{Note: This is a Lightning and Cruz fanfiction, but it's not like boyfriend and girlfriend. It's like a father and daughter relationship cause I can see them having something like that in Cars 3. I DO NOT ship them as a couple. He's literally like 40 and Cruz is probably in her 20s. Plus McQueen has Sally, so he good. XD Anyways, sorry for the shpeel. Enjoy the story! :)}

The sun was high, shining down on the beach below. It was the perfect day to go to the beach, but no one seemed to be around. It seemed deserted, only a few cars here and there. A couple was driving along the shoreline, snuggling against each other. A few yards away, a small family was enjoying a picnic on the sand.

Although the sky looked rather gloomy from time to time, it was still a beautiful day. The water was beautiful, rising and crashing against the shore. The white, bubbly foam rising on the sand, the crystal blue water seeming a dream. Everyone couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the beach. After all, Florida had some of the most beautiful beaches.

Although, there was one visitor on this fine day that hardly even noticed the beauty. Seven-time Piston Cup Champion, Lightning McQueen, was parked in the sand, eyes closed as the wind blew against him. His new crimson, red paint was glistening in the sunlight, his neon Rust-eze symbols seeming to glow in the sunlight.

He had been parked there for a while, the waves hardly missing his front tires. He had been coming here often after his training. He was spending a month in Florida, waiting for the day of the race. He found that coming to this beach really helped him clear his mind.

He was thinking, and not about the race. He was thinking about the past months of this racing season. The first race of the season, how he dreaded going back to that moment. At the beginning of the race, he was so confident that he was going to win. At the end, Jackson Storm had crossed the finish line. What did Lightning get? A hospital bill.

He wasn't going to lie, that wreck had changed him. He had always been afraid of wrecks, but he never knew he could be more scared of them than he was before. The many months he took to recover were torture. He wanted so badly to get back on the track, but with his condition, frankly, it was impossible. It was also torture with all the pain he suffered from. The many times he woke in the middle of the night because something was hurting. The many times he wanted to cry and just let it out, but held it inside.

Aside from the race, he was thinking about home. He didn't try to hide that, he was homesick. He missed waking up in the morning to Fillmore and Sarge's arguments. He missed going to Flo's and seeing all his friends. He especially missed Sally. These long times when he had to be away from home was really taking a toll on him. He wanted to spend more time with her, go to Wheel Well, talk for hours under the stars, and even the races they had together. He just missed...her.

Of course, Radiator Springs would make him think of Doc. How he missed his father-like figure. He still remembers the day. That terrible day. Lightning had won his first Piston Cup, and when he went to celebrate with his crew, he got the call. The call that ended all the happiness Lightning finally had. They all knew Doc hadn't been feeling well, but he didn't think it would lead to that. He didn't cry when he got the call, nor when he was at the funeral. He always kept everything bottled up. He knew it wasn't healthy, and he could start to feel the effect from it.

Doc...I wish you were still here...

"Everything okay, Mr. McQueen?"

Lightning was snapped out of his thoughts, reversing to see who had interrupted him. It was Cruz Ramirez, his new racing coach in the Piston Cup. The girl who was going to help him get back to the top.

He turned back to the ocean, his eyelids pulled into a straight line, frustrated, "I thought I told you to stop calling me that."

She snickered, "Sorry, grandpa, but you didn't answer my question, McQueen."

He kept his gaze on the ocean, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You seemed to be lost in thought. You nearly jumped into the water I startled you so badly."

"I said I was fine."

"Sir, if something is bothering you, you can-"

"I said I was fine!"

Cruz fell back slightly, shaken by his sudden harsh tone. She knew something was bothering him, and she was determined to get it out of him, no matter how stubborn he could be. As his mentor, she had to make sure his health was perfect, including his mental health.

She sighed, "Alright, that's good. I'm glad you're doing good. You excited for tomorrow? We finally get to go to the actual track for you to practice."

She wasn't surprised to see a sort of grimace on the old mans face. Strike one, she thought.

"Well, are you excited?"

"I suppose so...," he said, trailing off.

She smiled, "Oh, come on! Aren't you like...ecstatic! Racing, speed, and all that jazz?"

