The next day, they were up and out of the RV by noon. He was in his sponsor polo, she in a maxi dress and light, open cardigan. Both once again had on their sunglasses since it was a bright day. Today, she had her hair up in a braided crown around her head, which brought a twinkle to his eye when she came out of the bathroom with it, reminding them both of their adventure the night prior.
They walked to the garage, his pace slower at seeing the small grimace on her face. She could see the mixture of regret but also pride, that made her give a playful smack to his chest. He leaned into her ear and murmured, "Shall I carry you, Princess?" She glared at him, which made him laugh and kiss the side of her head. Once they got to the garage, he was quickly pulled away by Regina for the press, and she was pulled by Ashley back to her RV where Ruby and Ariel, along with little Alexandra, were waiting.
"So, we thought it was good to give you a glimpse about what tonight would be like," Ruby said from the couch sipping on what looked like iced tea.
They all took a seat as Ashley started to work on her daughter's hair. "So we have last year's race all cued up." She said as she started to brush out the long blonde locks.
"And don't you worry, we aren't going to make you watch the whole thing. We'll just so you how the duals work, and some of the main racing." Ariel chimed in.
Ruby patted her leg, "But we are going to show you all the crashes." Emma stiffened at that. "You need to be prepared, Emma. Because it will happen."
Ariel nodded. "They are very safe in those cars. You need to get used to it. Because I hate to tell you, honey, as Ruby said, it will happen." She gave her a sympathetic look. "I've seen Eric go through so many crashes."
"We all have." Ashley said as she started to separate Lexie's hair into pigtails. She then looked up at Emma, "It doesn't take all the fear away. But it makes it a lot easier. Especially knowing which ones aren't a big deal."
The brunette next to her continued. "Just remember, you want to see that net over their window lower. Once you see that, it will be okay." And with that they started the TV.
===∞∞∞∞∞===
He was so tired from the press. He downed another bottle of water, his throat dry from answering so many questions. His eyes were still seeing stars from all the lights and cameras as he headed back to the garage looking for Emma. He had been gone for hours, and it was only a little while before the first race. Thank god he was in the second one, he needed a break, and to see her.
As he got to the garage he saw Regina and Robin talking. Was she actually smiling and laughing? He shook his head; he really didn't need to let his brain contemplate why. He walked up to them, and they went back into business mode. "Hey, have either of you seen Emma?"
Regina shook her head, but Robin answered. "The last I saw her, Ashley grabbed her and they walked back to the campers."
He saw Sean walk by and followed him back and into the other driver's RV to find all the ladies there; music was playing and they were eating.
"Any left for us?" Sean asked before walking to his wife and leaning in for a kiss.
"We made plenty of taco salad." Ashley replied and looked to Killian waving her head to the counter. "You, too."
He thanked her, and grabbed a plate and piled it up behind the man in front of him. Emma jumped out of her seat and had him sit down. She was about to settle on the floor when he pulled her back into his lap and kissed her cheek. "Missed you." While a little awkward to eat, she stayed on his lap as they all ate their dinner.
"So, what have you ladies been doing all day?" Sean asked.
"Showing Emma last year's race," Ashley replied.
Killian smiled until Ruby spoke next. "Wanted her to see the crashes and get prepared for them."
He looked up at Emma on his lap and noticed that she was intently looking at her food. He sat his fork on the plate and rubbed her back until she looked at him. He could see the fear in her eyes. "Don't worry, love. The cars are very safe. You should see some of the wrecks I've—"
She cut him off. "Yeah, they showed me." She went back to her food taking a bite.
He looked over at Ruby and the others, looking for help, when Sean chimed in. "It's like football." Emma looked up with a questioning look. "No matter if you are the quarterback or a linebacker, you are going to get tackled. It's just the sport. But, honestly we are safer in those cars than any of those players on that field."
Ashley smiled at her husband, and Ruby nodded. "He's right."
