Only You - [Lip Gallagher]

weirdo Gallagher vortex.

"Call me if you need anything, okay? Both of you." I call to Xan and Liam. Liam unfortunately is going back to public school, thankfully Xan is there to kinda help him out. "Got it." Liam sighs. "He'll be fine." Lip says and nudges my shoulder, "He's been in private school for so long don't you think they're gonna bitch him?" I worry, "Kid survived coke and this fucking house, he'll be alright." Lip chuckles and kisses my forehead. "See you later." He says and jogs down the stairs and off to his AA meeting. "Stop kissing me." I call to him, "I'd rather not." He turns back towards me and I shake my head and walk into the house. Lip is a sponsor now and it worries me, is this gonna be a Youens or Brad part two?

"Need help?" I ask Carl softly as I walk into the basement where he is housing many sick and old dogs–he saved them from a really fucked up old man who was gassing them in a room, I hate how people can be so cruel to these poor babies. "No, they're settled for now." Carl answers as he bottle feeds one of the old dogs. "This is a really sweet thing you're doing." I say, sitting down next to the big black and white pitty mixed dog, giving him gentle pats and scratches behind his ears. "I couldn't handle seeing them go out the way he was doing it." Carl sighs, "You're such a good boy." I lean over and tap his chin lightly. "Learned from the best." He chuckles, "Yeah because you tried to microwave a hamster when I first met you." I punch his arm slightly hard, "Hey, I'm saving dogs now!" He defends himself followed by a small laugh. "So, what really happened to Kassidi?" I break the ice with the question that's been lingering in my mind for days now. "I don't know." "What do you mean?" "So I have this really fucked up loser in my platoon and I told him he needs to get his shit together because he's bringing us all down and I mentioned that Kassidi sitting outside the fence would ruin my chances as Captian Lieutenant of my platoon and then the next morning on our run he told me he handled it and nobody will ever find the body." Carl explains and my jaw drops, "Holy shit. No fucking way he killed her?" I ask in shock and he nods, "Haven't seen or heard from her since." "Shit." I mutter, "I feel bad but chick was psycho." Carl sighs. "Gallaghers and bodies is an uncomfortable pattern I;ve had to deal with not once but three times now. You guys need help." I insult jokingly, "You're a Gallagher too, asshole." "By association." "You can be convinced by association too." He teases and I mimic him, "Okay, smarty pants." I tease and then my phone starts to ring, "One sec." I mutter to Carl as Liam's name pops up on my screen, "Hey, what's going on?" "Xan just got sent to the hospital. I'm not sure what happened but I seen her get escorted out by paramedics." Liam explains and I stand up, "Okay, I'm going now. Did you call Lip?" "No." "Okay, I will. Love you bye." I quickly get off the phone, "What happened?" Carl asks, worried, "Xan is in the hospital, something happened at school I guess." I groan, running up the stairs as I press Lip's contact. "Everything okay?" "Xan's in the hospital, meet you there?" "Shit, what happened?" "I don't know, Liam called." "Is he okay?" "Yeah, he's fine." "Alright, see you there." He sounds like he's slightly panicking, I am too.

++

"Hi, Xan Galvez, she here?" Lip asks the receptionist as she taps his fist against the counter, "Alexandra." I correct, "Ah, yes, and you are?" "Lip, her brother and this is Sadie, my wife." Lip quickly fathoms a response. I don't even argue, he's so stressed that DCFS is gonna come get her. He's too involved.

"Hey, what happened?" Lip rushes to her bedside as soon as we get into her room. "Fell off the jungle gym. Made it to the top though." She shrugs, "Good job." Lip says and fist bumps her good side. "You feeling okay?" I ask and she nods, "Only hurts a little." "Hi, are you her father or mother?" The nurse comes in, "No brother and sister in law." Lip says, standing up beside her. "My dad's a drunk and my mom disappeared." Xan says innocently and a pit forms in my stomach–shit. I don't know why she said that, we're so fucked, Lip and Xan are fucked. "Are you her legal guardian?" She asks Lip, "No, not exactly." He's honest. "Well, we're going to get her to X-ray and reset her arm but we can only release her to a parent or legal guardian." The nurse says as she guides Xan into the wheelchair to take her to X-ray.

Once the curtain closes, Lip's expression drops. "She'll be okay, we'll get her." I reassure him and climb across the stretcher to give him a hug. "How?" "I got it." I muffle into his chest as he rocks us back and forth.

"So, call Brad. He seems old enough to play Xan's dad and he knows how to play drunk, he's an expert." I explain, pulling away from his chest. "You're a little genius." He holds my head lightly before taking out his phone. I need this to work.

++

"No way I'm getting sucked into your weirdo Gallagher vortex." Brad says, "I already feel bad for this one for getting sucked into it herself." Brad huffs and motions to me, "Brad just fucking do it!" I quickly blurt out, "Please before this vortex gets fucking weirder." I beg in a serious tone–I truly can't handle it if Lip loses Xan, I'd rather bash my head against concrete. "I can't." He says, "Lip, you need to let the kid go. She's not your responsibility and you need to focus on other things in your life. Let DCF handle it." Brad says and leaves. Lip and I both sigh, "I'm sorry." I mutter, "It's not your fault." He caresses my cheek before Xan is wheeled back in with her bright pink cast, "She's a big groggy from the meds but she should come to soon." A different nurse says as she helps Xan into the stretcher. "But I do have a couple questions for the guardian, right?" She asks–it's a set up, she's a social worker. I've seen this all too many times before. "Yes, her guardian." "Right so I'm a little concerned with her living conditions. You said that man that just showed up and left was her father, you said you were her brother and now you're her guardian." "I'm just taking care of her until her mother comes back." Lip defends, "She told me her mother was never coming back so we'll just have DCFS come down here and we can all figure it out." She smiles and nods before closing the curtains. Shit,shit,shit.

Once she leaves Lip quickly scans our surroundings, "Lip, don't." I whisper as he quickly walks across the hall into someone's room. Suddenly I hear someone's machine flatlining "I''m gonna fucking kill him." I laugh to myself quietly as he runs back into the room, putting his hoodie on, "Put your hood up, let's go." He mutters to me as he picks up Xan and runs out of the hospital, I follow hot on his tail. "Why do you do this shit?" I scream at him as we sprint to my car. "I can't let her go to DCFS. I promised her." Lip says as he speeds off in my car. "Be careful, she's still groggy." I say, looking back at Xan who's laid down in my back seat. "Lip," I hesitate, "Maybe Brad is right." "Sadie, you don't know what DCFS is like but I know you know what shitty parenting is like." "Yeah and guess what? I also know Xan loves her mother and I loved my dad and Ian loved Monica, regardless of how shitty Lip she'll never pick you if it comes between the both of you." I slightly insult because I'm hurt. "That's not true." He mutters and I sigh.

Yes it is. I see myself in Xan. I defended my dad so hard, when my old school who you know had the PTO committee and had parents involved questioned why my dad wasn't around I'd defend him. It was easier then since he was well known in the neighborhood for being an 'amazing' guy who loved his job and family but he really wasn't, but I defended him. Like Xan, like Ian, and like me; we are all willing to burn.