The Gallagher House.
Jasmine knocked on the door.
Debbie answered, and after a brief interrogation about why she was there, let Jasmine inside.
"Impressive setup, Debbie," Jasmine said, glancing around the chaotic living room and giving Debbie a cheerful thumbs-up.
Debbie kept a stone-cold expression, didn't say a word, and went straight back to playing with the kids.
Jasmine shrugged, her heels clicking on the floor as she headed upstairs, making a beeline for Fiona's room.
Fiona was still in bed, twisting and turning, deep in a steamy dream.
Jasmine slipped into the room and watched her quietly. She licked her lips, finding Fiona completely irresistible.
Temptation took over.
Jasmine kicked off her shoes and crawled onto the bed as light as a cat. She placed one hand on Fiona's ass, leaned in close to her face, and used her nimble tongue to tease Fiona's ear.
Fiona, still lost in her dream, felt the sensation intensify. It felt good. She couldn't help but let out a soft moan.
"Oh... my god!"
Hearing this, Jasmine grinned—a wicked, lustful little smile—and got even more excited.
She kept it up for a while.
Fiona's moans got louder.
And then, she peaked.
Witnessing the climax, Jasmine beamed. She laughed softly, her voice dripping with seduction. "Ready to wake up now?"
The voice cut through the haze.
Click.
Fiona, who had been basking in the afterglow, stiffened. She snapped awake, ripped off her eye mask, and stared at Jasmine in shock. "????"
Jasmine licked her lips again, smiling down at her. "Was I good?"
Fiona gathered her wits. "That was you? How did you get in here? Jesus! Why the hell are you in my bed?"
Jasmine smirked. "We agreed last night to hang out today, so here I am. Debbie let me in. Seemed like you were having a really good dream."
Fiona was annoyed. She craned her neck and shouted toward the door. "Debbie! Don't just let people into my room while I'm sleeping!"
Downstairs, Debbie heard her but ignored it completely.
Getting no response, Fiona sighed. She grabbed her phone to check the time. Seeing that the daycare was about to close for the day, she sat up, forcing a polite smile for Jasmine. "Okay, well, can you get off my bed now?"
"Sure thing," Jasmine giggled, sliding off. "Who were you dreaming about?"
Fiona felt a little awkward. "Nobody. I need to take a shower. Could you go downstairs and put on a pot of coffee?"
"You got it. You're so pretty, I'll do whatever you say," Jasmine teased.
Fifteen minutes later.
Fiona came downstairs, showered and dressed. She immediately spotted the two little boys locked in the dog crate.
"Debbie, parents are coming soon. Let those two out," Fiona said calmly, not finding it strange in the slightest.
Debbie checked the clock on the wall. She didn't argue. She went over and unlatched the cage. "Get out. If you aren't good tomorrow, you're going back in."
The two boys didn't understand exactly what was happening, but they knew enough to be scared. They nodded furiously and crawled out of the cage.
In the kitchen.
Fiona took the coffee Jasmine handed her and took a big gulp.
"Business is booming for the Gallaghers. This daycare idea is pretty solid," Jasmine said.
Fiona instinctively felt like Jasmine was being sarcastic. "Not as comfortable as your life. Don't you have a job?"
"Hey," Jasmine caught the snark in her tone. "I was complimenting you. Don't be passive-aggressive."
Realizing she misread the room, Fiona felt a little bad. "Sorry. Force of habit."
"I like that temper of yours," Jasmine said, unbothered.
The two women chatted away, playing out a dynamic where one was chasing hot and the other was playing it cool.
Jasmine just hadn't realized she was chasing a straight girl yet.
---
Dex Place.
Veronica walked in with Ethel, pointing to the seating area. "Ethel, go sit on the sofa for a bit."
"Okay," Ethel said obediently, walking over to the couch.
Mandy and Vivian didn't recognize the girl and looked at Veronica inquiringly.
Veronica gave a quick explanation and then stormed into the kitchen.
Dexter was prepping ingredients. One look at Veronica's face and he knew exactly what was up. "What's wrong? The foster kid is a delinquent?"
"No, Ethel is an angel. The problem is Kevin..." Veronica vented, describing Kevin's behavior throughout the afternoon in frustrated detail.
When she finished, she looked at him desperately. "Dexter, you're the smartest guy I know, and you predicted this would happen. What do I do?"
Dexter smiled, answering with a question. "Did you bring Ethel to the restaurant?"
"..." Veronica paused. "Is that a problem? I can..."
"No," Dexter shook his head. "I mean, I need to take a look at your foster daughter."
He put down his kitchen knife, wiped his hands, and walked out. "Wait here a second. I'll be right back."
Stepping out of the kitchen, Dexter immediately spotted Ethel sitting obediently on the sofa. She sat with perfect posture, dressed plainly, looking innocent and young.
He actually liked this poor girl.
In a way, in the messy world of Shameless, Ethel was truly unique.
After observing her for a moment, Dexter called out to Vivian. "Vivian, get Ethel some snacks and a drink. Keep an eye on her for a bit."
"You got it," Vivian replied with her usual cheerful smile.
Dexter turned back toward the kitchen.
Just then.
Ding.
A thought popped into his head.
Carl and Ethel... would they work as a couple?
Sure, if Carl ended up with Ethel down the line, he'd technically be stepping up as a stepdad to her baby... but Carl didn't seem like the type to care about that. Plus, Ethel was low-drama. She wouldn't be like Carl's future canon girlfriends—giving him STDs or forcing him to get his junk snipped...
Thinking about it, Dexter chuckled. It was an interesting possibility.
Back in the kitchen.
"Your foster daughter is very pretty," Dexter told Veronica.
"???" Veronica didn't get where he was going with that. "You're into little girls now?"
"...What are you talking about?" Dexter shot back with a laugh. "She is pretty. Also, don't you think she looks about sixty or seventy percent like Bianca?"
Veronica: "????"
Before he said it, she hadn't noticed.
But now...
"She really does!!" Veronica was surprised.
"Right?" Dexter smiled. Knowing Veronica was stressed, he cut the small talk. "Veronica, I'm an outsider. I can't get involved in your marriage. The most I can do is give you a suggestion."
Veronica nodded eagerly. "I really need a suggestion. Tell me."
"The issues Kevin has from his childhood... nobody can really fix those. No matter what, he is always going to prioritize kids. He might even get mad at you over them, or react in ways that seem crazy to you."
"He doesn't even realize he's doing it... and let's be honest, he's not the sharpest guy."
"I suggest you sit him down and talk calmly. Don't beat around the bush. Tell him exactly how you feel. Make it clear: You want the two of you to be first. The kids have to be second."
"But besides that, Veronica, when it comes to the kid stuff, you're going to have to compromise. You need to make a sacrifice and try to love what he loves... If it helps, treat yourself to something nice to make up for that sacrifice."
"Do not try to change him on this issue. Because you can't."
Dexter casually delivered this advice while chopping vegetables.
Veronica listened... and she was shook.
Why?
Because that was exactly her philosophy: Me first, kids second.