I do not own Cars or any of its characters. PIXAR AND DISNEY
CLAIM THAT RIGHT.
READING ENJOYMENT ONLY
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Rated M for language and sex.
***THIS IS THE FINAL CHAPTER FOR THIS STORY. I WILL START ON THE SEQUEL NEXT WEEK***
Chapter 22.-The Come Back and The Proposal-
Over the next two weeks, Lightning trained harder than ever. He trained at least five hours daily; eat nothing except for electrolytes and weight lifted five times a week. He even avoided making love to Sally, much to her disappointment. "You need to slow down," Sally said one morning as Lightning left for the track. "I've got to win" Lightning said. "If I don't I don't know what I'm going to do!" "Your race is three days away," Sally said. "You're going to be too tired to race." "I'm taking tomorrow and Saturday off," Lightning said defensively. "And today," Doc said, pulling up at Lightning's hotel room door. "Come on, Kid, let's go for a drive." Lightning sighed angrily but did not argue. He followed him downstairs and out the front door. "So have you gotten her an engagement rim yet?" Doc asked. "I was going to do tomorrow," Lightning said defensively. "The jewelry store is closed Fridays and Saturdays" Doc replied. "Oh," Lightning said. He entered the jewelry store behind Doc. Two hours later, Lightning sand Doc left the store. Lightning picked a platinum rim with a glistening diamond in the middle. "I hope she likes this" Lightning mumbled. "I know she will" Doc said. "Right now I need to go pick Sophia up at the air port. She wanted to come to the race, so I bought her a ticket and she's flying in today. Her plane should be landing in a little while." "Ok, Doc I'll see you later" Lightning said.
Three days later, Lightning was in the back of Mack's trailer, awaiting his first introduction in almost a year. The ramp lowered itself and Lightning drove down into a silent field. He knew it was a sign of respect. Lightning grinned, sank down on one wheel, sending a beam of light streaming from his chrome sticker. "Ka Chow!" he exclaimed. The crowd around him erupted, louder than ever before. Lightning grinned wider and drove the rest of the way down the ramp and into the restricted section. "You ready for Showtime, Kid?" Doc asked. "As much as I'm going to be," Lightning replied. He looked over to his pit crew, they were standing ready. Both sets of parents, Sophia and Sally were on the sideline. He drove over to the group before he was called to the track. "Hey," Sally said. "Hi," Lightning said, hugging her. "Are you ready?" Sally asked. "I hope so," Lightning said. "You are," Sally said. "You've worked so hard for this." "I'll see you in five hundred laps, Sweetheart" Lightning said, backing away. He went over to Sophia, she was still wearing her purple paint "I like the new paint job" Lightning said to her. "It really brings out your eyes." "Thanks Light, Doc likes it so well that he convinced me to keep it" Sophia said. Just then, the loudspeaker called the racecars to the track. "Good luck, Light. We are all pulling for you" Lightning hugged Sophia "Thanks Sophie." He hugged Mercedes and shook tires with Cliff. "Good luck Son" he said. "Thank you, Sir, I will" Lightning said. "Luck maith, tiomáint sábháilte agus go tapa (Good luck, drive safe and fast) Riley said. "Tá mé bródúil as sin de tú. (I'm so proud of you.)" He hugged Lightning. "Daidí go raibh maith agat (Thank you Dad)" Lightning said. "Mom, please don't start crying." Lightning saw that she had tears in her eyes. "I know… I am just so happy for you" She hugged and kissed him. "Skye, a ligean Lightning dul, tá siad ag glaoch air an racetrack. (Skye, let Lightning go, they are calling him to the racetrack) Riley said. "Ní féidir liom cabhrú mé féin, tá sé fós mo buachaill beag. (I can't help myself; he's still my little boy.) Skye said. Lightning wait!" Sally said she drove up to Lightning and kissed him. She heard the exchange between his parents. "Your mom knows Irish?" "Uh, yeah…we all do" He said. "Good luck, Lightning, be safe." Sally said Lightning kissed Sally back. "You know me," he said, backing up to see a tear slide down Sally's hood. "Don't worry about me." "I'll try," Sally said. Lightning smiled, kissed her one last time, and he drove onto the track. "Can you hear me, Doc?" "Loud and clear, Kiddo," Doc replied through the intercom system. "Good," Lightning said. He backed into the correct position and glanced at the large screen television in the infield. The screen was showing himself and Sally saying goodbye to one another. Sally, Sophia and both sets of parents headed to the skybox that Lightning had gotten for them.
