Chapter 35.
You're all amazing and I appreciate you so much. Thanks for waiting and I hope you enjoy. This chapter was cut into two because of how long it was getting.
Also! Any religious views represented in this chapter do not reflect my own personal ones, they're purely Daniela's thoughts.
Disclaimer: I do not own Shameless.
Eight days.
That's how long it had been since Daniela had lost her mother. Eight whole days.
She had read about the five stages of grief and tried to factor herself into which stage she currently reigned.
The first stage -denial- had come pretty quickly. After returning home, Daniela found that she couldn't feel a thing, nor form a solid thought. There was almost a normalcy about everything, so much so that the next day she had no quarries about turning up to work.
Daniela had walked into the K&G looking fresh-faced and ready to go much to the confusion and worry of her boss who had been there to cover her shift.
"Daniela," gaped Linda when she saw her walk in. The teen simply nodded her head as she moved past her to hang her bag up.
"Morning, Linda." Linda watched in shock as Daniela moved towards the back where the storage was.
"You want me to do last night's inventory?" Her voice carried throughout the store sounding as if she hadn't just suffered a major loss. Still wary, Linda followed the voice, coming to a stop when she saw Daniela reading over the lists.
"I didn't think you were working today."
The girl frowned down at the clipboard, sparing her boss a brief glance. "Why wouldn't I be working?"
Linda sighed and rubbed a hand over her forehead as the girl moved around to where the boxes were, her pen ticking off what she could find. "Daniela…" She knew she had to go about this gently.
Still, her words fell on deaf ears as Daniela continued working but the woman could see that she wasn't completely distracted judging by the white of her knuckles as they clenched around the pen.
With a tsk, Linda strode over to her and snatched the clipboard out of her hands. Daniela's mouth gaped at the woman.
"What-?"
"Go home."
Her reply was instant. "I don't want to go home."
"You shouldn't be working," noted Linda, her voice softer now. "Not after..."
Daniela's facade shifted ever so slightly before being replaced with her calm exterior. She swallowed and lifted her chin, a defiant glint in her eyes.
"I'm fine, Linda."
"You should be at home-"
"I said I'm fine!" Snapped Daniela before instantly regretting it when she saw the other woman jump. She pinched the bridge of her nose and brought her voice back down. "Sorry. I just- please don't make me go home."
For her, home was nothing but a cold reminder of what she had lost and right now she was determined to act is if nothing had changed.
Linda's eyes roamed over her face in the way that only a mother's could. Seeing this, Daniela shifted her stare to rest past her shoulder as the knot in her jaw wound tighter.
"Okay," relented Linda in a voice so soft that it was almost unintelligible. Daniela's shoulders sagged with quiet relief while her boss offered out the clipboard.
"There was a delivery last night," explained Linda; the authority flowing back into her tone though it was much gentler than usual. "Inventory still needs to be done for that and then once you're finished you'll need to restock the fridges."
Daniela nodded dutifully, feeling the urge to thank her but ultimately deciding against it. Linda knew. She understood, and so the girl went about doing her jobs. She did all of the inventory, even going as far as to do it twice in case she missed something. Then she restocked the fridges from the back and threw out the expired milk that had been left in there.
Daniela then decided to restock the shelves behind the register. The ones dedicated to the most highly sought after products school as booze and cigarettes. With a grunt, she placed down a box of bourbon before pulling out a box cutter to open it.
She began unloading them, one at a time, making sure not to drop any of the bottles. She didn't want to clean the mess up. However, as she went to put one on display, her hand stopped, leaving the label right in her line of sight.
Daniela's eyes scanned the bottle with the amber liquid sloshing around inside of it when an idea came to mind. It was not a good idea by any means, but in that moment it made perfect sense to her.
Chancing a look over her shoulder, Daniela saw that her boss was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes moved to the security camera installed on the wall and she held contact with the lens for a good moment. Making up her mind, the girl shifted so that her body was positioned over the box, effectively hiding it from view.
She made quick work of dispensing two bottles. She contemplated taking a third but figured it would be far too risky for her first attempt.
First attempt? Surely this would be a one-time thing.
Daniela didn't let herself think too much about it as she pushed the bottles into a tucked away area under the front counter where no one was sure to find them.
Slowly, with baited breath, she rose, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear. She waited a few moments to see if her boss would say anything but no such scolding came. Relieved, Daniela got back to work.
At the end of her shift, after saying goodbye to Linda, the girl made her way around the counter to where her bag was. She grabbed it before crouching down to where her hidden stash was. Quickly she loaded them before also grabbing a pack of Virginia Slims and a lighter as an afterthought.
As she made to leave, something stopped her. Daniela's hand rested against the handle and she bit her lip in deep thought. Blinking, she dug her hand into her pocket and walked back towards the cash register where she slapped the cash down before finally going home.
/
Day three came and Daniela had done as much as she could to stay away from any discussion of the funeral despite Jacob's consistent urging that she should participate.
That day had been particularly bad for Daniela as she was beginning to run low on bourbon and the lack of sleep she had managed to get had left her in a crabby mood.
She had been on her way to get some more when her brother stopped her.
