Chapter 51.
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Disclaimer: I do not own Shameless.
Ian had been hospitalized for 72 hours.
During those 72 hours, Daniela's birthday had come and gone with very little fanfare and, while she had never really enjoyed the day, this year was made even more unpleasant due to what the following days would represent. It was the week she had been dreading the whole year. Now it had arrived and Daniela had no idea how to feel.
Desperate to keep her mind off of it, she had jumped into the prep for her second year of college whilst routinely checking up on Ian as he spent his consented 72 hours in the hospital.
The day that he would be released had finally come around and Daniela made sure to be there for it. She had gotten there early and met up with Fiona who had gone straight inside while she waited around for Mickey and Lip.
Her head turned back and forth to scope out the people walking along the side of the street. It wasn't long before she saw Lip emerge from the crowd.
Smiling, she pushed off of the wall and smiled once he caught up to her.
"Hey," he greeted. "I wasn't sure if you were still coming."
Daniela frowned. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Well..." Lip trailed off causing Daniela to look away. She knew exactly why.
"It's not until tomorrow, so," she answered, attempting to sound as unbothered as possible.
Lip nodded and watched her intently. "How you feeling?"
"So far, pretty decent," she shrugged. Clearing her throat, she pointed a thumb over her shoulder. "Fiona's already inside."
Lip noted her evasion and simply nodded. "Right, and Mickey?"
"Not yet. Fiona told me he was a little freaked out when they came to see him the other day. She's not too confident in him showing up."
"Right. Well, should we head in?"
"Sure," she nodded and followed closely behind.
Lip held the door open for her to go first and then the pair made their way through the hospital to reception. Fiona was still sitting where Daniela had left her.
As he came to sit beside her, Lip squeezed his sister's shoulder to announce his presence. Her head whipped to the side before relaxing once she saw him.
"Hey," she greeted him. "Can you believe we're back here? Makes me wanna puke."
"Yeah." Lip scratched his nose. "You, uh, you still married?"
Fiona's brow raised as she raised a hand up to survey the ring on it.
"I'm not sure. Gus is silent. And you know how good I am with silence." Lip nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. "You figure out your tuition?"
Adjacent to them, Daniela frowned. "What happened with your tuition?"
"Oh, I uh, I didn't file in my papers on time so now I actually have to pay," explained Lip, rubbing the back of his neck. "I got an idea, though."
"Is it an idea that could land you in jail?" Asked Fiona carefully.
Lip simply shrugged, choosing not to elaborate. Filling in the blanks, the two females shared a look just as a doctor approached with a clipboard in hand.
"Are you here for Ian Gallagher?" She asked, causing all three to look at her.
"Yeah, that's us," answered Fiona, rising to her feet alongside the others.
"Follow me."
As they did, Daniela hung back and debated on waiting for Mickey. However, remembering what Fiona had told her earlier, she had little faith that he would show.
/
"Bipolar one, acute mania with psychotic features. This means-"
"No, we know what it means," interrupted Lip.
"Can we take him home?" Asked Fiona, already standing up and ready to go.
Beside her, Daniela remained in her seat as her brain continued to process and catch up with what the doctor was telling them.
"I understand that there's a family history and that this diagnosis is difficult to hear but I do need to go over a few specifics in regards to Ian."
With a sigh, Fiona played along and sat back down.
"He's resisting his diagnosis," said the doctor as she folded her hands together. "We had to make med-compliance a requirement for his release."
"Alright, so what? You're saying we need to hold him down and force him to take his meds?" Asked Lip.
"I'm saying that it will take his meds about two weeks to kick in and really start working. Until then, yes, I am suggesting he be carefully supervised." Reaching into her drawer, the woman retrieved three pill bottles and placed them down on the desk. "I'm giving you a week's worth of antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and sedatives."
Daniela's eyes widened slightly at the sight of how just how many pills there were - and that was only for a week.
"Ian should be here shortly," said the woman once she had gone over how the pills should be taken. Closing her folder, she stood up and offered them a kind smile. "Good luck."
Once the door was closed behind her, Daniela leaned back in her chair and heaved a deep breath.
"Jesus."
