A/N: I want to thank all the people that read Untying the Knot! I want to thank you all for your kind words and for appreciating the story for what it was. This is part 2 of the story based on popular demand:
"This was so beautiful! I love it so much, please make another one."
"This is really good! It's very emotional and you did a great job!"
"Poor Cruz! Still, this is really well-written. I love the relationship between Lightning and Cruz."
"In life you have people who commit an offense and then try keeping it bottled up for the sake of their own images. A true husband would never physically attack a woman. All Jackson cares about is his reputation more than his married life. The domestic abuse Storm inflicted upon Cruz would of being examined and he'd of been sent down for made this story stand out towards Lightning and Cruz's friendship. Nice one."
"I will be honest, this fic literally broke my heart. I almost had an emotional breakdown while reading it. That being said, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! I especially loved the relationship between Lightning and Cruz. McQueen's reaction to the whole situation gave me serious feels. Again, great job!"
"This is so excellent! My favorite scene was Cruz and Storm in the kitchen when he first comes home-it had this pensive, rigid intensity to it that was viscerally uncomfortable, and when it escalates it's both terrifying and heart-breaking. 333 Cruz, babyyyyy. And Lightning and Cruz in the diner! Great job, love! You did wonderfully with this concept."
"This was an awesome story! I enjoyed it a lot, it honsetly felt so real. The details, and the emotions. Poor Cruz, Jackson treated her likd that for 2 years! Lightning is so caring, he reminds me of Doc. His caringness is like really sweet. Keep up the good work :D"
"Was it just a one-shot or do you plan on continuing it?"
This is just a small sample of the reviews I received. I also want to give a special thanks to SerenaBlackmore98 for giving me some ideas on what I can do:
"Personally, if you want to continue it, I think you should do like 'A year later' type thing. A year after the fact, where is Cruz? Is she happy with her life now? Is she seeing someone new? Still in Radiator Springs? Lightning and Sally's thoughts on how she's doing now? stuff like that.
but that's just my opinion :)"
So without further adieu, here is, "Untying the Knot: One Year Later (Part 1)". Hope you enjoy! (Sorry in advance for the racing scene. I don't do well in describing those. Also, the italics are Cruz's thoughts since the story is told from her point of view).
It was the final race of the season. The stakes couldn't be higher. The racing world was about to crown themselves a new champion for the Piston Cup. It was Cruz and Storm, battling it out on the track for a chance to win the new title. Both cars rounded turn four into the final lap of the Dinoco 400.
"And there they go, it's Cruz Ramirez and Jackson Storm! They're bumper to bumper as they approach the finish line!" Bob Cutlass announced as the two cars made their way into the last turn.
"You know what Bob? These two have been at each other's throats since the divorce," Darrell Cartrip said.
"Right you are Darrell. The competition between those two has gotten worse over the past few months."
Cruz was on the inside of the track, while Jackson remained near the wall.
"Not today babe!" Jackson yelled in his car as he veered to the right to push Cruz off the track.
"Uh, uh, uh!" Cruz said as she quickly dodged Jackson and crossed the finish line.
"What a move by Cruz Ramirez, our new Piston Cup Champion!" Bob exclaimed.
"Hoo wee! I know Team Dinoco is proud! Lightning McQueen must be happier than a pig in the mud!" Darrell beamed.
"You got that right! The King must be proud as well. Although McQueen is no longer Cruz's crew chief, he still plays an active role in her career."
Cruz stepped out of the car after she did her regular routine of making doughnuts on the track. She was greeted by a swarm of paparazzi, buzzing with questions about her latest win:
"Cruz! How does it feel to win your third Piston Cup?"
"Do you think you'll be able to win as many Piston Cups as your mentor, Lightning McQueen?"
"How will you be able to maintain your status as a three-time winning Piston Cup Champion?"
Cruz beamed as she happily answered the questions:
"Well first off, I'm super excited about winning my third Piston Cup! Mr. McQueen is a legendary Piston Cup Champion. He won seven Piston Cups. I don't know if I'll be able to win as much as he did, but the sky's the limit. Also, I may not know what the future holds, but I'm hoping to maintain my status as Champion for as long as I keep racing."
Some of the questions got personal:
"Cruz! What actually happened between you and Jackson?"
