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The Gallagher house was surprisingly quiet when Liam heard a knock on the door from where he was sitting on the couch.
He opened the door to a girl with dark blonde hair; she spoke with a slightly shaky voice, "Holy shit you got big. Is, uh, is Ian here?"
"Ian!"
Ian came jogging down the stairs a minute later, "Liam what is going on-? Mandy?"
"Hi. Do you have anything to help me clean this," Mandy said as she gestured to the split lip.
Ian nodded and spoke in a gentle voice, "Yeah, come on up. I still have a med kit upstairs."
He gently, comfortingly, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her upstairs into his room.
He went into the closet and pulled out the EMT kit.
"You've got your own room now?"
Ian nodded while pulling out what he needed, "We uh, we all do. Fiona left a couple years ago, Florida, Lip's got his own place a couple blocks over, and Carl moved into the basement few months ago."
Ian started silently cleaning the cut in her lip and put butterfly strips on the cut over her eyebrow.
"I'm sorry for showing up unannounced. I didn't even know if you'd still live here."
Ian nodded, "Never really got around to leaving. I picked up a lotta the slack around here when Fiona and Lip got their own lives. I'm Liam's guardian now."
"Shit."
Ian kneeled in front of her and looked her in the eyes softly.
"What happened, Mandy? It's not like you to get shaken up like you are."
"I had to get away from him."
"Who?"
"My boyfriend. He hits me. I've been trying to get away for years, but he cut my ties with everyone. I finally was running last night while he was out but he came home early and did this. I managed to knee him in the balls, grabbed my bag, and bolted to the bus station. Oh god, I shouldn't be here. He'll hurt all of you all if he finds me."
"Hey, no. You're staying here. We'll find space for you, and nobody's gonna get you here. I know you can handle yourself, so can I, and Carl's got a gun legally now."
"How the fuck did he do that?"
"Little fucker became a cop."
That got a sad chuckle out of Mandy.
Ian let his face drop and he took both of Mandy's hands, "You're not going anywhere, alright?"
She nodded and looked down before her gaze met something else and she rapidly grabbed his left hand, "What the fuck? Is this what I think it is?"
Ian nodded.
"How long?"
"Almost a year," Ian responded with a fond smile.
Mandy immediately perked up, "Tell me about him!"
Ian laughed a little and checked his phone, "He'll be home any minute now."
"So you're leaving me hanging?"
"Planning on it," Ian gave her a playful smirk, dodging her attempted smack to his shoulder with a laugh.
"You're an asshole."
"I know."
It was less than five minutes later when Ian heard the front door open and close and then boots stomping up the stairs.
"Hey-"
"Mickey?!"
Ian grinned at Mandy when she turned to him.
"Mands," Mickey said, equally shocked.
Mandy's shock wore off quicker and she got off the bed, launching herself into her big brother's arms.
"I missed you, Mands."
"I missed you too, Mick."
Mandy was surprisingly the first to pull away from their hug, "You got married?"
Mickey nodded and held up his hand with his wedding band.
"No shit. How'd fucking Terry handle that?"
"Tried to kill me, burnt down our venue on the morning of our wedding day, tried to crash the wedding, tried to kill both of us," Mickey listed.
"And now?"
Mickey sighed and looked at Ian for support, "Dad's dead Mands. About three months now."
"What did him in?"
"He got shot, paralyzed from the neck down," Mickey started, "Nobody knows who, but uh, Red and I hired a nurse. Bunch of 'em ran off before they sent a nun."
"A fucking nun killed Terry?" Mandy looked at the husbands, unable to fully hide her grin.
Ian nodded, "Said his soul was so foul it needed to be sent back to the lord."
"Jesus," Mandy turned back to Ian, "So this is why you decided to mess with me? You knew fucking Mickey was gonna walk in here."
Ian nodded with a grin.
Mandy hugged Mickey again, “I’m so proud of you.”
Mickey nodded and gave her a kiss on the top of her head, “Thanks sis.”
“I guess we’re related now,” Mandy grinned as she turned to her best friend.
Ian nodded.
Mickey noticed Ian’s EMT bag on the floor of the bedroom and looked at Mandy worriedly.
“I’m alright Mick.”
“I haven’t seen or heard from you since I was in the joint the time before last, and now you’re here, and Ian had to patch you up?”
Mandy looked at her feet and started to play with her thumbs, “Uh, I’m kinda here to avoid my boyfriend.”
“Your boyfriend did this to you?” Mickey’s voice escalated quickly and he was near yelling.
