Chapter 34.
This takes the cake as the longest chapter I've ever written.
You people…wow. Just, wow. Thank you so much for all of the comments left on the last chapter. I honestly hadn't been expecting that many but waking up to see all of your beautiful messages really put a smile on my face and I'm sorry this took so long, blame school.
Also, there a time-stamps for this chapter just to help avoid confusion.
Disclaimer: I do not own Shameless.
6:03am
Daniela wasn't sure how long she had run for. All she knew was for that period of time, she was able to forget everything.
Her phone was still switched off meaning that any calls or texts (which there were sure to be plenty of) went unanswered. A significant part of her felt guilty for further burdening her brother but the part of her that wanted everything to quieten down won out.
She debated whether or not to go back to the hospital and to Jakob. She had started the trek back sometime before the sun was set to rise when she realized she was crossing the bridge her and Lip had walked across the night that Karen had had her baby.
Daniela slowed to stop as a single car moved past her. Grimly, she turned her focus out onto the cityscape with the Chicago river glistening below her. In measured footsteps, she inched closer to the barrier, her hand coming to grip the cool metal.
Like a switch, her mind replayed the memories over and over again in her brain.
"I just needed a place to stay."
"Like with me?"
"No." He had said to her as if the thought offended him. "You're different."
Daniela closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose, the fresh air stinging her nostrils. Her hands burrowed into the pockets of her thin jacket that did little to protect her from the chill.
The days were getting colder now and the air had a bite to it that rattled her bones. Though, the wind wasn't the only factor. If she had have known she was going to have a mental breakdown, she would've brought a warmer coat.
Opening her eyes, Daniela watched the color of the clouds change as the first rays of sun began to break the horizon. It was beautiful. She stood, watching in silent awe as the sun rose.
Now she had to go back.
I don't want to go back.
So she didn't.
/
2:40pm
Later that afternoon, Ian and Lip arrived home from school with Mandy tagging along behind them. As they entered the kitchen, the boys slowed to a stop when they saw Fiona with her back to them, talking to someone on the phone. Judging by her tone, it seemed pretty serious.
Fiona nodded to whatever was being said on the other end of the line. "As far as I'm concerned, she hasn't been around here."
Ian looked at his brother who was already staring back and they both shared a frown before turning back to Fiona.
"Of course. Ian and Lip should be home any minute," she said, sounding distressed. It worried the brothers who had no idea what was going on. "I'll let you know if we hear anything." The woman nodded once more. "Okay, bye."
Hanging up, Fiona pivoted on her foot, her hand coming to rake over her face. She looked exhausted. Whatever she had been discussing seemed to be weighing on her mind and both Ian and Lip were curious to find out what it was.
The woman opened her eyes, becoming startled when she saw the three teens standing there watching her.
"Oh, hey guys," she greeted though it was devoid of any chipperness. Lip unhiked the strap of his bag and dropped it by the table before making his way to the fridge.
"Who was that?" He asked, cracking open the bottle of orange juice and pouring himself a glass.
Fiona heaved a deep sigh while raking a hand through her hair. "That was Daniela's brother."
Ian frowned. "Jakob? What did he want?"
Lip, also wondering, turned to watch as his sister pressed her lips together, signaling that it was nothing good.
"Their mother passed away last night." Instantly, the brothers were alert.
Lip's mouth parted in surprise. Now it made sense why she had been dodging his calls. He clenched his jaw at the thought of the pain she was no doubt going through right now. A part of him wanted to be there with her to help.
Ian swore under his breath as Fiona continued to tell them what Jakob had disclosed to her. "Daniela didn't take the news very well and took off. He hasn't heard from her since."
"What?" Questioned Lip, putting his glass down before stalking over to Fiona, his brows raised seriously. "She's missing?"
Fiona nodded. "Jakob said she ran out of the hospital early this morning. Said it was something like a panic attack. He's tried calling her cell but she won't pick up."
Behind them, Ian shared a concerned look with Mandy who had been quiet the whole time. Ian was just as worried as his brother and his heart went out to his best friend.
"Does he have any idea where she might've gone?"
Fiona shook her head, none the wiser. "I have no idea."
"Well we gotta fucking find her," said Lip, pacing back and forth in the kitchen. His body filled with restless energy just waiting to be used.
"And we will," assured his sister as she tried to diffuse the situation from escalating even further. "Her brother's calling in some contacts from work but I think what we all need to do right now is stay calm."
Lip scoffed outright, tossing his sister a look of warning. "Fiona, I love you but don't tell me to be fucking calm right now."
"We'll find her, Lip," said Ian. "We just need a clear head."
"A clear head?" Lip came to a stop to narrow his eyes at Ian. "El is out there right now, all alone. Who knows what the fuck is going through her head?"
Sucking his teeth, the boy shook his head before marching forward and grabbing his coat from the chair he had left it on.
"Woah, where are you going?"
Lip paused as his hand rested on the doorknob. With a face full of determination, he glanced over his shoulder at Fiona.
