Chapter Text
Everything was beginning to feel distorted through his ears as he held out his left arm to lean on the cool surface of the wall inside the garage, he had given Bono a quick grip of the shoulder just to give reassurance that he was ok, he knew there were a few moments were he did not reply quickly enough in a conversation and may have blanked a few people, never on purpose but he could not show the weakness that something may be wrong.
God forbid it.
He had to be a strong figure here.
Trying to remember when he had felt something had been wrong, yesterday he was fit as a fiddle, nothing to indicate something was coming but this morning as he had accidentally bumped into the women when he was leaving his hotel, she had dropped her bag and as a gentleman he had picked it up for her and given it back with a warm smile, an apology leaving his lips. She had smiled so brightly taking her bag back and when he tried to head over to the car waiting for him, she had gripped his arm, her voice bending to the wind around him.
“Little by Little, you will find all those who love you coming back to you”
When he had entered the car, it was like Lewis could still feel her grip on his arm and as he looked out the window to see where she had gone, he could not find her in sight. As they had approached the track, Lewis could feel the heat travelling over his body though many people were wearing coats.
Looking over his shoulder to watch as everyone had moved over to one of the cars and looking at the data on the screens, Lewis dragged his body round the crossroad of the hallway, it was empty and he tried to take a deep breath to ease the pain in his head but found it was like the breath in his body was being sucked out of his soul, Lewis dropped his helmut and he watched it roll a few feet ahead him before his vision began to turn black and soon his body fell forward, feeling heavy one second before feeling as light as a feather.
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Opening his eyes and the sounds of everything around him began to fill his ears, Lewis slowly pulled himself up and rubbed his face before looking around, slowly realising he did not know where he was but soon he could hear footsteps echoing behind him, he quickly took off down the hallway but soon he could hear footsteps coming from in front of him and there was no way he wanted to see whose footsteps they belonged to then he spotted the stack of tyres to his right and quickly slotted his body into the small gap behind them, he soon found himself following the small tunnel he had found there and was in the open outside of the garage, he was out of sight but he could see so many people walking around in different coloured uniforms. He clutched a fist to his chest trying to calm the beating of his heart like he had see the salsa dancing man pink had done one time before a race.
That when he remembered what his mother, well both of his mothers had said to him that one time.
Lewis if you ever feel lost and scared, go and find someone who feels safe and like home
He could do that.
Holding back the tears that were trying to escape his eyes, he clutched his hands to his chest and took a small deep breath in. Lewis stepped out of his hiding place and began moving around the other people by the garages, trying to see if he recognised the few people that felt like home and would make him feel safe just as his mothers had said to do.
Where was the cold Finnish man that always gave him the warmest smiles?
Where was the funny British man who always had the best snacks?
Where was the angry but silly Spanish man who told him all about the stars in the sky?
Where was the smiley German man who gave the softest hugs?
Where was the goofy Australian who sat with him when home was so far away?
And where was the soft German man who held his hand through the scary moments and stood by his side when nobody wanted to be his friend? The German man with the long blonde hair and the blue eyes that twinkle like the stars? Who always pushed him to do better and be the best.
The tears began to slowly creep down his cheeks and Lewis was struggling to keep his breathing steady, he fell onto his hands and knees when a man in red had run past him carrying a camera, shouting something funny sounding. He knew he had hurt himself as he could feel the pain in his hands and knees then suddenly he felt himself being pulled up and looking into the face of Lando.
“Hey are you ok?”
Lewis was in so much pain and all he wanted to do was hide away from it all so he did the only thing he knew would get him free from the grip of Lando. He threw his head back before bringing it forward with such force that the top of his head smacked hard into the nose of Lando who let go and Lewis took this chance, running away.
“Argh fuck that hurt, stop laughing Oscar”
“He fucking head butted you, mate hahahah”
Hiding behind another set of tires leaning on the wall, Lewis tried rubbing the tears out of his eyes but they would not stop falling and soon more were falling out. He was so scared but that's when the dark blue and red uniform with the silly yellow bulls on caught his eyes and hat's when he remembered the goofy Australian wore those colours. Lewis knew he could find him and everything would be better so Lewis quickly ducked into the garage on the left that was empty for the moment but he could hear people talking in the hallway at the end of the garage, he knew that people from the goofy Australian's team would be coming in to do work on the car and he did not want to face any more people as everyone who he had so far come across on his journey were so mean so Lewis quickly and carefully climbed up the car and ducked down into the seat, tucking himself into a ball and that was were he felt safe for a small second.
The heat of the seat warmed his soul like a soft blanket during a rain storm but it finally dawned on him.
He was all alone.
And finally the last straw in him had broken and Lewis began to cry very hard into his hands, smearing blood from the cuts on his hands onto his cheek.
Where was the safe and home feeling?
Where was everyone?
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Max stepped onto his side of the garage and sat down listening to GP talk about something about the data to do with the car, he rolled his eyes before peering his gaze outside to watch as George Russel ran pass looking worried about something, he turned to GP who looked at him with a shrug of his shoulders before continuing to talk about the data that's when he heard it.
Soft heartbroken cries.
He crossed his eyebrows in confusion when he stood up, wondering if a family had gone past the garage but he could still hear the small cries even over the shouts and laughs of his team who were filling out into his side.
“Quiet!”
Everyone had stopped talking and looked at him, thankful for the silence as the cries could now be heard loud and clear, his pit crew and GP looked confused. Everyone was looking around the garage to find out where the cries were coming from as there were not many small hidden spaces in the garage.
“I swear it's coming from there”
Calum from his pit crew pointed to his car so Max strided over to his car and was now sure that the cries were coming from his car, from the hole where his seat was. Carefully he peered over the halo and was shocked at the sight that greeted him.
“Hey little one”
He spoke softly and suddenly he was looking into dark coal eyes that were red from so much crying, it did not take him long to notice the small smears of blood on the cheeks on the child and the small cuts on the palms of his hands.
“Lets get those cleaned up shall we”
Max held his hands to the small child in his seat but the child in question shook his head and moved further back into the seat, looking so frightened at Max as if he was a terrible monster come to snatch him away.
“NO I WANT RI RI!”
The determined look that flashed through those dark coal eyes had looked so familiar to Max, it was like looking at….
“WHERE IS RI RI, THIS IS HIS CAR!”
It dawned on Max as he finally took in the appearance of the small child in his seat, the small braided hair and the tiny mercedes race suit that contained the british flag with the bright yellow 44 number. Also the nickname that was only referred to Daniel by one other driver.
Max turned to GP and told him to get someone from the Mercedes garage now before turning to Calum and telling his head pit crew member to quickly go and find Daniel. He watched as both men quickly shot out of the garage, Max turned back to the car and noticed the shouting had stopped but the cries had come back and each one sounded more heartbroken than the last and that pulled at his heart, he crouched down by the halo so he was not looming above as before.
“Hey its ok, its ok little one”
“Where.. Is.. every.. One? Why…have,,they,,,, left,,,,me?”
This was breaking his heart and it hurt that he could not doing anything to stop the small sobs coming from the child.
But Max was definitely sure.
There in his car was a small tiny Lewis Hamilton.