"but Guido and Luigi-" Lightning tried.

"are taking shelter in Sarges surplus shop. they've got his rifles and ammo." Doc assured. Lightning sighed and hugged his knees in the seat.

"great this is all one big mess. its my fault." he mutters to himself. Doc pulled out of the parking lot with Mack following behind in his cab with Red. it was quiet a moment and Doc reached over gently, holding his hand out, palm up. he didn't take the youngers hand or grab him, just reached for him gently. Lightning looked at his hand a moment.

"I didn't mean to hurt you kid. none of us did, we were just worried." Doc murmured softly. Lightning looked at his hand a moment longer and took it, intertwining their fingers, before looking out the window. "did you sleep at all kid?" Doc ask.

"a little maybe an hour or two." he mumbled.

"what happened last night?" Doc ask. Lightning tensed slightly.

"had a nightmare. a real bad one." he mumbled, looking out the window and staring at anything he could. "I got up it was 1 AM. I wasn't going to wake you up again, so I grabbed my stuff and woke Red up. ask him to take me to the hospital. he was confused and sleepy, but he agreed. he grabbed Macks keys and drove me to the hospital. I... I didn't think... I was anxious. I woke Red up and begged him to take me, so he did. I needed to make sure Sheriff was okay." Lightning mumbled. "when I got done seeing everyone I went back to Red, he was passed out in the waiting room. I didn't want to wake him again so I ask the nurse if there was somewhere I could sit out of the way and just relax for a while. she told me the nurses and doctors go up to the roof to smoke, that I'd be okay to hang out there for a while... so I left my stuff with Red, so he'd know I hadn't left. or at least that was my thinking, and headed up to the roof. thats where I stayed. city lights were pretty until the sun rose, never really seen a sun rise before ya know? being a big city boy and all. didn't even think to go back down and check on Red." he explained. Doc sighed slightly and nodded at him.

"okay." Doc said.

"I don't want to run Doc. I'm not going to either. its cutting into my training. I need to get back to driving my car. I need to get back out there, I have to." Lightning said.

"kid you're not risking your life for this-" Doc said.

"I'm not hiding from another person. I want to race Doc." Lightning said firmly.

"they're postponing the season." Doc said. Lightning looked over quietly. Doc sighed. "cops showed up looking to protect you from Chick. I mentioned the wreck to them. he wrecked Dales car using illegal spikes, so when I brought it up that he used those and caused your wreck and they decided they couldn't let the season start with him out there." Doc sighed.

"so I was right?" Lightning ask.

"yup." Doc muttered. Lightning was a quiet a moment, before turning to stare at Doc.

"you own me an apology." Lightning said.

"what?" Doc huffed, looking over.

"<i>I was right.</i>" Lightning said. "you owe me an apology." he repeated. Doc rolled his eyes.

"will that put you in a better mood?" Doc ask.

"no." Lightning said. Doc cast a glance over at him.

"okay, well... you're right. I'm sorry. you were right. Chick tried to kill you by using illegal spikes on the track, and I honestly didn't believe you. I thought you were being paranoid, but you were right and I'm sorry Monty." Doc said. Lightning looked over watching him. "and I'm sorry for shaking you around at the hospital and hurting you. I've even more sorry for not letting you go when you said I was hurting you and I got angry. I'm sorry, <I>kid</i>." Doc said, gently squeezing the younger mans hand. the younger leaned against him after a moment. "does that help? will you let me hide you peacefully now?" Doc ask. Lightning nodded against his shoulder.

"yeah, okay. I'll hide with you." he murmurs. Doc nods slightly.

"okay. good. I've got some friends in Thomasville who will let us hide out a bit. nice hotel room, it'll be like a vacation." Doc murmured.

"Thomasville? your home town." Lightning said.

