He doesn't leave her side.

He can't.

He couldn't, even if he wanted to.

It's as if there is an invisible chain linked to him so whenever he strays too far she can just pull him back to his rightful place beside her.

Though he did hesitate, but just for a fraction of a second, on whether he should follow the nurse who's taking Yelina or stay with Svetlana. The nurse, Shelby, her badge reads, says they're only taking Yelina for a quick sponge bath and to monitor her for a few minutes. So, Ian doesn't have to necessarily go with them. He figures he should stay and tend to Svetlana, as he knows her well and knows she'll be expecting to be taken care of since she just went through something so extremely painful just to give him a child.

A child that was, yes, her idea but Ian is smart enough to not mention that to her now if he wants his balls to stay attached. His face must show the debate going on in his head when he turns away from the retreating nurse and his daughter back to Svetlana who shakes her head at him and with a tired smile says, "Go with her, Ian. I will be fine."

He doesn't need to be told twice.

He sets off running and nearly collides with a nurse who has the nerve to stand between him and getting to his daughter, who has already made it down the hallway. With a quick insincere apology to the disgruntled nurse he quickly makes his way to Yelina's side. When he reaches her, he stands close to nurse Shelby, probably too close, so he can guard his Yelina like she's the rarest jewels the world has ever seen. When Ian hears the fast footsteps of someone running behind them he's only slightly surprised when he turns to see it's Mick chasing them down. Once he's caught up to them and his hand is clasped firmly into Ian's hand they keep on with their journey.

They're lead down the hallway to a secured door, where nurse Shelby swipes her badge and then turns to crush his heart. She tells them, as kindly as she can, that they'll have to wait outside while they clean Yelina and check all her vital signs. Though, she does direct them to a window so that they'll be able to see their daughter through once they are done with her.

Mickey surprises him again when he starts walking towards the window before the door is even shut completely behind the nurse. "We should have brought some chairs with us." He says while sliding down the opposite wall of the nursery to sit on the floor.

Ian follows suit and sits next to Mick. He knocks his knee against Mick's knee as he says "Can you believe we have a daughter?"

"You have a daughter."

Ian's head turns so fast he's surprised he doesn't get whiplash, "We have a daughter! Just like we have a son, or do you not want me to claim Yev as mine too?"

Mickey doesn't reply, he just picks at the invisible lint on his shirt. Or the clearly visible crumbs from earlier.

"Don't ruin our moment by being the stubborn ass you usually are. She's yours too and if you ever act or say anything to contradict that, so help me God, I will kick your ass and then let Svetlana hit you with a hammer a few times!" Ian threatens.

"What the fuck, Ian?" Mickey yells as he shoves Ian's knee away with his own.

"I'm serious, Mick. If I'm yours so is she, got it?" Ian tells him sternly.

"Fuck, alright, I got it." Mickey answers with an eye roll.

They sit on the floor in comfortable silence for a few minutes as they take turns stretching up anytime they see a nurse pass by the window. Then the sounds of their disappointed sighs are the only noise between them when they see the baby the nurse holds isn't theirs. So, they continue to sit and wait.

As they wait Ian looks through the pictures he's already taken and posts a few of his daughter like the proud dad he is. It doesn't surprise him that Mickey is the first to go like all of them.

"I can't wait for Yev to meet her!" Ian says breaking their silence.

"I give it a week before we find her out on the curb where Yev's dumped her. I tried doing that with Mandy once." Mickey remembers fondly.

"Do you want to go find Yevgeny and the rest of our families or do you want me to go? I'm sure they're out causing problems for someone in this hospital." Ian asks Mick, choosing to ignore his previous comment of Yev trying to get rid of Yelina.

Though, Ian can picture a smaller Mickey trying to haul his sister outside to leave her on the curb. Possibly hoping that someone would come pick her up. Hell, he can see Mick trying to do that now with Mandy. Or Svetlana. Or even Iggy. Ian makes a mental note to make sure he doesn't let Mickey give Yev any bright ideas.

