⌞ the chain ⌝

⌞ seventeen : begin again ⌝

"The track is yours, Lula."

_

I grinned as I fell back against my bed. My body ached and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to stand back up, but it was all worth it. I was on the track daily, following Lando's workouts. It was more than just a dream and the painful body aches served as that reminder. The morning runs, the time on the sim practicing the things Damon told me I needed to work on, full endurance training with my own trainers, track time where it felt like it was just Roman and me against the world, and more running.

"Lu, darling. Are you home?"

"Yeah," I called out as I heard the door close.

Lewis would come home when he was able to, checking in on how I was doing and my progress. He said it was different, the two: my mental health and the physicality of racing. I needed to have both in check to perform at the level that was expected of me.

Not that I was actually racing yet. Lando would leave for his races, traveling with the team. I didn't mind. It gave me unlimited time to test out the practice track, get so good at it that my skill and talent couldn't be argued, to run it until I could drive it blind and still hit competitive times. That's what Damon said he wanted and I wasn't one to argue.

"There you are."

I looked up, smiling at the father figure leaning against my door frame. He had been kind enough to fly with me to Monaco on a free weekend to grab everything I would need to stay here. I wasn't going to completely move out of that flat, it was mine and it was home, but I was mostly living here and I needed my things.

"How was it today?"

"Brutal."

He snorted, coming to lie down next to me. "Yeah, some days are like that. And Damon seems like the type to run you until you throw up."

"I think I did throw up today..."

"Oh-" He snorted, trying to cover it with a cough and if I wasn't so sore, I would have hit him for it. "Well, at least you know what your limit is."

"There's no such thing as a limit, Lew. Just what you think is your best and what is behind that wall."

"Someone has been spending too much time with Sebastian."

_

I walked into the building, headphones over my ears. Some British rap blasting in them as I made my way to my room. I set down my bags. I wanted to run farther this morning and I hoped that it would help relax some of the tension that was held almost everywhere. Lando would be gone for a race this weekend which meant the entire place was practically mine. I was going to take advantage of it.

I rolled my shoulders, walking into the garage to see Damon sitting there.

"Ah, good morning."

"You're early."

I shrugged, wincing a bit when I did. "I wanted some extra time."

He raised an eyebrow at me and I wondered if I had done something wrong. Maybe he was surprised at my efforts or maybe I was about to get scolded, lectured... I had no clue. He stood, setting his famous tablet and headphones on the desk in front of him.

"Well then, let's go."

"You're coming with me?"

"Yup, and you're only running on lap."

I was confused as I followed him out to the edge of the garage. One lap was barely even close to what I had been running. I wasn't supposed to be running less, I was supposed to be running more and getting better at everything. Running less felt counterproductive.

"Damon-"

"Just do as I say, kiddo."

I rolled my eyes but nodded. We stood at the edge and I looked across the track, lit by lights and nothing else as the sun still hid behind the hills, holding onto the last little bit of night.

"How long should you pit for?"

"Anything less than 2.5 for a stop time. The rest depends on who else is pitting and if the lane is crowded."

Damon nodded. "You're trying to make up lost time in the pitlane."

"So I go as fast as I can without breaking the speed limit and then gas it when I cross the line."

"Then do that."

I raised an eyebrow and realized what he meant. This wasn't just a run, this was a race and I was running it. Part of me wanted to laugh but I knew what he was doing with this so I only smiled, taking off in a sprint. Damon was on my heels, talking as if he normally would into my radio. I slowed down just a bit as I crossed the line before taking off in a sprint again.

I knew how this worked, I could see the car in my mind and I could see the car I was pushing. My leg muscles whined but I pushed through. No limit, no wall.

"Alright, you're ahead and a good bit ahead. Find a good pace and hold it."

I nodded, only letting myself slow a bit. It was faster than my usual pace but it was only one lap and I had to prove myself and push harder than I had ever done before. A new pace could always be set.

I made it to the first start of the first turn. "Turn one, what's the game plan?"

"Slower into it because of the gravel trap and I don't want to slide out while also pushing as I come out."

He nodded and I did as I said, slowing only a bit into the first part of it but as the curve hit its apex, I pushed again. My legs screamed but I didn't care, the air was coming into my lungs big and full, all I needed as I came out. My new pace was set, if only a half second faster... it was there.

I stayed there until the next turn, and the next, the next, and the next until I finally reached the last straight. Sweat was dripping down my body and I could barely see as it continued to fall in my eyes. But this was the last bit. I didn't need Damon to tell me what to do as I pushed, it was a desperate sprint. There was no confident lead in this type of sprint, this was a battle of wheel to wheel and I needed to be faster.

The line crossed under my feet and I went until my legs gave out, my knees hitting the rough track. I could feel them scratch and I got a sudden flash of a rain-soaked track, the blood staining the front of my jeans. I gripped the necklace, letting the cool metal cut into my hand enough that I could focus on the world around me.

Damon's hand on my shoulder pulled me back as I huffed, looking up at him.

"As always, you did phenomenal. And you might want to shower so you can pack your bags."

"Wait- pack my bags?"

He smiled, squeezing my shoulder. "You have a flight to catch and you don't want to be late for Free Practice."

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a/n: hehehehehe she's going to be racing soon :3
as always though, love it or don't :p