"if I get my ass out there you better be in the car. I didn't come all the way out here to fulfill some childhood dream of you getting to watch me race in Thomasville." Doc said. Lightning shrugged a little.

"okay." he mumbled. he looked around the bar quietly, before he grabbed onto Docs knee and held tightly. Doc looked at him confused. the kid was pale and nervous, more nervous than before.

"hey, kid?" Doc ask. Lightning tensed staring across the room. "Monty, hey whats wrong kid?" Doc ask gently, waving a hand in front of his face.

"we need to leave now." Lightning said.

"kid you just got here." Louise said. "relax, loosen up a little." she chuckles. Lightning dug his nails into Docs knee, shaking his head hard. Doc had never seen him like this, not even after wreck. he frowned.

"whats up?" Doc muttered. Lightning turned his gaze down to the table.

"rest stop guy." Lightning said.

"the tailer?" Doc muttered.

"what?" Smokey ask looking around.

"where?" Doc murmured softly.

"round table in the corner, he's got dead view of both of us." Lightning said. Doc looked over and made direct eye contact with the man and watched him jump up from the table. Doc could feel his blood run cold.

"kid get down." Doc said.

"h-huh?" Lightning ask. Doc grabbed him hard and shoved him down under the table. Lightning yelped quietly, tensing up and grabbing onto Docs leg for support to keep him from going face first into the ground.

"get down!" Doc shouted, watching the man pull a gun out. "you're about to see why Cotter Pin isn't a Red place kid." Doc mumbled to Lightning. the younger looked at him, terrified. "GUN!" Doc shouted, turning his body to cover Lightnings carefully. immediately every person in the bar had guns pointed at him, even the bar tender had his shot gun out. River even pulled one out and pointed it at the man. "just stay down kid." Doc murmured. Lightning nodded hesitantly.

"he's gonna shoot us." Lightning murmured.

"he'll never get that far." Doc assures, reaching down to tangle his hand into the youngers hair in a way he hopes is soothing, but he can't pay too much attention to that.

"hey!" Smokey hissed, getting up and jumping over the table. "who the fuck do you think you are?" Smokey growled.

"stay out of this old man. I just want blonde." he hissed, taking aim.

"Doc!" Lightning shouted. Doc grabbed his head hard and jerked it behind his body. if this bastard was going to shoot Lightning, he was going to have to go through Doc first, literally. there was a loud bang that had the younger flinching under the table and tensing up, chest heaving, all he could see was Sheriff laying on the floor bleeding. he managed to peek around Docs leg, the man had been shot in the leg by god knows who and tackled to the ground. his gun laying not far from their table.

"lets take'em out back Smoke." one of the men shouted, holding the offenders neck with a grin. he was being held down by two or three people despite the large bullet wound in his leg.

"yeah he tried to shoot the Hornet!" another growled.

"take him out and show him what we do to people like him!" a third person shouted.

"Doc...?" Lightning ask nervously. Smokey glared at the man on the floor, turning to nod at Junior.

"nice shot." Smokey murmured. Junior had manage to shoot around Smokey and nail the guy in the leg without hitting anyone else. Junior nodded at Smokey, before looking over at Doc. he watched the younger man cowering under the table and frowned.

"Hud you two go on back to the hotel. we'll take care of this guy." Junior assured. Doc nodded getting up, grabbing Lightning and heading for the door. it was harder with the kid stumbling behind him, heart beating in his throat from the gun shot that had been fired too close to him in his already fragile state.

"Doc what are they going to do to him?" Lightning ask. Doc frowned slightly.

"better if you don't know." Doc said, opening the driver side door, the kid would just have to get in from this side.. "get in the car now." Doc said. Lightning climbed into the car quickly. Doc barely let his door shut before he was peeling out of the parking lot. they headed back to the hotel.

"are we going to be safe here?" Lightning ask as they parked.

"yeah." Doc said. he lead Lightning up to their room carefully. Lightning walked into the room, still trying to calm himself down. their stuff was already in the room, they'd brought it up earlier before heading to Cotter Pin. "go get you a shower kid." Doc murmured. Lightning nodded and headed for the bathroom. Doc watched him go and sat on the bed, head in his hands. how was he supposed to protect this kid if they weren't even save a couple hundred miles away? he must've been lost in thought longer than he thought because he suddenly heard Lightning calling his name.