"To look for my girlfriend."
The door slammed behind him, causing the woman to startle slightly. Sighing, she placed a hand on her hip before turning her attention to the other two still stood in the kitchen.
Ian and Mandy looked just as eager to follow Lip's lead, each wanting to find Daniela. The boy met his friend's stare and with a silent nod, they both came to the same conclusion and headed out too.
/
4:50pm
Lip's search was nearing the two-hour mark and so far, he had nothing to show for it and he resisted the urge to tear his hair out. He had ridden the L around the whole city, checked near the hospital, and any other little places he figured she would disappear to but nothing.
Despite knowing the effort was futile, he called her cell one last time and held it up to his ear, wishing for a miracle.
"The person you are trying to contact is not available right now."
"Damn it," he hissed, ending the call. She had switched her phone off.
Closing his eyes, Lip pinched the bridge of his nose and inhaled. He hadn't been expecting the day to be so stressful. He had actually been excited at the fact that for the first time in a while, things with him and Daniela were great.
He couldn't help his own anger at how careless she was being. Didn't she know how much grief she was putting the rest of them through?
Sighing, Lip shook away those thoughts and instead pulled up the contacts in his phone, scrolling to find the one name he never called. He truly wasn't even sure why he had the guy's information but he figured it could come in handy one day.
He hoped that day was today.
The click of the other line picking up sounded out in Lip's ear followed by the confused greeting.
"Hey, Lip." Even over the phone, Lip could see the other boy shuffling nervously on his feet. "Did you mean to call or was that an accident?"
"No, no. It wasn't an accident," he answered quickly. "I was just wondering if you'd heard from Daniela recently?"
There was a brief pause. "El? No, I-uh, I can't say I have. Why, is everything okay?" Simon's voice became more worried which Lip empathized with.
Exhaling, he shook his head. "Not really. She took off early this morning. No-one's seen her but we're all looking around now."
"Shit." It was genuine and caused Lip to nod.
"Yeah. Can you think of any places she might've gone?"
Simon thought over it for a moment before regretfully sighing. "Sorry, nothing comes to mind but I'll try and see what I can do."
"Thanks," said Lip. "I know her brother would really appreciate it."
"Of course." There was another long beat before Simon spoke again. "I'll call as soon as I found anything out."
"Thank you, man." Lip promptly hung up the phone. Taking a deep breath, he tilted his head back to look up at the sky. "Where the fuck are you?" He muttered into the air.
.
Simon lowered his phone, hearing the end of the line disconnect. With a tired sigh, he wiped a hand over his face and turned to look at the figure wedged up in the corner of his bed.
Her knees were pulled tightly to her chest and her arms circled them, holding them firmly in place. Simon clenched his jaw seeing the broken far-off look in her eyes.
She had turned up outside of his dorm barely a half-hour ago looking like a wreck. After hurriedly ushering her in, she had taken up residence on his bed leaving him to occupy the desk chair. It was a good thing his roommate was out as they'd no doubt be thrown off by the girl's demeanor.
He knew it wasn't a coincidence. Not long before she had shown up, his phone had been inundated with texts from Mandy and Ian, each asking if they had seen her but he had known nothing.
"Thank you," said Daniela, finally tearing her eyes away from the bare walls of his dorm room. He hadn't gotten around to decorating just yet.
Simon nodded as he came to sit on the edge of the bed, his eyes bearing into her worriedly. "Now, you wanna tell me why the hell everyone's looking for you?"
Daniela maintained her silence, choosing to hold his stare for only a moment. Opening her mouth, she debated whether to say anything before deciding against it, choosing instead to lay her cheek on her hands, effectively turning away from him.
/
4:58pm
Lip slipped his phone back into his pocket. Yet another dead end. With his frustration beginning to peak, he decided to retrace his steps on the way back to his house.
He was barely aware of his surroundings as he stumbled home, his mind far too busy worrying over Daniela's precarious state. More than anything he wanted her to come home safe and sound, however, he wasn't sure how much more of this waiting he could take.
Lip heaved a heavy sigh and wiped a hand over his face before shoving them into his pockets. Glancing absently to the side, he registered where he was.
As he looked to the side of him, he saw Karen make her way out of her house wearing a baggy hoodie to conceal her face. It wasn't much longer before she spotted him too; the hint of a smirk appearing as she did so.
"That didn't take long," she said, making her way down the footpath. Lip slowed to a stop somewhat reluctantly as Karen eyed him up and down. "I knew you'd be back."
Shrugging, Lip replied. "I was just passing by."
Karen didn't seem to believe a word he said and tilted her head giving the boy a glimpse at the bruising around her eye.
"Did you change your mind?" She asked in that sultry voice that would've worked wonders on him were it any other day. Instead, Lip felt nothing and chose to point out her new marking.
"What happened to your face?" He internally cursed at himself for sounding so worried.
