Shameless, I don't owe any of the copyrights.

Christmas 2013

before he even opens his eyes, he knew she was gone. She had left him a note. "I go back to my country, not you baby" He had known all along that wasn't his baby. He knew it was his father's. He'd caught his father and stelka several times but just hadn't made any fuss about it. But wouldn't you know it, Terry got locked up right before Christmas and she'd made a run for it. He couldn't be mad at her, he'd wanted to leave too, but he wouldn't leave Mandy. She needed some family and since everyone was locked up he had to try to stay out of prison for her. Since nobody was there to stop him, he smoke a cigarette in bed and decided to stay in bed just a bit longer. He knew that he needed to go out and collect the money for all the coke he'd fired off and knew today would be a good payday. He imagined Ian getting high with him and then he imagined Ian fucking him. "aww fuck this shit" he tells himself and gets ready for the day.

Merry Christmas Bitch! He tells his sister when she finally comes out of her room, "Merry Christmas Asshole" she answers back.

Mandy goes into the kitchen and looks for a frying pan, eggs and some butter. As she starts making them both eggs, Mickey starts to smile and says,"Hey, lets get really fucked up tonight, just you and me"

"All right" she answers slowly, a little bit disbelieving.

Making them both a half assed omelette, they fight over who will get the bigger share, spilling half of it on the floor.

"Shit Mickey! That was for Stekla and the baby! What the fuck she gonna eat now?!"

"That bitch is long gone, Mandy" Mickey says while digging the note Stekla left out his back pocket.

After Mandy reads the note, she tears it up "fuck that bitch, you can do better Mick"

"I have done better bitch" Mickey says smiling with a full mouth of eggs.

"you're fucking gross Mick!" Mandy says trying to look disgusted but still smiling at her brother.

After he finishes his eggs, he puts on his jacket and hits all the spots where people owe him money. In the back of his mind, he sees Ian walking next to him, Ian wrestling with him. As it starts to get dark and he walks to the cash and grab and sees Linda at the cash register. "Hey Linda",

"Hey, mick" linda replies. Though he had been feeling good, he had forgotten how sad the cash and grab made him. In every corner of that store, he'd had some passionate moments with Ian and he loses the smile on his face.

"Have you heard from firecrotch?" He asks Linda

"No mick, I haven't" Linda knew but Mick didn't know how much she knew. Grabbing some booze, he puts in on the counter and Linda says, "No mick, merry Christmas from me to you. Go ahead and take it"

"Thanks Linda", but the joy of the day is gone.

His mood now ruin he wonders if he should just get high by myself. But the booze is heavy so he figures he'll just leave it for Mandy, he did promise her. As he walks down the sidewalk he keeps thinking of Ian, Ian in his uniform, Ian doing drills, Ian fucking him, Ian laughing, Ian begging for him to love him. Mick starts to laugh at himself. "Mick you are a bitch! You're fucking worse than a girl right now!"

As he turns to go into his yard, there's a man sitting on the porch. "My mind must be playing tricks on me" mickey thinks.

The man speaks, "Hey Mick"

"what the fuck Gallagher" he replies.

"Whatcha got there Mick?"

"I promised Mandy we'd get drunk together tonight, you gonna stay or what?"

"Sure Mick, I'll stay."