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Chapter Text

As Nicky watched George walk down the aisle, he knew that this was the best day of his life. He knew that he had made the best decision in proposing to George, if anything he should’ve done it sooner. He patiently waited as his fiancé made his way in his direction, smiling brightly and Nicky knew he had the exact same smile on his face to the point that he was worried his cheeks would hurt.

They were both wearing matching navy blue suits with white shirts, a burgundy tie and brown shoes. Family and friends had gathered and were all watching, everyone was happy for the two drivers.

The ceremony seemed to pass by so quickly. It wasn’t long before the couple were saying their vows and exchanging rings, both struggling to put the ring on their other halves' fingers. Nicky smiled brightly when it was pronounced that he and George were husbands and he was allowed to pull George in for a kiss. They pulled back and rested their foreheads against each other and reality kicked in. They were officially married! Nicky took George’s hand in his and led him down the aisle. He smiled as he passed his family and friends with George doing the same next to him. Everyone was cheering and Nicky shook his head fondly as he noticed his mum was crying. Some of the guests had already made their way outside to throw confetti over the couple. They were then led to a car so they could go and get their photos taken by a professional photographer they had hired. George spent time taking off the confetti from Nicky’s suit as his husband just smiled at him.

“I can’t believe we’re really married.” Nicky whispered.

George smiled at him and leaned in to kiss him then leaned against Nicky’s shoulder. The two drivers enjoyed their time together knowing that they would be surrounded by family and friends when they returned for the reception. As much as they wanted to enjoy their day with the people that they loved, it was important for them to have their own time together.

When they did return for the reception, they were met by their family who pulled them in for hugs before they were allowed to grab a drink. It wasn’t long before they were all settled to have the evening dinner but first there were the speeches which was something both George and Nicky had been dreading. Both George’s father and Nicky’s father did a speech talking about their boys which gained many laughs. Next, George’s brother, Benjy, did a speech which mainly consisted of stories from their childhood which left George embarrassed. He sat with his head in his hands as Nicky rubbed his back sympathetically, knowing the same would happen to him when his brother made his speech. True to form, Michael Jr did a speech on behalf of his siblings which featured many stories from their childhood. Nicky nervously stood to do his speech, his hand occasionally resting on George’s shoulder to ground himself as he tried not to trip over his words as he expressed how much George meant to him. His speech set off his mum who started crying again and it set off his mother in law, Alison, who was crying too. George’s speech nearly made him cry and it got a few laughs from some of the staff who had been invited from Williams. Both drivers gave credit to their team for putting up with them and for their support. Nicky pulled George in for a kiss when his speech was finished and everyone raised a glass to toast the happy couple one last time before they finally had their meal.

The food was exquisite and Nicky had no issue in feeding his husband his pudding which of course had to have nutella in it because it was Nicky’s favourite.

When everyone had finished their meal, they all went back out to the bar so that the tables could be moved for the dancing which would take place now that everyone had eaten. George was busy talking to Nicky’s parents whilst Nicky was talking to Lando and Alex.

“I’m really happy for you, mate. George wouldn’t shut up about the wedding when you both started planning it.” Alex joked.

Nicky laughed as did Lando.

“Usually it’s the racing and now that’s all he’ll probably talk about now.” Lando teased.

Nicky shook his head at the two drivers.

“Where’s Lily?” He asked as he took a sip of his drink.

“Bathroom.” Alex said.

Nicky nodded and looked over at his husband who was busy laughing with Nicky’s parents. The Canadian was glad that George got along with his parents and in turn he was happy to be accepted into George’s family.

“You know, Lily was so excited when I told her about the wedding and the invite. She said it’s the wedding of the century.” Alex said happily.

Nicky coughed a laugh.

“When are you getting married then?” Lando asked Alex.

Alex blushed and Lando started poking his chest, teasing him for being slow as George and Nicky had beaten him to it.

“Well you’re single so you’re way behind.” Alex joked.

Nicky shook his head as he listened to the drivers taking the mick out of each other. Thankfully, when Lily did return, they behaved themselves. Nicky took a glance around and was happy to be surrounded by friends and family who were clearly enjoying the big day.

Everyone was relaxed and casually chatting or drinking when they were allowed back into the main area where they had eaten their meal. There was a DJ who was playing music in the background and the lights were dimmed.

Suddenly, the DJ stopped the music and tapped on his microphone to get everyone’s attention.

“I’d just like to thank you all for coming here today and I’d like for everyone to give a cheer to George and Nicholas as they celebrate their big day.”

Everyone in the room cheered and clapped for the couple.

“Can we have Mr Latifi and Mr Russell on the dance floor for the first dance please?”

There were excited murmurs around the room. This was the moment that Alison and Marilena had been waiting for as they got their phones out ready to take pictures and record the moment.

Nicky was the first one to make his way to the middle of the dance floor as he waited patiently for his husband. George eventually found his way to Nicky having taken off his suit jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves. Nicky thought he still looked amazing as he smiled at George. The music for their first dance started up in the background as people started to gather closer so they could watch the happy couple. Nicky took George’s hand in his and placed his other hand on his waist as he felt George rest a hand on his shoulder. They began to sway to the music, neither were very experienced in the dancing department so they were just happy to move slowly to the music as ‘can you feel the love tonight’ by Elton John played softly.

“I love you.” Whispered Nicky.

George gazed deeply into his husband’s eyes and gave him a soft smile.

“I love you too, Nicky.” He murmured.

They kissed and there were many people in the room who had tears in their eyes. When the kiss ended, George gently rested his head on Nicky’s shoulder.

They were about half way through the song when the lights started to flicker. George lifted his head up and looked around. The murmurs around the room began as the couple tried to ignore it. Suddenly, all the lights went off and the room was filled with darkness. Nicky was holding George tightly against him as panic took over and people began to scream and shout. There was the sound of a glass smashing and the music stopped before another song started to play then it stopped and screeches could be heard as the DJ clearly struggled to see what was going on.

Without any warning, the lights all came back on again. People were looking around the room and at each other, wondering what was going on. Someone screamed. A woman. Everyone turned in the direction of the scream and everyone's hearts stopped as one at the sight before them.

There was a man standing behind Alex. One hand was around his throat and the other held a knife. A very sharp knife.

Chapter Text

Everyone stood in shock as the man standing behind Alex moved the knife closer to his neck and tightened his grip on the young driver’s throat. George tried to move forward to help his friend but Nicky held him back as he was scared that his husband was going to get hurt.

“Let him go.” George said angrily.

The man chuckled and George glared at him.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, George.” He said snickering.

Alex swallowed nervously.

“Oh and by the way, congratulations.” The man added sarcastically.

No one moved as the man looked around the room and laughed harder at the serious and scared faces as well as the glares he received.

“Come on people, what’s with the long faces, huh? Enjoy the party.” He cheered.

He loosened his grip slightly on Alex’s throat and the young driver immediately began to gasp for air.

“You’re ruining the party.” Nicky’s dad piped up.

His wife looked at him as if she was quietly telling him to keep his mouth shut. The man looked deadly serious as he turned to face Michael.