"We heard allegations of domestic violence. Are these allegations true?"
"Did Jackson get released on bail?"
"Why isn't Jackson in jail now?"
"Are you the only one who Jackson did this to?"
Her excitement turned into grief. Cruz still attempted to maintain her bright smile, but the pain was piercing her chest. Although a year has passed, the sting of the abuse still felt so real. Unfortunately, Jackson didn't spend as much time in prison as Cruz wanted him to. He did spend a brief period of time in prison, but he got released on bail. Cruz was grateful for Sally's services as her attorney on the case, but Sally was only able to do so much. Cruz, Lightning, and Sally did their best to keep the situation out of the public eye. They did manage to keep it private for a while, but the rumors kept circling around in the media. The harsh reality of her and Jackson getting a divorce made tears well up in Cruz's eyes. She tried to blink back the tears as she politely refused to answer any questions pertaining to her past relationship. Before they could ask her anymore questions, Cruz fought her way through the mob with flashing cameras and made her way to the Dinoco building.
On her way there, she saw that Jackson was surrounded by paparazzi as well. Most of the questions had to do with him losing the race, but there was one question that peeked her interest:
"Jackson, there have been some rumors going around about you having a new fiancee. Is that true?" one of the RSN reporters asked.
A new fiancee? Who would be dumb enough to go with him after all I went through?
Jackson gave a smug smile as he turned around to call someone.
"Hey Nat, come over here for a minute!" he said as he pulled Natalie Certain into the ring of flashing cameras.
Cruz was frozen in shock. Her heart was beating rapidly as she felt her throat closing up. Natalie was smiling big for the cameras while Jackson pulled her close to him. He grabbed her by the waist and dipped her in for a kiss on the lips. The crowd went wild. The cameras kept flashing as the reporters fought each other to get a perfect shot. After the kiss, Jackson made eye contact with Cruz for a brief moment. There was no remorse in his eyes. When he saw how heartbroken Cruz looked, he just smiled at her and gave Natalie another make out session. Cruz couldn't take it anymore. She ran away from the scene with her hands covering her face. Her eyes were wet with tears as she ran to the Dinoco section. She ran past the Radiator Springs gang and the racing legends. Smokey and Sally followed behind her as Cruz slammed the bathroom door in their faces.
"Hun, are you okay?" Sally asked as she tried to open the door.
The door was locked and Cruz wasn't answering.
"Cruz can you hear me? You have to go out there and accept your trophy now," Smokey said, hoping the mention of the Piston Cup would get Cruz to perk up.
There was still no answer. Sally put her ear to the door and heard intense sobbing.
"She's really breaking down in there."
"If she doesn't get out soon, we'll just have to let McQueen accept the trophy for her," Smokey said.
That's when it hit Sally. If anyone can get a response out of Cruz, it was Lightning. She ran out of the building to get Lightning. She dodged the paparazzi and the crowds of other racers and their teams. She found Lightning talking and laughing with Cal, Bobby, The King, and Tex. She didn't want to ruin the mood, but Cruz needed her mentor. She ran up to the circle of comrades and grabbed Lightning's arm.
"Excuse me gentlemen but I need Lightning right now," Sally said as she pulled him away from the guys.
"What's going on Sal?" Lightning asked with a confused look.
"It's Cruz. You need to follow me," she said as she led him back into the building. Cal, Bobby, The King, and Tex followed behind them.
They all made their way to the crowd of people near the bathroom door. Smokey was still trying to get an answer from Cruz, but she remained silent.
"Is Cruz alright?" The King asked.
"I don't think so," Lightning said as he rushed over to the locked door.
"Alright everyone I think it's best if we all clear the room and give them some space," Tex said as everyone walked away from the door. Sally stayed behind and sat on the small couch in the hallway near the door.
Lightning leaned against the door to hear Cruz's bitter sobs.
"Cruz?" Lightning called out to her, assuming that his voice would get her attention.
There was a brief moment of silence.
"M-Mr. McQueen?" Cruz answered as she choked through her sobs.
"Yeah it's me. Can I come in?"
There was another brief period of silence. Cruz was breathing heavily as she tried to calm her shaky breaths.
"I...I d-don't... want...y-you...to see...m-me...like this," she said, choking through the shaky breathing.