"Dani, can you come here for a second?" He called from the kitchen. She rolled her eyes but followed the voice to where he was sat at the table.
"What?"
He gestured with two fingers for her to come closer which she did grudgingly. "I wanted to get your opinion on something." Daniela sucked on her teeth and crossed her arms waiting for him to continue.
"I was thinking that we could have the service at the church."
Instantly, the girl's eyes narrowed, feeling anger pulsating in her chest. "Why?" She demanded.
"Mom was Catholic."
"Yeah and look what good that did her," snapped Daniela, throwing her hand up in exasperation. She couldn't believe him.
Yes, her mother had been a devoted Catholic once upon a time but after the situation with her father, that connection had been shattered between them and the church. They didn't want the family of a murderer in their midst while they preached on Sundays.
"I just don't think we should pass on considering to have the service at the church," reasoned Jakob, his voice never rising higher than its usual volume.
Daniela scoffed immediately. "We absolutely should pass on it considering the church did shit all for us when she was dying. "
"Dani-"
"You're not actually considering it?"
Jakob fell silent, simply choosing to roll his tongue between his teeth. Daniela sucked on her own, her head shaking before turning and marching upstairs only to return moments later with her coat.
At the sight of her leaving, Jakob shot up from his seat, his brow furrowed.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Daniela rolled her eyes as her hand rested on the handle of the door. "Relax," she snapped. "I'll be back."
She closed the door behind her, hearing the sound of her brother calling out her name but she simply ignored him and carried on walking. Reaching into her pocket, she found her phone as well as her trusty packet of cigarettes.
Placing one in between her lips, Daniela then pulled up a name in her contacts, her fingers working against the screen to type a message.
Around fifteen minutes later she arrived at her destination, happy to see that the person she had texted had received it and was waiting for her.
Mandy, finally spotting her, rose from her steps and walked towards the front of the sidewalk where Daniela stood. Her eyes looked over the other girl's face curiously.
"Why are you here?" She asked causing Daniela to shrug.
"We're friends now, aren't we?"
Mandy nodded, her gaze slipping to her shoe that scraped against the concrete. "Yeah, we're friends."
The corner of Daniela's mouth quirked up. "Then that's why I'm here."
Mandy nodded once more before gesturing with her thumb to the house behind her. "My dad's inside," she said as a warning.
"That's okay," replied Daniela with a slight shake of her head. "I just wanted to talk."
It was silent for a moment before Mandy motioned to the steps. Wordlessly, both girls sat down. Daniela pulled the sides of her jacket closer together and reached into her pocket to retrieve her carton of cigarettes.
Mandy watched with a frown as she placed one between her lips before lighting it. "Since when do you smoke?"
Daniela waited to blow out the small cloud of smoke before answering. "It's a recent development."
A look of understanding passed over Mandy's face as the other girl offered out the box. Her fingers pinched around one and pulled it out before accepting the girl's lighter.
Much like Daniela, the Milkovich exhaled the fumes and tossed the other girl a sideways glance.
"How're you doing with all that?" Her tone wasn't overly warm though Daniela understood that that was just how Mandy was.
"I honestly don't know," she revealed, heaving a deep sigh. "One minute I'm crying the next it's as if nothing's wrong and then suddenly it's like everything in the world annoys me."
"Where are you at now?" Asked Mandy, flicking the ash off of the end of her cigarette.
Daniela twisted her mouth, mulling over it internally. "Right now I wanna hit something."
"My offer's still on the table," reminded Mandy with a small, sly grin. Seeing the other girl's confusion, she elaborated. "Karen."
"Oh," remembered Daniela, the idea causing her to laugh. "My answers still no."
Mandy pouted momentarily before eyeing Daniela more seriously this time. "What pissed you off?"
"My brother," she answered, bringing her cigarette to her lips. "It wasn't really his fault. He didn't do anything wrong, it was just me being a bitch." Mandy remained quiet, waiting for her to continue. She sighed before doing so.
"Jakob asked if we should have the service in a church and I don't know why but the thought just made my blood boil. I mean, not once did God or anyone else from that church reach out to help us over the past four years.
"When my mom was first diagnosed, I used to pray. Every night I would pray to God or whoever the fuck was up there to just help her. But no-one did and I realized that it was all a huge fucking waste of time. God didn't give a shit about what I had to say, and he sure as shit didn't give a damn about my mother."
Daniela licked her lips and leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees. The cigarette, now almost finished, sat pinched between her knuckles. Her eyes lingered on it critically before she eventually let out a sigh. There was certainly some irony in their somewhere but she couldn't be bothered distinguishing it.
"Ian thinks you're shutting him out," revealed Mandy as Daniela put her smoke out. The girl huffed quietly to herself and pulled out another cigarette that was quickly lit. Mandy watched her through her cloud of smoke. "Are you?"
Daniela pulled the cigarette from her mouth to let it hang between her fingers. Her mouth twisted as she watched the cigarette get eaten up by the flame.
"Lip is Ian's brother," she said as if her conclusion was obvious. "He's family."
"And?" Frowned Mandy, not seeing the point. "He's just as pissed at Lip as you are. Brother or not, I think he'd take your side."
