A/N: Hello everyone! I know it's been a while since I updated this story, but I've been busy with school and other things. Since I'm currently on a break, I thought, why not update? So this chapter is similar to the "Lost Soul" one shot that I wrote a while ago. While it may be similar to that story, I've added more to it to make it different. As always, the italics are the character's thoughts. I hope you enjoy!

Sanctuary of Secrets

Jackson

A swarm of cars was gathered at the Motor Speedway of the South to witness another race in the Piston Cup Series. Jackson was pacing back and forth in the IGNTR building, impatiently waiting for his crew chief to arrive.

Where is he? He should've been here hours ago!

As if on cue, Ray came rushing into the building, almost crashing head first into Jackson.

"I apologize for the delay. I ran into some traffic on the way in," Ray said as he tried to catch his breath.

Jackson rolled his eyes. "I feel like I've been waiting here for hours! You've gotta do better, Gus," he said with a frown.

"I said I was sorry didn't I?" Ray pleaded.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, quit your whining. Anyway, why did you ask us to meet here so early? The race starts in like 20 minutes."

"I just want to make sure that you understand the plan," Ray said in a stern tone.

"Are you kidding me?! You made me wait here all afternoon to talk about this stupid plan again?!" Jackson yelled.

"Calm down, Jackson. I just want to make sure that we are on the same page. I feel like we haven't covered all our bases if you know what I mean."

"No, I don't know what you mean, Gus."

"Jackson, I need you to think about this for a minute. After all, your reputation is on the line here. Do you think we covered every area in our plan?" Ray asked with an anxious look in his eyes.

Jackson thought hard about their little scheme. As he pondered their plan, he spotted Cruz driving over to her pit box with Lightning following behind her. That's when it hit him.

"The Champ! I completely forgot about the Champ! He's going to put a monkey wrench in this stupid plan!" Jackson exclaimed as he slammed his tire into the floor.

"Don't panic. Maybe we can-"

"There's no way around this, Gus. You know how the Champ feels about me. He'll never let costume girl get within five feet of me. I don't know why we have to do this. Isn't there some other way we can exploit this chick?!" Jackson yelled.

Ray could see the fury raging in Jackson's grey eyes.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down. Why don't we give Ramirez the benefit of the doubt?" Ray asked in a calm tone.

Jackson cocked a brow at Ray. "What do you mean, Gus?"

"Think about it. I'm sure Ramirez is smart enough to keep this thing a secret."

Jackson scoffed. "I doubt that," he said with a frown.

Ray sighed. His patience was wearing thin. "Why do you say that?" he said, giving Jackson a confused look.

"They seem pretty close. They probably tell each other everything," Jackson said with a hint of jealousy in his tone.

Ray chuckled to himself. "How close can they possibly be? They've only known each other for a few months. I doubt that trust can develop in a relationship that quickly. Besides, you never really know anyone 100 percent."

"Well, she seems like she has a big mouth," Jackson said in a disgusted tone.

"Look, if she knows how McQueen feels about you, she wouldn't want to tell him that she's hanging out with you. Trust me, I have a feeling that this is the first time that she ever kept a secret from her mentor," Ray said with a cunning grin.

Cruz

"It's coming down to the final stretch of this race. Cruz Ramirez has a huge lead with Jackson Storm right on her tail," Bob Cutlass announced.

"They are entering into the final lap and it looks like Cruz has this race in the bag!" Darrell Cartrip exclaimed.

"Alright, Cruz, you have one more lap to go, just stay focused," Lightning said as his voice erupted into Cruz's radio.

"Got it!" she answered as she made her way into turn three with Jackson following close behind.

"Storm's coming up fast. He's looking to move to the inside, don't give him that opening," Lightning warned.

"I see him," Cruz said as she slammed the door on Jackson, causing her to speed into the final turn.

"Cruz is not making it easy on Jackson today," Bob said as he watched Jackson lose his momentum.

"Yessiree! She's definitely taking that win," Darrell said.

"It's Cruz Ramirez for the win!" Bob Cutlass announced as Cruz crossed the finish line.

"Hoo-wee! #51 is on a roll!" Darrell Cartrip cheered.

Cruz ended that race with another win under her hood. The crowds were chanting her name as fireworks burst into the air. After she received her trophy, she was greeted by a mob of paparazzi cars, just anxious to get an exclusive interview with her.

Jackson

Enjoy your little victory while it lasts, costume girl. Alright, Jackson, it's now or never. Time to end this reign of terror.

