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Arthur was feeling a bit nervous. Charles had been called to a team meeting, and it was up to him to take care of Ollie for the next few hours. Ollie, being just a toddler, was a bundle of energy and emotions. Keeping him entertained and happy would be a challenge, but Arthur was determined to make it work.
Arthur picked him up and settled him on the floor with a piece of paper and some crayons. "Look, Ollie, how about you draw me a picture?" he suggested, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible.
Ollie looked up at him with wide eyes and nodded. He began to scribble on the paper, and Arthur took a moment to relax. He watched as Ollie focused on his drawing, the tip of his tongue poking out in concentration.
Arthur sat back and observed as Ollie’s small hand moved the crayon across the paper. The vibrant colors began to take shape, forming a charming drawing of a car. Arthur couldn’t help but smile at the innocence and creativity radiating from his nephew. "That’s a great car, Ollie. Can you add some wheels?" he encouraged.
Ollie nodded eagerly and added four large, round wheels to his drawing. The room was quiet except for the gentle scratch of crayon on paper. Arthur found it oddly peaceful, a stark contrast to the usual chaos of a race weekend. He took this moment of calm to reflect on how much his nephew had grown. It seemed like only yesterday that Ollie was a newborn, and now he was a lively toddler full of curiosity and energy.
Arthur’s thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. He glanced up to see one of the team members peeking in. "Hey, Arthur, just wanted to let you know the meeting might run a bit longer than expected," the team member said apologetically.
Arthur nodded. "No problem, we’re managing just fine," he replied. As the door closed, Arthur returned his attention to Ollie. "How about we go outside for a bit, buddy? Would you like that?"
Ollie’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. He nodded enthusiastically, bouncing in his seat. Arthur helped him put on his shoes, and they headed out into the paddock.
The paddock was a hive of activity, with mechanics, engineers, and drivers all bustling about. Ollie’s eyes grew wide as he took in the sights and sounds. Arthur held his hand tightly, not wanting to lose him in the crowd.
"Look, Ollie, there’s Uncle Lando and Max," Arthur pointed out as they approached Lando and Max, who were chatting with each other. Ollie likes Lando, quite a lot actually, he visits often and always brings some candy for him. As for Max, well, he had only seen him a couple of times so he wasn’t completely sure yet.
The two drivers, walking towards them, stopped when their eyes landed on little Ollie. "Hey, Arthur! Hey, Ollie!" Lando greeted them warmly, ruffling Ollie’s hair.
"What’s up, little man?" asked Max bending down to be more on Ollie’s eye level.
Ollie shyly hid behind Arthur’s leg. Arthur chuckled. "We’re just exploring a bit. Trying to keep this one entertained while Charles is in a meeting."
Max moved his head slightly to the side to see Ollie more clearly. "Hey, Ollie. Do you like cars?" he asked gently. Ollie nodded slowly. Max smiled and pulled out a small toy car (that he got just for him) from his pocket. "Here, you can have this."
Ollie’s eyes lit up as he took the toy car from Max. "Thank you," he whispered. He inspected the car thoroughly, smiling when he realized it resembled one of his dad’s cars. He definitely likes Max now.
Max and Lando smiled softly at him before their teams started calling for them. They apologized and ruffled Ollie’s hair before they each headed to their respective teams.
Continuing their walk, the Leclercs soon encountered Dennis, one of Arthur’s good friends.
"Arthur! What brings you out here?" Dennis asked, grinning.
"Hey, Dennis. Just keeping an eye on my nephew while Charles is busy," Arthur replied.
Dennis looked down at Ollie and smiled warmly. "And who is this little guy?"
"This is Ollie," Arthur introduced. "Ollie, this is my friend Dennis."
Ollie peeked out from behind Arthur, still clutching the toy car Max had given him. Dennis crouched down to be at eye level with him. "Hey, Ollie. Nice to meet you."
