Disclaimer: I do not own AHS.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Sorry the past chapter was a bit short.
Okay so to answer your question, Chelsayy, I have based Rachel off a character from another show. It's funny because at first, my major inspiration for Rachel's appearance was Gwen Stacy from the Spider-Man comics—not the movies, even though I did like Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy (ps. I'm really loving the Spider-Gwen comics) but anyway, for some reason I just imagined a cute blond like Gwen Stacy but then after Rachel became more important in the story, I started basing her appearance on Collette Wolfe from her appearance in Mad Men, I believe her name was Brenda. There were just these scenes where she has her hair up and is wearing this cute black hat and then another where she's wearing this super attractive black bra and undies get up with her hair kind of messy. Anyway, that's how I started imagining her. As Collette Wolfe in Mad Men haha. Oh, also when she came out in The Office as Pete's ex-girlfriend. Super specific I know but hope that answers your question! (:
…
CH 10 – As Good as Any
…
DECEMBER 1975
The first few attempts to move Rachel's belongings from her home to the Winters had been a massive fail. The rain had poured for days and with the wet weather there wasn't much they could do. However, they had taken the opportunity to pack every single thing Rachel owned, including her cat, Doyle. Lana had almost forgotten about the beloved female Calico her girlfriend owned. Rachel had rescued the cat as a kitten on a rainy day when she discovered the flea-ridden thing hiding under a broken down car parked in her neighborhood, trying to beat the rain, meowing up a storm.
"It took me half an hour to fish her out from under there. The poor thing." Rachel had said of the cat when Lana first found out about it, "All wet and sickly."
Lana didn't mind the cat moving in as well and neither did Johnny. Doyle was quite fond of the boy and vise versa. It was Scout who would have to do some adjusting but Lana didn't worry. She knew they'd get along…hopefully.
On that rainy day, Lana and Rachel spent a great deal sorting out Rachel's belongings. They had to decide what would go to Lana's and where it would fit. Rachel didn't own many luxurious things, just the essentials, some decorations and a lot of books. Shelves upon shelves of books but Lana was sure they'd fit somewhere. However, a lot of things were going to storage like the furniture in the guest room and other furniture through out the house.
Rachel said she didn't need to take much as long as she had Doyle but Lana wanted the house to be their home. Not just hers. She wanted Rachel to feel at home, not just as another guest.
Johnny had been so excited that the day after Thanksgiving, he had cleared a lot of shelf space in the living room for Rachel's beloved books. He had even pointed out where her stocking could hang from the chimney. Christmas was a few weeks away. Lana knew Johnny was excited to extend their tiny family.
"Having two parents is gonna be weird." He had said one morning.
Lana laughed, "How so?"
"Well, when my friend Tim asks his mom for something she tells him to ask his dad and then his did tells him to ask his mom. You guys aren't gonna do that, are you?"
Lana laughed again. "We'll try not to."
Johnny sat on the couch playing with Doyle while Lana and Rachel discussed about what small things they could fit into the car to take. Rachel already had all of her clothes in Lana's closet (which she had to start calling their closet). She had been spending every night there and returned in the morning and evenings to feed Doyle and water her plants.
Lana and Rachel were in Rachel's soon to be old room, sitting on her bed and sorting through the remainder of her things.
"What about this?" Rachel lifted a porcelain statue of a ballerina, "I got it for Secret Santa at the office. Isn't it cute?"
Lana raised a brow at the ballerina and thought of all the little statues and trinkets she had unwillingly received over the years. "Mmm, well, okay then."
Rachel gave a little excited squeal and packed the ballerina in a small box along with two her smallest plants and a photo album. "And this?" She brought out a Raggedy Ann doll and presented it to Lana.
Lana eyed the doll and without much emotion said, "No."
"No? What do you mean, no? Isn't it cute?" She danced the doll before Lana.
"That this is creepy. No way. Storage."
Rachel gasped but laughed, "Lana! She is not creepy." She turned the doll to look at its drawn on face. "She's just a cute little doll."
"Trust me, that thing is beyond creepy and I am done with creepy things in my life."
"Fine." Rachel pouted, "Sorry Ann." And dumped the doll in the storage box.
"Oh, don't pout." Lana stood and perched herself on top of Rachel, pressing her against the headboard of the bed and kissed her lips.
Rachel continued to pout but ended up biting back a smile.
"Mom?" Johnny came into the room interrupting the two women, he carried Doyle in his arms.
Lana quickly jumped off of Rachel and stood straight. Johnny barely took notice of the two women kissing.
