A/N: Just a little note because what's a cliffhanger without some more exposition? I'm kidding, but really, I was curious, has anyone noticed a pattern with my chapters? I'll give you a hint, it's in the titles. Anyway, story time!


Chapter 11: Some Catching Up


The townsfolk gathered around and crowded the road along with the other cars that were there for the hearing. Doc pushed his way past and couldn't believe what he saw. A tall baby-blue spoiler could be seen above the other cars and Doc knew its owner. He drove through the crowd to see that a Plymouth had found its way on the main road of Radiator Springs. Doc drove up to him followed by Sheriff.

"Ain't you dat fancy race car dat dey done talk about on the radio?" Mater drove up to him and asked.

"I guess so." He replied and Mater wagged his tow cable.

"I'm Mater! Like ta-mater, but without the ta!" he said happily.

"Nice to meet you." The racecar said with a voice that was smooth and confident. Doc went beside Mater and he moved out of the way.

"Hey, Doc! This here is is dat fancy racer guy! I never did get yer name." Mater said and Doc shook his hood.

"No, I know who he is." he said. "Strip Weathers, The King, right?" Doc asked and the baby blue car nodded.

"Yes, sir, that's me." He said and eyed him for a second. "And I think I know who you are." Doc tensed up slightly, but refused to let any emotion show.

"You do?" He asked cautiously.

"Yeah, you're Doc, Doc Hudson, right? The county judge?" Doc exhaled relieved.

"Yes, yes that's me. How'd you know?" He asked curiously and Strip gestured back towards the Cozy Cone.

"I've already spoken to Judge Stafford." He explained.

"Ah, of course." Doc said with an understanding nod and relaxed. "What brings you to this town of all places?" He asked and Strip gave a small and short chuckle.

"I'm Joan's brother." he said and Doc's eyes slightly widened."

"I'm sorry…" Doc paused to think about it. "You're Harley's uncle…" he said slowly and Strip nodded. "Okay then..." Just then Doc caught a glimpse of a small car and looked past Strip and to the clinic. Harley was just coming out of the doors. Doc looked from Harley to Strip and back again. "Excuse me, Mr. Weathers." he said and drove past him. "Of course he's her uncle…" he muttered to himself and drove up to Harley. "Morning, Har." he said and she looked at him then at the crowd.

"What are all these cars doing here?" she asked and could barely see the blue spoiler. "Who's that?" Doc looked over to where her gaze landed and cleared his throat.

"That is, uh, your uncle, Harley." she slightly raised her lids and looked back at Doc.

"He's here?" she asked and Doc nodded. "I've never met him…" she repeated, but she didn't move from her spot, instead she just eyes the blue spoiler.

"Why don't you go say hi then." Doc said as he continued to hate the situation. Harley looked back at Doc then to Strip again.

"Okay…" she said and slowly drove through the crowd. She drove from behind Strip, slowly went along his side and looked up at the big white 43 painted on his him. She then drove up to the front of him and he glanced down and spotted her.

"Hello…" she said shyly soft.

"Why, hello there." he said with a prominent accent. "You must be Harley." He said and Harley looked back up at him with wide eyes and nodded.

"Uh, y-yeah." she said then quickly corrected herself. "I-I mean y-yes sir." Strip chuckled and nudged her softly with his tire.

"Oh, you do the same thing Joan does." he said and she slightly furrowed her eyelids.

"M-My mom?" she asked and Strip nodded.

"Yes ma'am, you do. She stutters when she's nervous. Also, your color." he said and looked her over. "Weathers genes run strong apparently." he said and Harley looked at the color of her hood.

"Wh-what do you mean?" she asked and looked back at him.

"Silver. Many of us Weathers are some kind of silver. You're a little lighter than most though." Harley sank slightly onto her tire. "Must be from David's side." he said and again, Harley furrowed her eyelids.

"David's?" she asked and Strip gave a nostalgic chuckle.

"You're father." he said and Harley reversed slightly.

"Oh…" she said and looked down.

"Hey, it's okay. Why don't we go to that café over there, share some breakfast and chat. Since I've never gotten a chance to talk to my niece since she was born." Harley looked up and slightly smiled at him.