Ollie hesitated for a moment but then stepped forward and stuck his hand out to Dennis for a handshake. The F2 driver looked at Arthur before they both burst out laughing. That seemed to confuse the young kid as he pulled his hand back and looked up at Arthur with eyes questioning what he did wrong.
Arthur smiled down at him and petted his hair. “No, no Ollie. You didn’t do anything wrong. We’re not laughing at you chéri, you were very polite.”
The kid was still very confused, not fully understanding Arthur’s words. If they weren’t laughing at him, what were they laughing at?
“Well, Ollie. You’re the politest kid I’ve ever met,” said Dennis bringing him out of his thoughts. He stuck out his hand in the same manner Ollie had done before.
Ollie looked up at Arthur with still questioning eyes but his uncle only motioned for him to take Dennis’ hand. He stared at Dennis, who offered him a sweet smile, before he slowly took his hand in a handshake, locking his fingers with Arthur’s as soon as it was over.
Dennis smiled and stood up, starting a conversation with Arthur that Ollie wasn’t paying much attention to. Instead, he was looking around at all the people passing by, observing their expressions and what they were wearing.
When he eventually got bored of that he tugged at Arthur’s arm. His uncle looked down and upon seeing Ollie motioning to be picked up, granted his nephew’s wish, lifting and holding him close to his chest.
Ollie relaxed and rested his head on Arthur’s shoulder. He was still observing people, one hand tightly holding Arthur’s shirt, the other still clenching on the car Max gave him. But due to him not having to support his weight anymore, he grew more and more sleepy, Arthur’s occasional rocking didn’t help him stay awake either.
Ollie moved around trying to get in a comfortable position when his eyes brushed over Dennis’ shirt which looked way more comfortable than Arthur’s. Acting on impulse, he stuck his hands out towards Dennis in a manner that showed he wanted Dennis to carry him.
“Hey kiddo, what’s going on?” asked Dennis confused.
“He wants you to carry him,” said Arthur, running one of his hands through Ollie’s curls.
“Oh, can I?” He didn’t want to overstep any boundaries and he really didn’t want the kid to be uncomfortable.
“Of course you can, if he wants you to carry him!” exclaimed Arthur. “Here.” He took a step towards Dennis and transported Ollie into his arms. Dennis immediately wrapped his hands in an almost protective manner around Ollie’s body, holding the kid with the utmost care in the world.
The young boy was quite pleased when he relaxed into Dennis’ chest, one hand holding onto his shirt as he wrapped the other around his car as he usually would with his teddy bear. It didn’t take long for him to find a comfortable position and travel to the world of dreams.
The two adults chatted some more when Arthur looked at his phone and saw the time.
“We should probably be going back, Charles is getting out of his meeting soon,” he explained, feeling bad about having to take Ollie from his comfortable napping space, but luckily it didn’t come to that yet.
“Okay, I can walk you to the motorhome, if you want?” asked Dennis unsurely. But Arthur smiled and nodded thankfully.
“Yes please, I really didn’t want to take Ollie from his napping spot yet!” Dennis looked down at the small child still sleeping peacefully in his arms, smiling to himself. He continued to stare when Arthur grabbed his bicep dragging him along.
They walked in silence, well it wasn’t really silent with all of the noises coming from different garages and people, but they didn’t speak a word.
Soon the Ferrari motorhome came into their view. They stopped in front of it Arthur thanking him for carrying Ollie and Dennis saying it was not a problem. Slowly they transported the kid to Arthur’s arms, both of them letting out a happy sigh when he didn’t wake up.
Arthur thanked him again before they parted ways, he with Ollie to Charles’ room and Dennis to, well, wherever he wanted.
When they reached the right room, Charles was already there, looking a bit stressed. "Hey, how did it go?" he asked.
Arthur smiled. "We had a good time. Ollie’s been great."
Charles stepped forward, reaching for his son and hugging him close. "Thanks, Arthur. I’ve got another long meeting, they’ve rescheduled for some reason. Can you watch him a bit longer?"
