Chapter 59.

Please enjoy this much longer chapter. It's got some good stuff in it but it's also kind of a small bribe because I'm not sure if I'll get a chapter up next week.

Also, it's like 1 am where I am so I haven't proof-read this chapter in-depth.

Disclaimer: I do not own Shameless.


It had been three days since her appointment at the clinic and Daniela wasn't feeling any better. She had always heard stories about how awful morning sickness could be during the early stages of pregnancy and she found that her personal experience was no different.

She also learned that, contrary to its name, it wasn't exclusively reserved for the mornings. This had caused some more problems in her day-to-day life as she had very nearly thrown up on the girl sitting in front of her in class. Thankfully for the two of them, Daniela had managed to quickly excuse herself.

However, it wasn't just her education that her new condition was taking its toll on.

Her relationship with Lip had become slightly restrained in the days following her revelation. Part of it was because she didn't want to risk throwing up on him or unwittingly dropping clues as to what was wrong. The second part was that she didn't know what to tell him once he inevitably found out.

She knew that he was beginning to suspect something was up and she just hoped that she'd be able to make up her mind before things got really bad. For now, he would have to put up with the excuse that someone in her lab had given her a nasty virus. In some ways, it wasn't a lie.

Still, she felt guilty and eventually found herself on his campus with the intention of seeing him. Of course, she had arrived on the day where he had nothing but classes. She wondered if she'd done it on purpose.

It seemed that her journey wouldn't be entirely in vain however as Lip texted her that it was Ian's first day working as a janitor. Daniela's brow had quirked up when she'd been told the news.

With a pack of minty-fresh gum in hand, she made her way in the direction of where she'd been told he would be. Sure enough, she found him mopping floors in one of the science buildings.

Her footsteps echoed off of the walls as she headed towards him- his signature red hair marking his position easily. Hearing her, Ian's eyes come up to rest on her. He surveyed her, taking in the bags under her eyes and loss of color in her cheeks. She definitely looked like she had a deadly virus.

Ian snorted. "You look like shit."

"Pot-kettle," replied Daniela, holding her hands up to simulate scales. Ian smirked at that but didn't deny it.

"You here to congratulate me on my first day?"

"Of course." Daniela's tone matched his own sarcasm causing the two to laugh. "No, but really, how's it going?"

At her question, Ian shrugged. It had only been three hours but so far he couldn't say he was loving it. His day so far had consisted of going from classroom to classroom emptying out bins and lining them with new bags. Real riveting stuff. Still, he had soldiered on, albeit uneagerly. Daniela's arrival was a much-needed breath of fresh air.

"It's better than having Fiona bitch in my ear all day."

He hadn't told her everything about what had happened between him and his sister but Daniela knew that they weren't in the greatest place at the moment. Since he had started working at Patsy's, she had noticed a decline in his behavior. Of course, she knew it wasn't just the job but it had definitely contributed to it along with his sister consistently reminding him to take his meds and get to work on time.

Observing him now however, she didn't seem to see much of a difference. If anything he looked worse than when he was bussing tables and washing dishes.

"I'm guessing you didn't come here just to talk to me about how amazing my new job is," he said, quirking a brow as he swiveled the mop around the floor. Daniela watched the sad movement and shook her head.

"Uh, no. Not really." She continued to observe him, quickly gathering his dissatisfaction with his new line of employment.

Ian made his way over to the mop bucket and tried to strain it off only for it to get jammed. There was a small huff of frustration on his part as he wiggled the mop handle violently. Finally, he managed to get it out. He slapped it down on the ground and began all over again.

Daniela's mouth thinned. "Actually, you know what, it's fine. You don't need anything else to worry about."

Ian paused. He stood with his hands gripping the wooden neck of the mop. His head cocked in her direction.

"Should I be worried?"

"No…no I'm fine."

"But there's something you're not telling me," said Ian knowingly. "And as your best friend, I feel like I hold the right to know."

Daniela didn't budge, causing him to sigh. Leaning the mop against the wall, he moved to take a seat on a dry patch. He looked up at her and tapped the spot beside him expectantly. She hesitated before sliding down beside him.