He forced his best smile, raising his tire in the air, "I'm excited!" he sarcastically stated.

Cruz let it pass, "Good! That's the spirit!"

They sat in silence, the waves crashing onto the shore. The seagulls flew overhead, chirping as they landed near the water, looking for something to nibble on.

Finally, Cruz broke the silence, "Well, I'm going to head in for the day. See you later...Lightning."

She started driving away, slowly. Lightning watched her reverse and slowly drive, thinking of what she just said. Lightning? She never calls me that, he thought. He knew that she knew. She knew what was bothering him.

"I miss him..."

Cruz halted, turning around to look at Lightning, "What?"

"Doc...I miss him, okay? It's really nothing, so just stop trying to help."

She smiled sympathetically, driving back beside him. "To be honest, I don't think that's the only thing bothering you."

He lowered on his axles, looking as if he was pouting. Strike two.

"Well...maybe that's not the only thing, but it really doesn't matter. Just drop it."

"McQueen, I understand. You miss your old mentor, the one who basically raised you. Why wouldn't you miss him? He was like a father-figure to you. I, also, know that you miss Sally. Obviously, she's your girlfriend, of course you miss her, right?"

Lightning didn't look up nor say anything. Cruz continued, "I know what it's like to feel homesick. Been there, done that. It's just something we have to push through sometimes. Sometimes, you just need someone else to help you get that boost to move forward. Most of the time, it's hard to find that person. I know I'm a lot younger than you so I don't know much about life, but what I do know is simple..."

Lightning still didn't look up, but softly whispered, "What?"

Cruz smiled, "Live each day like it's your last. Dreading in the past to when you were younger and a sensational racer isn't going to help you get through anything. It's time to...move on from that, Lightning. It's time to face reality. You wrecked, Jackson Storm is trying to push you out, and Doc is dead. I'm sorry, but it's time to start thinking about the next chapter of your book."

Lightning kept his gaze down, not daring to look into Cruz's eyes. He could feel tears coming, but that was the last thing he wanted. He didn't want some paparazzi to find him with Cruz and start rumors.

Lightning cleared his throat,  "Um...we should be heading back. It's getting kinda cold."

Cruz nodded understandingly, "Okay, but do you understand what I told you? It's time to just move on and-"

"SHUT UP CRUZ!!!"

Cruz jumped back a little, a look of shock and terror on her face. Lightning looked on the verge of insanity. She just now noticed his bloodshot eyes, the few, small scratches along his hood and sides, and his worn out tires. To say he looked tired was an understatement. He was exhausted.

"I'm tired of people telling me to move on! I'm tired of people telling me everything will be okay! The truth is, it will never be okay! I have to live everyday knowing my crew chief died and no one can help me get over that! So just..."

He trailed off, tears falling down his hood, "...just....st-stop..." he stuttered.

Cruz just stared at him, a sad look on her face. Seeing her friend like this broke her heart. She didn't mean to make him cry. She just wanted to help, make him a little happier.

They both stood there, awkwardly. Lightning was just letting his tears fall while Cruz kept her gaze on the ground. She was sifting through the sand with her tire, trying to think of what to say next. The sand...

She looked up at him, "So...besides everything else, how are you at racing on sand?"

He looked up sadly, sniffling, "Sand?"

"I know you're pretty great on asphalt and dirt, but what about sand?"

He shook his hood, wiping a few tears from his fender, "I've never tried it."

She looked at him, shocked, "You mean you've never trained on sand?"

He shook his hood, wondering where she was going with this. She smiled and drove further towards the crashing waves. She drew a line with her tire from the shore to where Lightning was still staring, confused.

Cruz smiled and parked behind the line, her rear bumper raised slightly, "Well then, are you ready to get schooled, old man?"

Lightning looked at her, frowning slightly, "Cruz, I'm not in the mood for jokes and racing. I wanna go back to the hotel."

She pouted, "Aw c'mon! What happened to the old McQueen Sally always talked about. Daring, childish, always looking for trouble."

Lightning looked at her, his eyelid raised, "Wait, she told you what?"

