Chapter Text
“Mickey, come on, you know Debbie’ll throw a bitch fit if we’re late!” Ian called as he laced up his boots, sat on the couch while Mickey came into the living room, shucking his black jacket on with a little more force than necessary.
“Your fuckin’ sister, man, I swear,” he muttered, grabbing his wallet and lighter and shoving them in his pockets.
“She’s your sister in law too now, remember?” Ian smirked as he stood up, throwing his arm around Mickey and placing a rough kiss to the top of his head.
“Yeah yeah,” Mickey shoved his arm off and rolled his eyes fondly “you got smokes?” he asked, and Ian headed back to their bedroom to grab a carton.
What he hadn’t expected to hear as he as left the room was a shocked “Mandy?” coming from the front door.
Sure enough, when Ian returned to the living room, he saw Mickey releasing his sister from a hug, and as he stepped aside he saw her. His best friend, the girl he hadn’t seen in years, beautiful as ever, smiling back at him.
“Hey,” she said in a small voice, and in an instant Ian pulled her into his arms, holding her as tightly as he could with -
“Mandy, you’re pregnant?” Ian released her and he saw her rounded belly, partially hidden by her coat. Mandy’s smile fell.
“Yeah,” she said “that’s actually what I came here to talk to you about.”
So she did. Mandy and Ian and Mickey sat down in the living room and she talked. She told them about the man she’d been seeing in Indiana- Adam - and how he’d been sweet at first, but every now and then he’d stop by the bar on his way to see her, or they’d drink at home, and he’d get angry. He’d yell, he’d grab her arm - Mickey clenched his fists at that, and Ian put a comforting hand on his knee, squeezing a little to remind him to let his sister talk - he’d hit her.
“I knew it had to stop,” Mandy said “I did!” she directed this at Mickey, who was wound tight in his seat despite Ian’s thumb running gently back and forward over his knee “but then I found out I was pregnant. I needed somewhere to live, Mick, and I couldn’t afford to move out on my own.” she took a shaky breath “when Adam found out he was pissed, he kept hitting me, staying out late, getting drunk and coming home and screaming at me. I tried leaving, I stayed with some friends upstate for a while, but he found out where I was and attacked me again,” Ian caught a muscle twitch in Mickey’s jaw at that but when he spoke his voice was soft, concerned.
“Is the baby ok?” Mandy gave a small smile and nodded.
“Yeah, it’s fine, but after Adam hauled me back home he froze my bank account, tracked me everywhere I went, I couldn’t get away,”
“Guy’s a fucking prick, Mands,” Mickey ground out “shoulda called me, I would’ve come and kicked his ass,”
“Yeah, and gotten yourself thrown back in prison for it,” Mandy reminded him “I was fine, Mick, I can handle it,” the look on Mickey’s face said he clearly didn’t believe her, but he kept quiet.
“I knew Adam would’ve followed anywhere I went, guy’s a rich asshole, so I pawned some of the shit he bought me and filed a restraining order. He can’t leave Indiana until the paperwork is filed, and he can’t get anywhere near me when it is. I just -“ she took a breath, bracing herself “I just need a place to stay until I get my shit together, I’m getting a place in Chicago, but for now -“ it wasn’t a question, Ian didn’t even need to look at Mickey to know he was thinking the same thing,
“Of course you can stay with us Mandy,” Ian said gently “you can stay as long as you need. The couch is one of those fancy pull out bed things, so you can stay there if you want,” Mandy briefly looked as if she was going to make some kind of joke about their place, but then she winced, shifted slightly, and then she looked exhausted.
“Thanks guys, I mean it,”
“Of course Mands,” Mickey said “you’re family,”
Ian’s phone rang at that moment, startling them out of the moment.
“Shit, it’s Debbie,” he said, glancing at his phone “we’re late, she’s gonna kill us,”
“Where were you headed?” Mandy asked.
“Family dinner, Debbie’s idea,” Mickey told her “so she’d stop whining about us all movin’ out and selling the house,”
“Wait, you guys sold the Gallagher house?” Mandy turned on Ian, clearly upset she had missed out on so much.