Karen's face soured and her lips puckered at the distasteful reminder. She shifted the hood of her jumper. "Your girlfriend." The word was spoken with such acidity that it made Lip narrow his eyes in confusion.
"El did that to you? When?"
"I ran into her yesterday and we had a talk, you know, girl to girl."
Still confused, Lip pushed on hoping that she would be able to provide him with some sort of idea of where Daniela might've taken off to. "Why'd she hit you?"
Karen shrugged, the perfect model of wicked innocence. "I guess she just couldn't handle what I had to say."
"What'd you say to her?" Asked Lip his voice growing more heated as dread settled into his chest.
Knowingly, the blonde simply smirked, doing nothing to ease Lip. "Nothing that wasn't true."
"You? Telling the truth? Sure."
"So it's not true that we fucked?" Frowned Karen, feigning thought. "Because I'm pretty sure that happened. More than once actually."
It was like cold water being poured over Lip's head. His narrowed eyes, now cold and full of hatred, bore down on Karen who stood as cool as a cucumber, reveling in the chaos she had managed to create. His fists clenched tightly by his sides as Karen continued.
"She really can be so sensitive," pouted the blonde, inching closer to him to bat her eyelashes. "But hey! Great news, now you can dump the loser and we can finally pick up where we left off."
Her hand came to rest on his chest causing him to jolt slightly. Lip's eyes tore away from her and he bit down hard on his tongue.
"Admit it. You missed me. You missed us and this little fantasy world you've created with Daniela was all just some pathetic attempt to forget about me." Karen's other hand came to graze against his jaw, drawing his attention back to her.
Lip swallowed, his eyes glistening as he practically vibrated anger. But as he looked down into her eyes, he felt his resolve begin to crumble for she had always been able to affect him.
"But it didn't work," she continued, her voice barely a murmur. "Because you know, deep down, that I'm the better person- the only person- for you."
Lip said nothing and for a few long moments, neither person did anything. Karen's thumb brushed against his cheek, feeling the tenseness of it beneath her hand. She knew she almost had him. She could see it in his eyes. Just a moment longer and he would be hers.
Meanwhile, Lip was having an internal battle with himself. On the one hand, he wanted nothing more than to accept Karen's invitation and succumb to her persuasions but then there was the other, dominating part of him that screamed at Lip to shove her away and find Daniela.
Daniela.
His chest ached painfully at the stark realization that she was walking around God-knows-where knowing what he had done to her. Not even 24 hours ago she had opened up to him about her trust for him, something that he hadn't taken lightly. In fact, it made that knot in his stomach tighten with guilt.
He didn't care if Daniela wanted nothing to do with him because he was going to find her and bring her back home safe and sound and try his absolute hardest to fix everything.
Coming back to the present, Lip noticed Karen's gaze and for what seemed to be the first time ever, he felt nothing. Her charm, nor her smile had any effect on him.
The anticipation in Karen's eyes fizzled out when she saw Lip's eyes darken and his mouth pinch. "All you are, Karen, is a lying manipulative bitch who doesn't care about anyone but herself."
Not willing to let him go so easy, the blonde grabbed at the lapels of his jacket, tugging his body flush against hers.
"That's where you're wrong, Lip." She chuckled darkly. "I care about you."
Lip's newfound confidence didn't waver as he glowered down at his ex, wondering why it had taken him so long to reach this point. He regretted not seeing it sooner.
"Did you not hear what I said yesterday? We're done, Karen. For good." He shoved her hands off of him and stepped back. He had meant every word he said but he knew that what he'd say next would really be the defining moment.
"I don't know what I ever fucking saw in you," Lip finished, voice laced with disgust. Karen's hurt expression was nearly enough to make him regret what he'd said. Before she could sway him anymore, Lip turned on his foot and walked away.
He strode home, his chest swelling with accomplishment. However, it didn't last very long as he soon fell back into his thoughts of how he managed to let things get so out of control.
The night when Daniela had confronted him about Karen, Lip had been unprepared, both for what she was going to say and how unsure he felt about it after she was gone. What had gotten him the most, though, was the look of grim acceptance, like she had expected him to second guess himself.
As he made his way to Karen's, he wasn't entirely sure what his plan was. It wasn't until she was stood there across from him, belittling his relationship with that coy grin of hers that Lip made a decision. And what an awful one it was.
After the first time- which he hated the sound of- Lip had felt dirty. He'd spent nearly twenty minutes scrubbing himself clean when he got home but nothing managed to rid him of the heaviness.
He knew it had been wrong.
Sure he had enjoyed it at the time but as soon as they were done and reality had set in, that was when everything came crashing down around him.
He had cheated.
Lip didn't know how he let himself get to that point. All he knew was that Daniela was right. There were still lingering feelings for Karen, feelings that quite possibly just doomed his current relationship. He didn't know what it was about it that made him fall back into Karen's waiting arms every time.
Lip had been doing so well too.
