Ian had gotten back home around five the next morning.

In the motel, they had talked about the idea of going away a little more. The more they talked about it, the more possible it seemed. Mickey had even started to to become keen on the idea. He admitted to Ian that, with Sophie, he'd like to get out of the south side. Ian promised to figure out a place for them to go by the next time they meet up.

As Ian walked quietly into the living room, he saw that the kitchen light was on. He realized that Lip was sitting at the table, and tried to get to the stairs without being noticed. It didn't work.

"Hey," he heard Lip call from the kitchen quietly, "Where've you been all night?"

Lip was only staying at the house for the summer. He had ended up going to MIT, and he'd be going into his senior year in the fall.

Ian groaned inwardly. He hadn't told Lip about Mickey yet. He knew Lip would give him shit about it, since, the first thing he did when Ian got back, was give him a lecture about how he shouldn't have let a "piece of shit like Mickey Milkovich fuck up his life."

He hadn't even tried to explain to Lip that he more fucked up Mickey's life than Mickey did his. Lip never liked Mickey, especially now that he blamed him for his brother being miserable for weeks and running away.

Ian walked into the kitchen. "I think I'm old enough to stay out all night," he said casually with a smirk. "What about you? Why're you up so early?"

"Liam woke me up, wanting a glass of water. Couldn't fall back asleep." He took a bite of the sandwich in front of him. "Really, though, you seeing someone? This isn't the first time you've been out all night since you got back."

Ian laughed, "It's none of your business."

"Oh, come on. Do we not tell each other tell each other everything anymore?"

Ian shrugged, "I don't think you'd like him …"

Lip scoffed. "Anyone's gonna be better than some of your past guys, like-Mickey Milkovich. I mean, it's not another 60 year old is it?"

"Fuck off," he laughed, "he's my age, okay?"

"Well … come on, do I know him?"

"Yeah … he's not really out yet, though."

"What-that didn't stop you from telling me about Mickey …" Lip started to laugh, but stopped, suddenly narrowing his eyes a bit, looking Ian up and down. A look of realization dawned his face. "Oh, fuck-"

"Lip-"

"You're fucking him again?" Lip yelled, giving no concern that it was still around five in the morning, in a house full of kids.

"You don't even know him, okay?"

"You know he's still married to that whore, right?" Lip looked disgusted. "And he has a kid!"

"I know about his kid," I said calmly, "I met her."

"Jesus Christ, Ian, why can't you find someone who's fucking normal for once?"

"Mickey's a good guy, Lip, he just hides it around most people."

"Did he at least apologize for making you leave for three and a half fucking years?"

"You know what," Ian said defiantly, "no. I apologized to him for leaving him for three and a half fucking years. Does that make you happy?"

Lip stood up, "He got married, Ian!"

"His dad made him!"

He laughed cynically, "Bullshit! Is that what he told you?"

"You weren't there that day when his dad caught us."

"So what? You were, and you still left!"

"I made a mistake, okay? I shouldn't have left him."

"What the fuck, Ian? You're only mistake was going back to that shithead!"

Ian looked at Lip for a long moment. "He loves me," he finally said quietly.

Lip gave a sarcastic nod. "He said that to you?"

"He doesn't have to say it."

"You know he's just using you for sex, right? He can't love-the guy doesn't have a fucking heart!"

"Would you shut the fuck up about Mickey like you even know him? Have you even had a single conversation with him in the past three years?"

"I don't need to talk to him to know he made my brother disappear for three years."

"He didn't make me! It was my own fault!" Ian yelled. "Besides if Mickey's just using me then how come we're-"

Ian cut himself off. He wasn't going to tell anyone their plans. At least not yet.

"You're what, Ian?"

"Nothing."

"You're what?"

"Just drop it, Lip! It's none of you're business."

"Look, whatever you're planning, just be careful, alright? Gay or not, he's still a Milkovich."

Ian sighed. "I'm fine, Lip."

"Hey!"

Both Ian and Lip looked up to see Debbie standing at the top of the stairs.

"Some of us are trying to sleep here! I have to get up in two hours to set up for daycare!"

Lip sighed, glanced at Ian, and said, "Yeah, sorry, Debs. We were just about to go up, anyway."

Ian sighed and stomped upstairs, pushing past Debbie.

Debbie looked at Lip. "He's only been back a couple months-do we really need to start fighting with him already?"

"I'm not trying to fight with him," he raised his voice, hoping Ian would hear, "I'm trying to help him!"


Mickey had left the motel a couple hours later. They always did that, in case, for whatever reason, someone who knew Mickey's dad saw them.

He was able to walk from the motel to Mandy's house-it was only a few blocks.

He couldn't shake the idea that Ian planted in his mind. Mickey hated getting his hopes up for things. If he always expected the worst possible outcome, then he was either right, or pleasantly surprised.

Mickey let himself into the apartment when he got there-Mandy and Dan had given him a key since he came over with Sophie so often.

Mickey had never really decided if he liked Dan or not. He was sarcastic, and had a smart mouth, but only when you got to know him. Besides that, he was quiet and actually kind of dumb-looking. Without knowing him, one would think he was a typical south side thug.

Mandy had met him one night when she was trying to cheer herself up over Lip leaving for college, and having to accept the fact that they were done for good. She had gone out to a couple of bars and some old creep was bugging her, going as far as following her out of the place. That's when Dan showed up, pretended to be Mandy's boyfriend, and scared the guy off. The gesture had reminded her of the time Ian tripped their pervy teacher for her. Fortunately, this time the guy hadn't ended up being gay.