"I'll go. I can't keep sitting here lookin' like an idiot. Do you see the looks the nurses are giving us? They probably think we're trying to kidnap a baby, they'll probably call security soon." Mickey tells him as he pushes himself off the floor just too squat right back down in front of Ian. Mickey grabs his face and kisses him. He's sure it's supposed to be a chaste kiss but it quickly turns into teeth clashing as the firm swipes of their tongues meet with equal vigorousness while their hands thrust into each other's hair.

It's his favorite kind of kiss.

They break apart with Ian giving one last tug, with his teeth, to Mick's bottom lip. "I'll go get our son, while you sit on the floor like some loser waiting to catch a glimpse of our daughter." Mickey tells him before he saunters away.

Ian waits for what seems like 15 years but is probably no more than 15 minutes before he sees the familiar nurse from earlier with a pink bundle in her arms. His pink bundle he realizes when she turns towards him and smiles lifting Yelina up a bit in her arms. Ian is up so fast he trips over his own feet and crashes into the glass opposite him with a loud bang. He startles the few nurses in the room, who turn to look at him with scowls on their faces. He just lifts a hand in apology and gives a small shrug.

After he's righted himself, he plasters himself against the glass so he can see his daughter better. He stands there and watches the nurse adjust Yelina's diaper and tuck it under her bellybutton. He laughs when the tiny pink shirt they put her in doesn't quite cover her round belly. Another laugh follows when she scrunches up her face, like he's seen Svetlana do anytime she doesn't like something, when they place a pink hat on her head.

She doesn't seem to like her outfit very much, and Ian doesn't blame her, since she looks like a small bottle of Pepto Bismol. All the pink is clashing with her red hair and it's not a good look for her. He'll just have to change her into something else less pink from the wardrobe he has for her in his duffel bag. Like a hawk he watches as his daughter is being placed in the clear bassinet and wonders if he'll ever get tired of just staring at her. Probably not.

He'll be that weird dad that shows up to school early just so he can watch his kid in their classroom for a bit. Yelina is going to be so embarrassed by him.

When a different nurse notices that he's still standing there pressed as humanly possible to the glass she takes pity on him and rolls Yelina closer to him. Ian thinks she's even more beautiful now that she's been cleaned and clothed. Yelina stretches her little arm and yawns like she's the one who's had a rough tiresome day. Which maybe she has, it's probably a lot of work trying to squeeze your body through a tight tunnel. And Ian's sure it was a tight passage no matter what Mickey says.

He can't believe he is a dad! Him, Ian Gallagher, the gay bipolar kid has a kid! It's terrifying and exciting all at the same time. She leaves him breathless and gives him breath all in the same second. She's his new will to be a better person. He always thought all those feelings would only ever come with his love for Mick but oh was he wrong. This love for his kid is on a whole different level that he never even knew was possible.

Ian is still pressed against the glass when he hears them; they're like a tornado, bringing chaos and destruction. Debbie walks ahead with her phone held high taking a picture of the shenanigans behind her. Mickey oblivious to his picture being captured is arguing with Iggy over what Ian can only assume is about the chocolate (and God he hopes it's chocolate) smeared all over Yev's face. Fiona is hauling a bag of what looks like old baby blankets while wrangling a few balloons in the other hand while she talks to Veronica who is screeching at Amy and Gemma to stop being so loud in the hallways. His main concern should probably be Carl, Bonnie and Mandy who are walking too close for comfort. Knowing them, they're probably plotting ways to steal baby supplies from the hospital. And even with all the surprises and miracles he's already witnessed today seeing Lip walking with his usual arrogance and swagger at the end of the hoard is still enough to leave him wide eyed and speechless.

They come at him in a swarm with congratulatory hugs and smiles, plus a hard pat on the back from Iggy, before he points out the ginger bundle that belongs to him. As his family huddle around the glass to see Yelina he takes Yev from Mickey and places him on his hip.

