"I'm glad you're here with us."

~•~

"Today, we're heading into the wild, sport," Alira declared with genuine certainty as she walked into Daniel's house as if she owned it. Daniel had opened the door for her even though it was only five in the morning on a Saturday—a day he never worked. He hadn't expected any outings, so Alira's arrival at five in the morning caught him completely off guard.

"What?" Daniel mumbled, still groggy. His voice was slightly hoarse from just waking up, and his messy hair stuck out in all directions, giving him an irresistibly adorable look. Alira had to suppress the urge to do something she might regret later. Daniel shook his head, closed the door, and looked at Alira and Tar, who were already comfortably seated on the couch, ready to go.

Alira was dressed in long khaki pants and a black tank top, with a shirt tied around her waist in case she needed to protect her arms. Her black combat boots gleamed, perfect for a wilderness adventure—she knew exactly what to wear because she had been doing such expeditions for years. But Daniel knew nothing about it. No one had informed him or prepared him. He had fallen asleep the previous night thinking he would enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the city, do some shopping, and spend the rest of the day watching his favorite series since he didn't have to train. He certainly hadn't expected to be up at five in the morning, setting off into the wild with the girl he liked.

"We're heading into the wild," Alira repeated with a smile, patting Tar on the head. Tar stared at Daniel with a blank expression, not moving an inch.

"What do you mean, we're heading into the wild?" Daniel repeated, confused. His mind buzzed like a hive. He hoped this was just some crazy joke the zoo played on newcomers. He rubbed his eyes to shake off the remnants of sleep and yawned deeply, covering his mouth with his hand.

"I forgot to tell you yesterday?" Alira asked, her tone indicating she was stating a fact rather than asking a question. Daniel looked at her with a face that clearly asked if she was joking. Alira nervously chuckled and ran her fingers through her loose hair. He noticed a hair tie on her wrist, suggesting her hair would end up in a ponytail during the day.

"What did you forget to tell me?" Daniel asked, his voice still filled with disbelief.

"Today, you're coming with me into the wild," she replied with an innocent smile, as if what she had just announced was perfectly normal and something she did every weekend. "Perth Zoo participates in large-scale animal rescue efforts, so once in a while, staff go into the wild to look for sick or injured animals, which we then bring to the vet."

Daniel stood there stunned, his plans for a peaceful Saturday dissolving like steam over a pot. Alira looked at him expectantly, her eyes shining with excitement. It was a challenge, an adventure being offered to him on a silver platter. Something inside him stirred—perhaps curiosity, perhaps her infectious enthusiasm, but he felt this could be the start of something new, something he had never imagined.

"Okay," he finally sighed. "But next time, let me know at least the night before." Alira smiled, triumphantly this time, and Tar wagged his tail as if agreeing with Daniel's decision.

"But doesn't this just create more work for all the vets?" Daniel asked, still slightly shaken by the unexpected start to his day.

Alira looked at him, her eyes twinkling. "It was your mom who came up with this eight years ago," she replied calmly, as if revealing the world's greatest secret. "She suggested it at the annual end-of-year meeting, and everyone loved it. It costs us nothing since we do it voluntarily, and it often gets written about in newspapers and online. It brings publicity to our zoo and helps the animals."

Daniel frowned and rubbed his forehead. "My mom came up with this?" He repeated Alira's words in his mind, trying to connect this new piece of information with the image of his mother he had in his head. He always knew her as a dedicated veterinarian who spent most of her life caring for sick and injured animals. But this activity—expeditions into the wild to find injured animals and bring them back to the zoo—was something he never would have associated with her.

"Yes, it was her initiative," Alira confirmed, further cementing Daniel's confusion. "It was part of her vision to not only help animals but also educate the public on the importance of wildlife conservation."

Daniel felt his mind clearing. Memories of his mother flooded him with a wave of emotions, but a new perspective began to take shape in his mind. "So this is her legacy for the future. For times when she won't be here," he whispered, more to himself than to Alira.

"Exactly," Alira nodded, her voice now softer. "And it's up to us to keep it going, to make sure Grace is remembered and talked about just like Steve Irwin. Even though your mom doesn't want it to be talked about as if she's not around anymore—she's still alive and well."

Daniel took one last look around his quiet apartment, which had promised a lazy, peaceful day just moments ago. But now, with Alira and Tar by his side and knowing he would be helping to uphold his mother's legacy—the Ricciardo legacy—he felt a sudden surge of determination. Maybe today's expedition wouldn't be so bad. Maybe in the wilderness, he would find more than just injured animals—maybe he would find a piece of himself.

"Alright," he said finally, his voice now firm and resolute. "Let's go into the wild."

Alira smiled, this time without a nervous chuckle, and Tar wagged his tail beside her as if in agreement. Daniel realized that a new adventure lay ahead of him, and he was definitely going to enjoy it.

Slowly, Daniel turned and headed to his bedroom to get dressed. Behind him, he heard Alira begin to describe in detail what awaited them in the wild.

"The first thing we do is identify the area," Alira started, watching as Daniel disappeared behind the door. "We have several selected locations where we've noted a higher occurrence of injured or sick animals. We monitor these areas regularly."

Daniel, now pulling on comfortable pants and a T-shirt, called over his shoulder, "And then what? We just look for animals?"

"Yes, but it's not as simple as it sounds," Alira continued, her voice now more enthusiastic. "We use drones, thermal cameras, and sometimes even local volunteers who help us locate the animals. Once we find an injured animal, we have to get to it as quickly and carefully as possible."

