Chapter 23. - Lightning's Parents, Chick's Arrest -

A half an hour later: Lightning and Sally left the diner. "Are you ready to head home?" Lightning asked "It's getting late." "Yeah, I'm starting to hurt." Sally replied "It'll be great when we get to LA. My parents are going to love you." "I hope so." Lightning said as he gave Sally a sideways glance. "Are you sure?" "Definitely." Sally said, resting up against him "You're a very likeable car." "Why thank you." Lightning said grinning "I love you." He leaned over and kissed Sally. "Lightning! There you are!" Bella trilled "We've been looking all over for you!" Lightning's eyes snapped open. He and Sally turned around to see his parents standing behind them. "Hi Mom, hi Dad." Lightning said awkwardly "Sally and I were just enjoying the last rays of the sunset." "It looks like you were enjoying each other more than the sunset." Bella said "We tried calling you, but you never answered. The manager at the hotel didn't know where you were either. Look who I brought to see you." "Is maith leat a fheiceáil. (It's good to see you.)" Riley, Lightning's father said "Cén chaoi a 'bhfuil tú? (How are you?)" "Tá mé go maith. (I'm good.)" Lightning responded "Cén chaoi a 'bhfuil tú? (How are you?)" "Iontach. (Wonderful.)" Riley responded "I can see why you live here; it's beautiful." "Yes it is." Lightning said "The people are also wonderful. I think you'll like them." Sally was intimidated by the sheer size of Lightning's father. He was a huge red H1 hummer; and looked like he could easily rip a semi in half. "Riley, I want you to meet Lightning's girlfriend." Bella said "Sally's one of the nicest cars you'll ever meet." "It's wonderful to finally meet you." Riley said as he kissed her fender "You're as pretty as an Irish rose." Sally blushed at the complement. "I'm glad to meet you Sir." Sally bashfully said "Lightning is a perfect gentleman." "He better be." Riley growled "So, what have you been doing?" "Not much lately." Lightning said unhappily "I had an engine attack roughly a week ago…" "YOU HAD A WHAT!" Bella screeched her eyes wide "Why didn't you call me?" "Bella, settle down." Riley said calmly "Give Lightning a chance to answer." "I'm sorry Mom, I didn't think of it. I'm still getting used to having you in my life." Lightning admitted "Besides, I didn't want to worry you… I know that Brody has been…" "I don't care!" Bella said "You're my son… I needed to be here!" "I'm sorry." Lightning said "It wasn't a severe attack." "That's beside the point, you need to take it easy." Sally said sternly "Doc would have a fit if you injured yourself again." "I know, I know." Lightning said "He might throw my ass back into the cactus patch." "Lightning! Behave!" Bella scolded "Have you had supper? If not, I would love you to join us." "We just got done eating and were getting ready to head in for the night." Lightning said "Sally was attacked a little while ago and I'm still exhausted from the engine attack." "Attack?" Bella asked "Who attacked you?" "Chick Hicks. When Lightning and I were taking a drive through Ornament Valley, we happened to run into him." Sally responded "There was an argument and when Light and I were leaving, Chick hit me." "We heard about that on the radio!" Riley said "All it said there was a warrant out for Chick Hicks arrest, but there weren't any details." Lightning yawned. "You kids look exhausted." Bella said, going into 'mom mode' "Head to bed, both of you." "Yes, Mom" Lightning said "That's what I'm planning on doing." "Do you need a place to stay?" Sally asked "I have brand new double occupancy cones. You are more than welcome to stay in one." "That sounds wonderful." Riley said "To be honest, I'm getting tired too." With Sally leading the way, everyone headed to the cone.

