First, for those of you who have been with this story since the beginning. Thank you, for those of you just joining, thanks. It's been a roller coaster. I love writing this, and I love all of you for staying with it. I know seventy chapters can be exhausting, and I don't blame you for giving up. I'm sorry thing aren't canon right now. But just think 30 Days until season 5.

Part Seventy: The Zoo

Ian has been looking forward to this trip to the zoo and today his mood level is about that of a five-year-old who gets to go to fucking Disney for the first time. Not that I've ever been, but that's how Ian's been acting.

He only slept maybe two hours last night. That's usual for him in this time of whatever the hell is going on with him. Ian made breakfast. Now he's picking out what he wants me to wear. The forecast calls for the weather to be clear and in the 70's today.

"You own a lot of black," says Ian, "and tank tops. I need to take you shopping."

"Just pick something," I say sitting on my bed with a towel around my waist.

"This," Ian says handing me a blue shirt that I didn't even know I had. I tilt my head and look at him. He's grinning. He's so fucking happy. "Fine."

"You'll look hot. I want everyone to be jealous of me. I have the hottest boyfriend," Ian says smacking me on the ass on his way to the bathroom.

"Yeah, okay, Tough Guy, you just take your shower now."

"Aw, he thinks you're hot," says Ryan who comes in holding the fucking baby. "You do have a great ass."

I flip him off as I put on the jeans Ian picked out. They're the jeans I wore the night I found him in the club and brought him home. That seems so long ago. "I hate the fucking zoo."

"So why are you going?"

"It makes him happy. He's either fucking happy or fucking depressed and I don't want him depressed. His moods flick on and off like a fucking light switch. I can't keep up with him."

"But you won't take him to the clinic?"

I don't respond. I'm halfway into pulling my shirt over my head. I've been considering it, just to see what's wrong. I don't want him to have to stay anyway. If it's just a day visit I'll take him. I'm not leaving him overnight.

"Holy shit, you're thinking about it," Ryan says.

"Don't tell Ian, okay. I haven't made up my mind completely yet."

I sit on the edge of my bed. I can faintly hear Ian excitedly tell Nikka and Svetlana about going to the zoo today. He's speaking too quickly and too loudly. I sigh. I fumble with lighting a cigarette. Ryan sits down beside me. It reminds me of the times we would talk in juvie. He made me first realize I had feelings for Ian, now Ryan's somehow become my fucking best friend, aside from Ian that is.

"Are you okay?" Ryan asks.

"No. I'm not okay when he's not okay."

"Holy fuck. I hope I can love someone that deeply someday. You're in this for good."

"I'm fucked for life."

"Are you happy?" Ryan asks me.

"Yeah, I fucking am. Well, I'm happy when I'm worried what the fuck Ian is getting himself into when I'm not with him or if he's alive or if he's even awake. I don't know what the fuck I'm doing, but most of the time, yeah I'm fucking happy."

"Let me know what you decide," Ryan says, "I'll support your decision no matter what."

"Thanks. I'm going to talk to Fiona tomorrow."

"Isn't Lip going with you?"

"Fuck Lip."

"Mickey," Ian says from outside the door. There is such happiness in his voice that I can't help but smile. I can almost picture his dimples in my mind. I pat Ryan on the back and take the baby from him. I open the door and Ian hugs me. "I bought this for Yevy."

Ian holds up a baby onesie that says, "My daddies love me." I roll my eyes. He takes the fat little fuck from me and starts to dress him. I go into the kitchen to find my wife.

"Baby stay close to you. Carrot-boy is too happy. Something wrong with him. You watch baby. You are a piece of shit, but you are good to Carrot-boy."

"His name is Ian."

"I don't care. Make sure you take plenty of diapers for Yevgeny and that he doesn't get hurt."

Someone outside honks in front of our house. That must be Lip and Amanda. Ian is dressed in green. He looks so fucking good. He kisses me on the top of my head as we head out the door. Ian fixes Yev's carseat like a fucking pro. Liam is in a big boy seat. There isn't enough room in the back for both me and Ian and Lip says we're going to have to double up. Since I am shorter I am forced to sit on Ian's lap, but it's actually not so bad.

