Lip and Ian had been arrested. Hollie had met up with Fiona at the police station and they were sitting in the waiting area with Debbie between them, waiting to find out what was going on. Fiona was anxiously wringing out her hands making Debbie take a hold of one of them comfortingly. She grabbed one of Hollie's hands too making her smile gratefully at the younger girl.
Jasmine came back from where she had been getting them coffees, "no lattes or anything, but they did have hot chocolate for Debbie," she said as she handed them their drinks.
"Thanks," said Fiona, "and thanks for driving, but you don't have to stay." Jasmine sat down on the seat beside her and shook her head, "ah, it's cool. I'll hang for a bit," she said.
Hollie noticed Tony walking by but he avoided looking in their direction and tried to discreetly walk the other way when he noticed them. "Tony. Did you see them?" she questioned making him stop and sigh as she stood up and walked up to him.
"They're still in the back," he said.
"When can we see them?" asked Fiona as she too stood up.
"If Lip's not charged as an adult you can see them both in court tomorrow," he informed.
"Charged as an adult?" Jasmine questioned.
Tony sighed deeply, "He's 17. They may charge him with felony grand theft auto," he explained.
"There's no way that Lip would steal a car he's too smart, and Ian doesn't even drive,"
"If they didn't steal it--"
"They didn't steal it!"
"If they didn't then they have to tell the detectives who have them the car and agree to testify," Tony explained seriously, "if they don't give up a name, Lip could do five years," he walked away and back into the bullpen making Hollie sigh deeply and run a hand through her dirty blonde hair.
Jasmine, Debbie and Hollie sat back down but Fiona walked off to make a phone call to Steve, suspecting that the stolen car was his. She returned a few minutes later muttering about not being able to reach him.
An hour later, Jasmine sighed and checked her watch. Debbie was lying across Hollie and Fiona's laps, half asleep. Jasmine slapped her knees and stood up, "it's almost 1. I gotta get home before Hal decides I'm having another affair," she announced.
She crouched down in front of Them, "let me drive you guys home." She said, "you can get some sleep. And then come back first thing in the morning,"
Fiona and Hollie shook their heads, "thanks, we're gonna stay," said Fiona.
"You want me to take Debbie?" Jasmine offered, "she can sleep at our house tonight,"
"I wanna stay with Fiona and Hollie," Debbie groggily mumbled.
"Thanks for driving," said Fiona.
"I'll give you a call tomorrow, make sure everything's okay," said Jasmine as she stood up and pulled her coat on. She grabbed her bag from the chair beside her and left the station.
At some point during the night of waiting, Hollie nodded off, her head on Fiona's shoulder.
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"Jail?" Veronica questioned. The next morning Fiona Debbie and Hollie came home when the boys had been moved from the station to downtown, "why didn't you call me?"
"Jasmine was there," said Debbie as she looked in the fridge. Carl, Liam, Hollie, Fiona and Kev were all sitting around the kitchen table.
"Who?"
"One of the moms from Deb's school," said Fiona as Veronica poured some coffee into cups for herself, Fiona, Hollie and Kev, "she was there when the cops called. Gave us a ride,"
"You were there all night?" asked Veronica.
Hollie nodded, "till they moved them downtown," she said.
"What about a lawyer?"
"They gave them a public defender for their first court appearance," Fiona informed.
"Fuck that," said Veronica, "we need a real one, not some just-got-out-of-law-school liberal do-gooder with a 2000-ghetto-kid caseload,"
"She's right," Ethel spoke as she walked over to the kitchen table, "my husbands public defender never even met Clyde before the arraignment then suggested he plead guilty to child molestation and sexual abuse," she said before sitting down at the table making the adults share disbelieving looks at her causal tone.
Kevin's voice broke the awkward silence that encased the room, "what about Dickie Day?" He suggested, "he helped Marty out with that arson thing,"
"Marty got six years," Veronica quickly dismissed the suggestion as she too sat down.
"Well, Tony says the judge might just release Ian to us," said Fiona, "I mean, he doesn't have priors,"
"But what about Lip?"
Hollie frowned, "they might charge him as an adult. He's had a couple scrapes with the cops,"
"Truancy, shoplifting, drinking and that fight where he fractured Cam Matlock's cheekbone." Debbie listed.
"But no felonies though," said Carl.
"Stolen Porsche, you said?" asked Veronica making Fiona nod. Fiona and Hollie both shared the same suspicion that Steve had given the boys the car but he wasn't around or answering his phone so he couldn't clear things up for himself. "Still no Steve?" Fiona shook her head no.
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That afternoon, Fiona had gotten a call from Tony saying that Lip and Ian were being let off without charge so now Fiona, Hollie, Debbie, Carl, Liam, Veronica, Ethel and Kevin were all waiting outside of the police station with with their coats on, shivering slightly from the cold as they waited for the boys to come out.
As soon as Lip and Ian walked out the station doors they group waiting outside instantly rushed forward to meet them. Debbie and Carl ran ahead and hugged Lip and Fiona hugged Ian.
Once Fiona had let go of Ian she hit hit chest before moving on and did the same to Lip. Hollie pulled Ian into a tight hug, relived that her younger brothers were not going to prison.
After Fiona was satisfying with how many times she'd hit Lip's chest Hollie pulled him into a hug too, "you are such an idiot," she mumbled.
Fiona glanced back towards the station doors and nodded to Tony in thanks.
"Ah, you guys popped your cherry," Kevin teased as the group all shared hugs.
"Yeah,"
"Hey, you guys see my dad in there?" asked Kev as they began to walk home making everyone laugh.
