Only You - [Lip Gallagher]

mommy issues

It's finally Christmas time, well, Thanksgiving week but same thing. I love this time of year, the cool crisp air and the sound of leaves ruffling on the ground brings me pure seratonin. Also, I get to bake so many treats, it's truly the best time of the year.

Lip is back in school, which I'm so excited for, he's coming back after Thanksgiving break. Karen is ready to pop, Lip has been making a little video for his son to give to his adopted parents, I think it's sweet. We are finally back together, I like it, he's different this time; in a good way.

++

"Lip, you going back home for Thanksgiving tomorrow?" I ask as I take another pie out of the oven, "It smells way better here than at my house, I think I'll stay here." Lip says as he is eating the personal apple pie I made him this morning, "Honey, you're back in school now, you can go home. Besides, my dad will be back after Thanksgiving. He always does this for major holidays; goes on a crazy binge and goes MIA for a month, we can't stay here forever." I say as I put flour on his nose, "We'll see." Lip says with a mouthful of whipped cream, "Well, I'm going." I say as I cover my apple and pumpkin pie. "Monica and Frank are still there." He scoffs, I sigh, "I know but I think it'll be good if you go and we can all finally rekindle." I say, sitting on his lap, "Please?" I ask as I kiss his nose, "Maybe." He says and I rest my head on his shoulder, "I'll take a maybe." I say as I take a piece of his pie, "Good right?" Lip asks, knowing this is the third one I've made for him in two days, I giggle at the praise, "I'd hope so, you've eaten three of them in two days." I poke his belly gently,  "Hey, I gotta go to Karen's, see if she decided on which family to give the baby too." Lip says, standing up, still holding me, "Jeff and Alana." I say, rooting for him to get the family he likes best. "I hope so." Lip kisses me, "Bye, love you." We say in sync as he leaves.

++

Lip comes back to the house and immediately goes into my room, I follow him and listen at the door, "Okay. Hey, little guy. I think I'm gonna end this now since you're coming into the world on Friday," I hear Lip say behind the door, he sounds heartbroken, "I hope I get to hang out for a few minutes before we hand you to your new parents. I think they're really gonna take very good care of you. You know, I wish it could've been me," My heart breaks for him as he says that, "But, things are pretty messed up around here, so uh, if you ever wanna get in touch with me though, that would be cool. You know just look for this ugly mug, I'll be around, I'm not going anywhere. Take it easy buddy." tears swell my eyes as I listen to him, once I hear the camera click off I walk into our room, sit in his lap and hold him. "I'm so sorry you're going through this, you would make the best dad in the world." I say, scratching the back of his head gently, he sniffles, "In a way, I'm glad because I don't have to be stuck with Karen for the rest of my life, but I really wish it would've been you." He says, holding me back, "One day." I mutter and kiss his forehead. He takes the tape out of his camera and puts it in his pocket, "Want me to be there Friday?" I ask, he nods, "If you're okay with that." Lip says, standing up, I nod, "Of course." I stand next to him, he hugs me, "I'll go to Thanksgiving with you." Lip mutters into my ear and I begin to jump up and down in excitement, "Yay! Thank you." I squeezed him once more, "It'll be so fun." I say, "I'm sure." Lip says, unconvinced, "It will." I reassure him and he gently tackles me onto the bed, "Can we stay here for the rest of the day and cuddle?" He asks, "Is that what you need?" I ask, teasingly, he nods, "Okay." I say, cuddling with him for the rest of the day.

++

"Hey, I'll meet you there, I promise." Lip says as I'm holding pies in my hands, I sign, "Fine, you better be there." I lean over on my tippy toes and give him a kiss, "I love you." we say, together and I leave to the Gallaghers.

"Happy Thanksgiving!" Debbie, Carl, Fiona, and V shout as I walk in, "Oo she brought pies!" V says and takes them from me gently, "I've missed you." V says and kisses my cheek, "I missed you and Kev too." I smile and walk into the kitchen, kissing Carl and Debbie's heads. "Lip coming?" Fiona asks, I nod, "He said he will be here later." I say with a smile, Debbie and Carl cheer. I'm still upset with Fiona for allowing Monica and Frank steal the money, so I keep it short with her. "Morning Steve." Debs greets Jimmy as he walks in, "Debs, let's officially make it Jimmy now." He insists, "Really?" Fiona asks, shocked, "Yes." Jimmy says with a smile, "To Jimmy!" Fiona says, holding up her drink, "I'm gonna call you Jimmy pillow drooler." Kev jokes as soon as he walks in, making us all laugh, I hug Kev tightly, he gives me a big squeeze before walking over to the table, "Shut the fuck up, I do not!" Jimmy argues, "You totally do." Fiona laughs, "You do." I also agree, "Fuck all of you." Jimmy says, sipping his coffee, "What are you doing over there?" Jimmy asks Kev, "Plucking a bald eagle." Kev says, my jaw drops, "Fucking disgusting." I say, "Carl shot it in the yard." Fiona says, "That's against the law." Jimmy says, "I already gave him a lecture and took out the bullets." Fiona says, nonchalantly, "It says the Detroit zoo let out ten bald eagles with trackers to monitor where they nest." Debbie reads from the computer, "So somebody knows we have it?" Fiona asks, "I guess." Debbie says and types on the computer, "It says tampering with a tracker is punishable by law." Debbie also reads and Kev chops off the leg, I put my hand over my mouth, "Holy shit." I mutter as Kev tosses the foot to Carl, "Get rid of the evidence." Kev says and Carl waves it in Debbie's face causing her to scream before he goes outside.