"-oc?" Lightning ask. "uh Hud?" Lightning ask slightly louder. Doc shook his head and looked up.

"yeah, whats up kid?" Doc ask. the younger was standing in front of him, wearing a towel around his waist, though Doc could see his boxers underneath it and wondered what the point of the towel was, and dripping water everywhere.

"can you take a look at my back?" he ask. "I had some stitches in it from the wreck and my shirt keeps catching on my back." Lightning mumbled. Doc nodded.

"yeah sure kid." Doc murmured, standing up. Lightning turned his back to him hesitantly. Doc had seen his back plenty of times, but he hadn't seen it since before the wreck. his back had been mostly scar free before the wreck, but was now a mess of pink slashes of varying lengths everywhere. he hadn't wanted Doc to see ever, but he needed help. "I don't wanna just go touching everywhere, so where is it?" Doc ask. Lightning reached back and motioned to an area on his back.

"somewhere in this area." Lightning mumbled. Doc walked forward and gently reached out, feeling the youngers back. he felt around a moment. he didn't feel anything and opened his mouth to tease the younger, that if he wanted Doc to touch him thats all he had to say.

"I don't really feel... oh." Doc muttered, gently rubbing his thumb over the area. Lightning hissed softly, trying to turn his head to see.

"what is it?" Lightning ask.

"not sure. don't move." he said, walking over to his bags. he came back with a pair of tweezers. "might hurt a little." Doc murmured. he couldn't tell what it was, his glasses lost in one of his bags.

"okay." Lightning mumbled, trying not to tense up. Doc gently felt the area again, before managing to grasp the offending object in his tweezers and pull it from the youngers back.

"got it." Doc said, holding it up to the light. "can't tell you what this is, can't see it. don't know where my glasses are." Doc muttered. Lightning turned around and squinted.

"probably in the Hornet still." Lightning mumbles. "looks like a splinter." Lightning said.

"sounds about right." Doc nodded. he dropped it into the trash, before turning back to Lightning. he was watching him. "you okay?" Doc ask. Lightning shrugged.

"dunno, just figured you'd say something." Lightning mumbled.

"what about the splinter? you could've gotten that from Cotter Pin or the rental. he'll you probably got it when I shoved you under the table to keep you from getting shot." Doc said.

"no, I meant my back...." Lightning said.

"what about your back?" Doc ask.

"all those scars." Lightning mumbled. Doc raised an eye brow.

"let me show you something kid." Doc murmured. he pulled his shirt off then kicked his pants off, standing in front of the younger more bare then he ever had before. "see that scar that starts on my neck?" Doc ask.

"yeah." he mumbled.

"okay see how it goes all the way down? across my back to my hip?" Doc ask.

"yeah." he said again.

"well it don't stop there." Doc said. he pulled the waist band of his boxers down slightly. "goes all the way across this hip." Doc murmured. he pulled the bad back up and lifted the leg of his boxers. "and goes all the way around it and here to my knee. just stops right above my knee cap." Doc said.

"whats your point?" Lightning ask.

"what do you think of that?" Doc ask.

"it looks painful. they all do." Lightning mumbled.

"yeah but what else?" he ask.

"looks really fresh." Lightning said.

"yeah but what else Monty?" Doc ask.

"I dunno." he sighed.

"ugly ain't it?" Doc ask.

"no not really." Lightning said.

"and why is that?" Doc ak.

"I dunno because its you." Lightning shrugged. Doc snorted a little and grabbed the younger man gently by his shoulders.

"your scars aren't ugly kid. they're part of you." Doc murmured, pulling him into his chest and holding him. "and I love them." Doc murmured, kissing him deeply. he could feel the youngers face get warm against his, before he pulled back. he rested his forehead against the younger man and watched him. his face was bright red, eyes closed, and leaning against him. Doc gently reached up and stroked his cheek with his thumb. Lightning leaned into it before looking up at him. Doc gave a small half smile and let him go. "get dressed." he murmured. Lightning shook his head and wrapped his arms tightly around him, face buried in his chest, and refused to let go. Doc sighed slightly. "okay." he said, scooping the younger up. he plopped onto the bed with him and simply let the younger man lay on top of him. "wanna know something?" Doc ask. Lightning slowly lifted his head to look at Doc, the older man smiled at him.