"Woo!" I cheered. "Go, Jackson! And Cruz! Heck! Go, everyone!"

Hey, go big or go home. My heart pounded every time they passed by.

"Come on!" I cheered. "You can do it!"

I cheered the same for Jackson and Cruz, the entire two hundred laps, but my eyes were on Dad, especially. I really wanted him to win.

Really wanted it.

---

There were only a few laps left. Cruz was in second, and Jackson in first. Dad had taken position as crew chief for Cruz, halfway through the race. While he went on about fluffy clouds and tractors, my eyes were glued on the two racers.

"Cruz's in second place!" Bob exclaimed.

"Can she grab the lead?!" Darrell asked.

She did grab it, only for Jackson to take it back, within seconds. Cruz then passed back by him, and she seemed to laugh, when he half-smiled, and pushed her, so she slightly hit the wall.

"You have hit a wall!" Dad teased. "You have hit a wall!"

"Ha-ha!" Cruz remarked, speeding ahead. "Just being aggressive!"

What Jackson didn't expect was for her to flip against the wall, and pass him, when he did it, again.

On the final lap.

She passed the finish line, first.

My jaw dropped, as I cheered for her. I laughed at how astonished Jackson looked.

"Holy cow!" Darrell yelled. "A female just won the Florida 500!"

The few reporters had been going nuts in the background. I quickly rushed down, and made my way across the field. I zoomed over, and hugged the two of them. Jackson looked at me, and smiled.

A little while later, we made our way to that black stage, with the cool background built behind it that you drove through, that had the confetti with it. I managed to catch up with Jackson, on the way there.

"Look who lost to a girl," I said. "Are we still good for just being girls?"

"You know I didn't say that." he remarked, trying to sneak past this.

"You so did, liar." I corrected. He smirked, giving me a light punch with his tire. I laughed.

"I'm going up there," he said. "I'll see you later."

I nodded. As he drove off, something began to rise in me. I looked down, then back at Jackson.

"Storm!" I called. He turned around, as I drove up, and kissed him. I let him melt into it, since he seemed a little surprised, being we were in public, before I pulled away. He smiled.

"See you, Alex." he said, before driving up there. I watched him, a small smile on my face.

Funny, just a few months ago, I wanted nothing to do with him.

But, here we were.

---

"For the first time in racing history," said the announcer, as we watched the three of them come out through the curtain, cheering.

"Our first ever female rookie has won!" they announced, as Cruz drove out, excitedly, a smile on her face.

"Give it up for our champion, and runner-up!" the announcer, well...announced...excitedly. Everyone cheered and hollered for them.

Especially me.

I was just proud that my dad was back in racing. After their glory moments, we all caught up together. Jackson drove up next to me, and I smiled, looking to Dad.

"I have to say," said Dad. "I may not have won, but I'm happy to be back."

"We all are." said Mom. He smiled, as she looked to Jackson.

"You have no idea what it means to finally beat you, Jackson." said Cruz, jokingly.

"Did you say "meet" or "beat"?" Jackson asked. That's when Dad decided to take his moment of revenge, since he told us about this.

"I think you heard her." he said. Jackson smiled, which was the first I'd seen of him fully smiling.

"Well played, Mr. McQueen."

"Ah-ah, it was my idea first!" Cruz jumped in, defensively. "Don't give him all the credit!"

I laughed at their shenanigans.

"Hey, Mr. McQueen?" someone asked. We turned to see the new head of Dinoco, Tex Dinoco.

"Mind if I speak to you a moment?" he asked.

"Oh, uh..yeah. Yeah, of course." Dad answered, joining him. Everyone seemed to be talking on their own, afterwards. Jackson looked to me.

"This season went by quick." he said.

Not only was he bad at lying, but he was bad at starting conversations without a remark, too. I smiled.

"There's always next season," I said. "Maybe, we'll deal with another psycho that wants to take out my dad, again."