He thought he was finally getting past his self-destructive tendencies. Hell, he had even turned down the pedophile teacher when she had been more than eager to eat peanut butter off of him. But he had almost slipped, and Lip had told himself that he would never get to that point again- that he wouldn't hurt Daniela like that.
But he had failed. Miserably.
/
5:40pm
At the sound of the door opening, Daniela's gaze snapped up catching onto the figure of Simon walking in. Lowering her eyes, she noticed the drink tray he was carrying along with the paper bag.
"I got you some food," he told her, kicking the door shut with his foot. Daniela's eyes followed him as he sat down on the office chair opposite to her. "Double cheeseburger, extra pickles just how you like it."
Simon offered her a small smile but she found she couldn't muster up anything to give him. Instead, she shook her head slightly.
"I'm not hungry."
"When was the last time you ate?" The boy asked quickly, his brow arching knowingly. If it were any other day, Daniela would've been proud of how stubborn her friend was being. Alas, she never got around to answering as her stomach managed to do it for her.
Satisfied, Simon grinned at the traitorous sound and she rolled her eyes. Breaking eye contact, Daniela held out her palm and soon felt him place the burger in her hand.
On any other day, she would've demolished it without even thinking but today she couldn't bring herself to. So she stared at with a deep pity, both for the burger who smelt so delicious and deserved a much more eager consumer, and for herself for the loss of appetite.
In front of her, Daniela could feel Simon watching, waiting for her to take a bite.
Pressing her lips together, she carefully began unwrapping it before bringing it to her mouth. She took a small bite, allowing the food to linger on her tongue longer than usual. Like a robot, she chewed and swallowed then started the process all over again.
Bite, chew, swallow.
As she did this, she kept level eye contact with Simon who wanted to ensure she continued to feed herself. She had no doubt he would do it for her if she didn't. Retrieving another burger from the paper bag, the boy joined her in her meal; the two of them eating silently.
When she reached the halfway point of her burger, Simon grabbed the drink he had also gotten for her and held it out in her direction. Daniela didn't hesitate and took a few long sips from it before handing it back.
Simon had just placed it down on his desk when there was a knock at the door.
Daniela jumped at the sound before hunching forward, pulling her burger deeper into her chest. Seeing this, Simon offered her an apologetic look before carefully opening the door. From the bed, Daniela heard him sigh in relief.
"She here?" Asked the naturally harsh voice that she recognized immediately. Without a word, Simon moved to the side to allow Mandy passage into his dorm room.
Mandy strode in confidently, registering Daniela who was still perched delicately on the bed, now sipping her milkshake. The Milkovich huffed at the sight of her.
"There you are," she declared, crossing her arms over her chest nonchalantly. "Your brother's shitting himself, you know that right? Ian too, but I think Lip takes the cake."
At the mention of Lip, Daniela bowed her head even more into herself and adjusted her socked feet. Standing over her, Simon and Mandy shared a look.
"How did you know I was here?" Daniela asked, diverting from the topic of her boyfriend.
Mandy shrugged like it had been the easiest thing to do and flopped down on the bed beside her. "Simon was the only one not freaking the fuck out so I figured he already knew where you were."
Feeling the other girl's eyes on her, Daniela finally glanced up. "Everyone's worried about you." She didn't react. Mandy huffed and raked a hand through her hair lazily. "Lip's been combing through the whole city looking for you."
Daniela snorted but regretted it as soon as she saw Mandy's eyes narrow in curiosity. "You guys still not talking?"
Shaking her head, Daniela elaborated. "It's more so I don't want to talk to him."
"What did he do?" Asked Mandy instantly. The other girl was shocked at how quick she was to jump to conclusions and also at the slight bite to her tone that Daniela hadn't been expecting.
"More like who did he do." Her voice was so cavalier that it managed to catch the other two off guard. Mandy pounced on it like a tiger.
"You mean he-"
"Yeah," Daniela nodded, confirming Mandy's suspicions.
"Who?"
"Do you really need to ask?" Wondered Daniela, dryly.
Mandy's jaw clenched tightly, a look of fury passing over her face as she shook her head. "Un-fucking-believable."
Simon, utterly lost, whipped his eyes back and forth between the two girls. "Wait, what happened?"
Mandy, now completely pissed, turned to her boyfriend. "Fucking Lip fucked Karen," she said, voice cold as ice though not at him. "That's what happened." Simon's brow hiked as his girlfriend averted her attention back to Daniela who was now analyzing her nails.
"He's a fucking scumbag."
"I'm gonna punch him in the face the next time I see him," declared Simon, throwing both of them off guard. Neither had seen him voice any sort of violent actions before nor had they heard his voice darken so much.
Suddenly distracted, Mandy looked her boyfriend up and down, the corner of her mouth curling up.
"Don't," Daniela said, waving a hand and grabbing both of their attentions. "I'll handle it myself."
"I can hit her with my brother's car," offered Mandy, her complete seriousness scaring Daniela for a moment. The Milkovich sucked on her teeth before murmuring quietly. "I never liked that skank hoe."