“Yeah, we figured it was time, so now we have a family dinner every week to make sure we keep in contact with everyone, and Mickey loves them cause he gets to play with Debbie’s kid and bitch about us all with Tami, you can come if you want,” Ian added “I’m sure the others’ll be happy to see you,”
“Who’s Tami?” Mickey raised an eyebrow at Mandy’s question, but Ian pushed on. Better to get this over with.
“She’s Lip’s girlfriend, we have dinner at their place cause it’s harder to bring all the shit for their baby anywhere else,” Mandy’s eyes widened minutely at that.
“Their - wow, yeah,” she let out a breath “I think I’m good here, but you guys should go, have fun,”
“It’s fine Mands,” Mickey said gently “we can stay, keep an eye out or something,” but his sister shook her head.
“I’m good, Mick, really,” she told him “seriously, go be with your family,” Mickey’s jaw clenched at that, and he pulled his sister into a tight hug, and if Ian heard him sniffle slightly as he held her, he wasn’t going to say anything.
“Thanks,” Mickey mumbled as he released her, standing up and allowing Ian to hug her.
“Help yourself to anything,” he said gently, kissing the top of her head “and call us if you need anything, OK?” and with a final goodbye, they were gone.
“Jesus, took you long enough!” was possibly what Debbie had said as Ian and Mickey walked through Lip’s front door, but it was drowned out by an ecstatic squeal of “Uncle Ian, Uncle Mickey!” and a flurry of red hair and flannel launching itself at Ian’s legs.
“Sorry Debs,” Ian told her as he hugged Franny and she latched herself onto Mickey’s leg, demanding to be cuddled “we got caught up,”
“Not fucking I hope,” said Carl, still in his police uniform, coming over to hand them both a beer “we heard enough of that shit at the old place,”
“Ha ha,” Mickey said drily, hauling Franny up and setting her on his hip “lemme ask you, when was the last time you got any action, little boy in blue?” Ian couldn’t help but snicker as he took the cap off his beer and flung it on the coffee table.
When Lip had first announced that they’d be doing family dinners - Ian remembered very clearly, they were doing family dinners every Sunday, no excuses - he’d almost rolled his eyes, but after seeing Debbie’s and (surprisingly) Carl’s faces, when they’d started moving their stuff out of the Gallagher house, and the way even Liam had teared up before they went their separate ways, he knew this was important. They were all so close - had to be to survive - living apart was a big change for all of them, and even though Ian and Mickey had had their apartment before the house had been sold, Ian still couldn’t help the comfort he felt every time he stepped into Lip and Tami’s house and walked right into the chaos that was all the Gallagher siblings together.
As if on cue, Lip emerged from the back garden with a plate of burgers and a set of tongs, beaming.
“Hey!” he said with a grin, putting them down and wrapping Ian in a hug, then doing the same to Mickey, who as of late had been hugging all his in laws with less and less discomfort “when did you guys get here?”
“Just now,” Ian told him “how you been?” he asked carefully as Franny dragged Mickey over to the kitchen table to show him her newest artwork she’d shoved in Debbie’s bag. Ian was always wary of asking about Lip’s sobriety - after all, he knew how frustrating it was when people asked about his meds or his psych appointments over and over - but after Frank’s death Lip was scrambling to get his shit together to sell the house and find somewhere new for him and Fred and Tami to live. Then Tami had gotten pregnant, and things had started to spiral. Lip had clawed his way out of a total relapse, but Tami had made him swear he’d to go AA meetings regularly and check in with Ian as much as possible. When Ian had become the go to guy for advice on staying stable, he had no fucking idea, but he knew Lip needed their chats more than he’d let on, so it seemed to work.
“Better this last couple weeks,” his brother said “Brad’s been helpin’ me get some work shadowing one of the tech guys that works at his brother’s firm, thinks I could get some real world experience and a job out of it.” Lip gave a hesitant smile and Ian couldn’t help but feel a twinge of excitement. Tech had always been Lip’s thing, he was a damn genius, and Ian knew his brother had always felt like he’d lost out on a huge opportunity and a ticket out of the South Side when he’d stopped going to college.
