Strip was stunned by the bomb that Lynda had dropped. They were going to be parents. He was going to be a father. Of course Cal was precious to the couple, but they could never replace the boy's parents. It was wonderful news. They were both still young, but after a few years of trying they'd stopped fretting over it. Now, their dreams were coming into being.

"If we don't have children of our own, well, we have each other and we have Cal. There is no reason to worry about it." Lynda had soothed him on more than one occasion. Strip couldn't begin to count the time he'd caught her staring at the baby clothes section of stores.

He smiled to himself as he kept driving down the interstate, occasionally he'd glance at Lynda. The racer couldn't stop watching her; it was as if he was witnessing a miracle. She was fast asleep by then and a tiny smile remained painted on her lips even in rest. A giddiness he'd not felt in a long time rushed over him as he pictured a future with either a little blonde girl or a brown haired little boy rushing around the house and teasing Cal. It was dark outside as Strip passed the sign announcing that they had entered the state of Georgia.

Everyone was fast asleep as the Weathers caravan made its way towards a hotel. Lynda had chosen a town on the outskirts of Atlanta as their destination. Apparently it was the perfect time at night to be checking into a hotel, Strip quickly entered the lobby and checked in before returning to the car. Ever so carefully he opened Lynda's door and gently kissed her which effectively woke her up.

"Huh?" Lynda blinked up at her husband.

"We're here. Time to head into the hotel," He grinned at her.

"Don't forget the boys."

"Sure thing," Strip grabbed the pillow that Lynda had been using and threw it so it clipped Cal in the head.

"HUH! WHAT? EARTHQUAKE!" Cal flailed like a fish out of water. His eyes were as wide as saucers and his hair resembled a porcupine.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Not funny Uncle Strip." The teen grumbled sleepily.

"Go ahead and wake up Lightning. I'm going to take Lynda inside first."

"Ok…" Cal smirked and grabbed the pillow that had been used to wake him. As soon as his aunt and uncle had disappeared inside he whacked Lightning firmly.

"Huh? Stop it!" Lightning jerked awake. Spotting Cal with the pillow in his hand he promptly wrestled him into a headlock. "What's up with waking me?"

"We're here."

"Where's here?"

"I don't know. Ask Uncle Strip." Cal grumbled before snuggling down with his head burrowed against his pillow.

"Come on boys. You can sleep when we get inside."

"Fine." Cal huffed and scrambled out of the car. The promise of a bed was too much to resist, Lightning was quick to follow Cal. It was time for a good night's sleep.

The boys were occupied with a putt-putt course that Strip had found, it was the perfect opportunity to find some answers. Lynda announced that she was going shopping in some of the local stores and she was gone. Strip was left to oversee a squabbling Cal and Lightning, sometimes he was sure that the Rusteze driver was still a child at heart. Atlanta wasn't far from the little town that they were staying in, so Lynda took the car and drove into the bustling city. It was only a thirty minute drive but she relished the quietness of the car as she swerved through traffic like the old racing hand that she was.

Her course of action was carefully planned out in her mind as she pulled up to one of Atlanta's hospitals. According to her sources Lightning McQueen had been born in an Atlanta hospital, the only question was which one? Her first three stops proved unfruitful, but the failed attempts were not going to deter her. With a determined glint in her eyes she cranked the car once more and made her way to a courthouse. It was time to pull a few more strings, answers were needed.

"How can I help you ma'am?" A dark haired clerk questioned the derby queen.

"Yes, I need to speak with a Mr. Goldwin." Lynda smiled warmly and offered the man a card. "Tell him Lynda Weathers is here to see him."

"Oh…yes, right away." The nervous clerk bustled out of the lobby and towards an office door. It only took a minute before he ran back into the room, his face flushed with embarrassment. "Mr. Goldwin, he, uh-hh will see you now."

"Thank you for your help." Lynda breezed by him and entered the office.

"My dear Lynda, come in my dear."

"Hello, Gene." Lynda smiled at the man sitting behind a desk in a plush leather chair.

The man behind the desk was white headed with sharp blue eyes. There was keenness around his eyes that spoke of his many years as a lawyer and then a judge. Lynda had known him since she was a child and her fondness of the man hadn't changed. He was exactly as she remembered since the last time they'd visited, around three years ago.

"This isn't a social call is it?" He stood to hug her lightly.

"No, I wish it were though. I have a few questions for you and I don't have the documentation to go snooping through records…" She looked at the grandfatherly man with a sheepish smile.

"So you need your old mentor to go snooping for you?"

"It's not really snooping…It's for the good of a young man Strip and I know."

"Alright, well I do owe you for the last time you kept me from getting shot up." He tugged her hair like he did when she was little. "Now sit down, take a load off your feet and tell me what you need." The judge settled into his chair and made sure Lynda was comfortable.

"Well, you know the racer Lightning McQueen. I'm looking into his background and it seems that most of his records are sealed. The only thing I could find was his date of birth, parents names and place of birth. It's a little hollow for anyone's background story."

"Lightning McQueen, born here you say." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I don't recall a McQueen in the records, but Lightning. There was something a few years ago…"

"What?"

"Let me see. I keep unusual records in my personal files." He stood and strolled over to a locked filing cabinet and pulled a ring of keys from his pocket. Carefully he unlocked a top drawer and shuffled through the contents. "Hmm, Lightning…Lightning…Ah, here it is." He tugged out a rather thick packet. "This case always bothered me."

Lynda felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, there was something life changing in that envelope, she just knew it. Impatiently she waited for the judge to shuffle over to his desk. She watched as he settled into his chair and began sifting through the contents of the file. It was extremely slow going as her friend read each paper carefully as if searching for something specific.

"Anything yet?"

"Patience," He chuckled. "Expecting important news?"

"Just curious is all." She smiled at him as he tugged a paper up for closer inspection.

"Ah, yes, this is it. Lightning Storm," He chuckled. "I remember when this one came across my desk. Parents chose the strangest name for him."

"Storm?" She swallowed at the sound of her maiden name." What happened to him?"

"The father passed away in a wreck a week or so after hs birth… and the mother took her son out of state. I think the father's name was Jacob Storm.

"Jacob? My Jacob?"

"Your brother Jacob," Gene nodded grimly. "Here's the date," He handed her the paper.

"It was after he returned from the Marines on leave," Lynda's voice choked up. "We had to come and collect him from here. Now, I know why."

"Looks like he was a father, that makes you an aunt again."

"Gene! Do you know what this means? It means that he's only two years older than Cal! And he's been racing. How did he pass himself off as an adult?" Lynda was seeing red and emotions rolled through her. She sat back in her chair; she was shaking with nerves, why had Lightning been in hiding though? Answers only seemed to bring more questions. Suddenly she wished she'd brought Strip along with her. She was an aunt again.