Cal turned and looked up from his clipboard to see Lightning approaching him and smiled. "Awe.. Come to see the class I have picked out for you? Can't wait to introduce you. I think you'll like them." He exclaimed. Lightning nodded but really he came for another reason right now. "Maybe tomorrow.. I need to know what you did with Jackson's old helmets?" Cal raised a brow. "Jackson's helmets?" he asked. Lightning nodded. Cal thought a moment "Well.. One was sent off to Rusteze in Florida, two repainted and given to Cruz I think.. And any others were probably tossed out or put in the suit closet. Why?" Cal asked curiously. Lightning sighed and explained "I think Cleo might have hidden the remote to his sight in the padding of one of those helmets. Sally mentioned it. It doesn't sound all that far fetched Cal." Cal's eyes widened. "Woah.. Hold on." he replied. "You wanna go ripping through all those old helmets?.." Lightning nodded. "If it means I can give Jackson his sight back. I'll call the rusteze center first though. Check that one alone first." Lightning said as he turned to leave.
Cal stopped him quick! "No!.. You can't call Tex or my Uncle and ask them to tear apart a helmet that's in casing!? You know my Uncle would shoot me McQueen! You are asking to rip apart eighty thousand dollars worth of racing equipment!" Lightning glared a bit. Race helmets cost about 400.00 each. Cal was exaggerating. Lightning shrugged and asked "Than what do you want me to do? I have the money to pay to replace all of them if needed Cal.." Cal sighed. Jackson did deserve his sight, and Cal trusted Lightning though this didn't make sense. "Ask Cruz first. With any luck it's in one of hers.." Lightning nodded. Yeah, hopefully. "And if it's not?" Lightning asked. Cal stared a moment before answering "Let's just hope it is.. Good luck McQueen. Please let me know. I do wanna help you, but.. Let's try to keep other people out of this.. Really don't want Tex to know what we're doin..." He asked softly. Lightning agreed. "Where is Cruz?" He asked. Cal glanced at the clipboard answering "Gym. Said she'd be running for a little bit before takin some students on the simulator for me." Lightning nodded and thanked his friend before heading onto the elevator...
On the way he was wished a happy birthday by a few students and teachers. Lightning walked into the gym. It was quiet. No one exercising. "Cruz?.." He called. Lightning walked in and found her on the couch next to the tv sleeping. He sighed and spoke up, "Cruz. Cruz, wake up.." Nothing. "Cruz!" "Aahh! I wasn't sleeping!" she shouted and looked up. "Oh.. Just you." She sighed in relief. Lightning raised a brow and asked "Rough night?.." Cruz nodded explaining "Miguel couldn't sleep. He got stung and was up all night pretty much.." Lightning nodded asking "He okay though?" Cruz nodded then stood up. Straightening her yellow workout tee. And ofcorse she was wearing her tight yoga pants and sneakers. Besides the short bob, she looked more like Cruz today.
"Is that a hickey?!" She shouted. Lightning's hand immediately covered it. "Did you get some of Jackson's old race helmets?" he asked firmly. Cruz looked at his eyes and muttered back "Uh.. Probably.. If I did they'd be in the suit closet in my section." Lightning nodded thanking her before turning to leave. Cruz jumped in front if the door shouting "I got you a gift!.." She blushed. "For your birthday.." She smiled awkwardly. Lightning glared and reminded "I don't do birthdays.." "I know.. Pphhh I knew that!.. But.. I got you a disc. Let me get it!"
She ran to her locker and searched a moment before running back and handing it to him. It was plain, no case, no photo. "You do know how to use a dvd player?.. Right?" she asked. Lightning immediately glared at her. "Sorry, bad joke.." she admitted then cleared her throat. "So just... Give it a watch sometime?" Lightning sighed and had to find that remote. He nodded then walked around her and left. Now back to Cal to get the keys to the suit closet...
Lightning and Cal stood in front of the closet door. "Aren't you going to open it?" Lightning asked, holding a pocket knife. Cal stared a moment. Thinking of how to say this. "Look Light.. I should warn you that this isn't gonna be as easy as going in there and finding Jackson's old helmets.." Lightning raised a brow asking "Why not?" Cal sighed and unlocked the door as he explained "Because besides Cruz's two, the rest were repainted.." The door opened and Lightning's eyes widened. This is what Cal meant by 80 grand of equipment. "They ALL look the same.. There is no way to tell which were his.." On the shelves before them.. Sat at minimum 200 grey matte colored racing helmets! "This is gonna be a lot harder than I thought.." Lightning muttered. Cal snickered. "Well.. Let's do this." He said. And the two enetered, shutting the door behind them and began cutting the padding up of these helmets..
