Chapter Text
September 2, 2006
As the sun rose over the horizon and let its light reflect on the waking town, the residents started hopping up from their beds and organizing their shops.
Flo was the first one up, already making breakfast for a commonly energetic Mater, who awoke second. The outdoor restaurant became populated with the rest of the town, all with a little more excitement than they’d usually have.
Because it was 3 days before their beloved Lightning’s 18th birthday. Radiator Springs always put a lot of effort into their favorite kid’s birthdays. Flo would bake a delicious chocolate cake for him (Lightning’s favorite), while everyone else would hang up decorations and give Lightning gifts that they’d see fit despite limited offerings. But since he’d be turning into an adult, they’d be even more festive with the party.
They had already prepared everything to be hung up, while Flo had yet to start making her signature birthday cake. Doc sat down at his customary two seater table and thanked Flo for his breakfast when everyone else had settled in. Doc usually directed everyone on what to do for his son’s, and that wasn’t different this year.
What was different however, was how much more nerve wracked and anxious he was.
He always wanted his boy to be happy, but Doc worried exceedingly about this day. His little Lightning bug would be all grown up, meaning he’d want to explore new ideas, pursue his dreams, and that of course included leaving town. The old man barely focused on his breakfast of bacon and eggs while he thought, staring at the wooden table subconsciously instead.
Lightning’s curiosity in what lay behind the desert horizon started very young. Doc felt mildly guilty about it, but when his kid asked about the outside world he’d described as a dark and horrendous place, blowing a lot of things about the world out of proportion to scare the kid into staying in town. Of course he was very young back then, so he believed it. One time, when Doc was describing another “tale of the Outside World”, he’d gotten poor Lightning so scared that he hid under his bed and sobbed, burying his face in his hands while trying to hide from the “monsters” out to get him.
—
”*hic* I-I’m scared Daddy!” the young boy cried, tears spilling out from his palms and hitting the wooden floor in tiny droplets. Doc felt guilt from lying and scaring his kid strike him like a dagger as he bent down and saw Lightning’s small shivering frame. To terrify a 6 year old boy like that was too far, especially to his own son. Doc’s face softened and he reached his hand out for Lightning to hold to get out from under the bed.
“Oh, shh, don’t cry kid,” Doc whispered as he tutted. Lightning peeked out from his arms and saw his loving dad’s hand reaching out him, and he took it, crawling out from under his bed. Doc the strength in his arm to lift Lightning up a little higher before plopping him down on the bed, making his kid smile at how he was temporarily “floating.” The small boy allowed himself to be cradled in his dad’s arms, while Doc kissed Lightning’s soft blonde hair that was slightly above his shoulders.
”S’long as you stay in town with your dad and the rest of your family, you’ll be safe. Understand Lightning?” He was met with quick nodding and more nuzzling into his chest, making Doc chuckle.
”Can I sleep with you tonight?” Lightning asked, big brown eyes looking up at Doc.
”Of course kid, I love you.”
”I love you too daddy.”
—
Doc looked fondly over that memory, thinking about how warm and cozy it was with his son in his arms. He still felt that twinge of guilt whenever he realized that he’d blatantly tricked Lightning into thinking that there were monsters out in the world, but even then that belief faded as the boy got older.
Doc also remembered Lightning’s 13th birthday vividly because of the mention of the world outside town. He’d asked Doc the dreaded question long after the party had ended, when Lightning was getting ready to go to bed.
—
Doc slightly jumped at the question before immediately calming down, looking over to the teen. He was already clad in his pajamas and had finished brushing his teeth before deciding to confront his tired father about a topic that he really didn’t feel like discussing at near midnight.
Doc rubbed his half opened eyes before answering. “All I know is not now, and you know why.”
The kid wasn’t satisfied. “What, because some monsters are gonna get me if I do? You know I’m old enough to know that monsters like that ain’t real dad. So why can’t I leave? And if I’m ever even allowed to,” he remarked with a regular teenage level of sass, “when can I?”
Knowing that Lightning would keep asking no matter how late it got, Doc’s tired expression became more serious. “Lightning,” he began, standing up from the couch of his house’s TV room, “You’re a remarkable kid. There may not be fictional monsters out there with talons and horns and sharp teeth, but there’s people out there, which is far worse.” Lightning raised an eyebrow confusingly, crossing his arms over his chest.
