★

"HEY WHORES," AMARA GREETED, opening and shutting the door behind her. "Which one of you has a clock wedged up their ass? Because that was the strangest text to wake up to this—" She froze as her eyes landed a familiar redhead standing in the middle of the living room. "Oh my God."

"Surprise," Ian grinned at her, and her shock faded as she rushed over to him and jumped up to hug him tightly. He returned the embrace immediately and they stayed like that for a moment before he dropped her back onto the ground.

"Bitchass," she smacked his shoulder. "How long have you been back?"

"Got home yesterday," he shrugged. "Mickey got me."

"Mickey?" She repeated. "Like, Mickey Mickey?"

"Mar, stop fawning over my brother and come help me with these pancakes," Lip called from the kitchen, so Amara tugged on Ian's sleeve and they both stepped into the room.

"No please?"

He gave her a dark look as Ian went to sit down at the table with the younger teens, who turned to him eagerly. "You know I don't beg."

She rolled her eyes. "Basic manners isn't begging, Phillip, but we'll see about that."

"Wow I love it when you talk dirty at breakfast."

"You started it," she smirked at him and then glanced to the pancakes. "What do you need help with? They look fine."

"Nothing just wanted you," he said, offering the plates to the others who eagerly took them. Amara raised a brow at him and he smiled softly down at her before leaning to kiss her gently. "Have you noticed that—"

"So then my TI comes crashing through my door, right?" Ian continued his story, his voice raising so loudly that it cut Lip off. The blonde raised the mug of coffee to his mouth as if he'd been expecting this, and Amara could feel his gaze as she turned to look towards the table. "And chases me, I'm so scared. I run smack into a water fountain, bust it right off the wall."

"What?!" Debbie's jaw dropped and Amara cocked her head to the side.

"Water sprays everywhere," Ian went on. "And it wakes everyone up at two am in the morning, forces them to watch me do push-ups in freezing cold water while singing."

"Singing?"

Ian smacked the table and stood up. "Well, then it's hi, hi, hey. The army's on its way! Count off the cadence, Loud and strong two, three. For wherever you go, you will always know that the army is marching along."

Amara glanced to Lip as Mandy opened the door and stepped inside, eyeing up Ian weirdly. "Why is he so hyper?"

"I have no idea. It's weird, isn't it?"

"Hey," Mandy walked to them, looking at Lip. "Everything okay? Still in school?"

"Yeah," Lip nodded. "Everything is under control."

"Is Mickey here?" She asked to Amara, who shrugged. They'd only separated a half hour ago, Mandy wanted to take a shower and she had gotten a text on her phone that someone had a clock shoved up their anal valve. It was an interesting way to start the morning, and it seemed that it was only going to get better.

"Yeah, he's upstairs," Lip answered. "Why?"

"Are you always so goddamn noisy in the morning?" Mickey's voice asked as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, coming down the steps. He faltered when he saw his sister standing there.

"Just got a call," she told him. "Your wife's water broke. Let's go."

"Go where?" Mickey asked, moving to grab a cup of coffee.

"The hospital," Mandy rolled her eyes.

"She's having the baby?" Ian questioned, staring at Mickey.

"Tell her I said good luck," Mickey muttered.

"What, you're not gonna go be with her?"

"Hell no," he gave her a look as if that were the dumbest question in the world. "I got work."

"It's not the baby's fault you guys are a shit show," Mandy remarked, eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, and it's not my fault the bitch got knocked up."

"It literally is though," Amara muttered and Lip elbowed her.

"Who the fuck knows if it's mine?" Mickey went on.

"You're an asshole," Mandy sneered as she turned on her heel to leave.

"Congrats!" Ian saluted, and Mickey flipped him off.

"Full house," Fiona noticed, coming inside from the front door and making her way into the kitchen. "Like old times. Smells good. Leftovers?"

Amara handed her a plate of pancakes, ignoring Lip's subtle glare and grinned back at Fiona's grateful smile.

"You destroyed my art project," Debbi accused, stepping up to her. "It's completely ruined. You're such a... Bitch!"

"Whoa, Debbie!" Lip shouted, and Amara raised her brows at her.

"She went into my room, she trashed all of my stuff, and she kicked all of my clothes under the bed."

"I don't think your virginity timeline counts as an art project," Silvia glared at her from the table as Carl rose to his feet.

"I asked you to clean up," Fiona stated, oblivious to Debbie's sharp look to Silvia as she stared down her own sister.

"Did you?" Debbie snapped, grabbing her bag. "And there's no need for you to be a bitch, too."

"You're the one acting like a cunt," Silvia accused, not moving from her chair, and Amara choked on her juice. "Could at least own up to it."

Debbie glared at her and decided to kiss Liam on the cheek instead. Amara gave her sister a subtle smirk which she returned, but the confrontation wasn't over as Carl began to accuse Fiona next. "She went through my room too. She threw away my porn, my nunchucks, and my taser. You know how many police dumpsters I had to go through to find that?"

"I told you to get rid of that stuff!"

"I hid it so the stupid PO wouldn't find it," Carl scowled at her.

"Well luckily your stupid sister found it first!" Fiona shook her head as the younger boy went to grab his things. Silvia and Debbie ignored each other as they pulled on their coats. "God, maybe next time you'll do what I ask, both of you. There's macaroni salad sandwiches for lunch."

"Don't need it," Carl said. "Suspended."

"You still need to eat."

Lip glanced between his siblings before reaching to kiss Amara briefly again, and brushed past her to grab Liam from his high chair. "We're gonna get out of here, okay? We'll be back for dinner tonight."

Amara gave him a look that he pretended not to see. "Lip, you can leave Liam here," Fiona insisted, but he shook his head.

"I got him."

"No, I- Lip."

"Fiona, just get some sleep, okay? Hang out with V. Relax for fuck's sake. You guys text me if anything's going on, okay?"

Fiona followed out the younger teens while Amara trailed behind Lip, annoyed. "If you're going to be stubborn about it and not leave him in Fi's care, you could at least let me watch him so you can focus in school."

Lip stopped on the last step and turned to face her. "I'm not being stubborn."

"Going to ignore the fact that what you just said was the biggest lie ever," she retorted, and then held out her hands to gesture for Liam. "Give him."

"No, it's fine."

"Lip."

"No, I've got a sitter already. Besides you have work today."

"Well, yeah but-"

"Seriously," he placed a hat onto Liam's head and met her eyes. "This girl Amanda—my roommate's girlfriend. She watched him yesterday, did pretty alright." Yeah well I would do better, she thought bitterly. You're trusting a stranger over me? "See you tonight."

She watched him walk away, hated how he didn't even glance back, and felt the pit in her stomach sink further and further until she had to force herself  to turn away and go back inside of the house.

★