Author's Note:

Okay, this is my first Cars story. It's humanized and features humanized cars and Child!Lightning, Child!Sally, and Child!Mater! Also includes a younger Doc. Let's say he crashed in the seventies instead of the fifties like I read in a few other stories. I just had this idea pop into my head one day and decided to go with it. I hope it turns out okay!

Old Rivals and Bruises

Doc's P.O.V.

"Thanks for setting me straight again Doc!" Sheriff shouted over his shoulder as he walked out the clinic.

"You're welcome," I said gruffly, though he could see right through my mask. I had lived here for nearly twelve years and he was the first to bring down my defensive mask. Everyone in town knew that it was just to scare off people, though no one knew why.

I shook my head as the memories resurfaced. No need to remember my racing days or the accident. That was the past now and I was living in the future. A future where no one knew me as the Hudson Hornet or an old race car driver, but just as Doc, the old man that fixes them up and plays the judge, and I want it to stay that way.

I smiled as I heard Sally and Mater play hop-scotch outside. They were the only children in town and they had to be driven nearly twenty miles to school each day. Everyone was thankful that it was Spring Break because the children brought life back into this old ghost town. They made me wish I had my own sometimes, but it the end I probably would die without every raising a child.

Then there was the screeching of tires and the screaming of children. "Run Mater, run!" I heard Sally shout.

"'Am runnin as fast as ah can Sals!" Mater shouted back. I ran outside to see what the entire ruckus was about.

When I reached the door I had to hold back a snarl. There, in the flesh, was my old racing rival, Alan McQueen. He had been the one to make me flip and lose my racing career all those years ago. "Hey, be careful man!" Ramone shouted across the street, "You almost hit my daughter man!"

Sally was clutching Ramone's legs while he held her close. Mater was doing the same to Sheriff, though Sheriff obviously wanted to lock this guy up. I would have happily done it if he did bring him to court.

McQueen didn't even respond to Ramone's shouts. He grabbed something out of his mustang's back seat and came over to my door. "Would you mind if we talk business inside?" he asked, hiding whatever was in his car behind his back.

"Make it quick McQueen," I growled, moving out the way. As he walked past I saw a little bob of red hair following behind. Did he bring his kid to mock me? To show what he had destroyed in his racing career. Well, his kid wouldn't turn out to be like him if I had any say in the matter.

"I'm going to make it sweet and simple Hornet," he said, roughing shoving the child in front of him. "I'm too busy with my work and I can't keep this little urchin anymore. Just make him better and don't tell anyone I was here or I'll come back and make someone's life a living hell. Specifically, yours old man"

He started to walk out the door when I finally came out of my shock. "Why the hell do I have to watch him McQueen?" I asked, "Last I checked, we were enemies!"

"My wife had past and named you his godfather," he sneered, "Wouldn't want to abandon your sister's child now, would you?" With that, he walked out the clinic and went screeching out of town.

I was barely holding back tears. My sister was a sore spot for me. I still loved her after all these years and nothing could change that, but when she decided to marry McQueen our relationship went downhill. We had continued to send birthday and Christmas cards, she had even let me know in a brief letter that she had given birth to a little boy, but something was always off about them. Like, she had written them in haste and some of them had blood dotted on them. I had a sneaking suspicion about why they were like that and before I could visit her I had received the letter that my sister had passed away in the hospital and the police were expecting her death to be a homicide. She had been covered in blood and fist shaped bruises and no one knew why. I suspected that McQueen had done it and I knew that one look at her son would probably give me my answer.

I turned around and barely bit back a scream. It was like I was seeing my sister again. They had the same fiery red hair and the same sky blue eyes, though his were framed with old glasses. He was just the boy version of his mother, though I never saw his mother as badly beaten as he was at her age. Large bruises that strangely resembled large hands cover his face and his hair was matted with blood. The blood was on his face too and the boy seemed to be favoring his left leg over his right. His left wrist was in some sort of homemade splint and his glasses were being held together with masking tape.

"A-are you m-my U-u-uncle Doc?" he asked.

"That I am little one," I said, getting down on my knees, "You're going to be staying with me for a little while until we can figure out if you have any other place to stay. I'm going to get my friend and he's going to take a few pictures. Then we'll clean you up and take a few more pictures if we need too,"

He whimpered at that and started to back away. "N-n-no!" he shouted and hid under the table. I could see him shaking and he had his arms above his head. "The m-man who t-t-takes pi-pic-pictures is g-go-going to tell D-daddy a-and he'll p-pun-punish me again!"

