Lip sat on the sofa beside Steve torn between anger, sadness, and fear. His Dad had been a perfect wanker his entire life, but he never expected him to fuck his girlfriend. I mean honestly, could he be more scum? Lip had lost his temper, alright. Crashed a car and beat Frank nearly dead. He thought it would make him feel better, but it didn't unfuck his girlfriend. Besides, Fiona was likely to beat the arse off of him after what he'd done. Steve knew it too, that's why he was so quiet. Lip took a ciggy from him and went up to his room. An hour later, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in", Lip felt his heart drop in his chest. Fiona's the only one ever knocked in the house. Everyone else just burst in. She opened the door and stood for a moment, the two of them staring at one another. Finally she stepped forward.

"Come here", she held out her arms for a hug and Lip rushed to her, eyes filling with tears. She held him until his cries settled down.

"Bloody tosser. He's good for nothing except making us, you know that"

"I didn't think he'd go so low, Fiona"

"One thing I've learned. Never underestimate how low Frank Gallagher can be. He's a right worm is all", she rubbed her hands through his hair and kissed the top of his head.

"So, I'm not in trouble?"

"No. You're in shitloads of trouble."

"But you were hugging me"

"I just wanted to give you a bit of comfort first. Let you know I love you and the like. But, Lip. You stole a car. Crashed it. Put yourself in danger. Beat Dad so he was hardly breathing. Honestly, Lip. He may be scum, but he's still family."

"Chrissakes Fiona, he fucked my girlfriend!"

"So that means you get to play like a fucking race car driver? I don't think so"

"But, Fiona..."

"No, Lip. I'm sorry. I don't want to smack you, the day you've had. But I can't just let you go, especially when you put yourself in danger. After this, we'll have a spliffy and throw darts at a picture of Dad, but right now, I want you to go to my room and get my hairbrush."

"But..."

"Philip! Now."

"But it's not fair"

"Life isn't fair, love. But you deserve a smacking and you know it. 'S why you asked me if you were in trouble. You knew you were. Look at me right now and tell me it's not true.", Lip tried to keep eye contact, but he couldn't.

"Please, Fiona", he mumbled toward the ground.

"Go, Lip. I won't ask it again"

Lip drug his feet down the hallway to Fiona's bedroom. Carl and Ian sat on the bed playing with Liam. Their faces lit up when their older brother walked in.

"Is it true you pummelled Dad?", Carl asked.

"Yeah, and it's coming home to haunt me."

"Fiona?", Ian shook his head as Lip nodded, "I heard you nicked a car and smashed it up. You must be in for a right beating"

"She's not in the mood, so I'm only getting the hairbrush, but I'm not looking forward to it"

"Why don't you leg it?"

"And come home to a proper whipping tomorrow? No point", he grabbed the hairbrush from the sink and started for the door.

"Wait, Lip", Carl stopped him, "How'd it feel?"

"Proper."

"Was it worth it?"

"I'll let you know in an hour", he walked back to his room where Fiona was waiting on the bed. She sighed when she saw him and grabbed the hairbrush from his hand.

"Alright. Let's get this over. Trousers, knickers off."

"On my bare, Fiona?"

"Come on, Lip. Don't make this harder. Just do as I say"

Lip felt his mouth start to quiver as he pulled off his clothes and went over his sister's knee.

"Alright Philip. What are you here for?"

"For twatting Dad", he jumped as the hairbrush came down hard on his arse.

"Least of, but yeah. What else?"

"Nicking a car", the hairbrush landed again.

"And?"

"Umm, crashing it", the brush landed even harder. Lip hissed a bit.

"And, what else?", he hesitated. That was all he could think of. Fiona brought the hairbrush down three times.

"Oww. I don't know Fiona. I thought that were all", he gasped his way through five more swats.

"Think harder. What have I been saying? Why does it matter that you crashed the car?"

"Because it weren't mine? Oww! Ssss. What, Fiona? Oww. What?"

"Guess again, Philip. And you can have some more to think on", she moved the hairbrush to the sweet spot just below his bottom.

"Agh. Okay, umm. Maybe. Owww. Alright! Because, sss, umm, because it were sss... I don't know, Fiona! It were dangerous? Ow. Ow. Oww"

"Finally!", she said resting the brush on his pink cheeks, "Honestly, if you'd just walloped Dad and not had your grand entrance, I'd of given you a stern look and maybe a word or two. But you put yourself at risk. You've got a cut on your head the size of the whole estate. Did you even strap in?"

Lip's quiet gave him away and Fiona smacked him with the hairbrush on his thighs until he cried out.

"I'm sorry, Fiona. Alright? I won't do it again!"

"You better not, Lip. I understand a little temper now and again. It's alright. But you are not allowed to put yourself in harm's way. Ever", she accentuated the word with a series of hard smacks in the tender spot again. She brought the brush down again and again until Lip's whole bottom was painted red and he was crying quietly into the comforter. Giving him one last smack, she let him up.

"Alright. That's all then. Come here", she wrapped him in another hug and let him cry himself out, "You want to clean up and come downstairs?"

"I think I'll stay up for awhile"

"Alright, come down when you're ready"

Lip sat up in his room exhausted when he heard a knock on the window. Frank stood downstairs spouting what he imagined was an apology. Listening for a moment, Lip pulled down his pants and spilled his answer out of the window on top of Frank's head. When he was finished, he laughed. He finally felt a little better. He went downstairs where Fiona sat wrapped up with Steve and Veronica sat on the other couch with Kev.

"I think I'll have that spliffy now"

"What's got into you. You look cheered up"

"I had a talk with Dad"