"Ian, you know Monica's back" Maisie walked into the shop feeling a sense of awkwardness as she did seeing Mickey, Ian and Kash all stood staring at each other as Mickey ate a snickers bar. "Mm. That's sweet. I like 'em sweet. But then, uh... so do you, huh?" Mickey laughed mocking the man as Maisie stared at her brother in shock.
"Put it back. Now." Kash turned round holding a gun up at the boy. "What the fuck" Maisie screamed as he shot a can of soup just missing Mickey's head. "fuck!"
"Kash, what are you doing?" Ian exclaimed as he shot the bag of crisps next to him. "It's a fucking Snickers bar!" Mickey exclaimed, Maisie's eyes widening as another shot went off and Mickey groaned collapsing to the floor.
Maisie walked behind the counter while the man watched Ian check Mickey was okay. She slowly grabbed the gun from his hand pressing it into his back when she felt the time was right. "You know I don't like people who cheat on their wives and I especially don't like one's that are fucking nonces. You know what I like to do with perverts. I like to kill them" she hissed cocking the gun and putting it further into his back.
"Maisie put it down" Ian cried turning his attention of Mickey and onto the young girl who stood there debating whether or not she should put a gun in his back or not. "I like to watch them suffer in pain because that's how the child felt, confused, in pain, helpless, fucking scared" she screamed shooting the gun into the ceiling causing one of the lights to go.
"Maisie the cops are going to be here soon, if your seen with a gun your going down" Ian warned slowly walking over to the girl who had tears running down her face as she kept her grip tightly on the gun. "I don't fucking care, I'd rather go to prison than see his face everyday" Maisie scoffed her hand started to shake as she brought the gun back into the mans back.
The noise of sirens edging closer caused Mickey, Ian and Kash to all panic not knowing the girls next moves. "Fuck Maisie, put it down" Mickey groaned rolling around the floor annoyed he couldn't get up to help his sister who was acting like a maniac right now.
"Yeah you know what" Maisie lowered the gun to her side pushing the man against the counter. "I'm not going to shoot you" Kash let out a sigh of relief when he felt any pressure on his back being taken away.
"But I promise you this, I will make your life a living hell until one day it gets too much for you and you leave, you leave and go far, far away from here because that's what you deserve, and I hope you spend the rest of your life regretting every little thing you've ever done because you deserve to fucking suffer and trust me when I say I will make your life a living hell" she gritted her teeth together as she spoke to the man slamming the gun on the table and sneaking out the back like Ian ordered her to.
*
"Thought you were at work." Lip turned to Ian who ran up to Sheila's house. "There was a shooting. Mickey and Kash." Ian panted looking round to see if there was any sign of Maisie who had just completely disappeared.
"Holy shit, Mickey shot Kash?" Lip exclaimed handing the joint over to Ian when he looked like he needed it. "Kash shot Mickey." Ian corrected taking a hit of the joint and throwing his head back as it relieved some of the stress he felt.
"What?" Lip coughed his eyes widening in shock. Lip didn't like either of them but that didn't mean he wanted to see either hurt, mainly because of Ian and Maisie. "In the leg. He's fine. I just wanted to get out of there before the cops got there. Hey you seen Maisie" Ian asked starting to panic about the girl now.
"No she walked out thought she went looking for you" Lip admitted noticing the boys worry when his leg started bouncing up and down. "Yeah she came to the store, pulled the gun on Kash, she seemed pretty upset as well, I told her to sneak out the back before cops got there and I left 2 minutes after only I couldn't see her anywhere" Ian explained causing Lip to stand up in worry.
"I'll go look for her after everything's sorted with mom" Lip promised the boy taking one final hit of the joint before putting it out and walking back inside to see if anything had been resolved yet.
"Wait, you brought her back here?" Lip scoffed and Monica turned round to see Ian stood silently watching as everything played out. "You knew where she was the whole time?" Lip rolled his eyes shocked that he actually believed this had nothing to do with Frank.
"Okay, look, this little reunion was bound to happen sooner or later anyway. We were thinking about coming around to talk to you about something else." Bob intervened and Monica stood up trying to stop the woman from saying anything but it was useless.
"Moni and I want to take Liam to live with us." she announced which caused everyone to break out into shouts and screams. "Over my dead body." Frank stood up getting face to face with the woman. "How about Moni sign whatever the hell it is you need... we get Liam." Bob tried to convince the man which didn't take long because he was quick to accept the offer.
"No fucking way! You can't have Liam." Fiona cried standing up as everyone else sat back watching. "Why the hell not? He's not even Frank's." Monica argued back as Fiona paced up and down the room running her hands down her face.
"Fact is, Liam is black. All you white folks scooping up black babies like fashion accessories have a rude awakening coming. There will be a backlash if people don't stop underestimating the cultural importance of a black parent raising a black baby. Liam needs me and he's coming with us." Bob rambled on about absolute nonsense no one understanding her point at all.
"Out of the fucking question, Roberta." Lip intervened looking over at Fiona who stood frozen to the spot unsure what to do or say anymore. "Roberta and I want to start a family of our own." Monica announced to the group.
"Well, how about you finish this one first." Fiona fired back as everyone turned to face Monica who stared over at the group of kids she had abandoned every single one of them looking as though they hated her. "They're taking Liam?" Debbie started to cry now which caused more of an outburst.
"No, nobody's taking anyone anywhere." Lip shouted over Bob, Monica and Fiona's yells trying to settle the girl down. "You don't get to abandon your kids and then show up one day to take your pick of the litter." Fiona scoffed walking round to meet the face of her mothers.
"Oh, now that's not fair. Your mother's made mistakes, but she's here now. That's got to count for something." Frank stood up defending the woman knowing he had no reason to argue with her anymore he was getting what he wanted.
"Shut up, Frank! This isn't about you. This is about you. This is about what you didn't do. It's about what I did. And you know what? I did a fucking great job. Debbie is class president. She's on the debate team, going to nationals. And Lip, he's top of his class. He set the curve. Ian was promoted in ROTC and he tested out of English. And Carl made something blow up for his science fair. And you know what, they did it all, no thanks to you! Because you weren't here!" Fiona cried pointing to the five kids she had practically raised all of which sat there staring at the four parents.
"And I appreciate that, Fiona. But I'm here now. And Liam belongs with me." Monica replied calmly as she appeared to start crying but no tears were actually found. "He doesn't even know who you are."
"I'm his mother!"
"You were my mother, too!" Fiona cried as tears started to stream down her face. "Maybe I'll never be able to make things right with you... but there's still time with Liam. And Debbie and Carl, I am so sorry if I hurt you. See, I love you so much. Please let me be your mommy again. Please?" Monica crouched down in front of Debbie and Cark begging them to take her back, let her back into their life and eventually they both moved forward to hug her causing Fiona to scoff feeling a sense of betrayal from the kids she had raised since she was six.
Lip and Ian rolled their eyes, annoyed the two had fallen for Monica's manipulation again but feeling helpless against the situation knowing there was nothing they could do.
"You know what? You're right. You are their mother. And you're here now. So I'm done. I'm done with the school and the bills and the clinics. I'm done. They're all yours now, Mom. Good luck." Fiona picked her coat up putting the house keys in the window sill and walking out the house, leaving Debbie in tears.
"I gotta go find Maisie" Lip huffed storming off out the house, Ian joining him leaving Monica stood clueless, unsure what to do or how to act.
