Lifeline (Sebastian Vettel)

Chapter 54: Testing the Waters

A/N: I just wrote easily two chapter's worth of stuff and there's no good place to cut it in half so this chapter is going to feel like it ends abruptly and doesn't get to a very satisfying place. Sorry! To make up for it I'll post the next bit very quickly. :)

A few minutes later, they'd vacated the lounge area and Seb had headed towards the front door.

"Are you coming with me now?" he asked, eyeing Tully curiously as she headed for the stairs instead.

"I'll drive myself over shortly." she replied over her shoulder, starting up the stairs two at a time.

"Didn't Heikki hide your keys after that time you turned up on my lounge room floor?"

"Probably. Better add an extra ten seconds onto whenever it is that you're expecting me, should give me enough time to find them." he heard Tully yell back, now out of the sight on the upper landing.

He chuckled to himself and shook his head before heading out the front door.

Heikki and Casey were still in the garage. He could hear their voices filtering out the open door as he walked towards the road. He didn't have a car there since Heikki had driven the day before.

"You off Seb?" Heikki asked, poking his head out the garage door.

"Yeah. I think Tully is coming over later. Did you hide her keys?"

"Yeah but she'll find them. I could put them on fucking Mars and she'd find them." Heikki rolled his eyes, nodding none-the-less as he headed back towards his car, "Want a lift?"

"Yeah why not."

"Because you're not supposed to be incredibly lazy?" Heikki teased.

"You offered!"

Heikki held his hands up, "Can't deny it. Okay, everyone get in."

"Hang on, I forgot my jumper. One second." Casey called, jogging back towards the front door.

---

Tully headed straight for her room, passing by Heikki's open door and doing a double take as she noticed an unfamiliar backpack half hanging out of the wardrobe.

God. Even more embarrassing. Apparently there were fucking obvious clues to the whole Freya/Casey saga everywhere. Had she become totally stupid as well as the inconvenient memory wipe?

"Jesus." she muttered, looking away quickly and continuing towards her room. Her ears pricked up at the sound of the front door opening again downstairs.

Footsteps proceeded up the staircase as Tully pushed into her room and began looking for a change of clothes.

"Heikki?" she asked over her shoulder curiously, wondering if it was actually Seb instead.

"No, it's me Tully." a female called back. Oh. It was Fre-....Casey.

A moment later she heard a soft knock on her door.

"Yeah?" she replied, not bothering to look.

"I just wanted to say sorry, again, privately. Heikki explained everything to me and I agreed. I don't know, it's hard to say no to him... he's very persuasive..."

Tully finally looked back and held up a hand to stop her, "It's fine. No details needed."

"You looked really conflicted downstairs..."

"Yeah, welcome to the last few months." Tully muttered, digging through her wardrobe.

"I'm sorry. I'm probably the last person you want to talk to. It was just interesting to see, you know... it's like you're used to being near him... but also like you're not used to him at all. I'm sorry. I'm rambling. I just, want the best for you both. I've known Seb a long time. I'm sorry, again. If you ever need to talk to someone who isn't your brother or Seb, feel free to use me."