“Mr Latifi. How’s the working business going? Any more people dead? How many animals have you killed so far?” He questioned.

Michael looked furious as Marilena grabbed hold of his arm. The man shook his head.

“Blood money is sponsoring your son and various teams. How can people live with that? It’s disgusting.” He said quietly.

Michael kept his mouth shut and he instead focused on his daughter who was shaking with fear and so he wrapped an arm around her to bring her towards his chest.

“What do you want?” George asked, concerned about his friend’s safety.

The man hummed.

“That’s a very good question, isn’t it, George?”

He looked around the room again.

“If you want to blame anyone for this, you can blame Dan.” He said calmly as his eyes fell back on George and Nicky.

The couple frowned. People turned to look at Daniel Ricciardo who was standing in the midst of the crowd with Seb and Kimi. He held up his hands as an act of innocence as he opened his mouth, speechless. All eyes turned back to the man as he started laughing again.

“No, not that Dan. Dan Ticktum.” He elaborated.

George’s frown deepened.

“You’re saying he’s behind this?” He asked in disbelief.

“The poor boy is a friend of mine. Can’t get anything right, no one likes him and he didn’t even get an invite. I know you guys aren’t friends or anything. Fair enough, but poor little Danny boy feels left out seeing as you invited everyone else from Williams, bar him.”

“We’re not friends with him which is why he wasn’t invited. That’s not our fault, we can’t invite everyone.” Nicky said, annoyed.

The man moved the knife to point it at Nicky before he shifted it back near Alex’s neck.

“You are right. You’re not friends with him and he’s not happy. Call him jealous. The two of you, happy with your team and now married. He has nothing. No Formula 2, no Formula 1 and now Olivia has left him.” He said.

“That’s not our fault.” George said angrily.

“Oh, I know. I’m pretty sure he knows that too but this wedding is the last straw. He told me about the wedding, he told me when and where it would be and so I was asked if I could create a little bit of mayhem. It would be wrong for everything to go right. He told me a few secrets and I’m going to share them but he knows that there are people here who aren’t perfect. He’s not perfect, everyone has made it clear but even in Formula 1, there are people that appear to be perfect but they aren’t.”

The man could tell out of the corner of his eye that some people were looking nervous and he wished that Dan was here to see the chaos. If he was going to get in trouble for this, then Dan was going down with him. His eyes settled on Jamie Chadwick and Struan Moore who were standing closely next to one another in one part of the crowd.

“Did you know that Jamie and Struan are together? They are rather cute, aren’t they?”

All eyes turned to Jamie and Struan. Jamie blushed and tried to avert her eyes as Struan ran a hand over his face in frustration. They hadn’t told anyone about their relationship, wishing to have some peace and quiet to enjoy their relationship without people asking questions. Judging by the look on the man’s face, Dan had told him and had clearly been aware that they were keeping it private. George looked over at the pair with a sympathetic gaze. He was great friends with the two drivers, having even shared an apartment with Struan in the past and he didn’t blame the couple for wanting to keep their relationship a secret.

The man wasn’t finished picking on people as he made eye contact with Charles. The Monegasque glared at him and the man smiled manically.

“You’re not so perfect are you, Charlie boy? Cheating on your girlfriend? Poor Giada.” He said sarcastically.

Charles tried to keep his anger at bay as he wrapped an arm around Charlotte who was standing beside him, fiddling with her hair.

“It’s none of your business.” He said quietly.

“Neither confirming nor denying it. Pathetic.” The man huffed.

“This is ridiculous, why are you doing this?” Billy Monger asked impatiently.

The man gave Billy a hard look.

“Billy Monger. I commend you for your bravery. I can’t imagine what it must be like to have limbs amputated.” He said quietly.

He could then see Lily, Alex’s girlfriend, standing near the back of the crowd, which would be a surprise to many given that her boyfriend currently had a knife against his neck. She kept on looking towards the door as if she wanted to make a run for it. It was clear that the man hadn’t finished his targeting.

“Going somewhere, Lily?” He called out.

Alex tried to look over at his girlfriend without getting near the knife. He had been too worried about the object in the man’s hand to worry about his girlfriend and now as he looked at her, he couldn’t understand why she had been hiding near the back of the crowd.

“Lily?”

His girlfriend had tears in her eyes and Alex frowned.

“Do you have something you want to tell your boyfriend?” The man asked.

Alex’s mind ran wild.

“Lily, what’s he talking about?” He asked nervously.

“I’m so sorry.” She whispered.

Alex couldn’t actually hear her but he could lip read and he instantly felt sick.

“Your little girlfriend has been cheating on you, Alex. I want to say I’m sorry it’s coming out here and now but it just proves that no one is perfect.”

Alex shook his head hesitantly. He couldn’t believe that Lily would do something like that but she looked so guilty and she looked as if she was away to burst into tears.

“Lily?”

She shook her head as she looked down at the ground. Alex looked hurt as he fought back tears. He loved Lily and she had betrayed him. He couldn’t look at her. George sighed quietly at the look on his friend’s face. It was for Lily to tell Alex, not for someone to do the job for her. The young driver couldn’t believe how his wedding day was turning out. It had been a dream wedding until it had been interrupted and now his best friend was being held hostage.

The man snickered.

“Oops.”

George was furious.

“This isn’t funny, just stop it! Stop it now!” He demanded.

The man refused to listen and laughed harder before turning back to George and Nicky as the Canadian was struggling to hold his husband back.

“Oh, George. You need to learn. Not everyone gets their happily ever after.” He said innocently.

Alex felt rage build up inside him. Lily had betrayed him and yet it had come from a stranger, not his girlfriend. He was angry with Lily but he was also annoyed with the stranger who still had a knife up against his throat.

“You’re disgusting. Taking joy out of this, you’re ruining my best friend’s wedding.” He said furiously.

“Well, I’m sorry if you got some bad news, Alex. You were going to find out sometime.” The man said casually.

“Why couldn’t Dan come and be here himself?” Daniel asked.

The man looked at him, taken aback by the question.

“Come again?” He asked.

“I know you’ve interrupted the wedding but is Dan going to make an appearance? Doing the dirty work for him because he couldn’t be bothered?” Daniel asked angrily.

The man looked annoyed.

“I’m not doing his dirty work.” He said calmly.

“You have dumped him right in it, though. Makes you look a bit stupid, does it not?” Robert Kubica questioned.

The man got even more angry and he tightened his grip on Alex’s throat.

“That stupid boy has nothing and you all think you’re perfect! He has nothing and you’re free to party and enjoy your lives but you forget about the ones that actually work hard!” He shouted.

“He did it himself.” Alex said impatiently.

The man had no time to react as Alex quickly moved his foot backwards to connect with the man’s leg and he left out a pained groan. He let go of Alex’s throat but moved the knife as Alex turned and he ended up moving the knife so that it sliced along Alex’s arm. The young man let out an agonising cry of pain as he grabbed onto his arm and moved back to get away from the knifeman. The knifeman looked furious and quickly made a run for it as he was still brandishing his knife so people were trying to stay away from him out of fear that they would end up hurt. George made his way over to Alex who was struggling to get his suit jacket off so he could see how bad his arm was. Nicky made his way over too and helped his husband roll up Alex’s sleeve, the young man hissing in pain.