Sally limped to the office and got the key to a room. "Cone seventeen is open." Sally said "It's my biggest room." "I'm exhausted." Lightning said before he yawned "I'll see you guys in the morning." "Goodnight." Bella and Riley said in unison. "Sleep tight." Lightning started to drive to his cone. "Stickers, where are you going?" Sally asked "Doc said that you couldn't be by yourself. You have to stay with me, remember?" "Oh yeah!" Lightning said, turning around "I forgot." Together they drove into Sally's apartment. "I like your dad's accent." Sally said locking the door for the night "You need to teach me some Irish." "I think that I can do that." Lightning said "My dad and I have always had an awkward relationship." "Why?" Sally asked curiously "He seems to be a reasonable car." "I don't know." Lightning said "It's always been like that. I took after mom physically, but Brody took after him. Dad always favored him because Brody was bigger and stronger than me." "I've never asked." Sally said "What do they do for a living?" "Dad is a movie producer. His studio has produced most of the big Hollywood blockbusters." Lightning said "Mom is a mom. She doesn't do anything for a living, other than being a socialite." "Not to sound gross, but how on Earth do they have sex?" Sally asked "I mean he could crush her with his weight alone." "You're not the first car to ask me that. My answer is always the same, I don't know." Lightning explained "I know that they have an active sex life… I mean, they had Brody, Merida, and me. I'm assuming moms on top most of the time." Sally leaned up against Lightning and sighed. "Are you really that tired?" he asked "Are you ready for bed?" "Yeah, I am." Sally said shutting her eyes and shifting her weight uncomfortably "I'm also very sore." I have a bottle of Advil in the bathroom. Can you get it for me?" Sally asked "I'm going to head to the bedroom." Lightning drove to the medicine cabinet and got the Advil and a glass of water. By the time he was done, Sally had limped to the bedroom. "Here's your first lesson in Irish." Lightning said "Is breá liom tú." "What does that mean?" Sally asked "If you don't mind me asking." "Simple, I love you." Lightning said "Now you try it." "Is…bea… lion…to…" Sally said, butchering the language "It's harder than I thought." "Is breá liom tú ró." Lightning corrected her "That's a good first attempt." "I still butchered it." Sally said "How do you say I'm tired and I want to go to bed?" "Tá mé tuirseach agus ba mhaith liom dul a chodladh." Lightning said "Now you try it!" "I'm not even going to attempt to say that." Sally commented "Maybe in the morning you can teach me some more words." Lightning laughed "If it's not your native language, it takes some practice to say it correctly." He said "Let's crash… I'm tired." They crawled into bed and settled down.

"Kid, don't do it!" Doc exclaimed "It's too small, you won't make it!" "I don't listen to your advice anymore!" Lightning said coldly "In fact, this is your last race as my crew chief!" The next thing Lightning knew, he was rolling along the track. His paint job turned from fire engine red to baby blue, his body morphed into a Porsche. In Lightning's mind he stood on the sideline as Sally was the one who had the huge wreck. "Lightning!" Sally said as she shook him gently "Wake up!" Lightning jumped awake. "Where? What's going on?" He asked, sighing in relief when he saw he was still in bed "Thank goodness… You're alright!" Lightning hugged Sally to make sure she was real. "Of course I'm alright." Sally said calmly "You were having a nightmare." "That's a relief." Lightning said as he got out of bed "I'm going for a drive." "You're going on a drive?" Sally asked "It's three o clock in the morning!" "I know." Lightning said "I need to clear my hood." "Okay, if you're sure." Sally said "Do you want me to come?" "No, Sweetheart, go back to sleep." Lightning said "I won't be gone long." "But Doc said that you couldn't be alone." Sally protested "I don't want you getting hurt." "My engine is fine. Sally please, I have my phone with me." Lightning said "I need some time to clear my head. I promise that I won't go over eighty miles per hour." "Well, I guess it's alright." Sally said "If you get hurt, I'll never forgive myself." "I promise I won't do anything stupid." Lightning said before kissing her fender "Now, go back to sleep. I'll be back in a little while." Lightning picked up a set of flood lights and put them on his hood and left the apartment. He hooked the lights in to a power source. Once they came on, he drove towards Ornament Valley. Lightning picked up speed and enjoyed the cool desert air as it flowed around his body. Twenty minutes later: Lightning arrived in Ornament Valley and found the spot where Chick had rammed into Sally's side. He started following Chick's tracks in the dirt. Lightning followed the tracks for five miles, until they veered sharply to the right. He turned off the flood lights and quietly rolled to a large rock. In the moonlight, Lightning saw Chick sleeping in a makeshift camp. Lightning pulled out his phone and called the only car he could think of. "Hello?" Doc asked sleepily, obviously woken up by the phone "What do you need?" "I couldn't sleep, so I went for a drive." Lightning said quietly "I found Chick." "Good job!" Doc said, waking up completely "Where are you?" "Ornament Valley." Lightning replied "But, I don't know where exactly we are." "I'll call Sheriff." Doc said "Stay where you are. Send me your GPS coordinates. *Lightning tapped a button on his phone.* Ok, got it. Don't engage Chick until we get there." Lightning hung up and found a bush that he could hide behind until Doc arrived.

