The Dash to Victory || A Cars Story

Chapter 16: Serving the Sentence - Day 7: The Racers Know

"Dash! I can't believe you're here! There's so much I have to tell you." the voice said.

"El... how did you find me? What... why..." Dash had so many emotions at that moment.

"Shh... allow me to explain everything. It's about time you and I talked..." El said.

"Why are you here, El? Why did you run away?" Dash had too many questions not to blurt out with his childhood crush now in front of him.

"It's simple, Andy." El played the 'first name basis' card. "I always knew there was something fishy about your disappearance. So the night I heard about it, I started doing some investigation..." she continued.

"Rush had Dinoco sponsorships the night after you disappeared, which was odd to say the least..." El observed.

"Tell me about it..." Dash quipped.

"I knew that Lightning and Sally were planning to offer it to you as soon as that race finished. My pit stop was right next to theirs, after all..." she continued. "So, I did a bit of overhearing – which isn't ethically right, I know – but my concern for you was growing."

"They approached me after you and Rush left that night, asking if I knew anything more about you..." El confessed. "I told them that you were always kind to others at the academy, even at the behest of your own failure to help them succeed. After even one sentence, they were convinced to have you sponsored by that evening."

"Then that call came... the one about Sofia hiring Rush. Cruz told me about it when I saw her the day after it happened. Dinoco is her home team, after all." El confirmed. "After not wanting to get too much inside intel, I tried to tune her out. But one line she mentioned had my ears perked... why wasn't Lightning at the track with her?"

"I found it really odd to say the least – don't worry, she had Smokey; Doc Hudson's old trainer – fill in luckily at the last minute. Then it clicked, as soon as news outlets started reporting that you had been seen here – at Radiator Springs." El backed away for a second, allowing Dash some time to take it all in. "Everything made sense after that."

"So that night, I told Del everything and I fled to here – to find you." El confessed. "She managed to come up with a pretty good cover story – saying that I disappeared as well."

"But why did you come for me? Why risk your whole career just so that you could see me?" Dash questioned, as he began to realize.

"Because, I love you, Dash." El confessed.

Dash was awestruck. His childhood crush – one he still had some feelings for – risked her life, her career to come and find him.

"El – I don't know what to say..." Dash was hushed as El put a tire over his mouth, reaching in for a kiss.

Unexpectedly, Dash backed away from the kiss – almost shattering El's spirit in the process.

"Dash... what's happening? What's going on?" El asked.

"I don't know how to say this, El. But I'm in love already...." Dash felt his own engine rattle, not coping well with his confession.

"But, we were always perfect. You were always perfect..." El began to openly cry, as she looked toward an escape route.

Before she could flee anywhere, Dash stopped her with his tire.

"Please, you've explained everything perfect. Allow me to explain – please." Dash asked.

Wanting to support him as much as she could, El sat and listened contently.

"I always loved you – and always will. But, you have to understand..." Dash continued. "I suffered a bad crash recently."

"Of that, I am well aware." El chimed in.

"Subsequently, I ran away from the hospital. It felt so sterile, so lifeless. It felt like the Academy all over again." Dash continued, "I ended up getting arrested here for speeding. That's when I found what I've always been looking for..."

Dash began looking down at the stunning view of the valley from the Wheel Well.

"She was everything I needed" Dash commented. "Our love will always be here, El. I've always loved you – but understand, I've found what I was looking for in a soulmate."

"We were always racing buddies for life." Dash continued, "But, then we got different teams – different partners – and different mindsets as a result."

"I don't think I want to race anymore. I just don't have the drive that I had at the academy. I want to help people, I want to be like Demetria..."

"...and I'm guessing Demetria is your love interest..." El guessed.

"You would be correct." Dash confirmed, "She was a helper first, racer second. I felt that I could relate to that so much. She loved working as a doctor so much, and I began to fall for her as a result."

"I still don't know if the feelings are reciprocated – but I really hope that they are." Dash confessed, "She means more to me than any piston cup will. Ever."

A fairly long sniff occurred to the side of the two. Lightning couldn't help himself at all.

"Oh, man. Wait 'til she hears this!" Lightning thought to himself, knowing he just got caught."

"Mister McQueen?! What is going on, Dash?" El exclaimed.

"You do realize he lives here, right?" Dash reminded her.

"Not right here though... right?" El now looked at the two boys, looking at each other with a slight smirk.

"Yep... and this is where I'm serving my sentence, too!" Dash exclaimed, with a silly smile abroad his bumper.

El began to hyperventilate, causing her to race off back down town.

-----

"...Oh, Mrs. McQueen. That would be so delightful!" Demetria exclaimed. "Between you and me, I kind of have a thing for him." she winked.

"Then it's a date, I'll set you up with him just right!" Sally confirmed. "I want you looking good tonight, missy. Get some black wheels out or something! Spice it up!"

"Oh, I'll definitely spice it up for him." Demetria confirmed.

Suddenly, a green flash came bolting down the main street.

"Oh my Manufacturer, is that El McPherson?" Sally realized as El rushed past.

Almost instantly after, both Demetria and Sally saw Dash and Lightning race after the green car.

"Dash!" Demetria yelled, causing Dash to stop and reverse up to her. "Care for a bit of a hang tonight, hot rod?" she winked.

"I hate to do this, but I'm going to have to ask for a raincheck!" Dash said as she nudged her and sped off.

"Oh, alright! Stay safe!" Demetria yelled as he sped down the road. "Whelp, I guess I deserved that..."

"Deserved what?" Sally asked.

"Deserved being rejected after rejecting him." Demetria pointed out.

"Pfft. He's literally preoccupied, honey. He'll be back for some Merc' action!" Sally playfully nodded her hood to her. "Go put on some nice allure!"

"This was such a bad idea. I should have never come here, to hillbilly hell!" El exclaimed as she kept rolling away.

"El, wait!" Lightning gained on the young racer as they both headed toward the dirt track.

El felt her racing tires lose grip, as she started erratically skidding all over the place.

"El, please be careful!" Lightning exclaimed.

Before long, Lightning watched as El began to lose control of her grip, sending her into a spin in the dirt. She was about to go off the edge of the track, before she felt a hook stop her from doing so.

"Great work, Mater!" Dash thanked him. "I owe you a few quarts of oil."

"Well shoot, I can't say no to that!" Mater exclaimed.