Her knees came up to her chest and she let her hands rest in the dip between them and her stomach. She was not unaware of Ian's careful gaze. He was waiting for her to speak but, when he figured she wouldn't, decided to take the initiative.

"Hey." He nudged her shoulder gently to gain her attention. It worked and she turned her neck to look at him. "You can tell me anything, remember? That's kind of what best friends are for. Plus, this job is pretty fucking boring so whatever you've got is automatically a thousand times more interesting."

Daniela's breath hitched with something akin to laughter. She wet her lips and nodded.

"I-I know, it's just…"

Ian frowned. "What?"

"If I say it, it's true. And if I don't….I don't know maybe I get a little more time to get my head around it all."

He regarded her words carefully before nodding.

"Okay. Well if you're looking for advice, or even just someone to vent to, you may just have to tell me what's going on."

There was another long silence where Daniela felt her throat tighten. Her hands wrung around her wrists. The sight of it caused the humor in Ian's face fade. She appeared almost childlike and he could see the silent petrification as she met his eyes once again.

"I'm pregnant."

.

Hearing the words fall out of her mouth for the first time was strange. It was strange- foreign. It had felt just as strange hearing it come from the kind doctor at the clinic.

The woman had smiled as she'd told her the news but the panicked look on Daniela's face had made it drop instantly. From then on she had regarded her with some form of worry and, much to Daniela's annoyance, pity. Like this wasn't an uncommon occurrence in her profession.

'Of course, you have options' she had told her. 'You're still young. I'm guessing you have a lot of things you want to do with your life before you take on something this big. We can help you with that.'

She was sure they could. But Daniela hadn't been able to formulate a coherent sentence strong enough to convey her emotions. So instead she had calmly stood up, thanked the doctor, accepted the small pamphlets about alternative pathways, and left the room.

Mandy had been waiting where had said she would be; in a chair in the reception area flicking through an old magazine. Her bored expression fell away at the sound of Daniela approaching and she had quickly discarded the outdated paper. Her mouth had thinned and her small intake of breath told Daniela that she didn't need to relay the information. She knew.

"You okay?"

"I…I think so."

"Are you hungry?" She tried a different route. "We could get something to eat."

Daniela barely registered her head shaking. "No, it's okay- I'm okay."

Mandy didn't seem quite as convinced. Her sharp features were uncharacteristically soft as she placed a tentative hand on the other girl's arm.

"Come on," she goaded gently. "Let's get out of here."

Daniela nodded and allowed the other girl to guide her out of the clinic.

.

Ian's eyes were glazed over.

He had been sitting there in stunned silence for what felt like forever. Beside him, Daniela regarded him warily, afraid she had put him into some sort of short-term paralysis with the news.

"Are you serious?" He asked, finally snapping out of it. He watched his best friend nod and felt himself exhale slowly. "How long have you known?"

Her brow quirked and she tilted her head back to rest against the wall. "Officially? Three days."

"And I'm guessing Lip hasn't been brought up to speed?" She shook her head and he sighed, figuring as much. "Do you know what you want to do?"

"Now that's the million dollar question." Daniela wore a sad grin as her head fell into her hands. "I have no idea."

"Who else knows?"

She shrugged. "Just you and Mandy."

"Shit, El…"

Daniela's eyes closed. "I know."

"You have to tell Lip."

Suddenly alert, her neck turned sharply and she stared at him with wide-eyes. "Do I though?"

Ian simply gave her a look. "El are you serious? Yes!"

With a groan, she slumped further down the wall.

"I'm not so sure yet," she mumbled.

Ian barely caught what she said but frowned.

"Sure about what?"

"Whether to tell him," answered Daniela, clearly exasperated. She felt her friend's watchful eyes on her.

"It is his right?"

Daniela's resounding glare was tired but fierce.

"Of course it is. I just…" she shrugged hopelessly. "I don't know. What if I tell him and he gets really excited and then I decide I don't want the baby?"

"Then he'd just have to respect your decision," shrugged Ian, his response immediate. Daniela shuffled her feet, still unsure.

"You sure there isn't more to it?" He asked, the question catching her off guard.

Daniela's mouth thinned subconsciously. "The last time he thought he got someone pregnant was Karen and we all know how that turned out."

"Yeah, but at least you know he's the father this time," said Ian, his point entirely reasonable.