"Cruz please let me in. I don't care what you look like."
"G-give...me...a minute," she said as she tried to control her sobs.
Lightning looked at Sally. "What happened to her?" he asked.
"I don't-"
Sally was interrupted by a news report on the television mounted on the hallway wall.
"This is Shannon Spokes with the latest news on the Racing Sports Network. The top story tonight is Cruz Ramirez winning her third Piston Cup at the Dinoco 400! She still has yet to receive her trophy at the award ceremony in a few minutes. Congratulations on a job well done! Her ex-husband Jackson Storm also made some headlines tonight with his new fiancee, Natalie Certain! Is Jackson moving on way too fast? It's too soon to tell, but I know Cruz must be fuming about this. More on these stories when we return."
Lightning and Sally stared at each other in shock. A few seconds later, the lock on the door made a clicking sound. Cruz slowly opened the door to let Lightning in. He entered the room to find Cruz sitting on a small couch in the corner of the bathroom (it was a pretty glamorous bathroom, seeing that it belongs to Dinoco. Picture the bathrooms in Broadway). She was covering her face as she continued to weep. Lightning rushed over to her and sat next to her on the couch. Cruz was sobbing uncontrollably as she covered her face with both hands. Her breathing was short and shaky and her body was trembling.
"Cruz, listen to me. You need to pull yourself together. You need to breathe," Lightning said as he grabbed her hands and slowly lowered them away from her face.
He saw her big, brown eyes covered in the glow of her tears. The corners of her eyes were red and the tears stained her cheeks. She continued to breathe rapidly as she wiped the trail of snot from her nose with her hand. Lightning gave her a very concerned look as he moved closer to her on the couch.
"I-I told you that I d-didn't want y-you to see me like t-this," she said as she tried to speak through the sobbing.
Lightning put both of his arms around Cruz, giving her a side hug. He placed both hands on her upper arms, making sure that she was secure.
"He...left...me. He never loved me. He threw me away like I was a piece of trash!" Cruz said as she began to bellow with sorrow.
As she continued her bawling, her body kept jerking back from the force of her weeping. Lightning held his grip on her upper arms to keep her from falling off the couch.
"Whoa, Cruz! Take it easy!" Lightning yelled as he tried to calm her down. "Listen to me. Take a deep breath."
Soon, he and Cruz began to take deep breaths together. They repeated this until Cruz was able to control her sobbing. When Lightning saw that she was finally calm, he let go of her upper arms and just sat beside her. It got very quiet. The silence lasted for a few seconds until Lightning remembered that he had to get Cruz back outside in time for her to receive her Piston Cup.
"Cruz, tonight is all about you. You won your third Piston Cup today! Are you really going to let Jackson steal your spotlight?"
"I don't care about the spotlight or the trophy. He broke my heart into a million pieces and he doesn't even care!" Cruz said as she banged the arm of the couch.
"Cruz I know what you're feeling, but you can't let this upset you like that."
"He used me. He took my love for granted and I was too stupid to notice!"
"Cruz don't do this to yourself. It's not worth it."
"I let him use me and abuse me for fours years in our marriage and-"
"And you will get through this. Look, a wise person once told me that you could use anything negative as fuel to push through to the positive. She was such a great motivator. I think you would know her very well."
Cruz gave a small chuckle.
"Ah, there's that smile I've been waiting for!" Lightning said with a grin.
"That was a long time ago," she said as she wiped her tears.
"But it's still true. Cruz, are you going to push through this?"
Cruz stared at her mentor for a while and thought about his words. She's been telling her students that for years when she was a trainer. It was time that she took her own advice.
"I'll try," she said as she got up from the couch.
Lightning gave her a big smile. "That's my girl," he said as they walked out of the room together.
Just as she promised Lightning, Cruz tried her best to suppress her raw emotions while she accepted her award. She refused to answer any questions pertaining to Jackson, and allowed the focus to be on her victory instead. After the award ceremony, Cruz rushed off the stage and made her way back to the Dinoco building. On her way there, she bumped into Natalie. The two exchanged a long, awkward stare as the silence loomed over them.
"Hello Cruz," Natalie said as she regained her composure.
