1/6/24
(A/N: Not waypast-cool wanting me to write this book and then NEVER coming back for all these updates. Get over here man.)
You just couldn't go to sleep that night. Everything just felt weird. Ever since you had slipped the racer's jackets off your shoulders, a strange coldness enveloped you. Not just that, but ever since you had run off, leaving the racer alone in a cell, you had felt restless. At first, you didn't have a clue why, but as the hours went on, you started to realize the source. For some reason, almost out of the blue, and as much as you didn't want to admit it, you wanted to see him again. You were anxious to see him again.
The more he flowed through your thoughts, the more you began to panic. If this truly meant what you thought it was, the inability to rid him from your mind, the want to be around him, the emptiness you started to feel when no longer in his presence, then you were sure Doc would have your head! There is absolutely no way he would approve of this if you actually were starting to harbor feelings for the cocky racer boy. The old man was furious at the thought of you merely attending a race as it was, so imagine his fury about wanting to go against yet another thing on his list: dating a young, cocky racer!
"Nope!" You told yourself with a swish of your head, clenching your eyes shut as your fingers came to tightly grasp your noggin. "Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope!" Pacing around the room anxiously, you began to talk to yourself aloud, desperately trying to use your brain to reason with your heart and come back to your senses. "No! You are not falling for a cocky and selfish boy! He's only going to hurt you down the road! Listen to Doc, (Y/N). You know he's right on this one!"
But alas, all the reasoning in the world would not save you from the dangerous trap you were falling into. You were starting to fall for the famous racer in red. There was no doubt about it, and at this point, you were running out of energy—heck, even the will entirely—to keep fighting to prevent what was nothing short of inevitable. That much was clear to you now.
So that was that. You were falling for him, couldn't stop falling for him, and decided to accept your fate. Although, it wasn't exactly going to be a graceful acceptance. Definitely not one with open arms at least. However, there was still a problem nagging at the back of your mind.
The reason as to why you suddenly slipped out so quickly earlier... Well, while that was the result of many things, some of which had now been settled thankfully, one of the biggest things was that you simply couldn't bear to see the racer like that in those conditions. Alone... In an uncomfortable cot... In a jail cell no less. You knew all too well what Sheriff's cells felt like.
No, no! You had never done anything illegal, never even anything close to that! But you been in a cell once. The door was always open, so you were free to come and go, but it had been your room for a very, very short period of time. So you knew how sad and empty it was in there. You knew how much the cot hurt to even just sit on. You knew how miserable it was, and couldn't fathom the thought of McQueen having to spend every night sleeping in there like he has.
But there was another reason why you left so quickly. You recalled everything vividly, even to this day all these years later...
You were young, maybe only five or six years old. While at the time you knew what was happening, you no longer had any memory of what was happening to have put you in that situation way back when. All you knew is that you were being driven out to the middle of nowhere by a man and a very young and beautiful. At the very least, you could say with conviction that the woman was your mother. However, the image of her and the details of her appearance had nearly completely faded from your memory by now. As for the man, you wanted to believe it was your father, but you weren't sure anymore. It had to have been, right?
The three of you had driven out into the deserts of California for something. Rather, on your way to something. But for some reason, the man had taken a detour into a small, quaint little town. That was when you first met Doc. He claimed to have seen you briefly many times before, commenting on how big you had grown, but you had no clue who he was.
Anyway, your parents had left you in his care while they went out for whatever it is they had drove out to you. Doc told you that it was for some big and important event, but he never knew what exactly. So you spent the day with Doc, waiting for your parents to come back hours later like they had promised, but they never showed. Not one night had fallen, and not even once all of the travelers had either been long gone or checked into the motels to stay the night.
Eventually falling asleep, because you were a kid after all, the next morning didn't go as well. The nights for the next few years wouldn't go by well either.
Doc had woken you up bright and early, seeming calm and usual, though a little worried about something. He had handed you off to Sheriff, who agreed to watch you while Doc went out. You were told by both Doc and the Sheriff to stay in the building at all times unless you would be supervised by Sheriff. With that, you were left in a small police station with almost nothing to do, and practically all alone while Sheriff filed paperwork. At least he had some paper for you to draw on, but he only had pencils. Nothing fun and colorful like crayons.