Emma straightened her shoulders and looked around at everyone staring at her. "What is this, 'make sure Emma can handle the race tonight'?" They all looked around at each other and then started laughing, with a echo of "Yes" from everyone but Killian who just kept a soft hand on her back. "Well, let's change to another topic, shall we?"
They agreed and the boys started talking about the press, and soon Sean had to go and change because he was in the first dual. Emma and Killian exited and headed back to their RV for him to change, and then get back to the track to watch the first race with his team.
===∞∞∞∞∞===
The first dual wasn't too eventful: a few minor wrecks and a few unknowns getting further up in ranks than was forecasted. Sean came in 2nd, so he would start 3rd back in the inside lane or what was 5th place, while Victor would start in 9th.
Killian pulled Emma in for a deep kiss and then got into his car. Emma once again followed Robin back to the stall and got up into the pit box along with Regina this time. Regina already had her headset on and her phone out, going through emails. Emma put on her own headset and could already hear Robin, Killian, and his spotter talking. She had learned from the last race to ignore most of the chatter. It didn't make much sense to her, anyway. Her brain only focused in on choice words or phrases that got her attention.
Soon the drivers were starting their engines and out onto the track, the green flag waved, and they were off. He was five rows back, but as soon as he passed the starting line, he was up and to the outside of the track and past the next row, already up to 7th place. She knew he was trying to get up to Eric so that they could draft together and get away from the rest of the pack.
By the third lap around, he was up to 5th, but Jefferson in 4th place did not want to let him pass and kept changing lanes in front of him, slowing everyone else down and letting the first three drivers gain a large lead up ahead. She heard his unhappiness over the 'crazy arse' ahead of him over the radio, and Robin tried to get him to calm down and just pull back a little and wait him out.
By the 21st lap, it didn't matter; there was a tire blowout and a caution, so all the cars came in to pit road for fuel and four tires. His crew was amazing as always and got him up a spot into fourth. Jefferson was in third and Eric in second, which Emma knew put them both in perfect position to charge ahead of the field if they could get a decent start.
Which is exactly what happened. With one lap around together, they were already almost a fifth of the track ahead of the rest. Both took turns to swap positions to let their car cool off. The only issue was when the cars in the back traded paint or blew tires, bringing out another caution. Three cautions later, they were only a few laps until the end. Eric was in first, Killian in second; neither of them deciding they needed to go in for tires or fuel this close to the end. Luckily, Jefferson had been a little too reckless and caused a collision earlier that had him further back in the pack.
She could tell the drivers were not driving as recklessly as they were in the Shootout the week prior, knowing they didn't want to risk their cars in the race making their starting position even worse on Sunday, which had her feeling really good about Killian and Eric's chances. A few laps later, she was right, as Killian came in right behind Eric across the finish line, the other cars a good second back. By her calculations, that would mean he would start right behind Eric in Daytona with a 6th-place start. Which, honestly was perfect, especially since Phillip qualified into the second position and with Sean in 5th. All of them worked well together, trusted each other, and raced fairly. She also knew that with a few laps to go, it was anyone's race between them, but at least it would get them all in a better position...hopefully a safer position.
She got down from the stand and waited behind the wall as his car pulled up and he got out, pulling off his helmet. Not waiting any longer, she ran over to him, and not caring if cameras were on or not, she was kissing him, and he returned it fully.
===∞∞∞∞∞===
The next day started much earlier since the Daytona 500 was set to go off at one o'clock. The press was out in full force, not to mention all the fans. Emma was in awe by just how many people were there. The stands had sold out. Killian was whisked away early for meetings and press, so Emma and the girls walked around. The weather was beautiful and actually a little warm.
Soon introductions were done, and they were reunited by his car for a kiss and a long hug. Then the invocation was given and the national anthem sung, with planes flying by. Afterwards, she leaned in for another tight hug and a kiss, telling him to be careful and she loved him. He told her he would and he loved her, too, and as he got in the car, she headed back to her spot in the pit box. Then there was the announcement of the race's grand marshal, some famous football player, who told the drivers to start their engines.