Surprising all of them, Daniela actually laughed. It was hearty and enough to make her head fall back as her shoulders shook with mirth. Calming herself, she simply grinned in amusement at the other girl but shook her head.
"No thanks, Mandy. That's the last thing I want on my conscience. Besides, I already got one hit in." She shook her hand for emphasis, noting the way Mandy's face lit up.
"You hit Karen?" Asked a wide-eyed Simon.
In a flash, Daniela's limb was in the firm grasp of Mandy who surveyed the hell out of it, wearing an expression of pure delight.
"Ha! Oh my god. So that's why she wasn't at school today."
Daniela frowned. "She skipped school?"
All she got was a simple nod of confirmation. "How hard did you hit her?"
Shrugging, Daniela leaned her back against the wall. "I don't really remember. It kind of just happened. All I know is that my knuckles hurt from it."
"Yeah, you're definitely gonna need to put some ice on that when you get home," claimed Mandy, finally letting go of her hand.
"Speaking of, when are you going home?" Asked Simon being sure to not sound like he was forcing her out. "Not that you being here is a problem in any way."
Daniela twisted her mouth, her knuckles flexing. She didn't really want to go back. She didn't feel ready to do so because if she went back then that meant she had to deal with everything.
It also meant she couldn't deny two things. One, that her mother was dead, and two, that her boyfriend very possibly cheated on her with his ex.
Either way, Daniela knew she couldn't avoid it forever and Mandy's reminder that her brother was worried sick caused a guilty knot to tighten in her stomach.
Coming to a glum realization, Daniela's eyes flicked between the two. "I have to go back now don't I?"
/
7:07pm
Jakob sat on an armchair with his elbows rested on his knees. In front of him stood the Gallaghers along with Kev and Veronica. Though he had never interacted with any of them a whole lot, they all stepped up to the plate when they heard about Daniela.
The little ones were particularly vocal and the little red-head girl his sister often spoke so fondly about was the main mouthpiece of the group, urging them that they had to find her as soon as possible.
He agreed wholeheartedly. He didn't enjoy the thought of his baby sister all alone after facing such an ordeal. Jakob was barely managing to keep it together as it was.
Amongst the small congregation stood Ian, who frowned at his brother. Lip had been acting especially jittery since he had returned from his private search with no such luck.
Leaning over, he whispered to his brother as Jakob addressed the others in the background. "Hey, you okay?"
Lip spared him a glance, his teeth chewing on the skin around his thumb. "Just worried about her, you know?"
Ian nodded in understanding and pulled out his phone. He had been waiting to hear back from Mandy. She had gone off on her own a while ago and, as it grew later, the group's spirits had started to decline, with Jakob feeling the most of it.
Katherine, who was positioned to the right of the man, rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. "We'll find her Jake."
The man met her eyes, placing his hand over hers and squeezing it slightly. Lip, seeing this little interaction, ducked his head, choosing to admire the carpet instead.
The sudden sound of the door opening caught everyone's attention.
"Daniela!" Cried little Debbie.
Simultaneously, all heads whipped and craned to see Simon and Mandy stroll in followed by a reluctant Daniela. Lip breathed a quiet sigh of relief when he spotted her and he fought the urge to take her in his arms right there and then.
Jakob was up in an instant, his long legs carrying him to his sister as they came to stand in the lounge with the rest of them. Daniela froze when she saw the group. Her eyes traveled across the familiar faces, seeing that they were all filled with relief.
"Dani!" Her attention turned to her brother just as he enveloped her in a bear hug that was very quickly cutting off her ability to breathe. He sighed into her ear, hinting at how his mindset had been while she was gone.
Guilt churned in her stomach as she returned the hug. Jakob was the last person she wanted to hurt. "I'm sorry."
"Never do that again."
Behind Daniela stood Simon and Mandy who also glanced around at the impressive gathering. Lip took notice of them, stiffening when the Milkovich's cold eyes met his, not anticipating the level of hatred she was shooting his way.
Her jaw tightened but still, her stare never wavered. Quietly, she whispered something into her boyfriend's ear that caused him to also look at Lip. He simply stared back, the familiar dread settling into his chest once again as Simon narrowed his eyes too.
They knew.
The thought unsettled Lip, who blinked, breaking the uncomfortable eye contact.
"Thank you, Simon," praised Jakob, clasping his hand around the boy's shoulder. Simon, not used to it, simply nodded.
Mandy, however, raised a hand. "I brought her back too." Jakob, finally noticing her, frowned.
"Mandy?" Piped up Kev from the back wearing an expression of pure confusion.
"Since when do you two hang out?" Veronica joined in, gesturing between the two girls.
Daniela pulled away from her brother, ready to explain the whole situation but was beaten to it.
Mandy huffed in exasperation. "We're friends."
Ian, noting everyone's faces, nodded knowingly. "Yeah, it's weird but the more you think about it, the more it makes sense."
Daniela huffed a small laugh at that.