Daniela wanted to believe it but something was ultimately stopping her.
"Still," she continued. "His anger is fresh, and sure he'll hate Lip for a while but eventually things will just go back to normal between them." The cigarette rolled between her fingers as she laughed wryly. "I guess it's my own fault for falling for his brother."
"It's not your fault that Lip decided to fuck Karen," insisted Mandy, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the nonchalant girl. "He fucked things up. Not you."
Daniela chose not to respond. She didn't know how to. Instead, she simply took another puff before slowly releasing the smoke into the cold air.
/
By the next morning, Daniela's situation had not eased up. In fact, she already knew from the moment that she woke up that it was going to be a long day.
It was Sunday, and Sunday meant visitation day. Due to the sensitivity of the news they'd be giving their father, the siblings thought it prudent that they have their grandmother tag along. They knew that the woman would be able to calm her son if she got out of hand.
Daniela stood patiently to the side, her fingers drumming against her crossed forearm. Jakob occupied the metal chair as Wilda was wheeled up beside him. The woman's face was pinched as she waited for her son to walk in. All three of them knew it wouldn't be easy.
The sound of a beep echoed through the room alerting them of the door being unlocked. Their eyes simultaneously fell onto Lawrence as he emerged, also managing to spot them easily. At the sight of his mother, his stride faltered.
Daniela observed as her father's eyes faded over in thought before he heaved a deep sigh and continued towards them. The man slid onto the seat and made a steeple with his hands. His expression showed that he had figured it out. Why else would his mother be with them?
Jakob was the one to reach for the phone as Lawrence grabbed his own.
"When?" Was all the man asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
Jacob's mouth thinned as he struggled to maintain eye contact with his father. "Wednesday."
Lawrence inhaled sharply. "Four-" He released the breath, his fist clenching against the counter. His eyes flicked up to meet his son's. "You kept this from me for four days?"
Jakob swallowed, his head tilting as he thought of ways to explain. "We didn't want you to find out over the phone."
Lawrence filled in the rest himself. Sunday was the only time they could tell him face to face, the way it should be. He understood this but it still hurt that it took so long for the news to reach him.
He heaved a ragged breath and shook his head as it fell forward so that his face was parallel with the counter. The three on the other side of the glass watched as he tried to reel in his emotions.
Daniela's brow furrowed, empathizing with her father whilst also pitying the fact that he couldn't do much more but sit there and accept the fact that his wife was dead. Jakob shared a similar sentiment when he felt his grandmother nudge him gently.
Wilda gestured for the phone which was given to her instantly. She cleared her throat before muttering hushed words in German through the phone to her father.
Lawrence kept his head down with his hand supporting it on a propped up elbow. The siblings watched in confusion and intrigue as Wilda's words grew more determined. Daniela observed the change in her father as her grandmother repeated whatever she was saying.
Whatever it was, it inevitably caused him to look up at her, showcasing his red eyes. Wilda leaned forward in her chair, continuing to mumble in German.
"Okay?" She asked, eyebrows raising for clarification.
Lawrence nodded and wiped a thumb over his nose. "Okay."
"Good," nodded Wilda in satisfaction. "Now, you're going to be on your best behavior and not fuck anything up."
"I won't," he promised determinedly. His eyes shifted to his children who watched the interaction in mild bewilderment. He swallowed when his eyes made contact with Daniela's.
The girl sniffled and wiped her nose, hating the fact that her father was trapped behind the wall of plexiglass. She wanted nothing more than to hug him and share in her grief with him. She knew that this would be hard on him and hated that he had to endure it alone.
As they made their way out of the prison, Jakob tried his hardest to weasel out what Wilda and their dad had been talking about but their grandmother had remained tight lipped on it all much to their annoyance.
That night, for the first time in a long time, Daniela prayed. She figured that if God took one parent away then surely he could return another to her. She didn't care for how long, just as long as it was enough time for her to be held by her father.
The ridiculousness of the situation wasn't lost on her considering how much she had lambasted God the night before but she was desperate for the love that only a parent could offer and figured that she may as well give it a try.
At the end of her prayer, Daniela laid down on her bed just staring up at the roof. She didn't know if her attempt at bargaining would work but she wished that it would. An itch in her throat caused her to sit up all of a sudden and turn her attention to her closet.
Daniela twisted her mouth before standing and opening the doors. She dug around blindly before her fingertips made contact with what she had been looking for.
Daniela retrieved the bottle of bourbon and uncapped it before taking a long skull. Her throat burned from the liquid but she had grown to enjoy the sensation as well as the warmth of the liquor hitting her belly.
Smiling slightly, Daniela, with the bottle still in hand, returned to her bed in another useless attempt at trying to get some sleep.
/
Ian made his way home, his mind replaying the conversation he'd had with Mandy earlier that day. She had told him about Daniela's visit to her house as well as the reason for the girl's distance. Ian thought it was ridiculous.
Her belief that he would simply forgive his brother was far from the truth. In fact, ever since finding out, Ian had done nothing but ignore Lip, not even when his brother tried to broker some peace.
Hitching the strap of his bag higher up his shoulder, Ian cut through the backyard of his house towards the stairs but came to a stop when he saw Lip occupying them already with a beer in his hand.
