Vettel One Shots

Danny Ric - I...uhm...can I hold your hand?

I dropped my rucksack to the floor, I couldn't believe what I was seeing on the board in front of me as I looked up at it, I felt trapped, I felt lost and had no idea what to do or where to go. I'd missed my flight back to London, check in had closed, the flight was now boarding, I was stuck. Knowing that there were still people back at the circuit I figured my only option was to go back there and see if there was any way I could blag my way onto another team's flight. I'd heard that Seb and Kimi were going to get on a flight to Switzerland very early in the morning, maybe I could get on that and then make my way back to London from there? With a heavy sigh I picked up my rucksack and flung it over my shoulder, time to go and beg.

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"Couldn't keep away huh?" Daniel grinned as I entered hospitality, I was surprised to see him still here, most of the drivers had already left the circuit after completing their media obligations and with rumours rife that the race was to be postponed they'd all be busy repacking to leave for home.

"Couldn't get away more like, I'm fucked." I huffed as I sat across the table from him. As I'd got Britta's number in my contacts I'd called her only to be told that the flight her driver was booked on was already full and after calling head office they'd basically told me there was little they could do and that as I'd missed my flight through my own bad time keeping I was pretty much on my own.

"Missed ya flight?" His brows raised as he realised what I meant. "Oh that sucks." He added after I'd nodded and dropped my rucksack to the floor.

"Excuse me! Who's case is this?!" A member of the hospitality team called out, pointing to a bright pink suitcase that had been casually abandoned near the main entrance - my bright pink suitcase. I blushed, pretty sure that my face was now matching my case. Before I could say anything Daniel had shot up from his seat to gallantly retrieve my abandoned piece of luggage and he wheeled it back with him to the table while I looked down at the table to hide my face in my hair.

"Guess I'd better see if I can rebook my room at Hotel Covid." I remarked dryly, referring to the hotel that we'd nicknamed after finding out that a couple members from other teams were isolating there after testing positive.

"Haven't you got another flight booked?" Daniel asked, sitting down and taking a sip of his energy drink. I shook my head. "Couldn't HQ get you on another plane?"

"Nope, I'm on my own. That's pretty much what they told me." I sighed and pulled my phone from jeans pocket to look up the phone number for Hotel Covid.

"Wait there." Daniel instructed as he got up from his chair, I watched as he walked away holding his phone to his ear. My own phone vibrated in my hand and I looked at the screen to see a text from Veronica who worked in our travel and logistics department. It was depressing reading, feeling concerned about me she'd tried to see if she could get me on another flight to the UK but there were no seats apart from one available in a weeks time. She'd booked me on to it, adding that that flight was better than no flight at all and suggested I try and rebook the hotel I'd been staying in. She was going to email me all the details and was also going to bill me for the flight. I wanted to cry, I just wanted to go home. A few minutes later Daniel came back with big grin across his face which faded as he saw how close to tears I was looking. "Hey, it's ok, don't worry." He said cheerily as he sat back down opposite me.

"I'm stuck here for a week, how can it be ok? No offence Dan, I love Australia but I really want to go home. I just don't want to be here." I saw his face drop, he loved his home country and I knew it would sadden him to hear me talk like that.

"I've got you onto my flight...." He said quietly. ".....to Perth."

I could feel my eyebrows shoot up so fast it was a wonder they didn't disappear into my hairline. He'd done what?!