Another half smile from Jackson.

"Well," he said. "I know that I didn't exactly ask you out the first time, but maybe, I can do it this time."

The smile I gave him this time was more genuine.

"If you'll let me, of course." he said.

"Only if you mean it." I said. He smiled, and nuzzled against me. I laughed a bit.

"I do." he said. I leaned against him, relieved that it was all over, and that there was peace for once.

It was a struggle, but we made it.

---

So, it was official.

Jackson and I would be going on our first date, but before that, let's get back to what happened at the Speedway (the Florida International Speedway, to be precise).

Dad came back with Tex, and looked to me.

"We'll need to talk to you for a minute, Alex," said Tex. "If you don't mind, that is."

I looked to Jackson, then to Tex, and nodded.

"Oh, uh..yeah, okay." I said, driving along with them. I gave Jackson one last glance, before disappearing with them.

---

Jackson's P.O.V:

Soon as Alex was gone, something began to feel off. It took a few minutes, before I realized I was alone with a cheering crowd. I decided to take a drive, like Alex and I used to do; get stuff off my mind.

Have to say, though, she was something else. Not many enjoyed the cocky demeanor I gave them. She didn't just enjoy it. She found the loopholes, and she took the opportunity to fight back. It's what made her a McQueen.

To think that I gave her hell to begin with...

She changed me. I was cocky, and arrogant, and all I wanted was that Piston Cup, and she changed all that.

She opened me up.

Getting away from all that, I hadn't been strolling off for more than two minutes, when I heard my name.

"Yo, Storm."

I looked back.

It was Ray, my crew chief.

I drove over to him, not anticipating any invitation to be helped out during the races again.

"Any new problems?" I asked.

"Nah," he said. "we heard what happened. Listen, man, don't worry about a thing, alright?"

"What did you hear?"

"Enough to know you didn't do anything," he answered. "you were forced, weren't ya?"

I nodded.

"That's all we need to know," he continued. "Welcome back."

"You're not serious." I answered, almost immediately.

"Look, Storm," he said. "You're a good guy. Sure, you're arrogant, and you can be cocky sometimes, but you're a rookie. It's what rookies do. We want you back, bro."

I took a minute and hesitated, before nodding in agreement.

"Let's get you taken care of," he said. "get you something to eat, polish you up."

I looked back.

"And, what about Alex?" I asked.

"She's a McQueen, Storm," he said. "she got her own stuff to worry about. Worry about her, later."

My trailer backed up, opening his back door, for me to enter.

"Just, ah..give me a minute, man." I said, driving off to wait for Alex. I could hear him talking with the rest of my crew, behind me.

"I told ya he's hood over tires for her, but did ya listen? Nope." said someone else, as I left.

"Don't act like you didn't have a girl rub her trunk on your hood before, Ed."

"See, that was for the money...I wonder if he'll do the same thing with McQueen's kid."

---

Alex's P.O.V:

"Wait, so...you want me to join with Dinoco?" I asked. Tex gave me a smile, and I could tell he was serious. I looked to Dad.

"Hey, you have the skills." he said.

"And, you have the heart," said Tex. "Alex, I've observed the way you race, and seeing the way you changed Jackson Storm from cocky to caring, and how you caught Sterling in his tracks? You have a good heart. I want to sponsor you. If you don't want to, that's okay. We'll always wait for you."

I smiled, but joining Dinoco meant I'd have to leave my family.

I couldn't do it.

"Thank you, Mr. Tex, but..."

I trained off, looking at Mom, who had been talking with Mack and Flo. The way that everyone in Team McQueen laughed with each other, and the way they smiled to each other gave me such relief.

The way they cared.

"This...it's home." I finished.

"I can understand that," said Tex. "Know that we're here, if there's anything you need, alright?"

"Thank you, sir," I said. "I appreciate it."

He smiled, and drove off. I looked to Dad, leaning into him, as he smiled.