"Are you ready to see your sister Yelina?" Ian asks as Yev nuzzles himself in his shoulder. He squeezes in between Fiona and Veronica and leans into the glass so he can show Yev his sister.

"That's her?" Yev asks, clearly unimpressed. "How's she supposed to play with me if she's so little?"

"Just give her a few months and then she'll be crawling all over you!" Fiona answers for Ian. "I thought Lip, and even Ian when he was born, were really boring at the beginning. But then, they started moving and crawling and then walking and talking too and they became my best friends. Just wait around a bit and I'm sure you'll become best friends too." She says fondly as she wipes at Yev's sticky face.

"I already waited for forever for her to be borned and now I have to keep waiting?" Yev questions as he wiggles out of Ian arms. "I'll just keep playing with Amy and Gemma." he calls out as he runs down the hall, obviously done with a sister who doesn't do anything.

"She's beautiful!" Debbie says as shoves Ian over so she can take more pictures. "I think she looks like me!"

"If she's beautiful I really doubt she looks like you!" Carl adds. The multiple slaps to the back of his head don't slow him down as he gets closer to the window. "She is cute, but my kid was cuter."

Leave it to Carl to compliment and then offend his only niece the first time he meets her. Maybe his kid isn't as cute as he thinks she is. Because don't all parents think their kid is cute even when some of them have the ugliest babies to ever be born. Like the lady at work who loves showing off her scraggly toothed, big eared daughter and always asked 'Isn't she just so pretty?!' And Ian had to agree just to be nice.

Oh God, what if he became the dad who shows off pictures of his funny looking kid and people didn't agree that she was beautiful!?

He needed to ask someone who was honest.

"Mandy, what do you think of your new niece?" he asks cautiously.

Mandy leaned in and pressed her forehead against the glass as she squints to get a good look at Yelina, "Well, she doesn't have that alien look going on that Yev and Max had. So, she has that going for her. Her nose looks is a little pointy but I'll have to get a closer look to be completely sure it's gonna work for her face. And she's a redhead, who will eventually be covered in freckles and who knows how that's gonna turn out looking"

Maybe he should have asked someone else because Mandy isn't saying what he wanted to hear.

"And yet even with all that going on I still think she's really, really pretty. You and Svet did a good job." She finishes as she pulls away from the glass with a big smile and hugs him.

With one last lingering look at Yelina he turns to break away from the crowd to go talk to Lip. However he hasn't even made a complete step away when he hears the faint sounds of a baby whimpering, and he just knows those sad little sounds are coming from his kid.

Sure enough, when he turns to look, Yelina's chubby little arms are wiggling around as her cries seem to get louder. It's such a heartbreaking cry that he wants to break through the glass and comfort her just to make everything right in the world for her.

Ian hasn't even reached for the intercom on the wall next to him, so he can ask why his baby is making sounds that break his heart and make him want to cry, with her when Mickey is beside him banging on the glass. Mickey, the same guy who up until about an hour ago was adamant that they didn't need any more damn kids, is banging on the window asking why the hell his (HIS!) kid is crying.

"Mick, stop banging on the damn window! You're gonna scare the other babies!" Ian tells him though he wants to do the same so someone will come check on his crying baby.

"Why the fuck are they just letting her cry?" Mick asks, not even bothering to look away from the window.

"I don't know!" Ian yells back.

He's starting to panic now.

Is there something wrong with her, he wonders? Why is no one checking on her? He looks all over the glass in case there's a sign like at a zoo that says something along the lines of 'don't tap on the glass because it startles the animals'. Not that his daughter is an animal but he just needs to be sure before he starts banging on the glass along with Mick. When he doesn't see anything he joins his boyfriend in their assault to the glass. In between their banging and yelling he hears their family around them talking.

"Oh. My. God! I can't believe that idiot is my brother!"

"I think I hear my girls and Yev calling for me, so I'ma walk away from this shit show."

