Frank was being his usual irritating self in the alibi rambling about nonsense to the other bar patrons and Hollie was trying to block him out as she wiped down tables.
The door to the alibi opened and Hollie had to do a double take when she saw Carl push her grandmother, Peggy, through the door in her wheelchair.
She rolled over to Frank and stood up. He turned around and stumbled back slightly at the sight of his mother, "Jesus, they let you out?"
"Yeah, they let me out," Peggy nodded as she placed her purse on the bar and sat down on a stool.
"Surprised to see you, Peg," said Kev, "thought you were doing 20 to life,"
"Tricked them into thinking I was dying so they let me out early," said Peggy. She placed some cash on the bar, "gin neat. And something sweet for the kid," she turned to Carl, "thanks for the push,"
Hollie rounded the bar and poured a Pepsi for Carl while Kev got Peggy's gin.
"Is that my little Hollister?" Peggy questioned noticing Hollie as she handed Carl his drink.
"Sure is Grammy," Hollie chuckled.
"Not so little anymore I see," Peggy commented, "look at the tits on you. You got a boyfriend I bet?"
Hollie chuckled again at her Grandmothers bluntness and answered, "yeah I got a boyfriend,"
"He hot?" Peggy asked and Hollie nodded.
"Good,"
"What are you doing here?" Frank questioned making Peggy turn to him, "I'm conducting the Chicago symphony, Frankie." She replied sarcastically, taking her drink off the bar, "what do you think I'm doing?" She drank her shot, "now, but your mother a drink and pretend like you're glad to see me." She scolded.
|🚬|
"A double date?" Veronica questioned as the three of them clocked into work at the nightclub. Fiona had told her and Hollie about Steve's invitation from that morning.
"You gonna go?" Hollie asked. Fiona didn't answer as she put her bag into her work locker.
"Ah, sending a signal," said Veronica.
"Yeah, what's that?"
Hollie shrugged off her grey zip-up hoodie that he was sure was Lip's and shoved it into her locker with her bag.
"'I still wanna sit on your face' signal,"Veronica clarified. Fiona scoffed, "heh. So you guys wouldn't go?"
"No, I'd definitely go," said Hollie.
"Hell yeah I'd go," said Veronica, "I gotta see what the new bitch looks like," Hollie nodded to her to signal that she agreed, "you gotta see what the downgrade looks like,"
"Who you gonna take?" Veronica questioned. Fiona shrugged, "Adam, I guess,"
"Oh, really the BoyScout?" V grimaced.
"Richard?"
"The old guy from the wedding?" Hollie shook her head, "no,"
"Steve's new girl is hot?" Veronica asked. Fiona shrugged, "probably,"
"You'll look like easy pickings for something on the side," said Veronica.
"It's not gonna happen," Fiona denied.
"Like Craig Heisner wasn't gonna happen?" said Hollie. Fiona rolled her eyes and walked out of the locker room.
|🚬|
The next day Veronica was sitting on the kitchen counter while Hollie and Fiona did the washing. Fiona was telling them about her double date with Steve/Jimmy, Adam and Estephania, Steve's new wife.
"Married?"
"Yeah, to some teenager from Brazil," Fiona told them.
"She cute?" Veronica asked as she ate some chicken.
"Very,"
"Who's cute?" Debbie asked as she came downstairs.
"Chicken in the bucket," Hollie told her the younger girl grabbed a plate and got some food.
"Steve's back. married to some South American teenager," Veronica informed Debbie.
"Really?"
"So what did Adam do?" Hollie asked Fiona.
"Took off. Left me there," said Fiona.
"Can't blame him," said Nick as he walked into the kitchen from the living room.
"When did you get here?" Fiona questioned, Nick, shrugged, "Like three seconds ago." He walked over to the counter and took a fry out of the box, "with your track record I guarantee the guy was completely justified by leaving,"
Fiona have him an unamused look and flicked his forehead, "asshole,"
"You love me really," Nick walked over to Hollie and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind as she was facing away from him while folding the clean laundry out of the dryer, "hi," he muttered, placing a soft kiss on her neck causing her to giggle slightly as his stubble tickled her neck.