Doc walked over to the window, where the view of the desert was clear as it was illuminated by the full moon light. “What I mean is that people know how to hide themselves. The creatures from the fairytale books look obviously scary, and you’ll run away from them. But the devil doesn’t disguise himself as what he is, he shows up to you as everything you’ve ever wanted. And that’s how the people out there are like. Once they have what they needed from you, they’ll leave you to die, or worse.”
Doc turned around abruptly and looked straight into Lightning’s now worried brown eyes. “They won’t kill you regularly, no, they’ll make sure that you’re mentally scarred for life, and through any means possible to break you. For a young and healthy boy like yourself, that could be something like kidnapping and human trafficking.” Doc wasn’t necessarily lying like he’d done last time, but he was still stretching the truth by a landslide. It was doing the trick however as seen by the frightened look on Lightning’s face, and the old man felt successful but still extremely guilty.
”But not all people are like that!” Lighting sputtered out as a rebuttal. “Oh but they are kid. It could be anyone out there, waiting for the right moment to snatch you up and sell you on an auction like cattle. Or if you’re unlucky, they could cut you up and sell separate parts of you for even more money.” Doc watched as his kid’s lip quivered, wondering if any of this was a good idea. But he continued. “That’s all they care about. They’re all greedy and selfish, and it’s best that you stay here, with people that actually care about you.”
Doc hadn’t noticed how most of the lights in the room had gone off, and he’d subconsciously been switching them off one by one as he told his stories to Lightning. In the darkness, only dimly lit by the moonlight, Lightning rushed over to his adoptive dad and hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go. Doc slowly wrapped his arms around the kid, stroking his shaking back.
”I-is it all true? What you said?” Lightning asked, that oh-so-familiar stutter from when he got scared long ago returning in this moment. Doc knew he wasn’t telling the whole truth, but he sighed and said yes.
”You don’t have anything to be scared of if you never leave kid. Remember that. Now,” Doc said, pulling away from the hug but still keeping his hands firm on Lightning’s shoulders. “Get to bed. It’s getting late.”
—
As Doc mulled over these memories, he wondered how he’d be able to keep Lightning in town this time. His boy was getting older and the beliefs that Doc put in his head years ago maybe became less believable to an 18 year old. Maybe he could go outside, just supervised by Doc first. Then when he gets older, he can start exploring more on his own…
No. Doc couldn’t risk Lightning getting broken down by the world like the old man had so long ago. Back when he’d gotten rejected from the racing scene after his devastating crash. He didn’t want his boy to know about that type of crushing heartbreak ever in his life. So he went for keeping him inside town again. No matter how much he lied.
Meanwhile, the boy that Doc worried about himself was waking up and having a few conflicting thoughts of his own.
—
Lightning sighed and smoothed out his hair, looking into his mirror and stretching. “I got this, just go up to Dad, ask him the question, and hope for the best.”
The now 17-year-old Lightning had grown to not only be one of the most loved members of the town, but also the most striking and charming too. Fluffy, shining honey blonde hair that barely reached his shoulders framed his youthful face, dotted with nearly hundreds of freckles, which also spread across his entire body. His skin was very tanned because of the hours spent outside in town either messing around with his uncle Mater at his junkyard, talking to the townsfolk at Flo’s, or completing the chores his dad gave him. His smile was radiant and made could bring anyone’s mood up, and his eyes were that of a deep coffee brown, so dark yet the warmth that emanated from them was so strong that not even the most bitter person could deny their impact. It was like the sun herself blessed him, despite how pale and cold he was back when he was a frail baby behind the clinic.
Lightning’s brown eyes were now filled with anxiety at the prospect of asking his father to leave town. One part of him reasoned that he was growing up, and that his dad should understand that and let him leave just for a little while. But another part of him felt like he was betraying his family by wanting to leave, especially his poor dad, who just wanted his son to be safe and happy in town. He asked himself, am I being ungrateful? Am I basically saying that I hate Radiator Springs and think it’s boring just for wanting to explore outside of it?
He shook his head and snapped out of it, pushing his troubling thoughts to the back of his mind and stepping outside of his room and walking the familiar trail from him and Doc’s house, past the Clinic, to Flo’s Diner. He’d forget all about those questions for now and just focus on setting his plan into motion.
