Chapter 2.
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Disclaimer: I don't own Shameless.
Steve and Ian buzzed around the living room, handing out burgers and drinks to everyone.
"Burgers coming through!" Yelled Ian as he walked over to where Daniela was sitting in a green chair beside the wall. Standing up, the girl let him sit down before popping down onto his lap. He took a moment to get comfortable before he held out a burger and drink for her.
"Double cheeseburger with extra pickles and mustard and a strawberry milkshake."
Daniela smiled and took it. "Thank you."
Fiona teared her eyes away from the television to look at her other brother. "Uh, Lip, napkins?"
The blonde girl- who Daniela knew to be Karen- stood up next to him offering to get them. Lip politely denied, urging her to sit.
"Only ketchup," read out Steve before an eager Debbie piped up.
"Me. Me!"
"Extra onions, jalapenos," The door opened and in walked Veronica, hopping over the couch to sit on the other side of Fiona whilst grabbing her burger from Steve's hand.
"Make room," she ordered, turning to look at Karen curiously. "Who's this?"
"This is Karen," said Lip, coming back with a wad of napkins which he placed down on the coffee table in front of Daniela. Veronica was in the middle of asking Karen what size shirt she was when Fiona told her to shut up and directed her focus to the screen.
Daniela unwrapped her burger and began diving into it, not bothering to be dainty and mask the fact that she was starving. She felt Ian's chest rumble from a silent chuckle causing her to turn and raise an eyebrow at him.
"What?" Ian covered up his laughs and shook his head.
"Nothing, it's just, if you keep eating like that you might break my legs". Knowing he was joking, Daniela playfully gasped and punched him in the shoulder making him groan and her grin.
"Asshole", she cursed, turning back to the television and settling against him.
As she was drinking from her milkshake, Daniela noticed a pair of eyes staring at her. Looking to her left, she spotted Lip as the culprit. The boy stared at her oddly, watching as she drank from her straw. His eyes were focused on her mouth- more importantly, her full lips- wrapped around the plastic.
Realizing what he was thinking, Daniela quickly stopped drinking and instead placed her cup down onto the table. When she looked back at Lip, his attention was already gone- now focusing on Karen.
They were ten minutes into the program when the door closed- alerting them of Frank's appearance. Daniela's eyes widened as she took in the man's bloodied face.
"You okay, Frank?" Asked a concerned Steve as everyone's attentions turned towards the man.
Daniela felt Ian tense in anger underneath her before he gently urged her off of him. The girl watched as her friend crossed over in front of the TV.
"Hey," he called. When Frank continued walking, paying no attention, Ian grew angrier. "That my shirt?" Ian pointed to the green flannel his father was wearing. Frank looked at him before nodding his head.
"Yeah," he said in an obvious tone. When he started advancing on Ian, Daniela grew worried. She watched as Ian began backing up.
"Uh, I'm just asking," he said nervously. Daniela was about to stand up and get in between them when Frank- out of nowhere- head butted Ian, sending everyone into an uproar. The girl felt her blood boil as she quickly rushed to her friend.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Roared Steve as he shoved Frank.
Focusing on Ian, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it before rushing off to the kitchen to grab a wet cloth, passing Debbie who was now holding a frying pan.
"This isn't drunk!" Argued Frank. "You wanna see drunk?"
"Don't do this to your kids", begged Steve while Daniela hurried to grab a cloth and wet it under the tap.
Heading back into the living room, she knelt beside Ian and helped him sit up so she could start wiping away the blood. Fiona was on the other side of him, whispering soothing words.
When she noticed things were starting to escalate further between Frank and Steve, Daniela urged Fiona to go and intervene. Soon, Veronica came over to help out, using her nursing skills to stop Ian's nose from bleeding.
"Pinch the front of your nose where your nostrils are," she ordered, holding up the rag. Ian complied and continued to do so as the younger girl sat back and watched her friend. "Okay, you keep doing that and it should clot the blood, making it stop."
Daniela barely noticed Karen coming down to help them or Fiona kicking Steve out of the house. She was too angry at Frank barging in when they were all having a nice, peaceful afternoon.
