Lightning woke up slowly and looked at his phone for the time. He sighed and closed his eyes again when he then heard the thumping of one of the kids running to his room. He felt the bed shake a little as whichever child it was got up there. Then the little voice "Daddy." Ece. Lightning smiled and opened his eyes asking "What is it baby? You hungry?" Ece cocked her head mumbling "Mmm... No. Not hungry now." Lightning pulled Ece closer and she snuggled up next to him in bed. He kissed her little head full of hair then exclaimed "Better make sure you get your things together. I gotta take you back to mama's tonight." Ece, as normal, didn't reply to that. Then more little thuds and Colton ran in asking "Daddy! Are we watching the race!?" Lightning sighed and looked at Ece asking "Are we watching the race this morning?" Ece shook her head. She was perfectly content just laying in bed with her father.
Colton whined and said "Your my daddy and baby keeps taking you away!" Lightning was seriously surprised by that outburst and he sat up replying "Colton stop that. I'm your sister's dad to? You can't act like that. No whining." Colton glared and snapped "I don't want you to be her daddy!" Ece started tearing up and whined "You're my daddy..." Lightning didn't mean to chuckle at that and turned to answer but Ece began crying. Lightning reached for her but she jumped off the bed and took off past Colton. At this time Landon appeared. Lightning sighed. Ece's feelings were hurt. Colton was becoming selfish and kind of a bully. Landon raised his arms and asked "Where she go?" Colton pushed Landon away and shouted "No baby! You go!" Landon just stood there. He was unsure how to react. Lightning stood up and snapped at his oldest "No! You stop this now! You can't treat family like that!" Colton stood frozen by his father's voice. He looked a little scared even.
Lightning took a deep breath and knelt down explaining "Ece and Landon are your family. Family protects family. We don't hurt each other." Colton frowned silent. He knew he was in trouble. Now Lightning needed to take care of Ece. "We can all watch the race in a minute." he added then walked off to find Ece...
Sally felt a sudden energy as she woke up this morning. She grabbed a cup of coffee and tried finding out why Francesco ran off a week before their wedding. They were suppose ro be getting married this weekend. He only left a few things, including his phone. And nothing abnormal about anything. There were literally no reasons for him to leave. Well.. Unless Lightning was right and he did hurt Cruz and was the one who broke into the academy. Sally was so sick and tired of the toxic men in her life. Well..Lightning wasn't entirely toxic anymore. But she just knew things couldn't be that easy for them! Deep down, he was still the same Lightning and would grow tired of her and cheat or they'd fight a lot and in front of the kids.
He was so sweet and kind yesterday. There was no fight. Sally touched her lips and remembered his kiss. His touch to her hand. How warm he felt. What was it Lightning had said to her before? You just push all the good so far down, you forgot there was any there to begin with? Yea, something like that. Maybe he was right and that's what she had done. Pushed all their good memories aside so she could only feel that pain. So, while she was alone still. Sally decided to gather up everything of Francesco's in her home that he left and get rid of it. All of it. She didn't need to keep anything that would bring pain to her life and he walked out without even a goodbye! She was definitely through with him!
She gathered everything up of his. Clothes, shoes, trinkets, jewelry, his phone. And placed them into a few boxes then her door bell ringed. She stared at the door. Frozen. It wouldn't happen to be Francesco?.. would it? The bell rang again. So Sally slowly walked over and opened the door. "Megan?" Sally announced. Megan didn't look happy really. "What's wrong?" Sally asked. Megan had her daughter with her and Meg asked "Can Mera go play in the kids room or something? I know the kids aren't here but.." Sally glanced at the little girl then nodded answering "Yeah sure. You know the way sweetie." The little girl rushed off and Megan stepped in as Sally closed the door. "What's wrong?" Sally asked her friend again. Despite what happened between Megan and Lightning, Sally and Megan remained friends.
Megan sighed answering "I need advice.. From you." Sally shrugged. So Megan took a deep breath and her eyes teared up to even ask "How did you know it was time for divorce?" Sally's eyes widened with surprise. She was silent at first. Just kind of shocked. Megan frowned and explained "Cal has just.. Changed.. All he talks about is destroying Lightning and his school.. And then he keeps bringing up what I did!" Megan bursted into tears. Sally tried comforting her and listening as her friend vented. "I told Cal that it was nothing and meant nothing! But he calls me a whore and says I enjoyed it.. He looks at me and only thinks of this stupid mistake!.." Sally knew how that felt. To look at the one you loved and see their betrayal. But now.. Now Sally was seeing what Cal's actions were doing to Meg.. Which made her realize and remember that maybe Lightning was hurt more than she thought to by her actions. Why would Lightning fight to stay married when they were in therapy if he loved Cruz? Cruz wasn't even around.
Lightning did therapy like she asked and he wanted to continue it and he did what she wanted to make her happy. He never stopped trying to get something sparked again. He tried dating but wound up right back to her and last night.. Lightning told her he loved her...
Mateo walked into the hospital, into Cruz's room slowly. She was still out. Mateo walked close to her bed and brushed her hair out of her face. He loved her. At least he thought so. He sighed and grabbed her hand. "What happened?.. You did not just fall. There is no way.." he mumbled. Mateo leaned to her ear and said "You will be okay.. I'm gonna make sure of it." Then kissed her hand gently before sitting down next to her for a while...
