Chapter 8 - "Grand Theft Auto"

It was around one in the morning and Lightning was stuck in the impound once again. All he could do was think to himself with his eyes closed, "Why is it that I always end up in the impound for something I didn't mean to do?"

Lightning sighed.

"Hey," said a male old car's voice. Lightning opened his eyes and blinked a few times.

Doc was on the other side of the impound fence.

"Hey..," said Lightning

"What did you do this time?" Doc asked.

"Same as before. I did nothing."

Doc was unimpressed, "You didn't do nothing last time. You tore up my town."

"Bubba got me in here. I didn't do anything."

"I believe you. Let me talk to you for a minute."

Lightning looked down at his hood.

"This Bubba guy isn't going to let up, even if you have a daughter now," Doc shrugged, "Why should he care?"

"He was the one who-"

"He was the one who was driving by and you were the one who went up to him. I heard exactly what happened."

"But he-"

"No, Lightning, but you. You're a father now. I know what he did was stupid. I believed you, right? Now you need to take responsibility for things that aren't your responsibility. You're not just living for yourself now. You're living for Jane and Sally," he drove closer to the impound fence, "And that means you stay away from him."

"Stickers!" called a woman's voice.

"Sally, it's not what it looks like," Lightning began, "I didn't-"

Doc gave him a look, "Tell her what happened."

"I-...put myself in a situation I shouldn't have put myself in...Bubba was driving by and I grabbed him from all that excitement from Jane turning her engine on. I didn't hurt him, but it was enough for him to get me here."

"And now he understands why he should have just stayed inside and shared the excitement with us in the morning. Not with a man who's out to get him."

"I figured it was silly," Sally said. Sally puckered her lips and put them against an opening in the fence. Lightning saw this and he drove up and kissed her.

"I miss you," said Lightning.

"So, how is Jane?" asked Doc.

"We're waiting for her to drive now," said Sally with a soft purr of her engine.

"What color is she now?"

"White still, but you said they fade to their natural paint color later," Lightning replied.

"I mean, if they don't by the time they turn on their engine, they have a natural white paint job. Actually, Sally being blue and you being red, Jane should have been a shade of purple," said Doc.

"Oh..," said Sally, "I was...hoping to see a color..that wasn't so plain, you know?"

"Yeah," said Lightning. "I agree.."

"Well, that's nature for you," said Doc, "But now? I think we should all be getting sleep."

"Yeah," Lightning and Sally said.

"Goodnight, Sally."

"Night, Stickers," Sally cooed.

They shared another kiss through the fence and then Sally started to drive home.

Doc reversed from the fence, "We'll find a way to get you outta here, okay?"

Lightning nodded, "I didn't think I'd actually be here very long."

"Oh, and Lightning?"

"Yes?"

"You're a great father."

Lightning's engine idled warmly, "Thanks, Doc."

As Sally drove home, her headlights started to go out.

"Oh no…," she said softly. She was already too far away from Radiator Springs to yell for help. The only light that was around her came from the moon and the stars.

"No, no, no.."

Suddenly there was a light coming from up the street.

"Excuse me!" Sally called out. The unknown automobile drove over to Sally, but the brightness of his high beams and created a silhouette of the car. She was able to see a tow hook, though, so then it must have been a truck.

"Excuse me, can you tow me home?" asked Sally. "If it's not too much trouble for you."

Sally narrowed her eyes into a squint to get a better look. He was a large red tow truck with screwed up teeth. It could have been Mater in costume, but it was more like Mater turned into a red giant.

It was Bubba, but Sally didn't know what he looked like at such an hour. After all, she only heard about him.

"Why, sure little lady," said Bubba, "Sure."

Sally turned around for him. Bubba smirked, staring at her rear end.

"Sir?" she said, wondering why he was taking so long.

Bubba noticed the tattoo she had, "MmmMm.."

He laughed, turned around, and hooked her, "Hang on tight."

While he started to drive up towards the Wheel Well, he picked up some speed.

The silence between them became just a little uncomfortable, so Sally tried to make conversation, "I guess I was lucky back there...with you saving me."

"I was lucky too," Bubba said.

"How so?"

"Oh, just because."

Bubba arrived at the Wheel Well, but he didn't stop. He drove right by.

"You passed my home," said Sally. Bubba didn't say a word. He just kept driving away with Sally.

"Sir?...Sir!"

Bubba grinned and sped away with her.