Southside ~ Shameless

Chapter 6

When Hollie returned home with Liam after her shift, Lip was sitting at the kitchen table with a bloodied up face that was being tended to by Veronica and Frank was sitting on the kitchen counter with a beer. Hollie placed the bag of groceries on the counter and put Liam on the floor so that he could play with his toys.

"It's not a dude it's your aunt Ginger," Frank said to Lip.

"What, the one who owns the house?" Lip asked.

"That's right. Ginger say hello to your nephew." Frank said.

"Dad stop." Fiona sighed.

"That's not Ginger it's Mr Perry," Hollie said.

"Why is he trying to pass off Mr Perry as Aunt Ginger?" Lip asked.

"Who?" Frank asked.

"Mr Perry the old bus driver" lip said.

"Sleeps behind the dumpster over at the A&P," Hollie said as she gestured in that general direction.

"Social security wants to talk to Ginger and he was too lazy to go get the real one," Fiona explained.

"That's kinda retardedly brilliant," Lip said.

"Thank you"

"Or brilliantly retarded." Fiona said.

"Thank you"

"Now we have to drive all night to go get her." Fiona said, she turned to Veronica and asked, "you think Kev will let us borrow his car?"

"No." Veronica scoffed.

Fiona turned to Hollie, "Nick has a car right?"

"Yeah, I'll call him." Hollie nodded and grabbed the phone from the table to call Nick.

"Hey babe, it's me. Uh, can I borrow your car just for the night? I just need to—" Frank grabbed the phone from her hand and hung up, "What the fuck, Frank?"

"You won't need the car." He said.

"How are we gonna get Ginger?" She asked him.

"She's dead" Frank deadpanned.

"What?"

"Who's dead?" Debbie asked.

"Aunt Ginger," Lip told her.

"No!" Debbie cried.

"Debs you never met her" Lip said confused.

"And now I never will." She cried.

"Don't give me a hard time." Frank snapped, "I've been very upset about this. I'm in mourning"

"When did she die?" Fiona asked.

Frank hesitated, "Hmm...12 years ago."

Everyone looked at him in disbelief, "I was trying to protect you all from the trauma" he defended himself.

"Shit." Fiona hissed.

"How do you think I feel, that woman was my heart and soul." Frank said, "she practically raised me."

"Dad, you've been cashing her checks. That's a felony." Fiona said, "we're living in her house." She gestured around the room.

"Was there even a will?" Hollie asked.

Frank turned to her, "you don't need a will if she's not technically dead."

Hollie gave him an incredulous look, "ye, she is technically dead, Dad. Dead is dead."

Fiona rounded on Frank, "Just because you haven't told anybody that she's dead doesn't make her not dead. Fuck." Fiona glanced around the room, bewildered. "What are we gonna do now?"