Chapter 9.

A fairly long chapter, I hope you enjoy!

Special thanks to: blue Wren, spencee98, ItsMalecNotLeviosA, Clara, BlackAngelic, MissingIdeas, MysticDBRose17, elijahsgirl96 and megst11.

Disclaimer: I don't own Shameless.


"Okay, so explain it to me one more time."

Lip sighed at the girl sitting next to him, going over the topic for the fourth time. Admittedly, it wasn't completely her fault. Liam was sick with a fever and had been crying on and off all afternoon. His changed temperament had made it difficult to conduct his tutoring session.

As he went in to begin re-explaining the theorem, a sharp cry sounded out from Liam's crib upstairs. With a sigh and a quick apology, Lip went up to get him.

He soon re-emerged with Liam in his arms. Tears ran down his chubby cheeks as snot dribbled down from his nose. Daniela, seeing Lip's silent frustration, stood up and made her way over.

"Here," she said opening her arms. The boy eyed her cautiously before nodding and handing him over. Daniela bounced Liam around in her arms gently, making small cooing noises. "What's wrong little man?"

Liam's cries settled down almost instantly, as he opted for playing with a strand of Daniela's hair instead. As he went to put the hair in his mouth, Daniela grimaced at the sight of all the drying tears and snot on his face.

Moving back over to the kitchen table, she took a seat and grabbed a napkin, using it to wipe his face clean. Satisfied with her work, she picked up a chunk of hair and held it out to Liam who took it contently. With a smile, she looked back up at Lip who was still stood by the stairs staring at her, slightly impressed and thankful. With a nod of his head, he also took his seat once more and continued watching her blow raspberries on Liam's cheeks.

"You're good at that."

"Thanks. I remember babysitting Liam a few times. He always liked playing with my hair. Didn't you?" She aimed her question at the young boy now squirming in laughter from her tickling his belly.

She glanced up, only to be caught off guard by Lip watching her intently. His expression was unreadable and she took it as some form of appreciation for settling Liam. Raising an eyebrow, she moved her Physics textbook around so both of them could read it.

"So explain it again."

/

The next morning, Daniela was eating breakfast when a knock came at the door. Opening it, she frowned down at the young girl standing there.

"Debbie? What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," she replied, brushing past Daniela. She looked around the house, taking in the surroundings.

The teen observed her warily and shut the door. "Well okay...you want a hot chocolate or something?" Debbie nodded and followed her into the kitchen. She took a seat at the table as Daniela made her a drink. "So what's this all about?"

"I think Steve is cheating on Fiona."

Daniela halted. "Wait, Debbie...what makes you think that?"

"Well, a while ago, I checked his phone, which I know I shouldn't do, and I saw someone named Candice had messaged him. And then the other night I got Veronica to help me follow him to a house on the other side of the city."

Daniela blinked, taking in all of the information. "You stalked him?"

Debbie nodded and sipped at her drink, enjoying the sweet warmth.

"Well have you told Fiona?"

"Mm-hm, and she asked Steve about it but he said Candice was just some lady he worked with."

"Maybe she is," considered Daniela, unsure of what to think. The other girl seemed less convinced.

"Look, I need your help. I want to go back to the house and question Candace. I was going to ask Veronica, but Ethel's baby is visiting today."

"Ethel has a baby?"

"El, please," begged Debbie. "I need to know the truth. For Fiona."

Daniela sat contemplating for a moment. She knew why the little girl was so desperate to know the facts. She would do the same if she thought someone her brother was dating was lying to him too.

With a sigh and a nod, Daniela relented. "Sure thing, Debs."

The young girl's face lit up in excitement. She chugged the rest of her drink and wiped the residue off the top of her lip.

"First stop. The library."

/

"What exactly are we looking for here?" Asked Daniela as she flicked through the books on the shelves. Debbie was standing a few cases down from her doing the same thing, a look of focus and determination on her face. It had been her idea to stop by the library first.

"Books that have to do with confrontation. We need to handle this properly." As if to prove her point, the young girl pulled out a book and showed the cover to the teen.

"Crucial Confrontations?"

Debbie nodded before turning away and heading towards the borrowing station. The shy boy behind the counter seemed to perk up when she placed her books on the counter.

"Haven't seen you here in awhile," smiled the boy.

"Been kind of busy, Simon," sighed Debbie.

Daniela stood to the side, smirking knowingly. She listened to their conversation, noticing the moment Debbie realized her new friend could be of use.

