Great chapter! Aww, I hope that things work out with McQueen and Sally.
[quote="MissCarrera":1lzbf6v3]When he reached the house he used the voice-activated system to unlock the door. [/quote:1lzbf6v3]
That’s beast! Do they have that in real life?! I want that! I wonder what the password is for theirs, mine would be like "peanut" or something.
I just wanted to say when I read that, it reminded me of "Edna. Mode…and guest."
Dang, Sally sounds like she’s been having some [i:1lzbf6v3]issues[/i:1lzbf6v3]. Bt-dubbs, pregnancy sounds worse for a car than it does for a human.
Although I’m supposed to think the opposite, you know me. I love romantic drama so I was in my corner yelling, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" I’m really interested in that "Racing is becoming more of an obsession to you.". I mean, just because I’ve thought of something like that, him being so into racing, happening before. I wonder if Sally really meant it or if she was just being irrational and wanted to say stuff. Personally, I love how Lightning just came right back at her with his own comeback.
Hahahaha, always the last word. It’s okay, Sally. I’m like that too. My boyfriend thinks it’s [i:1lzbf6v3]so[/i:1lzbf6v3] hilarious. Anyway, I’m really excited to see what happens now that McQueen got the boot…or tire.
good chapter!!! I like this story!!! I also read Unchaste… WOW!!! ha ha ha it’s pretty cool I liked too keep it up!!! 
SallyMcQueen, I believe you were probably chanting that! 
Well, I don’t know if they have those in real life but I got thinking about it and I was like “How exactly does a car open an outer door? After all, if they just had a button to press there would be a lot of robberies!” That’s when I came up with the idea. I should get that patented! 
Yes, I agree, car pregnancy is probably worse than human pregnancy but I tried to equate them a bit. Swollen tires= swollen ankles, low undercarriage= giant stomach, buckling axles= aches and pains? 
And I know that Lightning’s racing seems kind of brief so far but it will play a bigger role later on. Hush hush!
I’m a last word person too, I can see that fitting into Sally’s witty personality too. 
Destiny: Thanks for reading my other piece too!
Maybe when they press the button, it takes their “tireprints”. Like how we have things that only open to our fingerprints. Maybe all of their tires are different, just like our fingerprints. You actually did a pretty good job of comparing human and car pregnancy, I caught on to it pretty quick. Props! It is?! Oh, right, hush hush. Keep it on the DL. 
Hey! Glad you liked my comparison, and thanks for the props! Yes, that is a good theory. But what happens when they buy new tires? Or if two cars have the same type of tires? I don’t mean to play devil’s advocate but it is fun to discuss the loop-holes and make our ideas even better.
I’m sorry!
New chapter should be out tomorrow though! 
As promised, the next chapter! I should have more frequent updates on this story now that my other fic is done too. Keep in mind this story has no connection to the sequel! In other words, [spoil]DOC IS STILL ALIVE![/spoil]. < You can read that if you have seen the sequel already.
CHAPTER SEVEN
McQueen barged out of the house in fury. He didn’t know where to go; all he knew was that he had to get away. Running was always his mechanism when it came to dealing with problems. If he could just escape then he would have more time to think before it all caught up to him.
His first instinct took him to Willy’s Butte. He glared at every desert rock until he ended up at his normal place of retreat. He looked up to the sunset horizon and spotted Doc parked motionless and deep in thought. McQueen’s windshield perked with confusion but he wandered over to his mentor and stopped beside him. He could tell there was something on Doc’s mind, and if he could get his mind on someone else’s problems then maybe his might diminish.
“Hey, Doc. What are you doing out here?”
Doc’s eyes shifted to McQueen, “I’ve been thinking…about you.”
“Is this about Sally and I having a baby?” he guessed and let out a sigh. Great, another lecture about what a bad husband he was, just what he needed!
“Partly,” the Hornet paused, “Lightning, how would you feel about racing without me?”
McQueen’s heart jolted with fear. “What do you mean?”
“You have the team behind you now, you’re experienced, you don’t need me,” Doc elaborated.
“I-I can’t race without a crew chief!” he protested.
“Sure you could. If the team all wore headsets they could give you all the guidance you need. I’m not up to my old level of health anymore. Besides, I think now would be an appropriate time for me to withdraw.”
