A/N: I apologize for the long wait, I was trying to figure out a good way to end this fully, so here is the first of two more chapters. Thank you for reading. 3 Oh, I will be shorty starting a new multi-chap.

"Mick. Mick, wake up."

"Fuck off." Mickey groaned, pulling the pillow over his head in an attempt to block out the voice and drift back to sleep. He felt the sheets get pulled off him, and then the pillow was yanked away.

"Mick, get your ass up. You'll be late." Ian smacked the ex-con on his ass before turning away and walking off to the dresser, getting his uniform on.

Mickey reluctantly sat up, watching the redhead as he pulled on a pair of boxers and socks before the one and only outfit given from West Point. So much green, it'd made Mickey nauseous to look at before. But his eyes got used to it, the only feeling it was given from the sight of the uniform was a sort of awe that Gallagher managed to keep it so clean and wrinkle-free.

It was hard for either of the boys to believe it'd been a year of them sharing this shitty apartment in New York. It'd been hard to believe Mandy went back to face the riskof being arrested, too. But she did it, leaving her brother and best friend with a "Fuck you". Lip didn't turn her in though. No, he just treated her like shit, then backed off when Mickey personally called with a threat of coming back just to caught off Lip's balls and shove them down his throat.

Lip had eventually grown less hostile after Jody took Karen away to some place to with magical waters. Mickey and Ian pretty much figured that Lip forgave Mandy by the time he got accepted into MIT. And then they put two and two together that they'd started fucking again when news came around she was going off with him.

Fiona and Ian always wrote or talked on the phone. In the beginning, she yelled at him. Then, when she'd realized he didn't plan on returning to Chicago, she started being the good older sister and encouraged him on finishing high school before West Point.

Did Mickey try stopping him from going? Nope. Why would he when they'd both be there in New York, in the same low-down apartment, fucking every chance they got. Gallagher got to go to his precious military school, and Mickey got to lounge around all day. Which come to think of it wasn't that different from how he'd been back in South Side.

"Have I ever told you that thinking hurts your precious brain, Mick?" Ian's voice broke in.

"Fuck off, Firecrotch." He grumbled in response, getting out of bed and going over to the redhead. He grabbed his own boxers and pulled them on.

"I'd certainly love to, Mick. But I can't be late."

"Late should be considered the afternoon. Not fuckin six in the morning."

Ian slipped his arms around Mickey's waist, ignoring the protesting grunt. "It's the military. Early is their motto."

"I thought 'fuck human rights' was their motto."

"Ha ha." Ian turned the shorter boy around so they'd face each other. "We both have things to do now. You have Mandy to visit-no killing Lip, I might add- and I start West Point. And then when our days finish, we'll be back in this bed together, ready to fuck each other senseless like usual. Sound good?" As an emphasis, the redhead pressed into Mickey, hands squeezing his ass.

The brunette's eyes slid close. "Fuck you…"

Ian chuckled and grinned, then gave Mickey a quick kiss, nipping his bottom lip before stepping away. The taller boy picked up his bag and headed for the door.

"See you tonight, Mick." He said before closing the door, leaving Mickey standing there on his own.

Mickey knew he'd never get back to sleep, so he showered-out of newly founded habit thanks to Firecrotch-and dressed in his normal jeans and tank, grabbing the old grey sweater he'd "stolen" from Ian in what felt like so long ago.

After eventually finding the car keys he'd left amongst the messy pile of mail on the counter, Mickey locked the apartment up behind himself and went down to the car.

A year ago, Mickey left with no intentions of going back to Chicago. Terry fuckin Milkovich and hiss three brothers would never have let him see daylight again. But then two months ago, Mandy had sent a letter.

Yo Assface-

Dad got busted. Don't know what the fuck for, but Iggy and the other fuckheads took off. Going to Chicago to take care of the fuckin mess they left. You should meet me there.

Lip got word from Fiona you got yourself a baby boy named Michael who's mommy went missing.

Perhaps that's what dad got his ass busted for?

-Mandy

So here he is, driving back to the home he was fuckin glad to be rid of. And a kid he always thought wasn't real. Mickey had hidden the baby thing from Ian. No way was he going to say shit about Michael until he figured out what the fuck he was going to do.

Well, what exactly can he do?