Jackson was fuming to the brim with seething, hot rage. He drove over to the entrance of the Dinoco building without anyone seeing him. He was careful enough to avoid contact with Lightning or anyone who would question his presence. He patiently waited for Cruz to drive over to the entrance of the building. He watched her fight through the swarms of paparazzi as she headed over to the building. It was finally time for him to make his move.

"Hey costume- I mean, Cruz!" Jackson called out to Cruz as he drove close to her.

"Oh! Good evening, Storm," Cruz said with a feeble smile.

"Please, just call me Jackson," he said with a spurious smile.

The two stared at each other, wearing their gawky facial expressions.

"Um, okay. Do you need anything?" she asked in an awkward tone as Jackson continued to stare at her.

"I just wanted to say congratulations on your win today, you earned it," he said as his phony smile continued to spread across his face.

"Wow, uh, thank you!" Cruz said with a nervous laugh.

"So, I'd like to treat you to a little celebratory lunch or maybe dinner?"

"Wait, are you asking me out?" Cruz asked as she gave him a confused look.

"What does it look like?! I mean, yes I am asking you out. Do you accept the invitation?" he offered as he tried to regain his composure.

"Um, sure. Where do you plan on taking me?"

Oh great! I didn't think ahead this far! Great job, Jackson!

He paused for a moment to think about his response. "I was thinking that you should pick the place," he said with a cunning grin.

Nice one, Storm!

THE NEXT DAY…

"Nice going, Storm," he mumbled to himself as he and Gale waited outside Fireball Beach.

"It's so nice out here! You two are going to have such an amazing date," Gale said with a bright smile.

Jackson grimaced at her comment. "It's not a date! Besides, I'm not even interested in her. I just want to know the secret to her winning streak," he said as he ground his teeth.

"The secret? How about hard work and determination? I bet your bottom dollar that if you asked her, she would tell you the same thing."

"Oh please! Hard work? She just showed up! Determination? She couldn't even pass me without doing that stupid stunt of hers! No, I want to know how she did it. I want to know what makes her crack under the pressure. I want to crush her!" Jackson said as he pounded his tire on the floor of his trailer.

"Hey! Take it easy back there! What did that girl ever do to you?" Gale asked with a frown.

Really, Gale? Is that even a question?

"Do I really need to explain that to you? That girl ruined my career and I hate her for it!" Jackson said as he turned up his dubstep music.

Gale sighed as Mack pulled up next to her.

Cruz

"We're here, Cruz," Mack announced as they reached their final destination.

"I don't know about this, Mack. I mean, it was nice of Jackson to want to take me out, but I can't help but feel like this is a setup," she said.

"Well, there's only one way to find out. Why don't you go and enjoy yourself? Just be careful. I'll be here waiting for you when you get back," Mack said with a smile.

"Oh, alright. Thanks for dropping me off," Cruz said as she pressed the button to open the trailer door.

"No problem!" Mack said as Cruz drove down the ramp.

She breathed in the salty, sea air as she rubbed her tires in the sand. "Ah, it's good to be back," she said to herself as she gazed at the waves hitting the shoreline.

Jackson came out of his trailer once he saw Cruz exit her trailer.

"So, are we going to spend the whole day on the beach?" Jackson asked with a frown as he drove up to Cruz.

He wasn't really a fan of the beach. He hated the water and the feeling of the sand grains in his tires. He especially despised the small crabs that showed up on the shore.

"Nope! We're going to someplace better," Cruz said with a bright smile.

Jackson

"A Crab Sanctuary?!" Jackson yelled as he read the sign on the building.

"Yup!" Cruz beamed.

"This is by far the most stupid thing I've ever done! We're not going in there, are we?" Jackson said as he glared at Cruz.

Cruz gave him a somber look as she lowered her frame into the pavement. Jackson rolled his eyes once he saw Cruz's grief-stricken expression.

"Fine, let's go. I mean, how bad can it be?"

He spoke too soon. While Cruz enjoyed the crab display, Jackson was ready to hurl. The sanctuary provided a very cushy atmosphere for the crabs. There were thousands of the tiny creatures kept in a massive glass dome. The dome encased the crabs in a mini beach environment, complete with sand, seashells, and a fountain which provided the water in the petite pool. Cruz marveled as she saw the crabs interact with each other. They scampered around the pen, playing with the tiny toys that the crab keepers provided. Jackson wanted to destroy the glass dome. He kept eyeing the nearby exit, hoping for his chance to ditch Cruz. While the idea of escaping felt so gratifying, he couldn't help but notice how elated Cruz was. Her smile was beginning to make his engine melt. Her laugh, (although he's heard it a million times before) sounded like a melodious tune of joy. He didn't know exactly what he was feeling or why he was feeling this way, but it felt different. It felt good. He shook his hood to snap himself out of his trance.