Beside her, Lip and Fiona nodded. "Yup."
A few moments passed where they all sat there letting it all sink in. At the sound of the door opening, they all rose from their chairs to see Ian being escorted in. They each took their turn hugging him, with Daniela going last.
"Mickey?" He asked as they pulled apart, his voice hollow.
Daniela stared back at him sadly and shook her head. Ian's eyes dropped from hers and to his wrist where a hospital tag was.
It didn't take long for the discharge papers to be signed and for the group to head out onto the sidewalk. Fiona linked her arm with Ian's and brushed a few strands of hair out of his eyes as he looked around at the street. Eager to get him home, the two lead the way.
"We're gonna head back to the house," said Lip, snatching Daniela's attention away from Ian's back. "You coming with?"
"Uh, I was actually gonna go see Mickey. But I might swing by later just to check up on him."
Lip nodded. "Alright."
Nodding too, Daniela stuffed her hands into her jacket and began to head in the opposite direction.
"Hey, Daniela!" Pausing, she looked over her shoulder to see Lip rubbing the back of his neck. "Listen, I uh, I know that tomorrow won't be the easiest for you but, uh, if you need to talk, I'll be here."
Having not expected that, Daniela mustered up a small smile and nodded.
"Thanks, Lip."
/
Daniela didn't bother knocking and instead walked right into the Milkovich house. Her narrowed eyes searched the lounge for Mickey before continuing down the hall to where his bedroom was.
"What the hell is this?" She demanded as she stopped in the gap of his door.
Mickey's head remained forward; her presence not shocking her like she had hoped it would. He sat propped up against the bedframe, surrounded by a dozen empty beer cans.
"What's it look like?" He grunted, taking a chug of his beer. It was silent before he let out a belch that left Daniela grimacing in disgust as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"It looks like you're being a pussy."
Mickey scoffed and went to take another drink when he found it snatched out of his hand. He released a sigh before finally meeting her stare.
"Where were you today?" She asked, clearly angry. "We waited. Ian was asking for you."
Mickey tore his eyes away from her. "Couldn't do it," he shook his head and rose from the bed. "It was a fucking freak show in there."
Daniela released a long breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I know."
"Look, I can't help him," said Mickey, walking towards his dresser. "I don't know about any of this shit and just seeing him like that I can't-"
"And you think I can?" Challenged Daniela. "Mickey, I could barely look at him today. I have no fucking idea how to handle this." She heaved a heavy sigh. "All I know is that Ian is my best friend and I love him. So, instead of making excuses for yourself, man the fuck up and go see him because he needs you and you need him."
Mickey turned to look at her. He remained silent as she came down from her small rant. Steadying herself, Daniela raked a hand over her face.
"You want a beer?" Offered Mickey after a long and awkward silence.
"Yes, please," nodded Daniela gratefully before following behind him into the main lounge while Mickey headed to the fridge.
He quickly returned with two cans and offered one out to Daniela. She accepted it quickly, wasting no time cracking it open and taking a swig. She wiped her mouth off and collapsed onto the nearest seat as Mickey sat across from her.
His can rolled between his palms for a long moment.
"How was he?" He finally asked, keeping his voice low. Nevertheless, Daniela could hear how worried he really was.
"Awful," she answered, not bothering to mince her words. "Like a fucking zombie. I hadn't seen him that bummed out since the day I met him."
It had been just after Monica had left and the woman's hasty departure had hit Ian pretty hard. Daniela remembered it taking ages to get him to even crack a smile.
"Look, I get it," she continued. "I do. I don't want to see him go through this any more than you do. But we have to. We have to make sure he gets better, and I know it'll take time and there'll be moments where we feel like we can't handle it but it'll happen." Her serious eyes rested on Mickey's hesitant figure. "You should go see him."
"I don't know what to say to him," admitted Mickey quietly.
Daniela lifted a shoulder. "Tell him you're sorry. He'll just be glad to have you there."
Nodding, Mickey stared down into his beer can. Across from him, Daniela placed hers down on the table and stood up.
"I better go but just, remember what I said. It'll be okay, Mickey."
"Yeah."
