Lightning returned to his room to let Cal and Bobby who had went back inside to check on Cal's predicament, that he was gonna leave and meet with Cleo and would be back in town tonight or tomorrow. But when he opened the door, he found Cal holding the gun he brought. The two looked at Lightning with confusion and Bobby asked softly with concern. "McQueen, why do you have a gun?" Lightning sighed and swallowed nervously. He honestly didn't want his closest friends, next to Mater, to know he was actually weak and.. Afraid.
Cal placed the gun back into Lightning's bag and asked "Why would you think you'd even need this to come find me?" Lightning approached them and took his bag, zipping it up before leaning forward on the bed a bit as he explained "Because part of me thought Cleo might have been behind your disappearance Cal.." Bobby snickered replying "Sure, but.. A gun? We are two big men McQueen. We could easily take anything." Bobby boasted. But standing there and thinking of the things Cleo had done and could do back then, like the parking lot amd those guys jumping Lightning. And the rape itself. How Lightning lost control of his body and couldn't move as he became paralyzed.
Lightning shut down and he snapped! "No we can't Bobby!.. This is exactly why I hate going on trips with you. You always push for something only you want! You drugged me! You drugged Cal! Did you even think it through enough!? What if you overdosed us Bobby!?" Bobby glared and rolled his eyes. "I kmow the dosage counts man.. I could have given you guys more technically." Lightning growled a bit there. Just the thought of being drugged again scared him.
Cal placed a hand onto Lightning's shoulder and assured his friend, "You are safe with us Lightnin. Nothin is gonna happen and don't be embarrassed about it. Your not the one with a sex scene drawn on your face after all." He smiled. Lightning snickered and smiled a little too. "Thanks Cal.. I kinda like it.. It's becoming." he complimented. Cal immediately glared and snarled "Don't push it.." Lightning smiled though because in the end, though he and his friends were all very different in personality, beliefs and morals, they were friends...
Cleo was sat down at one of the visitors tables by a guard. It was early and no one else was there. Cleo raised a brow and looked up at the guard asking "So should I be expecting anyone or did you in particular just wanna be alone with little ole me?" The guard glared at her without a word then went to the guest entrance and exit door and stood there. Cleo sighed and sat there for what felt lik forever. Then Lightning opened the door. She smiled at his sight. Lightning looked at Cleo for only a moment before turning toward the guard.
Cleo watched curiously as Lightning shook hands with the guard and whispered something into his ear. That was weird. But then Cleo saw why. As Lightning began to walk up to her and the table, the guard left the room, leaving them alone. Oh how she smiled. "Wow.. I am impressed.. A surprise visit from my obsessive fiance and we're alone." Lightning sat down in front her and cleared his throat. Cleo nodded then asked "You wanna get straight to the remote?" Lightning shrugged replying "Thought we could chat for a while first. Have a nice conversation." Cleo was surprised at that.
Lightning seemed to have a complete attitude turn around toward her! Cleo smiled exclaiming "Wow..That does sound aweful nice Lightning. So what should we talk about?" She leaned forward with her elbows on the desk. "Or is chat code word for something else?" She winked. Lightning sighed before answering that. "Uh, no. I mean chat. Just talk for once." Cleo leaned back almost disappointed. "You look nice." Lightning complimented. Cleo cocked her head to one side. "Well thank you. I always try to look nice. Hard to around her, but I do what I can." she admitted. Lightning snickered nodding. "Well keep it up. Because whatever you're doing, is working for you." Cleo was a little suspicious, but she loved getting this attention from Lightning.
Attention that she hadn't received in such a long time. "We found Cal by the way." Lightning let her know. Cleo nodded asking "Where was he?" "Las vagas." "See? I told you, it wasn't me." Cleo snarled. Lightning nodded and took one of her hands as he apologized "You did. I should have trusted you. I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions." Now Cleo was very suspicious and her facial expression showed it. "What is your game here? Trying to butter me up so I will just return you the remote? Is that why you paid off the guard? Get us alone and think that I just had the thing on me?" Lightning shrugged answering "Maybe.. Depends if it worked." Cleo crossed her arms snarling "Well it won't! I don't even have it on me. Sense we're alone, I can tell you it's hidden away in my cell. No one will think I am hiding anything and no one else knows about it."
