"I could've given you your own shirt." Doc murmurs. Lightning shrugs a little.

"rather wear this one." Lightning manages, voice cracking. Doc nods and kneels in front of him, gently reaching out and folding up the sleeves to the youngers wrists. Lightning lets him, watching him roll up the sleeves neatly and even, better than he himself could ever do, he even held out his other wrist so Doc could do the same. Doc smiled at him and chuckled a little.

"you'd rather have it because I was going to wear it." Doc teased, raising an eye brow at him. Lightnings lip twitches almost in a smile, but he cuddles into the shirt, looking at Doc. it almost makes Docs heart skip a beat staring into the youngers beautifly blue eyes, even if they're full of sadness and fear at the moment.

"I'll take if off if its what you want." he mumbles. Doc smiles, the kid looks like just that in his shirt, a kid. innocent and scared, god forbid anyone make him like that, god forbid he take something from the kid that made him happy, so he shook his head with a small smile. Lightning seemed slightly relieved with his shirt on and he wasn't going to take that, he wouldn't let anyone take that from him.

"wear it baby. its cute on you. besides, I've already got a different one on and buttoned, and your sleeves are all rolled up." Doc murmures, zipping up their suit cases after making sure everything is in them. he sits on the bed beside Lightning. "need me to hold you again?" Doc ask. he looks hesitant, almost ashamed and guilty as he nods silently. Doc pulls him close, back into his lap, cradling him. he held the younger tightly, kissing his head. he hated seeing the younger looking so upset and ashamed at the fact he needed the comfort. "don't be ashamed kid. its okay." Doc soothes gently.

"m'being stupid." Lightning sighs.

"you're being a kid, which is what you are." Doc assures.

"I'm acting like a child, like a baby. I'm too old to be acting like this. I shouldn't be acting like this." Lightning mumbles. there's so much shame in the sentence, Doc almost feels like he's physically drowning in it.

"you're terrified and afraid for your life. so just relax kid. I don't mind holding you. I don't mind comforting you. hell I'll carry you to the car if it'll make you feel better." Doc assures. "I love you, its okay." he murmurs.

"I feel stupid. I know you have things to do." Lightning mumbles, holding tighter to Doc.

"baby, I drove you hundreds of miles from home to keep you safe. there's nothing more important to do right now, than take care of you." Doc assures.

"you should be pushing me away. telling me to grow up an get over it." Lightning mumbles. Doc squeezes him gently.

"what kinda of person would I be if I denied my partner comfort?" Doc ask. Lightning sighs and sniffles a little, wiping at his face.

"did I hurt your back?" Lightning ask, gently rubbing his fingers over the spots his nails had been digging in moments before. he was changing the subject, so Doc let him change it. Lightning buries his face into Docs neck.

"my back will be fine." Doc assures. he decides nows the time to ask about last night. "I didn't hurt you last night did I?" Doc ask. he can feel the youngers face heating up against his neck, he's tensing in Docs lap.

"no. m'sorry I started that." Lightning mumbles. Doc shakes his head.

"it would've been nicer under better circumstances, in my bed where I could've really showed you what you mean to me, but its alright. seemed like you needed last night. as long as I didn't hurt you, then its okay." Doc murmurs, kissing his head. "do I need to carry you down to the car?" Doc ask. they both look up when Red walks in and grabs their bags before walking out. Mack pokes his head in and gives them both a half smile.

"check out in two." Mack said, shutting the door. Lightning looked around for his shoes, he thought he'd kicked them off beside Docs.

"I'd say no but I think you packed my shoes." Lightning mumbled. Doc raises an eye brow, putting him down to look for his shoes. he searches the room, even under the bed.

"huh, I guess I did." Doc mutters. "didn't realize it." he muttered. he scoops Lightning up and pauses as Red comes back in the room.

"I'm driving." Red says firmly. "he needs you." Red added, holding his hand out for Docs keys. Doc heaves a sigh and motions to the night stand. he feels Lightning curling in on himself.

"yeah I'm too tired to drive anyway. that was a long trip from Radiator Springs to here." Doc says, holding tighter to the younger. "don't worry baby, I got you." Doc says softly, into the youngers ear before pressing a chast kiss to it.

"m'sorry." Lightning said softly, dropping his head on Docs shoulder, looking up at him. his eyes are still red and puffy, his cheeks are slightly swollen and there are still streaks down his face. Doc smiled at him.

"the only thing you should be sorry for, is making Red carry you down to the car." Doc said. Doc looked at Red. "I accidently packed up his shoes, you mind?" Doc ask. Lightning wasn't going to fight, he could see Doc wince. his back was probably hurting and he didn't want to make it worse.

"I can walk. I don't need shoes..." Lightning mumbles. Red smiles at Lightning and swoops him from Docs arms, hugging him tightly.

