McQueen drove back and forth across the cell; he knew he shouldn't waste his fuel, but he couldn't help it. His nerves were up, and he had to do something with himself to keep from totally and utterly freaking out. He was under consistent surveillance evident by the cameras in every corner he looked. He hated being confined, to such a small area, the most speed he could get was 2 mph back and forth. He braked, stopping in the far corner, he had made it a safe spot. It was dark from a long shadow being cast over it. He felt safe, like he was hidden. He jumped when he heard doors being slammed, the sound of scraping metal caused him to cringe. He slunk back further into the corner as the cars around the corner.

"Put him in here with the other one."

McQueen's eyes went wide when he saw who they had, Sheriff? McQueen staid in the shadows as Sheriff was shoved into the cell area. The old cop car was glaring angrily at the Pacers who had booted and gag him. He growled angrily at them as they drove off laughing. McQueen noticed Sheriff body sag in exhaustion, his antennas were missing to. McQueen slowly moved out of his hiding spot.

….

Sheriff glared at the lemon cars as they drove off. He was exhausted having been knocked unconscious more then once on the trip. He sighed heavily, who were these cars and why did they take him? He looked around the lab, a few other Gremlins were present working on computer systems. Sheriff froze, he caught movement in the corner of his eye. He was helpless, he couldn't move with the two boots on his back tires and his mouth covered. His chassis began to move up and down heavily as the movement came out of the shadows. Sheriff blinked, his windshield rising in a happy expression. McQueen smiled driving over to him and unclamping him. Sheriff smiled as McQueen removed the tape over his mouth.

"Kid! I found you!"

Lightening laughed slightly,

"More like the bad guys found you."

Sheriff looked around,

"Who are they?"

McQueen sighed,

"Remember the Grand Prix incident with Mater?"

Sheriff rolled his eyes,

"With Mater its always an incident but yes."

McQueen explained that the cars here were working for the brother of Zundapp, the big bad, that had been working with Sir Mile Axelrod and now they wanted Zundapp out of prison and were willing to go to extreme lengths.

Sheriff had an eye raised, still slightly confused but nonetheless happy to see McQueen was okay.

"Is Sally ok?"

Sheriff nodded,

"Worried, obviously, the whole town is…specially Doc."

McQueen side glanced him with a, "oh really" look. Sheriff caught it.

"You mean a lot to him kid, he's just not too good at showing it."

McQueen smiled warmly,

"He means a lot to me to, when I think of all the times, I was so rude to him when I first came to town…make me feel 10 inches tall."

Sheriff chuckled, he himself had taken a liking to the racer when the punk had tried to escape and failed miserably. McQueen slunk back into his corner, Sheriff watched the red car back into the corner, only his eyes were visible in the darkness.

"Kid?"

McQueen looked up at him, his eyes dropped immediately back down. He hated this, he felt safer with Sheriff here but now Sheriff would see him so…so vulnerable…weak. Not the strong will attitude racer everyone knew, but the scared kid.

"Its…cooler back here."

Sheriff wasn't convinced, he had seen the look of pure terror before and McQueen was no exception. The Mercury looked out to the lab, it felt like they would be here for a while. He drove forward slightly, turning his tires and back up next to McQueen so their metal was almost touching. McQueen looked at him.

"I know fear when I see it Lightening. And fear doesn't make you weak, it makes you real. Nothing to be ashamed of."

McQueen's body sunk, so Sheriff could see his fear. He sighed deeply; he hadn't slept in two days. His eyes were heavy.

Sheriff glanced at McQueen; his eyes were red from fatigue.

"Get some sleep kid, I'll keep a lookout."

There was no argument from McQueen as he fell quickly into a deep sleep.

….

Doc raced out to the Radiator Springs Welcome sign, the same drag marks that had appeared where McQueen had been taken. Doc looked over to Stacy the Tahoe was biting her lip.

"I don't understand, I mean I can get nabbing a racecar, specially Lightening McQueen, the guys worth millions but Sherriff? A 1949 Mercury?"

Doc was just as confused at Stacy, he stared at the ground. The only one who knew anything about this was currently on life support. Mater and Holley seemed to know very little about what was happening only assuming it was related to the Grand Prix incident with what little Finn had been able to tell Sidley. Stacy looked over to Doc,

"Anyone could be next."

Doc shot a look over to her,

"What are you talking about?"

Stacy shrugged,

"Look at the evidence, two cars from here have gone missing. What's the pattern? A cop and a racecar."

Doc just furrowed his eyes, leaving Stacy to mumble to herself. He had to get back to town, there had to be a way to bring Finn McMissile back from the brink of death. He had a sick feeling this was far from over and he needed to make the whole town aware.

….

"McMissile is alive!"

Gerald Zundapp shot a look at the cars surround him as the other end caller informed him.

"See to it dat he remains dat vay. Ve have two of zhe cars closest to zhis Mater, I vill be sending von of men in to deliver zhe message. Since it vould appear zhat McMissile vas unable to deliver it."

He snickered thinking of the damage then had inflicted on the British spy. The phone hung up as Gerald turned to his men.

"Zhe time is now! Trevo, you vill a deliver a message to our inside car in radiator springs. Zhen they vill ensure zhat the order is carried out vithout any outside interference. If zhe order is not carried out with in the appropriate time slot."

Gerald looked over at McQueen and Sheriff who had been listening and watching.