She checked her phone, seeing texts that David and Mary Margaret had the race on and were cheering for him. She smiled and then texted them back her thanks; the start was coming as the cars drove out onto the track. She put her phone away the cars came up to start the race. The green flag dropped and they were off.
The outside lane quickly gained ground and Sean moved up behind Killian as the four cars started to break away. As Sean moved by the 92, who started in first, the driver knew he was in the wrong lane and ducked in behind him. Emma tried to remember the drivers name—Booth, right; August. The outer lane was moving ahead, and the inner lane kept dropping further and further back; however, through some maneuvering, Victor dropped down into the front of the bottom lane, right in front of Jefferson. Emma cringed, knowing that he was taking a chance trying to get Jefferson to help. That driver was crazy; it was a consensus among most of the drivers.
The middle and the back of the pack were going nuts. They were three-wide, sometimes four-wide on the track, trying to pass each other. They were already trading paint and a few cars were almost turned around, but luckily they didn't. However, Emma was sure a couple had clipped the wall. She tried to just turn her attention back to Killian at the front of the pack. The front five cars were set ahead of the rest, but Victor and Jefferson were making up some room and were just almost to the back bumper of the 92.
Emma heard the chatter on the line and knew the group was all working to make a change, and with the all-clear, they seemed to swoop down into the bottom lane together on the next turn. Victor and Jefferson fell in behind them. Emma wasn't sure if they were picking them up or making them stay behind them, but she had a feeling Victor wasn't happy about it, and neither was the 12, since they both headed to the outside row, trying to once again work that lane to make some headway.
But it wouldn't matter, because all of a sudden, a caution was out at lap 21 and Emma whipped her head around to try and see what happened. She wasn't exactly sure, but saw one car coming to a stop in the grassy infield and two other cars against the wall at the top. As cleanup started, all the cars went in for tires and fuel. Killian's amazing crew got him up to second place, right behind Phillip.
"Fantastic job guys!" Killian called out over the speaker to his crew. She loved that about him, he was always so complimentary to his team, he knew he couldn't do it without them, which in turn also made them very loyal to him.
The restart didn't last more than a lap as the back of the pack got a little too excited and another crash brought out another caution. "Bloody hell. Really?" Killian came over the headset, she could hear the frustration in his voice.
"Some of the first timers are getting overly excited. Just relax, mate." Robin replied trying to calm him.
"I am too relaxed, going so God awfully slow. That's the problem...mate."
Emma saw Robin roll his eyes but try to contain his smile just like Emma did. They both smiled at each other, and then Robin took a deep breath to start talking with his driver again. Soon, only those who crashed prior and during the most recent wreak came into pit lane for further fixes. The rest then started the green at lap 34, with so many laps of caution.
Starting in the outside lane was a benefit and soon, Killian was in the lead, with Eric right behind him, Sean swooping in after, and then Phillip giving up the inside lane to get into the 4th spot. Victor stayed on the inside lane, followed by Jefferson and then August, the three of them giving the other four a run for their money. One lane would get a lead, then the other, and that's when it looked like some of the drivers decided they may want to switch lanes. When Killian got out front, Eric moved far enough ahead of the inside lane that he swooped down in front of Victor. Some air had Victor swerving and heading into the top lane; luckily, the space had not yet been filled and he snuck in behind Killian, but that caused Sean to slow and the whole lane behind him, creating a chain reaction the middle of the pack was not ready for.
Cars were rear ending each other or spinning around, and the yellow lights were turned on as some cars came to a whirling stop and others either limped or were able to slow and carefully drive by. She could hear Killian shouting over the speaker. She knew he would have words for Eric later; the drastic measure could have taken them all out of the race, as well. She clapped her hand over her mouth hearing words that she knew must be swearing but was pretty sure they had some English connotation that she was unaware of. She looked over at Robin, and could see he was just as frustrated by the move but was doing his best to calm down his driver once again.