“What?! But the Piston Cup is coming up! How could this be an ‘appropriate’ time?” McQueen demanded. He couldn’t race without Doc! The only time he’d ever raced without the former legend was back when he was an arrogant rookie. He didn’t want to repeat those awful days.
“Do you forget that you have a pregnant wife? If I leave now I’d be able to give her the care she needs if you want a healthy son or daughter,” Doc explained his well thought-out theory.
McQueen opened his mouth to speak but no words came. His heart was being torn by the conflicting emotions inside. He could vividly remember Sally’s sobs and helpless eyes before they burned with hot temper. She looked lost and scared. She did need Doc, more than he did right now. And he did want a healthy baby, wanted it like his next breath of air.
But to sacrifice Doc for those things would be terrifying. He counted on the old car and he definitely didn’t want a new crew chief. McQueen knew better than to be selfish, but Doc was that one constant thing when it came to racing. Mater and Sally couldn’t always be at the track with him, whereas Doc had become a part of the track to him.
It was a give or take situation, a fork in the road which he hadn’t predicted. He could never be happy if the cars that made him happy weren’t happy themselves though. He swallowed the hurt and put on a brave voice, “I want you to stay here.”
Now his wife was upset with him and he’d just lost the world’s best crew chief. Was the world ending too?
Personally I like this chapter better than the last, but I'll let you guys be the judges on that. :wink:Nice chapter! It was great to see Doc again as he was my favorite character from the original Cars. Personally, this chapter was probably one of my favorites from this fan-fic.
You must be the fastest reader I have! Congrats on that! And Doc has a more prominent role in this fic compared to the sequel so you should enjoy that. My favourite chapter for this one is until later on, probably chapter eleven or one of the very last chapters. You’ll have to wait and see though! 
Alright, will do. Also, no problem for being your fastest reader.
Grandpa Doc! Yay, Doc and McQueen moments are the best. I really like the conversation between them. I feel bad for McQueen, having to make all these tough decisions and his world just feeling like it’s crumbling around him. 
I feel bad for Doc too. I noticed he said something about his health; if Doc dies in this fic… 
There’s going to be a sequel to this?! 
<3
Oh yeah, I love it! This has got to be my favorite chapter out of this fanfic. Doc is awesome. 
And it sounds like he really will get to be that “crazy grandpa car” (just without the crazy ) It’s also sounding like you’ll be killing him off in this story, but I really hope you’ll keep him around a little longer?
My favorite part was where Lightning “glared at every desert rock”. Just the mental picture of a stubborn Lightning staring at the rocks as if it were their fault for all his troubles. I loved that.
And another thing, you have a great way of portraying Lightning’s timid side. I’ve noticed that in all your fanfics, you’re really good at that. I think it brings out the best of him.
… Actually now that I think about it, you’re great at bringing out his dark side as well. 
So yeah, great job, and I’ll be awaiting the next chapter!
SallyMcQueen: Oh gosh! No! I didn’t mean it that way. I mean if people are really still into it when it finishes I could consider it but I highly doubt it. You never know when you will find inspiration though!
Snipe: Why does everybody automatically assume that Doc is going to die when his health is mentioned? Can he not age gracefully? I’m not trying to make an attack, I just think it is funny how people always think that in other fics as well. Doc’s fate will all be revealed in time. I like how you mention me showing the different sides of McQueen too. I take that as a huge compliment! Thanks!
[quote="Snipe":sy696iaw]My favorite part was where Lightning "glared at every desert rock". Just the mental picture of a stubborn Lightning staring at the rocks as if it were their fault for all his troubles. I loved that. [/quote:sy696iaw]
[b:sy696iaw]Snipe[/b:sy696iaw], you’re awesome! I forgot to mention that. I laughed picturing that when I read it too. You can’t forget his signature pout too. "You are the cause of all my problems. Stupid rock. "
[quote="MissCarrera":sy696iaw][b:sy696iaw]SallyMcQueen[/b:sy696iaw]: Oh gosh! No! I didn’t mean it that way. I mean if people are [i:sy696iaw]really[/i:sy696iaw] still into it when it finishes I could consider it but I highly doubt it.[/quote:sy696iaw]
[quote="MissCarrera":sy696iaw] Why does everybody automatically assume that Doc is going to die when his health is mentioned? Can he not age gracefully? [/quote:sy696iaw]
I love how you worded that! "Can he not age gracefully?" It’s because we know he did die from either age or health problems so every time it’s mentioned, we’re like "…NO.
