paul with a tire.
Paul just giggled and climbed onto his hood. He jumped onto DJ's roof, and DJ tensed up even more. He seemed to be slowly sinking to the ground. The others laughed.
"It does, Deege." Paul replied firmly, and DJ still refused.
"No, it doesn't! It looks mean and intimidating!" Harry started giggling along with the others.
"No, it makes you look silly, DJ." Harry replied, scrambling onto DJ's hood, then hopping up onto his roof.
DJ just pouted as he collapsed under the combined weight of the triplets, who giggled.
"Look! It's another 'Carpile on DJ'!" Sara giggled.
"Hi." Mariana said hesitantly looking up at DJ, whose bumpers were on the ground.
"Hey." He replied gloomily.
"Why do you have six mirrors?"
"Oh, here we go again."
The group laughed, and he tensed up even more as he felt one of the triplets leaning over his spoiler.
"Hey, DJ?"
"Yes, Paul?" He replied between tightly gritted teeth.
"Your CDs look like a smile, upside dow-Whoops!" There was a thump and clang, then silence.
DJ bolted around to see Paul lying on the pavement upside down, his wheels pedaling through the air gently.
"Woahh, that's the last time I do that." He replied dizzily, rolling over and watching the world spin, bobbing his hood from side to side and crossing his eyes dizzily.
DJ chuckled, and pinned down Paul's hood gently, so he could focus properly. Once he had refocused on DJ, he giggled.
"Hi, DJ."
"'Sup?" DJ replied, grinning. "All right, midgets, DJ is no longer available for a kiddie ride. Please exit down the front way." DJ mocked an amusement park ride, making the triplets laugh and depart. He drove over to Sally, and whispered to her for a minute, Lightning leering at him in jealousy. Sally nodded, then turned to Lightning to explain.
"I'm going to go show DJ the setup at Wheel Well. I'll be back soon. And would you stop making that face? I'll kill him if he tries anything."
At that, Lightning instantly perked up, then kissed her fender. Sally and DJ departed for Wheel Well, and Sara looked back at them curiously. "Where are they going?" She asked Doc curiously.
"They're going to Wheel Well."
"Why?" Sara asked.
"We were thinkin' of startin' a nightclub up there, man." Ramone replied, and exclaimed as Flo nudged him sharply with a tire.
"That's right. And we thought that DJ might be able to help us set everything up. We still need to find a real D.J. for up there though." Lightning replied quickly, covering up Ramone's mistake.
"Oh, okay." Sara replied, and drove over to Fillmore, laying down at his side.
"That was easy." Flo whispered to Doc as she served him coffee. He dipped his hood slightly, and offered her his thanks.
"Sweet setup, man." DJ announced, looking over the disc jockey station towards the back of the room.
"So you'll be able to work with it?" Sally asked.
"Sure. I grew up mixin' beats with one of these, dude."
"All right, that's great." Sally replied, offering him a smile. "Now, all we've got to do is get the other three a home."
"Ya make that sound like it's gonna be easy." DJ pointed out.
"It should be. I'm going to leave the decision completely up to them, and I've got all the keys for those buildings. They'll have to come to me to get inside any one of them." Sally explained.
DJ nodded to show he understood, then put on 'Sexy Back' by Justin Timberlake, his expression crafty as he glanced in her direction.
"Knock it off. I've already got a boyfriend."
"What's that? The bass is thumpin' too loud, man!" DJ shouted over the bass, which was pounding, making the windows rattle.
"I said, 'Knock it off, or else I'll get my boyfriend up here.'"
"Who, McQueen? I'm not afraid of him. But whatever ya want, dude." DJ shouted, then turned off the music.
"Thank you." Sally sighed, then began driving down from Wheel Well. She braked when she realized that DJ wasn't following her. She turned around and found him parked by the edge of the cliff, looking out into the horizon.
"You can see forever up here, man." He murmured softly.
"Yeah, that's what I like best about it up here. If I have a really hard case, I can just put it away and come up here, then just stare out as far as you can see. It's really relaxing." Sally replied, pulling up beside him to share the view.
They sat there for a few minutes, then DJ pulled away from the edge. Sally pulled away also, and they drove back down to the town.
Later that evening, Bob Segar's 'Old Time Rock And Roll' began playing on the radio, and the triplets heard it. When they heard the piano start the song, they hurriedly sped down the street. They heard the second part of the opening piano, and slid down the road, ending facing Lizzie's.