Cruz tried her hardest not to scream or punch Natalie in the face. After all, she was standing face to face with the woman who stole her man's heart. She took a deep breath and mustered up the best smile that she could.
"Hi Natalie," she said in a shaky tone.
"Well, I should say congratulations on your win tonight. It was well deserved."
"Thank you," Cruz said as she tried so hard not to roll her eyes.
"Look, I hope that there are no hard feelings between us. You know, considering the situation," Natalie said as she waved her left hand in Cruz's face, showing off the engagement ring.
Cruz scoffed as she shook her head. "Natalie, I have to warn you: with guys like Jackson, you have to watch your back. Believe me, I know," she said as she took off her racing jacket, revealing the scars on her forearms.
Natalie froze for a moment, looking at the injuries that Cruz sustained from Jackson. The domestic violence allegations turned out to be true. She couldn't deny the evidence that was right in front of her. Although she felt sorry for Cruz, she couldn't tolerate the disrespect.
"Look Cruz, I'm really sorry that this happened to you. Just keep in mind that you can show me your little battle scars, but that doesn't mean that the same thing would happen to me," Natalie said with a smug grin.
Anger was raging in Cruz's chest. Although she was fuming to the point of tears, she didn't dare to let Natalie see her cry.
"Have a nice life Natalie. I hope it all works out for you."
Cruz walked away without giving Natalie a chance to respond. When she was a good distance away, Cruz started to cry as she made her way back to the building. She quickly wiped her tears as she approached the cheering crowd of the Radiator Springs townies and the racing legends. She walked up to Lightning, who was smiling from ear to ear.
"I am so proud of you," he said.
"We all are," Sally added with a warm smile.
"Thanks guys. I really want to go home now," Cruz said as she tried hard to fight back the tears.
"Are you sure? We're having an after party at Cal's place if you want to come," Lightning said.
"Yeah I'm sure."
"I'll take her home. I need to get some rest myself," Sally said as she motioned for Cruz to follow her.
"Sal are you sure you want to drive all the way back to Radiator Springs at this time of night?" Lightning asked with a look of concern.
"Don't worry about it. You go on and have fun. We'll see you guys in the morning."
"Alright. Be careful out there," Lightning said as he and Sally shared a kiss on the lips.
"We will. Come on Cruz!" Sally said as she and Cruz left the stadium.
It was a quiet ride for the most part. Sally had some soft music playing on the radio while Cruz stared out the window with tears in her eyes. She just couldn't believe that Jackson moved on so fast. She also couldn't believe that Natalie had the nerve to disregard her pain like that. Meanwhile, as Cruz continued to dwell on these painful thoughts, Jackson was at his new apartment while Natalie was making food in the kitchen. Jackson stood in the doorway of the kitchen, watching Natalie stir the pasta on the stove. She glanced over in his direction and saw him staring at her with intensity.
"What?" she said as she continued to stir the pot.
"What did I do to deserve such a beautiful woman like you?" Jackson asked as he made his way over to Natalie.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and began to kiss her repeatedly on her neck.
"Jackson stop! I'm trying to cook dinner," she said with a giggle.
"I'll be waiting," he said as he kissed her on the cheek and exited the kitchen.
Natalie couldn't get the image of Cruz's scars out of her mind. Despite making her rude remark earlier, deep down she knew that Cruz could be right. She needed to make sure that Jackson loved her. She needed to prove to him that unlike Cruz, she was no girl to be messed with. She needed to make sure that this situation was real. She needed confirmation from Jackson.
"Hey Jackson!" she called to him.
"Yeah babe?" he answered as he came running into the kitchen. "You changed your mind?" he said with a smirk as he went to kiss Natalie again.
She stuck her hand out in front of her and stopped him right in his tracks.
"Babe, what's going on?" he asked with a confused look on his face.
"Jackson I need to know something."
"Yeah sweetheart, anything you want to know I'll tell you."
Natalie bit her lip. She didn't know how to ask him about a subject like this. What if she brought up old wounds that could potentially ruin their own relationship. Was this a good idea? She just had to know for sure.
"Jackson, did you beat Cruz?" Natalie said in a timid tone.
Jackson stepped back in shock. "Is that what she told you?" he asked in anger.