With that, Cruz spun her wheels and took off, sending clumps of wet sand in the air, coating Lightning in the process. Lightning shook his hood, shaking the sand off. He frowned, "Hey!"

He gassed it and started after Cruz. Something hit him while he was racing on the shore. The wind beating against his body, the sand squishing under his wheels, and the water crashing against the shore. He felt himself getting lost in it, like he does in a race. The speed and adrenaline running through his engine made him speed up. He smiled, the first real smile he's had in weeks. He drove closer to the edge of the shore, the water crashing and coating his wheels. If only the practice courses for the Piston Cup were like this.

The sun peeked from the clouds, shining down. The blue water glistened, looking more welcoming. Lightning sped up more, watching his paint shine in the sunlight, watching the waves creep closer to him. He'd never felt so alive.

After about two minutes, he'd caught up to Cruz. She had stopped at the end of the beach near a picnic area. She smiled towards him, driving closer, "How was it, old man?"

He smiled, looking back at the water, "It was...amazing! I haven't felt that relaxed in months!"

She smiled, "See, that's what I was walking about. Just because you haven't done something before, doesn't mean you can't ever do it. You said you've never raced on a beach, you said you didn't know if you could, but you went right for it. That's something you can do now. It may be hard at first, but you can feel better about Doc's passing. It may seem new to you to lose someone close to you, but you can get through it."

Lightning's smile faded, "Oh...I mean, Doc's not the only car I've...lost, ya know."

Cruz blinked, "Wait, what?"

Lightning sighed, "I've lost both my parents, so the grieving part isn't new to me. But...it's just..."

Lightning sighed sadly, turning to face the water again. Cruz joined him, parking beside him.

"It's just...Doc was like a father to me. He acted so much like my real dad. He made it feel like my actual dad was still here. I guess Doc was the reason I actually accepted and felt a little better about my dads death. That's really why I was a spoiled brat when I first came to Radiator Springs. Without parents, I had no one to really tell me what was right and wrong. Plus, my mom had just recently died then, of engine failure, so I was a little shaken up by that. I guess you could say I was messed up, so to lose another dad...it really hurt."

Cruz listened intently, processing everything he'd just told her. No wonder he was so upset. He really needed someone to look up too.

Lightning looked at Cruz and smiled, "But, maybe you're right. I guess I can try to get through this. I know it'll hurt forever, but we can tolerate this, right?"

She smiled and nodded, "Right. It'll always hurt, but we can tolerate the pain. Plus, you have all of us who care about you. We'll help you get through this."

Lightning smiled at her and Cruz smiled back. Cruz looked up and saw the sun beginning to set, "Well, it's getting late. We should probably get to the hotel."

Lightning looked at the sun too and nodded, "Yeah."

Cruz turned and started driving towards the road, when Lightning stopped her, "Cruz!"

Cruz stopped and turned to face him again. He drove up to her and smiled, "Thanks."

She looked at him, confused, "For what?"

"For listening to me. You're actually the first person I opened up to about my past. It felt good to actually tell someone."

She looked at him bewildered, "I'm really the first and only one who knows about this? Not even Sally knows?"

He shook his hood. "Well, then why did you tell me? Of all cars." she asked.

He shrugged, "Well, ya know. I know you look at me like I looked at Doc. I really see myself as your mentor, and I just want you to know that I'm here. Ya know, if you need any advice or anything. I just don't want you to be like me if...if I get old and die. I don't want you to bottle everything up like I did. I want to show you that it's okay to be sad. I don't want you to be miserable if something ever happened to me."

Cruz looked at him, touched by his words. She drove beside him and leaned on him in a 'hug', "Thank you, Lightning."

He chuckled and nudged her fender in a fatherly way, "Hey now, let's stop this cute, mushy father-daughter thing. It's making me sick."

She chuckled, "Is that something Doc would've said to you? Were you a clingy son?"

He chuckled, "In your dreams."

The two laughed as they made their way back to their hotel. There was no hiding that fact that these two were like father and daughter. Yet, they both knew that when they went their separate ways, they'd always have each other to look towards for guidance and wisdom. That's what friends were for.