"Where did you go?" Asked Lip, stepping forward. Instantly, her body language shifted and her face hardened. Jakob, also curious, turned to her, waiting. Daniela glanced between the two of them and swallowed.
"I walked around the city for a while. Rode the L for a bit and then turned up at Simon's dorm."
Lip, looking pissed, turned his attention to Simon. "You knew where she was the whole time?" He fumed, advancing over to the boy. "Did you know where she was when I called you? Why didn't you say anything?"
Simon glared back, not willing to back down when Daniela butted in.
"I asked him not to," she told Lip with a bite to her tone that managed to rile him up even more.
"And the hell would you do that?"
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Because I didn't want to be found."
Lip fell silent, a frown marring his features as he took a step back from Simon. Daniela, gauging everyone's reactions, released a breath and clenched her eyes shut for a second.
"I just needed time away from everything so that I could think."
"What, you couldn't just tell us that or, I don't know, call?"
"Okay," interrupted Jakob inching closer to the pair. Daniela's glare towards Lip never wavered as her brother tried to diffuse the situation. "How 'bout we take it easy, alright?"
Lip, after a long tense moment, backed off. Daniela scoffed under her breath, breaking the eye contact.
"We better head off," spoke Kevin, no doubt feeling a little uncomfortable. He traveled to where the teen girl stood and grabbed her shoulders comfortingly. "It's good to have you back safe, D."
"Thanks for coming," said Jakob as Veronica moved to hug Daniela.
Shortly after that, Fiona decided it was time that she got the young ones to bed. They followed a similar process, each hugging Daniela while telling her how happy they were to see her home safe and sound.
When it came time for Debbie to say goodbye, she rushed forward, nearly knocking Daniela off her feet. Her arms wound around her tightly and her face pressed against her chest. The older girl's eyes softened and her fingers raked through Debbie's hair before pressing a kiss to it.
That left six.
Turning to her brother, Daniela pressed her lips together. "Is it okay if I talk to them alone?"
Jakob, seemingly reluctant, eventually allowed it. Katherine stepped up beside him and wove her arm through his.
"We'll go get some takeaway. You must be starving." Daniela didn't have the heart to tell her she had already eaten and waited for them to leave.
Once she was sure they were gone, Daniela turned her attention to the others in the room. Ian was confused and worried while Lip tossed up which foot he was leaning on the most, obviously knowing what was coming.
Simon and Mandy watched from the sidelines.
"El, I-"
"Save it," she held up a hand, effectively shutting him up. "You don't have to keep pretending anymore."
Lip glanced at the others in the room before giving Daniela a look. "Look, maybe we could do this somewhere else?"
"Oh, but we already know," chimed in a smug Mandy while crossing her arms over her chest.
Daniela nodded at the girl before returning her attention to Lip. "And Ian's bound to find out eventually."
Ian frowned. "Find out what?"
Daniela kept her eyes on Lip. "You wanna tell him or should I?"
"I'll do it," offered Mandy shamelessly, even raising her hand.
Ian, now even more confused, looked desperately at all of them. "Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?"
Lip bit the inside of his cheek. He could feel the stares of everyone falling onto him and when he spoke, he met none of them.
"I had sex with Karen."
The rate at which Ian's face shifted was almost comical.
"You did what?" It was spoken slowly, a wild fury burning behind each word.
Lip continued to stand there, not raising his eyes.
"I didn't think it was true." They all looked at Daniela, her voice having cut through everything else. Her eyes never strayed from Lip. "I wanted to believe that what she had told me was just another lie of hers."
Lip shook his head helplessly, eyes conveying the guilt he was feeling. "Can we please talk about this privately?"
"No, no, I think she has a point," butted in an angry Ian before marching up to stand toe-to-toe with his brother.
"I wasn't asking you," Lip said back, eyes narrowing slightly. Ian puffed out his chest and the two looked as if they were ready to get into it.
"Ian," called Daniela. Reluctantly, the red-head shifted to see his best friend shake her head at him. Her chin was raised slightly. "I can take it from here."
She could tell straight away that he didn't want to leave her, and neither did Simon and Mandy when Daniela turned her attention to them too.
"Guys…" she trailed off but they got the hint.
Simon was the first to move, taking Mandy's hand in his before pulling her slowly towards the door. The Milkovich scowled at Lip one last time, muttering a quiet 'asshole' before stopping near Daniela.
"I'll message you later."
Daniela nodded, giving her a short smile before the pair were gone. Her head swiveled to Ian who was still stood in front of his brother, his face almost as red as his hair.
"Ian," she tried again. Her friend closed his eyes, her voice having gotten through to him.
"Don't think this is over," he warned his brother through gritted teeth. Finally, he stepped back, his eyes softening immediately when they fell onto Daniela.
He came to a stop in front of her, his arms reaching out to pull her into his chest.
"I'm glad you're home safe," he mumbled against the side of her face. Daniela simply nodded into the crook of his shoulder, blinking back tears as he kissed her cheek.
