Introduction
This story is part of a pair of companion stories. This means that another Wattpad author will be writing a story set in the same universe at the same time. We will each be telling a different perspective of the same events! The author who will be joining me on this concept is none other than the talented @__highflying! (Author of Connections).
My story will follow Sebastian Vettel's side of things, while @__highflying's story will follow Daniel Ricciardo's side. We will do our best to make each story stand up on its own, so that you don't have to read both if you don't want to. However, you will be privy to far more information and find out the conclusions of various cliffhangers sooner if you read both stories!
My half of the story begins first, as it starts a little earlier than @__highflying's. But in a few weeks, she will begin her side of the story and our plots will begin to intertwine and cover the same events. I will update you when she begins and supply the link so that you can follow her side of the story too.
For those who have read Fifth Light, please note that this story is a brand new, alternate universe where the events of Fifth Light never happened. You will recognise some of the cast from Fifth Light making appearances in this story however.
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Lifeline; noun.
A thing on which someone or something depends or which provides a means of escape from a difficult situation.
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There were four very good reasons why Tully Huovinen could never fall in love with Sebastian Vettel.
1. He had a long term girlfriend, of seven years no less.
2. He was a world famous, four-time Formula 1 World Champion whose life was constantly scrutinised in every way possible.
3. She was a health professional, and he was her employer.
4. It would make all of those remedial massages really damn awkward.
The thing about life though, is that it has the ability to throw you a curveball that you can't possibly forsee, something that throws all of that carefully constructed logic and reasoning right out the window.
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December 4th, 2013
"Heikki is leaving."
"No! Really? But why?" Hayley replied in surprise. She set down her mug of coffee on the kitchen bench and wandered over to the breakfast table.
"Being a personal trainer was never his end goal. He's been offered a teaching job." Sebastian explained glumly.
He looked out the window and gazed across the crystal clear lake outside their Swiss home. The water was so still and silent that it looked like a mirror, reflecting the blue sky and swirling grey clouds above it.
"But you were working so well together." Hayley pouted, leaning over the back of Sebastian's chair and running her palms down his chest slowly.
"Mmh." Sebastian grunted before turning his head to kiss her cheek. Half of his mind was focused on the whole personal trainer issue while the other half had deviated to wondering if her hands were going to stop at his belt.
"So what's the plan?" Hayley asked, smiling as his lips trailed over her cheek and down past her jaw line. Sebastian could feel her fingers dipping beneath his belt in response.
"Heikki recommended his sister." Sebastian mumbled against her skin, feeling his hips lifting instinctively as Hayley's warm fingers slipped down even further. He continued his path down her neck with increasing enthusiasm.
"His sister?" Hayley hesitated and frowned.
"I knew he had one, though I haven't met her." Sebastian pulled back slightly and shrugged, "They studied at the same institution and followed an almost identical career path. It would make sense to trial her."
"But, a female personal trainer?" Hayley said dubiously.
Sebastian shrugged again, "I don't see how it would be that different."
Hayley swallowed uncomfortably and retracted her hands. Sebastian sighed at her sudden change of mood.
"Hayley..."
"What?" she replied sharply, turning away from him and returning to her coffee.
"If you have a problem, just say so."
"You do whatever you want Sebastian." she replied coolly as she walked out of the room. Sebastian glared at his empty plate for a few seconds before pushing his chair back and getting up.
"You don't like the idea of a female?" he called out as he walked into the lounge area and found her curled up on the window seat, looking out at the lake silently.
Hayley glanced at him casually, "I don't care."
"It seems like you do." he retorted, "Though I don't know why now all of a sudden. You've never had a problem with Britta, how is this any different?"
Hayley laughed airily and shook her head before taking a sip of her coffee.
"Talk to me." Seb said gently as he sat next to her knees and placed his hand on her thigh.
"I would at least like to meet her before you make any decisions." Hayley sighed tiredly, giving in to him yet again.
"Of course. And if you are not comfortable, then I won't consider her." he said. If he could avoid a fight this way, then it was worth it.
"Okay." she replied softly, finally looking at him again. He reached forward and stroked his fingers across her jaw, inciting a small smile out of her.
