Author's Note: Some guys! Here I am and I'm FINALLY on summer vacation! So I'll try and update more, but fair warning, I have a job so I'm sorry in advance for sluggishness. ALSO I won't be able to fish this WHOLE story before the release of Cars 3 AND I won't be able to watch it until a week and a half after it is released so please, once it does release DO NOT SPOIL ANY OF IT! Finally, follow me on Instagram at _.ezeray_. for sneak peaks and a few sketches of/for this Fanfic. NEW POLL IN ME BIO! Sorry, this is kinda short *insert shy shrugged here* but I hope you enjoy anyways! :D


Chapter 21: A Thought


"You shouldn't challenge a Charger…"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want something, isn't it obvious?"

"And what is that?"

"A protégé….And you're the only thing parked in my way!"

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to take care of it."

"Take care of what exactly?"

"You…"


The next morning, John was the last to wake up. He found his way to the V8 Café and there, the rest of the townies were talking away. Smiling wide, John drove up and greeted them.

"Good morning everyone!" he said and they all looked at him with slightly surprise.

"My, my. Are you the same car from yesterday? 'cause I do think believe I've heard you say anythin' that loud before." Flo remarked, causing John to chuckled.

"Heh, yeah. I'm the same one."

"What's got you in such a good mood, soldier?" Sarge asked in a commanding tone.

"Uh, well I remember something." John said and the others' smiles matched his own.

"That's wonderful, sugar!" Flo cheered.

"Yeah, it is. What do you remember, man?" Ramone asked.

"I'm a racer! Like, you know, a racecar!" none of them shared his joy, instead, they were all confused

"Uh… you sure man? I mean, with that paint job I dunno if you've been racing in a while." John shook his hood with a half smile.

"Heh, yeah well, I was a racecar." he explained. "At some point or another, I used to race around Heaven knows how many different tracks!"

"Well, that's fabulous! What made you start remembering that?" Flo asked, and they all seemed to lean forwards. Harley had a slight worried expression in her eyes.

"Well last night…" John caught a glance of Harley who was beside Sheriff. She had a pleading look as she glanced up to Sheriff and back at John. "Uh, last night I… I had a dream! I was racing around this track. I can't remember which one, but it felt great! I felt like I was meant to be there!" John saved Harley's hide and she gave him a look of gratitude.

"Well, we have a track here!" Sheriff said. "Maybe racing on a real one will jog some more memories." the others verbalize their agreements then they looked at John.

"I mean, we could give it a shot." he said and the others cheered. Harley smiled and, now feeling comfortable once again, drove out in front of the others.

"Follow me!" she shouted and sped off.

"Harley! Be careful! Slow down!" Sheriff yelled and quickly followed in pursuit while the others simply laughed and drove in no hurry behind them.

"They are always like this." Flo said as she and Ramone drove beside John. "Back and forth, Harley driving too fast, Sheriff getting on to her." she started to laugh through her words. "It might as well be routine now!" John chuckled slightly, still holding a smile on his face.

"Oh I'm sure." he said. "But she has a good family here, that's for certain."

"Oh yes. We're fortunate to have her." Flo said, then Ramone piped in.

"Oh yeah. It's pretty great having a kid around here. It gets so quiet and slow…" he looked ahead and saw Sheriff talking to Harley, more than likely setting her straight. "Heh, even Sheriff likes having here. Look at him, he has someone to bust every day." the other two laughed.

"He acts like he hates her bad behavior, but it gives him something to do!" Flo said then chuckled. "We love her."

"Yeah, she's like a daughter to all of us, man." Ramone smiled then looked pass Flo and at John. "Especially to Doc."

"Oh yes. I think he really needed this." Flo agreed "Even if it does stress him out!" Ramone and Flo laughed while John simply smiled.

"Must be nice to have such a good family; she's really lucky to have all of you." Ramone and Flo smiled softly yet sadly knowing that John couldn't remember his own family.

They made it to the track, and Sheriff led John down to the start.

"Can I race him!?'" Harley pleaded as she began to follow them.

"You absolutely," Sheriff turned to stop Harley in her tracks, "can not race a professional racecar!" Sheriff then glanced back at John then turned back to Harley. "A past racecar at least. Either way, you could get hurt! Then Doc would have my hood…" Harley then looked sad and disappointed.

"Aw! I'll be super careful!"

"You can be super careful while being with Flo. Now go and park your tail lights over there!" He directed here at Flo and she huffed then muttered something under her breath. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" she quickly said then sped up slightly and met with Flo who softly snickered.

"Alright!" Sheriff spoke loudly as John situated himself at the starting line. "This will be a one lap race! No time. No competition. Just you and that there dirt road." Sheriff gestured behind him and at the open track. "Luigi will start you, Mater and I will be at the ready incase anything were to go wrong." John looked at him with slightly scrunched up features.

"Well, that's comforting." he said, but ignoring him, Sheriff yelled.

"Racer! Start! Your! Engine!" hearing the call, John revved his engine. It was nothing to "ooo" and "ahh" about, but it was pretty impressive for the small town citizens.

"Whoo!" Flo called.

"Here goes a hotrod!" Lizzie added. Sheriff took his post and Luigi gladly drove onto the track.

"Okay, okay!" Luigi said with a giddy voice as he quickly drove up with a flag attached to his side. "On your marks, get set..." he couldn't help but add in his own Italian flare to the start. "Uno for the money, due for the show, tre to get ready, and quattro to..." he paused then waved the flag about wildly "GO!" John kicked up dust and lauchned himself foward.