Ian's jaw set at the sight of him as Lip finally registered him.
"Hey," he said, nodding his chin in greeting.
Ian didn't say anything back. He hadn't all week. Instead, he simply side-stepped his brother to move up the stairs. He had just reached the door when Lip spoke again.
"Were you just with her?"
Ian rotated to narrow his eyes at his brother who was now stood up and facing him from the bottom of the steps.
"Why do you care?" The harshness of his voice caused Lip to avert his eyes. His lips pursed as he kept his eyes on the ground.
"How is she?"
"I wouldn't know considering she won't talk to me," revealed Ian in annoyance. "And even if I did, I still wouldn't tell you."
Lip flicked his eyes back up to the top of the stairs. "Fiona told me the service is on Saturday."
Ian glared back at him, his lip curling in a scowl. "You're not going."
"Why wouldn't I?"
The redhead scoffed in disbelief, feeling his irritation rise. "Because you fucked Karen!"
Lip climbed one stair as his eyes narrowed. "Would you shut the fuck up?" He hushed causing his brother to laugh wryly.
"What? You don't want them to find out?" He yelled, gesturing to the house. "How did you explain the fact that you haven't been over to comfort your girlfriend- or should I say ex-girlfriend?"
Lip glanced to the side of him as the tick in his jaw increased the more his brother went on. Ian didn't stop.
"Own up to it, Lip!" He moved down the stairs to stand in front of his brother. "You cheated on El with some no good skank that doesn't give a shit about you."
"Get the fuck out of my face," warned the older boy in a low voice that made Ian narrow his eyes in challenge.
"What are you gonna do?" Asked the boy, using his height to his advantage. "Go ahead."
Ian grunted at the feeling of being shoved back onto the stairs. He managed to use his hands to soften the fall but once his mind caught up with what had just happened, all he saw was red.
"Motherfucker."
With a roar, he jumped up and tackled Lip to the ground. Fists flew wildly, followed by crunches as both boys wrestled on the ground. Ian groaned when Lip directed a blow at his stomach.
Neither one of them was sure how long it took for them to attract the attention of Fiona who quickly came rushing down the stairs.
"Hey, hey, hey! Quit it, both of you!" The woman hauled Ian up by his arm just as Lip managed to get him off. Her eyes flicked between the two, noting the bloody noses and cut lips. "What the hell is going on here?"
Ian wrenched his arm out of Fiona's grip to send a vicious glare at his brother.
"Ask him."
Fiona's attention moved to Lip who was clutching his stomach in pain. The boy avoided eye contact causing her to tut before turning to see Ian walking away.
"Ian!" She called out but he didn't stop. When she lost sight of him, Fiona sighed before eyeing Lip who was wiping the blood off onto his shirt. Her jaw clenched as she snapped. "Get inside."
Lip massaged his jaw with a wince before following his sister's instructions.
/
Ian kept a steady pace on his way to Daniela's house, his cheek hurting and his fists bruised. With the uninjured one, he banged on the front door of her house. Daniela soon appeared, her lips parting at the sight of him before she took in the blood.
Her eyes darkened with concern. "What the hell happened?"
"I got into it with Lip." She released a breath and shook her head. This was the last thing she wanted happening right now.
"Get inside," she ordered, stepping away to let him in.
Ian followed her into the kitchen where she made him sit at the table while she went to the freezer to grab a bag of frozen peas. He gratefully accepted it before resting the bag against his cheekbone, nearly sighing at the comfort of it.
Daniela remained standing and moved to lean her back against the kitchen counter. "Want some lasagna? Simon's mom keeps sending all this food over."
Ian shook his head. "I'm okay, thanks."
Daniela nodded, her teeth biting down on the inside of her cheek as she continued to observe him. "You shouldn't have done it."
"You didn't think I'd actually let him get away with it did you?" Asked Ian incredulously. His friend simply shook her head.
"No," she admitted. "But I was hoping you'd change your mind."
"Why?" Ian narrowed his eyes at her. "Why are you protecting him after what he did?"
"I'm not," bit back Daniela quickly. She closed her eyes for a moment, regaining composure. "I didn't want you to ruin your relationship with him."
Ian chuckled darkly. "I think he's already fucked that one up."
"Don't say that." The girl frowned at him before moving to take a seat at the table. "You two are so close and I'd hate to think that I was the reason that was ruined."
"But it's not your fault."
Daniela kept quiet, choosing to focus her attention on her fidgeting hands. Ian, seeing this, dropped the bag of peas on the table so that he could shift his chair closer to hers. He leaned forward, brows raised in conviction.
"El. It's not your fault."
The girl gulped and he sighed.
"Brother or not, there was no way in hell I was letting him get away with hurting my best friend."
Daniela twitched her nose, feeling her eyes begin to water as her hands curled and uncurled. "I'm sorry for distancing myself from you. I just- I saw the way you acted when you found out what he did and I-"
"Hey," Ian's gentle voice stopped her as he took hold of both of her hands. Her eyes finally met his. "You don't have to explain."