Not long after Carl leaves, my phone rings, it's Lip. I walk upstairs away from the chaos to answer it, "Hey, what's up?" I say "Hey Sade, uh, Karen's having the baby, can you meet me at the hospital? Don't tell anyone, I don't want the big crowd right now." Lip asks nervously, "Uh," I hesitate. "Yeah, sure, on my way." I say and sneak out of the Gallaghers, run to my house to grab my car and drive to the hospital.

I get there as soon as Lip, he's out of breath from spriting, "You okay?" I ask as we run to labor and delivery, "I don't know." He confesses, "Hi, uh, Karen Jackson, she's having my baby." Lip says to the lady in the front and she unlocks the doors for us, "Room 120." she says and we jog over, "We have to gown up first." I say, handing him a gown, hair net and shoe covers as I cover myself up.

We walk into the room and Karen is screaming and cussing everyone out, "Why is your girlfriend here?" Karen yells, "Because I asked her to be." Lip says and stands by her bedside.

**Time skip**

"They keep blowing up our phones, should I just tell them?" I ask Lip after the twentieth time our phones rang, "Yeah, go ahead." Lip says, nodding towards the door. I grab my phone and call Ian back, "Hey, Ian, what's up?" I ask as soon as he answers, "Where are you?" He asks, "Hospital with Lip." "Is he alright?" "Yeah, Karen is having the baby." "Holy shit, uh, we're down in the ER, Monica tried to kill herself." Ian explains, "Shit." I mutter, "Talk to you later okay?" Ian says and hangs up. I go back into the room, "Monica tried to kill herself, they're down in the ER. I told Ian she's having the kid." I explain to Lip and he nods, "They coming?" he asks, I nod, "Of course, they wouldn't miss it." I rub his back.

"Why can't I get a -section?" Karen complains uncomfortably, "You're too far along, the baby is in the canal." The doctor explains, "Sometimes Mother Nature has other plans, honey." Sheila explains, "Fuck Mother Nature. She doesn't have to worry about her vagina getting stretched out." Karen complains, "You were already pretty stretched out." Jody says and I can't help but laugh, "Drugs! I want drugs!" She throws her head back in agony. "Sweetie push, you're almost there!" Sheila encourages, "I am pushing, bitch." Karen says between her teeth, "Oh, I can see his head!" Jody exclaims, Lip is squeezing my hand so tightly, "The miracle of birth, sweetie!" Sheila is more excited than Karen. Just then, the whole crew is barging in wearing the same ugly scrubs as us, "More visitors!" Sheila squeals in excitement, Ian walks right over to Lip and I, I wrap my arms around both of them, Karen groans, "Great, why don't you have the whole fighting Illini marching band in here while we're at it!" She complained. "Debs look, my baby's about to come out!" Lip sounds so happy, my heart already aches for what's next.

++

We all look at the baby in shock, that is not Lip's baby, "What the fuck Karen you said it was mine." Lip yells, "I screwed Timmy Wong as much as I screwed you." Karen scoffs, I never said it was your baby, you just wanted it to be. Tell Jeff and Alana to come get their fucking baby." Karen says and closes her eyes. Lip storms out of the room and I follow him, "I'm sorry, the baby has down syndrome and he isn't my baby. She lied to me, if you don't want him anymore I understand." I hear Lip say, pain in his voice, my poor Lip my heart aches for him, this is not how I thought it would end up

Lip walks away after Jeff and Alana leave, he ruins the tape he made for the baby and rips off his gowning then sits on a bench with his head in his hands. I take off my PPE and rush over to him, holding him, "Sadie, I'm sorry." He cries, "Honey, there's no reason for you to be sorry. You were doing the right thing and I'm sorry it didn't work out for you." I rub his back, "I should've know that it wasn't mine, that fucking bitch." He cries, I don't say another word, I just hold him, "Can we go home?" he asks after a moment, "Yours." I nod and walk with him back to my car and drive place where I let him grieve in peace; I feel so bad for him. He didn't deserve that.