“That looks bad, Alex. You’ll need to get stitches.” Nicky said, concerned.

Alex shook his head as he continued to hiss.

“No, I don’t want to go to the hospital.” He murmured.

“Alex.” George said, sternly.

Alex sighed and nodded. Nicky looked up and saw one of the workers of the hotel who was looking terrified as her eyes darted around the room as if she was scared that the man would come back.

“Can you grab us a first aid kit?” He asked.

She nodded frantically and ran out of the room. A few of the drivers came forward to ask Alex if he was alright but they backed off so they could give him some space. Lily hesitantly made her way towards Alex. George and Nicky were ignoring her as they weren’t involved as they waited for the first aid kit to appear.

“Alex, you’re hurt.” She said sadly.

People nearby bit their tongues to hold back sarcastic comments and Alex didn’t respond as he just gave his girlfriend a cold look.

“Are you alright?” She asked, hoping for a response.

Alex shrugged.

“It’s not as bad as it looks.” He said, trying not to wince.

Lily didn’t know what to say and instead just swallowed nervously.

“We will talk later.” Alex said sternly.

Lily just nodded and walked away. Alex sighed and George looked at him with concern.

“What are you going to do?” He asked softly.

Alex sighed again.

“Honestly, I don’t know.” He replied.

The first aid kit eventually made its way to Alex and Nicky helped George bandage their friend’s arm for now.

What people weren’t aware of was the mystery man heading back to his car which had been parked along the road. As they were in the countryside, there were not any vehicles passing, just the parked cars in the car park. He grabbed a box of matches before lifting a couple of cans containing petrol then slammed the boot shut. He made his way to the back of the hotel and made his way into the cellar by smashing down the door. The room was quickly soaked in petrol and then a match was lit before it was then thrown on the ground. He watched as the flames quickly picked up and within seconds, the entire cellar was filled with flames. He made his way out and found a fire exit that was on one side of the hotel. Again, he smashed the door in and made his way inside. The final can of petrol was thrown along the walls and floor of the long stretch of corridor and the can was dumped before another match was lit then thrown on the ground. The man ran outside and headed towards his car then quickly started up the ignition before leaving the countryside behind.

No one was aware of the two separate fires that were building. There was an awkward atmosphere in the room as no one knew what to do with themselves seeing as the first dance had been interrupted.

Seb and Kimi were currently having an argument about Seb’s plan to call the police.

“He had a knife, Kimi. He hurt Alex. Someone has to call them.” Seb insisted.

“What if he comes back though and hurts more people because you’ve called the police? He isn’t here now so he’s probably long gone.” Kimi pointed out.

It wasn’t long before the chef who had been in the kitchen came racing into the room and broke the atmosphere.

“Fire! There’s fire!” He screamed.

People began to panic as others screamed and some of the girls began to cry. George and Nicky looked at each other before they looked over at their parents and other guests who were clinging to one another. Nicky made his way over to George and placed his hands on his shoulders.

“George, you need to get your family out. I’ll help mine, we need to make sure we get everyone out.” Nicky said seriously.

“I’m not leaving you, Nicky.” George insisted.

Nicky gripped George’s shoulders tighter.

“We need to help our family’s, please, just stay safe and get everyone out.” He said impatiently.

George closed his eyes then opened them again and nodded.

“I love you.” Nicky told him dearly.

“I love you too.” Replied George softly.

Nicky cupped George’s face then pulled him into a deep kiss before separating as they both moved towards their parents.

Everything was chaotic.

No one could anticipate how far the fire would spread and it was everywhere and soon enough, the hotel began to fill with smoke which meant that people couldn’t see. The guests struggled to breathe as everyone tried to find a way out. Some of the drivers went in different directions as they were being crushed by the stampede of guests.

Seb, Kimi and Daniel made their way out through a fire exit which was down at the end of a long corridor. Kimi and Daniel looked at the hotel in horror as the flames continued to grow and people were still stuck inside. Seb was on the phone to the fire department who were sending out help.

Different staff members managed to find their way out and some rushed back in when they saw a few of the guests who were stuck in their rooms as they desperately waved out of the windows.

Various guests made it out at different times. Some were still struggling to breathe due to the smoke. George and his parents made their way out by the time most of the guests had found safety outside. George helplessly looked around for his husband and he turned to Charles who was hugging Charlotte and had his suit jacket wrapped around her.

“Have you seen Nicky? Is he here?” He asked hysterically.

Charles shook his head, regretfully.

“I haven’t seen him.”

George turned to look back at the burning hotel and before anyone could stop him, he was running back in, his only focus was on finding his husband. Alison screamed as she saw her son running back into the burning building. She was held back by Steve and Benjy as she began to cry, praying that her son and his husband would be alright.

A few minutes later, Nicky’s siblings made their way in the front of the hotel and towards the crowd of guests. Not long after, Nicky’s parents came out and Michael Sr had his hand on his wife’s back as she had her mouth covered. They made their way towards George’s parents and were concerned to see Alison crying.

“What’s wrong? Have you seen Nicky?” He asked, worriedly.

“George ran back inside when he saw that Nicky wasn’t here.” Steve said solemnly.

Michael Sr sighed as he carefully pulled his children in for a hug.

“We got separated, I think he’s with Alex. The smoke was just so thick, we couldn’t see where we were going.” Michael Sr said, full of concern.

Steve tightened his grip on Alison who was quietly crying in his arms.

“Nicky!” Michael Jr shouted.

Nicky’s parents as well as George’s dad looked up to see Nicky and Alex rushing towards the group, having made it out through one of the fire exits in the hotel. Nicky immediately found himself pulled into a family hug as his mum began to cry with relief. Alex made his way over to Charles and was carefully pulled into a hug by his friend given he had Charlotte in his arms and Alex was clutching his arm.

“Where’s George?” Nicky asked, concerned.

His dad looked at Steve before turning back to his son.

“He’s still inside, he went back in to find you.” He said softly.

Nicky opened his mouth in shock then turned back to look at the building that he had been celebrating in not long ago, in horror.

“George!” He screamed in fear.

He continued to shout for his husband before he was moving forward but was grabbed by his dad and his brother.

“No, let me go! Get off me!” He struggled.

“You are not going back in there, Nicholas. I won’t let you!” Michael Sr said sternly.

Nicky let out a sob as he continued to struggle against the arms holding him before he slumped into his dad’s arms then was pulled away.

Charles looked around the crowd of guests for a moment and frowned as he realised that someone was missing. Alex looked at him.

“What’s wrong?” He asked curiously.

“Have you seen Lando?” Questioned Charles.

Alex frowned and looked around the crowd as he realised that he hadn’t actually seen the young Brit in a while. He then made his way through the crowd. He found other drivers from the grid and asked if they had seen Lando but they hadn’t. It became clear that Lando wasn’t outside and no one had seen him. He continued to frantically look around as he made his way back to Charles who gave him a worried look. Steve noticed that Alex was looking for someone and given that he knew that George was in the hotel, it meant that someone else was missing.

