Lifeline (Sebastian Vettel)

Chapter 8: Resignation

Tully slipped into the driver's seat of the M3 and proceeded to belt up and turn on the ignition as she waited for Heikki and Seb to get in.

She sat back in her seat, one hand draped over the top of the steering wheel as the boys took their sweet time dithering outside the car before getting into their seats. Finally, everyone was loaded and Tully took off, heading back to Seb's house.

"So, will you take him up on his offer?" Seb asked, smirking furiously as he watched Tully do her best to ignore him as she drove.

"Come back anytime, I hope I see you again very soon." Seb continued, mimicking Max's Swiss accent and reaching a hand over to squeeze her shoulder. Just as Max had done.

"Get off." Tully finally gave in and laughed as she smacked his hand away. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of looking at him.

"What did you think of him Heikki? A potential brother-in-law?" Seb asked cheerfully. Tully was beginning to see his merciless side.

"Tully only likes blondes, right Tul?" Heikki replied. She glanced in the rear-view only to catch sight of a shit-eating grin plastered across her brother's face as he joined in on mocking her.

"Boys, there's no need for jealousy. I'm sure Max thought you were both pretty too." Tully retorted, stepping down on the accelerator as she hit the main road that would take them back to the lake.

Seb laughed at her side, "Blondes only? Really?"

"I grow less fond of them everyday." she said pointedly, looking over at Seb finally and taking a very obvious glance at the top of his head.

Seb snorted, "So does that mean we can never go climbing again?"

"Pretty much." Tully replied, shooting him a sly grin.

---

Tully pulled into Seb's driveway and cut the ignition before they all jumped out and headed inside. The two trainers got to making breakfast, with Tully being assigned the chopping duties of a selection of fresh fruits.

"Maybe Max doesn't work weekends, we can go climbing again then." Seb pondered as he hovered impatiently over Tully's shoulder, staring down at the apple she was slicing. His stomach was growling painfully.

"So are we all prepared to admit now that my climbing idea was a great one?" Tully asked. Without looking up, she stabbed an apple wedge on the point of her knife and offered it back over her shoulder to Seb.

He took it off the knife with his teeth, much to Heikki's horror, and chewed happily.

"Can you not do that? He will lose an eye!" Heikki scolded his sister.

"Seb can you do an eye count please, Heikki's concerned." Tully drawled as she sliced the remaining fruit, still not looking up.

"Both eyes still present, Heikki." Seb replied, bracing a hand down on Heikki's shoulder as he stepped past him to grab three glasses and begin filling them with water.

Heikki grumbled to himself, swiping the chopped fruit off Tully's chopping board into a bowl.

"Hey!" she laughed as she stopped cutting suddenly to avoid his fingers, "You accuse me of gouging Seb's eyes out and then offer your entire hand up for human sacrifice?"

"Everybody knows fingers grow back." Heikki said wryly.

Seb and Tully both stopped to look at each other with perplexed expressions.

"Such a comedian." Tully rolled her eyes.

After the preparation was complete, the three of them moved into the lounge to eat. The weather outside was clouding over, casting a grey shadow over the lake before them. Personally, that was Tully's favourite kind of weather.