Chapter Three
A/N: Sorry if some of the characters will seem a bit OOC. I haven't seen Shameless in so long but I still love the characters.
So, I wouldn't necessarily call myself a coward, but I know that I've been avoiding seeing the family since I got back to Chicago two weeks ago. I've been focusing on furnishing the house and I will compliment myself on how nice the house the looks inside and outside. But I do know that I need to at least let them all know that I'm alive and well.
But I honestly don't know who I go to first.
I grabbed some paper and wrote down 51st, 21st, or Gallagher. Crumbling up the pieces of paper, I mixed them up and after I knew that I now would not know what each of them were, I took a breath and grabbed one.
Gallagher
Well shit. But here goes nothing.
I grabbed my backpack that had my house keys and new wallet that contained my debit car and checks as well as an old school id so that if I needed to prove who I was, I would have some photo identification. A couple knives tucked into various places on my body and tugging on my still very worn leather jacket completed my look.
I know how to drive but don't have a license or a car so walking is what it would be.
I walked the 3-mile distance easily, coming to a stop on the sidewalk as I stare up at the house, I called home for a while.
Fiona would be 24, Lip 21, Ian 18, Debbie would have just turned 15 with Carl following at 14. Then little Liam would be about to turn 9 if he hadn't already. I took another deep breath before walking up the short steps and then knocking on the front door. I stepped back, running my hand through my long black hair as I waited for someone to answer the door.
I knew that since it is a school day that they should all be up by now, except maybe Frank, but he doesn't count. I turned my back to the door as I looked around at the old neighborhood, memories sparking with every place I see. It wasn't long before the door opened behind me, one of the voices I missed sounding behind me.
"Can I help you?" Lip's voice asked. I turned and watched his eyes widen in shock. "Oh, shit. I'm still high, aren't I?"
I could feel my chin beginning to quiver as emotions began to well inside of me.
"No, Lip. It's really me."
"Thea!" He exclaimed and drew me immediately into his arms, the door swinging shut behind him. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face into his neck as his arms wrapped tightly around me. "Oh, thank god you're alive!"
"Lip, what's going on?" A familiar female voice sounded from the door, causing the two of us to break apart but Lip to keep his arm around my shoulders as we both turned to the other Gallaghers that had appeared in the doorway.
It took them a moment but each of them froze as they registered who exactly was standing there besides Lip.
Liam darted towards me followed by Debs.
I couldn't stop the tears streaming down my face as the wrapped themselves around me, so tightly and with Lip still with his arm around my shoulders, I finally felt like I truly have come home.
"Thea! You're alive!" Liam shouted.
"You're home! I knew you were alive!" Debs sobbed.
Fiona, Carl, and Ian were still staring at me in shock themselves. Fiona was the first of the three to shake it off and she joined the hug with a tear streaming down her face before she hid her face as she hugged me with Liam and Debs still in our huddle. Lip rejoined it as well and I believe it lasted easily for a minute before all four stepped back to allow Ian and Carl to hug me. I sobbed as my last two brothers hugged me, the two that I was closest to.
It wasn't long before we were all gathered on the couch, Ian and Carl sitting on either side of me while Liam sat curled up in my lap.
"Shit, Thea, we thought you were dead." Carl said quietly in the near silent room.
I sighed.
"I cannot explain to you all how much I've missed you or how sorry I am for not at least letting you know that I was alive."
"Where were you?" Fiona asked.
"Why couldn't you call, email, text, something?" Lip asked.
I hesitated.
"I don't know if you know this but Erik wasn't my father."
Fiona, Lip, and Ian nodded but the others hadn't known or didn't remember.
"Huh, no wonder you don't look like any of us." Carl said. I quirked my lips.
"What does your birth dad have to do with you being gone for 3, almost 4 years?" Debs demanded. Oh, there is the little spitfire I've missed.
"So you know that my mom had arranged for me to go to a summer camp once I turned twelve, right?"
"Right..." Fiona said.
"Well, that summer camp was only for those that were in some way, shape, or form, related to my birth father... that side of the family, things can get dangerous and so when I realized exactly how dangerous it could get for not only me but my family, I ceased all contact."
Silence came from them all.
"What, you mean like the mob?" Lip asked.
"Kinda, only they are much more dangerous with very dangerous enemies. I cannot tell you how sorry I am for not reaching out sooner but I knew that it wasn't safe for you and definitely not safe for me."
"But you're safe now?" Ian asked, as the others seem to be slightly shocked at the very thought of her being in too much danger to even contact them.
Us Gallaghers were used to shitty guardians and the dangers of living in a home with a an alcoholic and drug abuser and the dangers of the neighborhood. But the very thought of something being so dangerous was mind boggling.
"Yes, I am as safe as I can be. The only ones that might come here looking for me are my half brothers or my cousins, whom I get along well with. But that should be it. I came home because I got out... and because they gave me a reward for my help with their problems." Here, I couldn't help but smile at them all.