“What’s wrong, Alex?” He asked gently.

Alex looked at him with wide eyes.

“No one has seen Lando, he’s not here.” He explained quietly.

Steve was speechless but before he could say anything, there was an explosion from inside the hotel. There was a massive blast and the flames blew out various windows as the fire continued to burn the hotel with no sign of it going away.

Nicky screamed out for George when he saw the explosion as his dad tried to hold him back.

Everyone moved back in case there was another explosion.

Inside the hotel, George was frantically looking around for Nicky and screaming his name. He began to cough when the smoke got too much and he lifted up the front of his shirt to cover his nose and mouth. As he raced along the corridors and into different rooms, he undid the top button of his shirt and loosened his tie. He made his way down one of the corridors which was full of smoke. It was so thick that he could barely see anything in front of him and he ended up tripping over something and he fell to the floor. It wasn’t until he shifted and looked back that he realised he had tripped over Lando who was lying unconscious on the floor. George cursed and crawled over to his friend and patted his cheek, trying to wake him up.

“Lando, can you hear me? Please, Lando! Come on, wake up!” He called loudly.

He quickly checked Lando’s pulse and swore when he noticed how slow it was. He looked back down the corridor and down at Lando, knowing he had to get him out. Quickly getting up on his feet, he grabbed Lando around the waist and dragged him backwards. It took forever to maneuver Lando out as he was heavy but he was determined to get his friend out. He tried to hide his cough but the smoke continued to thicken.

Outside, there were sirens in the distance and it wasn’t long before a couple of ambulances pulled up outside the hotel.

Nicky was constantly muttering sadly that he needed to go in and find George. His family kept quiet as his mum had her arms around her son. They knew that whilst Nicky wanted to find George, they didn’t want his life to be at risk either if he ran in.

It was Benjy who spotted George as he made it out the front of the hotel dragging Lando out too.

“George!” He shouted with relief.

George’s parents looked up and Alison began crying again at seeing her son out safe. Some of the guests let out sighs of relief as the sight of the two drivers and others had tears filling their eyes. Nicky turned and let out another sob as his eyes fell on his brunette. He ran out of his mum’s arms as he made his way towards his husband.

Charles and Alex looked on in shock as they watched George dragging out Lando who was unconscious.

“Oh god.” Charles said quietly.

A couple of paramedics also made their way over to the two drivers as they began to check over Lando once George had gently placed him on the ground.

The brunette whipped round when he heard Nicky shout on him and soon he found himself in his husband’s arms. Nicky pulled back to look at him as George’s parents made their way over.

“Are you alright?” He asked, full of concern.

George opened his mouth to speak and instead he coughed harshly. He couldn’t stop coughing and it worried his parents. He couldn’t catch his breath and he gripped onto Nicky’s arms. His husband was holding onto George’s elbows as he struggled to hold himself upright as he continued to cough. The Canadian kept looking back between George and George’s parents.

“Just try and take a deep breath, babe.” He told him soothingly.

George couldn’t do it though as he couldn’t stop coughing. Steve turned back and caught sight of the other ambulance and the paramedics who were talking to some of the guests who were struggling with smoke inhalation.

“Can we get some help over here?” He called out.

Two paramedics made their way over.

In the background, Lando had been loaded onto a stretcher, oxygen mask on his face and was being transported into an ambulance which set off along the road with its sirens and lights on. A couple of fire engines also came along and soon enough, the fire was slowly being put out and firefighters ran into the hotel to check and see if there were people still inside.

The paramedics who were looking over George were concerned about his coughing and he was being directed towards an ambulance. He refused to let go of Nicky and his husband was glad when they let him sit in the ambulance. Before the doors closed, Alison had George’s hand a squeeze and Steve had patted Nicky on the back.

“We’ll follow the ambulance to the hospital.” Steve informed Nicky.

The Canadian just nodded, slightly stunned at the current situation.

In the ambulance, George was lying down on a stretcher with an oxygen mask over his face. He had a tight grip on Nicky’s hand and he looked over his husband. Nicky brought up their connected hands to kiss George’s fingers.

“You’re going to be alright. You have to be.” He whispered.

As the ambulance made its way towards the hospital, Nicky could only pray that George and Lando would be alright.

Chapter Text

By the time Steve and Alison arrived at the hospital, both Lando and George had been whisked away to be checked out. Nicky waited for them at the front of the hospital before leading them to where he had last seen George. Alison wrapped an arm around Nicky’s waist and he let his head fall on Alison’s shoulder as he waited for news about his husband. It wasn’t long before Nicky’s family arrived as well as George’s siblings. Everyone was desperately waiting for news. Charles turned up holding Charlotte’s hand with Alex following behind. Nicky went straight over to him.

“You need to go and get your arm checked out.” He said, seriously.

Alex nodded.

“That’s what I’m going to do first but I want to see George and Lando as well, any news?” He asked, worriedly.

Nicky shook his head.

“They’ve been taken away to get checked out. Has anyone called Lando’s parents, do they know?” He asked, flustering.

“Alex called them, they’re on their way here.” Charles informed him.

Nicky let out a deep breath then turned as he felt a hand on his back and noticed his mum behind him. He gave one last look to the drivers as Alex left in search of a nurse, the Canadian let his mum drag him towards some seats that the family were sitting in. Nicky fidgeted in his seat as he waited for news. Apparently, some of the guests had gone to a nearby hotel as the police had arrived at the fire once the firemen were able to control it. Nicky’s parents had spoken to them as they, like many, were sure that the fire was deliberate. The police officers had said they would come to the hospital after they had spoken to the other guests.

It was about half an hour later when a doctor came through and Nicky as well as George’s parents jumped to their feet immediately.

“Family of George Russell?” He questioned.

Steve and Nicky nodded frantically as Alison clutched at her husband’s arm.

“We’re George’s parents and Nicky is his husband.” Steve pointed out.

“I’m Doctor Brown. I’m in charge of your son’s condition.” The doctor introduced.

“How is he?” Nicky asked, concerned.

“George has suffered from smoke inhalation but not too much that he has damaged his lungs. We ran some tests because there was concern about his cough. At the current moment, he’s sedated and he’s breathing on his own. With rest and hydration he should be fine. We will monitor his condition and run some more tests when he wakes up but for now, it is important to let him rest.” The doctor answered.

“Can we see him?” Alison asked, anxiously.

“Of course, he’s in a room on his own so he has privacy. I’ll take you there now.” The doctor offered.

Alison clutched tighter at Steve’s arm. Nicky looked over at his parents, not really sure if they wanted to go too.

“Go and see him, we can see him when he wakes up. We don’t want to crowd you all.” Michael Sr encouraged.

Alison had also looked over at her two oldest children who were wrapped up in the arms of their respective partners as they let their parents go and see George. Nicky caught Charles’ eye and quickly moved over to him as George’s parents began to follow Doctor Brown.

“Can you maybe stay? At least until Lando’s parents get here?” He asked, gently.

