Trauma At Its Finest (Lip Gallagher X Male Reader)

Ch 38. The Crashout

With urgency in his step, Lip rushed home, cutting corners on the sidewalk and barely checking traffic. He didn't want the lawyer waiting on him—and more than that, he was desperate to hear the latest about the case.

As he spotted the house, he pushed through the last of his energy to get there, heart pounding. He flung open the door and stumbled in, breathing hard.

In the living room, his backpack hit the couch with a thud. He made a beeline for the kitchen, where he saw Y/N seated at the table, Alyosha cradled in his arms. Across from him sat a professionally dressed woman in her thirties—Madeline Lando, their lawyer.

"Sorry I'm late." Lip said between breaths, trying not to sound too winded. "Class dragged, and the train was late."

"It's fine." Madeline assured him with a polite nod, opening the file in front of her.

Lip sat down beside Y/N, placing a hand briefly on Alyosha's back before focusing his attention.

Madeline looked between the two of them. "Before we begin, we did attempt to contact your father—Frank Gallagher—but we've had no success."

"He's probably avoiding the mess he made." Lip replied, deadpan.

"And you don't have any contact information? No number or last-known address?"

"Nope."

She sighed. "I doubt he could prove his innocence given the testimonies and security footage we've collected, but it's still a shame. It would have made the legal process smoother."

She flipped to another page. "Now, onto the primary matter. We've identified the women who were affected. In total, there are seven confirmed pregnancies."

"Wasn't it supposed to be ten?" Lip asked, tensing.

"Two experienced miscarriages, unfortunately." Madeline explained. "And one woman died in a car accident a few months ago."

Lip and Y/N exchanged a glance. Neither of them said anything for a long moment.

"They've all been informed about the mix-up." She continued. "And all of them have agreed to join the legal action. We also have a formal mediation scheduled with the clinic."

"When?" Y/N asked.

"This Saturday. 3 PM. It was the earliest time that worked for everyone—and it works for your schedules too, yes?"

Lip nodded slowly, though his mind was still elsewhere—likely imagining seven different children, all strangers, possibly his and Y/N's, possibly needing him. "Yeah... we'll be there."

"Expect mixed reactions from the mothers." Madeline warned. "Some are angry, some confused. A few might be hopeful. You won't know until we're in the room."

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Y/N said calmly.

As Madeline continued detailing the logistics, Lip sat stiffly in his chair, feeling the walls inch closer. The number seven repeated over and over in his head like an echo—seven possible new lives thrown into his world.

And Saturday was coming fast.

-

Out on the back porch, Lip lit another cigarette, letting the first drag calm his nerves. He thought he'd have a moment alone with his thoughts, but the door creaked open behind him. Glancing back, he saw Ian stepping out.

"Hey." Ian greeted, casually sliding the door shut behind him.

"Hey." Lip exhaled smoke and gave a tired nod.