"This is just the distraction we needed! Come on, let's go raid the supply closet."

"Lip, do something before security comes for these dumb asses!"

Ian then hears a soft beep before a nurse answers, "Yes, can I help you?"

"Umm, yeah, the baby crying her lungs out is my niece and if you don't do something about it soon my brother and is psychotic boyfriend are gonna break down the fucken glass to get to her. So you might wanna hurry the fuck up and check to see what her damn problem is!" Lip yells into the intercom next to them.

"First, everyone just needs to calm down. The banging on the glass bothers the babies so please stop doing it. She's probably just hungry. We were just about to move her back to her mother! So, again, calm down!" she finishes with a yell. She's followed by another beep before quiet surrounds the hallway again.

"Melina isn't even a day old and her dads are already embarrassing her. Poor kid." Fiona says with a laugh.

"Yelina!" Ian and Mickey yell simultaneously.

"Sorry, Yelina." She says with her hands up in surrender.

With a nurse finally tending to Yelina, Ian realizes that maybe, just maybe, he and Mick could have handled that a little better. For starters, they could have done without all the damn disruptions like yelling and banging on the glass.

Then they should have also realized that babies cry. All the damn time. For no reason sometimes. Even with Yev being a good baby who hardly caused problems he still had a good set of lungs on him and could be heard crying over the sound of the L passing. So crying shouldn't be anything new to them. But, the real issue is that Lip, out of all the damn people in Chicago it just had to be Lip, was there to handle the situation somewhat calmly. Ian is supposed to be proving that he's ready and can handle being a parent.

His big brother coming to the rescue didn't help his case at all.

Still, he appreciates it. For had it not been for Lip, Ian is sure security would have eventually been called. And, what with Mickey's aversion to cops and security guards, excluding his self of course, it would have ended with someone getting injured or someone getting removed from the premises. Mickey being the latter. With that thought he figures it best if he and Mickey move away from the glass for a bit until they're done prepping Yelina to take her back to Svetlana. When he turns to see Mickey with his arms crossed and his usual scowl placed firmly on his face Ian knows there's no moving him from Yelina.

It weirdly causes a flutter in his heart that moves down to the pit of his stomach and possibly moves further down his body but he'll think more on that later. Now, he just roughly grabs Mick's head and kisses him in the dark mop he calls hair before he walks away to talk to Lip, leaving Mick as bodyguard for their daughter.

"Thanks for that." He tells Lip, nudging his head towards the intercom. "I panicked. Which if you ask Svet I've been doing a lot of today. But, it's ok. I'll get my shit sorted before we take Yelina home. I'm sure it's just new dad jitters that have me all out of sync." he says in a rush.

"Yeah, maybe. Though it's a good thing Uncle Lip was here to save the day, might as well get her used to that now since we all know it won't be the only time I have to come to the rescue." Lip says arrogantly.

"What the actual fuck, Lip? Did you just come to see how bad I could fuck up on her first day being alive? Because, I really don't need your shit now!" Ian argues.

"What? No, Ian! I was being funny. Plus you know I'll take any opportunity to be a dick. Just like you take any opportunity to get dick." Lip says with a laugh.

"You're not funny, you know that right?"

"I'm hilarious. You just don't appreciate my kind of humor right now. You'll laugh later when you're not pissed at me." Lip tells him as he pulls the onesie that had been draped over his shoulder and swats at Ian with it. "Here, I even brought your illegitimate, Russian, Irish funny looking kid a gift."

"Fuck you, she's beautiful!" Ian tells him grabbing the offered gift.

Why people feel the need to gift baby girls so much pink shit he'll never know but a gift is a gift so he graciously takes it and stretches it out the see the big bold letters of Chicago Polytechnic written across it. "You got her a onesie from your alma mater? You cheap bastard." Ian says as he folds it up to fit into his back pocket. He pulls Lip into a hug and thanks him again before they pull apart.