"Good." he beamed, relieved that the discussion didn't have to escalate any further. He knew she found it hard. All the time they had to spend apart was never exactly easy for her, particularly whenever he was overseas surrounded by beautiful women and she was sat at home watching him on television.
For seven long years, that was the way it had always been.
---
Tully Huovinen walked through the crowded Belgium bar, balancing two cocktails full to the brim of neon pink liquid.
She finally reached their table and sat down next to Olivia, the giggly Italian girlfriend of her client, Stoffel Vandoorne. Aside from herself, Olivia and Stoffel, the remaining seats at the table were occupied by Stoffel's Press Officer Jacqui, and lastly, Stoffel's parents... also known as the ones that signed Tully's pay cheques.
She slid one of the cocktails under Olivia's nose and grinned as the dark-haired beauty squealed in delight.
"Right, cheers you lot." Stoffel said, holding his drink out into the center of the table.
The rest of the small party clinked their glasses together before each taking an enthusiastic swig.
"Jacqui and Tully, we really wish to thank you both for another fantastic year." Thomas, Stoffel's father, said across the table. He had a rich, deep voice, laden with an upper-class accent that reflected their privileged lives.
"Here's to a seat in GP2 next year." Tully exclaimed, raising a playful eyebrow at Stoffel.
He beamed like a kid on Christmas morning and nodded his head. "Damn right."
Olivia turned to him and kissed his cheek happily before taking a delicate sip of her cocktail. Meanwhile, Tully felt a buzz in her pocket and leaned over to tug her phone out of her jeans. As she saw the name on the caller ID her face lit up. She quickly slipped off her bar stool and hurried towards the exit sign.
"Hello?" she said. A smile flitted across her lips as she pushed through the door of the bar and stepped out into the night air.
"Tul, I need you to get on a plane to Switzerland."
"What?" Tully laughed.
"Remember that job I told you about, teaching at the junior academy?"
"Yes?"
"I got it!" Heikki exclaimed.
"Of course you got it! Well done!" she replied down the line excitedly, "Why do I need to get on a plane though exactly?"
"Because there'll be a vacancy when I take that new job and a certain four-time Formula 1 World Champion would like to meet you."
"What?" Tully breathed, awestruck, "You put my name forward?"
"I did."
Tully stopped walking completely, standing on the sidewalk in the Belgian moonlight with a dumb look slapped across her face.
"You're being serious? Sebastian Fucking Vettel wants to trial me?" - She had to double check.
"Dead serious. Get on a plane, preferably tomorrow. He wants to lock someone in before the new year."
"Has he got anyone else lined up to trial?"
"Not at this stage, it's just you. So you need to hurry." Heikki replied.
"What the..." Tully breathed before a look of determination set into her eyes, "Right. See you tomorrow."
"Hang on." Heikki called out quickly.
"Yeah?"
"You have to be on your best behaviour. Especially if Hayley is there."
"Is that the girlfriend?"
"Yeah. I think you'll get along with him just fine, but she's going to be your main obstacle." Heikki said warily.
"Don't worry, she'll love me." Tully stated confidently, waving her hand in the air dismissively. She'd won Olivia over without too much hassle, so she didn't see why Hayley would be any more of a challenge.
This news was big, damn big. Unlike her brother, she had no intention of going into teaching. Tully's goal was to coach in Formula 1. Stoffel would be up there one day, and she would have stayed with him for as long as she could. But the opportunity that now presented itself to her was a massive shortcut to the job she'd always dreamed of. And then some.
---
The next day, Tully found herself striding through the arrivals lounge of Bern airport in Switzerland. She jumped slightly as someone caught her around the waist and pulled her against them.
She laughed happily as she wrapped her arms around her brother's familiar figure. They pulled apart and she looked him up and down before gasping dramatically, "You've gotten fat!"
"So have you!" he said in equal mock-horror.
It couldn't have been further from the truth, on either of their parts. Like any Personal Trainers, they were both in top physical form, from the tips of their heads to the soles of their feet.
"How's your little prodigy driver?" Heikki asked.
"Not so little anymore." Tully said fondly. The Vandoorne family had hired her three years ago, when Stoffel was just 19. He had been an awkward, too-tall, too-skinny rookie, with a serious injection of racing talent in his veins. Since then, she'd helped to mould him into the lean, strong-bodied, strong-minded driver he was today. He felt like her second brother and she was fiercely protective of him.
