The One That Got Away (Sebastian Vettel)

1. A Father's Pain

A/N The first chapters will be set back in 2013, unless otherwise stated. Eventually it will move to the present day. Hope you enjoy it.

Darren Rashford wasn't the sort of man who showed his feelings very easily. He was a man's man and thought that showing emotion was showing weakness. Oh, he showed emotions around his loved ones, but in public he had to be strong. But that day, that awful day, he cried.

He hadn't actually been there when the accident happened. It was the first race of Mollie's that he'd ever missed. He'd had the most awful toothache and had been to an emergency dental appointment.

He'd seen several missed calls from his wife, Kate, when he'd got out of the dentist.

When he'd called her back he had hardly been able to understand her. She had been sobbing hysterically. Finally someone, he didn't know who, had taken the phone off of her and informed him that his daughter had been involved in a serious multicar crash.

He'd stayed calm. The sport was so much safer nowadays. Mollie would be fine. He'd get there and find her sat drinking a cup of tea and complaining about them fussing over nothing.

He quickly rang his sister, Eve, and arranged for her to pick Jude up from his friend's house. Then he began the fifteen minute drive up to the circuit.

He showed his parking pass to the Marshall at the gate. Then, after leaving the car he made his way to the support series paddock.

He scanned his pass and entered. The first thing that struck him was how quiet it was. There were no cars out on track, no cars revving up in the garage, but the strangest thing was there weren't many people. He'd barely seen a soul.

He found his way to Mollie's team's motorhome.

Kate was sat sobbing in the arms of the team owner, Matthew Thorne. Surely Mollie was ok. She had to be ok.

"Kate?" he asked, questioningly.

Kate looked up as she heard her husband's voice.

"Darren!" she sobbed, jumping up and running into his arms.

"Kate, what's happened? Please tell me she's OK," he begged frantically. 

Kate just sobbed and sobbed. Darren felt sick to his stomach. Not his little Mollie Moo. No. Mollie was the light of his life. His little princess. He'd only seen her that morning. She'd been chatting away about the race and about how Sebastian Vettel had invited her to watch the F1 race from his garage the following day. She had to be ok.

Matthew Thorne stood up.

"Darren, I'm so sorry. There's been a big accident. There were five cars involved, including Mollie and Will."

"But she's OK, right?" Darren asked nervously, afraid of the answer he'd get.

"I'm sorry. We just dont know. She's not answering her radio. We have no word from the marshalls or the paramedics as of yet."

"How long has it been? Surely you should have heard something by now!"

"Forty minutes.  There were five cars involved. Five drivers to help."

The sound of a low flying helicopter filled the room.

Matthew's phone rang.

"I need to take this." He walked off, answering it as he walked away.

Darren held Kate tight. He had to stay positive. Mollie's radio was just broken right? She was ok. She had to be OK. He couldn't bare to think of the alternative.