Ian lay facedown on his bed. The tears were subsiding and he listened to the comforting sounds of home. Talking, laughing, music occasionally drifting up, dishes clattering, banging, stomping up and down the stairs, some yelling, water running. It was a collage of sounds that soothed the fifteen-year-old. Just as he was about to drift off, the door opened and a towel-wrapped Lip entered.

"Shower's all yours. Tried to save you some hot water, but you might want to wait a bit still."

"Ok."

Lip continued to dry off. As the boy dressed, he looked over his shoulder at his younger brother. "Tired?"

"Sort of. …Uh…Fiona just whipped me. You're next."

"Oh…" Lip said quietly, sitting down gingerly on Carl's bed. "You okay?"

Ian shrugged. After a few seconds, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Unconvinced, Lip moved over to Ian's bed and stretched out, on his stomach, beside him. "Man, I am really sorry I didn't tell you the car was stolen."

"Shut up already. What? You think I really thought you borrowed it from someone? Who do we know who has a car like that? I knew who you got it from, and I knew it was stolen."

"Yeah, but I never thought it'd land us in so much shit."

"Well, we're Gallaghers and it is a day that ends in y."

Lip chuckled. "Fair point."

The boys rested quietly. When the bedroom door finally opened and Fiona walked in, she found both asleep.

"Ian," she said calmly. "Ian, wake up."

She shook his arm and he roused. "Go take your shower now. Food's almost ready."

"Ok," he mumbled.

As he shuffled passed her, Fiona put her arm out to stop the boy. When he complied, she leaned over and pecked his cheek. He smiled at her and left.

Fiona looked down at her other brother. Lip's shaggy brown hair was still wet and extra curly.

"Lip," she said firmly. "Lip!" Geez, she thought, that kid could sleep through anything. She flicked his forehead with her finger.

"Wake up, Lip," she demanded.

"Five more minutes," he begged quietly.

"It's not for school, dumbass! Sit up."

Groggily, her younger brother obeyed. He sat, trying to shake the sleep from his head. Once he was alert again, he looked up at her and said, "Let's get this over with."

She nodded and picked up the belt, still on Ian's bed.

Lip pushed his athletic shorts and boxers down. He leaned across Ian's bed and waited. He'd been in this position before, each time after a court appearance. Fiona was mostly easygoing, until the cops or courts got involved.

Truancy, shoplifting and drinking had each resulted in a tanned hide for Lip. But, after he had fractured Cam Matlock's cheekbone, Fiona had nearly skinned him alive, yelling that he could have gone to prison for assault. That time he'd begged her to stop, had promised to be good, to be smarter, to never get arrested again, to never go to prison. The seventeen-year-old sighed. He had no doubt that this whipping would be the worst of his life.

"Why?" his sister asked. He looked back at her. She looked so young and tired. Lip wanted to cry, because the world was so fucking unfair.

"Fiona, you don't have to do this. Tony could whip me again. …Or Steve. Hell, even Frank probably would, if you paid him."

"What?" Fiona demanded angrily. "I don't have a problem beating your ass. I just want to know why you would do this to us! You're usually the one trying to protect everyone. But now you knowingly drive Ian around in a stolen car. A stolen Porsche. A Porsche in this neighborhood? Of course it was stolen! What a stupid fucking obvious car to drive around! Jesus, you idiot!"

Now that she said it, Lip was annoyed with himself. Of course, she was right. Why hadn't he just taken a Ford or Chevy piece of shit himself, instead of asking Steve?

"I'm sorry, Fiona, for getting Ian in trouble and for driving a car I knew was stolen and for not being smarter in the first place. And I am really sorry for breaking my promise to you and risking going to prison." He looked her in the eyes, held her gaze for a moment, and then turned back around to prepare for his punishment.

