SIX

"Dad, do you remember when I told you about Ocean's dad being ill?"

Alex Albon questioned his father as he sat opposite him, with the young Thai boy staring at his dad with a look of hope.

"Yes of course. Is he any better?"

"Uh no, that's what I wanted to speak to you about. Her dad isn't going to get any better. She said that her dad said that he was going up in to the sky to become a star."

The young Albon boy watched as a look of realisation filled the face of his father, as well as his mother with the two adults in the room glanced sadly at one another.

It was no secret that Ocean's father was very ill, since he was suffering with Testicular Cancer, but they thought that his treatment would have worked. But apparently not, which would mean that little Ocean Walker would lose her father before she even turned ten years old.

They felt so sorry for the young girl, who despite not always being in her classes at school because she wanted to be with her father when he got his treatment, still managed to have very high grades, studying whenever she could.

Which often included when she was supposed to be sleeping.

Alex's parents knew that with the girl not having her mother around, that once her father sadly passed away she would be placed in to the care system where she would either be fostered or adopted, knowing that she would lose Alex as a best friend with their son losing his best friend too.

They wanted to avoid that, and so with the support of their children, they decided to bite the bullet and put a plan in to motion so that when the time came for her father to leave the earth, he would know that his little girl was safe and happy with her best friend.

And in doing so, they knew that they would never look back.

"Would she like to come over for dinner tomorrow?" Alex's mother questioned her son as she moved to gently hug him, knowing that the boy had met the Walker girls father multiple times and had become fond of him.

"She's at the hospital with her dad tomorrow." The young boy huffed sadly, hanging his head to hide the tears that he was trying to hold back.

"How about the day after?"

"Probably the same. She wants to be with him all the time so that she knows how to help him when he's not at the hospital." The Thai boy spoke as his mother rubbed his shoulders comfortingly.

"Well, we'll have to find a day that works for her then. We don't want her to leave her father alone now, do we?" Alex's dad ruffled his sons hair in an attempt to cheer the boy up, but found that it didn't work.

"Okay." Alex released a deep sigh, wondering how he could help his best friend.

He released a gasp as an idea came in to his mind suddenly, jumping off his chair so that he could run up in to his bedroom.

He knew what he could do.

____________________________________________________

"Ocean!"

Alex Albon ran towards his best friend in excitement, seeing her turn around at the sound of his voice.

Ocean Walker gave her best friend a small smile as he barrelled in to her, his arms wrapping around her small frame tightly. She gently looped her arms around his thin and tall frame, nestling her tired face in to his shoulder as she relished in the warmth of his arms.

"I've got something to show you."

Alex grinned, showing her a black plastic bag which held something in which he had spent all of his pocket money on.

"Is it Thai food that your mum made for me, again?" Ocean smiled, running one of her hands across her face to try and get rid of the tiredness that she felt.

"Nope. But I do have that in my backpack!" The Albon boy shook his head from side to side a couple of times. "Look at it."

He handed her the plastic bag, watching as she pulled it open to pull out a box which held an electronic tablet.

"What is this for?"

"You." Alex grinned in happiness. "So that you can study at the same time as being with your dad. That way you can get a more regular sleep schedule so that you don't fall asleep in class."

Ocean stared up at the brunette boy in surprise, since she knew that he didn't have enough money to buy it himself. They were in primary school, they were nine years old. How had he managed to do it?

As if reading her mind, Alex jumped slightly in anticipation, almost looking as if he had ants in his pants.

"I had help." Alex spoke. "Luca, Alicia, Zoe and Chloe helped me. They gave me their pocket money to put towards it, so it was a group effort."

Ocean chewed on her lip anxiously, wondering why her best friends siblings had helped in getting an electronic tablet for her, and shook her head from side to side.

"I can't accept it." The Walker girl attempted to push the gift back to the person who had bought it, but frowned as he immediately jumped away from her, his hands shooting straight up in to the air.

Alex laughed loudly at his best friend, having already known that she would attempt to give it him back.

"Tough. No take backs."

____________________________________________________

"Wakey wakey."

Alex Albon smiled gently at his best friend as he walked in to the room that she had been sleeping in, with a small tray in his hand that held some food on a plate for her, which was Vegan, and a glass of orange juice.

Ocean Walker released a groan as she awoke, sitting up slowly to see all four of her brothers sitting beside her, as well as the tray which held some of her favorite things.

Not her absolute favorite things, because they were her brothers. But nice things.

"Did you sleep okay, blue?"

Charles Leclerc questioned in a soft and quiet voice, his hand placed gently on the small of her back to help her sit up so that she was comfortable.

He had stayed with her the whole time that she was asleep, as had the others but he was the only one of the four that had stayed awake the whole time to make sure that she stayed asleep.

He had cuddled up to her at one point as he had been pretty sure that she had suffered a nightmare, but as soon as his arms wrapped around her thrashing figure, her body stilled so he let her go but made sure to stay awake in case that it happened again.

"Yeah, it was a great sleep." Ocean lied with a fake smile on her face.

George Russell, Alex Albon and Charles Leclerc narrowed their eyes at her as they sensed that she had lied to them, whereas Lando Norris had shrugged his shoulders and believed her.

"That's good." George spoke in suspicion, wondering why she was lying to them. He knew that she had a tell when she lied, always doing a smile where her lips would be hidden, so he doubted that the sleep was actually good.

She was obviously just trying to make them feel better and stop worrying, but they all cared for her like she was their sister. They wanted her to be able to sleep well and wake up rejuvenated, not looking and feeling as if she was seconds away from death.

"How was qualifying?"

The Walker girl questioned her four brothers, seeing how each of them immediately chuckled and shared glances with one another.

"I spun out." George spoke.

"I had engine problems." Lando smiled.

"I crashed." Alex gulped.

"I beat Sebastian." Charles grinned proudly, being the only one of the four to actually do well for the qualifying session.

Ocean noticed how her other three brothers rolled their eyes at the Monégasque and his smug grin, small smiles on the corners of their lips.

"Hey!" Ocean spoke loudly in a scolding tone. "Don't be jealous of Charlie, boys. It wasn't his fault that you're all rubbish."

Charles found himself immediately bursting in to laughter as the teasing words left his sisters lips, with the girl wiggling her eyebrows up and down at the other three who pretended to be angry at her who couldn't hide the smiles on their faces anyway.

"Well if that's how you're going to be, then fine. I will not take you to your favorite Vegan place tomorrow." George teased the girl, watching as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Fine. Charlie makes me food, don't you Charlie?"

"Of course I do, blue." Charles joined in the conversation, knowing that she was trying to tease his friends. "I can make you food every day if you would like me to."

Ocean released a dramatic gasp, placing one of her hands on to her chest where her heart was.

"Oh I would love that so much!"

The group of friends laughed together as they each playfully nudged her shoulders, knowing that she was just trying to annoy them like she always did when she was in a teasing mood.

She was their sister after all.

It was what siblings did.

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A/N

Shorter than usual, sorry

I kinda forgot about this, I'm so sorry. Life got in the way of updates so I just kinda forgot.

There's no Max in this one, but he will be in the next one, I promise! As will Pierre and Seb!!!

Check my announcements for my latest books that I'll be dropping and when.

Anyway, I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you all soon for the next one,

I'm so proud of all of you, my loves

Love you all,

-RUBY