Four Months Later:

Jackson's P.O.V.:

I drove on ahead, inside the barn.

"Look who's up," I told the paintless figure in front of me. Her red flames were gone; that bright yellow paint that she wore on the track had been replaced with a primer.

But, it was her eyes that I noticed, first.

Two, once-bright, turquoise eyes, that had been dulled in the shade of the barn. They looked straight into mine, and it was as if a flashlight had shone on them.

"You look a little blue." I joked.

"Heh...yeah..." she answered.

She wasn't being sarcastic; she wasn't smarting back.

Just a simple "yeah".

This wasn't her.

"Can't still be upset, can you?" I asked.

She looked down.

"I thought I could do it," she responded. "...I couldn't."

I hesitated from what I wanted to say; a few seconds later, I told myself, "Screw it."

"Alex, what happened out there?" I asked.

"It was the dream." she answered. I remembered her telling me that she had a strange dream, or something. I couldn't remember well; it had been months ago since she told me about it.

The barn was dark, silent.

It felt more like a grave.

"Come on, Kid, let's get you out of here," I said. "Get you into the sun; take you for a drive-"

"I'm not going out there." she cut off.

For a minute, I didn't say a thing.

"What?" I asked.

"They'll just keep questioning me out there," she explained. "I can't put up with it; not after this."

"Alex, you can't stay in here, forever." I pointed out.

"Watch me." was her response.

"So, you're just gonna sit here and rust away?" I asked. She nodded.

"I'm gonna go out there, and they're gonna tell me that I'm done." she said.

"Alex, you and I both know that isn't true-"

"You weren't there until the last minute, Jackson."

I went dead silent. Her eyes became brimmed with tears, her voice raised.

"I hit the wall like a rock, and while I was flipping in the air like that," she explained. "...I knew that I was through...you don't know what that feels like."

"I may never have crashed, but I know one guy who did," I argued. "If he didn't give up yet, why are you?"

We both knew who I was talking about.

Alex seemed to be blinking back tears.

"Alex, you learned in one week what takes racers years to learn," I argued. "You drive into these stadiums, and you change the cars around you-"

"How would you know-"

"Because, I was one of those cars!" I cut off.

I was mad, not at her, but at me.

I was mad at myself for not stopping her from dazing out and crashing.

I was mad at myself for not driving after her when she ran off, after Casey lied to her.

I was mad at myself for not just going on the edge and telling her in the first place that I wanted her to be mine.

"Alex, you changed me!" I let out. "Do you not understand that?! You changed me, and your dad, you changed the cars at that stadium; that's your gift! You're not going to sit in here and waste it!"

"Jackson-"

"You're a racer, Alex!" I interrupted. "Do you understand?! You are a racer! And, I love you too much to let you waste your life away inside an old barn full of nothing but what happened four months ago!"

I took a few heavy breaths, and the barn became quiet, again.

It was as if there was no other world than the barn that the two of us were in.

Then, she hugged me.

"I love you, too, Jackson."

That's when I realized what I had told her.

And, it was the first time I'd said it to her.

"You're not staying in here, Alex." I said. "We'll get your paint back, I'll take you down there, and we'll do some training. Alright?"

She was still quiet.

"Jackson, am I gonna be okay?" she asked.

I didn't know how to respond, so I gave her a nod.

It should have been me asking her.

---

Alex's P.O.V:

Jackson had dragged me over to Ramone's to get painted. I had spent the last four months in my old paint, but my same parts. My spoiler wasn't replaced until Dad had taken me to the Rust-eze Center, which Tex had now owned, after negotiating with Sterling.

According to Tex, I actually hadn't been the first female, and neither had Cruz been.

My dad had never told us.

Tex explained to me that Louise Nash had actually been the first female, but it had been so long ago that it was forgotten she had raced in the first place.

I was bummed, when I found out. Everything I had gone through, just to realize it was someone else's legacy that I was given credit for.