Fiona did not keep him in suspense. The belt buzzed through the air and landed with a thwack. Lip gripped the blankets tightly and muffled a whimper. While he had showered, the hot water stung his aching muscles and tender skin. He had hoped that Fiona would have mercy enough to wait until later before punishing him. Still no bloody luck.

Over and over the belt rained down and Lip began wriggling to avoid its sting.

"Lip, I swear to God, if you don't stay still, I'll put you over my knee." The image actually made him laugh quietly for a moment, but he made himself stop moving. Five more times the belt seared his skin. Tears were making his cheeks raw too. Finally Fiona tossed the belt aside. The boy panted, trying to catch his breath. He pulled up his boxers and shorts then stood to stretch and rub his backside.

"Geez, Fi, did you work out all your frustrations on my ass?"

"You sayin' you didn't deserve it?" his sister asked sharply. She looked back to where she'd thrown the belt, clearly reconsidering whether the job was done or not.

"Just kidding. Of course, I deserved it." Then, adding sincerely, "I'm sorry, Fiona. I know you hate whipping me."

"I really do," she whispered. Lip hugged her and felt her shudder as he held her.

"Look, I'll help out more. Especially with the kids."

"You do a lot already, Lip. That's not the problem. The problem is, if you go in…. I can't stand the stupid risks you take! And for no damn reason! Besides, asshole, you're supposed to go to college. Then you can really help us."

"What if I don't want to go to college?"

Fiona pulled away from his hug, looked at him fiercely, saw he wasn't joking, and grabbed the belt off the floor.

"Whoa," Lip said, raising his hands. "You can't beat me for thinking about not going to college."

"No?" his older sister retorted, "I shouldn't beat you for saying that, but I can."

However, she tossed the weapon away again and said tiredly, "Lip, nothing would break my heart more than to know you are wasting your opportunities. Except seeing you in prison, of course. So, please, don't rush any decisions, okay?"

"Sure, Fiona."

"Dinner must be about ready. Come down soon," she stated, as she opened the door to go. Ian stood in the hallway, wrapped in a towel, looking sheepish.

Fiona stopped and eyed her red-headed little brother. He seemed be struggling to meet her gaze. She patted his arm, saying, "I may have to murder him."

"Can I help?" Ian smirked back at her.

They both laughed. Fiona continued down the hall to the stairs and her brother entered his room to dress.

"So," the boy said to his older brother, "I see you lived."

"Lived, yes. Able to sit, definitely not."

"Geez, me neither."

After Ian was dressed, the boys headed down the stairs, into the kitchen. The family, plus Kev and V, were already eating.

"I made you boys plates," called V. "Come on over."

"Um, can we eat over here?" said Ian self-consciously. "By the bar…"

"Standing," said Lip flatly, "Because we got our asses beat."

They all laughed, and V and Fiona handed the heavily laden plates to the boys.

As they ate, Lip and Ian told the family about their night in lock-up (mostly cuffed to a bench) and all the outlandish things they'd seen. Carl asked a ton of questions about the police and jail. Fiona gave him an appraising look and wondered how long it would be before he'd have a run-in with the law.

Lip told them about the various neighbors, drug addicts, whores, and the two preppy teens they had seen. Apparently, the preps had bought marijuana off an undercover cop. It didn't matter, because soon the boys' daddy showed up and raised hell. Lip and Ian saw how it worked for the jet-set types. A few well-placed phone calls and the boys were released to their father. [Lip was surprised to hear the irate man promise the teens that he would blister their asses when they got home.] The table groaned at the injustice. But then Kevin asked how Lip and Ian had escaped a court date themselves. Lip told the story of Tony's whippings so humorously the room filled with boisterous laughter.

After the meal was over and all of Carl's questions answered, Fiona sent the boys to their rooms. With no objections, they made their way upstairs and crawled in bed.

"I've never been so happy to be sent to bed early," Ian admitted.

"Yeah, I'm beat. Well…you know what I mean," Lip laughed.

"Huh… yeah. Night," came the sleepy response.

"Night."