Several viscious thoughts filled the girl's mind but she knew she had to stay calm. Looking to Veronica, she asked if there was anything she needed.
"Ice." Daniela got up to get some from the freezer, her fists clenching when she heard Frank saying that it wasn't a big deal.
"Anybody notice that I'm bleeding," complained Frank, holding out his arms. Daniela breezed past him with a bag of ice, trying her hardest not to say that no-one gave a stone, cold fuck if he was bleeding.
When no-one gave him a response, the man shook his head and walked into the kitchen to clean himself up.
Ian, who had grown tired of all the fussing, pushed himself off the table and up the stairs. Daniela took a deep breath, not sure if she should follow him or stay behind.
Lip didn't hesitate to follow his brother, with Daniela going after him.
Wordlessly, the pair made their way into the boys' bedroom. Her friend sat slumped on his bed. Daniela walked over and sat next to him, grabbing his hand. She observed his stained shirt and raised her eyebrows at him.
"You should probably take that shirt off." She watched with a hopeful smile as the corner of Ian's mouth tipped up.
"If you wanted me naked, El all you had to do was ask," he smirked as the both of them let out a laugh. Daniela pursed her lips at him as he stood up.
"Sounds intriguing. Too bad you bat for the other team." Ian laughed and shook his head before taking off his ruined shirt and slipping on a new, clean one.
"You should've hit him back," said Lip, rolling up a joint.
"If I ever do, I'll fucking kill him." Daniela had no doubts that what her friend said was true.
"So? Eight to ten for manslaughter. Get laid as often as you want. Tattoos and everything. It's gay heaven, man," jibed Lip making both Ian and Daniela glare at him.
"Dick."
Ian sighed and sat back down beside the girl, taking the outstretched towel from her to wipe his nose. Shrugging, Lip offered his joint to his brother, waiting for Ian to place it in between his lips before lighting it.
/
The next day, Daniela was working. She had just finished serving a customer when Ian burst through the door looking frazzled.
"Seen Frank?" He asked hurriedly. The girl shook her head.
"Frank's missing? Isn't it Last Friday?"
"Yeah, which is why this is so strange," explained Ian as he quickly ran through to the back to make sure his father wasn't there. Daniela watched uselessly as her friend made his way towards the door again.
"Do you need any help?" She offered as he opened the door. "I get off in half-an-hour."
"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks, El." Giving the girl a smile, he took off. Daniela watched him leave with a sigh and got back to work.
/
"Frank's in Canada?" Laughed a shocked Daniela. She had made her way over to the Gallagher house after work only to see Tony there informing them that Frank had been arrested in Canada.
Now she was sat upstairs with Ian, who couldn't help but find the whole situation hilarious.
"Yeah," grinned the red-head, lying back on his bed.
"Holy shit. How?"
"Who knows?"
Daniela chucked and laid down beside him.
Suddenly they heard the toot of a horn from outside and curiously made their way downstairs. Her eyes widened at the sight of a huge RV sitting in front of the house.
"What the hell is that?" Spoke Kevin, throwing on his jacket. Steve, who stood in front of them observing the vehicle, replied: "Our ride."
"Where are they going?" Asked Daniela as she crossed her arms.
"They're smuggling Frank back over the border from Canada," responded Lip casually. The girl gave him a strange look before nodding.
"Sounds about right."
After Kev, Veronica and Steve left with the strange guy and the RV, the rest of them headed back inside. Fiona and Steve headed into the kitchen while Ian and Daniela stayed back in the lounge.
The girl reclined herself on the sofa as Ian sat in one of the armchairs. She raised her eyebrows at him.
"Excited to be getting Frank back?" Ian scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"Oh yeah. Joy." Daniela snorted and almost jumped out of her skin when Debbie popped up behind the sofa.
"We should make something for Daddy. To celebrate!" Ian groaned causing Daniela to kick him lightly before flashing a kind smile at his sister.
"That sounds like a great idea, Debs. What did you have in mind?" The little red-headed girl pursed her lips in thought.
"You should have a theme," suggested Ian. "How about... Canada? I'm sure he'll love it."