It seemed that almost everyone but some of the cars in the back thought it was a good idea to come in and get new tires and gas, since by the time the wreckage was cleared and they were let into the pits, they were at lap 57.
Those who had stayed out were obviously looking to just get an extra point for leading a lap because as soon as they got their lead lap, or fell back, they were pulling into pit lane. Those drivers had broken up the balance, though, and Victor was currently in the lead, followed by Eric on the outside, with Killian followed by Sean on the inside. As soon as Eric was far enough ahead of Killian, he pulled down in front of him. Killian didn't appreciate it and thumped his bumper a couple times.
"Hey, watch it. You don't need his bumper going through your radiator." Robin warned.
"I'm just sending a message." Killian retorted and then pulled back, and started drafting with Eric again for the advantage of progressing further.
The lanes kept moving back and forth but Killian's line with Eric up front stayed in the lead the most, and by lap 84, a caution was back out for a blown tire, and all drivers were back in the pits. Only this time, they came back out with Killian in the lead on the outer lane and Eric in the lead on the inside. Victor tried to go three-wide and make his way down the center, but neither of them let him in, and with a small slide, he slid back a number of spots before he was able to get in line on the top.
Emma chugged at her water and stretched her arms at lap 100. She couldn't believe they still had 100 to go. Not long after, without a caution in sight though it could happen at any time—the pack was starting to come in for more fuel and tires. It was the first time she had witnessed pit stops while not under caution. She kept waiting for Killian to come in, but he wasn't and neither were the others around him. Then finally Eric, as the leader, came down and Killian and the rest followed him in.
Killian whooped and cheered his team as he got out of the pit first and onto the track ahead of everyone else. She had to agree; they had done an outstanding job. Killian was in the lead, followed by Phillip then Victor and Eric. Sean, August, and Jefferson were on the inside and trying to catch up, but a caution came out at lap 124 due to debris on the track. Some of the first drivers into the pits stopped, but those who recently went in decided to stay out this time, hoping another caution would happen once again. With the way the race was going, Emma thought it was a pretty good bet.
On the next start, Killian got out first, but as soon as the lane got far enough out, Victor dropped down to the bottom, and what must have angered him was when Eric then dropped in front of him afterwards as well. Emma shook her head; there were going to be some words exchanged after this race, she was sure.
The cars were once again exchanging the lead between Killian and Eric. The inside row would get a run and then the outside row. Victor would try to go up the middle but then find himself back behind Sean. Phillip would try and barely slide back into the place he left in front of August. Jefferson tried to start a third line down the middle and a couple of cars actually were following him; however, once he tried to get into a gap that wasn't big enough for his car, another yellow was out, with a few more cars hitting into each other and the wall at lap 137. The cars saved gas as they went around on the caution laps while they cleaned up the track and the pits stayed closed.
Once everything was cleaned up and two cars were taken out on wreckers, the pits were open and the cars were in, followed by Jefferson limping in for fixes. Killian's crew maintained him the lead, with Eric out next followed by the rest. The next start had the both of them out in front; just those following them slightly changed around. Each driver tried to make it up, tried to get to the front, but neither leader would allow it, and they would only get maybe up a spot or fall back a few. Each time the cars went three-wide, Emma got nervous; when they went four-wide she would cringe, just waiting for someone to hit something.
Another tire blowout at the back, with the car skidding against the wall, brought out the yellow flag at lap 176 and all drivers went in. Killian opted for four tires and fuel to help with grip, while some drivers decided to only go for two, thus having him lose three spots to August, Phillip and Victor. But on green, Killian quickly pushed Phillip up to get get a good lead with Eric right behind him. Sean dropped in behind them, leaving August and Victor behind on the inside line.