"I'd really rather Red carry you. never know what you're gonna step out without your shoes." Doc mutters. Lightning crosses his arms over his chest, leaning against Red. it is nice though, to know he's got all these people to help him, even if they carry him around like a toddler.

"you guys pass me around like I'm a child." Lightning mumbles. Doc chuckles.

"we've discussed this kid. you are a child." Doc teases. Red turns with Lightning in his arms.

"big mistake. he's mine now." Red grinned at Doc, heading down to the car. Doc snorted softly, rolling his eyes. he does a quick check of the room before following Red out. he follows Red to the car.

"he okay?" Smokey ask.

"I put his shoes in a suit case and didn't realize it until we went to leave the room." Doc muttered. Smokey chuckled slightly. Red slid Lightning into the backseat.

"alright you guys just follow me." Smokey said, hoping in his truck. Doc climbs into the back seat with the younger, thinking about how much he's going to regret this. unfortunately, Doc gets car sick if he's not driving. he leans himself against the back door, almost as tense as Lightning. it takes the younger a few minutes to notice as he curls up against Doc, hugging his waist and all but sitting in his lap.

"Doc?" he asks giving him a worried look.

"whats up kid?" Doc ask.

"you seem... tense." he mumbles unsure how else to phrase it.

"back seat makes me car sick." Doc says, holding him gently.

"y-you can sit in the front... I don't mind." Lightning said.

"I'll be fine sitting with you kid." Doc assures gently. "just let me lean against the door and try not to puke." Doc mutters. he rolls down the back window some, thank god they were riding with Red, not Mack. Red would take care to make sure none of them got hurt and would pull over if Doc needed a few moments. Lightning clung to him carefully.

"Doc?" Lightning ask quietly, curling up closer.

"hmm?" Doc ask, holding him gently.

"did they kill that guy?" Lightning ask, lifting his head from Docs chest to look at him. Doc immediately pulled his head back down. sometimes the kid was too innocent.

"don't worry about him kid. ever. just forget about him. Smokey took care of him." Doc assures, holding him gently. he's holding the youngers head over his heart gently, kissing the youngers hair and holding him. Lightning cuddles him.

"is that a yes?" Red asks curiously. Doc rolls his eyes.

"no. they didn't kill him. they took him out back and gave him something that, back in the '50s, they called the homo treatment." Doc mutters. he feels Lightnings nails in his sides. homo, homosexual, homophobic. all words the younger hated with distain.

"whats... whats that?" Red ask hesitantly.

"basically they beat him. badly. to the point of hospitalization." Doc said.

"Smokeys a homophobe?" Lightning ask hesitantly.

"what? no." Doc said shaking his head. "never. none of them are. they just called it that back then because you were lucky to walk away from one of those beat downs if they found out what you were. they'd break bones, shatter skulls, gut you while you're still breathing. everyone knew about that back then and if you were gay, as your generation puts it, then you kept it to yourself or you ended up 6ft under. though Smokey and the gang never did that. they beat him. taught him a lesson. he'll live, but it'll be a long while before he gets out of the hospital." Doc said.

"wish I could put a bullet in his head." Lightning mumbled. Doc chuckled softly.

"kid you don't even believe in guns." Doc murmurs.

"that was before I had one pointed between my eyes while I cowered under a table hoping you weren't taking a bullet either." Lightning huffed. Doc held tighter.

"I wouldn't have let you get shot." Doc murmured, rubbing his back gently.

"I was more worried about you and Smokey." Lightning mumbled. Doc snorts.

"don't worry about us kid." Doc murmurs, running his fingers through the youngers hair. "I"m gonna teach you how to shoot while we're at Smokeys." Doc said.

"h-huh? no. no. no way. uh-uh. no way Doc." Lightning said, shaking his head.

"yes way kid. you're in danger. I'm going to teach you to shoot and you're going to start carrying around a pistol, like everyone else around here." Doc said. Lightning tensed.

"I am not carrying one of those things." Lightning said.

"just relax kid. we'll discuss this later okay? it's not like I want you to carry this forever, just until we get Chick. you'll only carry here in Thomasville." Doc assures. he nuzzles the youngers head gently, pulling him closer.

they pulled the rentals into Smokey's garage and shut the doors. Doc got out and Lightning climbed out behind him.

"as long as you don't mind a little grease on your feet, you'll be fine to walk around in here without shoe's on." Smokey assures gently. Lightning nods slightly, walking around the car to grab his bags. Doc grabbed his own. "come on. house is this way." Smokey says, leading the way. he heads into an old storage closet, there's bits and pieces of cars everywhere. he stops near an old work bench and opened a door in the floor. "its down here." Smokey says, heading down the stairs.

"you live in a basement?" Mack ask curiously.