Gumball awoke with Penny beside him in their tent. The illuminating light against it, indicated that dawn was just breaking and was unfortunately blinding him; temporarily.
"If the long range forecast is accurate, the rest of the vacation should be great for us weather wise! So far it hasn't been wrong...yet."
The blue cat thought, as he shifted his body to face his wife Penny; who was slowly waking up.
"Good morning Penny."
"Good morning Gumball."
The two leaned in for a heartfelt kiss, and slowly rose to rub their eyes.
"What a wonderful night! The kids certainly enjoyed it!"
"Indeed it was honey! Say, why don't you and I go pick some extra berries to bring back to the lake house before leaving the summit?"
The fairy's face soon lit up with anticipation, Gumball loved seeing this expression present itself every time he suggested a great idea.
"Absolutely! The kids loved the s'more recipe that Anais made, so I'm sure they'd appreciate it if we went out and picked some extra berries for the rest of the duration of this vacation!"
The blue cat and yellow fairy slowly emerged from the tent, as to not wake the rest of the family. Both retrieved their packs, and each carried a bucket to store the individual berries they had picked.
Slowly traversing down the trail, they had noticed the sun had been shining and reflecting off of the leaves of the berry bushes they were looking for. The dew still dripping off of the leaves from the melted frost overnight.
"Wow, nature is really captivating isn't it?"
Penny remarked, as her and Gumball picked the various raspberries and blueberries that surrounded them.
"It's so relaxing, especially after being in Elmore for so long; it's nice to transition to a more tranquil and peaceful environment. Honestly, it was a nice surprise when I saw the family together that evening when I arrived home from that day shift! Thanks Penny..."
The fairy smiled back at him.
"No problem, Gumball..."
Suddenly both heard the snap of a twig not too far from where they were picking berries.
Gently and slowly they placed their buckets on the ground.
"What the what was that?"
Gumball asked in a whispered tone.
"I'm not too sure, but we better stay quiet..."
The blue cat and fairy now adopted a crouched stance, and slowly crept to the source of the sound.
There was a faint sound coming from a pair of bushes as the couple approached.
Gumball parted a group of leaves to reveal something rather adorable.
A baby brown bear was eating a bushel of raspberries, the juice and paste smeared along the edges of its mouth.
"Aww..."
The couple exclaimed, with Penny picking up the small cub in her arms; her motherly instinct kicking in.
"Aren't you just the sweetest little thing? Oh Gumball, I think he likes me!"
The cub was licking the fairy's cheek, causing her to let out a spontaneous series of giggles.
Gumball was just as entranced by how cute the bear cub was, until his expression quickly changed to one of concern.
"Uh, honey?"
"Ye-hehehe-yes?"
The cub still continued it's ferocious attack of affection for the yellow fairy.
"If that's a baby, where's mama bear?"
Suddenly a large shadow loomed behind them, a warm breath and low baritone growl soon followed; as the couple slowly turned around.
Penny slowly put the baby bear down on the ground, as it ran behind the mother.
*Gulp*
"So do you remember the saying if it's brown lay down?"
Gumball stammered to get the words out.
"Ye-ye-yeah?"
The fairy soon inched closer and grabbed the arm of the blue cat.
"I have a funny feeling they never encountered one when they created that rule..."
Soon, the large brown bear unleashed a blood curdling roar that displaced the fur on the blue cat and deeply frightened the fairy.
"I believe it is high time we ran now..."
The fairy gripping tighter onto her husband's arm.
"Agreed..."
With that the couple ran with their packs, diligent to not forget their buckets of berries in the process.
The mother bear was in hot pursuit, quickly gaining on the fairy and cat.
"Penny, I know a good hiding spot not too far from here, just follow me!"
With that, the fairy kept close, with the cat grabbing her hand and leading her to a thick brush to evade the bear. Soon, the blue cat led her to a spring with a waterfall. Slowly, they crept into the waterfall; which revealed a small cave in which they could lay low.
The water provided a means of washing their scent, as well as the berries from the angry mother bear.
They crouched in a corner, carefully listening to hear anything outside that would indicate if the bear was near. The couple waited and waited, but not a sound could be heard outside the streaming cascade of water.
The yellow fairy then turned to the blue cat, whose fur was now soaked with water.
"This reminds me of when we would sneak out of our houses late at night to see each other in the park in high school. The moon shining down on both of us under the oak tree overlooking Elmore..."
The blue cat then provided a smile and rested his head on her forehead.
"It usually ended in our parents finding us though, more specifically Mom. She always did have a knack for sensing trouble..."
The yellow fairy chuckled.
"Yeah, I remember when Dad and Mom arrived that night with your parents. You planned an entire picnic on the night of a test. Your mother was definitely the most furious of the bunch!"
The two still soaking wet, laughed and placed their heads on each other recounting the memory.
The berry buckets were filled with water.
"Well at least we won't have to wash them when we get back!"
Gumball stated in a joking tone.
The yellow fairy chuckled, and then regained her composure.
"Do you think the coast is clear?"
The blue cat grasped her hands.
"I'm not sure, but stay behind me, we're going to try to make it back to camp to warn the others."
Slowly, the couple inched closer to the opening of the waterfall; once again being drenched by the cascade.
Gumball peered his head out, and not a sound was heard except the morning birds chirping.
"I think we're good, come on we better run to make some distance between us and that bear!"
With that, the couple sprinted back to the trail and began the climb to the summit.
Back at the camp, Nicole was preparing breakfast for Tristan, Penelope, and Anastasia.
"Grandma Nicole, where's Vlad and Carrie?"
"They just had to make a quick stop to Reedsville, literally too, they teleported there. The convenience of beings ghosts, eh?. They should be back soon, they just had to get something; and knowing those two though it probably entails a surprise..."
The three kids chuckled.
"So, hopefully you guys like your eggs sunny side up! The fire does make it rather quick to cook in the frying pan."
The three kids thanked their grandmother, and each of them divulged themselves in their fried eggs.
"Grandma Nicole these are amazing! What's the secret?"
Nicole grabbed the cheek of her grandson.
"Well aren't you just the sweetest little kitten? You remind me so much of your father at your age, granted he was a lot more...energetic..."
The blue cat give a small smile of the memories of her son as a toddler causing mischief, something that gave her grief and stress then; but are now reminiscent of the innocence and adventurous characteristics her son had possessed... and still does.
"Getting back to your question though, the key is to grease the pan in a dash of butter to avoid sticking, and adding a dash of pepper for a bit of flavor. Plus, it's a great way to get your nutrients for the day!"
As the four Watterson's were enjoying their breakfast, a bright light shone in front of them revealing Vlad Jr. and Carrie Watterson. Carrie was wearing her signature black sweater and necklace, the sunshine illuminating her long ghost hair. Vlad wearing a baseball cap, t-shirt, and shorts.
"Sorry everyone, we just thought we would give a more extensive look at the shops in Reedsville, which were pretty quaint for a small town! We did take the liberty of getting something for the whole family too to make the trip back a little bit faster!"
Behind the two ghosts were two tandem bikes, each with multiple seats to accommodate the entire Watterson family.
"Wow Carrie, that was very thoughtful of you! That should allow us to reach the lake house with time to still enjoy the afternoon!"
Carrie blushed at the compliment.
"No problem Mrs. Watterson, thanks!"
Panting was soon heard approaching the summit from behind them. Everyone turned to see a blue cat and golden fairy still soaked, but drier than when they first made the trek up to the summit.
Nicole was the first to rush over to check on both of them, with the rest of the family soon joining her to see if the couple was okay.
"Gummypuss, what happened? We thought you two were still asleep!"
Gumball was looking down at his Mother, who wiped away a stray grouping of fur covering his eyes.
"Sorry for the scare Mom, we just woke up early this morning while the rest of you guys were still asleep and thought it would be a great idea to retrieve more berries to bring back to the lake house for the kids; considering how much they loved the s'mores last night. Anyway, long story short, we accidentally disturbed a mama brown bear and her cub while we were picking, and had to hide from it in a nearby cave under a waterfall."
Nicole soon gave a tight hug to her son and the fairy.
"Well at least you two are safe and sound, but what about the bear?"
Gumball rubbed his arm.
"Well as far as we know we were not followed by her, but we should make the preparations to depart from the summit soon; she could regain our scent and follow us up here."
Darwin soon piped up from the family crowded around Gumball and Penny.
"I'll help you and Dad get the tents disassembled, while the rest of the family gets their things packed into our pouches and backpacks!"
Darwin soon stepped next to his brother, and placed a fin on his shoulder with a smile.
With that, the family started packing away their gear; the elders focused on getting their things prepared. Nicole, Penny and Carrie were getting the kids belongings packed away. Richard, Darwin, and Gumball packed the tent equipment, while the kids argued over what seat they would take on the bikes. To put it lightly, it was hustle and bustle for the Watterson's yet again.
Soon the summit space was vacant once again, Gumball dousing the fire and stomping out any remaining embers that still laid on the ground.
"Alright, is everyone ready to go?"
The Watterson family all nodded and gestured in agreement with Gumball.
"Alright, Darwin you can take the lead on the first bike; I'll take the lead on the second bike!"
With that, the family took their seats on either bike of their choosing and strapped on their helmets for safety.
"Say Gumball, how about we propose a race back! Your bike vs ours?"
Darwin was smiling at Gumball as he said this.
Gumball slowly turned his head with a devious smile.
"Challenge accepted my friend!"
Both were about to start peddling, confident expressions now engulfing everyone's faces.
The tension was soon cut by Gumball.
"Okay, wait. How are we going to go about this dude? Should we do like a countdown or something?"
"Like from 10?"
"Darwin, it's a race not a NASA space launch, we should do from the count of three shouldn't we? That's how every countdown started on our old gaming system as kids!"
"Yeah but dude, a countdown from 10 adds to the suspense!"
"Well 3 is quicker and faster!"
"Uh, Dad?"
Soon, Tristan's face was a shade of white at what he saw and urged the goldfish and blue cat to stop bickering.
"Yeah it is faster, but everything cool in the movies happens with a ten second countdown!"
"Uh guys?"
Nicole soon witnessed what the blue cat saw from behind her seat.
"Yeah, but dude we waste 7 extra seconds of daylight with a ten second countdown, we really should go to 3!"
"GUYS!"
The entire family now in unison shouting, trying in desperation to get the two Dads attention.
"WHAT?!"
The blue cat and goldfish were now turning back to the rest of the family.
On queue the entire family pointed to the front of them, revealing the mother brown bear from earlier had followed them up the mountain.
"Uh dude, you know what, scratch the countdown, how about we just get back to the lake house in one piece?"
"Agreed!"
(If I want to lose control by Deathray is compatible with your device, please press play now)
Without hesitation, both bikes were peddling down the mountain at breakneck speeds.
"She's gaining on us!"
Tristan exclaimed, as the mother bear nearly swiped him from off the back of the bike.
"Hold on! We're taking a detour from the main trail!"
Gumball then motioned Darwin to follow, as both bikes veered into a dense wooded area; both bikes dodging trees left, right, and center.
The mother brown bear still somehow keeping pace, was now between the two bikes; deciding which one of the occupants to take a strike at.
Nicole gave a swift kick to the bear's face, temporarily fazing the bear; before it regained its composure and continued to follow the Watterson's.
Soon, the two bikes were reaching the end of the thick wooded area to reveal a cliff that cut off the main park.
Gumball spotted a ramp that could carry them across.
"Darwin try to get behind me, we're going to jump the canyon!"
"WHAT!? ARE YOU CRAZY?!"
"JUST TRUST ME OKAY?!"
With that, Darwin gave a hesitant nod to his brother; making the adjustment to get behind the main bike his brother was commandeering.
"Well I kind of envisioned myself dying of my pacemaker back on the lawn back home, but then again this is a much better way to go now that I think about it!"
Louis exclaimed, as the two bikes braced themselves for the large gap.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The entire family was collectively in fear, as the two bikes were soaring through the air.
"Hey Darwin, this reminds me of the movie we watched as kids!"
"What one was that?"
"Something involving a kid and some weird alien..."
"Huh..."
"What were screaming about again?"
Both looked below, to see a large drop into the valley's abyss.
"Oh yeah!"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Miraculously, the two bikes landed on the adjacent cliff that led back onto the main trail; to the lake house.
"Hey Mom?"
Anais now turned to Nicole on the bike opposite to hers.
"Yes dear?"
"Do you remember when you did the fake break down in the desert all those years ago on one of our family vacations?"
Nicole let out a sigh.
"Yes?"
"Well I remember saying I was glad for wearing diapers, unfortunately that is not the case now..."
The entire Watterson family broke out into spontaneous laughter, and hugged one another for making it out of the trail alive.
Back at the lake house, everyone was getting situated once again. The sun still shining outside and beaming down from the sunroof.
Gumball was in the kitchen putting away the food they had packed for the hike in its proper placements.
He glanced at the microwave clock.
"12:00 P.M, I barely realized how fast we made it back here...well, the bear was certainly enough motivation to put the pedal to the metal!"
Soon Penny entered.
"Honey, I packed an extra nightdress on our hike and I can't find it; would you mind helping me?"
"No problem, I'll be right there once I finish putting away the last of the food!"
Gumball proceeded to place the last of the food items from their cooler packs, and exited the kitchen. Mary and Daniel were napping on the sofa, Frankie on the adjacent sofa doing the same. Outside the main window, Richard and Nicole were spending time with the kids at a game of tag, while Carrie and Darwin were situating things in the house. JoJo and Louis were fishing on the dock.
All of this brought a smile to the blue feline, each day on this vacation felt like a blessing to him. He felt like he was on cloud 9 seeing the shift from a dreaded gray cubicle office in the factory, to the sweet embrace of nature and his family happy on a long overdue vacation.
Gumball went upstairs to his and Penny's bedroom, to see her frantically checking drawers and wardrobes. Closets were also opened, sifting through end tables was also a guarantee with Penny.
"Oh, there you are! Yeah I've checked everywhere, but it doesn't seem to be showing up I remember last seeing it in a suitcase; but when were up on the summit it seemingly vanished from thin air..."
The blue feline then entered through the doorway to give his wife a quick kiss and hug.
"Don't worry, I'll find it go relax with the kids: you earned it."
Penny gave a warm expression.
"Thanks, Honey. You did awesome today up there getting us home safe."
"Eh, just natural instinct I guess..."
Penny gave a cute chuckle, she loved this resurgence of confidence he had regained on the family trip. It reminded her of the dates to the Elmore Mall at the Dinner diner.
"Well I'll let you get to your search, remember, it's the nice white silk nightdress you got me for Christmas. It's one of my favorites!"
"Got it loud and clear your majesty!"
Gumball now doing a playful bow, as if addressing a noble.
The fairy gave a smile.
"Oh Gumball.."
The blue cat gave one last departing hug, before exiting the room.
The better part of an hour was spent searching the entire house and outer premises of the lake property. To no avail was the nightdress in question.
Then, the blue feline had an epiphany.
"Of course the attic! Gosh darn it, how could I be so oblivious?"
With that the blue feline rushed into the house, and opened the ladder compartment to gain access to the attic above.
"I should really gut this place out sometime on this vacation, it seems like more dust has accumulated since yesterday!"
Gumball sifted through the various boxes, and recollected on past locations where he might have left clothes when he was packing.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a white sheen sparkle across the attic.
"That might just be it!"
He rushed over with high hopes of finally ending the search. There, lying on the wooden floor, neatly packed was his wife's nightdress.
"Gosh darn it, I must have been in a hurry when I was packing things up here..."
He picked up the nightdress to reveal a pair of keys on the floor just underneath it.
"What the what?"
Gumball picked up the brass keychain, it had a red tag next to the key reading "1957 Speed Roadster, a gift to my love".
Gumball was a bit taken aback by this at first, although not totally surprised. His wife did tell him in their bedroom, how the house used to be owned by a family long ago before being converted into a vacation property; when the National Park in Elmore was founded by the U.S Government in 1983.
Gumball then looked outside the attic window and noticed something that had evaded the rest of the family previously.
Just behind their lake house was a garage covered in vegetation, it looked like it hadn't been maintained in years.
He went down the hatch of the attic and into the master bedroom where Penny was eagerly waiting for his return, fixing herself up in the mirror with makeup.
"Oh thank you so much Gumball! Where did you find it?"
"I found it laying on the floor in the attic, I must have misplaced it when I was packing. I'm so sorry Penny, I know the sentimental value this dress entails!"
"But nothing could replace the value of the man who gave it to me..."
Gumball's cheeks went red, and he scratched the back of his head.
Soon, he was dragged into a deep passionate kiss that seemed to last for an eternity.
"Thanks for that Penny."
"No problem Gumball."
Gumball then dug the set of keys out of his shorts pocket.
"Say, I found these in the attic and outside the window up there I saw an abandoned garage just out back that we missed!"
The fairy gently inspected the keys in her husband's paws, noticing the text on the red key tag accompanying it.
"Oh my goodness it looks like it was a gift to someone! Like a parting farewell, at least I assume it is..."
"That's what I thought too, listen I'm going to take a look at that garage and see if this keychain is connected to it somehow."
The fairy grabbed the blue feline's arm.
"Okay but be careful, there could be something inside that might attack you or something. You did say it looked abandoned right?"
"I will, don't worry."
With that the blue cat picked up his pace down the staircase into the living room, and exited through the front door. Swinging around to the back of the house, he ventured to where he spotted the garage in the attic. He soon followed a dirt path to a garage overgrown with thick branches, the windows still intact on the outside. Besides the obvious vegetation, the garage looked seemingly new; the paint was not chipped nor was the structure in disrepair.
Gumball inched closer to the main door panel of the garage, and carefully grasped the plants that were covering the lock mechanism.
Suddenly the texture of the branch the cat was holding felt...inorganic.
"What the what? Who puts plastic vegetation for decoration on a garage?!"
The blue cat slowly pulled the plastic décor away from the handle, and unlocked the garage.
What he saw next blew him away.
"Oh you cannot be serious!"
There, just in front of the cat was a pristine garage, complete with a mini bar area, with a winery and a mounted T.V in the back. It also had a nice resting area and dart board.
But that wasn't even the best part, in front of the blue cat was something that could be called a blast from the past. A pristine, shiny red sport roadster was gleaming directly at the blue cat; whose jaw dropped.
"Woah Dad! What's this?!"
Tristan soon ran up to his father, standing in awe next to him.
"A mint condition car, that might have to do with the keys I found in the attic!"
"Well come on! Let's check it out Dad!"
Gumball placed the key into the door lock mechanism, slowly turning the key to the driver side door.
*Click*
Miraculously, the car door unlocked, revealing the red cushioned leather seats.
"Hey, I haven't spent a whole lot of time together with you this vacation Tristan. I'm thinking...there's a few dirt roads from here to Reedsville, would you like to go visit some of the shops there? I can show you a few beginner tips on how to drive, and maybe, just maybe let you take the wheel of this beautiful hot rod! Sound like a plan buddy?!"
"Dad that would be AWESOME!"
Soon, the kitten jumped into the driver's seat of the car grasping the wheel with eager intent.
Gumball smiled at his joyful son, and soon dawned a worried expression.
"Did they have safety regulations and air bags back in 1957?"
*END OF CHAPTER*