"I know but…you saw what he was like. He almost threw away his whole life for her and her baby. He stopped going to school, then he got expelled and then kicked out. And I know how much he hated the idea of putting the baby up for adoption." She remembered when he had first told her about it. The night after he had gotten kicked out and showed up on her doorstep.

Daniela wet her lips, a small frown playing on her features. "I saw that disappointment, Ian. And I don't want to tell him and see him get his hopes up only to see me decide that I don't want the kid."

Ian's expression was thoughtful as he tilted her head. "You think maybe you're considering the wrong person's feelings?"

Daniela frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Sure, Lip should know. And you definitely shouldn't brush his feelings to the side like Karen did. But like I said before, it's your decision. I mean, have you thought about it- like really thought about it?"

His friend was silent as she stared down at her fingers.

"I keep trying to," she admitted, her voice barely a mumble. "I keep trying to picture every possible scenario and each time I just feel more and more lost."

Feeling her throat close up again, Daniela only a second before she registered the sensation for what it was.

Ian frowned, leaning closer.

"Are you crying?" He asked gently.

"No." She answered a little too fast but it didn't matter anyway because the crack in her voice followed by the subsequent tears did little to convince Ian.

"Hey, hey, hey."

A strong arm wrapped itself around her side and Daniela took the opportunity to rest her head on Ian's chest. Her body shook intermittently with sniffles as she wiped at her cheeks.

"It's gonna be okay," he told her. She felt his chest vibrate against her cheek as he spoke. "You'll figure this out."

Daniela sniffled, hoping that he was right.

/

Daniela huffed, her eyes skimming over the papers in her hand like they had been for the past hour. It had seemed like she'd read the pages back to front a thousand times.

'Explore your options here'

The doctor at the clinic had given her multiple to flick through but she hadn't touched them until after her talk with Ian. They had been folded up into her jacket pockets and she hadn't realized they were still in there until she was on the train back to her own dorm.

She felt her heart pound at the diagrams of the sizes of the fetus over the term of the pregnancy. Her lips pursed as she turned it over to the next one.

'Unplanned pregnancy? Consider adoption'

Daniela's eyes shut and she pinched the bridge of her nose. She looked up to see that she had finally reached her building. She headed inside and into the elevator. Opening the pamphlet, she went over the carefully constructed words and anecdotes of past women who had gone down that path.

She shook her head. The whole situation was becoming too much for her and the heightened hormones definitely weren't helping.

Stepping out, she turned to the third pamphlet.

'Your body, your choice, your pregnancy'

Daniela huffed, flicking through it as she stepped out of the lift. Her feet carried her to her dorm as her eyes remained on the papers. Glancing up, she did a double take at the sight of Simon standing in her hall.

He seemed on edge as he paced back and forth in front of her door, seemingly muttering something to himself. Daniela quirked a brow and quickly folded up the pamphlets, tucking them back into her pocket.

"Si?"

Hearing her voice, his head whipped up- wide-eyes locking with hers. Daniela eyed him carefully. His hair was mussed as if he had been running his hands through it and she had no doubt that he probably had.

The tension in his shoulders elevated somewhat at the sight of her.

"Hey."

Daniela came to a stop in front of the door and stared up at him curiously.

"You okay?" She asked. Now that she was right in front of him, she could see the tiny beads of sweat beginning to rise on his forehead.

"Can we talk?" The sudden seriousness in his voice caused her to falter for a second but she nodded regardless.

Simon followed her into the dorm and watched as she pulled something out of her back pocket before quickly shoving it into her desk drawer. Dusting her hands off, Daniela turned back to him.

"What's up?" She asked, hoping he wouldn't turn his attention to the papers she had just discarded.

Simon didn't answer right away. Instead, he gestured for her to take a seat on the bed. She did and waited for him to pull over her desk chair until he was parallel to her.

"Daniela."

The girl in question raised a brow at his flat tone.

"Simon," she echoed, hoping it would lighten the mood.

It didn't.

Simon's whole body was wound up as he sat in front of her.

"I'm gonna ask you something," he began. "And I need you to be one-hundred percent honest with me."