Hours went by. You got sick of drawing on the concrete floor of an open cell, and Sheriff was a little too busy that day to be able to do much with you. A short walk here and there when he needed a break, but nothing else otherwise. When you got tired, you went to go sleep on the cot in the cell. Although sanitized and bearing a clean pillow and blanket, the second you sat on it, you grimaced with a big frown on your face.
It was the most uncomfortable thing you ever sat on, pretty much being nothing more than a pallet of wood with a measly blanket draped over it. There was no way you were going to sleep on that, but you were too tired not to try. You tossed and turned for what felt like hours, but it was just so unbearable. You could've swore you even got a splinter or two at some point, but all these years later you couldn't recall for sure.
Eventually, Doc came back. You were exhausted and beyond bored, and you were excited for the nightmare to be over... But it wasn't.
It was only beginning.
Doc looked devastated when he arrived. He started talking to Sheriff, speaking quietly. You continued to lay on the bench, facing the wall. You weren't asleep, simply bored and waiting for Doc's approval to go back to his house, but being so still and facing away from them, the two adults didn't know you weren't actually sleeping.
You overheard their conversation, intently listening in because your curious young mind refused tune it out because of said curiosity. You wondered where your parents were, finding it odd they hadn't said a word and hadn't come to get you. However, your curiosity would become something you would quickly regret. You overheard something you knew you were supposed to hear. You didn't want to believe it, didn't want it to be true. But when Doc came into the cell, telling you softly, "C'mon, kid. Let's get you to your new home," and when he realized you hadn't actually been asleep, the wide-eyed look of petrification that rose to his face immediately said it all.
A scared look of your own on your face, eyes brimming with tears, you just stared at him, waiting for him to say something. Anything.
All he could do was let out a defeated sigh as he started to tell you, "I'm sorry, (Y/N)..."
You had to force yourself out of the flashback, tears creating a blurry film over your eyes as they started to fall one by one, as you could hear his words echoing so clearly in your head that you could've swore he was saying them in real-time.
It took you a while to compose yourself, to let the empty hole in your heart begin to close itself back up again and to let the grief subside. You desperately needed to take a drive, to just speed off the blues, but your car wasn't going to be ready until tomorrow afternoon. So instead, as your next resort, you wanted to simply talk to someone. Someone who made you happy and forget the troubles of your life. The second you felt you were calmed enough, you wiped the tears from your eyes, sloppily threw on a jacket, and scurried outside.
You had a plan. You were going to get McQueen out of there not just for his sake, but for yours. You wouldn't have to step foot in a place full of terrible memories just to see him, and he wouldn't have to sleep in such miserable conditions. You'd also have someone to talk to just to get your mind off things, hopefully enough so that you would be able to fall asleep eventually. A win-win for sure, but you weren't going to let him know of the win on your side, that's for sure! Not this early on, at least.
"Sally!" You quietly called a you entered approached the main desk of the Coze Cone Motel.
"Yes?" She questioned, peeking her head out from the other room. "Oh, (Y/N)! Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, Sally." You lied through your teeth. Well, it was kind of a half-lie? "Look, I have a favor to ask you."
"At this hour?" She raised a brow. "You're sure everything's okay?"
You sighed. "Sally, would you be willing to let McQueen stay here?"
She looked surprised at your comment. Everyone knew how much you didn't like the racer, so this was surely a shock for the bright young woman. She hadn't seen this coming. "Oh, well..."
"Please, Sally!" You begged. "I'll even pay for the room!"
Sally chuckled softly at your behavior. "I was already going to say yes." She smiled at you. "To be honest, I was already thinking about it myself! He's done such a great job on the road so far and honestly, it's the least I could do for him. I'm very grateful for everything he's done so far."
"Really! You mean it?"
"Yes." She smiled, leaning on the counter. "But I must ask, where is all this coming from? I mean, you haven't been able to stand him since he got here!"
A small blush rose to your cheeks, letting your silence be your answer. You knew Sally was smart enough to put the pieces together, and you would be able to retain your strength and pride by now allowing the words to be spoken from your own mouth.
A small, knowing smirk rose to Sally's face, "Oh, I see, I see. I didn't know you were into the criminal types."
"Sally!" You let out an exasperated laugh, amazed she even made such a comment.
"Oh, you know I'm just kidding." She laughed at you. "But don't worry. I can tell you don't want to talk about it, so your secret is safe with me! Will you be going to get him now?."
You froze. "W-Why can't you get him?"
