Author's Note: So remember to VOTE in my POLL. (There's a tie... I can't do anything with a tie...) and uh, just some tinteresting, probably meaningless news.. CARS 3 IN IN 3 DAYS! BUT SINCE TODAY IS BASSICLLY OVER, IT'S IN 2 DAYS AHHHHHH! Anyways, enough of my fangirling nonsense. Some real news. My story is going to be posted on Wattpad, so if you see it there, don't freak out and state spamming that author and/or me about theft. I gave her permission, chill. She crediting me and all that jazz. Anyways! If you like this story and/or chapter, please leave and review! What should I do to improve? What's working, what isn't? I love y'all feed back! (I'm from texas, I can say y'all) Anyways! Enough of my blabbering! On with the fanfic!


Chapter 26: Some Help
Several Months Later: November 1996


Every morning and every evening for the past seven months, Harley would go down to Willy's Butte to practice her racing. She was fourteen and with a hot-headed stubbornness like Doc, it was hard for the two to talk any. In fact, Harley didn't talk much to Doc anymore. They would say a few words, but the fact that Doc would never support her idea of being a racecar never left her. She spent her days talking to Flo and Sheriff, who often went down to Willy's Butte to make sure she was safe. The months past, but she still couldn't perfect that one seemingly simple turn. She had gotten to the point that she could turn on it without spinning out of control, but she had to slow down immensely, which she knew wasn't good. One afternoon, the phone at Flo's café started to ring. Everyone was parked at the café, all except for Doc. And Lizzie, but that was because she complained about it getting too cold for her to leave her shop.

"I got it!" Flo said with an excited tone and rushed to pick up the phone. "Hiya! This is the V8 Café! The very one and only Flo speaking!... oh?... yes… yes, I can get her…" She said and moved away from the microphone. "Harley, sugar! It's for you!" Harley smiled brightly as she looked over towards Flo.

"Okay!" she called back. "We'll talk about this some more later." She said to Sheriff who was explaining how she thought she could get the turn faster. Sheriff nodded, but of course, hadn't a clue what she was even talking about the whole time.

"Here she is." Flo said to the phone. "It's your uncle." Flo said to Harley before leaving the café.

"Uncle Strip!" she said happily.

"Heh heh, hey Harley." He said calmly. "I just wanted to call you before my season started. How have you been?"

"Oh I've been pretty good." she said joyfully. Taking to her uncle had always put a smile on her face. "I've been trying to get that turn down still, but I c think I've almost got it. I just need to, uh…" She moved her tired as she thought of a way to explain it. "I need to hit it harder, I guess."

"Well, don't get hit or run off the road in the process." Strip said sternly. "Last thing you need being a new racecar is getting into your first wreck. It's never a fun experience, but it's one you don't forget."

"Have you been in a wreck?" Harley asked, hoping for a story.

"Not anything major, thank the Manufacturer. But I know it'll happen. It could happen this season or any other down the road. But Harley," his tone slightly changed to be kinder, "I just want you to be safe. Take any criticism anyone has to offer." he said and his voice seem to indicate that he smiled. "You're gonna do great out there. On a real track."

"Ha, thanks! I'm excited for the real thing! But I was looking through my history book, and not many cars like me have ever raced before." she said in a much heavier tone than before.

"This is true. You're not exactly the type of car built for the track." Strip explained. "You're a Cadillac CTS-V, if i remember correctly." Strip explained.

"Mhm!" Harley verified. "And I'm lightning fast!"

"I'm sure you are, just look at your lineage." Strip agreed. "But remember, you need to take precautions, criticism of all kinds, and most of all, you need to keep an open mind. Asphalt racing isn't the only racing out there." He said. "You're practicing on a two turn dirt track. That's very different than a four turn asphalt track."

"Yeah, I know… but one of these days, I'm gonna get a Piston Cup with the name 'Harley Stockrim' scripted on the side!" she said with much enthusiasm.

"Slow down there, hotshot," The long was quick to put her in check. "As much as I would love to see that, you're not exactly a stock car."

"So what?" Harley asked.

"Well, not being born a stock car type car can cause some issues." Harley was still confused.

"Like what?"

"You got your mother's grand genes which she got from her mother. They were all not exactly stockcar material," He went on to explain. "Now you're mom did race some when she was in high school, but she just wasn't built for that type of driving." he then sighed as he remembered his younger sister's high school years. "She also got chastised for being a girl wanting to race."

"Well…. That's not fair." Harley said thinking if that had changed since then.