"Hi," she whispered before turning her face to him and pressing her lips to his.
"Ew, gross," Carl whined as he walked into the kitchen with Ian to get some chicken. Hollie pulled away and continued to fold the clean laundry while Nick stepped over to Carl and messed up his hair, "ew gross," he mimicked the boy and Hollie smiled to herself as she watched them out of the corner of her eye.
"How's Ethel doing?" Fiona asked Veronica. Ethel's husband had died and her 'sister wives' had visited her. "She's in shock, I think." said Veronica, "poor thing. Husband murdered in prison,"
"Mm. Who got murdered?" Ian questioned as he ate some chicken.
"Ethel's husband, Clyde," said Debbie. Ian hummed and nodded, "Cool," said Carl.
"Kev thinks the state might send her back now that her sclerotic husband is dead," said Veronica. Ian glanced into the living room, "Grammy still here?"
Debbie shook her head, "left with Frank," she told him.
"That can't be good," Nick commented as he leaned against the counter beside Veronica. "Somewhere in Chicago a priest is being mugged," she said.
The back door opened and Lip stepped into the kitchen, "Lip there's chicken," said Fiona. He walked over and took a piece while holding his middle finger up in Ian's face with his free hand.
Lip and Ian had been fighting for days and everyone was beginning to grow tired of it, "Still? You two haven't fixed this yet?" said Hollie, exasperated.
Lip walked into the living room while Ian went upstairs, "what's that all about?" V asked.
"Karen I think," said Fiona.
"Could also be something else completely unrelated," Hollie shrugged, "it's Lip and Ian, who knows?"
Debbie let out an exasperated sigh, "will this summer ever end?" She groaned.
|🚬|
The next day the Gallaghers, Nick, Kevin, Ethel and Veronica as well as many other friends and locals were all at Sheila's house for Jody and Karen's wedding party and Lip was nowhere to be seen.
Sheila had stayed on the stairs the whole party as she had gone back to being terrified of the outdoors after almost being hit by an airplane wheel that fell out of the sky and missed her by inches.
Hollie, Fiona, Veronica and Kevin were all gathered by the window in the living room having drinks. Kevin was sitting on the armchair and Veronica was sitting on a chair she'd pulled up from the dining table with Fiona standing beside her.
Hollie was leaning her leg slightly off the back of the armchair that Kevin was sitting on and Nick was standing behind her.
"Wow she's gorgeous," Veronica muttered when Steve and Estephania walked in.
"Yeah, she is no downgrade," said Hollie, "no offence Fi,"
"You really did him in the bathroom?" Kevin asked Fiona. Nick looked at Fiona, "You did him in the bathroom?" Hollie smacked his chest.
"No, I didn't." Fiona denied, "oh, thanks, V."
Kevin turned to V, "You said she did him in the bathroom,"
"I said she almost did," Veronica corrected.
"Why'd you have to tell him anything?"
Kevin shrugged, "she's my wife, she has to tell me," he said making V turn to him, "hey, I don't have to tell you shit,"
Fiona stepped away when she noticed Lip walk through the front door and Kevin and Veronica became emerged in their conversation.
Hollie stepped back so that she was only centimetres away from Nick, "I'm gonna step out back for some air," she whispered before heading towards the back door, purposefully brushing her hand across his abdomen as she passed him.
She stepped out onto the back porch, closing the back door behind her before leaning her forearms against the railing, looking out at nothing in particular.
A few moments later the back door opened again and Hollie didn't have to turn around to know it was Nick. He closed the door behind him and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and pulling her against his chest, "hm, hey," he muttered as he pushed her hair to the side and placed a soft kiss on her exposed shoulder, trailing along to her neck.
Hollie sighed blissfully as she tilted her head so he could have more access, "I feel like I haven't seen you for a while," she spoke quietly as there was no need to be any louder.
"Oh, so that's why you've called me out here?" He hummed, "missed me?"