Lightning sat and waited for forty five minutes. Doc and Duncan arrived along with a huge police Escalade named Oliver. With Oliver being the biggest and strongest deputy, he could apprehend Chick with three wheels tied above his roof. "Let's wake him up." Duncan said "The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get back to bed." Oliver popped his stun gun from his rim and aimed it on Chick's right rear quarter panel. "It'll be my pleasure to wake him up." Lightning said, driving up to the sleeping car "HEY CHICK! WAKE THE FUCK UP!" Chick jumped awake. "McQueen!" He snapped "What the fuck do you want?" "Yeah, it's me." Lightning said "I brought a few friends with me." Chick glanced behind Lightning. He saw the sheriff, a deputy, and Doc. "You see Chick." Lightning said "You can mess with me all you want, but what you can't do is mess with my girl." Chick revved his engine dangerously. Before Chick could charge at Lightning, Oliver fired his stun gun. The electrodes struck Chick and he crumpled to the ground in pain. "Take him away guys." Lightning said "That's what you get for slapping Sally. *Whispering in Chicks ear.* If I ever catch you laying a tire on her again, I'll kill you!" "I'll get you for this McQueen!" Chick said angrily "Mark my words, I'll get even!" "Whatever." Lightning said "I have witnesses, so go ahead and try. I would love to see you kicked out of the league." Using his mechanical hands, Sheriff quickly removed the electrode from Chick. He then snapped a parking boot on his left rear tire. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do will be used against you in a court of law." Duncan said "You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning. Do you understand your rights as I have explained them to you?" "I do." Chick said "This is not the first time I've been arrested." Oliver deployed a towing winch and backed up to Chick. He used the winch to lift Chick's rear tires off the ground. Sheriff and Oliver left, towing Chick behind him.

Lightning drove over to Doc. "Are you ready to go home?" he asked "I think I'm tired enough to get some sleep." "Yeah." Doc said "Let's go home." "See you in a couple of hours." Lightning said once he and Doc arrived back in Radiator Springs. "I'm so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open." "Good work Kiddo." Doc said "You would make a great police car." "Thanks, but no thanks." Lightning said "I enjoy being a racecar to much… Maybe when I'm old and senile, like you!" Moments later: Lightning arrived at Sally's apartment. He crawled in bed and was asleep within minutes. Later in the morning: "Heya' Bud! Wake up!" Mater said as Lightning opened his eyes "I heard about you finding Chick and the sheriff arrestin' him las' night!" "Thanks." Lightning said "I didn't plan it, it just happened." "Anyways, Doc wanted me ta tell ya to git down ta Willy's Butte." Mater said happily "He's a waitn'." "Thanks Mater." Lightning said "Are you up for some tractor tipping tonight?" "Yep!" Mater exclaimed "I is ready for that… Tractors is so dumb!" "Great!" Lightning said "I'll see you tonight." "Bye Bud!" Mater said happily "Break ya axle! Wait, don't do that! Uh… uh… Get-R-Done!" Lightning laughed as he drove away from his best friend.

