Eyes on the prize- Sebastian Vettel

3. You're on, O'Shea

Hello my lovelies! Thank you so much for reading this little book of mine!
I hope you're enjoying it, but let me know if there's anything you'd like to see a bit more of! I know it's early days but any feedback is much appreciated!

HB3112 x

Fabian: I hear you've got a job with the FIA. From your overtakes last year I never thought they'd put you in a safety car.

Joey smirked at her phone screen. She knew the siblings had reunited and had discussed her future presence in the paddock. Fabian was a few years younger than Joey, eight to be precise, but the two had bonded over the time they had raced against each other. The young German had admitted that, sometimes, with a surname like his people tended to be scared or adamant to interact and that made for some lonely racing experience, sometimes.

Joey: what can I say? I guess there's a first for everything. But you know Bernd is gonna do most of the driving. Also, why is your brother talking about me? Must be boring in Heppenheim.

Fabian: well, at least I can be assured Seb gets to the end of the season in one piece. With you leading the pack they'd burn through the tyres to keep up ;) Seb says hi, by the way, and Merry Christmas. Where are you?

Joey: you know me, go fast or go home... which I've done a couple of times with my DNFs! Lol. Anyways, tell Sebastian hello from me. I'm currently back home, to see grandad for Xmas. Merry Christmas to you boys too! And to all the Vettels, give Norb a big squishy hug from me.

Joey had met Fabian's and Sebastian's dad a couple of times at his son's races and had seen so much of her dad in him, she couldn't help but feel a strong connection to the German. She looked over to her own father, chatting away with her grandad about something or other and couldn't stop herself from smiling. Christmas time had been a rough time for the family since the loss of Joey's and Matt's mum all those years before. Things had got even harder the previous year when, after a long illness, Joey's grandma had passed away leaving her husband alone in their rural Ireland home.

This was going to be a weird Christmas for the four of them, but Joey was happy to be home with her three favourite men in the world.

'I'm putting the kettle on, who wants a cuppa?' She asked, eventually.

'Please, darling' her grandad, Kiran, replied.

Once Joey walked into the kitchen, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She picked up a video call from Fabian, unable to contain a smile, once the young Vettel appeared on her screen.

'Guten Tag, Herr Vettel' she tried, in the rather basic German she had learnt, mostly under Fabian's guidance, in her time racing in the country. 'Is it even Guten Tag at this time of day? How are ya?' She asked.

'Let's say it's ok, you tried' Fabian chuckled. 'I'm good, thanks. Glad to be home for the holidays.'

'Yeah, me too. How's Heppenheim?'

'Snowy, and cold.' German efficiency she thought. Fabian had never been a man of many words, but Joey had learnt to love him for it. He was the perfect person to have a long rant with: he would listen in silence and come up with perfectly witty one liners in response
'That's just Germany, innit?' She chuckled, pouring the water from the kettle into two cups and adding a dash of milk to both.

'Yeah' he agreed with a laugh. 'So tell me, what is this thing you're doing with the FIA?' He asked.

Joey started telling him all about the programme, it was only a year so she reassured him she'd be back to racing the following year as she was going to miss the on track action and the adrenaline of the drive.

When, after a while, Fabian was joined in the frame by Sebastian, Joey introduced them both to her dad who had come into the kitchen looking for snack, worried about her prolonged absence from the living room. She couldn't stop herself from chuckling away at her dad's reaction of seeing a four time world champion smile at him from his home in Germany.

'Well, I guess I'll see you in Hockenheim then, Fab' Joey concluded.

'Definitely, Jojo. Come visit me before if you can, I'll take you out for dinner, I know you miss sauerkraut.'

'Anything but that, thank you very much.' She crumpled her mouth in a disgusted pose. 'Merry Christmas, Vettels. Sebastian, I'll see you in Australia'

'Australia?' He asked, confused. 'No winter testing for you?'

'Don't sound upset, Sebastian.' She teased him. 'I am officially starting in Melbourne. I have a few bits and bobs to sort out before then'

'I am not upset' he said. Joey noticed Fabian's eyes sparkle cheekily, but she tried to ignore it. 'I just thought it'd be the perfect occasion for you to actually start driving safely' he teased. 'From what they've shown us and from what Fab has told me... I think it will take a lot of Bernd's patience for you to tone it down'

'Go big or go home, Vettel' she stated. 'Take this as my advice for your 5th title, if Ferrari is finally giving you anything better than a tractor shaped like an F1 car'

'Ouch' Fabian laughed. 'I can see you guys will have loads of fun next year.'

'Oh, believe me. We will. I always need a Vettel to mock in the paddock'

'Wow. We'll see. You're on, O'Shea.'

'Bring it on. Now, if you'll excuse me... I have some lovely Christmas Dinner leftovers with my name on them. I'll see you soon! Merry Christmas, again.'

'Merry Christmas, Jojo' Fab said, with a warm smile.

'And happy new year' Seb added with a smile.

Joey waved one last time before joining her family in the living room again. She grabbed some cold leftovers before letting herself fall on the sofa next to Matt. With a Christmas movie on and a hot cup of tea, Joey felt like there wasn't anything better than that. It was good to be home.

Her phone buzzed once more. Kimimatiasraikkonen has started following you. The notification pinged from her Instagram.

'What is life today?' She thought, before stretching out on the sofa, her legs resting on Matt's and her grandad's cat by her side, purring away.

'Can't wait for Melbourne'