"I'm real proud of you, Alex," he said. "You fought through a lot."

"I had a good role model." I responded, earning a smile from him.

"Alex!" someone called. We turned back, to see Lena.

I didn't even have time to see her hug me.

She was that quick.

"You have no idea what's happening, right now." she said, but she seemed a little worried.

"What's happening?" I asked.

"It's about Jackson."

---

Jackson's P.O.V:

I didn't even realize that Lena was here, and I have to say, Alex's friends are a little scary. They pop out of nowhere to spill your secrets when you least expect it.

I had been on my way, looking for Alex, while my crew complained about me taking too long. Ray and Ed finally came after me, when I was at the other side of the Speedway.

"We gotta go, Storm." he said.

"Just give me a minute, man, I can't find her." I said.

"You don't need to find her, Storm! We need to go! It's late, and I need to get home!" Ed complained. I rolled my eyes.

"Go home and do what? Watch RSN?" I asked, a little argumentative.

"Why do you care so much about finding McQueen's kid? She's just a girl!" he whined on.

I glared, turning to him.

"She's not just a girl."

"Yeah, she is!" he yelled, groaning afterwards. I drove off, ignoring him.

"Oh, don't you drive away from me!"

I didn't respond.

"Yo, HotShot! Answer me, won't ya?!"

Still nothing.

"Oh, you wanna play that game?! We gave you your start! Don't think that you're Mr. Independent, all of a sudden!"

"What are you gonna do?" I asked. "Viciously change my tires?"

I smirked as he freaked out, and kept going.

"Alex? Where you at?" I called, unaware that she wasn't here...yet.

"I invite you back, and what you decide to do is insult me, when I tell you that you need to get back, so you can have a good life!" he yelled.

Next thing you know, something hits me, right in my spoiler.

I froze in my tracks, and turned around, glaring at him.

"That better not have dented me, Ed." I threatened.

I can't stand dents, at least not on me.

"Whatcha gonna do, HotShot?" he asked, as if I was afraid of him. I charged my engine, just about ready to ram this guy into next week, while a crowd drew around us. I wasn't able to charge all the way. He threw a tire at me, and I had to dodge.

That was it. I flew right at him, but I was stopped by someone calling me.

Man, and right when I was inches away from knocking his tires off.

"Jackson!"

I turned, to see Alex and Lena.

Alex didn't look too happy.

---

Alex's P.O.V:

I leave him for five minutes, and he gets into a fight with a midget with a mustache.

"What's going on?" I asked. "Where'd you go?"

"I was looking for you is what was going on!" he answered, seemingly upset. "What took you so long?"

"I was talking to the head of Dinoco." I answered. His irritated expression turned into one of what I thought was confusion.

"Wait, you're leaving for Dinoco?" he asked.

"What? No! Of course, not!" I responded. "It doesn't matter! Jackson, what was going on here?"

He looked to the guy he was supposedly angry at, then looked to me.

"Nothing." he said, driving past. I turned around, watching him.

"So, "nothing" drew a huge crowd around you and that forklift?" I asked.

What was he not telling me?

And, why was I suddenly worried about it?"

"Yes, nothing drew that crowd. Alright?" he asked.

"No, not alright," I said. "Jackson, what happened?"

"I just got my crew back, it was a long day, can we please not worry about it?" he asked in return, and I could tell he wasn't in the mood.

"Jackson!" I called. He ignored me, and I watched his figure disappear, within the crowd. I sighed, as Lena drove up behind me.

"Everything alright, Bestie?" she asked, calmly. I looked at her, and nodded.

"Yeah..." I said, trailing off. "Let's go home."

"Wait," she said. "Are you sure?"

"Mhmm."

I turned, making my way back to Team McQueen, so we could head back to Radiator Springs. Obviously, if Jackson wasn't in the mood, I wasn't going to bother him, anymore.

But, I would make a move that would put things into jeopardy.

Typical Alex.