Cat Max.

chapter two.

"It's Max." Christian tells them.

The said cat on Kimi's lap makes an annoyed meow, almost glaring at his team boss. The tears still in the cat's eyes as he is afraid everyone is going to hate him more for being able to shift. They're going to tell everyone that he can. He's going to end up as a lab rat. The cat starts to tremble in fear with his tail between his legs.

"Sshh." Kimi shushes the tiny cat.

"But the cat is too small for an adult." Lance says.

Christian looks at the cat that is snuggled in the crook of the fin's neck. Almost passed out by the events of everything of last night and the fight with his father. Softly purring which in his human form is soft snoring. Kimi smiles a little at how Max had been in the room this entire time and is able to just escape the pressure once every while.

"That's for Max to explain." Christian says.

"Why didn't I know?" Daniel asks him.

Christian smiles at the Australian driver who feels left out of this. He remembers how Max always said that as much as Daniel was his best friend, he was still scared he wouldn't like him anymore. His father always told him that it was a bad thing to shift.

"Because Max is scared. Drilled by his father that he would end up as a lab rat if he kept shifting." Christian tells Dan.

Lando's eyes widen and looks at the poor boy who is his friend. He would have never expected his friend to be such a cool animal and could do something so amazing. But he loves how his friend can turn into a furry friend and constantly came to him.

Charles smiles, he never knew the dutchman liked him. Cat Max had come and took a couple of naps on Charles when he wasn't in the garage. He can't believe how respectful Max is. From all those times he could have sneaked into any garage. He never did. As Charles is sitting near the cat. He pets the cat softly.

"How long did you know?" Dan asks his old team boss.

"Since he signed for red bull back in 2016." Christian says.

"How?"

"Shifting is linked to emotions. He shifted out of happiness." Christian said.

That's when it hit Seb, all the times Max was angry or upset and ran out of the paddock was to make sure no one found out about his ability. Why he always tried to restrain from shifting on the podium as he would tap his fingers on his wrist. Digging his nails in his skin. It suddenly made sense, the boy always disappeared to be the cat. To feel free for a while.

Now he understands why the boy was never there when the cat was. The amount of red cat hair on the red bull team. The amount of cat toys that were randomly in the garage, why the cat was always so picky to lay in the red bull 33 car. His own car. Shaking his head, he scratches the back of the cat's head.

Checo chuckles, he understands now why he always found cat hairs on him. He understands now that every time Max wasn't around and Christian didn't worry was because the cat was asleep on the tyre blanket. Max was always near but in cat form.

Lando's eyes widen at the realisation. It was max who pulled the love of his life closer and it was Max who made him trip every time Carlos was close. It was Max who would steal Lando's racing suit and would lay in front of the Ferrari garage with it. So that Lando had to go to his crush.

It had been Max who stole his phone and ran to the spaniard in the pit lane. It had been Max who would look at Lando like he was crazy to suggest that a laser was fun. Max was human so he knows that he would never catch the laser. It had been Max who for fun had drank his milk. Then pushed it off the table when Lando tried to scold him for it.