"
OH MY…dies
I didn’t know that you were publishing this awesome piece of art here! I TOTALLY LOVE IT!!! I totally do! <3
I.need.to.read.more.
[quote="MissCarrera":1weug0x6]I like how you mention me showing the different sides of McQueen too. I take that as a huge compliment! Thanks![/quote:1weug0x6]
You’re welcome!
[quote="SallyMcQueen":1weug0x6]"You are the cause of all my problems. Stupid rock. "[/quote:1weug0x6]
Yeah, you stupid rock.
[quote="SallyMcQueen":1weug0x6]
(That was my face falling, you see what I did there?)[/quote:1weug0x6]
Haha, that’s cool. Sort of a little piece of animation there.
[quote="SallyMcQueen":1weug0x6]It’s because we know he did die from either age or health problems so every time it’s mentioned, we’re like "…NO. "[/quote:1weug0x6]
Yeah, pretty much what I was going to say. Unless, of course, this is an alternative version where Doc lives through Cars 2.
I personally thought that Doc passed away due to age and from the injuries from “The Crash” that was mentioned in the first film.
SallyMcQueen: I too loved your ‘face falling’ thing. That was awesome! If we are discussing Doc’s death, I would say that I also think that he died due to health complications. What didn’t make sense is the fact that Lizzie is still alive. 
On with the story though!
CHAPTER EIGHT
Sally sat alone in the living room until the sun sank down and the darkness moved in. Then she paced restlessly in front of the door. Occasionally her undercarriage ached from the movement but she didn’t stop. She would wait up all night for him if she had to.
At last, she heard knocking from the doorway and rushed to answer it. “Doc?” she said with a mix of bafflement and disappointment.
“Can I come in, Sally?” he croaked.
“Um, yes,” she replied and let him inside the dismal house. She asked nervously, “W-where’s Lightning?”
“He’s gone already, off to the track early.”
“Gone? What?” Sally drove to the nearest window and peered outside. She swerved back around with anxious eyes and objected, “He can’t be gone yet! I-I need to tell him something.”
“He left half an hour ago. What could you need to tell him so badly? Just call him in Mack,” Doc suggested.
“N-no. You don’t understand. I…I didn’t get to say goodbye!” she exclaimed. Doc’s eyes remained half-closed and his expression calm as he waited for the truth. “OK, I needed to apologize. I was just so distressed and I said some things I didn’t mean,” she whimpered pitifully.
“Well, I guess you regret it now, don’t you?”
“Yes…”
He gave her an approving look, “Good then. That’s half the apology right there.”
“I suppose, but it will be pathetic if I call him to say it. And we were going to discuss baby names!” she sighed, “Where is he? He’s coming back isn’t he?”
“I said he’s at the track,” Doc reinforced, “He’s not coming home until after the Piston Cup.”
“Oh, that’s too long! I can’t wait that long!” Her eyes pleaded at him like he had the power to bring McQueen back.
“You’ll be very sorry by then,” he agreed.
“Yeah…Doc, you’re not really helping me,” she said with annoyance.
“Sorry, Sally. I’m just trying to bring you back to Earth a bit. You’re blowing things way out of proportion and missing the more important things,” he explained casually.
She blinked with incomprehension. Then she put two-and-two together. She blinked again, this time with shock. “Doc! Did you finally break it to him? Lightning is going…by himself?”
“Yes, I’m staying here. And he won’t be alone, the rest of the crew are following him up to the track tomorrow.”
Sally’s body tensed as she thought about McQueen’s first race without Doc. Twenty-three years old and he was finally going to be thrust hood over wheels into the real world. The world where he was forced to do things on his own, to be independent. She only hoped he was ready.
Good old Doc, always speaking the truth. <img src="//pixarplanet-forums.s3.dualstack.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/4/4d009dd141f26b0a611a818d8d3d4fc9f50168cf.gif" width="15" height="15" alt="8D" title="Chuckle"/> I know this was a short one but hopefully the Doc fans enjoyed it, and everyone else too! Leave a comment if you like, and thanks for reading! :smiley: