nice story!! 
I hope when they forgive each other sally can spend an entire night with lightning <3
could you update today??? I’m dying to know what’s gonna happen with them 
Thanks everybody for your comments! LOL, I’m glad you got that impression from Cheryl, that is exactly how I wanted her to come off. 
“Mousy” is the perfect word for it! This is probably the most updating I have done in my life so you don’t have to wait much longer, the next chapter is here!
CHAPTER THIRTY
Sally remained locked in her room for a good part of the next day. She saw no reason to emerge to her nosey mother and condescending father. She passed time by sleeping and conspiring heart wrenching thoughts.
It wasn’t until late afternoon that she heard a knock on the door followed by her mother’s timid voice, “Sally? Hun, is something wrong? Please, come to dinner, you’ll starve yourself to death.”
She sighed but finally answered, “I’ll be there in a minute, Mom.” She dragged herself from her spot on the carpet towards the door in a mope. For the hundredth time she wondered what McQueen was doing, wondered whether he still thought of her. She pushed it away and tried not to think about the sound of his voice or the warmth of his lips. She was so scared she would forget the little things that had all become so natural. If she forgot about those she’d forget it all, and soon his memory would be but a leaf in the wind.
She reached the dining room and found her father in his usual place behind the low mahogany table. His face betrayed a thin scowl but it disintegrated upon the sight of his daughter. She looked weary and dull, like the life of her was being sucked away. She moved through the motions of parking at the table but her eyes were far away and drained. Like a flower without sunlight, she was neglecting herself and withering instead of battling to survive.
Jon sighed with disappointment. Something inside him was bending, a change of heart perhaps. After all, the only thing he’d ever wanted was for her to be happy and he had succeeded in just the opposite. Sally thought his actions were utterly insane and irrational but that wasn’t it, they were just extreme.
He protected her life more than his own because he loved her so much. He figured that by setting her up with Justin she would have a wonderful life, the life he wanted for her. The truth though was this; he didn’t want to let her go. He was terrified to pass the responsibility onto another male. Growing up he had always been her hero, her knight in shining hubcaps, to save her from the darkest hours. He didn’t want another car to hold her heart more than he did.
One more look at Sally reflected the reality; there was somebody else who had stolen the key to her happiness from him. He could tell that she was craving for something; or someone.
It has to be her fiancé, he thought, I can’t believe it. She really does love him…enough to marry him too. I wish I could help her but I blew my chance. Only he can save her now…
“Well, here’s your drinks you two. Caviar anybody?” Cheryl offered as she placed the drinks onto the table.
Neither one answered but sipped from their drinks in silence. As the taste hit her tongue Sally felt more sadness. Store bought fuel was never the same as fuel from Flo’s Café. With nothing but this and agonizing thoughts of McQueen she already felt homesick.
She was home though; her summer vacation home at least. Long ago she’d known nothing but this spacious cottage and the mansion back in Los Angeles. It felt like the most unwelcoming place in the world this time around. The paintings on the walls, the wooden flooring and the iron railings of the veranda all mocked her now for she didn’t belong here anymore.
Cheryl shifted uncomfortably from the doorway unsure if she should repeat her question again to enforce an answer. She was about to open her mouth when they all heard a profound pounding at the front door. Each of them exchanged looks with each other before Cheryl bolted out into the hallway.
Sally turned acutely alert as the pounding came to a sudden stop. Sounds of the automated door closing, muffled voices and movement trickled down to the dining room. Every part of her body froze in anticipation.
Oh, please let it be him! Oh, please! She cried from the inside. Her father caught her eye and something in his greenish-grey eyes glinted back at her. It was almost as if her were thinking the exact same thing.
“Dad…?” she said almost inaudibly.
“Not now, Sally. Let’s not keep him waiting,” he replied.
So he was thinking the same thing as her! And was he blinking back tears? There wasn’t time to deliberate such things in the moment though. She raced out into the hall with her father close behind. Her heart thudded so quickly that for a brief second she felt light-headed while the perimeter of her vision turned spotty. “Mom! Mom!!!” she screamed.
“In the den, Sally!” Cheryl called back.
Sally glanced swiftly at Jon before tearing down the hallway. She made a sharp turn into the family room then stopped dead in her tracks. All breath rushed from her body, carrying but a single word, “Stickers…”
Yay! He's back! But is that a good thing, or does it just bring more problems? Find out next chapter! Oh, and leave a comment if you like, of course! Thanks! :smiley:I really hope mcqueen forgives her, since he seems too sweet to say anything so horrid! Also, you really brought out some poetic justice in this chapter!
Ohhh, that sounds fancy! Thanks so much bud. 
And thanks for being such a faithful reader to me!
Your welcome!
Yay! Lightning found her! <3 Wait, how did he find Sally? I have a feeling Cheryl was behind it the way she bolted for the door and such… I’m excited to see what Lightning and Sally are going to say to each other? And what’s going to happen when Jon meets Lightning? 
Well, it seems like he’s starting to have a change of heart so we’ll see. I agree with somethingguy! I’ve noticed as the story goes along, your writing just keeps getting better and better. 
OMG I love it please can you update today??? PLEASE!!! this part is what I’ve been waiting for please!!! I want to know what mcqueen is gonna do!!!
SallyMcQueen: Well, I can tell you this much; your first question will be answered. And many of the others. I’m glad you think I am improving too! I must agree that when I look over my earlier chapters I can see how much poorer the writing was and I don’t think I’m perfect but to know that it is getting better as I go is definetely great to hear! Hahaha, sorry for the wait everybody…the next chapter is ready!
CHAPTER THRITY-ONE
There he was; right in front of her. Body, mind and spirit, he was every bit present. She hungrily ran her eyes over his body but froze when she found his eyes. They were so stunning it took her breath away. Somehow she had overlooked them every time until now and she couldn’t pull her eyes away. She lost herself in their intensity, a dazzling shade that not even the ocean could match. And whilst their eyes remained locked she could feel all the negative emotions disappear. Their fight seemed so petty compared to all the other irreplaceable times they’d shared.
Tell me you feel the same way, tell me you need me just as bad, and tell me you still love me, she pleaded as his eyes stayed fixated on her.
Cheryl scuffed from nearby breaking the silence.
“Sally,” he cooed sending chills through her body.
She inhaled quickly with a gentle gasp. She couldn’t bring herself to speak a single word as thoughts overflowed into her mind. Had the tears gripped his body last night in the black of the night? Did they leave his hood streaked with moisture? Was his voice hoarse from the lack of steady breathing? Were his lips stained with their salty taste?
His lips. Oh, how she wanted them on her own. To be whisked away by their tenderness was all she needed. The world would fall away and she’d be renewed if she could just kiss him. And if it was as perfect as she hoped then they wouldn’t need words. No, it would go unspoken but they’d both hear ‘I’m sorry’ in their eyes and ‘I love you’ on their lips.
What a fantasy it could be. But all the same, she couldn’t kiss him. Nothing was physically stopping her, but mentally there was a block. He’d been furious with her that night and suppose he still was. She’d have to let him kiss her when he was ready.
Her eyes flitted away from McQueen and over to her father. Jon’s eyes had finally contracted from the size of hubcaps but he still looked blown away that Lightning McQueen was in his living room. Even more shocked than Cheryl actually.
“Mom, Dad, this is my fiancé,” Sally finally said.
“Mr, and Mrs. Carrera, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m sorry for the rude arrival,” McQueen added shyly. Sally’s mother appeared to be eyeing him almost provocatively and the fact that she looked about half her age wasn’t helping.
“Please, call me Jon. And my wife’s name is Cheryl. It’s wonderful to have you here,” Jon said gallantly.
Sally tossed Jon a surprised yet appreciative look for his politeness.
“Thank you, sir, I mean, Jon,” McQueen mumbled nervously.
“You’re just in time,” Cheryl added, “we were just about to eat. Would you join us? Or did you want a moment alone first?”
“Ah, why don’t we eat first? I’m starving,” Sally blurted.
McQueen gave her a peculiar look but agreed, “She’s right, I’d like that.”
Dinner was civil, with all conversation being general. No one liked to ruin a good meal so burning questions were saved until later when they gathered in the den like usual.
Jon had simply been observing McQueen and trying to swallow the facts. This was the car who wanted to spend the rest of his life with Sally, the one whom she obviously cared deeply for. It all seemed so surreal and it was hard to take in. He couldn’t deny what good attributes McQueen really had though. On TV one couldn’t tell just what good manners he had. He was genuine, soft-spoken and a bit timid with social interaction. He wasn’t a cover car, but a real car just like the rest of them. What tugged most at his mind was how he had never known this was going on. Surely, he could ask at least that much.
“Well, Sally knows more legal stuff than I’ll know in a lifetime so she took precautions after I asked her out. She has rights and restrictions so the media can’t publish any of her personal information; her name, pictures, that kind of thing,” McQueen explained breezily.
“Believe me; you’ve done a good job of it when even her parents didn’t know!” Cheryl laughed, “I was wondering if perhaps…you would tell us about your parents?”
“My parents?” he asked quietly. His eyes turned to Sally who was parked beside her father. She blinked curiously back at him, for she had no knowledge of McQueen’s childhood either.
All confidence dropped from his face and his body stiffened. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d thought about his family, let alone spoke of them. Most times he liked to pretend they were from another life, one he’d left long ago.
<img src="//pixarplanet-forums.s3.dualstack.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/c/cc83e9b583138e48ff45f96609046b06d06c7f9d.gif" width="15" height="15" alt=":mrgreen:" title="Mr. Green"/> Oh my goodness, I am SO excited to show you guys the next chapter! It is probably one of my favourites from the entire story and it will make up for all the lack of McQueen in previous chapters. But, you're gonna have to wait! Until then, let me know what you thought of this one. :slight_smile:The first part of this chapter had me “awww-ing!” at like every moment. Your descriptions and depictions were so great, I could feel exactly what Sally was feeling. <3 Can I say "POOR MCQUEENIE. 
" again? I have a feeling a very sad story is coming up with Lightning’s past. Your obvious excitement for it has me bouncing in my seat to read it! 
great job! keep it up! Now we can look around McQueen’s childhood!
Yes, you can say that again SallyMcQueen! You guys are correct, Sally had a chapter dedicated to her past, and now this is McQueen’s story. Enjoy!!!
CHAPTER THRITY-TWO
He could see it like a still image on the cinema screen. A small, doe-eyed boy staring into the luminescence of a television; it was the absolute picture of his childhood. He could remember watching The King’s first Piston Cup win with his father whooping and cheering right alongside him. Racing was something they said you were born into, that it wasn’t a pastime but a lifestyle. His father had only enjoyed it as a passionate hobby but he recognized potential from the first time his son laid eyes on the sport. The quiet little stock car lived and breathed the racing even more than he, as if his world revolved around it.
Pretty soon his life did revolve around racing. His parents enrolled him into courses and training with every chance they had. But any car with four wheels could race, what you really needed was talent. Without talent you didn’t stand a chance, but McQueen had it. He dedicated so much of his youth to racing that he would never settle with a typical job. He wouldn’t stop until he saw his number in lights and his tires turning beside The King.
Dreams never came easy though, especially when you lived in a lower middle-class family. His father worked gruelling hours in construction, often brining home dents, scratches and other ailments. Meanwhile, his mother juggled shifts at both a restaurant and bar. They worked hard to put money on the table, but racing was a costly sport and consumed a good portion of their income.
Further into racing, the expenses began taking a toll. McQueen could tell there was tension in his parents’ marriage as money started to disappear faster. His mother lost her job at the bar and took on night shifts at the restaurant to make ends meet and keep McQueen racing. Through it all though, they never stopped supporting him. They spent as much time at the track as work would permit and sacrificed unnecessary luxuries to be sure he had everything he needed.
His big break came at 19. He was finally accepted into the Piston Cup league trials and was picked up by Rust-eze. That was all he needed for his career to sky-rocket into fame. On his first race his mother wept from the sidelines while his father glowed with the utmost pride. With his first win McQueen decided to donate the prize money to his parents to re-pay with what he could, though it didn’t make up for all they had spent over the years. Things couldn’t have been better back then. He was flying so high that he could have never expected to crash so easily. And when he fell, that’s when the real problems began.
Within less than half a season it all caught up to him. Fame, girls, money and media swallowed him with ease. It pulled him to new realms and moulded him into a different car. He rarely saw his parents anymore and brushed off their invitations to attend press conferences or log hours on the track. He could have anything he wanted now, he didn’t need them. It wasn’t family photos that made the covers of magazines, but winners who did. He could worry about them later, he had fans to feed and fame to milk.
He had it all back then, and what he didn’t have money could buy. Well, most things that is. He thought it might be nice to have a steady girlfriend; one who liked him for something other than his money and looks. Or it might make him happier if he didn’t have to live with knowing his parents were having stressful fights behind his back. But racing didn’t allow for either of those things now. His parents couldn’t handle the pressures of trying to control a fame drenched teenager. And love was impossible when he could never truly be himself. He had an image to keep up now if he wanted more than his 15 minutes of fame, Harv told him.
This was the good life, this was happiness. That’s what society told him. Yet when the sun came down and he was alone, there was a void in his heart. Who did he have to care for him if he lost it all? Who did he have that would stand by him when the lights came down? He never felt more empty and alone than those long, sleepless nights.
Basking in the limelight by day and wallowing in loneliness at night, he didn’t think it could get much worse. It didn’t get much worse, not until the phone call.