At Willy's Butte: Lightning saw Sally, his parents, and Doc gathered by the side of the track. "Good morning everybody." Lightning yawned "What's going on?" "Training." Doc said "And you're late." "Are you serious?" Lightning exclaimed "What am I doing?" "Seeing how many laps you can do." Doc said "And this time, I want you to go as fast as you can." "I'm not going to have another attack, am I?" Lightning asked "I never want to go through that again." "The recovery period for your type of engine attack is four days." Doc said "I told you a week so you would take it easy." Lightning grinned despite being lied to. "Okay." he said "I had a feeling that you wasn't telling me the whole truth about my attack." "If you do well today, we're going to LA next week." Doc said trying to change the subject "Go ahead and stretch." Lightning stretched his axles, cringing as the bad one popped so loud, everyone heard it. "You okay?" Doc asked "That sounded like it hurt." "Yeah." Lightning said "My axle pops and cracks every morning. Once I'm up and moving around, it stops." "You're wasting time! I want forty laps in the next thirty minutes." Doc said "So get out there." "But I only made it to thirty-six the last time!" Lightning exclaimed "Are you trying to kill me!" "Just get out there and quit fucking complaining." Doc said, then he remembered Bella was standing beside him. "I'm sorry my lady. Your son is a whiner." "It's ok Doc." Bella said "Riley swears a lot, so I'm used to it. Besides, when Lightning was growing up, he used to whine like that all the time." "Give me a break!" Lightning said "I was five!" Laughing, he drove on to the track and did a few warm up laps. Before Lightning knew it, he had finished his two hundredth lap. "That was amazing!" Sally said "It looks like you're ready!" He kissed her before driving up to Doc. "You've got the stuff Kid." Doc said "I think you have fully recovered." "Thanks, Doc." Lightning said grinning "That felt great!" "That's good." Doc said "Does anything hurt?" "No." Lightning said "And I'm being serious." "Good." Doc said "I'll book you some track time in LA." "That was great Honey." Bella said driving up to Lightning "I'm so proud of you." "Thanks Mom." Lightning said "Let's head to Flo's, I'm starving." With Sally and Bella leading, everyone headed to the café.

After dinner: Bella and Riley were coming back from an evening drive around Ornament Valley. They just happen to stop at Flo's café for a quiet evening drink. They were surprised to see a lot of cars parked at the café. Some of them were whooping and hollering. "What's going on?" Bella asked as they parked "It's not normally this noisy." "It's karaoke night." The waitress said "It always gets a little crazy… What can I get you?" After they placed their drink order, Riley noticed Lightning heading to the stage. "Cad é an mac sin atá agamsa? (What is that son of mine up to?)" He asked just as Lightning started singing "Tá sé ag dul a dhéanamh amadán de féin. (He's gonna make a fool of himself.)" Bella and Riley watched in disbelief as Lightning pranced around the stage as he flirted with Sally. "…And I would drive 500 miles and I would drive 500 more." Lightning sang, not noticing his parents were in the audience "Just to be the man who'd drive 1000 miles to breakdown at your door." "Ah, grá óg. (Ah, young love.)" Bella said "Ar dtús níor chreid mé go raibh grá ag Lightning di, ach anois is féidir liom a fheiceáil go raibh mé mícheart. Tá Sally agus Lightning i ngrá le chéile. Ní féidir liom fanacht le gach leanbh a mhilleadh! (At first I didn't believe Lightning loved her, but now I can see I was wrong. Sally and Lightning are madly in love with each other. I can't wait to spoil all their babies!)" "Woah! Tóg go bog é! Nach dóigh leat go bhfuil sé ag smaoineamh ar sin go luath? Ní dóigh liom go bhfuil sé molta di! (Woah! Slow down! Don't you think it's early to be thinking about that? I don't think he has proposed to her!)" Riley said as he watched his son make a complete fool of himself "Tá áthas orm gur aimsigh Lightning cailín a bhrionglóidí… Is mian liom nach gcaithfeadh sé damhsa a dhéanamh mar sin. (I'm just happy Lightning found the girl of his dreams… I just wish he didn't have to dance around like that.)" "Is cuimhin liom an léiritheoir scannán óg a rinne an rud dúr céanna (I remember a young movie producer doing the same stupid thing.)" Bella said "Mar sin níl aon spás agat labhairt (So you have no room to talk.)" "Ní dhearna mé é sin riamh! (I never did that!)" Riley protested as Lightning was dirty dancing for Sally "Bhí mé… (I was…)" "Níos measa. Coinníonn sé a bharrscoitheadh ar a laghad. (Worse. At least he's keeping his coppice on.)" Bella said cutting in, before she started to laugh "Is rud é go raibh trioblóidí agat. (It's something you had troubles doing.)" "Bhí muid go príobháideach ... ní raibh mé in ann cabhrú leis. (We were in private…I couldn't help it.)" Riley said "Bhí mé óg agus horny ... Chomh maith leis sin, bhí an chuma orm go raibh tú ag amharc orm ag breathnú orm. (I was young and horny… Besides, you seemed to enjoy watching me dace.)" The waitress brought Bella and Riley their drinks. Lightning finished his song and returned to the audience. Everyone enjoyed an evening of karaoke. Bella and Riley headed back to their cone just as Lightning, Ramone, and Flo finished singing the last song.