That evening, Lightning dropped the kids off at Sally's like usual. Sally let the kids run off through the house. Ece gave Lightning a tight hug before she ran off with her brothers. Lightning sighed and leaned against the door and asked "Should we talk? I mean about last night? I feel like I should say something." Sally frowned replying "No it's"-"I'm sorry. I broke your rule." Lightning interrupted. Sally just stared. "I get it.I need to take.. A lot.. Of steps back. It's silly of me and rather embarrassing chasing after something that you don't want obviously." That hurt hearing Lightning say. But he was right. Probably. "I'm not gonna give you anymore stress. We're. Just friends. Right?" he asked. Sally corrected "More like partners. Um.. Thank you.." She softly mumbled. Lightning nodded and it hurt badly but at the same time it didn't anymore. That kiss felt different. And he thought maybe it was a good different but, maybe it was more of a bland different. Maybe that's just what it was like to feel nothing for each other anymore. "See you this weekend." He said then left. Sally sighed and shut the door softly...
Lightning whined "Ow!" Mack's wife laughed and scolded "Stop it. I can't work on you when you move around." Lightning pulled away snapping "Well it hurts." she rolled her eyes griping "I've worked on dogs that sat still better than you." Lightning glared at her. Mack seemed impressed "Wow. Look like you got some scruff going there." His wife smiled saying "You'll look different for sure. Facial hair and some down the neck. Look up." Lightning did as she said. Mack raised a brow asking "It's a week day though? Why are you disguising yourself today? We weren't going to any races today were we?" "No. But I gotta see if this is even gonna work." Lightning answered. "How?" Mack asked. His wife stopped as she finished his face, brows and chin and neck. "That's a dark brown babe?" She nodded explaining "Yeah. Well you want to look different. And that baby blonde doesn't resemble this at all. Let me just grab the contacts and get the wig." She stepped away.
Mack sighed and asked "So what are you gonna do today?" Lightning grabbed the small mirror and was impressed a little. his sandy brown brows were darker and fuller and the beard look was definitely not him! He could handle a little facial scruff but he always preferred the more hairless look. "Well I'm gonna walk into my academy and see if Jethro or Celia recognize me first. They can't know what I'm doing. They'll expose me over that internet stuff." Mack's wife walked back in and handed Lightning a small lens box. "You have really deep blue eyes so I got you brown. Probably the best color to cover them. Then this wig have tight clips and I can glue it but as long as you don't do anything to crazy? The clips should hold it in perfectly. Because you have enough hair on top here to pin it." She began placing the wig. Pinning it tightly down. "Ow!" Lightning snapped. "Don't move!" She griped back.
"There. Now you put those contacts in and I think it looks good." Lightning stood up and went to the bathroom. He was surprised looking at himself. He put in the contacts and stepped back out."What do you think?" Mack's wife asked. Lightning joked "Like a bible character." Mack laughed but assured "No one is gonna recognize you. Not unless they know your voice." Mack's wife shrugged adding "Just talk a little deeper or higher. You'll be fine." Lightning nodded and thanked her. "Now to test it out." "Wait!" Mack's wife yelled. She ran up and added "Change your style. When you take on this character. Wear different clothes. Who is this guy your pretending to be? Some high class guy looking for racing's next talent for Lightning McQueen? Or some grease monkey who gets his hands dirty? Or a stock car salesman?" Lightning snickered answering "I'm trying to look normal." "Grease monkey it is!" Mack shouted...
So Lightning walked into the academy dressed more rugged like ? A mountain man look with an old jacket or vest. Whichever you like and boots. It didn't take long for Jethro to walk up and asking "Can I help you?" Lightning stared a moment. Just letting Jethro take him in to see if he was going to recognize him. Jethro stared and asked "Um?.. What's your name sir?" Lightning stuttered "Uh.. I-I'm..." crap! he didn't think of a name! "Um.." "Can you talk?" Jethro asked. Lightning shot off the first fake name to his mind like an idiot "Chester. Chester uh.." he looked around the showroom. "Uh.." any ideas for a last name!? "Vitte?".. He muttered. Jethro raised a brow "Vitte?" he asked. Chester faked a nervous smile nodding and lying "Yeah its.. uh.. French?" Jethro just stared.
Celia walked over at this time and asked "What's goin on? Has Lightning showed up yet?" Jethro turned and answered "No. Just uh? Chester Vitte here." Celia raised a brow and looked Chester up and down. "Okay?.. What are you here for Chester?" Lightning or uh Chester couldn't believe it! It was actually working! "Um.." He needed an exexcuse to be poking around. "Lightning McQueen is.. An old friend. He uh.. Asked me to come by." Chester then walked forward making his way to Lightning's office when Celia stopped him and ran in front of him."Sorry but you'll have to wait for Lightning to get here." Chester shrugged replying "It's fine. I'll just wait in his office. Top floor right?" Jethro spoke up explaining "Yeah uh... you'll have to wait down here. The academy's had a brake in and we've never seen you here before sir." Well, Chester was glad his employees were looking out for the place. So he nodded saying "Great.. I mean Oh?.. Not great Uh.. I'll just come back later. Tell um.. Lightning to give me a call." Then left. Leaving Jethro and Celia suspicious.
Lightning stepped outside where he panicked as he saw Sally's porsche pull up. "Shit." he muttered and hid against the side of the building. He watched her park. She messed on her phone a moment then the car door opened. "What are you doing here?..." Chester muttered. Sally stepped out and shut her car door and headed towards the entrance of the academy. Giving Lightning his chance to get out of there before she saw him. He was so sure Sally would reconize him. But then another car pulled up. "Come on.." he griped. He stood by his car or Lightning's car. Crap. It would look like he was stealing it now if the person knew him. And yep. The car door opened and Lightning's eyes widened. Another person he was sure would reconize him! Cal Weathers!
But Cal had already spotted him. But didn't approach him. Wait? Did Cal not reconize him either? This could possibly work better than he expected! But why were Cal and Sally here?