Thankful, Daniela nodded as she tried to get her emotions under control. Ian's eyes roamed over her face and his forehead creased when he noted the bags under her eyes.
"When was the last time you slept?" He asked all of sudden causing her lips to part.
"This afternoon."
"No," he shook his head, not satisfied. "I mean properly slept. Not just 'resting your eyes for a few minutes' sleep."
Daniela simply shrugged. "I can't remember." Her honesty had Ian eyeing her with concern.
Not wanting to linger on the topic, Daniela turned her head. Reluctantly, Ian also let it go before looking to see pamphlets for funeral services spread out on the table.
He dragged one over with his finger to skim his eyes over it. "How's it coming along?"
"I don't know. Jake's planning the whole thing," answered the girl with a shake of her head. She hadn't even flicked through the things herself. They had just sat there for the past week but she knew that her brother had purposely left them out on the table for her to see.
"You didn't want to?"
"Not really."
He decided not to push any further, already knowing that she was in a fragile state as it was, going off of what Mandy had told him.
He sighed before standing from his seat. "I better head back before Fiona decides to come for my head."
Daniela followed behind him to the door, stopping to accept his hug.
"Remember, I'm here for you, okay?" Promised Ian. "Whatever you need."
"Mhm," nodded the girl into the crook of his neck. Her friend placed a kiss to her cheek before pulling away and leaving.
With Ian now gone, the small smile slipped from Daniela's face. She headed back into the kitchen, picking up the bag of peas and putting it back into the freezer. She inhaled deeply and moved to rest her palms on the counter.
Her fingers tapped against the top of it as her lips pursed. Blinking, Daniela quickly ripped open the cupboard door to retrieve what she had quickly hidden away when Ian came banging on her door.
She didn't bother grabbing a cup.
Her shoulders shook with quiet sobs as she took a long gulp and her mouth quivered when she slammed the bottle back down. Daniela wiped at her damp cheeks, before raising the bottle to her lips once again, longing for the dulling effect of the liquor to kick in.
/
Two days passed before the big day finally arrived and much like the entire week prior, Daniela had had little luck in getting any sleep. Instead, she chose to dip into her small supply of booze that had thankfully been replenished after her shift the day before.
Her window had been left open the whole night, something she regretted when she felt the cold carrying through her room. In her tired haze, she had forgotten to close it as she had had it open for when she lit her cigarettes. There had been many, more than she had ever smoked before.
Much of the night had consisted of her lying in bed with her bottle tucked close to her side and a cigarette clenched between two knuckles as she listened to old albums she remembered her mother playing throughout her youth. In between three and seven am she had managed to drift off into a fragile sleep that did little to energize her.
With her head pounding, Daniela got to work laying out her clothes for the service when she was interrupted by a knock on the door that did little to help her headache. Grimacing, the girl twisted to see Jakob standing in her doorway, looking the nicest she had ever seen him.
"Morning," she greeted him, trying her hardest to mask her current hangover. Her skills had been improving.
"Hey. You get much sleep last night?"
She shook her head. "Not really, you?"
Jakob copied her, a grim look on his face as he leaned against the doorway. "Were you listening to music last night?"
"Yeah, sorry if it was too loud."
Instead of appearing angry, Jakob shook his head, a hint of a smile on his face. "No, it was fine. What was it, Selena?"
Daniela nodded, glancing behind her at where the records were placed. "She was always one of mom's favorites."
When she was a kid, Daniela remembered her mother playing her albums non-stop throughout the house whenever she was cooking, cleaning, or just wanting to sing. Her eyes would always light up as she sang along to the words, urging her young daughter to dance along with her.
Both Daniela and Jakob smiled, each remembering the fond memories of their mother. The man twisted his mouth grimly before clearing his throat.
"I'm heading over soon," he told her causing Daniela to drop her eyes. "I need to get there early to make sure everything's okay."
"Alright," nodded Daniela, turning back to her clothes. "I'll text Ian and let him know I'm going with him."
Her answer didn't seem to be what Jakob was looking for as it caused him to sigh. "Dani," he began tentatively. "You should come with me."
Her hands grabbed at her forearms in an attempt to steady herself. She raised her chin slightly, finally meeting her brother's stare. "I'll be fine with Ian."
Noticing that she wasn't going to change her mind, Jakob relented with a short nod to himself.
"Well, okay then. You'll make sure you get there in time?"
"Mhm."
"Okay." He strode towards her and rested his hand on the base of her neck before leaning down to press a kiss to her hair. Daniela closed her eyes, feeling the dizziness begin to overtake her. "I'll see you there."
With one last goodbye, Jakob gathered his things and left. Daniela walked over to her window and peeled back the curtain, waiting for his car to pull away from the curb. Once it had, she let the curtain fall before pivoting on her foot.
Her eyes came to rest on her cell phone plugged into the charger. Blinking, Daniela opted to grab a towel instead before heading into the bathroom. Before she could leave her room, however, an urge pulled her back. She rolled her tongue over her teeth and moved to open her closet to where, behind a few boxes, her private stash was.
With a sigh, she reached for a bottle and tucked it under her arm before heading into the bathroom and shutting the door.
