Chapter 6

Holley awoke to orange.

Orange ground. Orange sky. Orange light from the sunset basked the side of the mountain, shading everything in sight with the intense hue.

Speaking of intense... there was this strong warmth to her right that almost prompted her to close her eyes again. But a good agent was awake and understanding of her situation quickly (C.H.R.O.M.E. Handbook, Second edition, Volume 15, Page 857, Paragraph 4, Line- wait, what was making her so warm?)

The jaguar reversed in surprise, scrambling to recall how she'd wound up snuggled up next to Mater. A heavy sleeper, Mater continued to snore, but his expression faltered to a less comfortable looking one, like a child whose stuffed animal had been displaced.

For a big rusty truck, Holley noted, he looked adorable right then. Curious, she drove back up next to him and brushed her fender against his. The effect was instant, putting a little smile on Mater's face and greatly reducing the wrinkles on his brow.

She was so flattered by the reaction that she had trouble bringing herself to wake him.

"Mater. Mater, wake up," she cooed. She let Mater stretch, snort, and otherwise get himself awake while she checked her computer, relieved to find that Finn hadn't been trying to contact her.

Relieved? Should relieved be the word to describe not hearing from her partner for longer than expected? Her inner agent immediately caught up with and scolded the Porche. Standby did not usually last very long. What time was it?

"Musta dozed off... We'd better get movin'..."

Mater was right. At the most she had a half hour before she needed to be back in town to-

"...if we're gonna reach the view befer it gets too crowded."

What?

"What? This... wasn't the 'best view on the mother road' as you put it?"

"Shoot, no! I mean, the falls are purty and all but, well, follow me!"

He sped off before Holley could reply, not that she'd put that much effort into stopping the excited tow truck.

A very short drive later, Holley began hearing voices. A few hundred feet later, voices became a throng of cars rushing around - preparing for an even busier evening - a restaurant by a cliff. A cliff that Mater had already driven ahead towards, parked near the edge of, waving Holley over frantically. Alright, alright. She rolled her eyes and drove over.

…

…

It was late enough for lights to be on at all the homes in town, but not late enough for any to be turning off for sleep. Like fairy lights, mixed with the deep reds and purples of a sun almost completely set. Upon seeing the view from the Wheel Well at dusk, all Holley could manage to let out of her mouth was a faint "Oh."

Mater was right next to her to grin proudly.

"Hee hee, I told ya! It's great earlier in the day too! Or when it's totally dark. Or at sunrise... Actually, this is the purtiest view of the mother road no matter when you see it, but," Mater paused. "I think this is the nicest its ever looked, actually," he mused.

"Yeah..."

Mater looked over to Holley and grew perplexed. She was impressed, as he'd hoped, but something else was in her expression along with awe. Her eyes were wide for other reasons. "Hey, you okay?"

"Mater, those tiny lights... Is that Radiator Springs?"

"Sure is!"

But Mater's reply didn't soothe Holley as he'd expected. The Jaguar turned to him, biting her lip. "So we're that far away..."

"Miss Holley?"

She avoided his gaze. "The truth is..." Holley sighed, "I'm on stand-by. Not vacation. Finn could need me back down there at any time. As it is, I'm cutting it rather close."

He frowned. She failed to avoid cringing. She knew it. One doesn't show somebody a view at a restaurant and not have plans to eat there. Her career had just thrown their entire date off, and it didn't even take an emergency to do it. Just protocol.

"Oh... um... okay..." Mater gave a half hearted smile. "We'd better get you back, then."

"Right..."

Mater and Holley both started back down the road to town immediately. Holley frowned sadly while Mater...

Mater seemed to be thinking about something unpleasant to think about.

Holley couldn't tell what, and the lack of knowledge scared her.

Terrified her, really.