"Remember, Rookie," Doc said. "Float like a Cadillac…" "…and sting like a Beamer," Lightning said. "Racers start your engines!" the speaker called. Lightning started his engine and watched the green flag that was slowly being raised by the track official. The crowd was silent as it was raised to its highest point. The flag seemed to be raised at that exact elevation for ages, until it was suddenly dropped. Lightning shot out onto the track, along with forty-two other competitors. He settled in first place for ten laps when Chick passed him. Lightning kept behind Chick for half the race when they needed to take a pit stop. Lightning pulled into his pit area. Within seconds, he had new tires, gas. Lightning shot out of the pit area and onto the track. Lightning floored his engine and pulled into first place. He stayed in first until there were three laps left in the race when Chick shot by him. "No you don't, Chick!" Lightning called after him. He floored his engine even harder and caught up with one lap to go.
Other racecars that were being lapped were blocking Lightning's way. All that was open was a narrow space between Chick and the wall. Lightning saw his wreck replay in his hood repeatedly as he floored his engine to go through the space. Once Lightning was hood to hood with Chick, Chick slammed into Lightning. Sparks flew from the titanium on Lightning's sides, but Lightning did not back down. He fought harder against Chick and made it though. Lightning floored his engine as hard as he possibly could, crossing the finish line only one car length of ahead of Sapphire, she had taken advantage of the duel that Lightning had with Chick and was able to pass him in the final moments of the race. Chick finished in third. "Yes!" Lightning cried happiness flooding through him. "How do you feel?" Doc asked knowing what the answer was going to be. "Awesome!" Lightning said happily. "Before you ask "No I don't have any pain, anywhere. I'm not really that tired either." "Great Kid" Doc said. "I think you are officially back." As Lightning and Doc drove into victory lane, he was congratulated by most of the other racecars. Sapphire rolled up to him. "Are you sure you were in a severe wreck, or did you just take some time off?" She said playfully "You didn't race like this was your first race back. It looks like I'm going to have to step up my racing if I want to defend my piston cup this season."
There was a new regulation starting this racing season. Every racecar have to undergo a drug test after every race. "Lightning McQueen" said a racing official as Lightning and Doc reached the stage. "We need your drug test, before we can make the win official" Lightning groaned. "You forgot, didn't you" Doc teased. "Yes I did" Lightning said. So Lightning and the racing official drove to the official's tent. The official handed him a medical specimen cup. "Not to sound stupid" Lightning said. "I just pee in this?" "Yes" the official said "Don't make a mess like Chick did." Lightning headed to the back of the tent to where the toilet was. Lightning removed his codpiece and spread his rear tires. It took a few moments until he could urinate. His aim was off and he missed the cup completely, he peed on the tire that was holding the cup. "Oh, great, I just pissed on myself. Good thing that Doc isn't around, he would tease me senseless. Or worse make me practice peeing in a cup." Lightning said to himself. Lightning moved the cup into the urine steam. A few moments later he came back out with the cup filled to rim. "Lightning" A track nurse said. "I don't need that much." "Oh, I didn't know how much you needed, so I filled it up" He bashfully said. "It's ok, Lightning you're not the only one to give me more than I need. The next time, I need only about half that" She said genially. "You can go to the winner's circle. I should have the results in about ten minutes."