“Of course and we’ll keep you updated. Let us know when George wakes up.” Replied Charles, kindly.

“Thank you.” Responded Nicky, gratefully.

He then rushed after the doctor and George’s parents. They soon found themselves outside George’s room and the doctor paused.

“I just want to warn you so you won’t be surprised that George has an oxygen mask which is there primarily to help control his breathing and he has an IV line in his left arm. These are just as a precaution but we are sure that he will be fine.” The doctor informed them.

He gently pushed the door open. Nicky went in first followed by Alison and then Steve who thanked the doctor on the way into the room. They all gasped at the sight of George lying in the bed, far too pale with an oxygen mask covering his face and an IV line in his left arm, just as the doctor had described. Nicky went and sat down in the chair beside George’s left whilst Steve and Alison went to his other side. Alison gently took George’s hand in her own as she fought back tears. All Nicky could focus on was watching the rise and fall of George’s chest which told him that his husband was breathing and that it could’ve been worse.

Meanwhile, Charlotte was curled up against Charles’ chest as they waited for Alex to return or for a nurse to appear so they could get news on Lando, whatever occurred first. As it turned out, Alex had his arm stitched up and came back before Charles or Charlotte had even caught sight of a nurse.

“How’s the arm?” Charles asked as Alex slumped down in the seat beside him.

“It will be fine, just need to get them taken out in a few days provided it doesn’t get infected.” Alex said quietly.

Charles noticed that Alex was looking around the room, he had obviously noticed that Nicky and George’s parents were missing.

“A doctor came and spoke to George’s family. I didn’t hear all of it, but they think he’s going to be okay. He’s suffering from smoke inhalation but he’s breathing on his own.” Charles said, softly.

Alex left out a sigh of relief. Charles gave him a soft smile, knowing that Alex had been worrying about his best friend.

“Any news on Lando?” Asked Alex, curiously.

The smile fell from Charles’ face as he shook his head sadly.

Alex looked around the room and immediately got up when he saw the reception area. He quickly got up to his feet and headed over with the intention of getting some news on his friend.

“Excuse me?” He got the attention of the receptionist.

She looked over at him and gave him a polite smile.

“How may I help you?” She asked, kindly.

“My friend, Lando Norris, was brought in earlier along with George Russell. There had been a fire and I was wondering if there was any news on Lando? I know that George is alright but my friends and I are concerned about Lando.” Alex informed her.

The receptionist smiled at him sadly.

“I’m sorry but due to patient confidentiality, I can’t discuss Mr Norris’ condition with you.” She said, firmly.

Alex bit his lip as he tried to figure out a way of getting any information.

“If I spoke to Lando’s parents, would you consider telling me? If I asked for their permission? They are on their way, please, he’s my friend and I’m worried about him.” He said seriously.

The receptionist sighed.

“If his parents say I can give you information, then I’ll see what I can do.” She offered.

Alex gave her a grateful smile.

“Thank you.” He said kindly.

By the time Alex called Adam and then spoke to the receptionist who was on the phone for a long time, she eventually called him over with news. He quickly made his way over and he felt sick as she gave him a grim look.

“I’m afraid Mr Norris’ condition is very serious. He’s currently in ICU. He suffered a lot of smoke inhalation and he’s currently on a ventilator as he was struggling to breathe when he arrived here. He also has concussion but the doctors won’t know if there’s damage to his brain or anything else wrong until he wakes up.” She informed Alex.

The young driver paled at the news, growing more concerned about Lando by the minute. The receptionist gave him a sympathetic look.

“By my understanding, if he had been in that fire longer, it could’ve been much worse so George saved his life. He’s not out of the woods yet but the doctors are hoping he’ll recover.” She said gently.

Alex let out a deep breath.

“Is he allowed any visitors?” He asked, quietly.

He didn’t want his friend to be on his own and he was somewhat surprised when the receptionist got out of her chair and left the reception area.

“Follow me.” She called out.

Alex immediately got Charles’ attention who raced after him, quickly followed by Charlotte. They made their way down the long corridors to ICU, leaving George’s siblings and Nicky’s family behind. Alex felt uneasy as they stopped outside of Lando’s room. The receptionist turned to look at the three youngsters.

“I must remind you that he is on a ventilator so his condition is touch and go. If he wakes up or if the machine goes off, call for someone immediately. The nurses are monitoring his condition so don’t be surprised if they come and go. I did tell the doctor that Lando would be expecting visitors so they don’t mind.” She said, softly.

Alex gave her a sad smile before she left and he made the first move to go into Lando’s room. The first thing he heard when he entered the room was the sound of the ventilator. Lando wasn’t breathing on his own and this made it real to life that he was fighting to stay alive. Alex sat down by Lando’s side with Charles and Charlotte sitting opposite. Charlotte had tears in her eyes as she told a hold of Charles’ hand. No one touched Lando as they feared they would knock the many wires and devices attached to his body. He looked so small in the bed. They could only hope that he would be alright.

Back in George’s room, the young brunette was still unconscious. Nicky ran a hand through his soft hair as he held his husband’s hand in the other. His thumb brushed over George’s wedding ring. It reminded him that they were together through sickness and health although this hadn’t been part of the wedding plan. He had been enjoying his wedding reception with George and now that had been thrown into chaos. George would be spending his wedding night in hospital but Nicky had to remember that George would be alright, he would be fine and yet he didn’t know about Lando.

“I hope Lando is alright.” He spoke out loud.

Steve looked up at him and sighed.

“Hopefully someone will give us an update.” He said, gently.

“I just hope he wakes up soon, he should’ve been dancing the night away, not lying in a hospital bed.” Alison said, sadly.

Steve gently shushed her as she sniffled and wrapped an arm around her back. Nicky continued to stroke his thumb over George’s wedding ring as he held his hand in a tight grip, praying he would wake up soon.

Elsewhere in the hospital, George's siblings and Nicky's family were waiting in support of George. They were hoping that someone would let them know when George was awake but for now they were happy that he was going to be alright. When the police turned up, they knew that something was going on and it made everyone anxious. They were all interviewed about the wedding reception, about the man and the fire. It had already been determined that the fire had been started deliberately and the police were looking for the man who had started it. Everyone tried to answer as many questions as they could as they wanted the man to be caught. The police then spoke to reception who gave them directions to ICU so they could speak to Lando's doctors. They had heard from other guests and paramedics that George and Lando were in a bad way so the officers knew they had to speak to family and friends. Once the officers had finished interviewing the doctors, they made their way to Lando's room. One by one, they interviewed Charlotte, Charles and then Alex. The young Red Bull driver found it difficult talking about Lily seeing as he had to mention every detail about what had happened, mainly for George and Lando's sakes. Alex slumped down in his seat when he came back into the room. Charles looked at him with concern.

"Are you alright?" He asked, carefully.

"They are asking questions about Lily and about the guy with the knife." Alex huffed.

"What are you going to do about Lily?" Asked Charles.

"Honestly, I have no idea. I haven't really been thinking about her, I'm just worried about Lando and George." Admitted Alex.

Charles nodded in understanding as the two drivers gazed down at Lando whilst Charlotte curled into Charles' side.