It wasn't right.

I wanted Jackson to come with me, now that Team Igntr and Team McQueen were alliances, and not enemies. However, he had to meet up with his team, and didn't have the chance.

"You think we could visit her?" I asked Dad, referring to Louise.

"Are you kidding?" he asked, eagerly, and the way his eyes lit up at my question seemed to raise my heart somewhat. I gave him a smile, as he continued on. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you to ask me that?"

"Probably a while, because I've never heard of her, until today," I answered. "Why are guys so rude about girls joining the leagues?"

"Well, Alex," he said, watching as my new spoiler was placed on. "I guess we just don't expect something that incredible from a girl."

"Did you expect it from Mom?" I asked, finding the loophole, and giving him a half-smile. He returned it with his own.

"Not at first, no," he said. "but, after I met her, I expected it from you."

"So, what I'm hearing is: you wanted to start a family with her from the start?"

"Not from the start, but as time passed, I did."

I nodded. This was the first time I'd had a real conversation with Dad, about something that didn't have anything to do with the trouble around us.

I enjoyed it.

"Hey, Dad?" I asked. He nodded, as if to signal that he was listening.

"Did you know that I was Storm Swift from the beginning?" I asked.

He gave me a smile.

"I knew you had a good intention, so I chose not to stop you." he explained.

"Wait, so even at the beach-?" I cut myself off. He nodded.

"I'm not as dumb as you think I am, Alex." he answered.

"What about with the argument, with Jackson?" I asked. "Were you just pretending?"

"Well, partially I had forgotten it was you, because I was still mad at Storm," he explained. "but, once he was gone, my thoughts came back. It's why I wasn't mad at you."

He knew I was trying to help him, and he knew I was as upset at Storm as he was.

"Besides, if your anger at Storm is what motivated you to join the leagues, and help me get back into racing," he continued. "I wasn't gonna interfere."

I looked him straight in the eyes, realizing something.

"You had faith in me the entire time." I said.

"I've had faith in you since you came into the world, Alex," he said. "I knew that at some point, you were going to become a racer."

"Your wish came true." I joked. He gave me a smile.

It felt good to have the pieces of the puzzle come together. It felt like something was off, ever since I came into the season.

Now, I knew.

---

"I'd like to give you a design of your own, Alex," said Tex. "With your dad's permission, of course." he added, looking to my dad.

"Show it to her." Dad said, a smile on his face.

"Follow me, Alex." Tex responded, smiling at me. I followed, and he led me inside the paint studio.

The new suit felt pretty comfy. I felt...renewed.

"Take a look." said Tex, nodded his head towards a small mirror. Driving up, I saw myself in Dad's red Rust-eze paint; the red paint, the golden Rust-eze emblem, and a new number:

Number ninety-six.

I turned to Dad.

"Well, what do you think?" he asked.

"I gotta say," I said, a small laugh escaping during. "Rust-eze looks pretty good on me."

"I'm glad you like it." he said.

"I'm guessing that if I have a kid, they're gonna be ninety-seven." I joked.

"Or, they could be ninety-six and a half." Dad responded. I smiled.

"Thank you, Dad." I said.

"So, what do you say?" he asked. "Are you ready to get back onto the track?"

"The track?" I asked, thinking back to the crash.

"Well, you motivated me," he said. "I think it's time I pay you back."

I looked down.

"Dad, what if I mess up, again?" I asked.

"Well, I went back, didn't I?" he asked. "I believe in you, Alex. Don't let what happened back in Tennessee discourage you. You can do it!"

I thought for a minute, then nodded.

"Will you help me?" I asked. Dad smiled.

"Gladly."

---

Jackson's P.O.V.:

I hadn't expected her to come back. I dropped her off at Ramone's, let her dad see her, and left. I was called back to the team. Ed and I made up or whatever, but we didn't talk often.

Let me rephrase that.