Daniela's mouth pinched as she moved to squeeze his shoulder reassuringly before leaving. She just hoped he would take her advice and go see Ian. The two of them would never get through this without the other.
/
Daniela didn't have the energy to go and see Ian after that and instead chose to return to her dorm where she wrestled to have a peaceful night of sleep. Her internal alarm clock eventually woke her up later the next morning.
As per her usual morning routine, she reached for her phone to check for any messages or notifications, namely about Ian. However, seeing the date, her eyes drifted shut with a small groan.
Keeping them clenched shut, her head fell back onto the pillow as she released a long sigh. The dreaded day had finally arrived and it left her stomach churning uncomfortably. She remained that way for a few minutes, just wishing it away when she felt the phone vibrate in her hand. Opening her eyes, she saw that it was a message from Jakob telling her what time he would be by to pick her up.
Every fiber of her being was fighting to keep her there in bed but she knew that this was something she couldn't avoid. Not on this day. So, very, very grudgingly, Daniela rose from the bed and started getting ready. Heading towards her drawers, she debated on what to wear. She wasn't sure what the dress code was for an anniversary and opted for jeans and a nice, dark shirt.
Her brother picked her up just when he said he would and drove them to the cemetery. Before getting in the car, he had pulled her in for a tight hug that Daniela tried to duplicate.
Once they arrived, Jakob gave her the flowers to hold before they weaved their way through the countless graves and, as they grew closer to their intended destination, Daniela felt a thick lump form in her throat. She hadn't stepped foot on that soil since the day they had buried her.
"Hey, mom," said Jakob, coming to a stop in front of her resting place. He placed a hand on the cool stone of her grave. "We brought you some flowers. Your favorites."
He glanced behind him at Daniela who, after realizing that this was her cue, stepped forward and laid the bouquet down against the stone. Her eyes lingered on the epitaph before quickly stepping back.
Jakob did the same and held out his hand for her. With a small gulp, she took it, feeling him squeeze it tightly. She didn't say a word as her brother worked up the courage to speak.
"It, uh-" Jakob cleared his throat. "It's been a year since you've been gone. I can't see it's gotten any easier without you but we're trying our best, you know. I've been working real hard and so has Daniela. Dad's doing good too. He's nervous about the parole hearing but the rest of us are pretty sure it's certain that he'll be accepted."
He fell silent causing Daniela to glance up at his face. Her mouth pinched when she saw that he was struggling to push on. At the sight of it, guilt churned in her stomach that she couldn't muster up the same amount of emotion.
"Um. We just, uh. We just wanted to let you know that we miss you and that, not a day passes where we don't think of you - especially today."
She felt her brother's arm snake around her side and pull her into his side as she rested her head against his shoulder.
"You okay?" She asked once she was sure he had finished.
"Yeah," nodded Jakob, managing to give her a small smile. "I'm good. You?"
Wordlessly, Daniela nodded too.
"Uh, while we're here," began Jakob, a flash of hesitance crossing his face. "There's something I need to tell you."
Pulling her head back, Daniela frowned at her brother. "What?"
"Do you remember mom ever talking about her side of the family?"
She took a moment to think about it before shaking her head. "No. Not that I can recall."
"Exactly! I mean, she was our mother and we knew barely anything about her other than she was born in PR and moved here to Chicago with dad when they were young. Other than that, nothing. We don't know about her parents, siblings, cousins."
Daniela's eyes narrowed as she shrugged. "I just assumed there was some bad blood, or that maybe she didn't have any family."
"Yeah, so did I. But then I got this email a few weeks ago from some guy called Eric Rivera." Pulling out his phone, Jakob flicked through his email before showing it to her. "Dani, he said he's mom's brother."
"What?" She leaned closer to let her eyes skim over the words. "Seriously?"
Jakob nodded hurriedly and tucked the phone back into his pocket. "Yeah, turns out mom has a whole family living in Florida that she never told us about. But get this; they didn't even know she had died."
Shocked, Daniela didn't say anything for a long minute. "Well, did you tell them?"
"Not yet," said Jakob, shaking his head. "I wanted to talk to you about it first."
"Well, I guess you should tell them, right? I mean, they are her family. Supposedly."