/
Ian took a bite of his pancakes, savoring the taste of it when his phone went off. Dropping his fork, he reached into his pocket and answered it, not bothering to check who it was.
"Hello?"
"Ian, hey. It's Jakob." He recognized the voice of Daniela's older brother but it left him confused as to why he was calling him.
"Yeah, I figured. Is everything okay?" He asked, pushing his plate away. Across from him, Mandy and Ian looked up from their own breakfast. The Milkovich narrowed her eyes, having heard his question.
"Everything's fine. I just wanted to make sure Daniela had called to let you know she was coming with you to the service."
Ian frowned. "Uh…" His eyes flicked between the couple who looked just as confused as he was. Daniela hadn't called him at all. "Yeah, she did," he decided to lie before glancing around at the diner he was sitting in. "We actually just stopped in to get some breakfast first."
"Oh good," replied Jakob in relief. "Do you think you could try to get her here on time? It's just that I need her here a bit earlier."
"Sure, no problem. We'll leave soon."
"Thank you, Ian."
Muttering a goodbye, the redhead ended the call before quickly checking for any new messages.
"Who was that?" Asked Mandy instantly, her eggs and bacon forgotten.
Ian cursed under his breath, seeing that there was nothing new. "Jakob. He wanted to know if El was with us."
"Why?" Frowned Simon, taking a sip of his coffee.
"She told him she would be. Did she message any of you?" Both of them pulled out their phones, checking for anything before ultimately shaking their heads.
"Nothing."
"Me neither."
"Shit," muttered Ian as he frantically tried to flag down a waitress. "We need to go."
"What? Why?" Mandy's questions went unanswered as Ian decided to just leave the cash on the table. The others followed suit before heading out the door behind him.
/
The car Mandy had been borrowing from her brothers pulled up outside Daniela's house five minutes later. Once the ignition was off, all three of them piled out of the car and up the front steps.
"El!" Called out Ian as he banged his fist on the door. They waited for a few moments before concluding that she hadn't heard them. He grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, testing to see if it was unlocked. Much to their delight, it was.
The door swung open as they headed in, coming to a stop at the base of the stairs.
"El!" Ian tried again but to no response. Mandy and Simon branched off in different directions to check the kitchen and the lounge. Suddenly, the boy's eyes widened as his ears caught onto something.
"Does anyone hear running water?"
At Simon's question, the other two's eyes widened and in an instant, they were rushing up the stairs to where the bathroom was.
Ian inched closer to the door before tapping his knuckles against the wood. "El? You in there?" He pressed his ear against the door and tried to listen to the sounds of the water.
Moments passed with no response and slowly, dread began to settle into each one of their chests. Not wanting to waste any more time, Simon stepped forward to grab the handle but as he went to turn it, Mandy caught his hand.
He stared at his girlfriend in confusion to which she replied with a pointed look that made him gulp in realization. Running water in a bathroom meant that there was a high chance of Daniela being naked. With a grimace, Simon stepped back, allowing Mandy to come forward and open the door.
The first thing she noticed was the steam that wafted around the room. The thickness in the air unsettled Mandy as she moved further in. What she found caused her to halt completely.
"Oh fuck."
Alert, Ian rushed in behind her, also slowing to a stop when his eyes rested on what she had seen. There, naked and passed out in the shower, was Daniela and not too far from her was a knocked over, almost finished bottle of bourbon. The girl's hair stuck to her face as she lay crumpled against the edge of the bathtub. Her lips were parted as a stream of water rolled over her body.
"Help me get her out," hurried a wide-eyed Ian to Mandy. They both moved towards the tub when he turned to call over his shoulder. "Simon! Get me some towels!"
There was a sound of affirmation from the hallway followed by footsteps running around trying to find the linen cupboard. Mandy twisted the shower off as Ian stepped into the tub and bent down to grab hold of the unconscious girl's legs.
"Grab her shoulders," he ordered. Mandy followed his instructions, managing to grab a firm hold of the girl despite her being all wet. "Okay, you get out first and then me."
Together, the two of them carefully maneuvered her out of the bathtub before resting her against the tiled floor. Mandy looked up when she heard Simon approaching and raised her hand. Simon tossed her the towels before she quickly got to work wrapping them around the girl whose head was now resting on her legs. Her brow furrowed in worry as she watched Ian move beside her.
"Come on, come on," muttered the redhead, tapping Daniela's cheeks gently. When she remained unresponsive, Ian became more adamant. The silence stretched out with the only sound being Ian's worried murmurs.
Mandy stared down at Daniela's face, noting the bump on her head most likely caused by the fall. She felt a presence behind her and looked up to see Simon's grim expression staring down at their friend.
Daniela's eyes shot open with a gasp. Her head swiveled slightly, no doubt feeling a little disoriented. The others breathed a collective sigh of relief as her vision focused on seeing her friends staring down at her worriedly.
With a groan, she pushed herself up with her elbows as Mandy moved to give her some space. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Your brother called," responded Simon, his tone conveying his continued concern.
Daniela's eyes clenched shut. Of course, Jakob had called them.
"I was going to call," she began to defend herself but was waved off by Ian who checked his watch.
"We need to get you ready." Daniela blinked, suddenly realizing that her mother's funeral was set to begin shortly.
