"I am an F1 driver, not a gardener, dad" Daniella complained to her dad.
"Yeah, I know," David replied. "But luckily for you, someone who drives around circles for a living is more than qualified to water the plants... so get to work," He gestured to his daughter to join him.
Daniella groaned and shot her father a quick glare before starting to water the plants in the yard.
David watched his daughter for a couple of seconds before deciding to ask the question he has been wanting to ask since she came home three days ago.
"So... Are you going to tell me why exactly you are here?"
"What do you mean?" Daniella asked back, busy watering the plants.
"It's not like you to come home suddenly," David pointed out. "Usually you plan and inform us at least a week or so before coming home but this time...this time you only informed us when your flight landed."
Daniella paused for a few seconds to gather her thoughts before resuming her work.
"I was just missing you guys so," She sheepishly tried to lie.
"See, I would believe you if I didn't know you so well," David sighed. "Sometimes I hate how well I know my daughters," He mumbled to himself.
Daniella tried not to look her father in the eye.
"So what is going on with you?"
"Nothing, I already told you," She lied again.
"Problem with your new team?" David guessed.
"No," Daniella shook her head. "The team is great and everyone there is amazing."
"Is it a boy problem?"
"Haha no," Daniella tried to keep a neutral facial expression.
"Is it a girl problem?"
"Nope."
David thought of ten different reasons and Daniella shook her head at every one of those while trying to avoid looking at her dad and continue watering the plants.
"Okay, it has to be about someone."
"Now you are just trying to exhaust me," Daniella huffed.
"I will stop as soon as you tell me why you are here when your actual plan was to stay in Miami a few more days," David smugly said to his daughter.
Daniella sighed and looked at her father, showing her vulnerability in her eyes.
"There is a guy..." She let out a shaky breath. "But umm... things got complicated, totally out of our control and I felt like I couldn't go through with it, not after everything that happened last year."
"So you left?" David softly asked.
Daniella nodded.
"It feels selfish and wrong but... I just don't have the strength to face all of that," She explained.
David gave a sad smile before pulling Daniella into a comforting hug.
***
Collins cautiously opened the door and snuck in her head to see if her sister was awake, but it was hard to tell since Daniella's back was turned towards her. She was relieved to find the lights were still on.
"Are you awake?" She whispered.
Daniella turned around to see her younger sister at the door, looking like a thief trying to snuck in.
"Yes..." She replied as she sat up. "What are you..."
"Good," Collins smiled and barged in, locking the door so that no one could come in.
"What are you doing here and what's under your hoodie?" Daniella pointed at the obvious bump.
"Well, it's definitely not a baby," Collins sarcastically said as she pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels. "Want to get drunk?"
"Collins, what the hell?!" Daniella controlled herself not to yell. "Where did you get that?"
"From dad's study room," Collins proudly said, the mischievous look was visible on her face.
"He is going to be mad."
"He won't find out," The younger sister assured Daniella and sat in her bed. "I just never got drunk and thought I would give it a shot. And I don't want to try it with others in case I get too drunk and do something stupid."
"What do you mean you never got drunk?" Daniella looked confused. "You have never tried alcohol before?"
Collins shook her head.
"Now I am just disappointed in you," Daniella chuckled. Collins might be reckless sometimes but at least she knows her limits.
"What do you mean you are disappointed?" Collins frowned as Daniella picked up the bottle and opened it. "How old were you when you first got drunk?"
Daniella looked at her sister who was eager to know.
"Not important," She quickly replied, not wanting to tell her the actual answer since he was younger than Collins is right now when she first got drunk, and if her dad finds out it will be a long lecture.
"Get the glass and the water bottle," She instructed her sister.
"Okay," Collins replied and got the bottle and the glass from the table and put it on the bed. "But why? I want to get drunk, not get hydrated."
"Because it's your first time so we will have to mix the two," Daniella explained as she poured a little bit of the alcohol in the glass and then added the water.
"I think I can handle it," Collins confidently said.
Daniella chuckled as she knew the true effect of the Jack Daniels.
"Just try this first," She handed the glass to Collins. "And take it slow."
The younger sister took a look before chugging the entire glass within a few seconds.
"It burns," She coughed and made a gagging face. "Why the hell does it burn?" She felt like she was about to vomit.
Daniella laughed at her and offered her some water.
"Now imagine what would have happened if you had drunk straight from the bottle," She said before taking a sip of the alcohol from the bottle.
Collins felt better after the glass of water as Daniella kept drinking from the bottle.
"I am ready for another glass," She pushed the empty glass toward Daniella.
"You sure?"
