Chapter 13: The Story


"Thank you, your honor." the Lincoln first addressed Judge Stafford then turned to the jury and the crowd. "Good morning, everyone. I'm Maggie Foreman. I'm an attorney here today to legally represent Joan and Jeremy Miler." Harley furrowed her eyelids slightly at her. "Harley is five years old-"

"Six actually." Doc corrected. Judge Stafford shot him a glare. "My apologies, your honor. Please, continue Mrs. Foreman." Maggie glared at Doc then looked back to the crowd.

"Anyway. Harley is six and is a Cadillac CTS-V. To raise a child takes something we are all well aware of: financial stability." Harley was already lost. "Joan used to be a teacher, but for one reason or another, quit. So they are now living in a one income household, but not to worry. Jeremy has himself a strong hold on a business in Southern California. Money is no issue in this family." Harley looked up at Doc and he had furrowed lids as he listened. "Financially, Harley Stockrim should live with her mother and stepfather." Maggie looked up at the judge and he nodded.

"And Mr. Hudson, how is her financial situation under a law guardian such as yourself?" Doc thought for a minute before speaking.

"Well, I make a decent living as a doctor and as the county judge. I believe her stay under the custody of the state has been well funded." Judge Stafford nodded and jotted down a few notes.

"I see. Mrs. Foreman, if you could present your paperwork on the Milers to me." Maggie nodded and slid over some papers onto a panel that raised to match the height of the judge's stand. Harley sighed quietly and looked around again. She tuned out the conversations once more and instead focused on the reactions from the other cars. A few nodded, others furrowed their eyelids. Maggie continued to talk over legalities of the case and Doc intervened every now and again, earning himself a spot of Judge Stafford bad side.

"Mr. Hudson, if you interrupt one more time, there will be consequences!" he finally snapped and it got Harley's attention. She looked up with wide eyes at the state judge then back over to the county judge.

"Of course, your honor, my apologies." he said and Judge Stafford shot his hood.

"You're a judge yourself, you should know better…" he muttered.

The case continued on and the minutes drug into hours. By the time Maggie had finished presenting her side of the case, Harley had lost interest and was no longer nervous for the event. Her eyes wondered around the courtroom, but they were not really focusing on anything. Then the judge addressed Doc.

"You have been the law guardian of the child for a little over a year now, is that correct, Mr. Hudson?" The case concerning herself once again grabbed her attention. She looked up at Doc as he slightly drove up and listened to the conversation.

"Yes, your honor, she's been living here in Radiator Springs for one year and three months." Doc said in a calm tone.

"And what have you seen in the child since she's been here?" The judge looked unforgivingly at Doc, but still, he kept his cool, confident nature.

"When she first arrived, she was very untrusting-"

"Which is common in children. Go on." Judge Stafford said as if he was uninterested.

"However," Doc continued, "the most concerning thing I found is the amount of bodily injuries that she had upon her arrival here." Harley watched him carefully. She wasn't sure why he was bringing this up. Doc refused to look at Harley and instead looked at the judge and at the jury. "I have my suspicions, some of which have been confirmed by the child herself."

"And what are these suspicions?" Judge Stafford questioned.

"I believe that they were neither accidental or done herself." he paused and let the statement sink in before continuing. "Based on my medical experience and on her own verbal accounts, the injuries she bore were evidence of an act that very intentional." the courtroom was dead silent and the judge nodded in understanding. Harley had furrowed eyelids and wanted to say something to better understand the conversation that was taking place, but even she could feel the tension in the room.

"Do tell what you found in your medical observation." Doc nodded in response to the judge.

"I saw that there was obvious outside injuries. By my educated guess, she had either been crashed into with intentional force or pushed into something with the same amount of effort. This doesn't even account for her internal injuries." he then drove closer to the jury. "The amount of exhaustion her engine had seemed to have gone through suggest that she was driving at high speeds for a long time. As if racing to get away from something. Her hood was also caved in and an obvious tire mark left behind." Harley was suddenly cold, fear filling her eyes. "Oh believe these wounds were evidence of a cynical crime: child abuse." the air was suddenly heavy and no one in the room seemed to breath. Not even the attorney.

Not even the judge.

"Well… I'm sure the only way to get the full story is from the girl herself." All eyes turned to the six-year-old. She looked around and felt the sudden pressure. "Harley, if you would come over to the witness stand and give your testimony on the matter, we can get a clear picture as to what has happened." Harley looked to Doc for any advice but he simply looked ahead and slightly over to Sheriff. She then looked up at the judge then to Sheriff then back to Judge Stafford.

"Um. D-do I h-have to?" she asked then Doc nudged her.

"Yes, Harley. He asked you to do so." she looked up at him with worried eyes. "Just go over to Sheriff and take the oath. Then go into the witness stand and answer his questions. Okay?" the room was so quiet, that Doc spoke in less than a whisper. Harley looked around then slowly made her way to Sheriff. Judge Stafford sent down a Bible and Sheriff took it over to Harley.

"Alright Jarley, put your left tire on this book and lift your right tire." Harley looked at him with one eye lids raised. "Just do it." he confirmed and Harley did so. "Okay, now repeat after me. I swear that the evidence that I shall give, shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God." Harley thought about it and tried to repeat it the best she could.