Dum-dum-dum! I put a lot of work into this chapter and I hope you guys like the route I chose to take on McQueen's past. But what was that fateful phone call? Find out next chapter!!! :sunglasses: ^^^This was one of; probably the most well-written and poetic chapters in the whole story.
“…and his tires turning beside The King.”
“It wasn’t family photos that made the covers of magazines, but winners who did.”
“…and what he didn’t have money could buy.”
“This was the good life, this was happiness. That’s what society told him.”
“Basking in the limelight by day and wallowing in loneliness at night…”
These were one of the many pieces that stood out to me in this chapter as pure written genius and made me go “Wow. ” I always thought you were a good writer but there was something about this chapter in particular that can back me up when I say you definitely have some talent, no lie. Let me say some things about the story, McQueen’s background is picture-perfect, not in the sense of happy, of course. But in the sense that compared to what I saw of Lightning in the two Cars movies- mostly the first- this as his past flows into that seamlessly. There was nothing that caused me to think “Ehhh, no. I don’t think that could of happened because of-” No, like it was great. So, I commend you for that. Something else I want to mention is that I like how according to you, Lightning grew up in a family that was teeter-tottering in the finance department. I certainly always thought that, too. There were a few theories I’ve seen where Lightning grew up in somewhat wealthy families and I couldn’t quite grasp it. My thing is that if Lightning came from money, he wouldn’t of been like ‘a bug to a bright light’ when it came to the whole fame and fortune mumbo, you know? Unlike Sally who very obviously comes from wealth- being a Porsche and you know, the more obvious fact that she basically says it in the Wheel Well scene. 
actually looks at what she wrote I wrote like a novel, I must be feeling deep today. 
ANYWAY, ooooh! A phone call! My reader senses are telling me something happened to his parents- I’m sorry if I just completely ruined it. 
<3 That was one of the most flattering responses I have ever gotten! Thank you so much! I’m glad that what I did feel confident in actually came off as being well-written. I wouldn’t want to boast about non-existent things, you know? And I am thrilled that McQueen’s backstory comes off as being so believable because that is what I shoot for as one of my priorities. As for your idea on the phone call…you are more than right… 
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Divorce was such an ugly word, and an even uglier affair. The call came from his mother and she explained that at last it was official. After weeks of hanging to the brink, they had finally given up.
It struck McQueen like a sudden blow when she told him. It had always been a possibility that hovered in his mind, but now that she put it into words it was all too real. Through so many years his parents seemed to have an unbreakable marriage and in an instant it was gone. He was alone in every sense of the word now. The sheer safety net he once had was faded to dust.
He was faced with the harsh reality that his life was nothing more than a game. Win or be worthless, conform to what everybody wants or get out, that’s how it worked. It was this vicious cycle that kept him running and it was becoming too much to handle. The world of racing was a place of eat or be eaten; he’d just have to be more greedy if that’s what it took to win the Cup and land Dinoco.
That’s when McQueen really changed. He began firing his staff left and right without a care in the world. No one was looking out for him anymore, so why should he look after them and risk being held back from the top? With this mindset he quickly turned arrogant and self-centered. His egotistic attitude fed his fans; the only ones who gave him attention anymore. As long as he performed to their preference that is.
And so, he continued to live out his life in such a fashion. Until he wound up in Radiator Springs… Until he found a friend… Until he met Sally…
“Are you feeling ill, dear?” Cheryl asked him in a motherly tone.
He looked around the room with startled eyes. Just how long had he been trapped in his painful memories? The thought of reliving them verbally was too unbearable to fathom. He had to get out of the room and collect himself.
He met Sally’s worried eyes with difficulty but managed to find comfort in them and said, “I’m fine. Please, excuse me for a moment.”
He hastily reversed into the hall and followed it towards the back door. All he needed was a few minutes and some fresh air. He pushed open the wooden framed screen door to find that it led to a lengthy brown porch. He settled with his back to the house and took some deep breaths.
No more than five minutes later he heard the screen creak again. Sally wordlessly parked a few inches from his side. They hadn’t gotten a moment alone since his arrival and he didn’t know very well what she was feeling. What he felt between them was a double-edged sword; neither of them could make a move without feeling it cut. If she spoke it might upset him again, and if he spoke it might only hurt her more.
They remained unmoving for several more minutes with nothing but the sounds of nature around them and their own breathing. It felt strange to be so close but not quite touching. He had always loved the way she fit perfectly into the crook of his side.
Finally she looked up into the sky and quietly said, “A pink sky…how gorgeous. I suppose that means it will be a beautiful day tomorrow. Doesn’t it?”
McQueen gave her a peculiar look but her eyes didn’t stray from the sky. Why wasn’t she saying what was really on her mind?
