A/N: And so, the finale of Part Three! Next, we move into the Planes arc. In Part Four, we'll meet my new OC who could use a lesson in family. Unfortunately, her teacher is a reclusive Navy commander who isn't sure he knows the concept himself.
Until then, enjoy this final chapter of the Cars 2 arc!
Chapter Twelve: Forever Friends
Mater made the funniest and wildest faces he could muster, but the guard he stood before was just as stoic as ever.
Harley laughed. "Mater, they're not going to move anytime soon."
"Let's go." Lightning encouraged with a chuckle. "You're on." The three of them rolled through the large double doors of the palace hall, passing by an entire crowd of spectators that included Finn, Holley, Emily, and all of the Radiator Springs' folks.
"Your Majesty," a Duke at the head of the room announced. "May I present for the investiture of honorary knighthood of the British Realm Tow Mater and Harley Hudson of Radiator Springs."
"Go get 'em, guys." Lightning encouraged, standing with the rest of the Radiator Springs' residents. Mater and Harley rolled up to the front of the room, standing before the Queen of England herself. Harley felt herself going shy again, but she and Mater bowed respectfully.
The Queen rolled up a long antennae from her fender, tapping it on Mater's fenders and Harley's shoulders. "I hereby dub thee Sir Tow Mater and Lady Harley Hudson." Cheers erupted from the crowd.
"Sir? Shoot, you can just call me Mater, Yer Majesty." Mater told the monarch. "I don't wanna hear none of this 'sir' business."
"And just Harley, for me." Harley said with a kind smile. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Yes, but Lady Harley seems to roll off the tongue so nicely." Finn teased as he nudged the girl playfully. Harley giggled.
"By the way, have y'all met each other?" Mater rolled back as Lightning came forward. "The Queen, McQueen. McQueen, the Queen. McQueen, McMissile. McMissile, McQueen. The Queen, McMissile."
The Queen laughed softly. "You are very lucky, Lady Harley. You have quite an amazing truck for a brother."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Harley said with a bow. She smiled at Mater. "He is pretty amazing."
When everyone returned home, Ramone repainted the sign outside of town to read "Welcome to Raditator Springs...Home of Lightning McQueen and Sir Tow Mater and Lady Harley Hudson" along with pictures of Mater and Harley. Life seemed to go back to normal after the trip, with the exception of Mater's stories from the mission. Whether or not people actually believed them was a whole nother story. Harley opted to not tell her side. But she went straight to Doc's grave to tell him the entire mission. The girl had certainly grown braver because of the trip, even if she refused to admit how terrified she became now and then (especially in Porto Corsa).
Harley stood at the café, listening to Mater tell the story yet again to some travelers.
"That's a very entertaining story, young man." A lavender minivan told the tow truck.
"Oh, Minny, please!" her husband rolled his eyes. "None of this happened. Rocket jets, flying spy cars—"
"No, you're quite right!" Everyone jumped and looked up to see a purple Jaguar flying in and landing on the street outside the café. "It does sound a bit far-fetched." Holley said as she deactivated her jet mode.
"Like something out of a James Bond movie." Emily agreed as she hopped off Holley's roof.
"Hey Emily!" Harley waved.
"Holley!" Mater greeted warmly. "What're you doin' here?"
"Hello, Mater!" Holley greeted warmly. "It's so good to see you again."
"Nice to see you seem to be staying out of trouble." Emily noted as a familiar Aston Martin drove up beside his comrades-in-arms.
"Finn!" Mater greeted.
"Hey Finn!" Harley greeted with a warm smile. "Not that we aren't glad to see you, but what are you doing here?"
"Our satellites picked up an urgent communiqué." Finn explained.
"So you got-a my email." Luigi piped up.
"Ah man, y'all is goin' ta have a great time!" Mater said excitedly. "Everybody! This here's Finn McMissile and Emily Largo. They're secret agents. Don't tell nobody!"
Harley giggled. "Don't worry." She told the spies. "It's a small town."
"And this is Holley Shiftwell." Mater turned to the Jaguar. "She's—"
"I'm Mater's girlfriend. It's so nice to meet you all." Holley interrupted with a smile, her proclaimation making everyone stare in shock while Mater and Harley just smiled broadly.
Guido's forks dropped to the ground in astonishment. "Guido believe you now." Luigi said.
Harley nudged Mater with her elbow playfully. "You got game, dude." Mater only smirked proudly.
"You know, there's one thing I still don't get." Lightning piped up. "The bad guys hit me with the beam from the camera, right? So, why didn't I, you know..."
"Explode in a fiery inferno?" Mater asked. It came out as a joke, but he would always remember the terrified feeling he got when he thought Lightning was about to die.
"Yeah." Lightning nodded.
"I've been wondering that too." Harley agreed.
"We couldn't figure that one out, either." Finn admitted.
"Our investigation proved that allinol was actually gasoline, and Axlerod engineered it so when it got hit by the beam, it would explode." Holley explained.
"And we saw you get hit with that beam, and you were the only car in that entire race using allinol." Emily added.
Lightning realized something. "Wait a second, Fillmore. You said my fuel was safe." Everyone turned to stare at the hippie Volkswagen van.
Fillmore glanced around at everyone staring at him. "If you're implying that I switched out that rot-gut excuse for alternative fuel with my all-natural, sustainable, organic biofuel just because I never trusted Axlerod, you're dead wrong, man." He grinned as he gestured to Sarge beside him. "It was him."
Sarge glanced at everyone. "Once big oil, always big oil...man."
"Tree hugger." Fillmore teased.
"Whoa, whoa, time out." Harley held up her hands. "When did you switch out Speed Racer's fuel?"
Sarge thought for a moment. "First race in Japan."
Harley stared in shock, then glared. "So he was never using allinol in the entire World Grand Prix?"
