On several other fandoms, I've noticed stories detailing 'five times something happened and the one time it was the reverse' but so far I haven't seen any in the Cars fandom, so I decided to give it a go. This story will consist of 5 one-shots, some of them referencing each other in small ways. Lighting and Bobby are 24 years old, Junior is 26, and Cal is 21.
The story overall is rated T, but the ratings in the individual chapters will vary.
I know nothing about Junior's history or background so his parents are original characters. There is a reference to real people though. This chapter can pretty much be rated K.
"Uh... Junior," Bobby asked. "Do you know where we are?"
They were spending Thanksgiving weekend at Juniors' parents' home. Due to Junior's dad being a mountain ranger, the couple lived in a small cabin tucked away in the Rocky Mountains near a small town in Montana. Mark and Hannah Earnhardt were some of the most hospitable people the other racers had ever met. They spent Friday night in the cabin, and early Saturday morning they explored the small town Junior had grown up in. It was so much fun being out in the fresh mountain air they'd gotten the bright idea to go for a hike on one of the many trails surrounding the Earnhardt cabin.
Everything had been going fine until Lightning decided on the way back that they should cut through the trees onto another trail. Cal and Bobby had questioned this course of action, but Junior assured them the trail would lead right back to the cabin.
"No... Not really," Junior replied in response to Bobby's question.
"Then we're lost?" Cal sounded a little bit panicked.
"We're not lost," Lightning replied. "We're just... getting our bearings. I'm sure we're going the right way."
They stumbled on for a while, noticing how the beautiful peaks which resembled powerful monuments in the daylight were starting to become intimidating in the fading light. Junior felt like the peaks had become guard towers instead, glaring down on those who had dared to not listen to instruction.
"Alright... We're lost," he finally admitted as the trail swerved to the right when he knew it should have gone to the left.
Cal looked around between the trees, petrified. In the dusk, every bush was an intimidating shadow with potential dangers lurking behind it.
"We're going to die, aren't we?" He asked.
"We'll be fine..." Bobby tried to assure him.
"Yeah... Let's just, make a little camp and try to light a fire," Lightning's confidence had also taken a beating but he tried to remain optimistic. He'd gone camping in Radiator Springs before. This was no big deal.
Junior and Bobby hunted around for branches to make a shelter while Lightning and Cal tried to make a fire.
"Ok, so my Dad said that you can either strike two rocks together to make a spark... or rub two sticks together," Cal explained, remembering one of the few times he'd gone camping in his life.
"I'll try the sticks, you try the rocks," Lightning suggested and Cal agreed. The latter grabbed two stones and after making a little pile of pine cones and needles, started to strike the rocks together, hoping for a spark.
"Oww!" Cal exclaimed, dropping the rocks as he hit his thumb. He held the injured finger in his other hand, squeezing it in order to stop the throbbing.
"This isn't working," Lightning threw down the sticks, feeling blisters coming on. "Are there specific kind of sticks we have to use?"
"I don't know!" Cal replied miserably. "Dad just said two sticks."
They finally gave up on the fire and curled up in the little shelter Junior and Bobby had made. The result was really just some sticks leaning against overhang branches, making a crude type of teepee. They had managed to make an inelegant roof as well which would protect them from falling pine cones. By some graceful twist of fate no snow had fallen on the ground yet, but it was still hard and cold to sit on. All four of the racers ended up shivering as the sun sank, taking its warm rays with it. The moon was far less merciful and lit up the forest just enough so that the boys could see each other's faces.
The only flashlights they had were their phones, but as the temperature dropped, so did the battery life. None of them felt like sleeping. The only thing they could hear was a very soft breeze... and Bobby's teeth chattering.
"I think I heard something," Lightning said quietly, breaking the silence.
"Are there... bears... here?" Bobby asked Junior, teeth still clicking against each other.
"Um... small ones?" Junior answered, but with clear hesitation.
A crack sounded in between the trees. The hairs on the back of the racers' heads rose. If they weren't cold before, they were freezing now.
"It's a bear!" Cal shouted, remembering the horrible news stories he had heard concerning bear attacks. "We're going to die! We're going to be bear food!"
"Be quiet, you'll scare it!" Junior shouted back, trying to keep a clear head. Actually, scaring it wouldn't be a bad thing. Most bears would just run away. But a panicked bear, now that was a dangerous thought.
"It's coming closer," Bobby was an inch away from panicking, and grabbed a stick from the shelter.
"It's gonna kill us! It's gonna kill us!" Cal, almost in hysterics by now, huddled against the tree, arms wrapped tightly around himself. Junior, not knowing why the bear wasn't running away, grabbed a thick stick, determined to protect his friends if the huge beast attacked. He could just make out an outline in the trees coming towards him. The bear stood on two paws... It was trying to scare him. Junior could hear Cal still shouting with Bobby trying to calm him down but also freaking out at the same time. The youngest Earnhardt held up his stick while Lightning scrambled around in the meager light, looking for rocks to throw.