Both Ian and Simon helped to haul her to her feet before guiding her to her room. Her knees wobbled as her head tried to reorientate itself. The effects of the alcohol were still there. Thankfully, she had been wise enough to prepare her outfit in advance otherwise she was sure it would've taken them even longer to get her ready.
"I'll take it from here," said Mandy, coming to stand in front of Daniela. The boys nodded as they urged the girl to take a seat on her bed. With one last look at her, they made their way out before Mandy shut the door on them.
Daniela just stayed put. Her hands gripped the edge of the towel tightly, pulling it closer around her. Mandy moved silently around her, going to her dresser to retrieve some underwear. Neither brought up what had just happened.
Daniela wasn't even sure what to think of it herself. She remembered how good the pressure of the water had felt against her skin and the buzz from the alcohol that warmed her up even more. She remembered how relaxing it had been to just forget for a moment all of the shit that was happening in her life.
It had probably been a little too relaxing because, when paired with the lack of sleep she had been getting, it caused her eyes to drift shut and the next thing she knew she had blacked out. She didn't even know she had fallen until she woke up and felt the pain on the crown of her head.
At the thought of it, her hand poked out of the towel. Tentatively, her finger traced along her scalp until she winced when she was met with the developing bump.
It took her a second to realize Mandy was stood in front of her, eyeing her patiently.
"Up," she said, gesturing with two fingers. Daniela cleared her throat and slowly rose from the bed. Her hands just managed to catch the underwear tossed her way.
Mandy gave her a pointed look before turning on her heel and crossing her arms. Daniela hesitated a moment before quickly drying herself off and slipping the underwear and bra on.
Mandy chanced a look over her shoulder, seeing that she was done and moved to the bed to pick up the black dress the other girl had laid out. Understanding what she was implying, Daniela got to work pulling it on.
"Sit," ordered the Milkovich as she headed to where the other girl's limited supply of makeup was. After perusing through her options, she returned with what she wanted and a hairbrush which she soon held out to Daniela.
The girl took it and began working it through her wet hair. She winced as the bristles scraped against the bump. As she continued to brush, Mandy began work on making her look less pale than she currently was as well as paying extra attention to the bags under her eyes.
A knock at the door caught both of their attentions.
"You decent?" Called Ian, his voice muffled through the barrier.
Daniela cleared her throat. "Come in," she said, her voice still hoarse.
Ian and Simon soon piled into the room, each happy to see that she was beginning to look a bit more normal thanks to the help of Mandy. Daniela's eyes moved to the nearby mirror to check the progress and was happily surprised that she had chosen to stick to Daniela's more natural style as opposed to her usual preference of eyeliner.
Still, what Mandy was unable to cover up was the utter blankness on her face. It shocked even Daniela who had trouble believing it was really her reflection. Her eyes were hollow and distant as well as red.
Ian also noticed this and it caused him to offer her a thin smile as she turned back to them. Stepping forward, he offered out a glass of water and some ibuprofen.
"For the headache," He simply said, no doubt knowing how she felt. Daniela took them without a word, downing them easily.
"Your brother called again," continued Simon as she gulped them down. Her eyes flicked up. "We need to leave now."
A dread seeped into her chest. She wished for the floor to root her feet to the ground so that she wouldn't have to go. So that she wouldn't have to say goodbye. She had done enough of that already.
Mandy inched back, having finished her job. Daniela looked at the mirror again, urging herself to attempt to look even just a little bit happier. Then she remembered that she was going to bury her mother and that she had a right to look depressed.
She rose from the bed, thanking Simon who held out her coat for her. On their way out of her room, she also grabbed a pair of dark sunglasses to help hide her red, swollen eyes. Her fingers massaged her temples as they headed down the stairs and she wished for the pills to hurry up and take effect.
Daniela locked the door behind her, trying her best to prolong the inevitable as much as possible. Turning, she followed the others down the front steps, stopping to frown at the unfamiliar car parked by the curb.
"My brother's letting me borrow it for the day," supplied Mandy when she saw her confusion. With a nod, Daniela got into the back with Ian as Mandy and Simon took the front.
The ride to the funeral home was silent until Simon decided to switch the radio on in the hopes that it would ease everyone out. Daniela barely noticed it as she was far too busy in her own thoughts. There was a numbness to her that left her craving the blistering shower that left her skin hot and red. Amongst that, she also craved the bottle of bourbon she had left there.
She realized very suddenly that they would've definitely noticed it when they came in and the thought caused her to feel a deep sadness. Her secret was out. Of course, she didn't know this for sure. They could've been too busy trying to resuscitate her to see it but it had been in clear sight.
As if sensing her thoughts, the girl felt something rest over her hand. Tearing her gaze from the window, Daniela looked down to see Ian's hand covering hers. Her eyes lingered on it before her thumb slowly worked its way around his.
Ian squeezed her hand in reassurance as her eyes finally met his. Her brows furrowed slightly in thought before it was gone, replaced with the blank look that had become the norm for her.
She drew in a long breath when they pulled up at the funeral home. Three pairs of eyes fell on her as she continued to stare out at the small congregation of people waiting outside the building. Amongst them was Jakob who kept checking his watch.