Natalie was equally shocked by his reaction. "It doesn't matter what she told me. I want to hear it from you. Did you beat her?"
"Natalie, Cruz and I were incompatible. You and me, we're different. We-"
"That's not what I asked," Natalie said, interrupting him.
Jackson was fuming with anger. He never thought that his past would come back to haunt him like this.
"So what if I did? She had it coming. She was way too pushy anyway!"
"So you did beat her."
"Yes Nat! What do you want me to say?! She brought it on herself!" Jackson said as he banged his fist on the kitchen counter top.
Natalie backed away from him in shock. She shook her head and started to leave the kitchen.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Jackson said as he grabbed her right upper arm.
"Jackson stop! You're hurting me!" Natalie yelled as she took a metal spoon and slapped Jackson in the face with it.
He screamed in pain as he released his grip on her arm. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" he yelled as he held his face in pain.
"The engagement is off!" Natalie said as she took the ring off and left the apartment. She left Jackson hunched over the table, holding his face in sheer pain and embarrassment.
Sally and Cruz were still driving on the open road. It started to pour as Sally activated the windshield wipers on her car. Cruz was still staring out the window, watching the raindrops fall as fast as her own tears. Sally had enough of the silence. It was getting a little too overbearing.
"You've been sniffling for the past hour. You're gonna make me run out of tissues," Sally said as she opened the compartment between her and Cruz and handed her a small packet of tissues.
Cruz took the pack and blew her nose. "Thank you," she whispered as she went back to staring at the window.
"You know, for someone who won her third Piston Cup, you sure are crying a lot. I know those aren't tears of joy," Sally said as she glanced over at Cruz.
Cruz didn't respond. She just sniffled even more.
"So, are you going to tell me what's eating you or are you going to make me patronize you with small talk?"
Cruz sniffled again. "I'm sure you know what happened already Mrs. Sally."
"Yeah, but I want to hear it from you. How are you feeling about it?"
Cruz finally turned from the window to face Sally. "Do I need to explain?! Jackson ripped my heart out of my chest! He abused me and almost got away with it! He took advantage of me and it was all my fault! Maybe if I would've been a more assertive wife he wouldn't think that I was a push over. Maybe if I wasn't always nagging him or making him feel like a loser, maybe I would still be married right now. Maybe Natalie's right. Maybe she won't get abused because unlike me, she is able to defend herself! God, why do I have to be so dam weak?!"
Sally quickly pulled the car over to the side of the road.
"Cruz, let me tell you something: I'm not Lightning," she said in a stern tone.
Cruz looked at her in confusion. "I think I should know that by now."
"No, listen to what I'm saying. I'm not Lightning, meaning that I don't do pity parties. He loves them. As soon as he sees a tear drop fall from my eyes, he is running to come and comfort me. He hugs me, holds me, kisses me, and tells me that everything is going to be okay. He does the same thing for you too. That's what you want right now. You want someone to hug you and hold you and tell you that everything is going to be okay. Cruz, I think that you're way past that stage. I'm more into giving people reality checks, and honey I think you're in need of one."
Cruz remained silent and gave Sally a somber look. Her words were cutting right into her soul. Although it was tough to hear, she knew that Sally cared about her and wanted to see her get through this.
"Hun, I'm going to say this in the nicest way possible: you need to grow up. Whether you like it or not, Jackson moved on. Believe me, I've had my share of heartbreaks and disappointments, but eventually I got over them. Jackson abused you for two years in your marriage. He hurt you, not the other way around. I need you to know that none of this is your fault! Cruz, you are stronger than you think and braver than you can imagine. Don't allow Storm to have that much power over you. I know that by the grace of God, you will make it through this. Just hold on to hope. I care about you. Lightning and all the townsfolk care about you. You are supported every step of the way."
Cruz sat there in awe. She didn't realize how grateful she was to have such a dynamic woman in her life.
"Thank you Mrs. Sally. I needed to hear that," Cruz said with a smile.
"Anytime honey, and please just call me Sally. And promise me that you won't throw anymore pity parties. You don't need them anymore," Sally said with a smile.
"Yeah. I guess you're right," Cruz said as she started to cry tears of joy.
"Now I think it's time for a hug," Sally said as she and Cruz hugged each other tightly.
TO BE CONTINUED...