"Do you think you could help me on the computers? I need to dig up some dirt."

Simon was more than happy to help, something Daniela slyly mentioned to Debbie on their way over to the computers.

"I think he has a crush on you."

"Who, Simon? Ugh, I don't have time for boys," grimaced Debbie making the older girl laugh.

/

An hour later, Daniela and Debbie hopped off of the bus after giving their thanks to the driver. Instantly, they were hit with the sharpness of the cold.

"Is it just me or is it even colder this side of the city?" Asked Daniela, rubbing her gloved hands together.

Debbie seemed to agree, feeling her teeth start to chatter. The older girl realised this and wrapped her arm around her for extra warmth as they continued on to Candace's house.

"Holy shit," breathed Daniela as she took in the house. It was huge and beautiful. Casting a look down at a silent Debbie, she gestured to the gates. "This is her house?"

The two opened the gate and headed up the steps to the front door. Taking a deep breath, Debbie pulled back the knocker before hitting it twice. The door quickly opened to reveal an ageing woman.

"Are you screwing my sister's boyfriend?" Demanded Debbie as soon as she saw her.

"Subtle," nudged Daniela.

The woman didn't seem at all offended but rather amused by the girl's blunt question.

"If you're selling cookies, that's a hell of an opening line." Not wasting any time, Debbie walked straight in much like she had done that morning at Daniela's house.

"Do come in," said the woman with a raised eyebrow. She looked back to see Daniela still standing on the doorstep. With a sheepish look, the girl headed in as well.

As they stepped into the room adjacent, Daniela was shocked at all the art on the walls.

"Woah," she mumbled, marvelling at all of the work displayed on the walls.

"Ah, a fellow artist I presume?" Daniela snapped out of her wonder and turned to Candace who was lighting a joint. The woman took an inhale before resting it in between her fingers and gesturing to the paintings. "I'm one myself, though retired. I studied in Paris. Some of the best years of my life, though my husband never did appreciate it quite like I did."

"They're beautiful," said Daniela. Candace smiled at the paintings wistfully.

"They are, aren't they? Can I get you girls anything? Milk, soda?" Both girls denied her offer quickly.

Debbie kept her focus on confronting the woman while the other girl took her time perusing the art in the room. She was assessing a particularly lovely painting when a familiar voice sounded out down the hall. Turning her head, she saw Fiona's boyfriend walk into the room.

Steve didn't seem to notice the girls right away. Instead, he made a beeline for Candace before greeting her with a kiss on the lips. Daniela's brow shot up at the sight of it and she felt anger begin to brew in her chest. One glance at Debbie told her they were on the same page.

"Oh, uh this is..." Candace gestured to the two girls lazily.

Daniela took some satisfaction in the way Steve's expression morphed to shock as he realized they had caught him. He stared at the younger of the two.

"Debbie," she said, her voice poisonous. "Gallagher."

"Daniela," added the teen from her spot against a wall. Steve's eyes flicked between the two of them, the fear in his face evident.

"Jimmy is my youngest," said Candace as she placed her medicinal joint between her lips again.

Daniela's eyes widened. "This is your son?" She balked at the image of them greeting each other. Somehow, it made it worse.

Candace nodded, completely unaware of the girls' discomfort. "Top of his class at Michigan in high school."

"Really?" Daniela crossed her arms.

Steve- or Jimmy- squatted down to Debbie and stared, speechless. She had yet to say anything but her face said it all. Hurt, betrayal, anger.

Fed up of listening to Candace talk about her son, Daniela moved over to Debbie and tapped her shoulder. The girl stood up quickly and headed towards the door leaving Daniela to follow.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Debbie began to sniffle.

"Oh, Debs," sighed Daniela pulling her in for a hug. The young girl clung to her.

"I was hoping I was wrong. That he wasn't a total liar," she mumbled into her shoulder. The teen rubbed her back gently and kissed the side of her head.

"Come on, let's go find a café nearby. I'll buy you a hot drink before we go home."

/

"I think the popcorn's burning!" Shouted Daniela, sniffing the air.

"Oh fuck," swore Fiona as she hurried over to the microwave. Sure enough, when she opened the microwave door a waft of smoke came out. The woman quickly took it out and tipped it into a bowl.

Daniela, who was grabbing drinks out of the fridge, glanced at the popcorn and shrugged.

"Slap some melted butter on there and it'll be fine."