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Veronica and Fiona had twin the kids home for dinner while Hollie and Kev went into work at the Alibi.
"Mind over matter," Frank drunkenly slurred as he sat at his usual bar stool with a cigarette and a beer, "that's the trick in matters of the flesh. It's all about willpower. Some people have it, some don't," he rambled to nobody in particular since nobody ever really listened to Frank. Hollie placed a full glass of old style in front of him and took the almost empty one from him"me? I got it in spades. Ah." He grabbed the almost empty glass back and swigged the dregs before handing the empty glass to her.
"Lip and Ian were released," she told him.
"Released from what?"
Hollie stared at him incredibly for a moment, "jail."
"Hmm. About time too," Frank grumbled, "you must struggle with temptation, Kevin," he said loudly as Kevin filled other patrons drinks, "Nubile, young temptress traipsing around your house," Hollie and Kevin both have him looks laced with confusion and disgust, unsure whether he was implying what he sounded like he was implying, "in and out of the bathroom in her dainty little undies,"
"Are you talking about Ethel?" Kevin questioned.
"What is she 13? Fourteen? They know,"
"Frank you better shut up before I punch you," Hollie warned.
Frank completely ignored his second born daughter in order to continue his drunken rant, "they pretend they don't, but they do. Hannah Montana? Those over sexed hide on Glee?" Frank waved his arms around as he spoke, "think they're selling good, wholesome, all-American fun? Hell no! Flesh and underage temptation. You can look, but oh, no, don't touch,"
"No you can't look either Frank," said Hollie.
"Fuck off, Frank," said Kev.
"We see firm, young bodies...every synapse in our cerebellum screams: 'procreate! Impregnate!'"Frank stood from his barstool and sat down on the empty stool between Tommy and an unconscious drunk.
"It's not our fault," he said, "we're driven by the deep invaluable evolutionary need to perpetuate the species."
"Is there something you'd like to tell us Frank?" Hollie questioned.
"My brother Benny's girl?" said Tommy, "fifteen. Running around his house in short shorts, lace bra, underwear hanging out. I banged Filipino hookers in the navy looked more innocent than my niece,"
"All right, you two sick fucks are cut off," said Kevin as he took away their drinks.
"Willpower, my friend. Willpower,"
"What would you know about Willpower?" said Hollie as Frank reached over the bar and stole back his glass while both Hollie and Kev were collecting glasses from around the bar.
"We are warriors battling against the dark forces of primal nature." he said as he started to wander around, "knights taking up arms against our animalistic impulses in a debauched culture. Doing battles every day, gentlemen. Every single day!"
Everyone in the bar ignored him making him awkwardly walk back to his stool.
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After Frank had left the bar he returned merely a few hours later wearing a magenta cardigan and frantically begging Kev and Hollie to hide him.
Five minutes after Frank's arrival, Eddie Jackson walked through the door with a wooden pole that had a chain on the end. "Where is he?" He asked, with a murderous expression on his face.
"Where is who?" asked Kevin with feigned confusion.
"Frank," said Eddie as he looked around, "Frank Gallagher!"
"He's not here," Hollie insisted.
Eddie walked up to the bar and placed his hands on the sticky surface, leaning closer to Hollie so that he could speak to her, "if you happen to see your father, tell him he's a dead man," Eddie said lowly, "I don't care how long it takes, I don't care how much he begs... he's ducking dead."
Hollie nodded as Eddie stepped away from the bar, looking around, "you fucked the wrong guy's daughter Gallagher!" Eddie yelled.
The entire bar went silent as Eddie walked out looking like he was on the verge of tears.
"He gone?" asked Frank from where he was sitting on the floor behind the bar.
"Yeah," said Kevin making Frank stand up.
"Hey, Frank?" said Hollie making him turn to face her she beckoned for him to step closer to her which he did with a confused expression. His confusing was cleared up when Hollies fist collided with his cheek.
Frank stumbled slightly but he steadied himself. Hollie shook her hand out before walking out from behind the bar and collecting empty glasses like nothing had happened.
Frank chuckled nervously as everyone looked at him, "anyone got a spare pair of shoes I could borrow?"
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The next morning Hollie was sitting in the living room with Veronica while Fiona stress organised. Fiona had informed Hollie of her conversation with Steve the previous night where Steve invited her to go to Costa Rica with him for a while. Hollie had told her to go but Fiona being Fiona had started overthinking it.
"One more person deserting them," said Fiona as she hung up a few coats.
"Costa rica? Drinking blended margaritas under an umbrellas on a white sand beach?" said Veronica, "give me the ticket. shit I 'll go," She said as she and Hollie followed Fiona into the kitchen.
"I've got a job offer, you know? I could start bringing in some steady cash," said Fiona as she put laundry into the washer while Hollie cleared the kitchen table.
"Answering phones at some office in Cermak or sambaing in Rio?" said Veronica, "that's the Sophie's choice you're agonising over?"
"What are you afraid of Fi?" asked Hollie, "that the kids won't miss you?"
"That by day three or four, Carl will be saying 'Fiona who?' When you call?" asked Veronica, "afraid if you ever do something even remotely selfish the earths gravitational pull will end and we'll all go flying into space?"
"No. shit." Fiona snapped, "I think I might be in love with him,"
"I know," Veronica nodded.
"Scary isn't it?" said Hollie.
"Come here," said Veronica when Fiona started to cry. She pulled her into a hug, pulling Hollie with her and they just stood their for a while in the kitchen hugging. "I can handle it here without you Fi," Hollie mumbled, "be selfish for once,"
A/N
And that's a wrap on season one!
Remember don't be a silent reader, I love to read your comments and feedback.
🖤H🖤