Not liking where this was going but feeling her intrigue build, Daniela nodded. Across from her, Simon let out a long exhale, his shoulders sagging from the motion. He wheeled her desk chair closer to her and leaned forward to rest his forearms on his knees.

"Is it true?" He asked. His eyes didn't waver from hers.

Daniela felt her blood pressure spike and she carefully calculated her breathing in order to keep it as steady as possible.

"Is what true?" She asked, keeping her tone free of anything incriminating. It seemed to work because Simon sighed and shook his head.

"Look I get it," he began gently. It did little to calm her nerves. "I know there's this whole 'girl code' thing where you're kind of indebted to keeping each other's secrets but don't you think you should've told me?"

A sliver of guilt crept into Daniela's chest as she looked at him.

"Simon, I-"

"Please, let me." He took a breath before continuing. "I know this isn't the kind of thing we planned for- especially at our age you know? I mean, me personally, I thought it would a couple more years before it happened to one of us but I can't say that I'm upset about it."

The corners of his mouth quirked upwards as he regarded her carefully. "And I could get why Mandy would be hesitant to tell me but I was at least hoping you would say something. You know, just as a heads up."

Daniela exhaled and she did little to hide the exhaustion that had been steadily creeping into her bones.

"You're right," she said. "You deserve to know."

Simon snorted, nodding his head adamantly. "I should hope so given that I'm the father!"

Wait what.

"Sorry…what-" Daniela's eyes shut for a second and she tried to process the last five minutes. She pinched the bridge of her nose before regarding Simon again. "Rewind to the beginning. Why are you here?"

"Mandy's pregnant," answered Simon matter-of-factly.

Daniela's brow skyrocketed. "What?"

"Trust me, I had the same reaction. Except there was a lot more hyperventilating to the point where I was clutching onto my inhaler for dear life because I thought I was gonna pass out."

Simon's rambling was quickly brought to an end by Daniela's hand resting on his knee

"Simon," she began carefully. Her heart was pounding and she was sure he could hear it. "What the hell are you talking about? How do you know she's pregnant?"

Her friend seemed exasperated as he began to explain.

"I found a paper bag in her room." Immediately Daniela's eyes closed. "I thought it was trash so I went to throw it out when I saw the pregnancy test. It was positive. Or at least I think it was. I don't have much experience with pregnancy tests."

Daniela heaved a sigh and held her hands out to get him to stop talking.

"Simon…are you sure?"

Her question caused him to stare at her as if she hadn't been paying attention at all.

"Um, yes." His head fell forward into his hands. "I don't know what to do. I mean, do I tell her I know?"

"No!"

Simon eyed her oddly. "Why not?"

Good question.

Daniela said the first thing that came to mind.

"Girl code!" Simon's confusion didn't fade and she shook her head. "Like you said, there's a code. You can't tell Mandy that you may or may not know something about her that I can neither confirm nor deny because if you did that would make me look bad and I'd rather that didn't do anything."

She swallowed hoping her hairbrained excuse would work.

"So you're saying I should do…nothing."

Daniela nodded. "Precisely. Wait it out. She's probably going through a lot right now, you know, physically, mentally, emotionally."

Simon nodded in understanding. "Right. Hormones yeah?"

"Yeah…and she might be working out how she's going to tell you so if you drop it on her that you already know, she might get scared and not tell you at all."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Simon didn't seem pleased with the idea but if it meant keeping her secret just that for a little while longer, she was willing to roll with it.

Looking disappointed, he pushed himself out of the chair and moved it back to her desk.

"I should probably go…" his voice trailed off. Meeting Daniela's eyes, he attempted a smile. "Thanks, El."

She smiled back. "No problem."

She tried not to push him out of her dorm but the pace at which he was leaving was agonizing and Daniela wasn't sure she could breathe properly. Closing the door behind him, she collapsed against it, her lungs gasping for air.

She slid to the ground, pulling her knees into her chest.

/

After the close call that was Simon's visit, Daniela found that she needed time to breathe and get away from everyone. So, an hour after he had left, she found herself on the other side of the city.

She sucked in a breath as she came to the entrance of the cemetery. She didn't let herself hesitate and continued into the gardens. She wove through the rows expertly, her eyes passing over the names of those around her before she came to a stop in front of the person she was looking for.