"Just take those old records off the shelf! I'll sit and listen to them by myself! Today's music ain't got the same soul, I like that old time rock and roll! Don't try to take me to a disco, you'll never even get me out on the floor. In ten minutes I'll be late for the door, I like that old time rock and roll! Still like that old time rock and roll, that kinda music just soothes the soul! I reminisce about the days of old, with that old time rock and roll!"
At the music break, the triplets noticed that everyone was still at Flo's, and not at their homes.
Sara, who had been the singer of the group, blushed, her hood turning bright red, then parked beside Snot Rod, who was chuckling. He nudged her with a tire, then told her that she was good.
She shook her hood firmly, clamping her mouth shut over an embarrassed smile.
"Yes, you are." Snot Rod told her firmly, nudging her with a tire again.
Her blush grew deeper, and she looked down at the ground, scuffing her tire at a pebble.
Harry and Paul came over, blushing nearly as much as Sara, for they had been playing the air guitar and saxophone. "That's it?" Brian asked, looking down at them. Sara nodded along with the boys, and Snot Rod sighed. "No it's not."
He nudged them until they all gave up and went back to their previous spot.
"Won't go to hear 'em play a tango, I'd rather hear some blues or funky old soul! There's only one sure way to get me to go, start playin' old time rock and roll! Call me a relic, call me what you will! Say I'm old-fashioned, say I'm over-the-hill! Today's music ain't got the same soul, I like that old time rock and roll! Still like that old time rock and roll, that kinda music just soothes the soul! I reminisce about the days of old, with that old time rock and roll! Oh!"
The others at Flo's had started cheering, and now Harry, who was playing an air sax, came forward while Sara reversed slightly. Paul also came forwards, but not as much as Harry. The townsfolk could tell the three were really having fun, and cheered. Sara drove back up in front of Harry and Paul, then began to sing again.
"Still like that old time rock and roll! That kinda music just soothes the soul! I reminisce about the days of old, with that old time rock and roll! Still like that old time rock and roll, that kinda music just soothes the soul, I reminisce about the days of old, with that old time rock and roll! HA! Still like that old time rock and roll, that kinda music just soothes the soul. I reminisce about the days of old, with that old time rock and roll. Still like that old time rock and roll!"
Sara once again pulled back but this time, Paul took the front, playing an air guitar extremely well.
As the song ended, the group at Flo's cheered loudly, and all three blushed a deep red. "Thank you, thank you, we'll be here all week!" Sara called, and the others laughed.
They drove back over to Brian, who was grinning broadly. "See? I knew that if I didn't do something to get you guys back up there, you'd never realize it."
"Realize what?" Harry asked.
"That you guys could finish that song. And that you guys were really good."
Sara giggled in embarrassment, while Paul and Harry both blushed bright red, and replied at the same time, "Aw, shucks!"
Snot Rod laughed, then nudged Sara with a tire. What would you three say to letting that goof of a dog sleep in our cone tonight?"
"YES!" Came three loud, happy answers.
"First, you have to sing the song that's going to come on the radio soon."
"But we don't know what song that is." Protested Harry.
"I do." Brian said with a grin. "Just go, I know you three know it. And Paul, let Sara take over the guitar while you sing, and Harry, there's drums in this one, so switch to that."
Harry nodded with a confused expression, then the triplets switched places.
"All right, now, here's a request we got from a car named Brian! Here ya go, Brian!" The disc jockey at the radio station announced over the radio. "It's 'La Grange', by ZZ TOP!" The guitar began playing, and Sara began playing the guitar, giving her dad a grin. Harry began clicking imaginary drumsticks together, grinning as big as Sara. This was their favorite song.
"Rumor spreadin' 'round, in that Texas town, 'bout that shack outside La Grange. And ya know what I'm talkin' about. Just lemme know, if ya wanna go, to that hoome out on the range. They got a lotta nice girls, ha."
Harry sang, trying not to laugh. Sara began strumming her air guitar more as the guitar grew louder, and Paul began drumming, his wheels moving around as though he were playing on a real drum set.
"Have mercy!"
Harry exclaimed, nodding his hood to the beat of the song.
"Ah haw haw haw haw! Say, ah haw haw! Well, I hear it's fine, if you've got the time, and the ten to get yourself in! Ah hmm hmm, and I hear it's tight, 'most every night, but now I might be mistaken, ah hmm hmm hmm!"