"How's your prodigy driver?" Tully asked in return.
Heikki nodded his head towards the space to her right and she looked over in confusion.
"Oh snap." Tully uttered under her breath as a pair of intense blue eyes looked back at her, perfectly complimented by the cheeky grin set across his face.
"Sebastian." she said in bewilderment, reaching her hand out towards him and shooting Heikki a quick glare. Sebastian took her hand and shook it gently.
"Seb, meet my sister, Tully." Heikki said, introducing them finally. Better late than never... or something like that.
"That is an unusual name." Sebastian said as the corner of his lip pulled up into a lop-sided smirk.
"Better than 'Heikki' though right? Our parents have a lot to answer for." Tully replied with a glint in her eye.
"And thanks for letting me know the interview would start the second I got off the plane, baby brother!" she continued, rounding on Heikki with a raised eyebrow.
"Seb insisted on coming at the last minute!" Heikki shrugged innocently as the 3 of them turned towards the exit and made their way out into the car park.
"Baby brother?" Sebastian asked in confusion.
"Obviously I'm the newer, younger model in the family." Tully smirked.
"But she calls me that anyway to belittle me, essentially." Heikki finished.
"Just keeping you grounded... showing you your place in the family hierarchy." she said, elbowing her brother in the ribs lightly.
Sebastian watched the two siblings joke and tease one another. They looked uncannily alike with the same pale blonde hair, bronzed skin from always being outdoors and emotive, light blue eyes. Tully's hair was thick and tousled, like she'd just been swimming at the beach and let it dry in the sunlight, yet in reality she'd just been on a plane from Belgium to Switzerland at short notice. He assumed it must be a Huovinen family trait to be physically blessed.
From what Sebastian could pick up on through his first impression, it would seem that Tully was the dominant sibling. She didn't even really seem nervous to meet him, which was a rather unusual experience for him these days. In comparison, Heikki had taken a long time to come out of his shell and learn to joke with him and be himself. He suspected Tully would be ready to give and take as good as he could give her from day one. There was an air of confidence about her, and perhaps just a touch of arrogance. These days, that was a necessary personality trait for anyone in the Formula 1 paddock. So far, he was healthily intrigued.
"Keys." Tully demanded as they approached a deep silver Infiniti sedan.
Heikki snickered, "Really?"
"This is a job interview isn't it? I'll need to drive sometimes won't I?" she turned around and raised a questioning eyebrow at Sebastian.
"Not many people offer to drive for me so willingly." Sebastian laughed, throwing her a set of keys.
"Ah, you're not so scary." Tully grinned over her shoulder at him as she slid into the driver's seat. Sebastian chuckled and walked around to the passenger side, taking the front seat next to her while Heikki climbed into the back after securing her luggage in the boot.
"Alright navigator, where to?" Tully asked, whisking them through the parking lot and out towards the boom gates that would release them into the city of Bern.
"Ticket?" she added, rubbing her fingers together expectantly. Sebastian leaned forward and opened a compartment of the center console, pulling out the ticket that would let them out of the parking lot before tucking it into her awaiting hand.
"Take a left and follow the highway for about 15 minutes." he said, amusement evident in his tone as he watched her take charge of the entire situation without any hesitation. He tried to be subtle about watching her driving technique. She was a little on the fast side, compared to Heikki at least. Her confidence didn't appear to be limited to her demeanor as he observed it seeping into her every flick of the steering wheel and tilt of the accelerator too.
She suddenly turned her head and caught his eyes on her hands as she changed lanes. Sebastian smirked before looking away.
"Well then, what's your analysis?" she asked slyly.
"Sorry Heikki, she's got you in the driving department." Sebastian admitted.
"Oh please." Heikki laughed from the backseat, "Just because I have more interest in keeping you alive than showing off."
Tully laughed, "Oh, showing off am I?"
"We should take her to a karting track. Then we'll see." Heikki continued.
Tully smiled to herself, checking the speedometer before responding, "I'm here to trial for a job, not take a butcher's knife to your pride. We can do that at Christmas when you receive your annual ass kicking during the family darts competition."
She looked in the rear-view and laughed at Heikki's perplexed expression.
"You're cockier than I remember." he retorted, shaking his head.