Here lies,

Camille Valeria Andrea Kaufman

1968 - 2013

A loving mother, cherished wife, and devoted friend. May she finally rest in peace.

Daniela toyed with the small bunch of daffodils she had plucked on the way there. Stepping forward, she crouched down to rest them along the stone. Her knuckle brushed against the cold of it and she allowed it to linger for a moment before taking a step back.

Her visits to see her mother had become more common. Sometimes she came with her dad or Jakob. Lip had joined her once shortly after they had gotten back together. He had told her that he'd wanted to pay his respects given that he didn't quite get the chance at her funeral. Daniela had bristled at the reminder of that day but she had been happy nevertheless to take him.

Today, she was alone.

"Hey, mom." She breathed in. "So, I'm pregnant." Her hands raised up out of the pockets of her warm coat. "Surprise!" They fell to her sides again and Daniela took a moment to calm the pounding in her chest.

Her eyes took in the image of her mother on her headstone. She didn't even know when that photo had been taken or who had taken it. Her mother's head was turned and she was smiling at whoever was behind the camera because her eyes weren't completely front-forward.

The sight of her bright smile left a cold pang in Daniela's chest. She missed her so much. A watery sheen coated her eyes as she stared down at her mother.

"I don't know what I'm doing," she finally admitted. The first tear leaked from her eye and she wiped it away quickly. "I don't know what to do…I wish I could talk to you-you know, properly because I could really use some guidance right now."

Daniela's breath hitched as the tears became harder to hold back.

"I'm so confused. I mean, I can't have a baby at my age! There are things I want to do, places I was hoping to see before all of this happened. And Lip…" her voice trailed off. "Lip's been through this before. He knows what happens and I've been the one to help him through it. Karen was…a bitch and I know you don't like it when I swear but I think we can both agree that that term is valid in her case." Daniela sniffled. She really should have packed some tissues.

"Ian thinks I should tell him, and maybe he's right- maybe I should. But if I can handle this…situation without him ever finding out, maybe it will be better. For him."

The wind around her picked up, causing her hair to blow into her eyes. She tucked it back behind her ears and swallowed.

"I don't know what I was hoping to expect by coming here," she continued, her voice low. Her hands fidgeted. The conversation may have been one-sided, but speaking out in the open was definitely helping to get the weight off of her shoulders.

Sighing, she stepped forward again. She pressed two fingers to her lips before resting it on top of her mom's stone.

"I'll be back next week with dad," she promised, moving back. "Bye, mom."

Turning, she made her way out the cemetery, noting that it was beginning to get dark.

/

Seeing as she had no classes the following afternoon, Daniela thought she'd make a second attempt at seeing Lip. He had texted her sometime after she had left the cemetery but she had already been half asleep when she read it. She knew she couldn't put off seeing him for much longer. He had already grown suspicious after her hurried disappearances earlier in the week.

As she made her way across campus, she noted that she smelt heavily of spearmint mouthwash and gum. She had thrown up twice that morning and almost another when she walked past a kebab shop.

Drawing nearer, she spotted Joaquin heading in her direction and smiled.

"Hey," he grinned, coming to walk alongside her. "You here to see Lip?"

"You actually," she replied, matching his grin.

Joaquin's brow raised interestedly. "Oh? I knew you'd come around eventually."

They both laughed as they continued inside.

"I haven't seen you around for a while," he said giving her a cautionary once-over. "Everything good?"

Daniela's smile became stilted but she nodded. "Yeah, I've just been a little swamped with my classes."

Joaquin nodded as if he didn't quite believe her.

"Lip said you were sick."

Daniela faltered for a split-second, managing to recover before he could pick up on it.

"Yeah, that too."

"Yeah well you missed a kick-ass party last night," said Joaquin, back to being his typical grinning self. "I think Lip passed out somewhere towards the end of the night."

Daniela snorted. That sounded like him.

The pair headed up the elevator, a comfortable silence enveloping them. They stepped out only to be greeted by raised voices coming down from around the corner. Following the noise, they turned to see Ian and Lip in the middle of a brawl in the hallway.

"Hey!" Yelled Joaquin, already leaving her side to pull the brothers apart. His arms wrapped around Ian's middle in an attempt to haul him off of Lip. "That's enough, man. Get off of him!"

