(I got the idea these guys drink Coffee from Planes: Fire and Rescue when Muir complains about the new lodge not having normal coffee. Enjoy!)

Doc sat in his clinic, after several weeks of treatment he and Mater had finally been released home. The plane ride was silent one, no one spoke a word. Doc was slightly depressed which held nothing to Mater. The tow truck hadn't said a word in week, he sat in his lean too and just stared out across the dessert. Doc's heart ached from him, the Tow Truck seemed to be watching, waiting for McQueen to come back. Doc himself had taken to a quieter approach, though due to the multitude of injuries he had endured he had been instructed to maintain a low level of work and keep his RPM's a minimum for a few weeks. Doc looked at the calendar, a trial at been set for Miles and his cohorts to further incite him for what he had done, and the word was to hopefully throw him in prison for life on account of murder. Doc huffed, like they needed it trial wasn't it obvious that he had kill McQueen?

………………..

Sheriff rolled up to the clinic, the town had been an eerie silent graveyard since the return of Doc and Mater and the confirmation of McQueen's death. He shivers slightly as dust blew by, the town had, had its days where it was dead quiet, but this was different. He pushed open the clinic doors. Doc's back was facing him, he seemed to be looking a news posting he had hung on the wall.

"McQueen Wins First Piston Cup! Pays Credit to his Crew Chief!"

"The kid had heart."

Doc turned around slightly,

"He just needed guidance."

Doc smirked slightly, glancing back up at the picture.

"Remember when he first ripped into town? I thought I was gonna blow a gasket or something."

Sheriff chuckled at the now fond memory. Doc nodded with a smirk,

"He sure was an arrogant cuss, wasn't he?"

Sheriff nodded, he sighed.

"Look I uh just got off the phone with Tex. They plan on having a big memorial ceremony for the kid at this next race on Sunday. They want you to say a few words, if you are up to it."

Doc felt like someone had just stabbed him in the heart again, he knew McQueen was gone but a ceremony just made it official.

"I suppose I can do that… How's Sally?"

Sheriff sighed sadly,

"She's grieving, shoot we all are. Mater's the one I am worried about. I went to see him; he didn't even acknowledge I was there. Just kept staring into the wind. Its like he is looking for something."

Doc nodded,

"Someone."

Sheriff furrowed his eyes,

"McQueen?"

Doc nodded again, the very name sending a wash of grief over him every time it was spoken.

"I went out to talk to him yesterday, he just kept repeating. "He'll be back" said it over and over"

Sheriff backed out of the clinic to look up the street toward Maters, sure enough the Tow Truck was still sitting there.

Doc pulled out next to Sheriff,

"I worry about him, if you had seen the look of pure rage in his eyes when McQueen was killed, the rage he had toward that Finn fella. I have never seen him like that…quite frankly…it scared me."

Sheriff looked at Doc,

"Mater's a little different but he wouldn't do anything stupid."

Doc looked at Sheriff in the eyes,

"He saw his best friend killed and drug off. The worst part of it is there is nothing to bury, no closure. The room Holley said she saw them drag McQueen off too was apparently a…"

Doc couldn't speak the last words, a cremation chamber. He just couldn't say the words.

Sheriff nudge his fender.

"I know, I read the report. He'll come around Doc, we just have to give him time."

Sheriff looked toward the cozy cone.

"I promised Sally I would watch the place while she went for a drive."

Doc nodded,

"Go on, I'll be fine."

………………..

Finn starred out the window of his office down to the busy streets of London below. He had jumped straight back into his work once he had recovered enough, though he had resigned from field work to a desk job. He couldn't bring himself to go back out there, not after what he had caused to happen. He turned back around toward his door, "Finn McMissile, Communications Supervisor." He sighed heavily, normally this would have been torture, to be behind a desk listening to recorded phone calls for patterns, assigning communications to other field agents, and so forth but now he saw it as a fitting punishment, though nothing he did could cover the guilt he felt.

"Agent McMissile sir?"

Finn looked up a young Silverado sat in the door way.

"Come in Agent Darren."

Darren rolled in,

"Sir, I was instructed to come to you to get communication instructions?"

Finn nodded,

"Over here."

Finn slide a folder over to him,

"Here is a list of your contacts, go to the supply room and get the phone numbers installed on your module and your units modules that I have listed. They are encrypted so they won't be traced."

Darren nodded taking a picture of the folder and sliding it back to Finn, the young Silverado looked at him.

"Something I can help you with Darren?"

Darren shook his hood,

"No sir sorry, I just am excited to meet you. Your legendary!"

Finn huffed slightly,

"Legends have a way of being exaggerated kid. Don't idolize me, you'll be sorely disappointed."

Darren smiled slightly,

"If its any consolation sir, my dad always told me its not our mistakes that define us, its how we handle them."

Finn looked up at the silver Silverado, the young truck had an empathetic smile on his face.

"My Dad was a cop; he accidently got his partner killed in the field. It was something his father had told him and it's something he told me."

Finn nodded,

"thank you, Darren."

Darren smiled as he left, Finn heard the words echoing in his head as the door open again except this time it was Holley.

"Finn?"