"No, but we can't control how other cars treat one another, but we can control how we react to those cars." Harley chewed on that piece of advice for a second and Strip simply waited patiently. "Yeah… you're right.." she said thinking about the static silence between her and Doc.

"So, are you keeping up with your studies?" Strip asked after a beat.

"Huh, uh, y-yeah… of course I am." she lied.

"Well, you better be. Oh," Strip continued, "and you better be minding your manners."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Harley asked confused.

"Flo told me about your little ordeal with Doc." he said with a heavy tone that made Harley shrink. "Now, do I agree with how he handled it, no. I would've handled in a much more calm manner. But that doesn't give you a right to behave the way you did."

"Which was what exactly?" she asked wondering how Flo portrayed her.

"Simply put: rude." Strip said putting her in her place. "I understand that you were angry, but you still have to respect your elders. Especially the one that opened up his home to raise you." Harley felt ashamed and nodded, then remember that this was a conversation on the phone.

"Yes sir." she said.

"There you go." Strip approved. "Now, I will always support you, but I will not put up with disrespect towards anyone for any reason." He declared. "And I won't hesitate to tell you what's what and keep you in check."

"Yes sir." she said feeling rather small. "I'll mind my manners." she promised.

"Good. Now then, I just want to make sure you've gotten a brand new pair of tires since the last time we talked." he said, his voice picking a new lighter tone.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Harley said a small smile returning to her features. "I tried to tell Luigi what you told me about what tires were best, but of course he just said, "No, no! Luigi know what you need! You let Luigi take care of it!" and that was that, but I got some pretty good tires!" she said as she moved her front tires side to side in the ground. "They help with that traction issue I had."

"Good, so you got that turn down?" Strip asked.

"Mm.. no. But I've almost got it!" she said excited. "I think today is the day I finally get it down!"

"You better drink lots of water, oil, and eat something before you go." Strip said, knowing she's going to have a long practice. "Make sure your gas tank isn't running on empty."

"Yeah, of course." Harley said. "I'm all responsible and such." She said with a giggle.

"I know, I just want to make sure." Strip said, knowing that she appreciated the advice. "I got to go."

"What? Why?" Harley's smile faded and she looked upset.

"My crew chief is here, and he'll go crazy if I don't get off the phone." Strip said and chuckled. "You know how trucks are." he said quietly.

"The only truck I know is a tow truck." she said "He's pretty funny!" Strip laughed.

"Alright, well, I love you Harley and I'll talk to you soon, okay?" he said as they ended their talk.

"Yeah, okay. Love you too." she said and smiled. "Oh! And good luck this next season! Number four! Number four!" she chanted and Strip laughed again.

"Let's hope so. Good bye, Harley." Strip said before hanging up.

"Good bye." she said, knowing he had already ended the call. She drove back out and went back over to Sheriff.

"So, who was that?" He asked and nudged her side. "Was it some boy you met sneaking out at night?"

"What!?" she said appalled while Sheriff laughed. "No! I don't sneak out at night anymore.. It's too cold at night anyways around this time of the year." She said and Sheriff shrugged his tires.

"I'm just making sure." he said. And Flo nudged him and laughed.

"Well, it was a guy, but not a boy. It was my uncle, you weirdo." she said and Sheriff laughed again.

"Like I said, just making sure!" he said the looked as a flicker of blue caught his eye. "Hm." he grunted and glanced down at harley. "Afternoon, Doc." he said as the local doctor made his way up to the café.

"Afternoon, Sheriff." he said as he gave him a nod. "Hey, Harley." He said with a soft smile as he saw the young Cadillac parked beside his friend. Harley simply look at him until she remembered what her uncle had said just moments ago. "Um, hey Doc." she said, but didn't smile back.

"Are you going to practice again?" he asked and he drove up to her and Sheriff.

"Yeah, why?" she asked sped as she raised an eyelid.

"Well, it's been colder lately. There's going to be some ice out there." Doc warned.

"So?" Harley said and looked away.

"I'm just saying, maybe you should take a day off and catch up on your school work." he suggested.

"What? No!" Harley stubbornly said. "I need to catch up on my racing skills! My cousin is already passed me. Cal gets to race for his school." She said, and Doc -not knowing anything about Cal- looked confused.

"You have a cousin?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah. Cal Weathers. I heard Uncle Strip talking about him on the radio." Harley said and Doc sighed.

"So you have another uncle who's into racing… and a cousin who races…." He said and shook his hood.