The boy flashed a grin at Daniela who was trying her hardest not to laugh. No doubt Frank would absolutely despise anything Canada related. It was a terrible but hilarious idea.
Debbie thought it was a great one.
"It's perfect!" She proclaimed running up the stairs and quickly returning with a box of pencils and some paper.
"We should buy things made in Canada. I'm thinking some flags, beer, food- it'll be great! El, any chance you could help out with making a banner?" Debbie knew that one of Daniela's biggest passions and skills was art- which would definitely benefit her. The teenager nodded.
"Sure thing, Debs. I can quickly go home and get some more stuff we could use." The little girl's eyes lit up as she nodded.
/
When Daniela returned with her art supplies, the two girls got to work. They laid out a long piece of paper onto the kitchen table and set up paints and pencils around them. When the area was all set up, Daniela turned to Debbie and asked what kind of ideas she had for the banner.
"It should definitely have red and white and should say 'Welcome Home Frank'."
"Good idea," nodded the teen as she picked up a brush and dipped it in the black paint. She began painting out the letters, making sure they looked good. Not that she particularly cared what Frank thought. He'd most likely hate it. But that didn't stop her from making sure this was a damn good banner.
The two girls continued painting and laughing; Debbie had managed to get red paint all over her pants. Thankfully, they were old and worn, on the verge of unwearable. Daniela was a lot cleaner, having been more used to painting and making sure to not get messy.
The teenager appreciated Debbie's company. The young girl was always enjoyable to talk to and be around. Daniela used to babysit her, Carl and Liam sometimes when Fiona and Ian were working and Lip was out somewhere getting laid or tutoring.
Finishing up the last maple leaf, the two girls stood back and admired their impressive work.
"High five," grinned Daniela. Debbie laughed and smacked her hand against hers.
"Thanks, El."
The teen grabbed Debbie and pulled her into a hug, dropping a kiss down on her head. "Anytime, Debs." When the young girl yawned, Daniela looked at the clock to see that it had gotten rather late. "Why don't you head up to bed," she encouraged. "I'll clean all this up and take the banner home to dry. I'll bring it over first thing tomorrow."
The little girl, who was too exhausted to reply verbally, simply nodded before turning around and going up the stairs.
Daniela began packing away the paints into the basket she had brought over and washing the brushes under the tap. A sound from behind startled her and she turned around to see Lip opening the fridge and grabbing out a bottle of beer.
He gave her a once-over. "You still here?"
The girl rolled her eyes at him and leaned against the sink. "I was helping Debbie with her banner for Frank," she gestured towards the table where it laid. Lip scoffed as he took a drink of his beer.
"Asshole doesn't deserve a banner." He had said it quietly, most likely to himself rather than to Daniela. Nevertheless, the girl across from him heard it and nodded her head in agreement.
"I know that. But Debbie really wanted to so.." The boy nodded his head in understanding. Debbie was young, still full of wonder and naivety that had yet to be fully tarnished by the reality that was their father.
A silence washed over the room, not quite awkward but also not at all comfortable. Daniela cleared her throat and went over to carefully pick up the banner. She made sure to fold it delicately so that it did not crease but at the same time not smudge the still-drying paint.
She slung the basket onto her wrist before giving Lip a parting nod. "Goodnight."
He raised his bottle to her as she made her way past him and out the door.
/
The next morning, Daniela was up bright and early...well, 10:30. Still, that was very impressive for her given that she usually needed the assistance of her alarm clock to rouse her awake. Her eyes blinked and her vision began to focus. A yawn escaped her mouth as she got up out of bed.
Lazily glancing around her room, her eyes settled on the large paper sitting on the wooden desk.
Shit!
Frantically, Daniela made her way into the bathroom to have a shower and freshen up. She had completely forgotten about the banner.
As soon as she was out and dressed, the girl grabbed the banner- making sure not to rip it- and bolted down the stairs and out the door. She threw a passing goodbye at her brother who was stood in the kitchen watching her with a perplexed look.
By the time she got to the Gallagher house, she was puffing and the girl decided to make a mental note of trying to exercise more. Vaguely, she recalled Fiona telling her about her glory days on the track team in high school.