With one final look at his brother, Ian left. Daniela heard the door close behind them.
Now it was just the two of them.
She crossed her arms over her chest, a single eyebrow arched. "Well?"
Lip tried to think of what to say. "I'm sorry," he settled for.
It caused her to scoff. "Well, forgive me if I call bullshit on that one."
Lip shook his head before taking a step forward. He was quickly met with Daniela's hand, urging him to stop.
She licked her lips and tilted her head. "Just tell me one thing, Lip." When he nodded, she continued. "Why did you do it?"
He had asked himself the same question multiple times, mainly after each time he sought Karen's company. He still hadn't come up with an answer.
"Because I was scared that what you'd said was true," he admitted, hating every word he said. "And that I wasn't over her."
Daniela's jaw clenched and he saw the hurt flash over her face. "So you decided to just have sex with her to figure it out? You're a real intellectual, Lip."
"I hadn't been planning to," he tried defending himself but he was just met with more disbelief. Lip, seeing that he was losing her, became more urgent. "I knew I had fucked up as soon as it was over. I swear I did."
"But you still did it!" Yelled Daniela, her eyes burning as she finally cracked. Catching Lip off guard, she stormed up to him and began poking his chest. "You did it, again and again, and again. So why the fuck should I believe anything you're telling me?"
Lip pushed the knuckles of his thumbs into his eyes, feeling his frustration rise. "I went to see her yesterday after you and I made up. I didn't think she would drop it on you like that."
"So what? Were you just hoping she would sweep it under the rug? Act like it never happened?"
Lip said nothing.
Daniela chuckled humorlessly and her eyes glistened. "You know what? I'm glad she told me because now I know who you really are."
"I'm gonna fix this," Lip promised, stepping closer to swallow up any space between them. Carefully, he placed his hand on the back of her neck and was surprised when was met with no resistance. He took it as a positive sign.
Slowly, he tilted her chin up to meet his determined stare. "Whatever it takes, I'll fix it. Just tell me what you want and I'll do it."
She could feel her resolve lessen the longer she stared into his eyes. She thought of how easy it would be to just forget about it all and continue on as if nothing happened. Like it was a small blip on the radar.
But she also knew that if she let herself do that, then she would never be happy. Not after everything she knew.
"Right now," began Daniela after a long silence, her voice hardening. "I want you to leave."
Lip's eyebrows pinched together, not expecting that response. "Wait, you can't be serious?"
"Oh, I am deadly serious." She stepped behind him, pushing him forward slightly. As she herded him towards the door, Lip tried his hardest to get through to her.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Aren't we gonna talk about this?"
"I'm not in the mood, Lip," she said, exhaustion seeping into her voice. Lip stumbled out onto the front porch.
"Wait," he tried again. "I don't think I should be leaving you alone right now."
"Jake's gonna be back any minute now so don't worry about it."
"El-"
"Oh, and in case you didn't realize, we're done."
The door swung closed on his face, offering Daniela a feeling akin to therapeutic. The strength she had been holding onto diminished straight away and she slowly began to crumble.
Her forehead dropped forward, resting against the closed door as her eyes clenched shut. She could feel the tears gathering. Daniela continued to stand like that for a minute or so before standing upright and wiping at her cheeks.
Heaving a deep breath, Daniela turned and made her way up the stairs.
/
10:00am
Daniela's hand clenched tighter around Jakob's as the elevator doors opened for them to exit. They emerged, nerves pounding through their body, in particular, Daniela's.
She had made the choice to go there that morning, something that surprised her brother given how soon it had been but she stayed adamant.
As if he could sense it, Jakob twisted to look down at his little sister and met her eye before offering her a comforting smile. To Daniela, it felt like slow motion the closer they got to her mother's hospital room.
Finally reaching the closed door, Jakob brought the two of them to halt.
"You sure you're ready to do this?" He asked, leveling her with his stare. "If you need more time-"
"No," she shook her head, determined. "She doesn't deserve to stay like that any longer."
His expression remorseful, Jakob nodded before using his free hand to open the door. Daniela's breath caught in her throat when her eyes came to rest on the bed and, more importantly, her mother.
Feeling a tug on her hand, Daniela's eyes flicked momentarily to her brother who gently urged her closer so that they were stood at their mother's bedside. The girl blinked down at the woman's figure, her mouth pinching distastefully at the number of wires strapped to her along with the long tube inserted in her mouth.
It was eerie really. If the doctors were to take away all of the machines, Camille would appear to simply be sleeping.
Folding her mouth, Daniela hesitantly reached out to where her mother's hand laid. Carefully, as if she were a doll made of porcelain, she curled her fingers around the woman's.
The first thing she noticed was how cold she was. Once, in her Biology class, they had talked about body temperature and that the fingers and toes were the most susceptible to a change in heat. Her hand tightened around her mother's in an attempt to hopefully warm her up the best she could.
