Bad Parenting

Summary: Ian knew something was wrong as soon as Mandy showed up on their doorstep in New York. It turns out that Mandy is pregnant after a random hook-up with Lip. But who is she to deny the world a Gallagher-Milkovich baby? Future!fic

Disclaimer: I don't own Shameless, obviously.

I've been thinking about babies a lot lately for some reason. I thought I'd contribute to the fandom with my own little take on how they become daddies. xD

I don't intend on writing any more for this, though. I'm sorry. D:

I hope you enjoy it~ Don't forget to review/comment~ :D

The doorbell rang.

Ian groaned and rolled over. It was an early Sunday morning in New York and he was still in bed. Ian felt his boyfriend, Mickey, shift next to him.

The doorbell rang again.

Ian jerked awake when Mickey shoved him over.

"You go get it," his boyfriend grumbled. Ian laughed, rolling out of bed.

"Alright, alright. Sleepyhead," he said, leaning over to kiss Mickey on the corner of his mouth.

Mickey swatted him away halfheartedly, yawning and falling back asleep immediately.

Ian smiled at him before running down the stairs, slipping on a shirt.

As the doorbell rang once again, Ian pulled the door open.

He knew something was wrong the minute he saw Mandy on their doorstep.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Last I heard, you were still in Chicago."

"I have something to tell you. And Mickey," she explained. "I had to come here in person."

"Uh… okay." The look on Mandy's face was hard to read. He couldn't tell if she had good news or bad news. Ian was definitely worried.

"Mickey!" he called upstairs to his boyfriend. "Your sister's here!"

Mickey came shuffling down the stairs a minute later, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Ey, look who it is!" he laughed, reaching out to hug her. "I thought I smelled something."

"Oh, haha, assface," Mandy replied with a smirk.

"What are you doing here?" Mickey asked. "You kill somebody and need a place to lie low?"

Ian smiled at the seriousness in his question. You never knew with the Milkoviches. It was entirely possible that she had killed someone.

"No, not this time," she said. "But… I've got some news for ya. You should probably sit down."

They all pulled up a chair at the kitchen table. Mickey and Ian exchanged looks, not sure what to make of this unexpected situation.

Mandy sighed. "I'm pregnant," she said finally, her voice very soft.

Ian and Mickey sat in silence, not particularly surprised by the news. Mandy had been pregnant several times before, and it had never been an issue. They knew there had to be something more to this story.

"It's Lip's," she said. Mickey shook his head and sighed. "I thought you two were over for good," he said. He didn't approve of his sister being with the older Gallagher.

"We are," Mandy mumbled. "It was an accident. I saw him for the first time in ages and one thing led to another and before I knew it we were having angry sex on the floor…"

Ian and Mickey both made a face, not wanting to know about their siblings' sex lives.

"I did the math. The baby can't be anyone else's but his. I was gonna go get an abortion, but… I've been thinking… Who am I to deny the world a little Gallagher-Milkovich baby?" Mandy said. They both stared at her in shock.

"You're going to keep it?" Ian asked, his voice full of disapproval. "You and Lip aren't even together anymore, and you can barely even take care of yourself, especially with the money you make working at-"

"No, I don't plan on keeping it," Mandy said quickly. "You're right. I can't raise a kid, not now. But I… I'd be willing to give the baby over to a couple that needs it. A Gallagher-Milkovich baby that they can't make themselves…"

Mickey was the first one to realize what she was implying.

"Are you fucking kidding me? That's what you came here for?" he objected. "Fuck off. Who the hell even asked you?"

And then realization dawned on Ian's face. "You wanna give the baby to us?" Mandy nodded.

"You two deserve it," she said. "You've been together forever. You love each other. If any one of us has any hope of not being shitty parents, it's you two. And you two deserve that chance." She looked at Mickey. "Just… think about it, okay?"

Mickey bolted out of his chair so fast that it knocked over backwards onto the kitchen floor. He ran up the stairs. Mandy and Ian both flinched when they heard a door slam.

"I knew he would freak out," Mandy mumbled. Ian nodded.

"Let me talk to him," he said.

"Okay," Mandy agreed.

Ian walked up the stairs, following after the man he loved. He knocked lightly on their bedroom door.

"Go away," came the muffled reply.

"It's just me," Ian said reassuringly before opening the door.

"Fuck off," Mickey said again. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"If you don't want to be a dad, Mickey, then just tell me. I don't mind," Ian said anyway. "I can tell Mandy to get rid of it if you want."

Mickey looked up from the pillow with a scowl on his face. "You want kids, though." It wasn't a question.

"You're right," Ian said, "but I want to be with you more." Mickey frowned.

"I'd be shit at it. Being a dad." Ian laughed, sitting down next to Mickey on the bed.

"No you wouldn't," he said. "I know you, Mickey. If we have this kid, you're going to love them. And you are so good to those you love."

Mickey chewed on his lip, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. "I…" he mumbled. "I don't want to become like my father."

Ian leaned in and pressed their foreheads together. "There's no way you could ever do that. You're nothing like him, you hear me?"

Terry Milkovich had fucked Mickey up really bad. After Terry found them together and beat the shit out of them, it took a long time for Mickey to be okay again.

They were both out and happy together now. But old habits die hard, especially those beaten into you since birth.

That's why Mickey was terrified of being happy: his whole life he'd been taught that it was wrong.

"Well… what if the kid gets fucked up 'cause we're gay?" Mickey asked.

Ian just laughed. "Everyone's fucked up by their parents in some way. If that's the only reason we fuck them up, I'd say we did a pretty decent job of raising them."

Mickey smirked halfheartedly, looking down and nervously picking at his fingernail.

"I love you, Mickey," Ian said. "If you don't want to be fucked up parents with me, I understand."

Mickey bit his lip, looking up at Ian. "I love you too," he murmured. "I guess… I just…"

They sat in silence for a while. Ian knew Mickey needed to think it over. Mickey had always been more honest with himself when there were no words involved.

"I… I do want a family with you," he mumbled so low that Ian almost missed it.

Mickey hated saying shit like that out loud.

Ian grinned from ear to ear, unable to keep from hugging Mickey tightly. Mickey just sat and let him do it.

"A little Gallagher-Milkovich of our own," Ian whispered in awe, lacing their fingers together. "You seriously want to do this?"

"… yeah," Mickey said, sounding a little more confident. "As long as you're there, I guess I can't fuck the kid up too bad, anyway."

Ian smiled, leaning in to kiss Mickey happily. Mickey wrapped his hand around the back of Ian's neck, wanting the kiss to last.

"We're gonna be daddies!" Ian laughed as he pulled away. He beamed at Mickey, a grin spread wide on his face. Mickey rolled his eyes, a small smile tugging at his own lips.

"Just… nobody better fucking call me the mom," Mickey grumbled.

Ian just chuckled and kissed Mickey once again before rushing downstairs to tell Mandy the good news.