Scooping all the drinks into her arms, Daniela carried them into the lounge and set them down on the coffee table. Ian, Lip and Veronica were all in there already, throwing things at each other.

"Hell hath no fury like popcorn burned!" Proclaimed Fiona, setting the bowl down beside the drinks.

"Is Steve coming?" Asked Veronica.

Daniela's eyes snapped to her and the other woman. She listened silently to their conversation before turning her attention to Ethel and her son Jonah. The teen grabbed a beer and sat down beside her.

"He's adorable."

Ethel looked up at her with a smile and then back down at her baby. "He is, isn't he. Do you have any children of your own?"

Daniela, who had been drinking at that moment, spat her beer out. Realizing what she had done, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"No, not yet."

"That's a shame. Motherhood is a wonderful thing and right now you're at the ideal breeding age," informed Ethel casually. Daniela blinked, feeling a little more than uncomfortable.

Nodding she took another sip of her beer. "I'll keep that in mind."

Lip and Ian each grabbed a bottle for themselves and sat down.

"Hurry up, I have to be at work soon," said the redhead, taking a seat on the ground in front of Daniela's legs. The girl nudged him, allowing him to move so that he was resting against them with his own spread out in front of him on the floor.

"Hey, stranger," greeted Fiona. Daniela turned to see that Steve had finally shown up. After dropping a kiss on Fiona's lips, the man looked up and spotted Daniela. The girl gave him a look before turning back to the television.

"Get a room," said Carl in disgust.

"You get your tickets?" Asked Steve to Lip who responded by holding them up. "Glad I could help."

Steve wedged in between Veronica and Daniela, giving a nod of greeting at the girl who simply narrowed her eyes at him.

Leaning over, he whispered to her. "Thanks for not saying anything."

"I didn't do it for you."

"Still, I'm grateful. If there's anything you need. Just let me know."

Daniela stared at Steve before nodding and turning her attention back to the screen. The man settled into his seat beside her, thankful that he had handled everything. Feeling a pair of eyes on her, she turned her head to see Lip watching the pair of them curiously.

The sound of the door opening grabbed everyone's attention. They all craned their necks to see Debbie standing there. Daniela noticed the girl's shocked expression and stood up. She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Debs, what's wrong?"

The girl said nothing. She was practically shaking.

"Honey, what happened?" Asked Fiona worriedly.

"Dad have one too many again?" Said Lip.

"You just gotta ignore him when he's like that Debs," soothed Ian.

"Why do you always blame dad first?"

Fiona looked around the room. "Who else is there?"

"She's over at Sheila's," mumbled Debbie.

Daniela frowned. "Who's over at Sheila's?"

"Monica."

A hush fell over the room. The only noise that remained was from the television and Liam's babbling. Daniela glanced back at Ian who had his head down and his jaw clenched. She had never had the displeasure of meeting Monica. She had only become friends with Ian about a month after the woman had left, but she had heard plenty.

"Who the hell is Monica?" Asked Steve in curiosity.

"Our mother," answered Lip, his voice uncharacteristically hollow.

Daniela shifted towards her friend. Her hand reached out to rest on his shoulder. Fiona rose from her seat to speak to her sister only to be cut off by the girl's sudden outburst.

"What do you care? You'll be living with Steve in the house he bought next door!"

Everyone turned to look at the man who let out a defeated 'surprise'. Suddenly, Ian placed his drink down and stood up, heading straight for the door.

"I'm going to work."

"Ian wait!" Daniela moved to go after him but stopped when a hand wrapped around her wrist softly. She turned to frown at Lip, who simply shook his head.

Sighing, she took the seat beside him and rested her elbows on her knees. No-one knew what to say. No-one wanted to say anything. The news that Monica was back had stunned everyone into silence.

/

Daniela truly didn't know why she had decided to go along with them. She walked beside Veronica who had come along to see what was going to happen. Admittedly, Daniela had done the same. But she had also gone to support the Gallaghers.

Over the past two years, she had grown to care for the family and knew that Monica returning would cause more than a little drama. Ian had told her stories about his mother. It was one of the first times he had opened up to her that caused their friendship to blossom. The tragic tales of Monica and her leaving her family had caused Daniela to develop a dislike for the woman.

Lip was walking slightly ahead of her and the girl found she couldn't help sneaking glances at him. She had never seen him like this before and, for some reason, it worried her. Despite trying her hardest, he had grown on her during their tutoring sessions to the point where she would almost consider being his friend.