"yup. unless Chick knows anything about me, we should be fine. as far as anyone is aware, I haven't talked to anyone in probably 50 plus years." Doc said. "in reality, I got back in touch with them a couple years ago." Doc added. "Smokey knows if anyone asks questions, his answers are to be he hasn't talked to me in so many years he assumed I was dead. Louise, Junior, and River haven't heard a damn thing. when we get there, I'll take you to Cotter Pin okay?" Doc ask.

"Cotter Pin?" Lightning ask. Doc nodded.

"bar a couple miles from Smokey's garage. not a real Red place, so we'll leave those two in the hotel, and I'll take you to meet some of my friends. I'm sure you know them already with you knowing me." Doc said.

"yeah. I've seen your old tapes and things. I've seen them. I know them and their statistics and wins." Lightning muttered. Doc smiled slightly.

"gonna suck showing up without the Hornet to see them." Doc muttered to himself.

"you could have Ramone paint it." Lightning mumbled.

"kid, Ramone and Flo both got stabbed. they're still in the hospital. you didn't know that?" Doc ask. Lightning thought a moment.

"I... I can't remember if I knew that or not." Lightning muttered, holding onto Docs arm. Doc nodded. "but we should get it painted, if you want to take the Hornet." Lightning mumbled. Doc frowned slightly and shook his head.

"I want to, but we've already got a rental." Doc said. "you hungry kid?" Doc ask.

"not really. m' tired though." he mumbled.

"it's a bit of a drive back to the Springs, just get some sleep. I'll wake you up so you can get some stuff together." Doc murmured. Lightning curled up, letting himself nod off holding onto him.

it only took 30 minutes once they got to Radiator Springs, to get their things packed up and get into the rentals. they were back on the road almost as quickly as they stopped. they were immediately on the road again. Doc kept casting glances over at his young lover, who was playing on his cell phone just for something to do.

"hey kid." Doc said. Lightning looked over.

"whats up Doc?" Lightning ask.

"these guys, they don't... they don't know-" Doc tried.

"that you're gay." Lightning muttered.

"what? no. of course they do. they helped me hide. no, they aren't gonna know who you're talking about if you say Doc." Doc said. Lightning looked over confused.

"huh? wh-what did you go by to them? surely they didn't just call you the Fabulous Hudson Hornet the whole time." Lightning said.

"Hud. no idea I became a doctor after leaving the scene." Doc said.

"so they know you're gay then." Lightning said. Doc nodded slightly.

"yeah. kinda hard not to figure it out. Smokey had to beat the hell out of a guy when I was in my 20's." Doc muttered. Lightning didn't need any more information than that, what happened with Doc and some past man was none of his business. "after that, had to come clean to him and eventually my friends. they kept me safe and protected, out of the news since it was frowned upon and illegal back then." Doc said. Lightning nodded slightly, leaning against him gently, laying his arm on the older mans shoulder.

"uh, do they know...?" Lightning ask hesitantly.

"Smokey does. don't really keep anything from that guy anymore, not since I started talking to him again." Doc murmured. "can't keep you hidden from everyone." Doc added. Lightning couldn't keep the smile from his face, knowing that Doc told someone important to him and his past about them.

"how long until we get there?" Lightning ask.

"pretty far kid. Arizona to North Carolina, about a 32 hour drive." Doc said.

"I hate long trips." he mumbles.

"I know, but we'll get out every now and then. make pit stops and walk around a pit. there's probably a truck stop or a rest stop along the way and we'll just park and sleep a bit. it'll take us about two days kid." Doc said. he opened his mouth to ask if the younger was hungry, but paused when the cellphone he was holding went off. he answered it.

"hello?" Lightning ask. Doc looked over when the younger tensed, Doc motioned for him to put it on speaker, Lightning shook his head, hanging up. "crank call." he muttered. he put the phone down and looked out the window.

"what did Chick say?" Doc ask. Lightning shook his head, refusing to answer. Doc frowned but nodded. his own phone went off a moment later and Lightning stared it down. the song Convoy was playing. "its Mack." Doc said.