Lightning sighed and reminded that he knew about it. But Cleo giggled slightly. After all, there was no way Lightning could just walk into Cleo's cell and find it. Lightning stared at her for a moment before letting her know "The conjugal visit was denied." Cleo snickered and shook her head. "Figured it would be." Lightning's brows lowered "Than why have me even request that!?" he asked. Cleo smiled, leaned forward and explained her plan. "I needed you to request that. See, these past couple months that I've been here.. You have been sending me love letters." Lightning immediately corrected "No, I haven't." "Yes. Yes, you have. I have been getting letters from your adress with your name on the envelope."
Lightning was confused and asked "How? Because I promise you it's not me." Cleo giggled with a proud smile. "Oh I know Daddy. But the police and the judge will think it's you. The love letters, the photos, and you keep coming here to visit me.. Plus now, you requested a conjugal visit with me!" She was so happy while Lightning was just confused. "Why?.. I don't understand this plan of yours.." He admitted. Cleo sighed happily and continued to explain "I'm taking the rape case back to court. Though there is a video of you getting woozy and dropping and struggling a bit against me.. There's no sound right? So add all that I just said, plus the fact that we were in a public relationship.. Some would say you love me and that the rape wasn't exactly a rape."
Lightning stared and had to think. Would a judge believe that? Because all he had was a silent film where she was planting evidence to make him look like a love struck fool! "Dammit Cleo.." Lightning mumbled. Cleo shrugged then "Oh! Tell me, how's this." Then she she cleared her throat before going over dramatic in acting "Your honor.. The only reason Mr.Mcqueen claimed I raped him on that tape, was because I threatened to leave him!" Tears came to her eyes. "We were in love and then he became abusive!.. He was mean and cruel and that tape was one of role plahing games! I would never harm the love of my life! Or.. Who was.. The love of my life.. I would like to bring evidence of this.. He is.." She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Still obsessed with me and honestly, prison has been a blessing as it's the only place to escape him.." She smiled.
"How's that?" She asked. Lightning was furious. This little bitch. "No one is going to buy it..." He growled. Cleo giggled and wiped the last of her forced tears. "Please.. You are so impulsive. You'll get angry hearing these letters and then the visits you've had with me and the phone calls. Any judge will look at you and ask, why would a rape victim keep such close contact with someone he hated and waa hurt by unless.. He loved her?" Lightning was so angry. Cleo was right about that. If she took this to court, a judge would ask him. Lightning frowned a little as he stared down.
Cleo laughed! "Awe.. It's okay baby.. It only means I'll get some time off thanks to you. I wasn't suppose to get out for twenty years. With these visits and that request? My lawyer says I'll drop five to eight years off. Isn't tnat good news Daddy?" She smiled. Lightning sighed. Ofcorse it wasn't. "Don't feel bad.. You just helped me is all.." Lightning was silent. Seemed hurt and felt stupid for falling for Cleo's plans again. Cleo stood up and exclaimed "Think I'll just go relax in my room then.." But then Lightning smiled and looked up at her.
That made Cleo feel strange. "Why are you smiling like that? It's kinda creepy.." She admitted. Lightning snickered and looked up at her completely before asking "Why do you think I came to talk to you today?" Cleo shrugged so Lightning continued "Better sit down.. It'll be a while before you get to relax in your cell." Cleo raised a brow then slowly sat back down. Curious as to what had Lightning so slyly smiling. Lightning looked at her and began to admit "I came to get that remote from you. Today." Cleo smickered and shook her head snarling "Well that's not gonna happen." Lightning cocked his head a bit asking "Really?.. Because you just fell into my trap.".
Cleo stared. His trap? She laughed "What trap Daddy?" Lightning leaned back and revealed his intentions, his plan, what he had done. "You thought I tipped the guard to get you alone, but I already tipped him outside before he even came to walk you in here." "Than wha"-"I gave him drugs and when I whispered to him? I was reminding him what to look for. This entire time I have been talking to you was a diatraction while that guard tells the warden that he found those drugs in your cell. This entire time we have been chatting? Your cell had been torn apart and that remote found." Cleo's brows lowered as she snapped defensively "Well!.. Maybe I have the remote on me.. Or rather hidden within me?"
