Lights Out

Bonus Two: Mini Me

"Are you sure you don't want me to take her?" Jas asked, looking between Harry and I. Harry laughed.
"You can spend some time with her later. I'm bringing her around the garage anyway."
"McLaren and Mercedes take priority, I'm afraid," I sighed.
"Oh yeah, of course. Don't let me stop you seeing the teams that won you your championship titles," Jas said sarcastically, holding his hands up.
"I'll see you two later. You do have work to do, or to pretend to do," I said, rolling my eyes at my old friend.
"See you, darling," Harry said, kissing my forehead. "Dadda see you later, okay, sweetheart?" he cooed at our daughter, who was looking around with wild eyes as she sat on my hip.
"Di, say bye bye. Say bye bye dadda. I don't think you're going to get anything from her," I laughed.
"Mumma go. See Unco Lano."
"She's spoken," Harry laughed. "I'll see you later, love. Bye Di!"
I turned around and started to walk towards the McLaren garage. I felt Diana's little hands playing with my hair. She wanted to have her hair pink like me, but I wasn't going to taint her beautiful curly brown hair. She'd have to wait until she was older to dye it. She was only three, after all. It was a bit of a shock when I found out I was pregnant with her. I'd just won my second title, my first with McLaren having won the other with Mercedes. I'd spoken to the team about it and made the decision to sit out for the duration of my pregnancy. I was still travelling right up until the doctor said I couldn't, and I was still with the team. She was a July baby. After having her I'd sat out for the rest of the season. The season after, however, I'd started racing again. I was 27 at the time, I still had time left. That season had been difficult, to say the least. Diana had come around the world with Harry and I and it was so busy all the time. She had spent her early years in the pits, growing up around the teams and all of my friends, apart from Danny, of course. She did, however, spend her summers in Australia with him. He'd retired the year I had Di but was always there to be the bad influence uncle, as if I needed any more of those. Last season I'd won my third title, my second with McLaren, and Lando was now on track to winning his second, his first having been done with McLaren as well. I was finishing up the rest of the season but, being now 29, I was pregnant again. I obviously wouldn't be racing next season, although McLaren had promised me a seat afterwards. I didn't know whether I was going to take it or not. I'd be 31 by the time I got into racing again, and with how difficult that first season was coming back after Diana, I didn't know whether I could do it again with two kids. I have to think about it.

I walked into the McLaren garage, my daughter first spotting my British teammate who was by the data screens.
"Lano!" she called out, still not able to pronounce his name right. He turned around and took the headphones off.
"Heya, Di Di!"
"Mumma up up."
"There seems to be a camera following," I murmured, handing my daughter to Lando, who looked around and spotted the camera I was referring to.
"They always want to see her, what do you expect? She's practically the star of the show now, never mind the race."
"Just wait until they find out she's getting into a kart over winter break."
"Make sure you film it."
"I will be vlogging, don't worry," I laughed.
"Danny's idea?" Lando asked, brushing a strand of hair from Diana's face.
"Yep. When are you and Lu coming to Australia by the way?"
"You see us enough in Monaco."
"I see you enough here mate. It's annoying enough that Fewtrell is always hanging around."
"Oh shut up, you love that he's been in F1 for the past four seasons."
"Surprised he didn't get here sooner."
"Nick. I see Nick. Nick a bad man," Diana said suddenly, making both Lando and I tumble into laughter.
"What have you been saying to her!" Nick asked, walking over and saying hi to Di, who was looking happy regardless of calling my PT a bad man.
"We have to get you warmed up, Jess," he said.
"Jon will be wanting you then, Lando."
"Yeah." He groaned as he passed Diana back to me. "There you go, little one. I'll see you later, okay?"
"Bye bye Lano."
"Oh," I said, looking at my daughter. "So Lando gets a goodbye but dadda didn't? Oh, I don't know what to think about that. Let's go and warm up, shall we? Then mumma can go out in her car and when she gets back you can have a go. Sound good?"
She nodded, her little face lighting up in a big smile.