Author's Note: This is the last one I have written for right now, and I am back to work after the holiday break, but hopefully I can still get this updated fairly quickly. This chapter borrows some lines from the movie.
Doc found Sally in her office at the Cone and drove in. "Hey there, Sally. Hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"No, nothing important. What can I do for you? How's Lightning?" She too was trying not to smother him by checking up on him all the time, so she didn't get to see him as often as she would have liked.
"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. He's still the same and that's the problem. Physically he's fine. Well enough to start training. It's his emotional state that concerns me. I can't seem to get him motivated. I think he does want to race, but he's being haunted by a past that isn't even his."
"And you want me to try and talk some sense into him?"
"I reckon you're the only other car here who has a chance of getting through to him."
"Well, I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be. After all, I convinced you to make him stay here and fix the road when you wanted him run out of town," Sally never did seem to let him forget that. "I'm not busy, I can go talk to him right now if you want."
Doc decided to let Sally be alone with Lightning, drove over to Flo's for a quart of oil. At the moment the place was empty except for him. Doc supposed if there was a silver lining to any of this, it was at least the off season when there weren't many tourists around.
"Hey Doc," Mater said as he pulled in across from him. "How's McQueen?"
"He's doing fine, although he still doesn't seem to want to start training yet. Sally's with him now, trying to see if she can get through to him"
"Oh yeah?" Mater was getting excited. "Well dadgum, maybe she could use some help!" And with that, he drove off to Doc's garage.
"Mater, wait!" Doc called after him. He didn't have a problem with Mater going to see Lightning, but he didn't want the kid to think they were all ganging up on him. Doc quickly followed him and got there just in time to hear Mater ask if McQueen was ready to start training.
Lightning responded to Mater but looked right at Doc when he said "Yes Mater, I am. I decide when I'm done." Doc smiled at that. Lightning continued. "I've got an idea, and I'm gonna need to talk to Rusty & Dusty."
"Mater, are you sure Lightning meant for all of us to be here?" Doc asked. Mater had gotten Rusty & Dusty on the phone at Flo's and it seemed like the whole town was there.
Before Mater could respond, Lightning drove up. "Wow. You're all here."
Mater leaned over to Lightning. "I'm sorry, did you need this call to be private?"
"No Mater, this is perfect." To everyone's relief, Lightning declared his intention to keep racing. Rusty & Dusty wanted him on the road the next morning to check out their new Rust-eze Racing Center. After they ended the call, Ramone got Lightning to finally get a proper paint job, as he still had just primer.
Lightning came back to Doc's garage later that evening after Ramone had finished. He was glad to see Lightning back in his Rust-eze red. He had been beginning to wonder if he'd ever see that again. Lightning looked a little unsure of himself. They hadn't had a conversation since that morning and there was still some tension in the air.
"Look Doc, I didn't mean what I said before. At least not the way it sounded."
"It's alright, kiddo. I probably over-reacted. But at least we cleared the air before you leave tomorrow."
"What do you mean?" Lighting asked, confused. "You're not coming with me?"
"You heard what those guys said. That racing center is full of the equipment Storm and the other Next Gens are training on. They'll most likely give you a trainer who's familiar with using all that stuff. I'm not sure I could be of much use there."
Lightning's response was only half-teasing. "I thought you said that 'fancy equipment' wasn't going to guarantee anything. What about all that moral support?"
"And you said moral support wasn't enough." Doc chuckled. "No Lightning, I still think it would be best if I stayed here."
It seemed Doc had made up his mind, so it would be useless for Lightning to argue, but he hadn't expected to be going without him.
The next morning, everyone in town came to see Lightning off. Doc briefly spoke to Lightning before he got in his trailer.
"Take care of yourself, hot rod. Don't do anything stupid." Doc said with a teasing grin.
"Do I ever?" Lightning said with a wink.
"I'll join you when the season starts, but don't hesitate to call me if you think you need to."
"Thanks, Doc" Lightning said sincerely.
Lightning and Sally exchanged goodbyes and he backed into his trailer. Mack drove off and Doc hoped this trip would give Lightning the boost he needed.