Almost.

Daniela felt a slight squeeze on her hand and looked down at Debbie. The young girl was still shaken up about the whole ordeal. Daniela sent her a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand back. Feeling another arm snake hesitantly around her on the opposite side, she looked down to see that it was Carl. The young boy stared straight ahead, not looking at her. Her heart clenched for the two children as they finally arrived outside Sheila's.

Fiona, who had been pushing Liam, turned and looked at her family. With a sigh and a nod, she got Veronica to help her pull the stroller up the stairs. Lip opened the door for them and held it open. As soon as they entered, they heard the voices of Frank and, who Daniela guessed, was Monica.

Sheila was the first to spot them. Her mouth formed a line as she addressed the couple. "Perhaps we should make our exit and leave Monica for her apologies."

"Apologies?" Scoffed the blonde woman. "For walking out on this piece of shit?"

"No. For walking out on them."

Daniela stood back with Veronica as the Gallagher children moved forward so their mother could see them.

"Oh my God," cried Monica, her voice cracking. Veronica stuck her head out from the wall.

"It's alright. I'm not one of yours. Just came to rubberneck."

Daniela, a little more hesitant, did the same. "Same here."

Sheila then reappeared, trying her best to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible.

"Would you like something to drink, Daniela?" She asked as she handed Lip a beer. She had managed to convince the family to sit down, hoping that it would help lessen the tension.

"No thanks."

The woman nodded before heading back up the stairs.

"I missed you so much," admitted Monica, her eyes focused on Debbie and Carl.

"Why didn't you take us with you?" Asked the boy.

"Because I knew you'd be fine with Fiona."

Lip, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly rose from his chair and headed for the door. Monica stared after him with a sad cry. Feeling more than a little awkward and wanting to check on Lip for some reason, Daniela got up and followed him.

Stepping outside, she found him sitting on the steps lighting a cigarette. With slight hesitation, she sat down beside him. She stared out across the street looking at the snow piled on the grass and listened to the sound of the train going past.

"Never thought I'd say this but Frank suddenly doesn't seem so bad," mumbled Daniela.

Lip snorted before taking a deep inhale of his cigarette. He looked down at it, fumbling it between his fingers and flicking the ash away.

"I remember the day she left," he said quietly.

Daniela turned to look at him intently. She was a bit surprised that he was choosing to confide in her.

"Liam was two months old, Fiona had dropped out of school to take care of us because Frank and Monica were never around. We all knew they had problems. I mean, it was fucking obvious. And sure Monica was never around anyway but I- we never thought she would just leave her kids."

He flicked the ash from his cigarette.

"So one day, I come home from school, and she's nowhere to be seen. Which isn't completely new. But I could tell something about this was different. So I went into her room and all of her stuff was gone. I thought 'hey, maybe she'll be back in a few days. Her and Frank probably had a fight.' And for some reason, I believed myself."

Lip's jaw rolled, a humourless smile on his face. "But she never did. And I realised how fucking idiotic I was for believing that Monica would even think- for one second- about her kids when she had never bothered to at all."

His words hung heavily in the air. Beside him, Daniela's face softened.

"It must have hurt, when you realised she wasn't coming back," she replied quietly. Her warm eyes connected with his.

Clenching his jaw, Lip shook his head and looked away. "No. I wasn't hurt. I was pissed," spat Lip. "So fucking pissed. At Monica, at Frank- even at Fiona for trying to keep us all together..." His attention returned to the girl beside him. He registered the worry on her face, not expecting the subsequent pull in his stomach at the sight of it. He chose not to linger on it and instead stared at his clenched fists. "I think that's why I hated you so much when you showed up."

Daniela frowned. "Because of Monica?"

Lip shook his head and took another puff of his cigarette. "Ian and Monica were close- real close. He was kinda her favourite. And when she left he was the one affected the most by it." His eyes locked with Daniela's. "Then suddenly you show up, and slowly he starts getting better. And I was worried because I didn't know how long you were going to last- if you were gonna take off like Monica did."

He inhaled. "And then you started coming over more and Debbie and Carl took to you right away. And you were always trying to help us- like we were some sort of broken toy you could fix. I thought you would see how fucked up our family was and run away screaming."

"But I didn't," reminded Daniela softly. "I stayed. Because I don't care how fucked up this family is. Because I care about all of you so of course I'm going to want to help. And whether you like it or not- I'm not going anywhere."