"Um, I s-sole-emnly sw-swear that the evi-dence that I sh-shall give, shall be the t-truth, the whole truth and n-nothing b-but the truth." he nervousness took over causing her to stutter, but Sheriff was content with the oath and saw that, giving a nod, Judge Stafford was too.

"Okay, no go up I to the witness stand right there, okay?" Harley looked at a ramp leading up to a what seemed to be a landing with a short rail around it.

"I'm going to talk on that?" she asked and Sheriff nodded, nudging her slightly in the direction of the stand. Harley drove over and parked herself once she was in the stand. Surveying the cars below her, she realized that she was elevated much more than what she expected to be. Maggie drove up to her and with a slow pace, began to ask questions.

"Okay, Harley, we're going to start off easy: do you remember your parents?" Harley looked at her with furrowed lids.

"Uh, y-yes, why w-wouldn't I?" Doc cleared his throat and Harley looked over at him. He shook his hood slightly.

"It's just a question." Maggie reassured. "Moving on: how was your relationship with your parents?" Harley thought for a minute. She swallowed air and shuffled her tires.

"Wh-what do you mean?" she asked and Maggie was still and looked directly at Harley.

"I mean did you like them? Did they like you? Did you all have fun sometimes or just talk or ever spend time with-"

"Your honor, that's too many at once!" Harley was clearly tense and was relieved Doc had stopped the attorney's rampage.

"Agreed." Judge Stafford acknowledge his statement then turned back to Maggie. "Mrs. Foreman, might I remind you that you're talking to a child." Maggie nodded and reversed slightly away from Harley.

"Sorry, your honor." she said then went back to the Cadillac. "How were your relationships at home?" Harley's eyes darted around and landed on the streaks in the woods of the railing.

"Um… G-good I g-guess…" she said and Maggie slightly shook her hood.

"Could you be more specific?" she asked and Harley glanced up, but her eyes quickly went back to the railing.

"Um.. I-I remember m-my mom. She was nice and she a-always was smiling…" Harley had a nostalgic gleam in her eyes. "Sometimes we'd make cookies! Or watch movies, or play card games, or color!..." Her bright face turned solemn.

"And what about your dad, Harley?" she asked and Harley responded sadly.

"My real dad died. I don't know how. Mama never liked talking about it… we we by ourselves until she met… m-met Je-Jeremy…" Harley bore a frown as if the wood railing had wronged her somehow.

"Okay, and Jeremy. How was he at driving into your dad's tires?" Harley shivered.

"I don't re-remember my dad… but I do know he was n-nicer than Jeremy…" the room was quiet and Doc listened intently.

"Was he not as nice because he was strict?" Maggie asked and Harley shrugged her tires.

"I don't know… M-Mama said that h-he was stressed… so he seemed m-mean sometimes." Doc looked disgusted, but then remembered the argument they had just a week ago and looked away from Harley.

"Harley, what did Jeremy do to make you think he was mean?" the heavy air grew even more weighted down. Every car could feel it.

"He… he y-yelled at us so-sometimes… I… I heard Mama c-cry a lot…" she bit the inside of her cheek and twisted her tire into the ground. "He… he didn't l-like me I g-guess."

"And what made you think that he didn't like you?" Harley glanced up again and again retreated to looking at the wood grain.

"He m-made me stay in my r-room a lot

.." Maggie nodded her hood and reverse back to her original spot.

"No further questions, your honor." she was satisfied, but Doc wasn't.

"Mr. Hudson, do you have any questions?" Doc nodded and drove up.

"Just one." he stayed and made his way to Harley. "Miss Stockrim," he started without polling at her, "what happened on June 30, 1989?"

"What?" Harley asked, genuinely confused again.

"The night that you first found yourself in Radiator Springs. What events led up to that?" There was a pause and the entire courtroom seemed to be at the edge of their parking spots.

"Um… I… I, uh, I don't l-like talking a-about it…" she said avoiding all eye contact.

"Why not?" Doc asked and Harley looked down at her hood.

"Because i-it's scary…" Doc seemed sympathetic and sighed quietly.

"I know. But you have to tell us everything that happened. Then we can help you." Harley glanced up at him and saw the concern in his eyes, but she quickly looked away.

"Um... well, Je-Jeremy told us that we needed to move…" she stared.

"Why?" Doc asked and she shuffled her tires a little.

"I don't know… it had to do w-with his j-job." she paused as she remembered the event. "M-Mama didn't like it and s-said that he could pack us up. Sh-she asked me what I wanted to do and I told her th-that I wanted t-to stay." She shivered and and inhaled a shaky breath.

"Go on Harley. What happened after that?" Doc gently urged her.

"Um, Jeremy said that I wasn't important e-enough to make th-that decision." The entirety of the courtroom seemed to silently react. "M-Mama and Jeremy started to fight. Th-they were ye-yelling a-and I t-tried to help. But Jeremy st-started t-to yell at me. He-he said…" her voice was shaking badly.