“Yeah…Uh, aren’t you going to ask me why I ditched your parents? Or talk about-er-the other night?”
There came a pause, then, “No.”
“Why not?”
She sighed and grazed the sky with her eyes as if reading her answer from it, “‘Cause I don’t know what to say.”
There was another pause as he waited for her eyes to drop from the clouds. As her teary gaze drifted upon him he dug out all his courage and whispered benignly, “Well, luckily I do.”
This one finishes up McQueen's story but isn't as good as the last I don't think. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed it. :slight_smile:This is just…wow…I’m already picking your Fan-fic for PixarPlanet Fan-fic of the year …and finally Lightning and Sally talk instead of just looking at each other…
I really like the transition you showed from how Lightning went from like jerk to like super-jerk after his parents’ divorce- the way you wrote it showed it really nicely. Oh my gosh, they said words to each other! I’m dying to read what happens next, I need to know what they say! They better make up, that’s all I’m saying.
I second that!
heart explodes Would you guys really vote for me? That would be amazing! My story is almost the third most reviewed Cars story on FFN. That is out of more than 500 stories! Oh, but it would mean even more to me to win that award here on PP. I know, at last they are talking…and here’s what happens…
CHAPTER THRITY-FOUR
“Oh, Sally, where do I start? How about…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…for everything. When I found out you took off, it was hard to track you down. But I wasn’t letting you get away that easy! Megan gave me Justin’s number; she found it on the records from when he stayed at Wheel Well. I thought about it for a long time until I was ready to call him. We talked for an hour and he explained what happened. He even told me about your father. Well, he suggested this address to me, said you used to come here every summer with your family so I thought it was worth a go,” McQueen paused to let her digest all he’d said so far.
“So, you know that I didn’t-,” she started.
“Yes, Sally, I know. Mater told me the truth, he said he watched Justin kiss you and told me how it really went down. It’s long gone though, Sally. All I want is for you to know that-,” he stalled for a second. She could see his body tremble as he cried noiselessly. “I just want you to know that I’m- I’m sorry- from the bottom of my heart. T-that I can’t let you go. I-I love you so much…and I won’t make their mistakes! I won’t!” he stuttered while gasping for air.
Watching him cry she wanted to join, but she knew she had to stay strong for him right now. “Stickers, shhh, it’s OK. Who are you talking about making mistakes?”
“M-my parents. After I got into the big leagues they split up, divorced. And…I know it’s my fault, all my fault!” he exclaimed.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, McQueen. But that doesn’t mean it’s your fault. I’m sure they love you and-,” she coaxed.
“Love me? Yeah, right. Nothing was wrong until my stupid, selfish life came along. I cut them out of my life after the divorce, they’re probably happier that way. They don’t love me, and I bet they never did. I was only a burden…”
“Surely they must love you, Stickers. Otherwise, how would they have raised such a loving son?” she asked sweetly.
He stared into her caring eyes and found the deepest comfort. She could always see the silver lining in things and knew just how to lift his spirits. “Maybe they did raise me to love…or perhaps it was you.”
Her expression softened and while her heart melted inside she told him honestly, “It wasn’t me, I didn’t know love ‘til I met you.”
They continued to keep a steady connection between their eyes and smiled gently at one another.
McQueen motioned towards her tire and asked chivalrously, “May I?”
Sally giggled at his actions, “Oh, Stickers, you sound like such a school boy.”
“I’m just trying to be a gentle car,” he retorted.
She rolled her eyes and grinned, “Well, in that case…yes, you may hold my tire Mr. McQueen.”
He smiled cheekily, “Much obliged, Mrs. McQueen.”
Sally laughed heartily as he persisted to not only touch her tire but to press his entire side against her. They closed their eyes without a word and rested together for what felt like an eternity. When the air chilled and the moon was visible they blinked their eyes open at last. There was no noise on the peaceful back porch except the occasional rustling of the trees in the late summer breeze.
When McQueen spoke it was so quiet she had to strain just to hear him despite the dead silence. Ever so tenderly his voice carried out into the dark as he said, “I missed you, Sally.”
Sally looked up into the stars and wished she would remember the moment forever. “I missed you too…”
Yay for making up! And yay for fluff! :laughing: I hope everyone is feeling a little happier after reading that...considering everything I put you through. But don't forget...there's a little road block left called "Jon Carrera". :sunglasses:Awww that’s so sweet!!! Yay!! they’re offically back together!! I thought they were gonna kiss though…
Mmmm…not yet.
Ohhhhhh,ok…
I’m a shipper…you really think I would let them get away with making up without kissing? We shall see…