Mandy was sitting on the couch, with Sophie on her lap, when Mickey walked in. She was putting Sophie's hair up in pigtails.

"Daddy!" Sophie exclaimed, reaching out her arms.

Mickey sat down on the couch, and Sophie crawled over to his lap.

"Hey, how was your sleepover?" Mickey asked.

Before Sophie could answer, Mandy said, "How was your sleepover?" and gave him a knowing grin.

He rolled his eyes. "Fuck off."

"You had a sleepover too, Daddy?" Sophie asked, looking up at him.

"A different kind of sleepover." Mickey answered.

"What kind of sleepover?"

"I'll tell you when you're older."

Sophie pouted.

"Really, though, how was it?" Mandy asked.

"Really, though, fuck off."

Dan then walked in then, carrying two bowls of Fruity Pebbles. He set down the smaller bowl in Sophie's lap and sat down with the other. "Hey," he said to Mickey, as he turned on the TV. He was quiet for a moment, before looking at Mickey, smirking, and saying, "So … how was your gay thing?"

Mickey looked at his sister, "The fuck, Mandy? The whole neighborhood gotta know my business?"

Mandy shrugged. "What? You think Dan cares?"

"I don't give a shit about who cares, I don't want people knowing my business!" He yelled.

"Relax," Mandy said, "I'm not telling anyone else."

"What if something gets back to dad?"

"Nothing will get back to dad, okay? I'm not telling anyone-"

"You fucking told this asshole!"

"Well Dan's not telling anyone."

Dan nodded, not looking away from the TV, "It's true-I don't even have any friends left since I started dating your sister, so I have no one to tell."

Mandy turned and flicked Dan's ear.

Sophie suddenly gave a loud, heavy breath. She handed her now empty bowl up to Mickey, and reclined into his chest, getting comfy.

Mickey scowled down at her. Truthfully, he thought it was adorable when she did that kind of shit-always handing him her dishes, or garbage when there would be a trash right next to her-but she needed to learn to knock it off, before she became a lazy, spoiled brat.

"Sophie," he tried to sound stern, "go bring this into the kitchen."

"Why?" She whined.

"Because I'm not doing it for you," he handed her back the bowl.

Sophie sighed and climbed down from Mickey's lap, onto the floor.

She made it about halfway to the kitchen before tripping and falling flat on her face.

She let out a small whimper, as Mickey rushed over to her.

"Hey, hey," he said, helping her sit up, "you okay?"

Sophie pouted. "You made me fall."

Mickey raised his eyebrows, "I made you fall?"

She nodded. "You made me go to the kitchen," she whined.

Mickey rolled his eyes, but checked her face and arms for for any scratches or marks. "You're fine," he patted her on the back, and stood up. "C'mon," he reached out a hand and helped her to her feet, "now go put the bowl in the sink."

Sophie picked up the bowl and took slow steps, dragging her feet, and making grunting and whining noises, as if she were in pain.

Mickey looked back at Mandy and Dan, who were trying not to laugh. "Can you believe that little shit?"

"Well she is your kid," Mandy said.

Sophie came out of the kitchen, pouting, and looked up at Mickey.

"Whatcha' pouting for?" He asked, sounding a lot less stern, and picking her up. "You did a good job."

"I did?" She whimpered.

"Yeah," he said softly.

"Can I get a new toy?"

Mickey laughed. Any time he would tell her she did a good job with something, she would try to get a new toy out of it. Luckily, she never made too much of a fuss if he said "no."

"I don't have enough money for a new toy," he said.

"Okay," Sophie sighed and leaned her head on Mickey's shoulder.

They hung out at Mandy's for a few hours before Mickey figured they were on the verge of overstaying their visit.

On the way back home, Mickey decided to stop at McDonald's. He couldn't afford a nice new toy, but he could at least get Sophie a Happy Meal, and a shitty McDonald's toy.

They sat at the booth for a few minutes, Sophie playing with her toy and Mickey eating his McDouble, before he spoke.

"Hey, Sophie." He had Ian's idea of going away stuck in his head again. He wondered if the whole thing would be something that could traumatize a three year old. But then he figured that it would probably do a lot more harm to stay in the house they were living in, than to leave all together.

Sophie looked up at Mickey.

"If you could go anywhere in the world," he asked, "where would you go?"

"Um …" she put a finger to her chin as if she were in deep thought. "Aunt Mandy's."

"What?" Mickey scoffed, reaching across the table and stealing one of her fries. "No. Anywhere in the world!"

Sophie didn't understand why "Aunt Mandy's" wasn't a good answer, but tried again. "The park?"

Mickey sighed. He knew he wouldn't get much from a three year old who barely knew the world was bigger than Chicago, but he had to ask her.

"Are we going to the park today?" Sophie then asked, looking excited.

Mickey tried not to roll his eyes. He supposed it was his own fault for bringing it up. "Yeah," he said, easily giving in, "if you want to."


ok i just want to say that i LOVE lip, and i'm not making him act all assholey because i think hes an asshole, but because i really think he now just sees mickey as the boy who fucked up his brothers life, and i think he has every right to act like that because he doesnt know mickeys side of the story, and hes just a super great protective older brother and yeah so im not tryna hate on lip. nothing but love for lip over here.

now please review chapter 2

thank you

also thank you for the reviews of chapter one, they make my heart feel all warm and fuzzy :)