"And my mom used to race in school too!" Harley said as she lifted up her hood with pride.

"Of course…" Doc said and looked at the road that had no ice or snow but instead was bordered by a third layer of the white precipitation. "Well, I'm sure they wouldn't want you practicing in these conditions." Doc pressed the issue and looked back at Harley. "Just come and catch up on your studies please. You're behind on all that."

"No." Harley stated strongly. "I'm going to get that turn down. Today." she said then began to drive towards the road.

"Harley, I've already talked to your uncle about your homeschooling. And he strongly suggested that you keep up with your studies." Doc said and Harley then remembered her conversation with Strip just moments ago.

"Right…" she said, knowing he wanted her to keep working on her schooling. "But, I'm sure I can get by without a high school diploma." Sheriff scoffed and Doc laughed.

"Yeah, maybe if you're planning on living off of scraps." Doc said and Harley rolled her eyes. "Young lady, behave. And go be productive and study!" Doc said, raising his voice.

"Okay, I'll be productive. By training!" with that, she sped off and headed straight to Willy's Butte as Doc sighed.

"I'll uh, I'll go make she she doesn't get hurt." Sheriff said and began to leave.

"No, no. I'll go." Doc said as he raised a tire.

"Are you sure?" Flo asked with a raised eyelid.

"Yes, she's my responsibility.." Doc said and left. Sheriff and Flo exchanged a glance then watched as the older car left to follow the young Cadillac.

"Well, who wants to start betting…" Ramone joked, hoping to lighten the mood, but Flo simply gave an unapproving sideways glance at her husband. "Heh… sorry."

Harley was already speeding around the butte by the time Doc had arrived. Doc sat and watched as she headed to the turn that had been her enemy for the hearing past six or seven months. She slowed, turned to the left and started to loose control. Doc tensed as he watched, but was relieved when Harley turned her wheels right, but instead of keeping them like that, she kept turning it left and right until she sloppily got around the heathen turn. Doc shook his hood then began to make his way down. Harley started to slowly drove to the finish after the turn, but she was looking at the dirt so she didn't notice Doc there until he spoke up.

"You know you don't have three-wheel brake, right?" Doc said and Harley quickly looked up.

"Doc!" she said surprised by his supped appearance. "What are you doing here?"

"Your stubborn self drove here and I needed to make sure that you were okay." He reasoned, but she only scoffed and drove past him to the starting line.

"Well I'm fine." She harshly said.

"Obviously, you're not." Doc said and turned to follow her. "You lost control and almost sent yourself flying off that cliff over there." Harley stopped and seemed embarrassed.

"You, uh… you saw that?" She asked and he drove up next to her.

"Yes. I saw about half of your little lap, and I wasn't really impressed."

"Excuse me?" Harley quickly went from embarrassed to offended in a blink of an eye. "And what do you know about racing?"

"I know enough to say that that turn was sloppy." Doc said calmly, making Harley even more upset.

"Oh sure, like you could help?" she rolled her eyes and revved her engine to take off.

"Before you leave in a cloud of smoke and fury," Doc said as he drove in front of her, blocking her path, "let me just go on with what I was saying earlier."

"How about you just get lost." she said, refusing eye contact. Now Doc was starting to get mad.

"Looks, just listen." he demanded. "You don't have three-wheel break-"

"What does that have to do with anything?" She said and revved her engine again in anger.

"Stop that. And it has everything to do with that turn." Doc went on to explain.

"Whatever! Nothing you say can help me!" she snapped.

"Just hit that turn hard! If you go hard enough le-"

"I don't need your help! I can get this on my own!" Doc sighed before he exploded in anger and frustration.

"Well, in seven months, all you've done is slow down on that curve so you and turn on it like a mess." Harley gaped at him offended by his words.

"I have not!" she said then thought about it for a second. "Even if I have, it just gives me more of a reason to train harder!"

"Yeah. Train harder and tear yourself up." Doc retaliated.

"Why are you trying to help me anyways?" she asked having thrown respect out the window long ago. "You don't want me here any more than I don't want you here!"

"I don't want you to race, but I also don't want you to kill yourself!" Doc raised his voice once more, but it wasn't enough to keep Harley quite.

"I'm not going to!" she yelled out. "Just leave me alone!"

"Harley! I'm trying to prevent you from sending yourself into a crash!" Doc yelled back. "You need to not slow down, go at that turn hard, and turn right!"

"What?" Now Harley was angry and confused. "That doesn't make any sense! It's a left turn!"