"Can we go now?" he whined as he drove over to Cruz.

"Not yet. I want to remember this moment!" Cruz said as she snapped a picture of her and Jackson in front of the massive crab display with a camera attached to her fender. Jackson clearly wasn't ready for the spontaneity of the moment. A polaroid picture slid out of the camera, showing Cruz with the brightest smile on her face while Jackson grimaced at the flash of light in his eyes.

"This is perfect!" Cruz beamed.

Jackson, why did you ever agree to do this?!

"Are you ready to go now?" Cruz asked.

"Yes! Let's get out of here," Jackson said as he sped over to the exit.

After an extensive and rather maladroit drive, they finally got back to Gale and Mack who were watching the sunset together on the beach.

"Aww, would you look at those two? They're so cute together," Cruz swooned.

"Don't get any ideas," Jackson said as he rolled his eyes.

"Thanks for taking me out. I really had fun," Cruz said with a smile.

"Yeah, well don't mention it," Jackson said in an aggressive tone.

"Hey, I noticed that you were a little uncomfortable back there, do you not like crabs?"

Jackson was shocked at her question.

Why did she care?

"Um, no. They're not my favorite animals," he said with a sigh.

"But they're cute!" Cruz said, trying to justify her love for the crabs.

"Well not to me," Jackson huffed.

"Well, maybe we can go to one of your favorite places next time," she said in a gentle tone.

Jackson blinked slowly. "Are you saying that you want to go out again?"

"Yeah, sure. I don't mind. Are you free sometime next week?"

"Um, y-yeah. I should be," he stammered.

"Great! I'll see you then! Oh, and I won't make any copies of the photo. I'm just going to keep it hidden in a safe place. That moment will stay between us," Cruz said with a smile as she drove back to Mack.

In that instant, Jackson was conflicted. How could someone that he hated so much show so much kindness toward him? Was she not aware of how much he despised her very existence? Was she really willing to give him a chance? Was she willing to allow this lost soul to have a place in her life? Jackson slowly drove back to Gale, feeling stunned by his previous exchange with Cruz.

"So, how'd your date go? Oops- I mean, your little outing," Gale said with a wink.

"Um, it went better than I expected, not at first anyway," Jackson said as he shuddered from his memory of the crab exhibit.

"That's good to hear. Are you two planning to go out again someday?" Gale probed.

Jackson glared at Gale. "You really don't know when to quit, do you? Yes, she wants to go out again next week," he said as he rolled his eyes.

"That's great!" Gale exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just get me out of here please," Jackson said as he reversed into the trailer.

"Yes, sir," Gale said as she pulled off from the parking lot.

Cruz

She watched as Gale pulled out from the parking lot and drove onto the dark road ahead. She stopped before she got into her trailer, just to reflect on her " little outing" with Jackson. She didn't expect him to agree to another date in the future. In fact, she didn't expect him to show up to this one. What was it about her that made him stick around? Did she even have anything to do with his decision to stay?

"Hey, kid, you okay?" Mack asked as he saw Cruz hesitate to get into the trailer.

"I don't know, Mack. I just can't believe that we actually went out together," Cruz said as she drove up to Mack.

"Did you at least have some fun?"

"Yeah, well I did. We went to the Crab Sanctuary, but I could tell that Jackson was suffering on the inside," Cruz said with a mild chuckle (she didn't revel in Jackson's torment, but she did admit that it was amusing at times).

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," Mack said with a smile.

"I see that you and Gale had your own fun," Cruz said with a coy smile.

"Oh, that? We were just chatting about random stuff, that's all," Mack said as he blushed.

"Don't worry, Mack, your secret is safe with me. Speaking of which, could you do me a huge favor?" Cruz asked as she anxiously rolled her tires around in the sand.

"What's that?" Mack asked, as he too was beginning to feel a bit nervous about Cruz's request.

"Just don't tell Mr. McQueen about this," she said as she slowly reversed into the trailer.

"I don't know about that, but since you're keeping my secret, I guess I can try to keep yours. It's only fair," Mack said in a feeble tone.

"Thanks, Mack. I owe you one," Cruz said as Mack pulled out from the parking lot.