The officers then made their way to George's room. His parents were reluctant to leave him but Steve went first then Alison left only after her husband encouraged her too. Nicky refused at first as he continued to run his hand through George's hair.

"Nicky, the more information the police have, the better chance of finding out who the guy is and then he can be punished." Insisted Steve.

Nicky sighed and nodded. He carefully stood up then leaned down to kiss George on the forehead before he followed the officers out of the room. He had never been so happy to return to George's side. The officers informed George's parents that they would go through the witness statements and follow up on any leads as to where the man was. Nearly everyone pointed out that the officers needed to talk to Dan Ticktum so they promised to speak to him. They also promised to update everyone on any leads. George's parents were able to relax knowing that the police were building on their case but Nicky just wanted his husband to wake up.

As there was no change in Lando's condition, Alex decided to go and visit George seeing as Lando had company. He made his way around the hospital and eventually found George's room. He quietly knocked on the door before poking his head round.

"Hey." Nicky called out softly.

Alex replied in turn as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He moved closer to the bed so that he was standing next to Nicky's seat.

"How is he?" He asked, worriedly.

"He suffered a bit of smoke inhalation but he's breathing on his own so the doctor thinks he'll make a full recovery." Steve informed him.

Alex let out a deep breath. Nicky looked up at him.

"How's Lando?" He asked, softly.

"He's on a ventilator, his condition is serious. He suffered a lot of smoke inhalation so they have to monitor his condition. His parents are on their way." He said, wearily.

Allison's eyes widened as she looked back at her son, thankful that George's condition wasn't life threatening and that he had been lucky.

"The receptionist said that George saved Lando's life. Apparently it could've been worse. I don't know if they recognise them or if something was mentioned because they were brought in together but I'd say George did a good job." Praised Alex.

Tears filled Alison and Steve's eyes as Nicky gazed down softly at his husband, feeling proud of his actions. Nicky looked back at Alex who had been holding onto his suit jacket all night since he had injured his arm.

"How is your arm?" Nicky asked.

"A bit stiff but I'll be fine." Said Alex, honestly.

Nicky nodded. He wanted to ask Alex about Lily but it was none of his business and something for Alex to work through on his own. Alex cleared his throat.

"I'm going to head back to Lando's room. Charles, Charlotte and I have been keeping him company whilst we wait for Lando's parents. We might head to the hotel later and see if we can get rooms, get some sleep." He stated.

Nicky and Steve smiled gently at him. They quietly said their goodbyes and Alex slipped out of the room.

A few minutes after Alex left, George began to shift in the bed. Nicky's head snapped up as he shifted closer in his seat.

"George?"

The brunette exhaled slowly then sleepily blinked his eyes open as he carefully took in his surroundings. Alison had tears streaming down her face as Steve and Nicky smiled down at George. The young Brit frowned and took his hand out of his mum's to try and lift the oxygen mask from his face. Steve grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Leave it on, son. It's helping you to breathe." He insisted.

George sighed and took his mum's hand in his and gave it a tight squeeze.

"I'm okay." He croaked.

Alison let out a sob and lifted up George's hand to kiss it. Her son then looked over at Nicky.

"Lando?" He asked, sleepily.

"He's on a ventilator, he's in a serious condition but you got him out, George. You got him out of there." Nicky said, firmly.

George's eyes widened and he shifted on the bed and both Nicky and Steve placed their hands on his chest to stop him moving.

"You can see Lando later when you're feeling better but just sleep for now." Said Nicky, softly.

George began to whine as Nicky ran his hand through his hair and his eyes drooped. The Canadian chuckled as he held George's hand again and he leaned in closer to whisper in his husband's ear.

"We're here, you're safe. Go to sleep. I love you."

George let out a deep breath and he fell into a deep sleep. Alison and Steve felt warmth fill their chests as Nicky leaned down to kiss their son on his forehead. Their youngest really was in good hands.

It was late at night by the time Adam and Cisca Norris turned up at the hospital. Nicky had already informed his family that George had woken up whilst George's parents had informed their two oldest children. It meant that they were happy to leave the hospital to head to another hotel with the knowledge that George would be alright. Adam held onto Cisca's hand as they listened to the doctor explaining their son's condition. Cisca held a hand over her mouth as she fought back a sob. Adam was happy to see that Lando had company although he could tell that the 3 youngsters looked exhausted. They stood in shock for a moment as they gazed down at Lando in the bed. All they could hear was the sound of the ventilator that was keeping their son alive.

"You three should go and get some sleep. You've been here for several hours." Adam said, kindly.

Alex looked at Charles as they were hesitant to leave.

"Are you sure? We don't mind staying." Alex checked.

Adam let out a soft chuckle knowing Lando's really did care about him.

"I'm sure. Go and get some sleep. Thank you for staying with him."

Cisca gave them a tight smile as they all stood up and made their way out of the room with Alex gently squeezing Lando's wrist. Once they left, Adam and Cisca sat down in the chairs previously occupied by Charlotte and Charles. Adam took Lando's hand in his as Cisca folded her arms to rest on the bed so that she was closer to her son.

"We're here, darling. We're here." She murmured.

Lando’s parents sat with him right into the early morning, nurses came in and out to monitor Lando’s breathing and heart rate but there was no change. At around four in the morning, Adam decided to go and visit George to see how he was. When Alex had called him to tell him about the fire, the young driver had told him that George had dragged his son out of the burning building. George had saved his son’s life. It was when his leg began to cramp up that he decided to go for a walk and see if he could find George’s room as Alex had said that both George and Lando were going to the hospital when he had called. As much as it pained Adam to leave, there had been no change since Lando had arrived but he was in good hands. Adam found himself wandering around the corridors for at least half an hour before he headed to reception to ask where he could find his son’s friend. The only reason they gave him any information was because they knew George’s family was with him. Adam arrived outside George’s room and peeked in through the window. Steve and Alison were both asleep, resting back in their chairs whilst Alison had her head on her husband’s shoulder. Nicky had his arms crossed over as he rested on the bed, still holding onto George’s hand although the position didn’t look very comfortable for his back. George had his eyes closed and his head was tilted in Nicky’s direction. Adam didn’t really want to disturb anyone seeing as it was early morning but he wanted to see how George was and he didn’t think the nurses would tell him. He gently knocked on the door and waited for a moment to hear movement from inside. He eventually opened the door and stuck his head round. Nicky was sleepily rubbing a hand over his eyes whilst Steve and Alison were stretching in their seats. Adam stepped further into the room and looked apologetic.

“I’m sorry to disturb you when it’s so early in the morning but I wanted to see how George is.” Adam apologised.

“He suffered a little smoke inhalation but he’s just resting, it could’ve been a lot worse but he’s going to make a full recovery.” Steve said, tiredly.

Adam looked pleased.

Alison looked up at him.

“Any change with Lando?” She asked, gently.

Adam shook his head sadly and everyone looked at him sympathetically.

George began to shift again on the bed, having been disturbed by the voices he was hearing. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room. He sighed as his eyes landed on Nicky.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Asked Nicky, softly.