Sally stopped too and sent you a questioning look. "Well, I was going to get the room ready for him... If you insist, I can go get him instead. Why, is there a problem?"
You sighed. "No, no. It's fine." It most certainly was not fine! You really, really, really didn't want to step foot in there again. You were still trying to recover from the traumatic recount of events from minutes ago. However, it was very late, and you had not only disturbed Sally at an ungodly hour but it was also you who showed the want for McQueen to be transferred to more clean and comfortable quarters in the first place. "I just... I'll go get him."
"Alright..." Sally acknowledged softly, sounding both suspicious and concerned at your shift in behavior.
Wishing to avoid the conversation before her inquisitive lawyer mind tried to pester further and get more of a 'larger whole' truth out of you, you quickly turned on your heel and briskly made your way over to the police station. Although very excited to be seeing McQueen again, you were absolutely dreading having to walk back into the area you had sworn to forever stay away from.
You quietly pushed your way through the old metal door of the police station, trying to stay calm and keep your breaths in check that were growing ever more rapid and panicked. Quietly creeping down the hall, you couldn't stop the vivid images materializing before your eyes. You could see younger (Y/N) on the floor, scribbling away at some pieces of paper and making indecipherable drawings only a child can authentically make. You could see her sitting on the ground, picking at her fingers and playing with the fabric of her clothes as she had this bored, glazed over look in her eyes. You could see her laying on the cot, now facing Doc as he kneeled beside her and...
You blinked. The vision disappeared in an instant, leaving behind some blurry tears and a figure dressed in red laying down in place of your younger self. A powerful wave of sadness that washed over you when you finally registered McQueen in the cell directly ahead of you, right in line of sight with the door. It was a wave so powerful that it easily triumphed over the fear and paranoia that had been wearing down on your poor body. It was instantaneous the second you laid eyes on the racer. No longer were you dwelling on the past. You were back in the now, heart breaking at the sight of the uncomfortable racer that bore a pained look on his face while fast asleep.
Quietly stepping closer to the cell, your hands came to gently rest around two of the bars as you inspected closer. His beautiful blonde hair was somewhat disheveled. Both an arm and a leg were hanging limp over the edge of the cot, the arm over the side by his head and the leg at the opposite end. His jacket was practically half off him, probably more so but you couldn't tell with the thin blanket draped over him. The pain and discomfort on his face were much clearer now, breaking your heart further.
"(Y/N)?" You heard the Sheriff call quietly, sounding tired as usual, and you turned to see him liking his head out from his office door. "What're you doin' here so late?"
Taking one last look at McQueen, you quietly skipped over to the old policeman and told him, "Sally is letting McQueen stay in a room at the Cozy Cone. I came to get him."
"Is that so?" He asked crossly, putting his hands on his hips. "And why did nobody run this by me first?"
"Well, I'm running it by you right now, aren't I?" You gave him a small pleading smile with a shrug of your shoulders. "Please, Sheriff! You know it's just across the street and both Sally and I will keep an eye on him!"
Sheriff rolled his eyes playfully before pointing his finger in your face sternly. "Alright, fine. But I'd better not see him getting away or nothin', got it?"
"Yes, sir!" You saluted with a confident grin. "Don't worry, Sheriff. It's me, remember?"
He sighed. "That's what I'm beginning to worry about..."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!?"
He raised a brow and sent you a cross look. You knew exactly what it meant, but you weren't about to confess to Sheriff of all people! Eventually, he gave up and took out his keys. You walked over with him to the cell as he began to unlock the bars. Sheriff then held the unlocked door open for you and allowed you to walk inside.
You carefully stepped in and kneeled beside McQueen, taking in his peaceful features one last time. You could hear his quiet breaths now, and the warmth of them could be felt reaching your cheeks and the tip of your nose. "Hey, Lightning!" You whispered, nudging his arm.
"W-What?" He spoke groggily, letters stringing together as his tiredness prevented him from proper articulation. Looking around in a daze, his loose gaze eventually fixed itself on you. He squinted, trying to focus his tired vision. "(Y/N)?"
"Come on." You smiled softly. "Let's get you out of here!"
"What time is it? Do you have any idea how long it took me to be able to fall asleep?" He yawned with an irritated look on his face as he began to turn over to face away from you. "Go away and leave me alone."
You rolled your eyes at his snappy tongue. "Oh, just come on!" Grabbing one of his arms with both of your hands, you tugged with all your might and started to force him to his feet.