COMMENTS:

Guest 2

Some nice chill out time Lightning and Sally were having there til Chick took it in to his tyres and ruined it.-There's always someone around to mess up your personal time.

Very strict of Sally warning Lightning not to be stupid.- She knows Lighting very well and what a hot head he can be.

Funny how he said he'd cut off his manhood but that'll break Sally's heart.- It was the only way for him to show Sally he was being serous... even though it came out funny.

Chick's such a psychopath blaming others for his shit. The minute you lay a hand on a woman in anger you're not a man.- I agree with you there.

I've never known the feeling of dislocated bones other than dropping concrete on my foot.- I on the other hand, have dislocated a lot of joints. Most of my joints are "loose". When I was a kid, I could do all kinds of gross things with my body(like put both legs behind my head at the same time). My doctor warned me that I'll arthritis when I got older, but I didn't lesion to him. Now I have arthritis in my knees and ankles, some mornings I hurt so bad, I don't want to get out of bed. My doctor won't do anything about it because he says "I'm to young (I'm 47)". My knees have to deterate to the point I can't walk before he'll do anything.

Lightning seems to be unleashing more than what he thought he had but that's a benefit for his speed. Good work with the Irish part. Please have Lightning put it good to Chick he deserves a punch for assaulting Sally.- As much as I wanted Lightning to beat the crap out of Chick, he would get into huge for tracking Chick down and assaulting him. Besides, Lightning knew Sally was hurt and he didn't want to leave her alone for long.

So sad what some kids go through and don't get the best out of their parents from Lightning and Sally's conversation over Lightning getting disowned.I take it Bella and Riley are up next.- Yep. I hope you liked it.

Don't forget those ideas of Lightning and Sally doing a double date with Flo and Ramone and Lightning singing. Of course you don't have to use them.- As you read, I did use them. It was such a cute idea, I couldn't resist.

Are you gonna have Cruz Ramirez, Sterling and Jackson appear in your later stories? Sorry I forgot to ask about Cal and Bobby as well. Lightning's racing buddies- Yes. I'm planning on rewriting distractions and possibility Like Father, Like daughter. Once those are done, I'll start on the new story. I have been thinking about it, but I haven't come up with what it would be about. If you have any ideas, I would like to hear them.

I do not own Cars or any of its characters. PIXAR AND DISNEY CLAIM THAT RIGHT. READING ENJOYMENT ONLY

Please read and review! I need criticism and encouragements! Rated M for language and sex.