Ian lays his head against my back and rapidly talks about how excited he is. He talks non-stop the whole ride to the zoo. Lip and Amanda look concerned but neither of them say anything.

"This is going to be great," says Ian as he helps get Liam and Yev out of the backseat. I unfold the double stroller that I had stolen from Babies R Us and lock it in place. Ian puts Liam and Yev side by side. Amanda adjusts her glasses and grabs her purse.

"Okay, so I think we should all stay together, I am particularly interested in the amphibian animals and I know Ian wants to see birds of prey the most and they are on opposite sides of the zoo, so I say we vote where to start," Amanda says.

"The diplomatic process won't be fair. Mickey will side with Ian," Lip says.

"It's okay, we can start with the amphibian animals. As long as we end at the birds of prey," says Ian.

I nod in agreement. I don't really give a shit. I didn't even want to come, but it's important to Ian. He takes my hand and surrenders the stroller to Amanda. I am nervous about holding his hand in public like this, but the look on his face is enough for me to do it without a problem.

Ian is so happy. He hasn't stopped smiling all day. I want to keep it that way. Thankfully the zoo is free. We come upon the amphibian exhibit. I don't care for fucking frogs, but Ian is fascinated. He looks like a fucking kid in a candy store.

Ian pushes a button on one of the walls and listens to a voice tell him about the Oriental Fire-bellied toad. It's a huge toad that is black and yellow and I have to admit it does look fucking cool. Ian looks at me and tells me everything he likes about the toad. He asks me to help him name it.

"Herman," I throw out. Ian laughs a little too loudly, but I laugh too cover it up.

"What's so funny?" Lip asks.

"We named him Herman," I tell Lip.

"I like this game. Let's name them all," says Amanda. She lets Liam pick out some of the names. We make a game of it. I'm a competitive person, so I want to win. The Solomon Island Leaf Frog Ian names Sir James of Chicago, and Amanda wins with the Emperor Newt, Professor Lipchitz Von Newt. Ian can't stop laughing. We almost get thrown out of the amphibian house.

"That was fun," Ian says, where do we go next?"

"Reptiles," says Lip.

"Turtles," says Liam.

"It's decided then," says Lip.

I avoid the fucking snakes like a plague and spend of the most of the time staring at the dwarf crocodile. I don't have to look to know Ian has joined me. He leans against the railing to stare at the crocodile.

"Come look at this cool boa constrictor," Ian nudges.

"Fuck off. I hate snakes."

"Would you at least look at the turtles?"

Ian drags me to look at the turtles in the reptile house. I really like the spotted turtle and the huge fucking tortoise that Liam named Jimmy.

"Yeah, he's Jimmy," says Lip.

"Whatever happened to him?" I ask.

"He's a fucking pussy. He disappeared," Lip says, "Don't know don't care."

I migrate back to the crocodile when Ian isn't looking. He joins me there and leans against me. I make eye contact with the crocodile. I flip it off. Ian laughs.

"Faggots," says someone walking through the exhibit.

"Mickey," says Ian.

I try to ignore them for Ian's sake. I want to have a nice time. I don't want to crack any skulls today. But they keep going. They keep fucking talking. It takes all my will power not to knock some bitch's teeth out.

"Let's get some lunch then hit the mammal house," says Amanda looking at the map of the zoo. I don't object to fucking food. A peacock picks up with us outside the reptile house. It squawks at me. I flip it off. The thing starts to follow us.

"I think it likes you, Mickey," says Lip.

"It can go fuck itself."

The peacock perches on top of the wall outside the dining center. It squawks loudly. I give it the finger again before going inside. "Fucking bird."

"What do you want?" Ian asks.

"We could split a basket of fries," I suggest.

"That's not healthy."

"Who gives a fuck? I'm starving." I order us a basket of fries. Amanda gets her, Lip, and Liam some burgers and fries. I watch Ian feed Yev before he'll even eat.

"Your baby is so cute. It's so nice to see a couple adopt mixed race children," says an older woman.

"He's my brother," Lip tells her.

"He's precious."

She scowls at Ian and walks away. I give her the finger too.

"Don't take it personally, Ian," says Amanda.