"Of course," Arthur replied.
Charles carefully placed the still-sleeping Ollie on the bed and took his shoes off, placing them in the corner. He took away his car, placed it on the bedside table, and sat down next to him, taking a second to run his hands through his son’s curls. It would have been a peaceful moment if it weren’t for a random team member opening the door and telling Charles that they were waiting for him.
Charles waved him off, waiting until the door closed again. “I guess this is my cue to leave,” he sighed, leaning down to press a kiss on Ollie’s forehead. “Sleep well mon ours.”
He stood up, taking one last look at Ollie, before turning around and pulling Arthur in an unexpected hug.
“Thank you so much Art, I owe you big time.” Arthur was standing still for a moment before wrapping his hands around his brother.
“No problem Charles.” It was a touching moment that was interrupted when someone yelled his brother's name from behind the doors.
“I think I really should go now,” said Charles pulling away.
“Yeah, probably,” replied Arthur. Charles turned to pick up his bag and patted Arthur’s shoulder before leaving the room.
Arthur was now alone with Ollie, not knowing what to do he settled onto the bed next to him, and Ollie instinctively cuddled into his body. He stroked his hair gently, feeling a deep sense of responsibility and love for his nephew. Arthur tried to stay awake, but the day’s events had taken their toll on him. His eyes grew heavy, and soon he drifted off to sleep.
___________________
Arthur awoke with a start. The bed next to him was empty, and a cold sense of panic gripped him. He quickly scanned the room, noticing the door was slightly ajar. Just then he realized Charles didn’t close the door completely as he was leaving. Heart pounding, he bolted out of the room in search of Ollie.
Meanwhile, Ollie had woken up and, seeing Arthur still asleep, had decided to explore. His toddler curiosity led him out of the room and into the paddock. It didn’t take long for him to realize he was lost, and tears began to well up in his eyes.
He looked around, seeing a lot of different people but none he would recognize. He was desperate to just find anyone who would hug him and tell him that it was okay. He regretted leaving his uncle.
Just as he was giving up on finding anyone, he suddenly recognized a familiar face in a crowd. With determination, he ran over and clenched his leg.
Dennis was chatting with some friends Jak, Martin, and Isack when he felt something clutch his leg. He turned around to find a tearful Ollie looking up at him. "Ollie! What are you doing here?" he exclaimed, crouching down to comfort the child.
Ollie wrapped his arms around Dennis’s neck, and Dennis lifted him up, holding him close. "It’s okay, Ollie. You’re safe," he soothed.
The other boys gathered around, curious about the situation. "Who’s this little guy?" Jak asked.
"This is Ollie, Arthur’s nephew," Dennis explained. "He must have somehow wandered off.” He looked towards Ollie.”Hey kiddo, can you tell me where Arthur is?"
The toddler tried responding but all that would come out of his mouth were sobs, occasionally replaced with some ununderstandable mumbles.
Dennis shushed him softly, rocking him back and forth hoping the child would calm down. He then looked up at Jak and waited until the other looked at him. ‘Call Arthur’ he mouthed, the other boy looked confused for a moment before getting what he was trying to say and leaving to make the call.
The others all gathered close trying to cheer Ollie up, all of them happily smiling when the young boy actually laughed. Martin was just starting to tell him a children's story he knew from when he was young when Jak came back and signaled that Arthur wasn’t picking up.
They all looked at each other, clueless as to what to do, well, all except Martin who was still busy telling Ollie the story that the kid seemed to really enjoy. When the story finally ended the others had already made a plan.
They decided to walk to the Ferrari motorhome, hoping to find Arthur there. Just when they started walking, they heard someone shouting.
"Ollie!" Arthur was frantically searching the paddock, his heart in his throat.
When he saw Dennis holding Ollie, he let out a sigh of relief and rushed over. Ollie, seeing Arthur, immediately reached out for him. Arthur scooped him up, hugging him tightly and kissing his hair. "I was so worried," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.