"No." Fillmore confirmed.
Harley was fuming now. "So I was worried sick, literally thought I was going to throw up, about Speed Racer getting killed and you never thought to tell me you switched out his fuel?!"
Sarge and Fillmore realized their mistake. "It was his idea." Sarge said, gesturing to Fillmore.
"What?" Fillmore gulped a bit.
If it were possible, smoke would be coming from Harley's ears, she was so mad. "You both have three seconds to live."
"Bye!" Sarge and Fillmore suddenly took off, Harley skating after them and shouting death threats.
"We need her in the agency." Finn mused.
"Indeed." Holley giggled.
When Harley finally managed to calm down and forgive Sarge and Fillmore, everyone gathered around the race track made up of Route 66 and the town's street. Since the World Grand Prix turned out to be a scam, Lightning invited the racers to particpate in a recreational race he dubbed the Radiator Springs Grand Prix. Francesco ended up enjoying the idea, for once agreeing with Lightning on something: no press, no trophy, just racing. He even got a chance to meet Sally, and caught sight of a sticker Lightning made that read "Ka-Ciao, Francesco." Though the two racecars made their jibes, it was clear a sort of subtle friendship bond had formed between them.
Soon, the racers were taking off across the roads. The Radiator Springs' residents joined the spectators at Willie's Butte, cheering for Lightning as he and the racers passed. Harley, Mater, Finn, Holley, and Emily were off to one side, watching the race and offerng their own cheers.
Holley heard her commuincator beep. "Finn? Siddeley's gassed, geared, and ready to fly."
Finn looked back to discover the jet had landed just several hundred feet away. "Good. One moment please." He drove off, leaving his companions to stare after him in confusion. He returned a few minutes later carrying something on his hood. "I did make a promise, Harley. And the rest of your things are already at your home."
Harley nearly squealed. "My jacket!" She took the piece of clothing from Finn, hugging it to her chest. "Oh, thank you so much!" But she blinked in surprise when she felt something hard in her jacket, and she reached into one of the pockets to wrap her fingers around something round and metal. Pulling it out, she discovered it was the bullet casing from Finn's gun, the one she found in Tokyo, only now there was a chain looped through it. Harley looked to Finn.
"If you're looking for interesting souvenirs." Finn said with a smile.
Harley giggled, pulling the new necklace around her neck so the bullet casing hit her chest. "Thanks, Finn."
"I know I said friendships are dangerous in our line of work, but I will admit that I am ever thankful you and Mater are my friends, Harley." Finn said. Harley's smile grew, and she hugged the Aston Martin. The spy car chuckled and leaned into her embrace. They each felt that shock again. It was unclear what it meant, but they didn't mind.
"You're the best." Harley said, pulling away. Finn smiled in thanks.
"I hate to break up the love fest, but I believe we have somewhere to be." Emily noted regretfully, gesturing towards Siddeley as the jet plane waited patiently.
"Yer leavin' already?" Mater asked, a bit sad.
"We've got another mission, Mater." Finn explained. "Just stopped by here to pick something up." He cast looks to Harley and Mater.
"So, not the souvenir bumper stickers?" Mater guessed.
"Her Majesty asked for you two personally." Finn told Mater and Harley.
"But we're not spies." Mater reminded them.
"We know." Holley assured.
"And you realized I'm still just a kid?" Harley noted.
"Yep." Emily nodded.
"Spies or not, the two of you are still the smartest, most honest chaps we've ever met." Finn said.
"Don't forget massively charming." Holley said, looking to Mater.
"And quite scary when angry." Emily looked to Harley here. Harley giggled.
"Well, thanks." Mater said. He looked to his Radiator Springs family. "But this is home. I don't think I kin leave again so soon."
"What about you, Harley?" Emily asked. "We could use your brawn."
"I think you've got enough of that already." Harley said with a wide smile. She sighed as she followed Mater's gaze. "I've been away from home long enough. I think I ought to stick around for a while."
"That's all right." Holley assured. "But I'll be back. You still owe me that first date, Mater."
"And you still owe me for what happened at the airport in Japan." Harley told Finn, nudging him playfully.
"All right." Finn nodded. "You got it."
"And Emily, maybe you can bring family dinner to Radiator Springs sometime." Harley offered.
"Really?" Emily asked with a warm smile. "I'd like that."
"If there's ever anything I can do for you two, just let me know." Finn told Mater and Harley.
"Well, I sure appreciate that. Thank you." Mater nodded. "Actually, there is one thing."
"Uh oh." Harley rolled her eyes.
"Whoo-hoo!" Mater laughed as he rocketed down the road to catch up with the racers. His rocket boosters were on full blast as he snagged Otis from the side of the road and dropped him off at Ramone's. Harley whooped and laughed from her spot in Mater's flatbed, hanging onto his roof as he sped along.
"I can't believe Finn let you keep these things!" Harley laughed.
"He let ya keep yer glasses!" Mater pointed out, continuing to laugh as he sped along. Harley couldn't deny that; Holley had graciously allowed her to keep the tech enhancements on her eyeglasses. Soon enough, they were able to catch up to Lightning on the road.
"Mater!" Lightning blinked in surprise, a wide smile on his face.
"Hey Speed Racer!" Harley called over the wind.
"Look who's talking!" Lightning laughed.
"They let me keep the rockets!" Mater replied, showing said rockets to Lightning.
"I'll see you at the finish line, buddy!" Lightning said, speeding up.
"Not if I see you first!" Mater whooped as he sped up, keeping side-by-side with Lightning as they raced through Route 66.
Harley looked up to see Siddeley flying off, taking their spy friends with him. She smiled broadly, holding the bullet casing on her necklace. See ya, Finn. Come back soon.
THE END