After lunch we go to the mammals part of the zoo. The tiger is my favorite. Ian likes the zebra. We branch off from Amanda and Lip to make out near the bear enclosure. Ian pulls me close to him and kisses me deeply. I moan into the kiss. He starts to rub against me. We stop kissing to realize that we're in public.

"I've always want to have sex here," Ian says.

"Oh fuck," I say and we spot a secluded area behind the enclosure near the employee entrance. We are obscured from view of the public. Ian and I quickly go at it. The idea of getting caught seems to arouse Ian who has never quite fucked me at this capacity before. I have to bite on something to keep from screaming in pleasure.

Afterwards, after we zip up I pull Ian down for a kiss and claim him. I want to fucking jump his bones. I want to rip his fucking pants off, but we have to be civil right now. I take his hand and we join Lip and Amanda who had barely noticed we left until they saw that we were out of breath and our clothes were askew.

"Really?" Lip says.

"Like you wouldn't do it," says Ian.

"Keep it in your fucking pants," Lip says. He takes the stroller away and heads towards the exotic cat exhibit. Ian nearly has a fucking heart attack. His happiness level is off the charts. I don't think any other human could possibly be as happy as he fucking is to see the exotic fucking cats.

"They're so cute," Ian says.

"I want one," says Amanda. Okay, I stand corrected. Amanda makes a noise that's so inhuman I swear my ears are fucking bleeding. "So cute. It says it's called a Serval and get weigh up to forty pounds."

"Isn't it cool?" Ian asks tugging on my hand like he's a fucking child.

"Yeah I guess."

But the highest pitched noises came from not just Amanda but every fucking woman and young girl in the vicinity when we saw the Red Panda. I admit the thing had to be the cutest animal we had seen all day, but I have never heard that sort of noise come out of a human before. It even hurt Ian's ears.

"OH," says Amanda with tears in her eyes. Women are fucking weird.

"Are you crying?" Lip asks.

"Have you ever seen something so beautiful it made you cry?" Amanda asks. I look at Ian. Yes.

"No," says Lip.

"Finally, the birds," Ian says as we make our way to the birds of prey. Ian kisses me on the top of my head as he releases my hand and picks up Liam to show him all the birds. Me and the fucking peacock have a show down. I nudge it with my foot and it tries to bite me.

"I'll fucking cook you," I threaten. It leaves me alone. I like the bald eagle. Ian joins me. He sticks to my side like fucking glue. "Where's Yevgeny?" I ask. I look over and Amanda is holding him.

"Eagle," says Liam.

I take an opportunity to impress Ian. I suddenly remember I saw on TV once when I was drunk. I didn't think it would be useful or that I'd even remember but I do. "Did you know Benjamin Franklin wanted the national bird to be the turkey instead of the eagle?"

"Then what would we eat on Thanksgiving?" Ian asks.

"Remember when Carl killed one of these?" Lip asks suddenly interrupting. Amanda gasps. Lip explains what happened. I laugh, but Amanda still seems shocked.

"Remember when Kev made us eat it?" Ian asks.

"Yeah, didn't he fucking grill it?" Lip asks.

"Oh yeah. It was good."

"Where the fuck was I?" I ask.

"You had just gone back to juvie."

"You missed the most patriotic meal," says Lip.

"We missed an opportunity to eat it on July Fourth," says Ian.

"You guys are terrible," says Amanda.

The zoo was a success. Happy Ian. I got to spend time with him without his weird brain thing coming up and getting in the way. Nothing unusual happened expect that fucking peacock tried to ride on top of the car as we left the zoo and had to turn around and scare it away.

Ian is quiet on the ride home. His head is resting on my shoulder and I hear him breathing more relaxed. He's gone to sleep with me on his lap. I pat his head and stare out the window. Back at home, Ian lies with me on the couch. He uses my lap as a pillow and drifts off to sleep. I stroke his hair gently until Ryan spots me. I flip him off and continue to show Ian affection.

A/N: I went to the St. Louis zoo once and a peacock followed my male friend around. It went into the bathroom with him and squawked at him while he did his business. Everywhere we went that bird was right there. It followed us inside the dining place where we split a basket of fries. That damn bird was annoying.

Also, I kind of cheated and looked at the website for the Chicago zoo to see what animals they had. I wanted to be accurate.