Lip stared at her with something new, something she had never really seen before in his eyes. It was intense, as if to make sure she was telling the truth; that she wouldn't leave them like his mother. Daniela didn't back down or look away. The Gallaghers were family, and she didn't leave her family.

Suddenly, an image of her father popped into her mind and Daniela thought of how he had left his family behind too. Except- unlike Monica- he had left protecting them.

She frowned as she thought of him in prison serving time for protecting his family. And in that moment, she realised she had been too hard on him for going away. Now hearing Lip's take on his relationship with his own parent, she began to question her feelings of hatred for her dad.

Lip, who had now pulled out a fresh cigarette, gave Daniela a thoughtful once-over before nodding.

"I suppose you aren't going anywhere. I'm sorry for being a dick to you and for calling you an bitch, and and a prude. And frigid."

"Yeah, I got it," said Daniela, her face deadpanned. Still, she couldn't help the small curl in her lips. "I'm sorry too. For calling you an asshole, and a jackass and a douche-"

"Got it," mimicked Lip, a smirk tugging at his mouth.

She shook her head, her shoulders moving with quiet laughter. Breathing in, she relished the feeling of cold air. The two of them continued to sit there in what seemed to be, for the first time, a comfortable silence. Something had changed between the pair and they both noticed it. Gone was the animosity between the two.

Instead, there was something new.

Grinning cheekily, Daniela nudged her shoulder against his gently.

"Does this make us friends now?" She asked sweetly, batting her lashes. Gasping, she placed her hands on top of his in feigned excitement. "Oh, are we finally gonna paint each other's nails and gossip about cute boys?"

The boy huffed out a laugh and even showed a small smile.

"Oh totally. I was thinking a nice lilac color or maybe a sexy red." He winked jokingly causing the girl's head to tilt back in genuine laughter. Lip felt his own smile widen slightly at the sound of it.

"I agree. I have this one color that'll really make your eyes pop."

"Oh, do tell me more."

/

Ian found them still chatting and smoking on the steps five minutes later. What really confused him the most was that they were acting- dare he say- civil. He watched as his friend laughed at something his brother said. Daniela looked away from Lip to stare at her best friend, her expression filling with worry at his dejected posture. His brother did the same.

"Hey, what happened?"

The ginger said nothing and just moved to sit next to them on the steps, making it a tight squeeze.

"I thought you had work?" Said Lip.

"There was a shooting."

"Wait, what?" Instantly, Daniela grabbed her friends shoulders. She angled his body towards her to get a better look at him. "Are you hurt?"

"No," said Ian, waving off her concern. "It was Mickey and Kash."

"Holy shit, Mickey shot Kash?" Asked Lip.

"Kash shot Mickey."

"What?" Echoed Lip and Daniela at the same time. Though in different tones. Lip seemed genuinely shocked, whilst Daniela was more humoured.

"I mean, I had my doubts about Kash but now I kind of like the guy," joked the girl.

Ian didn't seem as happy about it, frowning and shaking his head at his friend. Daniela eyed the reaction oddly. She keenly remembered Mickey trying to kill him not that long ago. Then again, her friend always did try to see the best in people. Mandy was a shining example of that.

"It was in the leg," said Ian. "He's fine. I just wanted to get out of there before the cops showed up." Lip nodded in understanding. "What did I miss with Mom?"

"Well, you know how Dad's a total fucking asshole? Turns out he's the good one." Lip finished his cigarette and stubbed it out. He rubbed his hands together to create warmth and stared at the two teens beside him. "I guess we should head back in."

Ian nodded and stood up. Lip paused, realising that Daniela was still lingering on the step.

"You coming?" He asked.

"No, no. I should head home." She rose from the step and shoved her hands into her coat pockets. "Besides, you guys have a lot to get off of your chest."

Lip nodded in understanding. Both were unaware of Ian standing behind them waiting and observing them curiously. Daniela absently gave Lip's arm a reassuring squeeze before turning to hug Ian. With a wave to the both of them, she said goodnight and made her way home.

Lip's eyes followed her as she disappeared down the street. Once she was out of sight, he turned to look at his brother only to find his attention already on him. Ian's face was screwed up in quiet judgement, more than a little confused.

"Did I miss something?"


Yaaay! They don't hate each other anymore!

Please let me know what you thought with a review! I've been loving all of them.

REVIEW!