Lip opens his mouth to say something, probably snarky and unnecessary, yet before he actually says anything Mickey yells out, "Ian! Come on, they're bringing her out."

Ian's by her side instantly watching with amazed bewilderment that not only did he help make a person but that Mickey is looking at her like she is the most amazing thing he's ever seen too. Times like this he really wished he knew where Kash was at just so he could send him a fruit basket or something just as equally lame. Or, what did he send to an ex-lover who in their own weird way was the cause of bringing him and the love of his life together? He'll have to think about that more later, now he needs to keep up with the nurse and Mickey as they escort Yelina to Svetlana's room.

Before he makes his way into Svetlana's room Lip grabs his arm to hold him back as he says, "I guess you could say she's cute. She looks like you, and like Debbie did when she was born, so at least we know she's yours."

"There wasn't ever a doubt she was mine, you asshole." he answers roughly pulling out of Lips grip.

"Ooh ok, well that's good." Lip says before he sighs deeply, "Look, she's a lucky girl to have you as a dad, and even Svetlana as a mom. I've seen her with Yev and she's doing a good job. That kid is really bright and funny and not damaged in the least. And, believe me when I say it truly pains me to say this but even Mickey turned out to be decent parent. So I know she won't have the same shity life we had. But you have to understand that as the older brother I had to worry. I have to make sure my siblings are doing the right thing and are making their lives easier not harder. And for some fucked up reason you've always been set on making your life more difficult." Lip finishes as he fiddles with the cigarette he has behind his ear.

Ian is almost sure Lip's whole speech was supposed to make things better between them and while he does appreciate Lip's concern for his well-being but it's not like Ian goes out of his way to look for trouble. He wouldn't have chosen to be the Gallagher sibling who got Monica's crazy gene. Or Franks hankering for drugs and alcohol. He'll take the blame for falling for a previously dirty thug, that yes might have made things a bit more difficult years ago but now they're good. Great, even.

So instead of arguing with Lip in the hallway, that it was never his choice to make his life more difficult it's just the hand he was dealt, Ian pulls Lip into a hug as he says, "Thanks for being concerned. But you don't have to worry so much anymore. Yeah, that little red head in there is going to turn my whole life upside down but it's gonna be great. Just you wait and see."

With that he leaves Lip in the hallway as he goes in to see his daughter.

Later, walking back into Svetlana's room, after having to physically grab Debbie and escort her to the elevator because telling her numerous times that it was time for her to go home wasn't enough to make her actually leave, Ian sees what most of the people they know don't get to see or understand. They don't get to see his little family together where Svetlana's sharp features aren't pinched up and angry or Mickey scowling at someone. They don't get that this, this beautiful unconventional family, makes things better for him.

No one but Ian will appreciate the scene he's walked into. Yevgeny cuddled up to Svetlana as she lays half asleep on her bed running her fingers through his hair while Mickey reclined on the chair with Yelina sleeping soundly on his chest. It still amazed him that the same hands that have beat people to a bloody pulp can be so gentle with their kids. When Mickey first held her he was expecting some kind of derogatory comment or something insulting that only Mick would be rude enough to say but instead Mick look on to her like he was just discovering some deep meaningful secret of the world. He wasn't sure what to make of Mick's expression at first but once he was greeted with this big ridiculous smile, that was a rare occurrence on Mick's face, he knew what ever Mick has just realized had to be a good thing.

He makes his way over to Mickey and squeezes himself on to the chair with them, much to Mickey's discontent. He chooses to ignore the pointed look and grunt of annoyance Mick makes and settles himself closer to his child and his love. "I love you." He tells him as he reaches over to take Yelina from his arms.

Mickey, carefully, so very carefully, eases her into his arms and tucks her small arm back into her blanket, which Fiona had left for her, before he answers with an exasperated shake of his head, "Yeah, you better love me after I have to put up with your annoying ass family. But, I love you too." he says as he leans in to kiss his forehead.