"Okay…" Strip drove past the crowd and Harley followed after him.

"Name's Strip Weathers, by the way." He said once she caught up. "You can call me Uncle Strip." he said and she nodded.

"Sounds good." she said and parked beside him in one of the stations. "So… you're a race car?" she asked with a small voice.

"Yes, I am. Have been for a little while now." he said with a faint smile

"Oh, okay…" she said and looked slightly away furrowing her eyelids. "Why did Mama never really talked about you?" she asked and Strip's smile became a straight line as he thought.

"You know, that's a tough one." He lied and shook his hood. "But you know I think it had to do with your father?"

"My father?" she asked and looked at him questioningly.

"Yes, David." he said and smiled at his memory. "I wasn't too fond of him at first." he said and Harley listened intently. "Joan liked going to my races and watching me race, until she saw the rookie. After that, she came to see him race."

"My dad?" Harley asked and Strip chuckled.

"Yes, your dad. He was a young racer, but his career didn't last long. One day, your mother was down over by my trailer. She was with my wife waiting and then they saw him. A white car, number 18. David Stockrim. My wife urged your mother to talk to him, and so she did." Strip shook his hood with a smile. "I was so mad. I thought David was a good for nothing, egoistic , racer. But soon after talking to Joan, he changed." Harley unconsciously smiled. "Either he changed, or I was just completely wrong about him. Joan and I argued about if she should continue seeing him or not. It took a long time before I approved of the relationship. Eventually, she just stopped talking to me. By the time they were married, David had given up his career for a family. Then you were born. Then…" he trailed off and Harley's smile faded with it. "Davis was a good car. Kind, respectable." There was a silence that weighed down on both of them. Flo came over and nudged Harley.

"Are you going to introduce me, Harley?" she said, seeing that she needed something to smile about. She looked up at her and did in fact give her a small smile.

"Flo, this is my uncle, Strip Weathers. Uncle Strip, this is Flo." she said and the King smiled.

"Pleased to meet you." He said and nodded slightly.

"Likewise!" Flo smiled brightly. "Could I get you two something to eat?" Strip looked to Harley.

"Whatever she wants, I'm buying." he said and Harley jumped up.

"Oh! Pancakes! With extra oil syrup!" she excitedly shouted and the two adults laughed.

"I guess pancakes." Strip said and Flo nodded.

"It'll be right out, sugar." She said and vanished inside.

"She makes everything here! Her oil syrup is the best!" Harley enthusiastically said.

"I bet so." Strip replied and looked around. "This is a nice little town." he said and his eyes then landed back at Harley. "Do you like it here?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, it's quiet and it gets boring sometimes. But when that happens, I usually go hang out with Lizzie and she tells me stories about Stanley. Or I go see Luigi and Guido and they talk about Italy! Or I go see Ramone and we paint! Well, we do the paint anymore, but we still hang out!" she said and Strip smiled warmly.

"Well, sounds like you've made yourself at home here." he said then Harley smile slowly vanished.

"Yeah… but I miss my mom." she said and looked straight at the pavement. "I haven't seen her in a while." Strip's own smile faded.

"She'll come around, I'm sure." he said and looked at the road. "You'll see her again."

"I will!?" Harley looked up at him with wide eyes and he studied them for a moment.

"You know, not many cars in the Weathers family have green eyes." he changed the subject and Harley tilted her hood.

"Really?" She asked and Strip nodded.

"Yeah. Your father had blue eyes. Your mother has hazel eyes." he said and smiled. "Looks like you're one of a kind." Harley smiled at him.

"Cool." she said and looked around. "Um, so are you racing soon?" she asked and he shook his hood.

"No, it's the off season. I'm in the Piston Cup races. I've won two so far." he lifted his hood up slightly with pride. "I've lost to so pretty amazing racer cars in the past, nothing to hang my hood about." he said and with a nod, Harley smiled.

"Awesome! My uncle's a champ!" she said and jumped up.

"I guess you could say that, yes." he said and lowered himself back down to her level. "But with great cars, there's even greater cars behind them."

"What do you mean?" she asked and he chuckled at her confusion.