She turned her body around to face him and ran her hands up his chest, "no, you followed me out here," she said as she softly tailed her hands up his chest to his neck.
"I can leave if you want me to," he said, leaning closer to her so their faces were centimetres apart. She cupped his cheeks gently, "definitely not," she pulled his face towards hers, closing the distance between their lips.
He gripped her hips firmly but not too tightly, pulling her closer to him as she moved her hands from his cheeks and draped her arms around his neck.
Her lower back met with the railing and Nick removed one hand from her hip to wrap it in her softly curled hair.
She pulled away when she felt like she could no longer hold her breath but they remained in the same position, "come back to my place after this?" she asked, her lips slightly brushing against his as she spoke.
He captured her lips again, answering her question without words. "I'll take that as a yes?" She giggled.
"Yeah," he kissed her briefly again. Once, twice, three times, "we should probably head back inside," he muttered but he didn't move.
"Yeah," Hollie pecked his lips, "we should,"
They pried themselves away from each other and stood up straight again. Hollie pulled her dress down slightly as it had ridden up and ran her hand through her hair to make it less messy.
She turned to Nick, "do I look okay?" She asked. He nodded and took her hand, pulling her back inside, "you look beautiful as always baby,"
The party was still in full swing when they stepped back inside. Sheila who it now appears was drunk, tapped a teaspoon against her glass, catching everybody's attention. "Quiet please,"
"Quiet everyone," said Jody.
"I'm sorry that I didn't make it all the way down the stairs today but baby steps," Sheila began, "oh, my Karen, my baby, all grown up. I so wish your father could have been here today." She said, "I wish he could have seen you, our sweet girl all grown up. And I know he would be so proud of his grandbaby... no matter who the father was, except Frank," Sheila chuckled awkwardly, "heh, he hated Frank, Heh. But it couldn't be Frank, because there wasn't any penetration."
It was plain fully obvious that Sheila was drunk and the atmosphere of the party had turned incredibly awkward.
"Eddie didn't like being penetrated. He had a bump on the side of his penis that we thought was cancer but it turned out I was just being too rough on him, so..." Hollie covered her mouth with her hand to prevent herself from laughing as Sheila continued with her speech, "there's been some obstacles and some pitfalls but she's made some wonderful, wonderful friends along the way. Like Lip and all the Gallaghers,"
Lip raised his cup to Sheila. "People I just used to only know as the ones in that house where the cops always came,"
"Jesus, is that bitch ever gonna shut up?" Peggy groaned irritably.
Sheila's expression turned bitter ad she gestured to Peggy, "and Frank's mother." She spat, "we're just so honoured that youre here, even though you weren't even invited."
All of the Gallaghers held the same expression on their face, begging for Sheila to be quiet so that Peggy didn't do anything.
"And not really honoured, because your a convicted felon," Sheila continued despite the silent prayers for her to stop, "but you're out now aren't you? Why did they let you out? Because you're a loud mean vicious bitch,"
"Okay, mom, let's open presents," Karen spoke, hoping to avoid any problems and to break the awkward atmosphere that consumed her party, to no avail.
"Why don't you do yourself and everyone else a favour and shut up?" Peggy spat.
"Have I offended you?" Sheila asked, "in my home, where you're an interloper?"
"No one wants to hear it," Peggy argued, "you Fucking windbag,"
"Okay, mom, let's go upstairs," Karen tried again but Sheila didn't listen to Karen, "She called me a Wacker Drive whore," she said.
"Frank," Fiona muttered sharply, hoping that he would step in.
"Let them work it out," Frank grumbled.
"And I don't know how an angel like that man," Sheila pointed to Frank, "could come out of your poisoned womb."
Peggy stood from her chair and stepped towards Sheila, "shut up you batty bitch,"
"You know what? You've got a demon mind and a devil's womb and heart," Sheila yelled, "and your coochie smells of brimstone and sulfur!"
"I will fuck you up!" Peggy yelled as she pulled a gun from her purse.
"Shit!"
"Shit!"
"No!"
"Do it! Do it!"