Her vision became blurry all of a sudden and Daniela had to tighten her jaw to keep the tears at bay. An arm wrapped around her, pulling her side to her brother's. She sniffled and wiped at her cheek.
The sound of approaching footsteps alerted them of the doctor entering the room. The woman eyed the siblings, her thin mouth grimacing. She flicked her eyes between the two of them.
"We're going to switch the life support off in a few minutes if you'd like to say your final goodbyes."
Daniela's body stiffened as Jakob nodded at the doctor, trying his hardest to stifle his own grief. "Thank you."
Wordlessly, the woman nodded back before leaving them to their goodbyes. Jakob turned back to the bed and heaved a shaky breath. Daniela's eyes softened as she watched the struggle on her brother's face.
Pulling his front lip along his teeth, Jakob removed his arm from his sister before stepping forward to rest his hands on the rail of the bed. For a long moment, he simply surveyed her, trying to come to terms with the fact that this would be the last time he ever saw her alive.
Daniela chewed on her lip, her eyes also roaming over the woman's face. Her skin, usually a natural bronze, was now a few shades lighter and her lips were cracked from dehydration. She didn't want to remember her like this. Her mother was a beautiful, fiery spirit who could make you laugh without even trying.
Her voice had been as warm as honey and Daniela recalled the fond memories of that voice singing lullabies into her ear as a child. Her mother had been her support system, someone who was always there for her no matter what.
This woman was only a shell of Camille Kaufman- the mother they had known and loved.
Jakob's body hunched over their mother's and his head was bowed but Daniela could still spy the tear tracks on his stubbly cheeks.
"Bye, mom," he whispered, leaning to kiss her forehead. His lips stayed there for a moment as he clenched his eyes shut. Jakob let go of the ragged breath he had been holding in before standing upright,
Now it was her turn.
Slowly, Daniela mimicked her brother, leaning over the bed to hover her mouth above her mother's forehead. Her eyes stared down at the woman; the closed eyes, the uncomfortable tube, the pale skin.
As she went to press her lips, her throat tightened, followed by a short intake of breath that caused her to stumble back.
"I can't." She cried, shaking her head and waving her arms around. "I can't do it." Her eyes clenched shut as she felt Jakob's arms surround her. She collapsed against him, as gut-wrenching sobs tore from her chest.
"I thought I could, but-" Daniela choked. Her brother's hand rested at the back of her head, pushing it into his chest. Her hands fisted into his jacket, clinging tightly to him. "I can't let her go."
"I know," shushed an equally emotional Jakob while stroking her hair. "I know. But you said so yourself, we can't just leave her like this."
She nodded and pulled away. Jakob wiped a thumb over her cheeks before she sniffled and headed back over to the bed. Her hand's clasped together in an attempt to muster some sort of strength.
Again, Daniela placed a shaky hand on the rail of the bed and leaned forward. "Thank you," she cried, her voice thick with tears. "For everything." Pushing forward, her mouth brushed against the woman's forehead. "I love you."
Her shoulders shook with fresh sobs and she soon felt Jakob lay a hand on her shoulder. Daniela looked over her shoulder at him and stepped back into his waiting arms. The young man pressed a kiss to his sisters head as his eyes caught onto the returning doctor.
"I'm afraid it's time."
Jakob nodded; his own glossy eyes flicking skywards. He released a rugged breath and tightened his hold around his crumbling sister.
"You don't have to watch," he muttered into her ear but he was met with resistance.
Daniela shook her head before angling her body so that she had a clear view of what was going on. The doctor went about doing her job, removing the tube and pushing buttons on the life support machine.
It all seemed so surreal to Daniela. Like a bad dream.
Neither sibling was able to tear their eyes away from Camille as the sound of her heartbeat slowed until it finally reached a piercing flatline. Amongst it all, Daniela monitored her mother's face, noticing that after everything, there was no pain, only peace.
And the heartbreak continues! Once again, thank you to all of you beautiful people for loving so many lovely comments. It's a hard time in Daniela's life and that's certainly not easing up anytime soon.
I'd say there are about two more chapters left for Season 3 and each are very important so I might need time to make sure they're planned properly but I'll try as hard as I can to get them out to you as soon as possible.
Special thanks to mchurch1992, Rae, wickedgrl123, thedevilyoudontknow, Maddprincess, tffnykzks, Guest (1,2,3 ) 13Death'sAngel13, icantfindacreativeusername, AnImEfReAk4994, toxic click, emirose3323, Volleyball Babe22, Raging Raven, Vanessa, youthed, funwithstark, RHatch89, 13teen, Natalya Rose, xencanaan, blouwoods, Amelia Mikaelhey, x NikiSt x, and Naruhina1519 for reviewing, the 14 who favorited, the 13 who followed and the one person who added this story into a community!
Bless all of you!
Also, in reply to Onlineashley, I wanted to thank you for the great review and tell you that I did listen to that song and it very much fits the last chapter and that whole thought process. My main song whilst writing this chapter was 'Into the Black' but the Chromatics version.
REVIEW!