"Holley, I told you, I can not go into the field again."

Holley shook her hood,

"It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"I am going on leave for a few days."

Finn looked at her,

"On or off record?"

"Off, I am going to see Mater."

Finn felt a shiver run through him,

"Sure, that is wise?"

Holley shrugged,

"I got an email from their Sheriff there. He's apparently super depressed, keeps waiting for McQueen to come home. He thinks I might be able to snap him out of it."

Finn looked at his computer screen, then back at her.

"Be careful, and for your own safety don't mention my name to him."

Holley felt sorry for Finn as the Aston Martin turned to look back out the large window. She slouched on her axles as she left.

Finn stared out the window,

"…its not our mistakes that define us, but how we handle them…"

………………..

Sheriff waited anxiously at the airport, the only other car who knew of his plan was Doc. Both hoped Holley would snap Mater out of his state. She smiled when he saw the sleek purple car coming from the terminal.

"Ms. Shiftwell."

Holley smiled,

"You can call me Holley, Sheriff Carson."

Sheriff smiled playfully,

"Then you can just call me Sheriff."

Holley smiled as the two-drove side by outside out to the main road, neither one of them spoke till they hit the long stretch of road down into Radiator Springs where they could drive side by side.

"Sheriff I need ask… Does the whole town blame Finn?"

Sheriff glanced over at Holley.

"No darling we don't, we blame the car that killed McQueen. Finn had no bearing on what happened."

Holley sighed,

"Mater seems to think its Finns fault."

Sheriff twisted his face,

"Mater is deeply depressed, he needs something, someone to blame someone, sometimes multiple cars to blame. He knows deep down that its this Miles characters fault but unfortunately right now he looking for a means to an end, a reason why and Finn just happens to be the beginning of his escapades with Miles so that is where he directs his anger."

Holley swerved around a pothole, lightly tapping Sheriff as she came back to the road.

"You sure know you stuff, you should have been an agent."

Sheriff laughed,

"No sweetheart I am definitely not build to be an agent. I don't have the… agility to be one."

Holley smirked,

"Not all agents are in the field, I was a technical agent before Finn drug me into the field."

She sighed,

"Grateful that he did though, field work is so much more fun than technical."

Sheriff laughed, though his smiled quickly faded as they crested over the hill to Radiator Springs to see Mater had no moved an inch. Holley wasted no time as she drove over to him.

"Mater?"

She spoke softly. Sheriff staid back, he didn't want to leave them along just yet, not sure of how Mater would react.

"Mater its Holley…"

Maters tow hook shifted upward slightly from where it had been laying nearly flat back for weeks.

"Holley?"

Mater blinked; his eyes shifted slowly over to her.

"it's me."

Mater facial expression remained blank, his eyes held no light, no life.

"McQueen coming home soon. I am waiting for him."

He turned his eyes back to the horizon. Holley turned to look at Sheriff, whose look conveyed to her.

"I told you."

Holley sighed not one to give up she drove around in front of him, his eyes looking over her.

"Why don't we take a drive, maybe we will meet him on the road?"

Mater shook his hood,

"No, I gots to wait here for him. He knows I am waitin here."

………………..

Doc looked out the clinic window, he saw a purple car approaching Mater with Sheriff.

"She's here."

He felt a sense of relief flood through him as he approach them.

"Holley?"

Holley turned her attention from Mater to the blue Hudson.

"Doc Hudson…"

She sighed sadly. Doc drove over to her.

"You got him talking, that's a good thing. Little by little. Come on, I'll buy you a drink at Flos."

Sheriff fell in line behind them as they pulled into Flos café.

"Flo, I got Holley."

Flo nodded,

"What can I get ya honey?"

Holley felt the utter despair, like a dark loud looming over everyone.

"Coffee, black."

She smiled, Flo nodded,

"Be right back, Doc? Sheriff?"

"Coffee for me to Flo."

Sheriff nodded as he settled in the shade, Doc shook his head.

"nothing for me."

Holley looked over the residents, everyone was going about their daily chores. She couldn't help but noticed how low they all drove, their eyes downcast to the ground.

"Here you go sweet pea."

Holley jumped slightly startled,

"Thank you."

She sipped the hot coffee, feeling it warm her internal systems. She couldn't help but sighed as she glanced in her rearview mirror at Mater. The happy, go lucky, red neck was like statue silent and still.

………………..

Granger looked out over the cold, rainy, Chicago night. All the praise he was getting for rescuing and getting involved wasn't enough to cover the anger he was feeling that Sheriff Carson had something on him, Bronx. He slammed his tire on the ground, he had hoped that was forgotten but it would seem not.

"You okay sir?"

Granger turned around,

"What are you two doing out here, get back inside before yous catch a cold or something, I need you two in shape for the trail next weekend."

The two cars looked at each other,

"We are bored."

"Yeah there's nothing to do!"

Granger glared at the two grey cars.

"Then find something to do!"

Both groaned and headed back inside, Granger growled. He would be happy to be rid of them after their trial was over. He hated babysitting, especially these two energetic young pups. He turned and made his way back inside. He had to speak to Sherriff again, as much as he hated the Mercury he had no other option.