Daniel put on a light jacket to protect against mosquitoes and other bugs that could be annoying with their bites. He examined his collection of shoes, pondering which ones would be most suitable. "And what if it's a dangerous animal?"

"That's part of the risk," Alira admitted. "But we have a specially trained team for that, and we always have veterinarians with us who know how to proceed. The key is not to panic and to act professionally. Most animals are more scared than dangerous."

Daniel eventually chose sturdy hiking boots and began tying the laces. "And what happens after we find the animal?"

"If necessary, we sedate the animal and load it into a transport box," Alira explained. "Then we take it back to the zoo, where we care for it. Sometimes it just needs minor treatment; other times, the animal requires a longer recovery period."

Daniel put on a cap and finally looked in the mirror. He felt a bit like Indiana Jones, which pleased him. He returned to the living room where Alira and Tar were still waiting. Alira was petting the dog and smiling like a child promised a trip to Disneyland over the weekend. Daniel understood that Alira genuinely loved these weekends when they went out to rescue animals, and it meant everything to her.

"I'm ready," he announced, and Alira smiled at him.

"Perfect," she said, standing up. "By the way, there's one more thing—it's possible we'll encounter other animals that need help. We never know what we'll find out there."

Daniel nodded, his determination solidifying. "That sounds exciting. And thank you for explaining everything."

"You're welcome," Alira replied. "Now let's go; we have a long journey ahead of us."

With those words, they set off into a new day full of uncertainty and adventure, ready to face whatever challenges the wild had in store for them.

They sat in a rugged, open Jeep, which quickly navigated the morning streets of the city, heading toward the edge of the wilderness. Alira firmly gripped the steering wheel, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. Daniel sat beside her, swaying with the rhythm of the bumps on the road.

"How's your leg?" Alira asked, not taking her eyes off the road. Her voice was concerned yet firm.

Daniel shifted in his seat and rubbed his sore left knee. "It's better," he replied after a moment. "But it's still not quite right. I limp if I walk for too long." A memory flashed through his mind of the moment he couldn't get out of his race car. When a piece of his Formula One car had crushed his leg in such a way that he could have lost it if the marshals had been a few seconds later. He regularly went to rehabilitation and strengthened his knee at home, but he would likely never walk normally again. The doctors said the pain might go away after a few years, but there was a ninety percent chance he would limp for the rest of his life.

Alira nodded. "Can you handle today? It's demanding. You can always decide to leave it to us and head back." Daniel was pleased she cared about him and that no one expected him to last the whole day. Everyone at the zoo knew how much his knee must have hurt. They had all seen footage of the accident because they wanted to understand why the Ricciardo family had suddenly flown out of Australia to be with their son. No one really knew how much his leg hurt, so they preferred to leave him be and treated him more gently.

Daniel reflected. His Formula One career had ended tragically, the accident had changed his life and forced him to rethink his priorities. But now, sitting in the Jeep next to Alira, he felt this was an opportunity to find a new purpose.

"Yeah, I can handle it," he said with determination in his voice. "I need to move forward. And this might be the way to do it."

Alira gave him a brief smile. "I'm glad you're here with us. And if you need anything, just let me know."

The Jeep maneuvered through city traffic, heading towards the countryside, where the urban landscape gradually transformed into open nature. Daniel looked at the surrounding landscape and replayed Alira's words about his mother and her initiative in his head. It seemed to him that now he had a chance to continue her legacy, which she had started in her fifties, and find new meaning in his life.

"By the way," Alira began again after a moment of silence, "do you have any experience working in the field? Or is this your first trip into the wild?" Daniel felt that Alira must be teasing him because she knew full well that he had been racing go-karts since childhood, so he never had the opportunity to be in the wilderness observing animals.

Daniel chuckled. "Unless you count the racetrack as the wild, this will be my first real expedition. But I'm ready to learn."

Alira smiled again, this time with a hint of appreciation. "That's good. You'll need patience and determination. But I think you can do it."

The Jeep finally left the city limits and started to plunge into nature. Trees arched over the road, the sun slowly rising in the sky, and the world around them turned into the wilderness they were to explore today.

"We're almost there," Alira announced. "Get ready, the adventure begins."

~•~

Danielricciardo

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❤ 425 017

Danielricciardo "Get ready, the adventure begins." - that was told me in the morning.
We saves some sick and hurt animals.
I saw wild animals I never imagine to see.
I don't know what you but I really love this new life

💬 47 729

👤 Happy to see him happy

Maxverstappen1 You deserve some great time bro. Happy for you
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Danielricciardo Thanks mate

Landonorris This life suit you
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Danielricciardo After some argue with it I think it's the best life for me
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Landonorris Happy for you

👤 You look much happier now

👤 I love you ❤

Alirabarisha Thank you that I could be by your side in this discovery of a new life
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Danielricciardo I love it just because of you

👤 I miss you in F1 but I love your new self

👤 I never imagine Daniel as zookeeper but I love it. He is amazing ✨❤

👤 I'm crying now

~•~

Alirabarisha

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Alirabarisha My favourite part of month. Saving wild animals

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👤 Daniel is lucky to have you by his side ❤
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👤 F1 world love you, Alira
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Alirabarisha Thank you ❤

Danielricciardo Swag = Al
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Alirabarisha Cool = Daniel

👤 She is pretty 😍
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👤 Right?

👤 Tar is handsoke boy

~•~