AN: Ughhhhhh my music is on shuffle and I'm skipping through songs and around word 300 or so Find Yourself pops up and I'm a mess...like for real, I can never hear that song without crying.

"We're down to the final lap here at the Florida 500, and after an exciting day of surprises it looks like #95 will be coming in for the win!"

"Someone better be digging through the record books because I haven't seen a lead like this...ever!"

Blinding camera flashes, the roar of the crowds, film and photography cameras closing in from every direction. It was all the same.

Except it wasn't.

Lightning wasn't catching his breath or itching to get out of his racing suit, Under Armor shirt beneath soaked through and making him feel clammy. He wasn't looking for his Rust-eze baseball cap and making sure the soda he grabbed had the label pointed in just the right direction to be caught by the cameras. He'd known what the outcome of the race was going to be but it had still somehow felt like a surprise, or maybe not exactly a surprise but definitely surreal.

The press smile came easy of course but his thoughts were torn between the chaos surrounding them and what this all meant for the future. Jumping from the pit box he forcefully shoved both the past and future to the side and focused on the present.

He never looked directly in to the cameras, it had been a habit he picked up after his rookie season. Of course he made exceptions but for the most part he gave his attention to the interviewer, whoever was speaking to him, or he would be preoccupied with looking out toward the cheering fans, or looking for his family. His PR performance took over and he answered questions on autopilot, not even sure where some of his own answers were coming from as he was followed on his treck to the winner's circle. That was new, he'd never walked.

"How did this come about today, McQueen?"

"It's been a surprise to everyone, and I think we're all still a little dazed, Storm included."

"What was it like collaborating as opposed to competing?"

"That came easier than expected, but once you find a niche things just fall in to place."

Lightning was released from questions of one reporter to be followed up by another until he reached the winner's circle and bounced up the steps where Jackson was already out of the car and surrounded by press.

The majority of the Radiator Springs crew had hung back, not having any answers this time that could pass for acceptable. They had all deemed it prudent to hang back and instead watched on the big screens as Lightning stood just to the left a step or so behind Jackson, speaking to someone off camera. Jackson for his part, didn't appear or sound any different, he hadn't undergone some magical transformation but it was interesting to everyone, not just the Radiator Springs crew, but to all in attendance from the highest officials down to the greenest crew members, how easy it was for him to suddenly refer to Team #95 without any slip ups or misplaced sponsor names.

"Jackson what prompted the sudden switch this afternoon?"

"When McQueen's engine went, I just came in to the pits, it was a bit of a knee jerk reaction."

"But what caused the decision to give up your own car and drive for Rust-eze?"

"It just seemed right. We all put a lot on these races but I knew this one meant more to McQueen than the rest of us."

While he didn't react outwardly, keeping his usual professional decorum about him, Lightning felt like he'd been through the ringer. How did those words actually just escape Jackson Storm's mouth. How, in the course of a week, had they gone from taunting each other to working together. How can someone change that quickly.

Well, like everyone had said, stranger things had happened.

It had only taken a week in a sleepy little town for him to realize he had been missing so much in life, but nearly 10 years to fully appreciate it.

Several hours, and 500 laps determined if he would have a career or not.

In less than five minutes he had been thrown in to a position he'd never seen himself in.

In seconds, standing in front of those cameras, he realized change wasn't wrong. Change hurt, boy could it hurt but change was reality. The only constant in life, was that it changed. He would love to put his foot down, tell time that he wasn't like everyone else, that it would have to make an exception for him because he was going to keep racing and it would just have to wait.

But time waits for no one. The hands on a clock never stop, and they don't turn back.

So it was time to wind it up again.

It was just part of the game, not only in Piston Cup, but life.

And Doc had taught him plenty in both subjects.

"-now, Lightning?"

He blinked a few times, mentally returning to the winner's circle. Those blinding flashes and spotlights faded to the background as he looked back toward Kori and smiled.

"I think there's going to be some changes coming for Team #95. Nothing official yet, right now we're just happy with today's win."

"Do you think Rust-eze will finally be making the switch to the Next Gen vehicles?"

"You know, Kori, I'm really not sure. There's been a lot going on behind the curtain and I'm even still trying to get a handle on all of it. There are a lot of talks and decisions to be made in the next few weeks."

Realizing her time was short, Kori tied it up with another congratulations before turning it back over to Cutlass and Cartrip.

"I don't get it."

"Here I thought you'd be happy."

"To see McQueen off the track?" Jackson rolled his eyes and shrugged a shoulder flippantly. "Well yeah, of course, but you won. I thought that was the point of this whole week."

They sat together on the wall, staring across at now empty stands, well for the most part. The spotlights were still on as clean up crews made the rounds collecting trash and clearing out the enormous grandstands.

Far cry from Thomasville.

The crews of other teams were busy packing it up behind them, their own included.

"What's with the sudden change of heart?" Jackson asked.

"Could ask you the same thing."

Lightning was met with silence and he waited to see if he'd actually get a response. He finally looked up and took in the kid's profile as Jackson stared out toward the stands.

"You asked me at the beginning of the week what racing meant to me."

He was silent, he didn't need to comment, he remembered.

"I said it was nothing."

"And everything."

"I meant that, but racing is everything, and without it I'm nothing."

That...wasn't what Lightning expected.

"I can't imagine someone making that decision for me." Jackson continued. "I can't imagine giving something everything I had and still be shown the door."

He felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Jackson Storm had just practically quoted his own words back to him, from his forward in Driven to Win.

The Fabulous Hudson Hornet didn't decide when he was done. He'd given the sport everything he'd possibly had to give and was shown the door instead of any sense of gratitude.

What a weird day...

Jackson cleared his throat, not exactly ready or remotely interested in heart to hearts. Lightning could sense, and respected, that, and left it alone. He did chance a rough pat on the kid's shoulder, and when he didn't receive some kind of death glare he hopped off the wall.

"Well, it's been a fun week of wrong turns and emotional turmoil-"

"Speak for yourself."

"But I have a team to get back to, and I'm sure you do too."

Jackson jumped down from the wall and they parted ways without a word, but Lightning paused and glanced toward where Jackson had stopped near his own trailer and had yelled over.

"Yo, McQueen."

Lightning only raised a brow questioningly as he'd stopped.

"I still haven't gotten those turns down."

AN: :'D