“Tired.” George mumbled behind the mask.

His gaze drifted and he looked at Adam with wide eyes as he realised he was in the room. He tried to sit up straighter but his dad put a hand on his shoulder as his mum picked up the controller to make the bed rise up. He pulled the mask down and batted his mum’s hand away when she tried to move it back over his mouth.

“How’s Lando?” He asked, quietly.

“No change I’m afraid.” Adam informed him.

George let out a sad sigh and slumped against the pillows, letting Nicky run a hand through his hair again.

“I’ve been told that you dragged Lando out of the hotel. He’s in a critical condition but the doctors think it could’ve been a lot worse if you hadn't found him. Thank you for saving my son, George.” Adam said, sincerely.

George swallowed a lump in his throat as he shook his head.

“I just knew I had to get him out, I was looking for Nicky and I found Lando, well I tripped up over him because I couldn’t see through the smoke. I just knew I had to get him out.”

Alison rubbed a hand over George’s arm, thankful that no further harm had come to her boy.

“Cisca and I are very grateful so thank you.” Adam said, kindly.

“I just hope he’ll be alright.” Said George, softly.

“He will be, he’s strong.” Insisted Adam.

The older man held back a laugh as the young brunette’s eyes drooped.

“I better leave you to rest, I just wanted to come and see how you were doing.” He said, softly.

Steve gave him a small smile as Adam gave a little wave then turned and left the room. Alison pressed a button on the controller so that the bed moved down. George fought to keep his eyes open.

“No.” He whined.

Steve moved the mask back over his son’s face with the intention of letting him go back to sleep but the young driver wasn’t having any of it. Nicky had continued to play with his husband’s hair but he stopped when he started to get distressed. He rested his hand on George’s forehead and squeezed his hand firmly.

“George, look at me please.” He said, clearly.

His husband looked over and gazed into his eyes as he stopped moving.

“You need to get some rest, we don’t want you to be here any longer than you have to be.” He said, gently.

“I want to see Lando.” Murmured George.

Nicky sighed as he gave George a soft smile.

“I know you do. How about you have a little sleep and when you wake up, we can get a nurse to check on you and if they think you’re fine to go, we’ll take you to see Lando? Sound fair?” He tried to bargain.

George nodded rather reluctantly. He moved to lace his fingers with Nicky’s as his eyes drooped again.

“Love you, Nicky.” He murmured.

“I love you too.” Replied Nicky, warmly.

George let out a deep breath and he fell asleep. Alison moved the oxygen mask back over his face when she was sure her son was sleeping. Nicky shook his head fondly at his husband’s stubbornness. George was asleep for another couple of hours before he woke up again. His parents and Nicky had also had a little nap once they were sure he was going to stay asleep.

“Can we go and see Lando?” George asked, softly.

“I’ll go and find a nurse, George, but no leaving until you’ve had some food.” Warned Steve, sternly.

The time was around 6:30am and Steve was aware as he went to find a nurse that George was going to refuse to sleep for the rest of the day and would insist on leaving the hospital. A nurse checked over George who was happy with his progress and when it was mentioned about getting up to see Lando, she had no issues with that but stated he needed to take it slow.

“Is he allowed something to eat?” Steve asked, gently.

“Of course, I’ll get someone to prepare something seeing as you’re up and about. Hopefully you can go home later on today too.” The nurse replied, kindly.

Nicky and Steve smiled as George’s eyes brightened at the comment. The nurse removed George’s IV line and took away the oxygen mask seeing as the driver was having no trouble breathing. She then left the room to see about getting some food for George. The young brunette huffed at having to wait. Steve raised an eyebrow.

“We’ll be getting some food as well, George, so just hold your horses.” He teased.

George sighed and glared at Nicky who laughed. Steve decided to go and grab some food from the hospital cafe. Thankfully, by the time he returned, George was getting some breakfast. He decided not to rush through it seeing as Nicky and his parents were also eating. When George had finished his breakfast, he looked between Nicky and his parents expectantly and Steve rolled his eyes.

“Give me one minute, I need to grab something from the car.” He said.

George frowned as his dad left the room.

“What does he need?” He asked his mum.

Alison just shrugged. Eventually, Steve returned with a backpack. He put it on his chair and opened it before pulling out a pile of clothes.

“I figured you’d want to feel a bit more normal, so I brought this which had a spare change of clothes.” Steve explained.

George smiled. The bag had been packed a few days before the wedding. George and Nicky had been planning on staying in the hotel for their wedding night and the bag had been left in Steve’s car. Steve also passed over a set of clothes for Nicky.

“We’ll let you to get changed.” He said.

He looked over at Alison and they both left the room. He then decided to go and find a nurse so they could grab a wheelchair for George so he wouldn’t wander around the hospital and lose his energy. There was a part of him that knew his son would be annoyed at the wheelchair but he just wanted to help. Steve and Alison went back into the room ten minutes later and found George lying on the bed again but in casual clothes including jogging bottoms and a jumper. Nicky stood next to the bed, wearing clothes similar to his husband. They were busy laughing at something to notice Steve and Alison both smiling as they were a better sight now that George was out of the hospital gown. The couple looked over and smiled at them.

“Feeling a bit more normal, huh?” Steve checked with his son.

George smiled.

“Yeah, thanks, dad.” He replied, gratefully.

The moment was broken by the nurse who came in pushing a wheelchair as Steve held the door open for her. George glared at it.

“What’s that for?” He asked, annoyed.

“That’s for you.” Alison pointed out.

George shook his head. The nurse made a quick exit after she left it beside the bed.

“I’m not sitting in that.” George whined.

“It’s for your own good, son. Do you want to tire yourself out?” His dad challenged.

George sighed as he knew this was an argument that he wasn’t going to win. Nicky moved the wheelchair so that it was facing his husband.

“Time for me to take care of you. Do you not remember our vows? To love and to cherish.” Nicky teased.

George rolled his eyes as Nicky held onto handles, refusing to back down. He then reluctantly got up and turned around to sit in the wheelchair. As Nicky moved it forward to head to the door, Steve opened it for him and put a hand on the Canadian’s shoulder to stop him before he could move down the corridor. He ducked down to look at George for a minute.

“Your mum and I will talk to the doctor about seeing if you can leave today, I know you don’t want to spend all your time here, alright?” Steve said.

George smiled at him and Steve patted Nicky on the shoulder then let the couple leave to go and visit Lando. As they arrived in ICU, George nervously played with the sleeves of his jumper as he waited to go and see Lando. Nicky stopped outside the door and knocked on it, hoping that someone would come and hold the door open so George didn’t have to get out and walk. Thankfully, Adam opened the door and he smiled at George and Nicky.

“Hey, guys.” He greeted them.

The couple smiled at him as he held the door open so that Nicky could push the wheelchair into the room. He sat back down beside Cisca as Nicky pushed the wheelchair so that it sat opposite Lando’s parents on the other side of the bed. George had a lump in his throat as he looked around the bed as Lando still had wires and all sorts attached to him. He struggled to listen to the sound of the ventilator but it was the only thing that could be heard in the room.