”Ooh My favorite customer!” Flo called out when Lightning came in. The kid smiled at her as he responded. “Good morning Aunt Flo!”
He sat down at the same table as Doc’s as usual, but the tension between them was significantly higher than usual due to their predicaments. Doc focused on his meal, not paying attention to Lightning for the time being. Flo set down Lightning’s breakfast and he ate it as quickly as he could, almost gobbling all of his bacon and eggs down.
”Woah kid!” Doc exclaimed when he looked up and saw Lightning trying to chug down all of his food. The old chuckled. “Slow down Lightning, you might choke.”
”Sorry dad, I’m just in a hurry.” Doc raised his eyebrow. “In a hurry for what?”
Lightning gulped, fidgeting with his fingers for a moment. Then he responded.
”Dad, could I talk to you for a minute? Somewhere more, private?”
Doc’s expression became more concerned, but he still said yes.
Moving away from Flo’s Diner (with Doc’s breakfast basically untouched,) They went inside the clinic to discuss the same topic they both had on their minds since morning.
”Dad,” Lightning began, sitting on the examen table and kicking his legs as if he were a kid again. “We both know that I’m turning 18 soon, and I’ve wanted what I’m gonna ask you for quite some time now. And um…”
Lightning paused and looked down for a moment, scratching the back of his head. Doc still kept his gaze on his son, sincere while trying to look at Lightning’s face.
”Could I leave town for my birthday?”
Doc sighed, and this increased Lightning’s anxiety and stress. “You know, I knew you were gonna ask that kid.”
Lightning’s brunette brows creased together worryingly. “R-really?”
”Yeah, and I understand why you’d want that. You’re growing up kid, and it’s natural for you to want to explore more.”
Lightning was surprised. For a moment the boy thought that maybe he had a sliver of a chance of going outside, but Doc’s next response erased that hope completely.
”But even as a legal adult, you’re not safe out there.” Doc had moved towards the only window of the clinic that gave some sort of light to the room, and shut it out with a swipe of the curtains. The kid flinched at the sudden darkness and tried focusing on the blurred figure of his dad.
”In fact, your chances of getting severely hurt out there increase. When you turn 18 kid, a lot of things that would be considered illegal to do against someone under that age becomes legal, so the people out there can do what they please with you, and no one will save you because in their sick, twisted heads, it’s perfectly fine now.”
Lightning saw Doc’s figure pace around and stood up, trying to find him. “But dad, you can teach me to protect myself! Can’t you?” He looked around and saw that his dad’s silhouette was gone from his sight.
Suddenly, before Lightning could process it, his dad’s hands grabbed his shoulders, making him yelp
”No amount of skills or techniques I could teach you could prepare you for what’s out there. What you have in physicality can’t make up for your lack of experience in the outside world. You’re too kind, trusting, too good of a person, and if they see any ray of sunshine walking freely, they’ll destroy it. Unless you stay here.”
Lightning felt cornered by the darkness and the frightening scenarios that ran wildly in his head. He felt extremely overwhelmed, and almost let the tears burning in his eyes stream down his face before the lights of the Clinic were turned back on, and he could see his dad standing before him. He didn’t need an invitation to run straight to him and hug him.
”Lightning?” Doc said, his voice smooth as butter and sweet as honey.
Lightning pulled away from the hug and looked up at his dad with a soft smile. “Yeah?”
Doc’s face became serious and almost cold, and the warmth from his voice vanished. “Don’t ever ask to leave this town, again.”
Lightning’s smile disappeared, and he looked down in disappointment. “Yes dad.”
Doc half-smiled, the shine in his eyes showing guilt as he looked down at his sad child. He felt like a monster, but he rationalized it as for the best.
”Come on, still gotta finish our breakfast right? I’ll let you get a milkshake today too, how that sound?”
Lightning smiled. “Sure, I’ll meet you there dad.”
Doc’s grasp on his son’s shoulders fell as he left the clinic, empty only of Lightning. Despite the light in the room, the kid felt cold, and the loneliness he felt didn’t just come from the fact that he was now alone in the clinic.
He soon followed his father to Flo’s Diner. Despite all the warm, genuinely loving faces there, Lightning still wondered: was there someone out there who felt the same loneliness as him in this world?