I could hear his sobs and my heart broke. If my sister had to listen to the monster do that to her son, then it was clear why she named me godfather. She knew I was a doctor that could help her son get better. It must have been hell if she had died knowing that he was beating her only child. "He won't tell your father," I said, "He'll make sure he never knows,"

He whimpered again and I sighed. How was I going to get this kid to let Sheriff look at him? "What did your mommy say about me?" I asked, slowing walking towards the table.

"T-th-that you wouldn't h-hurt me l-like Dad and y-you wou-wouldn't lie," he looked at me with tearful eyes, "You ain't ly-lying to me?"

"I promise I'm not lying," I said, "Now, before I leave to get my friend, can you come out from under the table?"

He sat there for a moment and looked at me with fearful eyes. But the fear faded and he crawled out from his hiding spot. He stopped a couple of feet away from me. "What's your name little one?" I asked.

"Lightning," he said.

"Well, Lightning," I said, "Do you see that table with the paper on it?" He looked where I was pointing and nodded. "Go sit on that table until I get back, alright?"

He nodded and rushed for the table. It was obvious that he thought that if he didn't do it quickly that he would get hit for it. That made me sick to my stomach. I would never hit a child, much less my nephew. Then there was the fact that he was limping. He probably had a sprained or broken ankle. I'd have to do an x-ray on that leg.

Once I made sure he was on the examination table, I left to get Sheriff. He was at his house with Ramone and the children. "If you don't find that idiot I'll find him myself!" Ramone said.

"You are not to chase him down Ramone!" Sheriff shouted, "I'm looking up his license plate right now. I hope he's got a warrant on him, I let everyone with the next five counties know that he stopped here,"

Sally noticed me first. "Hi Doc!" she said, "Did you see that scary man?"

"I did," I said, leaning down to ruffle her curls, "He came into the clinic and I need Sheriff to come with me to check on something,"

"Mater, go with Ramone for a little bit," he said, leaning down to kiss Mater's forehead, "I'll be back in time for dinner, I hope,"

"A' right Papa," he said, following Ramone and Sally out the door.

"Grab your camera," I said, "I want to get some evidence of this,"

He didn't ask why we needed his camera, just grabbed it and followed me like a hound dog follows the hunter. I braced myself to see the blood and the bruises again, it just hurt to see someone so small have them. I saw Mater when Sheriff had gotten him away from his abusive home, but Lightning was a lot worse of then Mater was. At least Mater wasn't stuttering when we had found him. He stayed just as bright and happy as he would have if we had just announced we were going to get him some ice cream. I guess that he acted like that because we knew him, where Lightning was just left in my living room with someone he didn't know except from stories his mother told him. "Now, be calm when you see him," I said, "He's hurt pretty bad,"

We walked in and Lightning's head shot up. He looked like a deer in the headlights, but relaxed when he noticed it was just the Sheriff and I. I looked over at Sheriff and I could tell he was seeing Mater all over again. "Lightning, this is Sheriff," I said, "Sheriff; this is my nephew, Lightning McQueen,"

He smiled at Lightning and Lightning managed to smile back. He looked at me and I gave him a small nod. "We're going to see what's wrong with you, okay?" I said.

"But I already know what's wrong," Lightning said, looking at his feet, "I'm a stupid mistake and I'm useless when it comes to just about anything,"

"You're not a mistake Lightning," Sheriff said, slowing inching forward. "You just haven't found what you're meant to do yet. You're just a little one; you don't have to know what you want to do just yet,"

We managed to get a foot away when he stiffened. "Sheriff is going to take a few pictures, alright," I said, "Then we're going to get you cleaned up and take a few more pictures. Is that alright with you?"

"Are you gonna hold my head under the water?" Lightning asked.

"No Lightning," I said, "That's a mean thing to do and I don't like doing mean things,"

"Alright," he whispered, playing with the laces of his shoes. Sheriff managed to get a few good pictures of his face and backed off.

"I'm going to get some of Mater's smaller clothes," he said, "You know, since his clothing is evidence,"

I nodded and watched Lightning jump off the examination table. When I led him to the bathroom he made sure to keep at least two feet of distanced between us. I let out a small sigh as he waited at the door for me to get the bath ready. I should be used to this, I've dealt with abused children before and I've never felt so disgusted in my life. I think it's the fact that he's my nephew, it just hits closer to home.

I just hope McQueen is wanted for something because, if he isn't, I'm going to make him wanted for child abuse and abandonment.

So, there's the first chapter. I hope it wasn't too bad. Just leave a little review if you have any suggestion.