Daniela lingered back for a moment, taking in the sight with disappointment.

"It's okay just let him go!" Yelled Lip causing the two newcomers to tilt their heads in confusion.

"What you want me to let him keep hitting you?"

Daniela came to a stop in front of them, her mouth slightly agape. Ian pushed Joaquin's hands away, sending his brother one last dark look.

"I'm fucking done." He turned, pausing briefly at the sight of Daniela standing there. She saw the regret flash through his eyes before they lowered to the ground. He didn't want her to see him like this.

"Ian-" she began, gently reaching out for him.

"I'm fine." Was all he said, skirting around her and down the hall.

Daniela inhaled sharply, trying to hold back the fresh tears in her eyes. Stupid hormones. Breathing slightly heavier, she moved towards Lip. He accepted her help to stand up.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her eyes roaming over his face for any traces of injury. Her thumb hovered over his split lip where blood was already gathering.

Lip nodded and brought his hands up to gently pull hers away from his face. His eyes peered over her shoulder to where Ian was storming down the hall. He felt Daniela jump as his brother flipped over a table they had been using for beer-pong. Countless red solo cups cluttered to the floor but Ian didn't care.

The remaining three trickled into Lip's room. Daniela remained by the door and watched her boyfriend take a seat on the floor with his back resting against his bed.

"What happened?" She asked, moving to sit beside him.

She barely took notice of Joaquin spreading himself out on the vacant bed. The sinking of the mattress reverberated onto the back of her head. She kept her eyes solely on Lip who had remained quiet.

"Lip?" She repeated, finally gaining his attention.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he sighed. "Just some bullshit. Nothing to worry about."

She was worried.

"How're you feelin'?" Asked Lip this time, shifting to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. She smiled at the action and let her head roll along the bed in his direction.

"Better," she answered honestly. She forgot how much she loved being around him.

A warm shiver coursed through her as his thumb grazed her cheek.

"On a scale of one to ten, how infectious are you right now?"

Daniela scrunched up her face in thought.

"About a two."

Lip grinned. "I'll take it."

Leaning forward, he closed the distance between them. Daniela felt that familiar warmth stir in her belly as their lips met. She made sure to be careful around his cut lip, instead kissing closer to the corner of his mouth.

"I think I'm getting high off of your love right now," interrupted a voice above them.

The couple pulled apart to look up at Joaquin. His eyes were on the ceiling but they could both see hints of his amusement.

"Hey, do you mind maybe not…" she gestured to his cigarette.

"Oh. Sure, sorry." He pushed himself up and towards the window. Opening it, he stubbed out his cigarette.

Lip eyed her oddly as Joaquin laid back down. "Since when do you care whether we smoke or not?"

"I've always cared," said Daniela, her hands unknowingly coming to rest on her stomach. "Plus I have a headache."

That wasn't a lie. She actually did though she had deduced that it would probably grow to be a piercing migraine by the end of the day- a fact she was not looking forward to.

Lip laughed at her response and shook his head.

Beside him, Daniela's hands remained where they were- curled around her midriff. She glanced down, a small frown marring her features. She decided not to think about it and raised her head as Lip addressed her.

"Hey, did you hear about Debbie?"

Daniela nodded. Indeed she had.

The news had been a lot to swallow especially given her own situation. Ian had filled her in on the utter chaos that had ensued once Fiona found out and she figured that was one of the reasons he was feeling less inclined to hang around the house.

Daniela had been meaning to go around at some point whether that was to check in or talk to Debbie. Still, she didn't exactly feel like bonding with a fifteen-year-old on the beauty of pregnancy. And from what Ian had told her, she wasn't looking to end it anytime soon.

"Yeah. I still can't wrap my head around it."

Lip's brow raised in agreement. "I don't think anyone can. Fiona's splitting hairs every day over it. The weirdest part has been Frank."

Daniela frowned. "Frank?"

"Yeah, he's been coaching Debbie through it all. Going with her to fill out forms for money and taking her to her appointments."

Now that was shocking.

"Frank?" She asked again for clarification. "As in your waste-of-space father, Frank?"

