"not crying." Lightning mumbled, sniffling. Doc rolled his eyes, but understood.

"right its allergies." Doc said, nodding as he looked at the tv. "maybe I should take a look or something. probably allergic to-" Doc started. he nearly choked when Lightning shoved the biggest spoon of ice cream into his mouth. Doc coughed a little and pulled the spoon from his mouth, glaring at Lightning with his mouth full of ice cream. he waved the spoon chastisingly at him, but was unable to say anything due to the ice cream in his mouth. he groaned and held his head. brain freeze and god did it hurt. Doc hated ice cream because he hated brain freezes, but the joyful laughter that came from the man beside him, made it a little better.

"you make the best brain freeze face." Lightning laughed. Doc shoved him a little.

"you little shit." Doc huffed, the moment he could make words. Lightning let out another laugh, wiping at his face again. "kid, it's okay you're gonna get back in that car and get riding one day." Doc said.

"do you really think I can do it?" Lightning ask, staring at the tv.

"I know you can." Doc said. "you still owe me a make up race in Willies Butte." Doc said. Lightning smiled some.

"right." he mumbled. Doc held him, letting him eat his ice cream. occasionally the younger would reach over and steal a sip of his beer, but Doc didn't mind. the two stayed on the couch mostly. Doc got up a few times to go to the bathroom or make them some real food, but Lightning stayed firmly on the couch, moving enough Doc could get up or down then leaning on him again. Doc let him, not saying a word about it, not demanding he get off. he understood what it was like to be scared of being behind the wheel of a car again. by the time 9 PM hit, there was empty beer bottles here and there, an empty pint of ice cream and a melted half eaten pint of ice cream sitting on the table with a empty pizza pan, and at some point Doc had produced a blanket. Lightning was almost asleep and Doc wasn't much better.

"okay kid it's time for me to get to bed. you can stay up if you want." Doc said. Lightning shook his head tiredly, curling against his side. "I'm getting up kid, you can't fall asleep on me." Doc warned, moving to get up. Lightning nodded a little, looking at the mess they'd made. "I'll clean it up in the morning." Doc said. Lightning nodded. Doc stretched the kinks from his back, wincing and rubbing a sore spot, then looked back down at the couch, where Lightning was curled up. "you going to go to bed?" Doc ask.

"I'm... I'm just gonna sleep here." Lightning muttered quietly. Doc sighed a little.

"oh come on kid. we had your little pity party, go sleep in that bed." Doc said softly. Lightning shook his head, curling up in the warm spot that was left from where Doc had sat for so long. Doc sighed, looking towards his bedroom. he wondered if he could do this without hurting himself too bed. he looked down at Lightning, who was staring at the tv with a forlorn look. Doc frowned, determined to get that look off his face. he walked back over to the front of the couch. Lightning looked up.

"Doc?" he ask confused. Doc had a determined look on his face and didn't say anything. he simply scooped Lightning up, hefting him into his arms. the kid wasn't as heavy as Doc thought he would be. Lightning yelped some. "D-Doc?" he ask. Doc frowned and headed for his own room. "what are you doing?" Lightning ask. Doc sat him down on his bed, unstrapping the kids boot, then taking his own shoe's off. he still had yet to say a word. Lightning watched him walk out of the room, then reached to take his shoe off, tossing it on the floor beside his boot. he looked up confused as Doc came back in. the older threw the blanket from the couch at him.

"don't steal my blanket tonight or I'm dumping ice water on you." Doc warned, laying down. Lightning was confused, looking from the blanket to Doc.

"I don't understand." Lightning said.

"you stole my blanket last night wrapped yourself up in it real good, little blanket theif." Doc grumbled.

"no I mean...." Lightning started, then looked at the blanket in his lap. he looked back over at Doc, who was laying on his back waiting for him to finish his sentence. Lightning looked back down at the blanket once more.

"you going to lay down and curl up with that or just look at it?" Doc ask, eye brow raised and arm stretched out across the bed. Lightning realized he was offering to continue to comfort him as they slept. Lightning laid down, curling up under the blanket against Docs side, laying his head on the olders chest. Doc wrapped his arm around the younger and it was silent a moment. Lightning hesitantly curled against his side, listening to the olders heart. Doc closed his eyes and held him.

"would you really throw ice water on me?" Lightning ask after a moment. Doc snorted and squeezed the younger man gently.

"absolutely." Doc smirked. Lightning smiled a little, giving a soft laugh. "but only if you steal my blanket again." Doc added.

"I'll try not to." Lightning murmured. Doc yawned and held him tightly. Lightning laid still until he was sure Doc was asleep. he hesitantly lifted arm and wrapped it around the older mans waist, cuddling closer, letting the beat of Docs heart lull him to sleep, nuzzling his chest with a soft murmur.

Doc reached over and slapped a hand on his alarm clock and grumbled, shifting a little. he didn't open his eyes at all, he had a killer headache and his back hurt. he shifted a little, tightening his hold on the man beside him when the younger shifted. he didn't want to get up.

"too early." Lightning whined quietly, curling up more. apparently, Lightning didn't want to get up either. Doc mumbled in agreement shifting some. Lightnings hand tightened in his shirt. "don' gedup." Lightning slurred sleepily. Doc grumbled quietly and pulled the blanket closer.

