violet gallagher // shameless

46- fiona

today was the day of the court hearing. we were all there. including debs, carl and liam. i was so happy to have them back. i swear i hugged every single of them for at least one minute.

"DFS, like to get us started here?" the judge asked, turning to britney, the lady who was taking us that day. i sat between lip and ian. v on lips right side. jimmy was on v's other side. carl, debs, liam and fiona with their lawyer on the stand. frank on the opposite side.

britney stood up. "thank you, your honor. britney sturges, department of family services. after receiving a report about the gallagher home, i found the children under francis gallagher's care in a state of neglect. we subsequently removed the children from the home for their own protection."

"mr. gallagher, you want the children back?" the judge asked as britney walked back to us.

frank shrugged. "they're my kids your honor." i scoffed. like frank gave a shit about us.

"the mother has relinquished her parental rights and ms. gallagher has filed a petition to terminate the father's parental rights." the judge went on.

"yes, your honor." fiona confirmed.

"are you prepared to assume custody?"

"i am. i can provide a stable environment for the kids, something that has been sorely lacking with our father. i have a full-time job and i will soon own a home." she explained proudly.

"your brother ian testified about your father's month-long absence. did his disappearance make you sad?" the judge turned to carl.

"i don't know." he shrugged his shoulders.

"were you glad when he came back?"

"he got me into a camp."

"a camp?"

"my first time."

"had a good time at camp?"

"yeah." carl smiled.

"happy when he came back?" the judge asked again.

"i guess." carl shrugged again.

"what about you, deborah?" the judge looked at debs. "were you glad when your father came back?"

"i was glad he wasn't dead." she said.

"you miss him while he was gone?"

"uh, very much."

"mr. gallagher you have very special children." the judge turned to frank again.

"that's why i had to leave your honor. i couldn't stand to see them live through my battles with addiction any longer. it was my fight, not theirs." frank said. i swear my blood started to boil again. frank that fucker made himself look like a caring father. i am serious when i say i hate him.

"so you left."

"to get help. i didn't wanna come home til i was clean and sober. a father they could be proud of." frank kept lying. i rolled my eyes. then frank hold up one of these chips they use for AA people when they make it.

"you're not buying this, are you?" fiona asked the judge.

"miss gallagher."

"have you seen his record?"

"right here." the judge pointed at some papers in front of him. "breaking and entering, drunk and disorderly, public urination, solicitation, possession, possession with intent, domestic disturbance, four DUIs and you don't even own a car."

jesus, frank's list was longer than mine.

"alcohol is a cruel mistress." frank said making himself sounding like he's sorry.

"he never stopped drinking and he never will." fiona said. hell yeah.

"your honor, if i may?" frank stood up. "fiona has been hurt by my behavior too many times to belive i've changed. that's my fault, not hers. she has kept things going in my absence and i will be forever greatful."

what the hell was he doing?

"i'm not the perfect parent. i like to have a good time, to live life to the fullest. sometimes i go too far."

SOMETIMES? is he kidding. the urge in my to jump up and punch him right across the face was really big.

"but i love my kids. they mean the world to me."

i looked at ian, who had the same look as me on his face.

"i don't know what i'd be if i wasn't a dad. i'd be nothing. please don't take my kids away from me." he sat down again. he really fake cried. jesus.

"miss gallagher, you wanna tell me why your father should be declared unfit?" the judge asked fiona. she turned around and looked at me, lip and ian. then fi took a deep breath.

"we were living out of a car once. uncle nick had kicked us out. couldn't find anyone else who'd take us in. lip, ian, violet and me were sleeping in the back seat when frank pulled over. middle of the night, think it was halsted. told me to take the kids and sit on the curb, and he'd be right back. i was 8, violet the youngest, barley 2 years old. few hours later, we're still sitting on the sidewalk and violet's head was burning up. she's hysterical, i don't know what to do."

i didn't remeber this. i looked at lip, who seemed like he was in trance seeing what fiona was talking about again,and ian looking down. i could see that they remebered.

"so i ran down the street, lip under one arm carrying violet, ian under the other, trying to flag down help.would've been easier scoring crack than a ride to the clinic. i finally made it on foot. they said violet had a fever of over 104." she looked over to frank. "another couple of hours and who knows? i didn't find frank till a couple days later. first thing he asked me, was how much money i had on me."

at that point i started fighting back my tears. this was really hard to listen to.

"i wish i could say that was the only time but it was just the first. my mother is bipolar and my father is an alcoholic and an addict. he takes what he pleases and offers nothing. no money, no support. i've done what i could to help raise my siblings. i wish i could have done more. i'm not asking for your pity or your admiration, i just wanna be able to give these kids everything they deserve, because they're great kids and they deserve better."

in this moment i realized how greatful i should be to have a sister like fiona. and that i should be more thankful.

"mr. gallagher, now if i allow you to retain your parental rights, would you consent to your daughter becoming guardian of these children?" the judge asked frank, after he (the judge) came back from a private conversation between him, fiona and her lawyer.

"they'd still be my kids?"

"yes."

"but she'd have all the responsibility?"

"not all, but yes." the judge confirmed.

"works for me." frank smiled and sat down. now it was fionas turn. i took ian's hand and squeezed it.

"ouch!" he whisper-snapped.

"ms. gallagher, do you agree to be the guardian of these children?" the judge asked.

fiona straightened her shoulders."yes i do."

"well, that will be my order then. take your children home."

i jumped up from my chair, letting go of ian's hand, cheering. lip and ian cheered as well and fiona hugged carl. i ran up to her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"thank you fiona." i whispered, nearly crying. she put her hands on each side of my face and kissed my forhead.

we made it.

fiona made it.

thank you fiona.