"Hey, it's okay Harley. Just take a deep breath and finish." Doc advised and Harley did as she was told. She took a shaky breath in and a shaky breath out.

"Okay…" she paused. "Jeremy said that I was causing problems and that I needed to get out of their talk. Mama told me to go to my room and read a book. So I did. But I didn't read. I tried to hear what was happening, then I heard someone get hit. Then it was quiet. Then I heard Mama say something, but I don't know what. Jeremy said something then I heard a door slam…" she shook her hood as if she wanted to shake away the memory. "I was scared something happened because everything was quiet. But it was okay because Mama came into my room and said that we were gonna read a book.

"The next day, Mama told me that we needed to start packing. So she helped me pack up and I put my stuff in her trunk and after lunch we left. We didn't stop. We kept driving and driving. I asked where we were going and Jeremy said somewhere for his job. It was starting to get dark and I could hear thunder. I was getting scared and asked if we could stop, but Jeremy said that if we stop, we wouldn't make it. Then he got mad at Mama and said it was her fault we were late leaving. But Mama said I had to eat. Jeremy was getting mad again… I told Mama that I was tired and that I was sleepy. And Mama told Jeremy that we had to stop! But Jermyn said we were going all the way and we could rest when we got there. Then Mama started arguing with him saying that that idea was crazy. But then Jeremy started to get mad and yell at us. I told him that Mama was right. That she was always right…" Harley started to have tears filled her windshield and she sniffed through her hood.

"He… he drove really fast," she continued, "and… and hit me it hurt and I started crying. And Mama started screaming. Then it started raining and the wind was blowing a lot. Then he yelled at her and hit her. Then he said if she cried, he'd hurt me. Then she yelled at him and he hit her again. Then he turned to me and said that it was all my fault. So then he hit my hood. Then he said he was just going to get rid of the problem. But them Mama rammed him. And told me to drive. But I didn't want to leave her. Then Jeremy hit her back and started chasing me. I started driving really fast, but I was slipping. I slid into a railing and it hurt a lot. And jeremy was about to ram into me. But then Mama came it and stopped him. She told to drive really fast and really far. Then Jeremy started to fight her. I didn't know what to do, but Mama kept yelling at me to leave. So I did. And I didn't stop until I was here." The room was dead silent. Ever had listened intently to her testimony, but none more intently than Judge Stafford. But intently than Doc.

"No… no further questions, your honor." he said and slowly drove back to his original spot.

"Thank you Harley." Judge Stafford said and she quickly looked up at him.

"Does that mean I'm done?" she asked and he nodded his hood at her.

"Yes. You may leave the witness stand." he confirmed and she darted off and back to Doc. She was closer beside him than she was originally. "Well, the only thing left to do," Judge Stafford continued, "is to hear from the relative that is here today representing Mr. And Mrs. Miler." He searched the crowd and quickly and easily found the King. "Mr. Strip Weathers, if you would come foward." Strip did as he was told, carefully making his way through the crowd and went up to the podium.

"Yes, your honor?" He calmly said as if what had just happened didn't phase him at all.

"On behalf of the Milers', what do you want to say about who should have custody of Miss Harley Stockrim?" Strip glanced at Harley, and then to the jury before looking back at the judge.

"I knew it was going to be harder to say," Strip started, "But it became easier as I heard what was said today. My sister, Joan Miler, is a fitting mother, but not a strong one. Jeremy Miler, as I have always known, is not the best of cars. But what I didn't know is that he would stoop so low as to hurt a child." he paused to glance at Doc then looked calmly and confidently at Judge Stafford. "With that being said, living with her parents is not in her favor. I think she should be with someone else more deft in caring for a car."

"And do where did you presume that is?" Judge Stafford asked.

"Well, if I were not a racecar, I'd say with me, her uncle. But unfortunately, my racing career is well under way and I just don't have time to care for a child. But," he again glanced at Doc. "This quaint town would be a safe place for a child to grow up in." Doc slightly furrowed his lids at him questionably and curiously. "I think she should stay under the guardianship of Doc Hudson. Doc then raised his eyelids slightly.

"She should stay with her law guardian?" Judge Stafford questioned to confirm the King's answer.

"Yes." Strip said without a seconds hesitation. Judge Stafford sighed and slightly shook his hood.

"Well with all that we've heard today." he said addressing the jury and the crowd. "Our jury will make their decision and then we'll see where the child will go." He then turned to the attorney and Doc "Are there any final statements either of you would like to add?" they both said no in a hushed voice and slightly shook their hoods. "Very well. In that case the jury are free to leave into the other room and make their decision." Sheriff directed the jury off through a door then took his post there as it shut.

"We'll see what happens from here." Judge Stafford concluded.


A/N: Two chapters in one day? Whoo! And an author's note at the end? Que? Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know that I will be gone this week and will be super , I won't be able to write anything for a while until I get a break, hopefully by next week. I also want to thank y'all (yes, I'm Texan, I say y'all) for giving this story a shot! We've got over 1000 views! So thank you all for the views, the favorites, the follows, and the reviews! It'sall so very appreciated! I hope you guys will understand the short hiatus coming up and bear with me. Thanks again! And yes, I'm the cliffhanger queen!