Lip laughed and nodded. "The very same one. He's been getting a real kick out of the whole idea of being a grandfather." Lip scoffed to himself, clearly thinking it was bullshit. "Now the two of them are teaming up to get Fiona to join them."

"Why what's going on with Fiona?"

"She's got a bun in the oven too," revealed Lip, an amused grin on his face.

"Shit…"

Glancing to the side of him, Lip read Daniela's reaction as pure shock which wasn't wrong. She was shocked but more so because she didn't know what the odds were of all three of them being pregnant at the same time.

Her eyes went skyward and they narrowed. Whoever was controlling things up there was clearly playing a joke on them all.

"Yup. Turns out it's a two for one special at the Gallagher house this year."

Daniela snorted to herself, unwittingly gaining the attention of Lip who misread it simply as dry humor.

If only you knew.

The buzzing of both of their phones cut through the short silence.

"It's from Simon," said Lip, clearly confused. His frown didn't lighten up as he read the text. "Hey, dinner at mine tomorrow night. Important."

Daniela closed her eyes. Her own text had been along the same lines except for a few extras.

"What's that all about?" Asked Lip, turning his neck to look at her.

She shook her head, feigning cluelessness. "No idea."

Except she did and she wasn't looking forward to it.

/

Dinner had gone almost exactly as how she figured it would. Ian had opted not to show, clearly not over his fight with Lip- the context of which Daniela was still unsure about. All Lip had told her was that he had been feeling shitty about his new job and that he thought he needed to go and do something about it.

She had found herself agreeing. Ian had too much potential to be held back by his bi-polar. She had also made a mental note to make the effort to talk to him about it sometime within the next few days.

As they got stuck into Simon's mom's famous beef casserole, it was hard for Daniela to focus. She had made eye contact with both Simon and Mandy throughout the dinner with each of them giving her different looks.

Simon's was expectant as if he was hoping she would bring up the topic so that he didn't have to. Mandy's, on the other hand, was an uncomfortable, angry confusion directed at her boyfriend. The others had all picked up on his odd behavior throughout the meal and it didn't get much better when they all moved to watch a movie in the lounge.

Daniela was at least glad Lip was there. His presence was the only thing keeping her calm and she cherished the warmth of his body as they curled up together on the sofa. Their attention stayed fixated on the tv as Mandy and Simon spoke in hushed voices on the other side of the room.

Swallowing, Daniela shifted, trying to get a read on what they were saying. From Mandy's tone, she didn't seem too happy.

"What's up with Simon?" Lip's voice drifted in her ear causing her to jump.

Blinking, she looked back and shrugged.

"No idea."

Lip observed the couple, noting how Mandy's scowl was beginning to deepen.

"He's acting weird-well, weirder than usual."

As if on cue, Simon stood up from the plush sofa.

"What's up with me?" He asked incredulously. "You're the one keeping secrets?"

A dark look passed over Mandy's face that had the other couple in the room inching their heads back.

"Secrets? What the fuck are you talking about?"

Simon huffed, his eyes softening. "I know." Mandy's head jerked and her look conveyed her want for him to elaborate. "And I just want you to know that I will do everything to take care of you and the baby."

Reaching over, he placed a hand on her stomach only to have it roughly shoved away.

"Baby?"

On the opposite sofa, Daniela's body completely froze. Simon looked around before focusing on his girlfriend, his voice lowering.

"Mandy, I found the test in your room."

Finally catching onto what he was referring too, the girl quickly glanced at Daniela who slid further down into the sofa. Lip eyed her oddly before turning his attention back to the couple, clearly intrigued.

"You're pregnant?"

Ignoring Lip's question, Mandy rose from her seat.

"What were you doing snooping through my room?"

"I was trying to find my sweater and then I found the paper bag under your bed," explained Simon, making no effort to talk quietly anymore much to Daniela's disappointment. "I thought I'd wait a week and see if you would tell me yourself but I just couldn't take it anymore."

"Wait, so you are pregnant?" Asked Lip again.

"No!"

"Then why did you have a pregnancy test stashed underneath your bed?" As if answering his own question, Simon's face turned serious. "Wait. Did you…?" He trailed off causing Mandy to narrow her eyes even more.

Through her rage, she chanced a glance at Daniela who looked about ready to puke. Sighing, she turned back to Simon with her chin held up defiantly.