He didn't talk to me often.

I was training when I saw her drive inside, but I didn't recognize her.

"Jackson!" someone called. I stopped in my tracks. It wasn't the first time I'd been interrupted on the road.

"You've gotta be kidding me." I muttered, turning around, to see a different car. She was red, and had the same design that McQueen had when he was a rookie.

I was confused, and thought she was just a fangirl.

"Sorry, but if you're looking for McQueen, he isn't here." I advised.

"I hope you realize it's me." she said, as I was turning to go back to what I was doing.

I turned back to her.

"Alex?" I asked, seeing those same, bright turquoise eyes.

This was the Alex I knew.

She smiled at me.

"What do you think?" she asked. I took another glance, realizing that she had a new number. I half-smiled at her.

She looked brand new.

She looked...

"Beautiful."

---

Alex's P.O.V.:

Dad had driven me to see Louise Nash, and I was super excited to meet the actual first female racer.

We pulled up at Smoke's Automotive Service, and my excited expression quickly turned into a confused one.

"Uh, Dad?" I asked. "I asked you to take me to see Louise Nash. Who's...Smoke?"

"The name's Smokey." someone said. I turned, to see an old-looking Hudson pickup-truck. He was orange, and had a brown, rusty flatbed.

"You meet one, you're meeting us all, Rookie." he said.

Now, this was a car that I would be scared to talk back to.

I looked to Dad, and he gave "Smokey" a smile.

"Nice to see you again, Lightning," Smokey greeted. "What brings you here, other than your request for your kid?"

"I decided I'd give you guys a little visit," Dad responded. "I really missed this place."

He then gestured to me.

"Smokey, this is my daughter, Alex." he introduced. I gave Smokey a shy smile, and he seemed to study me.

"Huh, from the way your old pa' spoke about you," he said to me. "I could'a sworn he was talking about one of these celebrities out there. I tell you what, you ain't heard of a good song or race, until you've seen one of our ol' folks here racin' around or singin' at the bar."

He let out a small chuckle, and I gave him a smile. He turned around, and called two others.

"Scott! Moon!" he called. "We got company!"

Two more cars drove over. One of them seemed to be an older racer. He was gray, and the number "thirty-four" was painted on his side, in white.

Ironically, for a little car, he had some big tires. The other car was a sharp, black color.

"Alex." said Smokey. I faced him.

"This here's River Scott," he said, nodding towards the gray car. "and, Junior Midnight Moon." he finished, gesturing to the black car.

"This McQueen's kid?" asked Moon. "Can't be; she's too small!"

"Hey!" I spoke up, defensively, earning a chuckle from him.

"Small and shiny," said River. "We didn't do it that way back in Hud's time."

I assumed they were talking about Doc.

"Heck, we still ain't done it, now, Scott!" Moon joked, and the two of them shared a laugh. I looked to my dad, a little offended by that. He gave me a smirk.

"Tell me, Alex," said Smokey. "Whatcha need Nash for?"

"I just wanted to come and see her," I said. "I wanna hear from the actual first female racer."

Smokey looked to Dad.

"I'll tell you one thing, McQueen," he said. "You raised a humble ol' girl."

"I'm not old!" I jumped in, once again. Smokey looked to me, then to Dad, again.

"She's as uptight and loud as you were when you were a rookie, Scott!" Junior joked. I rolled my eyes, as Smokey let out a small laugh.

"They like to mess with newcomers that way, Alex," he informed. "When Scott came here, no one stopped messin' with the ol' boy for a week and a half."

Scott smiled.

"These two ol' boys here were cruel as can be, back then." Scott said.

"But, boy, oh boy, did we act like brothers!" Junior added in, and they all laughed. Smokey looked to Dad and I.

"You two come on and follow me." he said. As we drove along, I looked to Dad.

"Where is he taking us?" I asked. Dad smiled.

"You'll see, when we get there." he answered.