"Yeah, but what do we know about them? Maybe mom never brought them up for a good reason. Maybe they're bad people."
"Or maybe there was some sort of misunderstanding," shrugged Daniela. "We don't know for sure but what I don't really think this is something you can just sweep under the rug. At least not now that our alleged uncle is trying to contact you."
Seeming to agree, Jakob shook his head. "I just don't understand how mom could just keep this from us?"
"I don't know, Jake and right now, I don't really care enough to find out," sighed Daniela, tiredly. "But, if you wanna tell them, tell them. Just leave me out of it, okay?"
Jakob frowned but nodded nevertheless. "Yeah, okay."
With a grateful smile, Daniela placed a kiss on her brother's cheek.
/
Later that night, the siblings went out for dinner. Katherine joined them there as they each remembered their mother. Jakob didn't bring up anything else about the email he had received but Daniela knew how disappointed he was in how she had reacted.
After their plates were cleared and the bill had been paid, they said their goodbyes, with Daniela heading to the train station. However, instead of heading straight back to her dorm, she remained on the train until she arrived at the station nearest to Lip's college. She stopped briefly to grab some beers from the drugstore before continuing. She knew that it was getting late and hoped that the beers could be some sort of consolation for possibly waking him up.
Once she arrived, Daniela made her way to the building she knew he stayed in. However, since she had no idea what his room number was, she whipped out her phone and called him, praying that he was still awake.
It took a few moments before he picked up.
"Hey," answered Lip, not expecting her call.
"Hey, uh, is that offer still on the table?" She wondered, gingerly.
"Yeah, of course. Do you want me to come meet you?"
"Actually, I'm standing outside your building."
"Oh." From his bedroom, Lip peered out the window but saw nothing and figured that she was at the front of the building. "Okay, I'll be out in a minute."
Daniela smiled softly. "Okay."
Hanging up, Daniela brushed a piece of hair behind her air and kept her eyes on the doors of the building. A few minutes later, Lip emerged from the entrance and met her eye. A small smile broke out on his face as he jogged over to her.
"Hey."
"Hi," responded Daniela before grimacing. "I'm sorry, I know it's late."
"No, it's fine," said Lip, waving her concern off.
Nodding, Daniela's attention turned to the beers in her hand. She raised them up to show off. "I bought these. Just in case."
"Alright," grinned Lip. "You wanna go for a walk?"
"Yeah," nodded Daniela in return. "That sounds good. Lead the way."
They walked side by side for a few minutes as Lip directed her to the main area of campus where students would hang out between classes. There were plenty of tables and chairs for them to use and Daniela wasted no time picking one out.
She climbed up onto the chair of the picnic table and set the drinks down beside her while Lip did the same.
"So, how did it go?" He asked, looking beside him to where she was cracking open a beer.
Daniela took a small sip before passing another off to him.
"Uh, it was good, yeah. We laid down some flowers, stared at her headstone for a little and then left."
Lip's brow raised. "That's it?"
"Well," she tilted her head. "Jake wanted to say a few words. I don't really know though, I kind of blocked it all out."
"Why?" Wondered Lip, sensing that there was more to the story.
Daniela shrugged, unsure of what to say. "Because I haven't really dealt with it properly," she admitted nonchalantly.
Lip's frown deepened as he turned his body to face her better. "You wanna talk about it?"
He watched her mouth thin hesitantly before she eventually cleared her throat.
"When she died, I didn't really know how to cope. I mean, I knew it was coming, we all knew it was coming but I thought that when it did, it would be the right time under the right circumstances." She stared down at the beer being rolled between her palms. "That night, I had gone to see her. I was upset about you and Karen and I knew that she would be there to comfort me."
At the shameful reminder, Lip's eyes dropped.
"When I was feeling a little better, I left to get her some water. I had to have been gone for only two minutes but, by the time I came back, there were nurses rushing into the room. I had no idea what was happening. I thought, at first, that they had the wrong room. She had been fine when I had left her." Daniela paused, feeling a thick lump form in her throat that made it difficult to talk. "I remember when the doctor told us that she was gone, I just, I felt like I couldn't breathe-"
"I'm sorry," said Lip, cutting her off. He didn't need to know the rest. He had already heard enough. "I'm sorry you had to go through that alone."