About 134 helmets later...
Lightning tossed another one into the pile. Foam, fluff and material scattered everywhere. It had been a few hours with no luck. Cal looked at all the ruined helmets. "You sure it's in a helmet?.." He asked in a whine. Lightning cut open anither one answering "Nope." Cal sighed and tossed another one. "We've been in here for hours.. We don't have many left.. Let's take a break.. Order more.. Helmets.." he whined staring at the pile. Lightning paused and looked at Cal replying "You go. I'm going through these. And my academy has about fifty helmets. You can have them. I'll tell Heather to send them over." Cal watched Lightning rip open another helmet. This was a mess. Cleo had cost them thousands or thousands now.
"What if it's not in the helmet?.. Or what if it was in the couple that we tossed out?" Cal asked. Lightning shrugged answering "It's gotta be here Cal. It doesn't make any other sense. What else would Chick and I have in commom? Racing. Which leads to that helmet in Cleo's own weird way." Cal stared and watched. Thinking. "Yeah.. There's also the car.." Cal added. Lightning stopped and stared. "What car? Jackson's?" he asked. Cal nodded explaining "She didn't just tamper with his helmet. She messed with his car. The car you have upstairs." he reminded. Lightning shook his head. "Jackson built it back up. He would have saw it." Lightning assured and went back to ripping foam. Cal stopped his friend and asked "Would he? Would Jackson have really seen a remote hidden in that car?" Lightning stared at Cal. Realizing it could be the car after all. Because though Jackson knew cars, he was blind and could have easily mistaken or missed such a small hidden item. "You are such a killjoy.." Lightning growled. Cal glared at him.
Lightning and Cal went upstairs and stared at the dented up 2.0 car. Cal sighed. "Jackson never came to hear it run did he?" Cal asked. Lightning shook his head. "You really think it could be here more than the helmet?" Lightning asked. Cal stared and thought about that before answering "Well.. fifty fifty.." he was honest at least. "Plys theres a chance it's not the car or helmet." he added. Lightning sighed and stared at the car. "I'll finish the helmets.. You get to work taking this.. Car apart." Lightning instructed before heading back down. Just after all the work Jackson put into it, he couldn't tear it apart. So he continued to work on the left of the helmets...
Dianna stepped into Sally's office. The woman sat down and announced "I'm sueing." Sally's eyes widened. "Well.. You di know that you will have to wait until"-"Just stop. I know as an attorney, a lawyer, you're just trying to buy yourself time for a subpoena. Don't bother. Because unless you want to step down as Mayor and become the town's attorney again, you have no say here. Who is the town's attorney anyway?" she asked. Sally stared a moment. The town didn't have one currently. "Uh.. Well.." Dianna snickered and smiled crossing her arms. "That's what I thought. Here." She placed more papers on Sally's desk. Sally sighed and stared rather pathetically. "These are papers stating that the town was responsible." "Please explain how Radiator Springs is responsible for you not exposing yourself to your father?..." Sally whined.
Dianna stood up, leaning on the desk and looking Sally directly in the eyes, "Because the town attorney at the time, was threatening." "EXCUSE ME!?" Sally snapped! That was it! Sally stood up and shouted "I'm not threatening! Never have I ever been to anyone!" Dianna snickered with a raised brow and held her stare. "The town attorney at that point in time was very threatening. If the defendant, I, Dianna Swwann, stepped forward. The attorney Sally R. Carrera would have done the very thing she has been now. Digging and trying to prove that subject of defense was indeed not Mr. Hudson's daughter. Causing the young woman, I, trauma emotionally. Costing a great deal in therapy. Do I need go on?"