Shaking her thoughts away, she made her way up the front steps and opened the door only to see Debbie sitting on the sofa expectantly. When the girl saw her, she quickly walked to her and put her hands on her hips.
"You're late," she stated with a cocked eyebrow. Daniela's eyes lowered as she held out the banner to Debbie.
"Sorry Debs, I slept in." The girl pursed her lips at her for a moment before sighing.
"We have to hurry. Frank will be here in an hour."
Daniela and Debbie got to work hanging up the banner across the front of the house. Daniela had texted Kev and asked if she could borrow his ladder as neither she nor the Gallaghers had one. He had grudgingly said yes much to the girl's delight.
By the time they were done, people from all across the neighborhood had started to make their way over to the front lawn. Daniela happily noticed the Canadian flags they all held.
"Steve just texted. They'll be here any minute," announced Fiona as she made her way out onto the porch. She was followed by the rest of her siblings. Ian made his way over to Daniela and Debbie, rubbing the younger girl's head.
"Banner looks great, Debs." She was positively beaming at his compliment.
"Thanks, Ian, I couldn't have done it without El."
Daniela smiled softly and shook her head. "All you, Debs." Ian nudged his shoulder and wrapped his arm around her in a one-armed hug.
"Thanks for that," he said honestly. Daniela shrugged her shoulders, it wasn't a big deal.
Cheers suddenly erupted around them as they caught a glimpse of the huge RV coming down the street. People started waving their flags and hollering at the vehicle. It came to a stop and Daniela grabbed Ian's hand. She knew her friend was less than eager to have his father back and she wasn't exactly jumping for joy about it either.
The door swung open to first reveal Veronica who stepped off with a huge grin. Kev followed closely behind, proudly holding what looked to be a box full of pharmaceuticals.
Daniela didn't even wanna know what the story was there.
After Kev came Frank who was less than pleased to see his neighbors cheering and waving the Canadian flag in his face.
"Oh, fuck off. Fuck off," he swore angrily. Lip patted him on the chest as he made his way towards the stairs causing his father to turn back and glare at him, much to the boy's delight.
"Welcome home, Daddy," smiled Debbie sweetly. Daniela's jaw clenched when Frank simply glanced at her and stalked inside.
"Asshole," she muttered. Ian turned to her and huffed a laugh, agreeing.
/
Later that afternoon when things had died down, Daniela went to the hospital to see her mom.
The woman was sat upright in her bed holding a spoon of soup. Cancer in her throat had made it difficult for Daniela's mother to properly swallow anything. Meals like soup and oatmeal were much easier for the woman to ingest.
Her mom seemed to be having a hard time pushing the soup down by the choking sounds she was making. The nurse, who had been carefully observing her, rushed to her side and began helping.
Daniela inched further into the room, her eyes wide. The sight of her mother coughing up the soup onto her bed was an unsettling one that she didn't want to get used to.
Camille, who had once been tough and not afraid to tell anyone what she really thought, had now succumbed to a shell of a woman she once was. It pained Daniela greatly as she made her way over and held her mom's hand. The now-frail woman looked at her, her eyes glassy with tears. No words were needed to convey the woman's frustration.
The nurse maneuvered the small table away from the hospital bed before gently taking the sheets off of Camille and bundling them up.
"I'll be back shortly with some fresh sheets." She gave Daniela a kind smile before leaving. The girl sighed and sat down in the seat beside her mother's bed.
While they waited for her return, she recounted the day's events, enjoying the way her mom's shoulders shook with laughter at hearing about Frank's welcome home party and the smile that seemed so rare nowadays on her face.
.
Yeah I know, the end was real shit but I'm honestly terrible at ending chapters- and also stories in general. Hopefully it wasn't too crappy. I know it's a bit slow but I promise it will get going soon.
Also, the relationship between Lip and Daniela will be a slow one. I hate stories where the characters fall in love and live happily ever after in the first 7-10 chapters. I still have to build up the dynamic and relationship before I get to that stage. I have season one and two currently planned out and I'm pretty happy with it.
Please leave a review to let me know what you think.
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