The 'bear' gave a low chuckle.
"Come on, boys. I'm not that scary am I?"
Junior dropped his stick in relief.
"Dad!" He shouted, just as the older man turned on his flashlight.
"I knew I'd find you holed up somewhere along here..." The mountaineer grinned as he made his way towards the group. He really did look like a big bear with his short stature and stocky frame.
"Mr. Earnhardt," Lightning sighed in relief. Bobby shook Cal back into reality and the boys crawled out of their homemade shelter.
"We going home then, Dad?" Junior asked. He could see his breath coming out as mist, and rubbed his hands together eagerly.
"I was actually thinking," Earnhardt took off his rucksack and put it on the ground. "That we camp out tonight." The boys' hopes for a warm meal and cozy beds sank to the bottom of their boots. They stared at the mountain ranger. His smile appeared friendly and quite genuine, but Junior knew better.
"Dad, please, I know it was stupid to try to cut across trails, but we've learned our lesson, really," he tried to protest.
"We did, sir," Bobby's teeth were chattering again.
"Promise," Lightning added.
"Oh, I'm sure you did," Earnhardt said, sitting down at the foot of a tree and crossing his legs out in front of him as if he were in his own living room. "But it took me a while to find you boys and I'm quite tired. I think I'd like to stay here for tonight. You're welcome to make your way on back to the cabin without me."
The racers glanced at each other.
"I think..." Lighting said at the others who nodded. "We'd rather stay here, thanks."
"That's the spirit," Earnhardt grinned, gesturing to his rucksack. "Now, there's some matches in the pocket on the side. Why don't you light that nice little fire you tried starting there."
Cal was only too eager to get warm and grabbed the matches while Lightning and Junior went to gather bigger branches. Earnhardt sat back and watched as the racers clumsily made a fire large enough to light the clearing and to keep them warm. Mrs. Earnhardt had been quite worried, but he assured her he would find the boys and stay with them for the night. Junior knew better than to cut across trails. This would be a little lesson for all of them to follow instructions to the letter.
Besides, his feet really were quite sore and he had no inclination to walk anymore that night.
"You doing better there, Bobby?" He asked, as the racer's chattering finally died down.
"Yes... thank you, sir," Bobby replied.
"Well," Earnhardt reached for his rucksack and pulled out two blankets. "Here's something else to ward the cold off. You'll have to share, mind you."
The mountaineer produced two blankets and tossed them towards the small group, careful to not throw them into the fire.
"Don't... you want one, sir?" Cal asked, picking one up.
"No, thank you, Cal," Earnhardt crossed his arms comfortably. "This jacket right here is all I need."
He watched, a little gleefully, as the boys realized that two blankets meant that they would have to share. They didn't seem to want to at first, but as the little breeze snuck in under their jackets they moved closer together and glanced at the blankets in their hands. Earnhardt thought with a grin that it would only be a matter of time until the cold seeped up from the ground into their bones.
Bobby tried to very logically explain that the biggest guy in the group, which would be Junior, should share with the smallest, who was Lightning. No one disagreed so while Lightning and Junior threw one blanket over their shoulders, Cal and Bobby huddled under the other one.
Comforted by the presence of Mr. Earnhardt, who all four in their tired state of mind felt sure could ward off any wildlife with his bare hands, they dozed off. The man watched as first Lightning lay down on his side with Junior on his back looking up at the stars. Cal fell asleep against Bobby, who in his sleepiness, seemed to think Cal's arm was a teddy bear and decided to hold onto it as such. Eventually, Earnhardt got up to stock the fire and to readjust the blankets over them.
"You got yourself some good friends, Junior," he said quietly before going to sit back down again. Glancing down at his sleeping son he remembered his own father, Earnhardt Snr, whose name Junior had inherited. Junior had also inherited the racing gene from him, of that Mark was sure. While the mountain ranger himself couldn't tell the difference between a racing tire and a regular one, he understood passion. His passion was the glorious mountains, Junior's was racing. He didn't hold his son back despite the risks and Junior turned out very happy because of it. And his son still came home at the end of every season, which he wouldn't have been able to do with any other job. That was a wonderful benefit.
Mark made sure to take his bear spray out of the rucksack so that it would be safely next to him and ready for an emergency. He then decided he needed some sleep as well and closed his eyes.
In the morning, they would go back to the cabin for a wonderful warm breakfast. The boys would be stiff, tired, cold and sore, but this would be a lesson well learned. The event would certainly make quite a story to tell, as he, humble Mr. Earnhardt the Mountain Man, rescued four celebrities from the dangers of the Rocky Mountain Forests. Another campfire story to add to the list.