"shhh." Doc murmured, nuzzling his face into Lightnings hair. in his sleep haze he didn't care that he should be pushing the younger away, not pulling him closer and burying his face in his soft strawberry blond hair. he sighed happily, though sleepily and settled back down to go back to sleep. Lightning yawned and hugged Docs waist tighter. Doc muttered rolling onto his side, facing Lightning, when the sun came through his bedroom window and onto his face, pulling the younger closer to him. Lightning shifted a little, but otherwise didn't register Doc had even moved, snoring. Doc pulled the younger a little closer, knowing later he could blame it on the haze of sleep, and yawned, ready to fall back to sleep. until his cell phone went off. he groaned and almost immediately Lightnings head popped up, looking over Doc to glare at his phone. Doc blindly reached behind him and grabbed it. "hello?" he answered. Lightning grumbled and curled back up against him.

"whosit?" Lightning muttered. Doc sat up grumbling and heading for his closet.

"hold on Sally I'll be right there." Doc muttered. Lightning curled up and pulled the blanket tighter around himself at the loss of Docs warmth.

"Doc?" Lightning grumbled.

"reporters." Doc said stretching. he pulled on some clean clothes and looked over at Lightning. "either get up when I get back or don't take over my whole bed." Doc glared.

"no promises." Lightning yawned, rolling over now that the sun light was in his eye's. Doc muttered to himself, rubbing his head as he plopped onto the bed to put his shoe's on. he wouldn't let a headache stop him from dealing with the media. he stepped out of the house and headed over to the Cozy Cone, after making sure the door was locked. there were reporters everywhere.

"look! there he is!" one of them called. immediately Doc was swarmed.

"is it true you threatened to beat McQueen's agent?"

"is McQueen working for Dinoco?"

"is McQueen retiring?"

all kinds of questions, something Doc had readjusted too after becoming Lightnings crew chief. he looked around at all of them blinking, before heading over to Flo's diner.

"I am not awake enough for this." Doc said. he grabbed himself a cup of coffee then headed back outside, where the reporters had gathered waiting for him. Doc sipped his coffee, looking around unamused.

"gonna make a statement Doc?" Sally ask.

"unfortunately I have to." Doc grumbled.

"good luck." Sally muttered. he turned to the reporters and cleared his throat. they immediately got quiet, staring at him with anticipation.

"first of all, Lightning McQueens agent decided he didn't want to wait for the kid to get better and replaced him before the kid even made it into the hospital. yes I did call and have a nice long chat with Harv. it was not a very nice chat and my warning still stands. this kid had worked hard to get where he is from a rookie to the official holder of the record for most wins in a season, beating me by 2. any fucking moron willing to replace that for a rookie because they got a bump on the head, is just that. a moron, but, upon hearing of his misfortune, a more qualified and successful agent called and basically begged for a contract with him." Doc said looking at the reporters. he looked around a moment silently. "as for his recovery, Lightning McQueen is going to make a full recovery and with a little therapy to get his leg working right again, is aiming to be back right as the next season starts." Doc announced. he nodded at the reporters and walked off back towards his house.

"you say he intends to start back up, he doesn't intend to do the same exact thing as you?"

Doc froze on the spot and turned around after a moment, eyes narrowed. head racing with that he wanted to say and knew he couldn't, and trying to form a thought that could say on the news.

"you mean be completely fired, abandoned, and refused by every agent and crew because I wrecked and ended up the hospital for months at a time? kid when I came back after the hospital, no one fought for me. they threw me out, called me history, and moved on to the next rookie they could find. fortunately for him he wants to get back out there and knows he had people he can depend on to help." Doc snapped at the reporter. he headed back to his house, not stopping to talk to the reporters again nor answer any questions. he sat the cup of coffee down on the table then headed back into his room. he paused and double check that the door was locked. he closed the blinds and curtain to his bedroom window, closing the door some, so no one could bother him, then dropped onto the bed. Lightning shifted a little, looking over at him, before snuggling up to him and mumbling tiredly. Doc covered his head with a pillow, making Lightning give him a confused look.

"Doc?" Lightning ask. "were they that bad?" Lightning ask confused.

"shut up. my head hurts." Doc snapped. Lightning nodded to himself, cuddling up to him.

"can I get you something for it?" Lightning ask.

"silence." Doc muttered. Lightning nodded slightly, nuzzling against him yawning. he knew he needed to get up but it seemed like Doc needed some time. he wasn't sure if he really needed Lightning there or not, but it wasn't like he could get up and move without disturbing him. Lightning squirmed a little, moving to get out of Docs bed, but found he couldn't, Doc was holding onto him. Lightning could tell if the older was awake or not, not daring to move the pillow off his face, so he settled back down and laid there silently, letting the older hold onto him. after a bit he felt Docs grip loosen, so he slipped out of the bed as carefully as he could. he strapped his boot on and headed out to the living room. it was still as messy as he remembered it being the night before. deciding that the mess had technically been his fault, he set about cleaning up as quietly as he could. cleaning up wouldn't make Docs head feel better, but it would be one less thing for Doc to worry about once he woke up. he wondered if they had any Tylenol around anywhere, maybe that would help the older. he was just thinking about going to look around a find out, when his phone rang. it was still on the coffee table where he'd left it yesterday.

"hello?" Lightning ask, answering it quickly so it wouldn't wake Doc.

"just checking on you, you and Doc are usually up training by now." Mack said. he was on speaker, Lightning could always tell when he was on speaker. Mack wasn't the only one worried.

"yeah. I'm fine. Doc woke up with a migraine, then went to deal with those reporters. when he came back and curled up in bed. he told me to be quiet that his head hurt." Lightning said. "are the reporters still here?" Lightning ask.

"nah, Red chased them off with his water hose." Sally chuckled. Lightning laughed a little.