A few laps later, the two below gave up and followed the others on the outside lap as they led around the track and broke away from the rest of the pack. The middle pack moved in two or three lines each, while another group of stragglers had lost the pack completely and were trying to work together to catch up at the back. But they didn't work together too well, because one mistakenly slipped too far to the side and air flipped the car in front of them around, catching them as well and bringing out another caution with only 12 laps to go.
Almost everyone opted to stay out, believing they had enough fuel to get to the end—and to keep their positions. On green, Killian was able to get out with a good push from Sean, as Eric went to the middle to get around Phillip. The two rows stayed separate this time, as they all vied for position. Emma's knuckles were white as she held her hand in fists, watching the cars moving and trying different things to get ahead. The laps ticked down; all the positions but the top two were changing places, but who was in the lead kept going back and forth between Killian and Eric.
With two laps to go, Killian was able to get a good lead with Phillip behind him, but Eric, followed by Sean, was catching up. With one lap to go, she was on her feet. They were almost neck and neck at the back straightaway. Regina was on her feet as well as they watched. Anything could happen; any of the cars behind could try to come around to win themselves, thus leaving the others to slow; or someone could try to cut up past someone or go around.
Within sight of the finish line, she could see cars crashing on the back straightaway, but before yellow could come out, Killian and Eric were both over the line, followed in quick succession by Phillip, Sean, August, and Victor. Emma looked to Robin; it was too close to call from where she was. But when she heard the hoots and hollers from the com, she knew the answer, and before she knew it, she was wrapped in a hug from Regina and Robin. Then, as if she realized what she was doing, Regina quickly composed herself and stood back, straightening her hair as she made it down and off the platform.
Emma let go of Robin to watch Killian do a burnout across the finish line, then grab the checkered flag and drive it down the track. She knew her cheeks were going to hurt from the large smile she carried, but she didn't care. The sound of how happy he was came over the speakers. Before long, Robin told him they would see him in Victory Lane. Robin nodded at her and she took off the headset; once she was back on the ground, they were heading over to meet him by the car.
Robin told her to stand back a little bit unless she wanted to get soda all over her. She did as instructed as Killian pulled the car onto the stage. As soon as he got his helmet off, disconnected, and sat it down next to him, he started to get out of the car and confetti started to fall. He stood on the window frame of his car as his team and the crowd cheered while he and his team started to shake and spray the cola all over the place. Now she understood what Robin meant, and before she could move closer he was off the car and a reporter came up to interview him.
"Congratulations! You finished 2nd last year in the championship, had some issues off the track, but it seems like you put it behind you and finished first on the first course of the year. What happened?"
"Honestly, I think finishing second last year, and that speeding ticket I got was one of the best things that could have happened." He quickly looked around and once he caught sight of her his smile somehow got bigger and he reached towards her. She came forward willingly, and he pulled her into his side. "I got to realize what was really important and take a look at what I was doing, and what I really wanted out of life. I'm still learning, but I think I got some priorities straight. Which allowed me to really listen to my team, and work things out. And it was a team effort today. They were able to move me up when it was virtually impossible to do it out there on the track. I need to thank them and Robin Loxley, my crew chief; Mills Racing…" He continued on naming the manufacturer and all his sponsors for their support and help. "Not to mention…" he turned to look at her again, with a soft smile, "Emma." He looked back at the reporter, "She's changed everything." He smiled wider and she hid her face in his suit in embarrassment.
The reporter smiled, "We should let you celebrate the win with your crew and...girlfriend?" Killian nodded, his arms wrapping around Emma. "Well, congratulations," the reporter turned back to the camera. "And there is Killian Jones, your Daytona 500 winner."
He was pulling up her chin and quickly claiming her lips, and lifting her off the ground and twirling her around in his excitement. She squealed into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, feeling how exuberant and joyous he was about everything. She tried to hide the slightly watery eyes she had at his words to the reporter while he continued to kiss her, as his team and the crowd continued to cheer.