Steve lunged forward and trapped Peggy's wrist, pushing it up so that the bullet hit the ceiling as everyone screamed. Tony took the gun from Peggy while Steve pushed her back into her seat.
A few minutes later the sound of sirens approaching made Hollie walk over to the window and look outside to see two cop cars pull up, "shit, Tony"
"I've got it," he assured as he stepped out the front door to get them to leave.
|🚬|
Peggy had gotten Debbie a new laptop and Carl a game console which he had spent the whole morning playing on. Debbie had told Fiona that Steve was Jimmy Lishman and that he had been lying to her the whole time.
Hollie was pouring herself some coffee when the back door opened and Veronica and Kev walked in looking worried, "Ethel and Jonah are gone," said Kev.
"What?"
"Did she say anything to you, Debbie?" Veronica asked and Debbie shook her head, "no,"
"What about Malik? What time does he show up?" Kevin questioned.
"In about an hour," Debbie told them.
"You sure he didn't just sleep at their grandparents or something?" Fiona asked. Veronica shook her head, "Ethel packed everything, baby stuff too,"
"She's 14 with an infant," said Hollie, "she couldn't have gone far, she doesn't have any money,"
"It was those evil Jesus witches," said Kev, "they took them,"
"We should call the social worker," said V, "see if she can get the cops looking,"
Kev and V headed towards the door again, "if she shows up, call us," he said before they left.
"Perfect, I'm solo today and we've got a full house for daycare," Debbie grumbled irritated as she stormed into the living room.
"Well I'll help you, honey," said Peggy. Hollie and Fiona sat down at the table with Peggy, "can we talk about these gifts?" Fiona asked.
"You think I'm trying to buy their affection?" said Peggy.
"Well it's certainly for sale," Hollie commented.
"I just had some money from an old business arrangement and I thought I'd spread it around a bit," Peggy explained, "you guys didn't come to see me when I was in prison,"
"We were 11 and 10 when you went in," said Fiona, "we hardly knew you,"
Peggy shrugged, "well that's my fault I guess," she reached into her bag and pulled out two envelopes placing them on the table in front of each of them, "five hundred bucks each, figured from what I've seen around here you guys need it a lot more than some digital shit that's gonna be obsolete before you get it out of the box,"
Hollie didn't even look at the envelope and Fiona pushed hers back towards Peggy, shaking her head. Peggy pushed the envelopes back towards the two, "Fiona, Hollister, they're not bribes," she said, "I've got some serious Grammy time to make up for around here."
Fiona took the envelope and nodded gratefully. Hollie picked hers up and gave Peggy a small smile, "thanks Grammy,"
|🚬|
At the sound of yelling, Hollie Fiona paused as they walked down the stairs with everyone's bed sheets that needed to be washed and sat down on the step so that they were barely hidden by the wall so that Frank and Peggy couldn't see them from the kitchen.
"I am a grown man," Frank yelled at his mother, "this is my family, not yours. you're a piss-poor excuse for a mother. I was hoping you would die in prison. You make my life a living hell. And I want you out of here now!"
it was quiet for a moment before Peggy spoke up, "good for you. It's great to get that stuff out. Feel better?" she asked condescendingly, "now this is what I was thinking. I'm moving into your room, I like the light. and I'm gonna need a flat-screen up there. Don't worry ill give you the money," she said. The whole time Hollie and Fiona stayed silent so they couldn't get noticed.
"Can I be honest with you?" said Peggy, "I'm not the reason you're life is a piece of crap. you came out of me a loser. Now run to the store. I'll make a list, okay? give me my purse,"
Hollie and Fiona waited until Frank left before going back upstairs to dump the washing down the shute. Hollie walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge and met Fiona by the front door, before stepping out onto the porch where frank was sitting miserably on the steps.
They sat down on either side of him and Hollie headed him the beer, "it's tough huh?" said Fiona.
Frank took the beer and took a swig, "Our parents suck too," said Hollie. Frank tried to hide his small smile as Hollie wrapped her arm around his shoulder and Fiona leaned her head on his other shoulder.