Sally glared and corrected "Do not call yourself a defendant in my town Miss Swwann." "Yea well, don't act like a lawyer when you are nothing more than mayor.." the woman snarled back. Sally's eyes widened. Thing about this, Sally couldn't legally fight Dianna much more. She wasn't an attorney anymore. She wouod have to take the oath, a returning class, and join a firm to get back in and that wouldn't allow her to run the town as mayor. Dianna knew this and was using this against Sally. Legally, could Dianna sue the town because of the town attorney at the time. Maybe. She would if she had no one fighting her in court. Right now she didn't and that's what Dianna was using. Sally nodded and sat down. "Come in Friday.. I'll have paperwork.." She mumbled. Dianna smiled happily and proudly. "Good. Finally doing your job Mayor." Dianna snarled and left. Sally sighed. She needed to find a town attorney to fight Dianna and fast! Or..
A new mayor...
Lightning finished with the helmets and headed up to Cal in the rehabilitation center with Jackson's car. The elevator doors opened. It was a mess and torn apart. "Anything?" Lightning asked. Cal looked up answering "Nothin yet.. What about the helmets?" Lightning shook his head saying "Not unless it's in that one in Florida.." Cal sighed and wiped grease all over his shirt. "What do we do?" Cal asked. Lightning thought for a second before shrugging. "We're missing something." Cal nodded and the two old racers stared at the car in peices. "Why don't you just call Chick.. Get him over here.. He may know." Cal suggested. Lightning frowned, brows lowered. He didn't want to.
"We should be able to figure this out Cal.." Lightning growled. Cal didn't answer because he was thinking. The hint was Lightning. Some how leading to Chick. How? Lightning.. Lightning.. Lightning and Chick.. Hmmm. Cal sighed answering "I got nothin.. Time to call Chick man." He said. Lightning looked at his friend. Great.. Just what he wanted to do!...
Sally and Lightning pulled up to the house about the same time. Sally had the kids and helped them out the vehicle. Colton ran to his father happily. While Ece and Landon ran to the front door. "Please stop running!" Sally shouted. "Happy birthday daddy." Colton said witb a smile. Lightning smiled and messed his son's hair up asking "Now who told you it was my birthday?" Colt looked at his mom without answering. Lightning snickered and he and his son walked over to that amazing woman. "Hey." Lightning greeted. Sally smiled greeting back "Hey, any luck on the helmet idea?" Lightning shook his head. The family walked into the house. Locking the door behind them.
"Even tore Jackson's car apart.. Nothing on that yet. But Cal wants me to just calk Chick now." Lightning stated. Sally sighed and asked "Will you though?" Lightning shrugged, but he probably would. "How was your day beautiful?" he asked. Say sighed and rubbed her eyes. Immediately Lightning made a face asking "Eww.. That bad huh?" Sally shook her head and admitted "Dianna is smart. She is dropping the whole Doc's my dad! Where's my money thing and now wants to sue the town because of my so called threatening attitude years ago!" Lightning unintentionally laughed! "You?.. Threatening!?" He laughed. Sally glared and crossed her arms. Causing Lightning to choke up a littlw, clearing his throat and silence his laughter.
Sally rolled her eyes and continued "Usually I would fight the urge to slap you right now, but exactly! Me?! Threatening!?.. She is making up excuses because I was close to getting rid of her and she just wants money!.. Oh!.. If onky Doc was here to set his daughter straight!" Sally growled as she was frustrated. Lightning placed a hand on her shoulder assuring "You're smart. You'll figure it out." Sally sighed and explained "Yes.. But that means putting off my duties as mayor. At this point.. I have to choose between being mayor or being the town's attorney.. And I don't know any other attorneys!..Just me.." She muttered. Lightning did feel bad about this. Seeing Sally feel like this. He felt her frustration and hard work feeling useless. "But.. If I found a new Mayor.." she began.
Lightning raised a brow asking "Don't you wanna be mayor?" Sally shrugged. "I enjoy it just as much as being town attorney really I guess.. But I am the only attorney the town can trust and who cna deal with miss Dianna..." Lightning sighed and the two stood there a moment. "But. Who the heck would the town vote for as mayor in such short notice? You'd need someone everyone knew and would basically throw themselves at without thinking." Sally nodded. Lightning was right about that part. Not only that, but the new mayor would have to get voted pretty much unanimously too. Sally slowly stared at her love answering "You could be mayor." Lightning's eyes widened. "What!? No! No, not me. I'm a racer not a mayor Sally." Sally rolled her eyes. "You should think about it Mayor McQueen." Lightning shook his head. Never gonna happen...