A/N: So I uploaded the next two chapters of Part Two because it's a short part to the story as a whole and both of these chapters are pretty short themselves. But they are the climax, so enjoy!

Chapter Four: Promises

Doc didn't bother arguing with Lightning when the stock car insisted he ride in Mack with Harley. But he still rolled his eyes when the entire town of Radiator Springs gathered around him to ask if he was all right. After practically shouting at them, they finally realized the former racer was just fine. Sheriff still enforced the doctor's orders that Doc get some good rest. Lightning got it off easy; he was finally off racing season and wouldn't have to restart training for another month. He had told the press upon leaving Nashville that, due to recent events, he would be focusing more on spending time with his friends in Radiator Springs until racing season started up again.

Harley spent much more time with Doc, mostly out of concern of a relapse. If Doc was feeling any pain, he wouldn't say. Even if he did, he wouldn't allow Harley to use her powers on him. Thinking back, Harley could finally understand why he had refused her help back at the pits. The connection Harley would've made using her psych-man abilities could've caused her to have a heart attack as well, and even a minor one would leave some significant damage on a fourteen-year-old.

Harley picked at her dinner, glancing often at her father across the table. It had been a week since the race and his engine attack. Doc didn't seem to be getting any worse; in fact, he seemed a little livelier nowadays. Still, Harley felt her stomach twist in knots. "Hey Dad?"

Doc looked up from his food. "Yes?"

Harley fidgeted in her seat. "I never got the chance to apologize for how I acted before and during the race."

"Hey, it's all right." Doc assured. "I wasn't exactly straight with ya. In fact, I still owe you an explanation, don't I?"

"It's okay." Harley shrugged. "I know what happened and why. I think I'm fine."

"I still owe you an explanation for not telling." Doc said. "And I keep my promises, remember?"

Harley smiled softly. "All right. Why didn't you want to tell me what happened?"

Doc looked down. "Because I was afraid."

Harley blinked in surprise. Well that certainly wasn't what I was expecting.

"I was afraid of how you would react when you heard it wasn't an accident; that it was caused by someone who was supposed to love you, not try and kill you." Doc explained. "You were so young when that fire happened. No matter how many times I ran it through my head, I just couldn't find a way to tell ya what happened. You were always such a happy kid, Harley. I didn't want that beautiful smile to go away."

Harley stared at the table, then smiled at her surrogate father. "Thanks for telling me. But you know, this doesn't change anything."

Doc blinked in surprise. "How so?"

"Because I still have a wonderful family here at Radiator Springs." Harley said. "With you and Sheriff and Mater and everyone else. I'm going to miss my parents from time to time, maybe my mom more often than my dad now, but that doesn't change the fact that I have so much to be thankful for right now."

Doc smiled warmly. "That's my girl." He chuckled softly as Harley hurried over to hug him, the two sighing contently.

Things seemed to go back to normal after that. The townsfolk went about their business, complete with Sarge and Fillmore's morning argument happening on a daily basis. Lightning spent more time with both Sally and Mater. Harley went back to her usual work around town. Travelers came through, some days busier than others. There was one day where business was slow and suddenly a stampede of tractors came through town (courtesy of Mater and Harley). It took a good half hour to round them all up and get them back home. All in all, pretty normal for the town of Radiator Springs as a month passed without any more incidents.

But in that one month of complete normality, Doc was starting to act strangely. He spent almost an entire afternoon in the courthouse talking with Sheriff, but when they emerged it seemed as though they were merely discussing the weather. If Doc wasn't in town, he was almost always out at Willie's Butte just staring down at the track. He seemed in a much better mood than he usually was, which was quite the surprise given his normally grumpy personality. But nobody questioned it much. Ramone thought for sure Doc was going senile in his old age. But Flo's guess (and the more logical one) was that Doc was trying to be a little more appreciative of his life since he almost died. Once everyone agreed on that, they decided to leave it alone and just let Doc do his thing.

Lightning couldn't quite let it go just yet. He only knew Doc for about three years, but he knew enough to know that Doc was definitely acting strangely. But how to approach him about it? One day, Lightning decided to go out to Willie's Butte to clear his head, only to find Doc already there. He thought about turning around, but decided to try his luck and rolled up beside the elder racecar.

"Hey Doc." Lightning greeted.

"Hey kid." Doc nodded. "Come out to clear your head?"

Lightning blinked. "How'd you know that?"

Doc chuckled. "You're not the only one who likes comin' out here. Whenever I had too much on my mind, I would come down here. Used to do it a lot, even before Harley was born. I rarely raced, but I guess the sight of the track helped me organize my thoughts."

Lightning nodded. "Yeah, I think that's why it helps me too. The track holds a lot of memories for me."

"Like when you learned I was a racer or when you fell into the cactus patch for the first time?" Doc teased, causing the younger racecar to laugh.

"Yeesh, I was kinda dumb, huh?" Lightning sighed, a smile still on his face. "But I never got a chance to ask: even though I tore up the road and acted like a total jerk, why did you try and teach me how to turn on dirt?"

"You wanted to know how." Doc said. "It was like I told Harley when she asked: hot rod you may be, you've got the passion for racing and a Ford-given talent for it. The only problem is you knew you were good, so you thought you didn't need to learn anything else."

"Yeah but now I know otherwise. Thanks to you." Lightning said.

Doc smiled proudly, the two of them staring out at Willie's Butte. "Hey kid, can I ask you to do somethin' for me?"

"Anything, Doc." Lightning agreed.

"Promise me you'll keep racing." Doc said. "In fact, go win another Piston Cup. Go for a fourth or a fifth or as many times as you want. Go be better than I was."

Lightning was surprised, but smiled. "Nobody could ever be as good as you, much less better. But you got it; I promise I'll keep racing. It's my dream in life, anyway. No way am I letting it go."

"Atta boy." Doc nodded in approval, smiling.

The two of them returned to town later that evening, talking about Lightning's training schedule he would start in a few weeks. Once they reached Doc's home, the old racecar bid Lightning goodnight and drove off.

"Hey Doc." Lightning called, making the cobalt Hornet stop and turn to him. Lightning looked down, but smiled. "I know people are always talking about how great of a racer I've become and how I'm going to become a legend and all, but the reality is I wouldn't be the way I am now without your help. You're a pretty great coach and teacher, and I don't think I thank you enough for that."

"Never need to." Doc assured. "We may have not gotten off on the right tire when you first crashed into town, but in the end I'm glad you did. Like you, racin' was and still is a part of who I am. And I suppose Harley was right and I shouldn't have let that go."

"Told ya so!"

The two jumped at the sound of the brunette's voice, and they looked to see the brunette just before she skated away and into the clinic, giggling like a mad person.

"Just you wait, kiddo! I know where you sleep!" Doc called, making Lightning laugh. Doc rolled his eyes. "I better go catch her before she decides to bunk with Mater. Night, kid."

"Night, chief." Lightning said, still smiling. He drove off, the smile never leaving his lips, and he decided he had been worried for nothing.