This is it for him, Ian thinks, this is where life has taken him and he couldn't be any happier about it.


Mickey has never been one to be emotional or do the whole sharing his feelings shit.

It's just not him.

He leaves that to Ian. Yet, right now, as he's pacing around their living room with Yelina tucked in his arm he feels pretty damn emotional. He knew he should have stayed in his room and let dumb and dumber deal with the screeching 2 day old. But because he's a fucken idiot sometimes, he got out of the comfort his bed. It started off as a chance to laugh and mock Ian and Svetlana on their kid being a pain in the ass already but with one look at Svetlana's tired face and Ian's shaking hands as he cradled Yelina he grew a bleeding heart and stayed to help out.

"Hand her over, I'll rock her for a bit." Mickey found himself saying without hesitation.

Ian passed her along as carefully and quickly as he could before mumbling that he had to use the restroom. Svetlana raised an eyebrow at his sudden willingness to help but didn't object as she eased herself on the couch, yawning between saying "I sit." Mandy had often said Svetlana's accent became so much more pronounced and she often forgot to add words when she was tired, so her I sit made perfect sense. Now an angry Svetlana spoke better English than most folks in the south side.

So, now he stood rocking a kid that wasn't even technically his while he felt like sharing all kinds of damn feelings. Maybe it's because he was tired. Yeah, he'll blame being a fucken emotional girl on lack of sleep. Though, he probably could have gotten up to twelve hours of sleep last night, but his bed felt too cold without Ian there.

Stupid, dorky, Ian who just had to stay with Yelina her first night on earth so they could bond or some shit, instead of being in bed with Mick where he belonged. Ian had said something along the lines of it would be good for Yev to get one last night of alone time with Mickey before his sister came home the next day anyway. Mickey just ignored him, grabbed Yev and went home not even bothering to tell him that Yelina wouldn't give a shit if Ian was there or not. It's not like he had the boobs to feed her. But, he kept all that to himself because he's an idiot who fell in love with an even bigger idiot who's determined to be a good parent and not fuck up their kids. So, he left Ian to do some bonding with Lina at the hospital while he and Yev got one on one time at home.

Yevgeny was done with his bonding with Mick before they even got home. They didn't even make it to Mickey putting Yev is his pajamas before he was complaining about missing Svetlana and Ian. Mickey answered with a quiet, "Yeah, me too, kid." before getting up to search for a book to read to Yev.

A few hours later, after Mick had cleaned up around the house, showered, text Ian, and then laid in a lonely bed waiting for sleep to hit him, Mick got a great plan. A great plan he wasn't necessarily proud of but a great plan none the less. He was going to wake up Yev, so he would at least have someone to talk to since he couldn't sleep. The first part of his great master plan included Mickey put on his heavy work boots and stomping up and down the stairs waiting for Yev to wake up with all the noise.

Yev slept through it all.

Next he opened up the cupboards, rattled dishes around, clinked cups against each other then closed the doors back as loudly as he could. When no noise was heard from upstairs he proceeded to open a pack of pop tarts since Yev was like a hound dog when it came to food and could sniff out a snack a mile away.

But, still, Yev slept on.

Mickey will take this low point in his life with him to the grave, he thought, as he made his way back up to Yev's room. He did stop and think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea for him to do this after all. Yet, by that time he was already opening Yev's door, so he figured fuck it, if he couldn't sleep it wasn't fair for his kid to be sleeping.

As he neared the small bed with an even smaller form curled up in the middle he again started to rethink his plan. Then he remembered his boredom and loneliness and how needy he had gotten recently that waking his kid was still very much a good idea in his head.

"Yev... Yevgeny... YEVY!" Mick yelled as he gently shook his son. All he got as a response was Yev nuzzling more in to his pillow and sticking out a small foot with a sock dangling off from under his cover. His kid was useless to him.