"Why are you smiling? Fiona, why is she smiling?" Lip asked warily.
"What reward did you get?" Fiona asked.
"I want to start out by saying that my uncles went above and beyond what I asked, which will benefit us in the long run."
"Us?" Carl asked.
Instead of answering, I asked Fiona a question.
"Fiona, do you have custody of Liam, Carl, and Debs or do Frank and Monica still do?"
Fiona, as well as the others, were understandably confused.
"Uh, Frank and Monica still have custody. They have custody of you too."
"Nope, not anymore! I am emancipated, thanks once again to my uncles. As for my reward, well, it is also a huge apology for all the worry and pain I've put y'all through... and to give us all a much better life. Do we have a car big enough for all of us, or can y'all handle about a three mile walk?"
"Oh, shit! Work!" Fiona exclaimed as she jumped up as if to dash out. I stopped her, rising to my feet and holding Liam in my arms easily, something that all of my brothers noticed, not having noticed that I was that strong.
"Fiona, wait. I promise that missing that one day of work and the others missing one day of school will change all of your, our lives, for the better. Just trust me."
Fiona locked eyes on my own and the others stayed silent as they waited to see what the oldest of us decided.
"Okay, fine. I'll trust you, please don't let me regret this. Guys, get your shoes and coats on. We're going on a walk."
"Yes, no school!" Carl exclaimed causing Debs to chastise him quietly as they rushed to get around. I slowly sat Liam down and he rushed off with the others. I went outside to wait for them all on the sidewalk, hoping that we all will be able to make it through this and that my brothers and sisters will move in with me.
Finally they all joined me on the sidewalk and I took Liam's hand and began to lead the way to my house.
Heading back we luckily didn't run into any trouble and there were many laughs as the others told me about what I've missed since I've been gone. It wasn't long though before they started seeing that we were in the richer neighborhoods.
"Wait, what are we doing near the lake?" Fiona asked from behind me. I shot a smile at her over my shoulder.
"Wait and see. I promise, none of us are going to get in trouble."Finally we reached the gate to my house and I paused, letting go of Liam's hand to pull off my backpack and to dig around for my keys.
"Okay, I've kept my silence. What the hell is going on?" Debs asked.
"Well, one half of my reward was $50,000,000." I didn't give them time to process that. I pulled my key out and pressed the button for the gate to open, I enjoyed their shocked gazes too much right now. "The other, was a house big enough for all of us."
"Holy-" Fiona began.
"-shit!" Carl finished.
All of them just stood on the sidewalk as I watched them from beside the open gate. "Well?" My voice shocked them to awareness and they snapped their attention back onto me. "Are you coming?"
They were all suddenly filled with excitement and the came through the gate, the gate closing behind us.
"I have no words, Thea, literally no words." Ian said as they trailed behind me up the driveway and towards the mansion.
"Trust me, I was in your exact shoes when I found out about what my uncles had given me. Now, I have already furnished everything except your bedrooms."
"Bedrooms?" Liam asked.
"Yep!" I began to lead them around the ground floor slowly, my excitement growing that I was able to get an actual home for all of us. "There are ten bedrooms - three of which guest rooms, eight bathrooms, two offices, a living room, dining room, kitchen, game room, theater room, terrace, balcony, porch, three car garage, laundry room, storage room, craft room, pretty much anything you could think of, we have."
"So we can have our own rooms?!" Carl exclaimed, the first one to catch onto my first words.
"Yep! And once your rooms have been picked out we can go to the stores and pick whatever you what for your rooms. Now, go on ahead and explore the house. The bedrooms are all on the second and third floors! Happy picking. The only rooms furnished are my room and the three guest rooms. All else are fair game."
It was a mad dash as everyone began to explore the house but I hung back to talk to Lip and Fiona as I had made eye contact for them to wait.
I turned to them and took a deep breath.
"Fiona, I know that you don't like handouts, and I totally get it. But I have enough money and a place that can be our actual home. The money isn't just for me, it is for all of us to pay off any debts, finish high school, go to our dream colleges, and-uff!" I was cut off by Fiona pulling me into her arms.
"I can't imagine what all you had to do and experience in order to get this house and a shit ton of money and I'm sorry you had to go through it. I'm glad you're home and, as you said, I don't like handouts but I think I'll take you up on helping me pay off my debts and getting my GED. I also know that I will take you up on moving in here, we'll have to come up with a game plan to get the three younger ones in my custody."
"Don't worry, we'll plan it. And don't forget to call all those places you work at and quit. You're done working at shitty places when you should be enjoying being young." Fiona laughed and nodded in agreement before she slowly began to work her way through the house before she was out of sight. I could faintly hear the others laughing and arguing about this or that further in the house.
I couldn't help my lips from forming a smile.
"Thea?" Lip asked. I jumped, slightly startled I had forgotten that he had stayed behind.
"Lip?"
"I am really glad you're back, even before finding out about all of this."
I smiled softly at him and drew him into a hug. "I am too... now let's go before they leave you with the smallest room!"