Go John!" Harley called. John inched up on the wall slightly, but not much. Onto the straight away, he picked up speed and eyed the next turn. He went through what he did the night before and this time around, he would not be skidding. At least, that was the plan. He mentally prepared himself, but it proved futile. His tires skid and he began to lose control.

"Oh no..." Flo muttered as she watched with wide eyes. Sheriff tensed and Harley leaned forward. But all the panic was in vain. John pulled off the turn, maybe not as gracefully as he had hoped, but he pulled it off. He swung around to the finished and grinned at the sight of the rope finish. After crossing it, he skidded to a halt which was followed by a burst of cheers.

"So man, how'd that feel?" Ramone asked and made his way down with a few of the others.

"I... I don't know." John said with a tired smile. After seeing confused faces, he corrected himself. "I'm just not sure how to put it into words." The confusion turned to understanding.

"You looked awesome!" Harley said and the others nodded and chuckled.

"But that turn nearly ate you." Sheriff said as he gestured to the infamous turn.

"Huh, yeah." John said as he looked at it. "It almost did." he then looked to Harley and winked "Almost." Harley giggled and shook her hood slightly.

"Racing looks crazy." Her eyes brightened. "But it looks really fun too!"

"Yeah. I wish I could remember some of my races." John said.

"Did you not get anymore memories after your lap?" Luigi asked. John looked at him then thought for a second.

"Uh, something with an eight..." he furrowed his eyelids then shook his hood. "Something with a blue car... a silver car... that's all I got." He shrugged his tires, but the others smiled wide. "What?"

"What do ya mean 'what?' You remembered something, sugar!" Flo said and Sheriff nodded.

"Vague as it may be, it's something." He said and John gave a half smile.

"Heh, yeah. Yeah, it is!"

"Can I race now?" Harley exclaimed.

"No! Doc would not be okay with that!" Sheriff shook his hood at her. "I swear, it's always something with you." John stifled a chuckle. Harley noticed and refrained from smiling. "Alright, let's get back."

As the others drove back into town, Harley waited for John. He drove up to her and paused for a brief moment as he looked down at her. She looked back up and smiled sweetly. Without saying anything, they both seemed to understand a single concept: they had formed a newfound friendship. Together they drove into town and she didn't leave his side very often. A few nights, they'd sneak out to Willy's Butte. Harley would watch John speed through a few laps. He seemed to remember things easier when it was just him, Harley and the stars.

"So, any new thoughts of past stuff?" Harley asked as the tired John drove up to her.

"Yeah, that eight... comes from the number 18... not sure if it was my number or someone else's." He caught his breath and Harley smiled.

"Hey! It's something! What else?" She anxiously asked.

"Hm... well I remember..." his features were scrunched up, but they softened as he scoffed.

"What? What is it?" Harley inched forward.

"The silver car. It was a girl. I think..." he smiled and shook his hood.

"You think...?"

"I think I liked her." Harley giggled.

"Awe, a crush! Cute!" John chuckled and shook his hood. "Okay, so we got a blue racecar, a silver crush, the number 18, your original racecar paint color, which was white, and, uh... what was the other thing?"

"The type of car my crew chief was." Harley jumped up.

"Right! A Dodge Charger!" Harley gave a cheerful giggle. "You've remembered so much! and it's only been a few days!"

"Nights." John corrected.

"Heh, yeah nights..." Harley yawned. "Should we come down here tomorrow night again?" John thought for a second then shook his hood.

"I think you need a break." he said and Harley frowned.

"I need a break? Are you sure you're not the one who needs a break?" John laughed.

"I could race all night long!" he said and they both laughed together. "But it is getting pretty late. Let's get you home, okay?" Harley yawned again which made John yawn.

"Okay... sleep sounds kinda good right now." They drove back to their usual spot where they go their separate ways.

"So, no sneaking out tomorrow night?" John asked as he began to turn off to the Cozy Cone.

"Um, I guess not." Harley said and John smiled as he shook his hood.

"Goodnight, hotshot."

"Hehe, goodnight." They then turned opposite directions.

Harley silently opened the double doors to the clinic and immediately tensed at what she saw, or rather, what she didn't see. The classic Mercury Police Cruiser was missing from his post. Harley silently moved around the spot that Sheriff should have been and headed to her room. On the way, she passed by Doc's room as she had to always do, but this time, she heard a voice. She stopped and got inches from the door.

"God, Doc... I hope you're okay..." She inhaled sharply. It was the old cop himself. "I know you won't admit it, but the last time... your injuries... i know they were no accident." Harley furrowed her eyelids. What was he talking about? "If you hid anything, I know I'll find it somewhere in here..." Harley could hear Sheriff sigh. "Your garage is a last resort... I'll try and honor your wishes about it and stay out as long as I can... But Doc... I wish you'd just say what's going on."

Harley bit her lip. Doc was hiding something? Why would he do that? Sheriff yawned.

"I hope i haven't woken up Harley... I should go check on her." Harley jumped then sped to her room, closed the door quietly then went swiftly to her corner and pretended to be asleep. Seconds later, Sheriff drove in. "Sound asleep... good." Harley tried her best to have steady breathing as she heard Sheriff drive right up to her. "You love her too much to let anything happen to her... I just wished you cared about your own safety the same way." He then unexpectedly kissed Harry's cheek and she tried her best not to react. "I love her too." Sheriff began to drive off and continued to talk to the nonpresent Doc. "I love you too, Doc. You're like the brother i never had..." He closed the door behind him and left Harley to turn his one-way conversation in her roof.

She didn't get much sleep that night.

Or the next night.