Daniela was quiet for a moment before licking her lips and continuing. "It wasn't all bad," she said, feeling a smile creep onto her face. "Mandy and the guys were a big help but they knew that I wasn't the same. I feel sorry for my brother though. Even after a year, I've never really been able to talk to him about what happened."
"These things take time," comforted Lip. "A year might sound like a long time to deal but this was a big loss for you. And I know that it wasn't the only thing you were going through at the time. I'm sorry about that too."
With a small smile, Daniela placed a hand over his and squeezed it gratefully.
"Thanks, Lip. For all of this," she gestured to their surroundings. "You know, listening to me unload all of my shit onto you."
"Hey." Placing two fingers under her chin, Lip raised her head so that she could meet his eyes. "You don't have to apologize for anything. I'm always here for you, you know that."
Daniela stared back at him, her eyes developing a watery sheen the longer she did so. She nodded slightly as the fingers holding her head up moved to rest on the side of her face. Lip's thumb stroked her cheek comfortingly, his intense stare never wavering from her.
Daniela gulped, feeling a shift in the air that was a little too dangerous. Clearing her throat, she pulled away causing Lip's hand to drop back to onto his leg.
"I should probably head back," she said, avoiding his gaze. "Besides, I don't think your girlfriend would appreciate me hanging out with you so much."
Her small attempt at humor to cover up whatever had just happened was followed by a long drink of her warming beer.
"Actually, Amanda and I broke up."
Daniela spluttered, having not expected that response. She wiped a hand over her mouth before staring at Lip, wide-eyed.
"What? Are you serious?"
Lip nodded, unfazed. "Yeah."
"When?" She demanded, her curiosity spiking.
"Just before I left Miami."
Daniela's brow raised as her mind did some calculating. "That was months ago!" Stuttering, she rotated her body to face him fully. "Wha-? Are you okay?"
Lip simply looked at her, a small smile of astonishment on his face as his eyes roamed her worried expression.
"Yeah," he nodded. "I'm doing good."
Internally, Daniela realized why the pair had seemed so awkward when she had seen them. At the thought, her mouth thinned as she squeezed his arm.
"I'm so sorry," she said genuinely upset for him.
"Don't be," responded Lip, his voice light. "It was better I end things. You know, before things got complicated."
Daniela frowned. "I don't understand."
Instead of providing her with a direct answer, Lip placed his beer down to the side before lifting his hand to rest gently against the side of her neck. Daniela's eye's widened slightly as he grazed thumb across her soft skin. She gulped, convinced that he could feel her pulse going crazy against her palm.
Lip showed no indication of it and instead leaned in slowly so that his mouth could brush against hers. She allowed their lips to linger for a brief second before she reeled her head back.
"Lip, what-?"
"I've wanted to do that for two months," he confessed, a small grin playing on his features.
His hand remained on her neck and used it to keep her steady. He could see the mix of confusion and surprise playing across her face and found it even more endearing. Leaning forward, he rested his forehead against hers and watched as she frowned to herself.
"I uh," she paused to lick her lips. "I don't-"
"You don't have to make a decision right now," said Lip as his thumb brushed itself against the nape of her neck. "But, just for tonight, do you think we could maybe let this happen?"
Daniela didn't answer right away. She wasn't sure how to. She could feel his eyes on her as she sat debating in her head about what to do. Her mind was still trying to process what the hell was happening.
Chancing it, she lifted her eyes to meet his and was immediately taken aback by the degree of want she saw there. Her eyes dropped to his mouth; an easy task considering how close they already were.
Having made up her mind, Daniela embraced the butterflies in her stomach and tilted her head up to close the almost non-existent gap between them.
.
I know it feels really rushed and I'm sorry for that but I couldn't find any other way to split up these two episodes.
In case it didn't click, Lip's been single ever since he got back from Miami. I dropped little hints here and there with the major ones being in the last chapter but I don't think anyone picked up on it.
Special thanks to xenocanaan, Taffdog19943, 13teen, RHatch89, strippedraw, Naruhina1519, angelicedg, and HPuni101 for reviewing!
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