"you personalize everyone's ring tone?" Lightning ask.

"yeah." Doc said, answering. "Mack?" Doc ask.

"there's a restaurant about 10 miles up the road. I know its a little early, but lets stop in for breakfast, Red and I are hungry." Mack said. Doc looked over at Lightning.

"hey kid, you hungry? Mack and Red wanna stop for breakfast." Doc murmured. he nodded slightly.

"yeah. I should probably eat so I don't end up the way I was last night." he mutters. Doc nods.

"alright Mack, we'll stop in." Doc said.

"meet you there." Mack said. there was some rustling.

"is he okay?" Red ask.

"yeah. we'll meet you there." Doc said, hanging up. he wasn't going to talk about his lover when he was right beside him.

"32 hours.... I can't help you drive Doc. long trip." he mumbled after a few minutes.

"hnmm? I'm not expecting you to help drive kid. I expect you to just hang around on your cell phone, play your crappy music on the radio, roll around in the back seat, sleep, ask questions, demand I stop so you can pee, demand I stop you can eat, complain, you know. all the usual stuff you do on car trips usually on the way to a race." Doc said. Lightning smiled slightly. "besides, I've made this trip before, by myself. we're gonna stop at a diner about 5 miles up the road okay?" Doc ask. Lightning nodded and cuddled him, looking out the window.

"okay." he said. Doc looked over at him.

"you know I can only hear that question you want to ask if you ask it out loud." Doc teased. Lightning looked over at him with a small smile.

"shut up." he mutters.

"you have that look on your face again. if we're going to play 20 questions, can it wait until after breakfast?" Doc ask. Lightning chuckled slightly, looking out the window.

"do I annoy you on these trips?" Lightnin ask. Docs eyes widened.

"what?" Doc ask.

"you heard me. do I annoy you on these trips?" Lightning ask. the things Doc had listed, made him want answers.

"no not really. why?" Doc ask confused. he shrugged.

"I dunno. all that crap you listed. I am pretty annoying most times, Mack calls it too much <i>enthusiasm.</i>" Lightning said. he gave a hesitant laugh. "I bought that in the beginning, but I'm not an idiot. I figured out what it meant. 'I love the boss and all but all that, <i>enthusiasm</i> is so hard to travel with sometimes'. I was just curious how much I annoy you." Lightning shrugged, slightly.

"damn kid how long have you been thinking on this?" Doc ask.

"uh, years?" he shrugged. "I dunno. I know I'm pretty annoying." he chuckled slightly. "plus the way why you list all my annoying habits. I just want to know how much I annoy you." Lightning admitted.

"your annoying habits?" Doc muttered. he shook his head. "the things you do in the car aren't annoying kid, well sometimes they are but only when we've been in the car too long and we're both tired they're not really all that annoying. I expect you to find things to do one a long ass car ride. whether its watching videos on your phone, playing crappy music on the radio, or whatever kid. I admit, when we met, it took some getting used to. it was odd to have energy in my car and you have a lot of energy. you do have a lot of enthusiasm, but I don't mean it in a bad way." Doc assures. "and I'm sure Mack doesn't either. its been years since he said that crap, no doubt, and you haven't even ridden with him on one of these trips in years." Doc said, reaching over to pat his leg. "besides, you're supposed to annoy me, if you didn't I'd be worried you didn't actually love me." Doc said. Lightning smiled slightly. Doc reached for his hand and Lightning took it. "I know I annoy you sometimes. my encouraging you to eat healthy, me cutting you off from those disgusting energy drinks and making you drink coffee, waking you up early, pushing you to your limits at the Butte." Doc murmured.

"that stuff doesn't annoy me." he mumbles. "its nice someones finally looking out for me in ways I don't know how to take care of myself." he added.

"oh come on kid. I know I annoy you. something I do has to annoy you." Doc chuckled.