"Hey! What're you doing?" He snapped, pulling his arm free in disgust.
"Oh, just get up, boy." Sheriff groaned. "You're getting out of this cell."
McQueen's eyes widened, the words nearly waking him right up as he rolled back over in the cot instantly. "What?"
You smiled at him, helping him to sit up before fixing his jacket for him with a ginger touch, thinking absolutely nothing if it. "Sally is letting you stay at the Cozy Cone. No more jail cell for you!"
"Wait, really?"
"Mhm!" You smiled at him. "Sheriff has given us the okay to let you stay! Now come on, let's get you moved in." You began to gently drag McQueen out of the cell by the hand, leading him right past Sheriff with a happy look in your face and right out of the station entirely. McQueen tightened his hand around yours as you both took your first steps outside. You subconsciously returned the warm gesture.
Sally was standing outside of Cone One, the one directly across from yours. You led McQueen over and waved at her. "I got him!"
"Ah, I see you managed to wake the criminal." She smiled.
"Ha, ha." McQueen said dryly with a roll of his eyes. "Very funny."
"Ooh, he's a grouchy one. Not a fan of being woken up from his beauty sleep, I see." She continued to jest with a playful smirk.
"Oh, Sally." You replied. "You know that's not fair. He's always grouchy."
McQueen humphed at your statement, puffing out his cheeks as he crossed his arms with a pout. That action only proved your point, however, and added more fuel to the joking fire.
"Okay, okay." You yielded with a warm smile as you poked at his cheek. "We'll leave you alone. It's late, after all." He furiously waved your hand away in a flurry of gentle smacks. All you could do was laugh.
"Alright, that's enough." Sally laughed. "Well, this will be your room. It's newly refurbished." She motioned her arm towards the open door of the motel room.
McQueen peeked in. "Ah, this is pretty nice!" He at least sounded very content with what he saw.
"Well, I hope it suits you."
"Hey, anything is better than that jail cell." McQueen smiled at her, but he couldn't keep back the shudder at the mere thought of that cold, lonely cell.
"Well, if you ever need anything, come find me." Sally told him. "And if I'm not around, I'm sure (Y/N) will be willing to help! She'll be living directly across from you." She pointed at the cone at the other end of the property.
You gave a small chuckle, gently punching him in the arm. "Looks like we're gonna be neighbors!"
"Yeah, neighbors..." He smiled, taking a second before gently punching you back with a small smirk of his own on his face. "I could get used to that."
A yawn finally escaped your lips. Your mission was done, and you were satisfied with the end result. Your body could finally relax. "Well, I'm going to head to bed now guys. Goodnight!" You waved at Sally, then turned to McQueen. "I hope you sleep well tonight." You whispered softly. "You deserve it."
And with that, you spun around and walked off towards your own room. McQueen's eyes never left your retreating form. The warm smile never left his face, either.
"I should be getting to bed too, and so should you." Sally spoke up. "It's very late." She gave a small wave and began to walk off, but McQueen's words stopped her.
"Thanks..." The words finally escaped his throat.
She came to an immediate halt, then turned to look over her shoulder at him with a smile on her face. "What did you just say?"
"I just wanted to say..." He took a deep breath. This politeness was still very new to him, but he was slowly starting to come around to it. "Thank you for letting me stay here at the cone. It's nice! Newly refurbished, right?"
She smiled softly. "Yeah... But I'm not the one you should be thanking."
"What do you mean?" McQueen asked softly, taken aback by her words as the smile faded from his face. His expression was more neutral now, but with a slight hint of confusion to it.
"I mean, it wasn't exactly my idea!" Sally answered.
"Then whose was it?"
A very soft smile rose to Sally's lips as she reflected on both your kind deed and your kind heart. "(Y/N)'s." She replied simply.
McQueen looked shocked at her words, but eventually, a small gracious smile began to rise to his lips. Sally let out a warmer smile as she noticed the very subtle change in the racer's expression. "Well, goodnight," was all she said as she walked off for the night.
"'Night." He quietly called back out with a small wave.
He let his eyes linger over to your cone, watching as the lights went out. There was no stopping the butterflies in his stomach at this information, no stopping the warmth that flooded his cheeks either. A huge grin of adoration and graciousness was plastered on his face. He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, it's source being the mere excitement he had within him at the mere thought of you. He was going to have to thank you at some point, thank you for your kindness and for making him so very happy.