He watched as Paul and Sara kept playing as though they were playing real instruments, nodding his hood to the drumbeat.
"Eh, have mercy!"
Then he reversed and let his brother and sister play their way through the rest of the song. He watched them, and he was amazed by how good they were. They really need some real instruments, that way they could be even better.
They continued playing as the song faded out, then stopped. They got an even louder cheer then the last song, and laughed as Lightning came over to them and said that they should do another. "Are we really that good?" Harry asked.
"No. You're better then that." He told them, and they grinned.
"Goin' along with our apparent theme tonight, Sally from Arizona wants 'Born On The Bayou', by CCR! Here ya go, miss Sally of Arizona! Creedence Clearwater Revival, with Born On The Bayou!" Sara looked to her father, who nodded. She started playing as the guitar started.
"Now when I was just a little boy, standin' to my daddy's knee, my papa said, 'Son, don't let the man getcha and do what he done to me. 'Cause he'll getcha, 'cause he'll getcha now, now. I can remember the fourth of July, runnin' through the backwoods bare, an' I can still hear my old hound dog barkin', chasin' down a hoodoo there. Chasin' down a hoodoo there. Born on the bayou. Born on the bayyyou! Born on the bayou."
Harry and Paul were singing and playing the drums and grinning, and Sara joined them in enjoying the song.
"Wish I was back on the bayou, rollin' with some Cajun Queen. Wish that I were a fast freight train, oh, just a-jubilin' on down to New Orleans. Born on the bayou. Born on the bayyyou, uh, uh, uh. Born on the bayou, do, do, doodie do."
Harry was almost an expert at the garbled lyrics, even going to the trouble to make sure that they sounded the same. Sara took the front space, and Paul continued playing the drums as though it were a real drum set.
"Yeah, I can remember the fourth of July, runnin' through the backwoods bare, and I can still hear my old hound dog barkin', chasin' down a hoodoo there. Chasin' down a hoodoo there. Born on the bayou. Born on the bayyyou, ha, ha. Born on the bayou, goin' right."
Sara and Paul played the three out, and they cheered along with the rest.
"You guys ever played instruments before?" DJ asked.
"Nope." Sara replied with a grin.
"Come on, you three are jokin', right? There's no way none of ya ever played an instrument before, dudes." Wingo replied.
"They're right. I'm not sure where they learned it, but it wasn't from us." Sarge replied, amongst agreements.
"It wasn't from us either." DJ explained.
"You three are sure you've never played an instrument before?" Doc asked, and the three 'Cudas shook their hoods.
"Does singing count?"
"No, I'm afraid not." Lightning chuckled, and the three looked at one another, confused as to where they could've learned to play all those instruments. Snot Rod nudged Thunder gently with a tire, and muttered, "Do you think you could get them away from the town for a little? The rest of us still have to move in." Thunder nodded, then nudged the triplets towards Willy's Butte.
They left the town fairly quickly, giggling.
"All right, now, we just need to find you other three somewhere permanent to live." Sally replied, pulling out of her spot.
Boost, Wingo, and Brian grinned, and followed her down the road, looking at all of the buildings.
Wingo found one that had a large loft, and doorways big enough for his numerous spoilers.
Snot Rod found one made entirely out of brick, so it wouldn't burn as easily if he sneezed, and it also had a loft.
Boost found one that he liked also. His had a large storefront window, oak wood floors, and a large loft with a window that he could look outside, over the roof of the building across the street from his and see Willy's Butte. Each was passed the keys to their new home, and each wanted to move in as soon as possible, much to the delight of Sally.
Snot Rod gathered the things Sara was able to save from the fire, then made the three beds in the loft.
DJ began placing his neon signs and deejaying stations around his house, saving the best one for the loft.
Boost and Wingo left with Mack, that way they could pack up their things.
Snot Rod left his new home through the back, and drove over to his cone, where the three were just getting ready to open the door, yawning. Thunder had herded them back, and Brian nodded in the direction of his cone, inviting Thunder in. Thunder shook his head, then trotted back over to Lightning's cone.
'Looks like he's already got a home.' Brian thought to himself, then drove into his cone, Sara snuggling up to his tire.
I know you guys have been asking questions, and I thank you all for that! I'm excited that you are all looking forward to learning more about the triplets! :D You guys still have time to think up more questions for this story, since it isn't over yet!
P.S. I don't own any of the songs mentioned above, their respective artists do. :)