She was shaking and nearly in tears by the time she'd returned to the trailer. She wasn't used to confrontation, her entire life had been nothing but full bodied support from everyone she knew. Jess didn't know how to handle adversity. She'd made her remarks and left before she lost her nerve, cutting her time alone short. Instead of taking her time and enjoying the rest of her walk, she marched straight back to their site.

"Woah- woah, woah, woah...what happened?"

She'd been so intent on getting inside she hadn't realized her father was still sitting near the door and stopped short at the sound of his voice.

Lightning had stood quickly, already on edge with the text he'd gotten from her. Something had happened and her mood had plummeted from the smiles she'd left with. He'd seen her distress, even in the dark, and had stopped her from going through the door. "Are you alright-honey what's wrong?"

She only gestured in frustration toward the track. Her brows lowered and she tried not to start crying. If she'd made it inside she probably would have been able to just brush it aside and work it out herself, but her mother had always called her a daddy's girl and there was no brushing anything aside whenever her father asked her for an explanation in circumstances like this. It was the same with her mother, but usually with fewer tears.

"Look at me-" When she continued to glare toward the track he sighed and wrapped her in a protective hug instead. She'd stopped growing around fifteen, it helped him forget that she wasn't a little girl anymore.

"I won this race. I did-" She finally said pitifully.

"That's going to upset some people, Sweetheart..."

"You didn't deal with this."

"In part I did-" He kissed the top of her head and herded her toward the little double seat he and Sally had been sitting in earlier. Once seated he put an arm over her shoulder and let her lean in to him the way she used to when she was younger. "-but no, it's not the same as what you're going to deal with..."

She huffed and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"You wanna call Cruz?"

"Not right now."

"Ok...wanna talk to your mom?"

"I will in a little."

They sat in silence, she knew he was expecting an explanation but also that he wasn't going to push her on it either.

"You did fantastic, today."

The corner of her mouth turned up. "Thanks."

Silence fell over again for a few moments and she felt herself slowly relaxing.

"Who do I need to-"

"Oh, please don't." She muttered. "That would just add gas to the fire. I can't have you stepping in every time someone says something I don't like."

"What happened?"

"Harris doesn't think I should be out there and feels the need to slander-"

"Trash talk is part of-"

"He takes it too far."

"Mmm..."

"Why does he have to be like that? Everyone else was at least civil even if I could tell some of them didn't care much for me."

"You scare him."

She snorted. "That's stupid."

"Don't believe me?" He held his phone out toward her, the screen lit up and displayed what he'd been scrolling through before she'd returned.

TRENDING: PISTONCUP MCQUEEN RSNSPORTS AUTORACING

RacingFan: Harris71 Way to get shown up today. Last year was the best year you'll ever have. #SorryBro #CareerOverB4ItBegan #PistonCup

PistonGeek: JesspeedMcQueen is going to own Piston Cup Series. Pack it up boys, the queen's reign starts now. #mcQueenofPiston #JesspeedMcQueen #McQueen

mcQueenofPiston: PistonGeek I actually just used your post to create a new Twitter handle. Thanks! #McQueen

"I want mcQueenofPiston..." She muttered with a faint smile.

"You have the real thing." He smirked, taking the phone back. "Because you're not just a fan sitting at a computer."

She grinned and agreed quietly. After a moment she realized he was watching her and looked back at him questioningly. "What?"

"I can't believe you're officially driving for Piston."

"You helped with all the contracts."

"I know." He chuckled. "I mean it feels like yesterday that I was chasing monsters from under your bed."

"They don't hide under the bed, they come through the closet."

"Oh right." He agreed airily. "What was yours named again?"

"Mike. I liked him though."

He blinked a few times. "That is oddly specific."

"Those dreams were oddly specific."

"You still have 'em?"

She shook her head. "Not since I was about twelve."

"Anyway-" He tried to get them back on topic. "You just keep doing what you do. You'll either shut up your critics or they'll make fools of themselves. Whichever comes first."

She took a deep breath and sighed lowly. "Ok..."

He wished he could do more, as her father he wanted to always see her happy. He never wanted her to experience pain or discomfort of any kind, whether it was emotionally or physically. He'd been forced to accept the fact, when Jess was still very young, that there were obstacles in her life that only she could fix. As desperately as he wanted to make her life perfect, it was just an insurmountable task. He couldn't do that for her, try as he might.

He still struggled with that at times.

How many times had he questioned himself over the years? Was he doing a good enough job? Was she always safe. Was she happy? Should he have given in and gotten that new fad item that she kept asking about? Was homeschooling the right answer. Did she know how much he loved her. Did she know how it ripped him apart inside to see her hurting over anything? Did she know how proud he was of all of her accomplishments?

She'd never know how he'd stay up at night worrying over her. How he used to fall asleep in her room after checking on her for the tenth time when she was barely two months old. She'd never know the excitement and fear that had battled for his attention when Sally had surprised him with the news that they would be parents or how he had so intensely mistrusted the doctors that he'd practically interviewed half the hospital before deciding on a pediatrician. She would never know how inadequate he felt ninety percent of the time and how the other ten percent was just him making it up as he went along.

She did know her love of auto racing came from obvious origins, having grown up in the sport. She did know her freckles (which were far less prominent now than they were when she was ten) came from her grandmother on his side. She knew her parents met because her father was once so obnoxiously full of himself that he'd gotten community service running a paving machine. That he'd spent hours trying to figure out how to make a left turn when he could've been finishing said community service. She knew where home was.

Lightning would have to settle for that.

"I'm gunna talk to mom."

He blinked a few times, drawn out of his revelry. "Alright, Sweetheart."

"Love you." She kissed his cheek quickly before getting up. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

He watched her picking her way through the dark to the door. "Hey, Kiddo."

She paused and looked back at him from the set of steps.

"I'm proud of you."

Her smile returned and she thanked him quietly before disappearing inside.

AN: Mike Wazowski! :D