A/N: Okay, so there is a lot of speculation, I've discovered, about how many siblings Mickey has. I got on IMDB before starting this fic, and the only one actually listed is one Tony Milkovich. Judging by the actor's picture, Tony is one of the two big men with Mickey when he goes to beat up Ian during season one. We see neither of them in season two. Instead we see two smaller men, one blonde and one who looks kind of like Mickey, instead of the two large guys from season one. Mandy refers to them as her brothers during the episode where she convinced Lip to go on a "beer run." So, unless the actors from season one were replaced, which is a possibility, here's how I've figured it: The Milkovich siblings consist of six, five boys and Mandy. That is all. You can go about reading now.
Chapter Twenty-nine: Said the Lion
Kevin stood awkwardly in the doorway trying to look hard and threatening as Mickey stepped forward and yanked the phone from his hand. Mickey's hand clasped over the duct taped battery and he pressed the receiver to his ear, walking away from everyone and into the kitchen as he answered. Even his voice was confused as he asked who the fuck it was. Kevin had said two words when he gave Mickey the phone. Some guy. Definitely not the hospital. Certainly not Kevin. So who? The other end of the line was quiet and at first Mickey thought maybe the person had hung up. But when he was about to follow suite, the stranger spoke. And as it would happen, the voice on the other line was one Mickey could never forget, as he had grown up with it ringing in his ear his entire life.
"Hey, little brother," the man on the other end greeted. Mickey could hear the grin in that too deep voice.
"Tony," Mickey said, keeping his voice at a whisper. Thankfully everyone had the sense to leave him alone in the kitchen. "How did you get this number?" And really, how? Tony had evaded prison after his last parole. Had skipped the state and was on the lamb, running from life in prison. Wanted for murder. No one had heard from Tony in years. Not since Tony had walked in on Mandy knocking their father unconscious. Not since finding out Mickey was gay. Not since Mickey had given him some random kid from school's name, so that Tony would beat death into the wrong fucking guy. Tony hadn't reacted as Terry had. Tony had been in more of a rage about blaming the fucker who stuck his dick in Mickey's mouth. Such was Tony's way. Such was what had landed Tony on the lamb in the first place. Poor fucking kid from school probably never knew why he was being killed as Tony beat him with a chain.
Tony ignored Mickey's question and replaced it with one of his own. "How does your faggaty ass know my guy down here in Reno?" he asked.
"Reno?" Mickey asked, sincerely confused. "I don't know anyone from Reno."
"Got a guy down there says he knows you," Tony probed. "Says he's been watching you do some work for his brother, Julio. You know Julio?"
Mickey's heart flipped and restarted. His blood ran cold. "No," Mickey lied, unsure of his brother's intention. "The fuck are you on about?"
"How about," Tony began, "we skip the part where you pretend you don't really know why I'm calling?"
Mickey could barely breathe. His heart pounded in his ears. The only thought running through his mind: why hadn't he just taken the time to get his drunken ass to a payphone the other night? He gripped the edge of his cluttered table, face green.
"Well," Tony sighed, "if you don't wanna talk, Little Mickey Mouse, I'm sure I can get this bitch," and as he said the words, a woman's muffled scream rang out, "to let me in on the location of all that stolen smack."
Realizing he had been holding his breath, Mickey let it out and sat down in a kitchen chair. He pulled it out loudly, scratching the tile. He turned to face the archway, watching intensely for someone to walk his way. "Let's skip the part," Mickey said, clenching and unclenching his fist, "where you feed me a bunch of bullshit. How the fuck did you really find me?"
Tony chuckled. "Well, I might have lied some," he said. "My guy's not really Julio's brother." He paused and Mickey could hear Brenda whimpering in the background. Finally, Tony sniffed hard and licked his teeth loudly. "Hey, you remember that kid you were in a stall with?"
"What?"
"That kid, Marcus," Tony said, casual, "well after he helped you out finding a job down here in Indianapolis, he ran off to Reno."
Mickey worried his lip.
"I gotta say, Mickey," Tony laughed, "he wasn't too happy when he got a call from Julio a few months back about you stabbing them in the back. Made Marcus look bad for recommending you. He also wasn't too happy when he found out you were fucking his ex. Something about the idea of a faggat giving her aids really pissed him off."
First off, Mickey was floored. Second off, he was offended because he didn't aids. Third, Marcus was one to fucking talk. Mickey scowled. "Guess he forgot to mention she was his ex when he was sucking me off," Mickey growled. "And I guess he skipped over telling you he likes it up the ass." Tony was grinding his teeth, Mickey could hear it if only barely. "Just let her go," Mickey said.
Tony barked a laugh, saying, "Who, the whore? Nah, she's content."
Mickey seriously doubted that, seeing as he could hear Brenda crying.
"So listen, Mickey," Tony cleared his throat, "I'll just be honest with you. We don't want any more trouble to stir up than it has too. We just want your stolen stash, and we'll be out of your hair."
Fuck that. Mickey had worked too hard for that stash of heroin. Had too many plans, and now that Mandy was how she was, he needed to sell that shit more than ever. So he told Tony to go fuck himself.
Tony tisked. "You're pretty brave, aren't you, fucker?" he said. "You know, when we got here, this bitch was already roughed up pretty bad. Your place is torn all to hell, too. I'd say Marcus and I aren't the only ones who came snooping."
Mickey bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, calm him some.
"I think Julio thought you were dead when he called Marcus up," Tony says. "It'd would a shame if someone told him you weren't."
Mickey opened his mouth to scream into the receiver, but Tony had already hung up. All Mickey had was a dial tone. He threw the phone across the room, cursing thunderously, and watched it shatter. Not two second later, Ian walked hesitantly into the kitchen, frowning, concerned.
"Who was that?" Ian asked.
Mickey wiped the trickle of blood from his lip to his chin. He looked away from Ian and pressed his palms flat against the table. "Iggy," he lied. "Needs me to do him a favor."
Ian furrowed his brow as Mandy wheeled herself up beside of him, Kevin following close behind. Mickey hated having an audience when he was trying to compose himself. He hated having an audience period. Mandy was the first to react to Mickey's lie, pointing out that Iggy had been in the joint now for six years. Going on seven. What could he possibly need Mickey for?
"None of your fucking business, bitch," Mickey snarled and stood fast, walking over to his refrigerator and jerking open the door. The bottles inside jingled as he harshly pulled out a milk carton and glugged.
The banter went on for a while, Mickey finally convincing everyone and getting them to shut up. Ian expressed his disagreement with Mickey doing any favors for some guy locked away in federal prison. Kevin washed his hands of the whole situation and went back to work downstairs. Mandy just stopped talking to Mickey all together. Eventually, Mickey kicked Ian out, said he needed to talk to his sister alone.