"Yeah," Collins nodded. "I want to get drunk, see how it feels. So.." She pointed at the glass.
"I am just waiting to see you experience your first hangover," Daniella grinned.
***
Daniella clicked a photo of her sister behaving completely drunk, just in case she needed to blackmail her in the future or tease her for no reason.
"So what is going on in your world?" Collins slurred as she lay in Daniella's bed, hugging a pillow.
"My world?" Daniella asked. She was starting to feel a little tipsy but it was nothing she can't handle.
"Yeah, F1 world," Collins clarified. "There are rumors that you are dating two guys at one time... I think one of them is your old teammate."
Daniella lay on the bed next to her sister.
"I am all for it if you are really dating two guys but I heard that Max guy dumped you and got back with his ex."
"Where did you hear that?" Daniella asked.
"The internet, and also my friends talk about it a lot."
Daniella can't help but chuckle.
"I am not dating anyone," She replied. "And you shouldn't believe everything you hear."
"I don't," Collins slurred. "But the gossips are interesting. Do you ever like one of those two guys?"
"Maybe..." Daniella softly replied, knowing well that Collins won't remember the conversation in the morning when she wakes up.
"Is it that Ferrari dude?"
"You are asking too many questions, Collins."
"I am just curious," The younger sister defended herself even in her drunk state. "So is it the Ferrari dude with amazing hair or your old teammate who looks like he is always in a mood?"
Daniella chuckled as she pulled the covers over Collins and switched off the lights.
"Go to sleep, little one," She ordered her sister.
"I just want to know, please..."
***
Once Daniella was sure that Collins was asleep she unlocked her phone and was surprised to find a few text messages from Charles asking her not to be mad at him and to not watch the latest video of Grill the grid.
Daniella was confused since she has no idea what Charles is talking about and even forgot which challenge was supposed to be uploaded first.
She got curious and decided to watch the video where the drivers were asked to arrange the grid according to heights. She remembers filming it and that she only got half right and messed up the rest.
"Sometimes Dani looks shorter than Yuki, especially when she wears her baggy clothes and no heels," Charles said in the video, trying to control his laughter but failing. "So I think I will put her name below Yuki," He pulled the card with Daniella's name to the very bottom.
"Charles, you little demon," Daniella mumbled.
In the video, he looked a little concerned thinking about what will happen if Daniella finds out.
"There is a good chance she will come for my life," He let out a nervous laugh.
"Damn right, you brat," Daniella said to herself.
She was about to close the video and text Charles, or even better, call him. But stopped when Max appeared next.
"Oh yeah she is definitely taller than me," Max said with a bright smile and put Daniella's name right above his.
Daniella can't help but smile and giggle.
"Charles said Daniella is shorter than Yuki," One of the crew members said to Max.
"He must be blind then," Max let out a laugh. "Also good luck to him cause Dani is not going to let it go."
"Is that why you put her name above yours?"
Max gave a suspicious smile and shook his head.
"Let's move on.." He said looking at the camera, making everyone around laugh.
This was filmed even before Daniella and Max started dating.
Daniella immediately got off her bed and went downstairs where its silent and empty since everyone else in the house was sleeping.
She didn't think twice before calling Max as her heart started beating faster.
"Dani?" Max immediately answered her call.
She let out a shaky breath.
"Are you okay?" She softly asked.
Max can't even describe in words how relieved he was to get the call and hear her voice.
"I am... I am okay now," He replied. "I am trying my best to figure everything out Dani. I talked to my lawyer and there is a good chance we can change some clause in my contract," He assured her immediately, not wanting her to think otherwise.
"Right now I don't care about that, I just wanted to hear your voice," Daniella said with a small smile on her face, feeling hopeful that they can be together again.
Max sighed in relief, he too had a soft smile on his face.
"I am sorry for leaving without saying anything," Daniella apologized. "But at that moment..."
"I understand," Max replied. "I think I would have done the same if I was in your place. When...when are you coming back to Monaco?"
"Monday," Daniella replied.
"Would you mind if I come over to your place later that day?"
"No...not at all."
**********
A/N: Dani spending some time with her family... away from Max.
I just love Collins and her relationship with Daniella😁
Thoughts on Dani and Max? Do you think they will be able to solve the mess and get back together soon?
Let's say Carlos or someone else messes up something that affects Dani and Max. What would you want them to do to mess up? Because problems already occurred from Max's side, I think it will be fair if it happens from Dani's side too😅😅
Sometimes I regent moving Dani from Red Bull to Mercedes which makes me want to write another AU or a different story with another Red Bull driver OC