Part Thirty-Two: Counting Gallaghers

Ian was taken away from me. He was placed in fucking foster care or a group home or something. I haven't heard a word in 48 fucking hours. I even went by his house to see if Fiona or that Jimmy knew anything. Not even Mandy knows anything.

I'm in the store today. Linda asked me to run the store until Ian gets back. She wants me to open for her in the mornings. So it's a huge fucking surprise when a certain red head walks through the door an hour after we open.

"Ian," I say, my heart is in my throat.

"My proof of employment came through so here I am. I'm really sorry I missed our date," Ian says.

"We can reschedule," I tell him, I'm just fucking happy he's here. I touch his hand. He looks stressed out. I do a quick scan of the store before I lean across the counter and kiss him on the lips. He seems surprised at first then he gives in to me.

"Oh, Jesus, just get it fucking over with so you can focus on work," says Linda over the loud speaker. We don't use our tongues in the kiss. I pull back, Ian's smiling at me.

"So where are you staying?" I ask.

"We're in a level fourteen group home."

"Oh shit," I say, I lean over and kiss him again. Kissing Ian Gallagher feels fucking good. "Oh, I got you something."

I place a box of Reese's Pieces on the counter. Ian smiles and kisses me on the cheek. No. Its lips or nothing. Fuck that shit. I grab his collar and kiss his mouth.

"Okay, I'm going out for a while. Please lock the door behind me and just have at it. I don't want my customers aware of the sexual tension in the atmosphere," says Linda. "Mickey, can't you keep it in your pants? You look like you're about to devour him."

We don't wait to be told twice. I lock the fucking door behind her and take Ian back to the stock room. I strip him slowly. He pins me against a wall and kisses me this time. We sit on the floor naked and touching. I have my hand in his lap casually playing with his fire red pubes. He's looking at me the way I like.

"I really like you," Ian says.

Oh fuck don't start that shit.

"Yeah," I say, "Ditto."

And then he's on me. He gives it to me good and hard. There are knocks on the door of the store but there is no fucking way I'm letting anyone in here. Ian and I finish at the same time and clean up. We always clean up.

Linda comes back after we put our clothes back on and unlock the store. She seems satisfied so she goes upstairs. "That's much better. Now get to work. I don't mind if you talk. No flirting, no kissing, and no eye contact."

"Want me to get you anything while you're in that fucking place?" I ask as he dives into his Reese's Pieces.

"I want you to tell Fiona where Lip and I are."

"Done. What else?"

"Help Debbie. They placed her alone. I'm worried about her."

"I'll do what I can. Do you know where she is?" Ian shakes his head. "I'll try to find her. Don't worry, Ian."

"You called me Ian again."

"Yeah, well, Gallagher is such a long fucking name. So how was your first couple of nights in the group home?"

"I was afraid I was going to be stabbed. I couldn't sleep alone."

Who the fuck did you sleep with?

"So what did do you? Stay up and make sure no one came near you?"

"Yeah for awhile then I crawled into Lip's bed with him."

Oh, it's just fucking Lip.

"Here," I say putting a switch blade on the counter. Ian looks at it and then at me. "Protect yourself so you don't have to sleep with Lip."

"They check us for this shit, Mick."

"Then hide it," I say.

"Where?"

I look at him. He finally catches on and looks horrified.

"No thanks," says Ian sliding it back across the table to me. I open the blade and stab the knife into the countertop. Ian jumps on impulse.

"Take the fucking knife, Ian," I say. Ian takes the knife out of the counter, closes it and puts it in his pocket. I take a handful of his Reese's Pieces. He smacks my hand.

After work, I walk Ian to the bus stop and then head out to find Fiona. She's no longer digging up bones of the old fucking lady Frank buried fifteen years ago. The yard is being patched up. I take a deep breath and knock on the door.

"It's Mikey right?" says some asshole whose name is Jimmy I think.

"Mickey. Where's Fiona?"

I let myself in. Jimmy goes back to cooking mac and cheese in his underwear. I roll my eyes. "Fiona is in the bathroom."

"Hey, Jimmy, we're out of toilet paper. Mickey?" says Fiona, "Mandy's not here."

"I'm here for you. Ian and I work together."

"You've seen Ian?" Fiona asks. She's touching me. Why is she touching me? I pull back. She gets closer. There is a blazing look in her eyes. She's desperate. I let her get as close as she needs.

"Yeah, I saw him today. He wanted me to tell you that he and Lip are in a level fourteen group home. I have the address." I put it on the table for her. "He doesn't know where Carl, Liam, and Debbie are."

Fiona hugs me. Am I supposed to hug her back? I stand there and wait. She releases me and cups my face for a moment. What the fuck is happening?

"Thank you. Okay, I know where the boys are. Put your pants on," she smacks Jimmy on the ass.

"We're leaving now?"

"No time to waste. I need to see my brothers."

"Can't it wait?"

No, it can't fucking wait, asshole.

"I'm going to look for Debbie. Do you know anything at all?" I ask.

"No, but if find her give her some money," says Fiona. She hands me twenty-five dollars. She's way too fucking trusting. I put it in my back pocket. "Also, if you see Frank please tell him I'm looking for him. We need him to be clean to get the kids back. He has to pass the drug test."

"Got it. Anything else?"

"Yeah, thanks again."

How did I get so mixed up in this?