A year ago.

4

The next morning they were released. Mandy got in the back of lips car with Cadence on her lap. She put the belt over the both of them.
When lip drove he drove under the speed limit. "We better get a car seat" Mandy laughed. She knew that it was expensive, and some how she would need to find a way to make money fast.

After what felt like an eternity they pulled up in front of the Gallagher house. Ian and Mickey were already waiting inside. They stayed the night there.

Mandy yells the hat over cadences head.
"It's cold to keep taking her out of the car.
Maybe we should just take her right to the campus" Mandy suggests nervously.
Lip smiles in amusement.
"come on, i am right here nothing will go wrong." He is confident. He gets out of the car and opens the door for her. She pulls herself up holding the baby tight to her body. He wraps an arm around her shoulder pulling them both close to him. When they get to the door stop she stops for a second and takes a deep breath. Lip then opens the door and yells "I'm home" Ian and Mickey walk in. Ian immediately smiles as he makes his way towards them to kiss the baby's cheek and then Mandy's. "How's everyone holding up" Mickey asks from a distance.
"Pretty good." Mandy says . Ian makes it way back to mickeys side.

Debbie sprints down the stairs. "Hey Lip!" And She's excitedly "Mandy you back ?!" She shouts. She had always been fond of Mandy. Before she could say anything else Fiona makes her way down stairs stopping mid walk when spotting cadence and Mandy.

"What the fuck Is this." Is the first thing she can say.
"Okay let's get out of here." Ian says as Mickey and him take Debbie out of the room.

Mandy smiles as she is about to introduce her baby, but she was having a hard time looking Fiona in the eyes.
"Your niece" lip says the words that Mandy can't.
"Are you kidding me lip?" And asks confused.
Mandy shakes her head.
"She's one of us. Cadence Gallagher" lip says stroking Mandy's arm. Which was easing her panic.
"Can I talk to you in the other room?" Fiona asks lip. Mandy mouths for him to go with her as she takes a seat at the kitchen table adjusting cadences hat. Lip kisses the top of Candace's head then follows Fiona into the next room.

"You can't be serious lip?" Fiona says comically.
"I've never been more serious in my life" He assures her.
"Mandy milkovich ? Are you even sure that's your baby?" She asks.
"What the fuck Fiona of course she is!" He says loudly but not loud
enough because he didn't want Mandy to hear.
"She sleeps around a lot Lip. She could just be using you" she begs her brother to stop what he was doing
"Mandy wouldn't lie about that. She has always wanted was best for me" he tells her.
"Karen did." Fiona takes a low shot.
Frustrated and lost for words Lip finally says
"Mandy's not like Karen. Have you seen that baby. She is definitely Gallagher. Now you can be in her life, or you can Stay the fuck out of mine." His voice is aggressive and insisting.
"I'm just asking you to do a paternal test for your own good!" She tries to reason with him.
"Oh my god!" He says under his breath. "Unbelievable, okay bye Fiona we are going" is says making his way into the kitchen and motioning Mandy up. "Let's get back before she falls asleep". He tells her taking Mandy in his arms as an attempt to walk faster. Fiona watches them leave in frustration.

-------____-----_____-----

When they get to the dorms Mandy is intimated by the school. She had never been on an actual campus before, she was overwhelmed and felt like everyone had been judging her. Lip could tell and quickly guided her to the room. When arriving he was relieved to see none of his buddies had stayed over night, or had been waiting for him to come back. He places Candace's diaper bag on the floor next to the night stand. Mandy flops onto the bed sprawling out a now sleeping Cadence next to her.
"She sleeps a lot doesn't she?" Lip says
"You haven't got any roommates?" She asks him confused.
"Nope, all mine." He tells her flopping down next to her. He had totally forgotten about Amanda and to be honest he hadn't even though or cared about her these past few days.
"I heard you and Fiona talking." Mandy says changing the subject.
"Look I-" she stops him.
"I want to do the paternity test . I wanna prove it to Fiona, maybe it will change something." She is ashamed to look up.
" you've really not got to do that Mandy. Nothing changes Fiona's mind. She's just a stubborn bitch." He insists
"She's not wrong, at one point I did act the way she says I did. I don't blame her for the way she feels" Mandy's voice is breaking with every word she speaks. Lip roles on his side to look at her.the puts his hand on her arm giving it a squeeze. "We will do whatever you want to okay?"He says. She nods as he face grows hot, but she manages to hold back the tears.