Dennis smiled. "He’s safe, Arthur. He found us."
Arthur thanked Dennis and the others profusely. "I can’t thank you enough. You guys are lifesavers."
Dennis chuckled. "No problem. Just make sure this little guy doesn’t wander off again."
“Also, you will probably have to wash his socks, it seems that shoes weren’t featured in his exploring plan,” added Isack.
Arthur chuckled, still holding Ollie close. They chatted for a bit before Dennis offered to walk them back to the motorhome when the young child yawned. Ollie, clearly taken with Dennis (and his soft shirt, a perfect napping spot), gestured that he wanted to be carried by him. Dennis happily obliged, holding him close as they said goodbye to the other three.
They walked back to the Ferrari motorhome, Ollie somehow still staying awake, even though he yawned a couple of times already.
Back at the motorhome, Charles was still in his meeting. They walked to his room, Dennis setting his bag on the floor white still holding Ollie with his other hand.
“Do you want to take a nap, Ollie?” Arthur asked softly. The young kid shook his head madly, almost knocking Dennis in his chin. Arthur sighed tiredly. “What do you want to do then?”
Ollie pointed to his crayons that were still lying on the floor. Arthur turned his gaze to where Ollie pointed and nodded.
“Right, okay. You can do that. Dennis-” he hummed at the mention of his name, “place him down over there.” Arthur pointed in the direction of crayons.
Dennis followed his orders, walking over and trying to put Ollie down but how could he do that when the kid started whining as soon as he tried to put him down? Fearing he upset the child he picked him up again, rocking him and relaxing when he realized he quieted down.
He looked over at Arthur for him to tell him what to do. Arthur shrugged and motioned for him to sit down. Dennis, admittedly confused, did just that letting Ollie get comfortable on his lap.
Arthur walked over to them carrying a small box. He placed it down in front of them, before placing Ollie’s crayons and papers on it. His nephew smiled and turned around to start drawing while Dennis kept looking at him confused.
Arthur sat next to him before answering the unsaid question. “He sometimes gets anxious and doesn’t want to be alone.”
“So that is why he wants to sit on me,” thought Dennis out loud.
“Yes, if he’s sitting or laying on someone it makes him feel not alone. He is very sensitive, even though it may seem he’s not. Also sorry for trapping you here with him,” said Arthur sheepishly.
“No worries, I got some time before I’m wanted anywhere,” he responded, leaning back to rest his head on the wall.
They watched as Ollie drew, the crayons moving busily across the paper. Dennis and Arthur chatted quietly, enjoying the peaceful moment. After a while, Ollie grew tired and eventually fell asleep in Dennis’s arms. The two men chuckled softly and carefully placed him on the bed. Ollie stirred slightly but relaxed as Arthur sat next to him, petting his hair.
Dennis stood up, stretching. "I should get going now," he said quietly.
Arthur nodded. "Thanks again, Dennis. I really appreciate it."
Dennis petted Ollie’s hair one last time before saying goodbye and leaving. Arthur stayed awake this time, watching over Ollie until Charles returned.
Charles walked in, looking exhausted but relieved. "How did everything go?" he asked.
Arthur smiled. "It went okay. Ollie’s a treat to watch."
Charles gave him a grateful look. "Thanks, Arthur. I don’t know what I’d do without you."
Arthur shrugged. "No problem."
Charles began packing up their things, and once everything was ready, Arthur carefully lifted the sleeping Ollie into his arms, not forgetting to also take Ollie’s new car. They left the motorhome and headed to the hotel, the day’s events playing back in Arthur’s mind.
He thought about telling Charles what happened but decided against it. He knew his brother and he knew Charles would panic and blame himself for not closing the door and Arthur didn’t want that to happen.
He will tell him someday in the future when they will be able to laugh about the whole thing. For now, Arthur will keep it his and his sleeping nephew’s secret.