"I mean cars only become great champions if they have others helping them, inspiring them, and pushing them to be better."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense." Harley said with a small nod. "So who was behind you?" Strip sighed nostalgically.

"Many cars, Harley. But there was one car I remember who inspired me to become a racer. The Fabulous Hudson Hornet!" Harley's eyes seemed to brighten at the thought of it.

"The Fabulous Hudson Hornet? Was he really fabulous?" She asked.

"That and more. He's a record setter and a champion without a doubt." he explained.

"Does he still race?" she asked and saw Strip's expression slightly change.

"No. He got into a bad wreck. Was never seen in the racing world again." he shook his hood and then nudged Harley. "Looks like our food is ready." he said as he saw Flo coming up with a tray.

"There you go, honey!" she said and slid it down to the two. "Enjoy! And Mr. Weathers, you can just pay on your way off." she said and went off to join her husband. Harley smiled wide and started to eat. Strip watched and smiled then looked around and studied the small town. Harley then glanced up at him.

"Aren't you hungry, Uncle Strip?" she asked and he shook his hood.

"No, I'm fine. You just eat." he said and began driving off. "I'm just going to pay, I'll be right back." he drove off to the building and quickly found Flo.

"Hey, sugar!" Flo said once she spotted the blue Plymouth. "Whatchya need?" The King smiled kindly.

"Oh, just dropping by to pay. You wouldn't mind me just keeping a tab right?" Flo chuckled and shook her hood.

"Of course not!" she said and went over to the counter. "I'll right it up right now." she said and got out a sheet of paper.

"Whatever Harley orders, I'll pay for it." he said giving a nod which Flo returned. "Speaking of Harley, how has she been?" he admitted and Flo glanced up. "What do you mean?" she asked then continued writing.

"I mean how has she been doing while she's been here. She's been here a while now, hasn't she?" he asked and drove closer up to the counter.

"Well, yes. A little over a year." Flo stopped writing and looked up at him. "But she's been good. Every now and then, something happens. But she and Doc always handle it…" she paused as she thought of their current situation. "She's had a rough past, and that seems to be affecting her." she said as she looked down at the counter.

"That I know…" Strip said and he too looked away. "Do I know all the details, of course not. But I do know that my sister got remarried. And that car is something alright…" he shook his hood then looked up at Flo again. "But it's good to know she's doing well." he said with a half smile and nodded. "And Doc, he's been taking care of her?" Flo looked up and nodded with a slight smile.

"Yes. As of now, she's under the care of the county and so on, so forth. I'm not too keen with the legal stuff. That would be Sheriff and Doc." The King nodded in understanding.

"Of course…" he thought for a second longer. "Well, I'm going to go back and join Harley." Strip then began to leave. "I suppose I'll see you at the hearing tomorrow." Flo nodded and went back to her prior occupation.

Back outside, Strip found Harley and saw that she was done with her breakfast. She had been waiting patiently and jumped up slightly went her uncle had returned.

"Hey, you're back!" she excitedly stated.

"Yep." he replied and looked up and gazed at the town. "Hey Harley, why don't you give me a tour of the town?" he asked and she smiled brightly.

"That sounds like a great idea!"

The rest of the day went on and for the entirety of it, Strip was with Harley. They talked and caught up with each other and before they knew it, it was sundown. "Looks like it's getting late, kiddo." he said as he looked at the sun.

"Oh… I guess it is." Harley said in a slightly sad tone.

"We ought to get you to bed. Tomorrow will be an early and long day." Strip said and Harley seemed confused.

"Why?" she asked and Strip somewhat shook his hood.

"It just is." he said and Harley nodded.

"Hm… okay." she said then brightened up again. "Will we get to hang out again?" she asked with anticipation.

"I'm sure you will." she jumped up and smiled brightly again.

"Awesome!" she said and began headed off to the clinic followed by Strip. "Then I'll see you tomorrow! Early, right?" she asked as they stopped in front of the medical building.

"Right." Strip confirmed.

"Cool, see you then!" she said and disappeared inside.

"See ya." Strip said in a mumble and made his way to the Cozy Cone.