Mustering up whatever courage she had left, Daniela slipped her sunglasses on and got out. The other three followed closely behind.
"We'll be here if you need it," assured Ian, leaning closer to her as they approached the young man. Daniela nodded, thankful that she had them.
Jakob's eyes finally caught her and they widened. "There you are!" He breathed in relief, speeding up to stand in front of her. His eyes raked over her, taking in her damp hair and the dark sunglasses.
"What took you so long?" He asked thought it lacked any signs of scolding. Instead, he appeared concerned as he grabbed her shoulders. "You okay?"
Daniela simply nodded, not trusting herself enough to speak without giving everything away. Through the safety of her tinted glasses, she flicked her eyes around the area to take in those in attendance.
Katherine stood nearby talking to Kev and Veronica. Beside them was the rest of the Gallagher family though Daniela noted that Lip wasn't with them. She wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed.
The others were people she vaguely recognized but none brought any names to mind. Some she remembered visiting her mother when she was in the hospital while a couple others were ex-employees at her dad's auto shop.
"We were waiting for you to get here," revealed Jakob, effectively pulling her attention back to observe his sober expression. "So you could see her before the others came in."
"Oh," mumbled Daniela, unsure of what to say. She suddenly felt bad for making all of these people wait. Jakob watched her before nodding his head towards the doors.
"Let's go."
Daniela nodded, glancing over her shoulder to her friends. Simon gave her a reassuring smile as Ian maintained that solid comfort for her.
Daniela followed her brother through the building, eyes flicking around at the paintings on the walls. She was glad that he had decided to go with this place instead of the church. Hesitantly, she reached up for her sunglasses before folding them and slipping them into her pocket.
As they came to the viewing room, Daniela swallowed, her throat suddenly very dry. Her eyes latched onto the coffin placed at the front of the room as well as her grandmother who was sat in her wheelchair in front of it.
She didn't realize she had stopped walking until Jakob had to physically urge her along.
"Grandma," he called out as they drew nearer. The elderly woman's attention moved to them and her face softened when she spotted her granddaughter.
"Oh, you made it!"
Daniela managed an apologetic smile as she bent down to kiss the woman's cheek. "Sorry, I'm late."
"Not to worry, dear. Not to worry." Reaching out, Wilda took hold of Daniela's hand and clasped it tightly between her own. Her thumb rubbed over the younger girl's skin comfortingly.
"Come look," said Wilda, gently pulling her forward. Daniela's breath hitched in her throat when her eyes finally came to rest on her mother. "She looks beautiful doesn't she?"
Daniela couldn't help but agree. It was the closest to normal she had seen her mother look in years. There were no tubes, no wires, just her. Jakob had done a great job with choosing her clothes. She recognized her mother's favorite purple dress and smiled.
"She looks peaceful," commented Daniela to herself but the others heard and nodded in agreement.
The three stood there for a few moments just admiring Camille before they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat.
"Sorry to interrupt," apologized the funeral planner with a kind smile. "Are we ready to begin?"
Jakob nodded. "Yes, we're-"
"Actually," interrupted Wilda. "We're waiting on one more."
The planner nodded cordially before exiting the room leaving Jakob and Daniela to frown down at their grandmother.
"Who?"
/
Outside, Ian huddled around with Simon and Mandy to talk about the morning's events.
"I didn't even know she was drinking," spoke Ian, shocked that she had managed to keep it under everyone's noses for this long.
Mandy shrugged beside him, her arms crossed. "She's good at hiding it. Besides, her mom just died and her relationship is over, she has a reason to."
Simon shook his head, also bewildered by the out of character behavior. "She lied to her brother about being with us. Why?"
"Probably because she couldn't handle it," surmised Ian thinking back to the times he had interacted with her recently. "All week she's avoided any talk about what happened. She didn't want anything to do with the funeral plans."
"This isn't good," said Simon, chewing on the skin around his nail. "We can't leave her alone."
"We can't hover over her either," argued Mandy. "Otherwise she'll just push us away too."
Ian nodded in agreement as he noticed another vehicle turning up behind them. It seemed he wasn't the only one as everyone else shifted around to peek at who had arrived so late.
Ian's eyes- along with many others, he was sure -widened when he saw who it was.
"Is that...?"
Mandy's question went unanswered as the others gaped at the tall, broad-shouldered figure who emerged from the car clad in a well-fitted suit.
Lawrence adjusted the lapels of his suit, feeling the shocked stares of everybody drilling into him.
Don't you just love cliffhangers? *cackles maniacally*
Also, I always enjoyed the idea of Camille loving Selena Quintanilla and roping her daughter into it as well. Selena was always one of my favorites and I had no doubt that with them also being Hispanic, that they would love her too.
Special thanks to Gina-B-ookworm, guest (1,2,3,4&5), Leah Tatyana Nicole, mchurch1992, wickedgrl123, Isabeux3, youthed, Raging Raven, Mia, RHatch89, 13teen, x NikiSt x, SweetRiceball20, Naruhina1519, and xenocannan for reviewing; the 28 who followed, and the 14 who favorited!
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