Lightning nodded then said "That's why you'll be taken back and very thoroughly searched. In case you are harboring any more drugs." Cleo grew furious! "Why you little"- The door opened and two guards walked in. Cleo immediately stared at them! "No.." She whined. One guard pulled off his handcuffs and started to walk toward Cleo. She immediately stood up and cried out "No! He planted them there!" "The fact that you just blurted that out to me, tells me those were your drugs even more. Come on." The guard secured Cleo's arms behind her back. Cleo only glared and sharply snapped at Lightning "You WILL pay for this! I mean it! You, Sally and even your kids! You are fuckin dead!" She spit at him as she was taken away. Lightning only waved and said "Enjoy the added sentence." The doors shut.
It was so quiet as he sat there alone for a few minutes. Then the door opened and the guard came in that Lightning tipped before. He looked down at Lightning then dropped a plastic sandwich bag on the table with a thud. Inside the bad was a small odd remote. "This what you were looking for?" the guard asked. Lightning couldn't believe it! He took it with a smile and said "I can only hope."...
Lightning met with Cal at Cal's school office. He and Cal scheduled to have Jackson come in and talk about his place in the school and the rehabilitation program. Along side them was a doctor in case and Cal's assistant and even Megan and Sally. Jackson knocked on the door. Lightning opened it for him saying "Come on in." Jackson used his cane to guide himself along. "Smells like women's perfume in here.. Who else is here? Cal?" Cal glared.
No marker on his face by the way anymore.
Megan spoke up saying "Why don't you sit down Jackson." She helped guide Jackson to the chair then he asked "Am I.. In trouble.." He sounded nervous too. That was odd. Lightning then asked "Should you be?" Jackson swallowed hard before shaking his head. Cal looked to Lightning and nodded his head once. Lightning took the remote and pressed the button.
Pure silence swept through the room as everyone awaited eagerly. Lightning spoke up asking Jackson "Feel any different?.." See, Lightning spoke to Cal about how to see if the remote worked or not. The two racing teachers decided best not to tell Jackson anything, in case it was a dud. They waited to find out as they all stared at Jackson for his answer. Jackson sat there and his expression seemed that of a scared child in disbelief. "Jackson?.." Called Sally. He immediately looked over at her then to Lightning saying "You got the remote?" breathless almost. Lightning nodded and held the remote out toward Jackson.
The young former racer stared at it and hesitated as he looked at Cal then back at the remote. "Take it. It's yours." Lightning exclaimed. Jackson swallowed loudly then reached and took the remote easily. "Why did you do this for me?.." He asked as teara came to his eyes. Lightning sighed before answering "You didn't deserve what Cleo did to you. She did it because of me. She used you... But now you have control of your sight. Just like you should have all along." Jackson shook a little. He was in somewhat shock as he began to cry. It was crazy seeing someone so happy and shoon that they just began crying aloud.
"Thank you.." He whispered then stood up and hugged Lightning tightly! It was unexpected. Lightning patted the kid on the back replying "You're welcome.." Then Jackson hugged Cal to. Because Cal deserved this thanks as well and just as much as Lightning! "Thank you!.. All of you!.. I'm so sorry for everything!.." Cal rather awkwardly patted the kids back. Jackson cried. No one cared about the past! It was a heart warming moment seeing Jackson so happy and filled with such an overwhelming feeling.
It was almost like the sun had finally risen up from the night, the storm had seemed to finally pass. It was a celebration indeed. Sally approached Lightning and wrapped her arm in his. "You did it." She said warmly. Lightning nodded. But something else waa bothering him and Sally could tell. "What is it?" she asked with concern. Lightning sighed and kissed her head before answering that, "Cleo isn't finished with us.. With me.." "What do you mean?" askeed Sally. Lightning frowned a little. "She wants to take her case back to court because I've given her so many phone calls and visits.. Looks like I'm obsessed with her now.." "Oh Lightning.." Mumbled Sally. She knew the outcome and never realized how well Cleo thought that through. The drugs would only gain her time, but Cleo could very possibility shorten her sentence if she won that case. Because she would get compensation for being wrongly accused.