It had broken Ian’s - and Fiona’s, she’d told him, though he’d never let Lip know - heart to see him spiral and hit rock bottom, but this could be his chance to get a job he’d be good at and he could make into whatever he wanted it to be. He was still smart enough, Ian was sure of it, he just needed a chance.
“Dude that’s great,” Ian beamed, patting Lip on the shoulder “seriously, congrats,”
“Thanks man,” Lip said “I really think things’ll start looking up soon. But enough of my bullshit, how are you guys? What’s new in married couple world?”
Ian hesitated for a moment. He knew he couldn’t tell Lip about Mandy and the baby, not unless she told him herself; their last breakup had been messy, and they hadn’t spoken since. Ian missed his best friend being around all the time, and he was excited to have her back, at least for a while, but he knew it wasn’t his place to tell. Luckily, he was spared of having to decide what to say when Tami came downstairs with baby Fred - who was looking more and more like an actual kid each day - greeting everyone and placing Fred in his play pen.
“Ok,” she said “time to eat before Fred needs a nap!” Lip turned back to Ian with a ‘catch up later, yeah?’ before heading back to the kitchen and swatting Carl’s hand as his brother tried to steal a burger patty; some things never changed.
It was as if they’d never been apart as the Gallaghers and Tami (who was practically just as much of a Gallagher as Mickey at this point - Ian wouldn’t be surprised if Lip popped the question soon) sat around Lip’s living room, squashed on couches and on the floor with a plate of burgers and condiments on the coffee table, chatting loudly. As much as Ian felt comfortable with his new life with Mickey, he knew that these family times would always be special to him.
He watched with a grin as Mickey and Lip joked about something or other, knocking a beer and soda bottle together and laughing; if he could tell his 16 year old self - even 17 year old Mickey - that they’d be married and he’d be watching his husband and brother laugh and chat like friends, that his husband would be proud to have married him in front of Ian’s family and that he’d finally be free of the worst of his… Ian couldn’t help but smile at the thought.
“What are you smiling about?” Debbie asked, plopping onto the couch next to him. Ian shook his head.
“I just never thought we’d get to be here, you know?” Debbie followed his line of sight and watched as Mickey scrunched his eyes up, laughing at something Lip had said.
“Yeah,” she said, placing a hand on Ian’s arm “he looks happy, you both do,” it was strange, Debbie and Ian hadn’t been all that close as they’d gotten older, but as soon as they weren’t in the same house, he found he’d missed her - had missed all his siblings - and it was as if none of their disagreements had ever happened.
“Hey,” Debbie said suddenly “how come you and Mickey were so late?” Ian hesitated, his eyes flicking over to where Lip sat, engrossed in some nerdy robotics conversation with Liam,
“Mandy showed up on our doorstep just before we left,” he told her “had to get away from her shitty boyfriend in Indiana,” Debbie’s eyes went wide.
“Oh shit,” she said “does Lip know?” Ian shook his head.
“She doesn’t need any more shit,” he said “neither does he,” Debbie nodded quietly, and was about to respond when a flurry of red hair came flying at Ian’s chest, babbling about god knows what, and Ian looked over his niece’s hair to find her smiling fondly at him.
Soon enough, Ian and Mickey had arrived home feeling sufficiently full and - although Mickey would never admit it - warm inside. Ian knew though, that Mickey was just as grateful as he was that they could spend time as a family on a regular basis.
Mandy was asleep when they opened the door, dropping their voices immediately when they saw her. She was curled on the couch with a movie on the TV, lying on her side with a pillow under her large stomach. Mickey sighed, grabbing a grey knitted blanket off the other couch and gently laying it over the top of her.
“She can never catch a fuckin’ break man,” he said quietly, leaning back into Ian’s side when he stood up again “it’s not fair,” Ian pressed a kiss to Mickey’s head, wrapping his arm tightly around his husband’s shoulders and tactfully ignoring the tears that were glistening in his eyes.
“I know Mick,” he murmured “but she’s with us, at least she’s safe for now,”