"Yeah. I did. And I don't wanna hear anything about it from you because it's my body and my decision."

Simon's expression dropped. On the sofa, Daniela couldn't take it anymore.

"It's okay, Mandy," she said, groaning slightly. "You don't have to keep lying."

Frowning, Simon looked at his friend. "Lie about what?"

Daniela glanced at Lip who also seemed to be waiting for an explanation. She cleared her throat.

"The test wasn't Mandy's. It was mine."

"You're pregnant?" Echoed Simon and Lip simultaneously.

The girl in question dragged a tired hand across her face.

"This was not how I wanted this to go." Huffing, she looked at Lip. Her expression softened. "Can we talk? Outside."

He nodded and shakily got to his feet. Daniela registered this and gently took his hand to lead the way.

She closed the door behind them.

"So…you don't have a virus?" Asked Lip after a moment of silence.

"That depends on your definition of it," joked Daniela, hoping to lessen the tension but her smile quickly melted away.

Lip seemed to be at a loss for words. She didn't blame him.

"Wha-? How long have you known?"

"A week." She decided honesty was the best option at this point.

Lip's brow creased. "And you've been keeping it a secret from me."

It wasn't a question. Still, Daniela sighed and shuffled on her foot.

"I had my reasons."

"Like?"

"Like the fact that I was still deciding if I was going to keep it or not," she said simply. "I thought about…you know, terminating the pregnancy…"

Lip eyed her expectantly but it lacked any anger or previous frustration.

"And?"

Daniela wore a wry smile as she shrugged. "I couldn't see myself going through with it."

Lip's chest expanded as he inhaled sharply. She was pretty sure it was to calm any nerves that he would have had. She didn't push him to speak until he wanted to.

Stepping forward, he grabbed her shoulders. She eyed the bob of his Adam's apple as he gulped.

"Whatever decision you make, just know that I'll be there for you no matter what." His eyes roamed over her face. "Okay?"

Daniela nodded, feeling relief wash over her. She had no doubt that he would stick by her but hearing it meant so much more.

Now it was her turn to take a deep breath.

"I've been thinking," she began. She mustered up whatever strength she had to get the next words out without stumbling. "And I'm gonna have the baby."

Daniela watched Lip's face carefully in the hope that she would be able to get a read on what he was thinking. Lip didn't give away much but she could swear she saw his shoulders deflate in relief.

"That's good." He said, his voice barely a whisper. His fingers tightened around hers as he grinned at her. "Really good."

A soft smile made her way onto her face. Her heart pounded and she felt her throat thicken for what seemed like the thousandth time that week. Her gaze dropped to her hands and for a split second, Lip registered the change.

"But I'm gonna put the baby up for adoption."

She braced herself.

Lip's jaw rolled slightly as he adjusted to the news. After what felt like forever, he nodded but it was tenser than his previous ones. Daniela felt the guilt stir in her belly. She knew this would happen. She knew he wouldn't like it given what happened with Karen but at the end of the day, she had to accept that what Ian had told her was true. She had to do what was best for her in this situation.

"Okay," said Lip. The word had been uttered so carefully that she knew he had taken care to make sure there was no disappointment or anger. It didn't work.

Her expression saddened and she squeezed his hand. She wasn't sure if it was more so to comfort him or her. Whatever the case, the action caused some of Lip's frustration to melt away.

His eyes drifted shut and she heard him exhale slowly. Tears filled her eyes as she felt his head fall forward to rest against hers. Gently, his free hand raised to rest on her cheek- the pads of his fingers brushing against her skin.

Daniela felt the first tear fall and it wasn't long before more followed. Some dripped down onto Lip's thumb where they were soon wiped away for good.

"Thank you," she whispered.

She wasn't entirely sure what she was thanking him for. Maybe that he hadn't run off immediately or that he had accepted the news as well as he could.

Lip's head shook before he closed the gap between them. The kiss was soft and didn't last very long but it conveyed so much. Daniela's tears hastened and she took a moment to try and calm herself.

Pulling her head away, she rested her head against his chest, feeling his arm snake around her waist. She had no idea how this was going to- and she had no delusions that it would be easy- but for the time being, she was hopeful.


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