Mandy flinched and Mickey instantly controlled himself, “Hey, hey, I’m sorry. I’m not gonna hurt you. I promise I’d never hurt you. Just… tell me what happened?”
“I thought he was better than Kenyatta, and he was. We dated for six months before I moved in with him, and he was fine for a couple months after that before he started to hit me, and I couldn’t get away. He cut my contact with everyone to keep me with him. I was finally going through with it last night when he came home early. I kicked him in the balls and bolted, got on a bus and came right here. He’s probably trying to find me now, and I’m terrified that-”
“Nope,” Mickey cut her off, “That fucker isn’t gonna hurt you ever again. Nobody is if I have anything to do with it.”
“Me too,” Ian told her.
Mandy gave a small smile and nodded.
“How are you even out of prison?” Mandy turned to Mickey.
“Uh, about a year after I heard from you last I broke outta prison. Made my way to Mexico, almost got this fucker to go with me, got ‘im to the border at least, and I was there for a year ‘nd a half before I made a deal with the feds to turn myself in for a reduced sentence and a pick of where I got locked up.”
“Why the hell would you turn yourself in?”
“To protect me in prison,” Ian replied quietly.
“You went to prison?”
“I’m still on parole.”
“What happened?”
“Uh, Monica died, and it affected me more than I thought it did. My meds went out of balance, and I started to have a manic episode. I went off my meds. I was uh, dating a guy at the time who worked at a LGBTQ youth center. We found out about the conversion churches and I started to use the bible to defend them against the conversion people. I started to get a following, and they started calling me Gay Jesus which just played into my delusion and I ended up blowing up a van.”
“Wait, that was you? I heard about that movement online.”
Ian nodded, “That was me.”
“Jesus… And you turned yourself in for him?”
Mickey nodded, “I couldn’t stay in Mexico knowing that Red here was gonna be in the joint on his own.”
“How long were you in prison?”
“Nine months of a two year sentence. Should have been ten to fifteen years, but I pled insanity.”
“Jeez, and you MicK?”
“I got out two weeks after him. Compassionate release and good behavior ‘cause the cartel was after me. Less than a year left of my two year parole.”
“What are you doing for cash with a PO on your back?”
“We run a secure cash transport business for dispensaries and grow farms together,” Ian informed Mandy, “We’re doing pretty good too.”
“Damn, good for you, and this is legal?”
“The business yes, the guns, no,” Mickey shrugged.
“And you’re fine with this?” Mandy turned to Ian.
“Gotta do what we gotta do.”
“Prison toughened you up.”
Ian laughed, “Either that or I’ve lived with your barbarian brother too long.”
“Fuck you too Gallagher.”
Mandy laughed.
“Dad! Papa!” a voice could be heard from downstairs.
“Yeah?” Mickey called.
“Carl’s home. He brought dinner!”
“Dad? Papa?” Mandy questioned.
“Yevgeny,” Mickey looked at her, “Svet married some rich old dude a couple years ago. He croaked less than a year later and she was set for life cash wise. She got a new boyfriend and got pregnant again. She uh, she called me when she found out that I was out of prison, and then she found out Ian and I were married and gave us custody.”
“Wow.”
“C’mon, let’s go eat. Carl always buys plenty extra pizza,” Ian.
“And you’re staying here until you get back on your feet,” Mickey told her.
“I already told her that, Mick.”
“Good. You better have.”
Mandy laughed and followed her brother and brother-in-law downstairs.
“Yev,” Mickey got his kid’s attention, “You probably don’t remember, but this is your aunt Mandy. My little sister.”
“Hi.”
“Oh my god,” Mandy muttered, “You were like an infant when I last saw you.”
Yev grinned and all Mandy could see was a younger, more well-kept, version of her brother.
“Hi Mandy,” Carl waved.
“Hi,” Debbie smiled, maneuvering a toddler into one of the chairs.
“Jesus, you’re adults now too.”
Carl and Debbie both laughed.
“You’re Uncle Mickey’s sister?” Frannie asked.
Mandy nodded, “Yeah, I’m Mandy. Who are you?”
“I’m Franny.”
“My daughter,” Debbie smiled.
“Wow, okay.”
“We’re findin’ room for Mandy here,” Ian informed.
“You on the run from the law?”
“Not that I would tell you, especially now that you’re a cop, but no, I’m just trying to get away from a bad relationship.”
“You can take the couch for the night, but we can figure out something else longer term,” Ian told her.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t thank us. Mickey’s family which means you’re family,” Debbie told her.
Mandy smiled and looked at her brother with a smile, both of them grateful to have a real family.