"Would you just let me explain!" Doc said annoyed by his mirrored stubbornness.

"No! You have no idea what you're talking about!" She said and revved her engine again. "Just go away! If you want to make sure I'm fine, then send Sheriff down here! At least he doesn't say anything…"

"Yeah, because he doesn't have a single clue about racing technique.." Doc said bluntly.

"And you do?" she asked. "What were you a racecar too?" she asked sarcastically.

"That's ridiculous. I would never-"

"I didn't think so!" she spat, "Now leave me alone!" she took off past him and Doc grunted and shook his hood.

"Fine.." He said to the dust and left. Harley glanced and saw that he was finally leaving.

"Doc thinks he's so smart..." she muttered. "Thinks he know everything about everything!" she headed for the controversial turn and suddenly thought if maybe he had a point. She shook her hood and instinctively slowed to make the turn. He tires went left, she swerved then she really started to loose control. A piece of invisible ice had formed on a tiny part of the curve, but it was enough. She spun out, snow, mud, frost and ice flying everywhere. She braked hard, but it was useless. She panicked, turned right then something weird happened. It wasn't exactly a drift, but it was enough to make her route to the cliff side turn into a route back to the track. Once away from the ominous cliff, she caught he breath and looked to see if Doc was still there. He wasn't. No one was. She then reversed then turned to go looked at the part of the track she tore up.

"Well, on the bright side… the ice is gone…" she said then, still a little shaken, went back to the start. "Don't give up because of a little ice…" she muttered, but glanced back at the near crash venue. She then looked foward, gulp, exhaled, revved up her engine and took off again. She avoided the wall once more and headed for the straight away. She eyed the curve then again though about Doc's advice.

"It couldn't possible end me up worse then last time…" she thought. Speeding up, she headed straight for it. Her wheels hit it hard left, then she spun them right and suddenly, she was gliding around the turn. Granted, she slid and slipped a few times, but it was far better than anything she had tried in the past. She sped the the finish and slowed down after she past the worn out rope of a starting line. She huffed trying to catch her breath then looked back at the turn.

"Did I just…?" she asked, astonished. "Heh… haha!" Harley laughed hysterically with excitement. "I did it! I made the turn! Doc did you s-" she looked up and still saw no one. "...right…" she slowly drive back to the start and went again. And again. And again. She kept driving until she improved on the turn. When she finally had enough -and when the sun started to go down- she drove back to town. She passed by Flo's, waved to the few cars that were there, then went home to the clinic. Doc wasn't in the front room. Harley drove on and started to go to her room, until she passed Doc's door. She paused and bit her lip. She then sighed and back up. Knocking softly on the door, she waited for a response. There was nothing for a second and she figured he was at the courthouse, or possibly in his garage. So was about to give up when the door opened up and Doc was there.

"You're back." he said far more calm now then he was a few hours ago.

"Uh… yeah." she said then there was a few beats of awkward silence. "So, about that advice that you gave…" she started as she looked down. Doc raised an eyelid curious as to what she would say. "It, uh…" She then looked up at him with curiosity sparked in her eyes. "How'd you know that would work?" she asked and he smiled warmly at her. The look in her eye reminded him of when she was younger, less rebellious.

"I've been in the town a long time." he started off. "That track was used countless times by several aspiring racecars. Likewise, I had a lot of clients." Harley chuckled at the subtle joke. "Each one would explain what they thought went wrong, or what they could've done. A few times, their friend would barge in ranting to the other car saying how they were.. too stubborn to listen." Doc said, directing the comment to Harley's behavior. She got the message and seemed to shrink. "Anyway, I heard a lot about racing through those reckless hotrods, so unfortunately, I picked up on a few things. Most of them about that turn." Doc explained.

"Huh.." Harley thought about it for a second. "Well, unfortunate for you. Pretty fortunate for me though." She said and awkwardly chuckled. Doc smiled back.

"I guess so.." There was a paused then Harley spoke up.

"So, uh.. DNA and RNA?" Doc looked slightly confused at the odd topic change. "That was our last lesson of automotive biology, right?" Doc then understood what she was doing.

"It's a little late to stay up studying, don't you think?" he asked and Harley shrugged.

"Eh, I can stay up for a few more hours, right?" she slightly smiled and Doc nodded.

"I guess you can." he said then began to drive off to the spare room where they used to study. "Come on. I'm sure that dusty textbook is somewhere in there." Harley smiled then quickly followed behind him.