When he still got no response from Yev after a bit more shaking and calling out of his name Mick backtracked out of the room, tripping on Legos and action figures, to try a different tactic to waking up Yev. So that's how Mickey found himself doing something no parent has ever done in the history of parenting. He slammed the door, as hard as could, to his kid's room as he tried to sleep.

Yev woke up instantly yelling out for Svetlana. Mick at least waited a few seconds to pretend like he wasn't already at the door like the lame ass dad he was being before he ran in.

"Yev! What happened? Are you ok?" Mickey asked as he picked up the sniffling boy from his bed. Patting his back and swaying with him as he tried calming him down he asked, "Did the loud noise scare you? I don't know what it was but it scared me too."

Mick had been iffy up until this point on whether he would be making a journey to hell once he died but now he was pretty sure it was set in stone, because who wakes their kid by scaring them then lies about it. Mickey Milkovich, that's who.

Once Yev had calmed a bit and his tears had nearly dried up Mickey asked, "Do you want to come hang out with me for a bit. Maybe even watch some tv, just in case there's a big scary noise again?"

"Ok, papa." Yev answers between a sniffle and a hiccup.

With a small smirk and a weird feeling that could almost be called shame he carried Yev down to the living room for some quality tv time at 2 in the morning. He's still searching for the remote control when he realizes Yev's out cold. So, off to bed they go instead.

Sleep still doesn't come as fast as he would like but with his kid's warm little body pressed against him and his small hand splayed across his face it's a lot more bearable to lay in the dark staring at the ceiling missing his better half.

At that time he blamed having another kid for fucking up his life, not knowing that late the next night he would be pacing around their living room as he cradled said kid trying to sooth her while he carried on a one sided conversation with her.

"Hey raggedy Ann. Ummm, I'm Mickey. Your daddy calls me Mick, or sometimes Mr. Milkovich. But that's usually when we're alone and he's trying to get me into trying kinky shit and I don't know why the fuck I'm telling you this." he sighs and feels like such an idiot for talking to Yelina when she probably doesn't understand a word he's saying. But she has stopped crying so maybe the talking helps. Plus, if he's going to be a big emotional sap he needs to do it now when no one is paying attention to them. So he adjusts her, this beautiful ginger baby who's already wrapping him around her finger, in the crook of his arm and keeps the swaying motion he's seen Svetlana and Ian do with her, slow and gentle.

"Your mama calls me stupid shit or damn bastard most days. Hey you, on good days. Sometimes I'll get a Mickey but it's rare and usually in public. She's difficult like that, but she's a good person. I've grown to like her, I'm sure you'll love her. Your brother calls me Papa, which wasn't my damn idea. I'd have preferred Pop or even dad. He's a good kid too my Yev, that's his name, Yevgeny Milkovich. I think you got the better end of the deal with the whole Russian name thing. But, you got Gallagher at the end of your name so I guess it's not much better. At least now you'll have each other to beat up the fuckers who decided to pick on y'all because of your names. I'm sure you'll become good friends with your brother eventually like me and my sister have become. Just don't tell anyone I claimed Mandy as a best friend. You'll like your aunt Mandy and even if you don't she'll still be around bugging you all the damn time. She likes to call me assface and other creative insulting names." He stops his ramblings as Yelina yawns like she's the one who's having a rough night.

She gets changed regularly and is attached to Svetlana's boob all the damn time so she's living the damn life and yet she's still whining and carrying on like her life is rough. She opens her eyes and looks at Mick, probably because he stopped rambling on, and he feels like she's really looking at him. Like she's examining him all the way to his soul. He must pass her inspection because she closes her cloudy grey eyes again. Svetlana says they'll probably be green the way they look so far but he can't really tell. When she settles he figures it's her way of telling him to keep talking, so he does.