“Thank you so much for saving our boy, George.” Said Cisca, tearfully.

George gave her a sad smile as he shrugged. He had done what anyone else would’ve done. He felt two hands rest on his shoulders as Nicky massaged them to comfort him and he lifted his head to see his husband gazing down at him. He smiled gently as he turned back to look at Lando.

“Congratulations on your marriage, you two. I’m sorry it turned out like this but you have each other.” Adam said, kindly.

“I’m just glad the fire didn’t start during the ceremony so at least we could go through our vows. It had been so perfect as well.” Nicky reminisced.

“The hotel looked really nice as well. Lando sent us pictures when he told us where it was. He was so excited for the wedding.” Cisca said, softly.

“We were excited too.” Responded Nicky.

A nurse came in to check Lando’s condition and Nicky decided it would be best if they left plus he wanted George to be checked over by a doctor if he was getting to leave.

“We should leave you guys to it. I really hope Lando wakes up soon.” Said Nicky, gently.

Cisca gave him a grateful smile. George reached out to gently squeeze Lando’s hand before he let go.

“Keep on fighting, mate.” He whispered.

Adam got up and opened the door as Nicky pulled the wheelchair back and headed out of the room.

“Let us know when you get to leave, maybe Lando might wake up seeing as you’re getting to go home today hopefully.” Adam stated.

George nodded and let Nicky take him back to his room.

It wasn’t long after Nicky and George had left that Lando’s parents got their wish. Lando’s eye twitched, something that had gone unnoticed by his parents until his hand began to twitch. Adam looked up and stared at his son’s face, waiting for his eyes to open. Cisca frowned at her husband but he made no effort to respond to her so she gazed down at her son. Lando’s hand twitched again and Cisca gasped. Slowly but surely, Lando opened his eyes and before his parents could react, he was choking on the tube that was in his mouth. His dad raced out of the room to find a doctor or nurse as Cisca ran a hand through his hair.

“It’s alright, baby. It’s alright, it’s there to help you breathe.” Murmured Cisca.

Lando calmed down slightly as he listened to his mum but all Cisca could see was her little boy looking so lost and innocent as he gazed up at her with wide eyes. A doctor and nurse came in to check on Lando and Adam had to gently help Cisca out of the room as she was too focused on Lando to hear the doctor for everyone to vacate the room.

About 15 minutes later, the nurse and doctor stepped out of the room. Lando’s parents relaxed when the doctor smiled at them.

“Lando appears to be breathing well on his own. We’ll continue to monitor his condition due to the amount of smoke that was inhaled by hopefully his lungs will be fine. We’ll do a head CT later because of the concussion but everyone appears fine for now. We have removed the tube from his mouth and replaced it with an oxygen mask. Please don’t be alarmed by this, it is just a precaution. He is resting now but the nurse will continue to come in and check on everything but if his breathing gets worse or if anything else happens, the call button is on his bed.” The doctor informed them.

Adam and Cisca shook hands with the doctor before they made their way back into the room to sit with their son. Cisca held her son’s hand and tears filled her eyes when he squeezed her hand in his sleep.

It took a little while for a doctor to come round and check up on George. The young brunette had been waiting impatiently when his dad had found a nurse who went to go and find one seeing as George was looking better now that he had been out of bed. The doctor checked his breathing and his lungs and was happy with the progress George had been making so he agreed to send him home. George’s parents and Nicky smiled at the look on George’s face and the young man let out a huff when the doctor mentioned the paperwork that would need to be done to sign him out.

Eventually, George and Nicky were walking along the corridor hand in hand, George having only just managed to convince his husband that he could walk on his own two feet. Steve and Alison left the hospital to go and sit in the car as George wanted to go and see Lando before he went home. He gently knocked on the door and opened it when he heard someone call to come in. His face brightened as he noticed that Lando was no longer hooked to a ventilator and he seemed to be breathing on his own. Cisca and Adam smiled at him.

“He’s breathing on his own now, I think they want to keep him in for another day to keep an eye on him but he’s doing better than he was.” Adam stated, happily.

George felt happy knowing that and as much as he wanted to talk to his friend, he didn’t want to disturb his rest and his parents were waiting out in the car park.

“We better leave you to it, don’t want to disturb Lando.” Said George, quietly.

“How are you doing?” Asked Adam, kindly.

“I’ll be fine with rest, we’re just going home. I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed.” Said George, happily.

Both Adam and Cisca smiled.

“I bet your husband can’t wait to sleep beside you.” Teased Adam.

Nicky chuckled and smiled lovingly at George who gave him a soft smile. Cisca and Adam felt their hearts about to melt at the sight of George and Nicky. Eventually, Nicky turned his gaze away from his husband as he looked over at Lando’s parents.

“We better get going, George’s parents are sitting in the car.” He said.

Cisca and Adam nodded in understanding.

“Take care both of you and thanks again for what you did, George.” Adam said, softly.

George blushed and he let Nicky lead him out of the room after they waved goodbye. Nicky kissed George’s temple before they headed outside and towards Steve’s car. As they were travelling back to George and Nicky’s apartment, George rested his head on his husband’s shoulder, content that he would be allowed to relax for the rest of the summer break. Nicky and Alison were messaging different family members to let them know that George was now out of the hospital and on his way home. As much as George’s parents wanted the couple to stay with them, they knew that their son would be in safe hands as they dropped them off at their apartment and gave them hugs before heading home themselves.

Lando was moved out of ICU as the doctor had made sure he got a head CT scan which came back clear. They continued to monitor his condition and whilst Lando whined about having to stay in hospital, his parents were just happy that he was in the safe hands of medical experts.

That night, Nicky was happy to have George cuddled up against his side in bed for their first official night as a married couple. The Canadian was just glad to be at home with his husband. As his eyes began to close, Nicky slowly kissed George’s forehead before he tightened his grip and eventually fell asleep.

Alex had never been so thankful when he received the news that both George and Lando would be alright. He was now debating on what to do about Lily. His girlfriend hadn’t been in touch with him and he hadn’t seen her since before the fire started in the hotel. He didn’t know what to do about it but he knew that everytime he thought about her, all he could think about was that she had cheated on him. It made him feel sad and angry. He really didn’t know what to do.

Charles and Charlotte were grateful to be alright. They had felt guilty about going back to the hotel when Lando’s parents had arrived at the hospital. Charles had been debating on whether to change their flight but he decided against it when he received the news that his friends would be alright. The couple were able to relax on the flight back to Monaco knowing that the two young drivers would make a full recovery.

The police had launched a full investigation into the fire and the hostage situation. Due to the vast amounts of witness statements they were able to narrow down a list of men who matched the description of the man who had held Alex hostage. He was hauled in for questioning along with Dan Ticktum who played the ignorance card and refused to answer any of the questions put to him. It wasn’t long before the story was picked up in the media and Dan’s name was brought up. People reading the story were sure that it would be the end of the driver’s racing career and it would be the start of a criminal record.

A trial would be taking place but that was something that the drivers and families would worry about when it came. For now, everyone was happy to forget about the fire and instead think of happy memories and be grateful that everyone was healthy and alive.