The drug screen came back as negative and the officials made Lightning's win official. Lightning drove up to the podium and grinned as thousands of fans roared louder than before. "Thank you," he said into the microphone. His voice echoed into the huge stadium. "Almost a year ago, as all of you know, I was in a huge wreck. I had to get new titanium, a new engine, my axle was crushed, and many other injuries. But it didn't matter. It was a bump in the track that I had to jump. Just because I won today doesn't mean I was the best racecar out there. I guess what I'm trying to say is don't give up. If anyone of you out there ever hit an obstacle that seems impossible to go around, fight it. Several questions are running through my mind right now. All but one is answered so far. I need to say thank you to a few people. Firstly, my trainer, crew chief, and doctor, Doc Hudson. I would not be out here if it weren't for him. He operated on me and saved me countless times. Next, my girlfriend, Sally Carrera. If it hadn't been for her keeping me in line, I would have re-injured myself a lot more than I did. Also, my best friend, Mater, who always brought a laugh. My parents offered a lot of support to me. Everybody back home at Radiator Springs also deserves a thank you for various reasons." Lightning glanced down to Sally and smiled.
"My last question isn't for me to answer, but here it is: Sally Carrera, will you marry me?" Sally's eyes were huge and tear-filled. Sally made her way up to the stage, tears spilling down her hood, but smiling. He dropped down on one tire and opened the box that held the engagement rim. Lightning asked again "Sally, will you marry me?" She took a deep breath and said "Yes!" Lightning grinned and kissed Sally. He drove up to the microphone again. "I apologize, ladies and gentle cars," he said. "I made a mistake. I want to thank Sally Carrera, my fiancé, not my girlfriend, for being there for me the whole time and keeping me from re-injuring myself." The crowd broke out into loud applause and cheers as Lightning grinned down at Sally.
Later that evening: Lightning had gotten VIP passes for his and Sally's parents to attend the after-race party at the track restaurant. At dinner everyone made toasts. "Sláinte Gaelach, An Irish Toast" Riley said as he lead off. "If you cheat, may you cheat death. If you steal, may you steal a woman's heart. If you fight, may you fight for a brother. And if you drink, may you drink with me." Everyone took turns and made their toasts. Lightning said the last one "Here's a toast to the roast that good fellowship lends, With the sparkle of beer and wine; May its sentiment always be deeper, my friends, Than the foam at the top of the stein." Dinner was then served. After dinner a band started playing and the four couples danced the night away. It was close to two in the morning before the party started to wind down.
Later in morning: Lightning said his good byes to his parents as they left the speedway and headed to the airport. "I don't know about you" Lightning said to Sally, after they left. "But I plan on sleeping most of the way there." "Hung over, are we?" She said, seeing his blood shot eyes. "Yeah, it's hard not to drink when dad is around" Lightning said. "One of these days I'm going to learn that I can't out drink him. Doc is going to have a fit when he notices I drank too much last night." "I wouldn't worry about that" Sally said smugly. Doc and Sophia pulled up beside them, Doc's eyes were just as blood shot as Lightning's. "Well look who has a hang over this morning" Lightning playfully said. "Someone had too much to drink last night." "Don't fuckin' start with me Kid" Doc growled, his hood was pounding terribly. "You don't look much better yourself" Just then, Sally's parents arrived. "Sally we need to get going." Cliff said "I have a trial coming up next week and I need to get to the office." Sally went to her father and gave him a big hug and a kiss. "I love you daddy" She said. "I'll miss you. I'll miss to Mom too." She hugged her mom. "I'll miss you too" Mercedes said. "When you get back home, call me and we can start on your wedding plans." "I would love that." Sally said as she escorted her parents from the speedway. When she got back, Lightning and Doc was done loading their trailers. "All right everybody, load up." Mack said "It's time for us to the road." They were all going to Lightning's next race in Palm Beach, Florida. It was the start of a new racing season, a new engagement with the love of his life. Lightning knew it was all going to be great.