"See, the thing is, kid that I wasn't really sure how I would feel about you. I was almost sure that I would take one look at you and I wouldn't feel anything for you since you weren't mine. Shit, it took me weeks to even start liking Yev and he is mine. I think I was just afraid that I now had a kid in the world to fuck up like my dad did. But I think I'm doing a decent job, he likes me and for some unknown reason likes hanging out with me, most of the time unless he's tired." She smiles at him like she really understands what he's telling her so he continues with his speech. "I'm only gonna say this one time so I can get it off my chest, I didn't really want you. I know that your mama and daddy would kick my ass if they heard me but I had seen a boy whenever anyone mentioned another kid. That's what I was set on, me and Ian and our sons. But then I took one look at you, and Yelina you were a sight to see. All bloody and gross but my first thought was you looked like Ian. With the same matching red hair. I'm sure when you get older and it's gotten longer and the sun is hitting it just right will look likes it's on fire."

Mickey is pretty sure Yelina has fallen asleep on him as she hasn't made any more noise and the tears have completely stopped but he's on a roll so he might as well keep talking. Then he'll never mention that he just spent the last five minutes talking to a baby.

"When I told your Aunt Debbie, who I guess you kind of look like too, that I thought you were beautiful she laughed and said 'Yeah, she's a Gallagher. We may not have much going on for ourselves but at least we're cute. Plus she looks like the person you love so of course you think she's beautiful.' And, I guess she's right. Your dad loves Yev so much and I never got why he did. Not that Yev isn't great and doesn't deserve to be loved by Ian but I just thought it was strange. Because why he would love and care so much for a kid that wasn't even his but I get it now. He loves him because Yev's a part of me. I got extremely lucky that your dad had a thing for dirty thugs and wanted me and chose to love me and my kid. Plus my crazy ass wife. That's gonna be so hard to explain to you once you get older."

"Basically all this talking that I just did was to tell you that I love you. I might not tell you as often as I should but don't ever doubt that it's not there, kid. So, yeah, even though technically and biologically all that shit I'm not your actual dad, nothing would make me happier than you calling me Papa."

Mickey finishes as he switches Yelina from one arm to the other. He didn't think a ten pound baby could make his arm fall asleep but that's just what her chubby little self did. He feels so much better and yet like a complete idiot that he just laid all this out for her but luckily one was listening in on him.

Or so he thought until Ian scares the living daylights out of him when he wraps his arms around him saying, "That was beautiful, Mick."

Then, the sound of a sniffling Svetlana reaches his ears and he knows that he was never just talking to Yelina. He's slightly embarrassed, and pissed, because now he has witnesses to him being so damn emotional.

"Are you fucken crying?" he yells at Svetlana as he untangles himself from Ian's arms and walks towards the couch she's sitting on.

"I just had a baby! Of course I am crying!" Svetlana argues back.

"Why are you crying mama?" Yev asks as he suddenly appears behind Mick rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Because, your Papa grew a heart." Svetlana tells him before he climbs on to the couch next to her.

Mickey ignores the laughter coming from Ian as he sits down next to Yev and Svetlana, careful to not wake Yelina. Ian soon follows, picking up Yev to place him on his lap before sitting on the couch between Mick and Svetlana. He must fall asleep somewhere after Yev asked why he just now has a heart because next thing he knows he's being woken up by Svetlana to take Yelina from the safe haven of his arms.

He turns over to see Ian sound asleep with Yev snoring softly on top of him. He lets Yelina go only because she's staring to make noise and he really doesn't need for the whole house to be awake again and 3 in the damn morning.

"We did good, yes? We turned an ugly, shity situation into a good one." Svetlana tells him as she takes Yelina from him. She kisses his forehead before stopping to do the same to Ian and Yev then walks away speaking quietly to Yelina in Russian.

For, most likely, the first and only time that Mick has known Svetlana he doesn't argue with her because he realizes that she's right. They did good, and he hopes it just keeps getting better.


Sooo, yeah, I had all kinds of plans for this story and then life happened. Then I got frustrated with myself because it wasn't quite panning out the way I wanted to. It finally, somewhat, came together after weeks and weeks of me putting it off. So, this is it basically. The End! Thanks so much for reading and sticking around until the end!