"Zhen I am afraid zhat ve will just have to inflict some damage on zhoze two."

The cars in the room as chuckled and laughed as Geral prepared his message for Trevo to take. McQueen looked at Sheriff,

"An Inside car? Who would be working with someone that crazy?"

Sheriff didn't answer, he had a nagging suspicion of who, but he didn't want to say and upset McQueen even more then the race car already was.

"He's probably just yammering on for our benefit."

Sheriff turned his back to the scene of cars outside their cell. Both were trying to conserve their fuel, not sure of the next time they would have access to it. McQueen sighed rolling around to face Sheriff. He had never been so bored in his life.

"Tell me about yourself kid, what made you get into the racing thing?"

McQueen shrugged,

"Just always had a knack for it, I guess. Since I was a kid, I loved speeding around. I was on the track team at school and from there it just escalated. Scouts came out saw I had talent for it, began racing a few small-time tracks. Rusty and Dusty found me and the rest is history."

Sheriff nodded,

"A bit vague but I get the gist."

Lightening glanced to the right with a sigh,

"I…I didn't have the best…"

He looked down, he had never told anyone about his past, even Sally didn't know about his childhood to his teen years. Sheriff inched forward slightly; McQueen looked up at him. They weren't going anywhere, and they had plenty of time to talk, Sheriff would drag it out of him sooner or later.

….

Doc drove around the Aston Martin, the whoosh of the machines and beeping where the only noises heard. He stopped in front of the Aston. The car had just enough vitals that he could operate on him, it would be risky but at this point he didn't have a choice he needed this car awake and he needed him awake now. Doc lifted the lift slightly upward, grabbing his tools, and set to work.

A few hours later Doc emerged from his Clinic everybody had taken to hiding out at Flos so as everybody could keep an eye on each other. Stacy checked in with them every few hours with nothing new to report. Doc looked to his fellow cars, they all looked worried and scared. He sighed as a glimmer of green caught his eye in the distance. A few customer had come and gone, though much of the visitors had phased out after McQueen had established his base here. The fans seemed to flood Radiator Springs for the first few months, it had really died down in recent years.

Doc hit the pavement and drove to met the car, he stopped dead. The green gremlin came toward him.

"Doc Hudson?"

Doc nodded, a shiver running through him. This car was bad news.

"This is for you. I'd do what he says."

Doc looked up at the car confused as it sped away, there in front of him was device. He bumped it with his tire as the others had come to join him seeing the confrontation with the gremlin.

"What is it Doc?"

Flo asked, Doc shrugged he had no idea. He bumped it again with his tire as a hologram shot out the top causing everyone to gasp.

"Greetings Radiator Springs, my name is Gerald Zundapp, my broder is Arnim Zundapp that is in prison. Now I come to you with a proposition. You see zhese two?..."

Everyone gasped as the image fuzzed and reappeared to show Sheriff and McQueen.

"Zhey are vhat you Americans called Insurance. Do vhat I ask you, vhen I ask it and zhey vill not be harmed. Disobey or cause a problem zhen these two…vell…I vould hate to have to be responsible for vhat might happen."

Everyone was stunned silent; they were unaware of the cars surround them.

"Now to ensure you don't go to zhe FBI or somesing, you vill be under consistent surveillance."

Sarge was the first to snap back into the present.

"Uh Oh."

He murmured as the others came back to his voice. They all looked behind them.

"What? You?"

Sally's eyes went wide seeing who was currently holding the town at gun point. The cars surrounding them all snickered,

"He pays good."

The one car quipped. Sally looked at Doc who just glanced around. They were in deep trouble.

….

Sherriff was leaning on his back suspension; he had no idea McQueen had been threw so much in his young life. McQueen twitched his front tire, the awkward silence between them made him tense.

"Sooo…I've been wondering…what's your real name?"

Sheriff blinked looking at McQueen,

"My real name?"

McQueen nodded his hood,

"Yeah, I mean everybody calls you Sheriff because you are one, right? So, what is your other name?"

Sherriff's face curled up into a broad smile, he chuckled slightly to himself.

"Well son, that would be my name. Sherriff."

McQueen furrowed his eyes,

"Your parents named you Sherriff? No, your pulling my axel."

Sheriff chuckled,

"I swear on my badge kid."

Lightening chuckled slightly which earned him a look from Sherriff. McQueen just sighed; he was terribly bored even though this conversation with Sheriff was enlightening. He hadn't meant to pour his life's story out like that, but truth be told he trusted Sheriff more then anyone…even a little more then Doc.

"Sooo…does the rest of the town know your name is Sheriff?"

Sheriff nodded his hood.

"I ain't got no secrets son, I find it best if everything is out in the open."

McQueen spotted a hint of hurt flash across Sheriff face; it was only for a split second then it vanished.

"You know…I'm sure Doc had his reasons…he never told me why he lied but…I mean he's Doc Hudson…he had to have had a reason."

Sheriff looked up at McQueen, he admired him for trying to protect Doc.

"It's alright McQueen, we all have things in our past we would rather leave buried."

McQueen shot a look over to him,

"Even you?"

Sheriff laughed,

"We were all young once weren't we."

McQueen drove forward slightly, he stopped right near Sheriff. His eyes twinkling,

"Do tell…"

Sheriff just rolled his eyes, they had time that was for sure.