"Can we take Doyle home today?"
"I don't see why not. Rachel?"
"I don't see why not either." Rachel smiled and stood off the bed to meet Johnny. She ruffled Doyle's ears. She was purring like a motorboat, "Aren't you worried about Scout?"
"I think he'll be okay." Johnny said, "He needs a friend anyway."
Rachel smiled. She was glad Johnny had accepted her moving in. It was a lot for a young boy to take in but he was handling it so well. He wanted to tell his friends at school but Lana had told him it be best not to tell them and if anyone asked, Rachel was his mother's relative. Lana and Rachel weren't ready to let the public know, especially people in Johnny's school. They wanted to have some privacy first. They also agreed that the great majority of children probably would not understand their situation and would judge Johnny for it. He already gotten into some fights with some kids who had teased him for only having one parent, she couldn't imagine the hell they'd give him if they found his mother had a girlfriend.
"Okay, we'll take him home tonight then."
"Awesome." He said and wandered back to the living room where he had been watching cartoons, "C'mon, Doyle."
"He loves that cat." Lana sighed knowing her son's love for animals.
"Are you sure you don't mind having Doyle around?"
"Of course not. Now she's cute and she means a lot to you."
"Thanks." Rachel said sitting back down on the bed. "She means a lot to me." Rachel had once mentioned how finding Doyle was perfect timing. It had been soon after her parents had disowned her and she had no one. The cat was her only company. Rachel had joked on how silly it was but she had an emotional attachment to that cat.
Lana didn't mind the cat. She hadn't been one for owning pets since she had always been too busy with her career and then raising Johnny. However, she had grown used to Scout and even loved the little hound. When Johnny came home after a really rough day, Scout was always there to help him feel better. Lana was relieved for the dog. At least Oliver had done that right.
"And Johnny's awfully fond of her now too."
Rachel laughed, "I'm sorry."
"It's fine."
"Okay, so how about these?" Rachel reached under her bed and pulled out a collection of old records.
"Yes." Lana answered.
…
When they finished packing every thing in the house and in Rachel's room, they went out to eat dinner at a burger joint. Johnny was beyond excited to go out with his new family. Lana knew he was happy; she and him had talked the night they arrived home from Thanksgiving at the Walkers. Rachel had gone home to sleep, claiming that Doyle needed to be fed anyway.
As soon as Johnny's head hit his pillow, he was wide-awake. Scout lay on the bed at his feet, chewing on one of Johnny's old stuffed animals. Lana entered the room, lingering in the door way, "Hey you, aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"
"I can't sleep." He said, "My stomach hurts."
"I told you not to have so much pie, didn't I?"
"Mom." Johnny whined.
Lana shook her head with a sheepish smile and went over to him and sat at the edge of his bed. "Hey, so, I wanted to ask…"
"What is it, Mom?"
"Are you really okay with Rachel moving in? I mean, I know this is something big and very different…"
Johnny sat up, "Why wouldn't I be okay with it?"
"Well, because it's been just the two of us for so long that I just wanted to make sure. We kind of just dropped it on you without asking."
Johnny pressed his lips together in a pensive manner. His glasses were off and resting on the nightstand. He looked like Oliver when he was thinking and Lana knew this. He had a lot from his father, expressions mostly. Luckily, that was all he had inherited from Oliver.
"It's gonna be different but it's a good thing. Rachel makes you happy and that's what I want too. For you to be happy."
Tears prickled Lana's eyes almost instantly. How could she have ever wanted to disown her son? He was too kind and sweet for words. He had not inherited the worst from their parents but the best they themselves were not capable of. He was intelligent, funny, brave, and with the biggest heart.
"'Sides, I want Rachel to move in."
Lana grinned, "Yeah?"
"Yes." He reached over and yanked his stuffed animal from Scout, "She's our family too."
Lana kissed his forehead. "Of course she is."
"Are you going to get married?"
Lana sighed, "We can't."
"Why not?"
"Well, because a lot of people still don't accept people like us. They think marriage is for a man and a woman."
Johnny frowned at this, "That's dumb."
"Tell me about it." Lana brushed his hair to the side. "But that's the world we live in."
"Maybe one day it'll be different." He said.
Lana smiled weakly at him, "Maybe."
They ordered burgers, fries and shakes and sat in a big red booth. Johnny sat across from the two women, laughing and making jokes. He and Rachel were quite good at joking with one another, often driving Lana insane but she had to admit that those two were pretty funny together.
Rachel watched curiously as Lana grabbed the bottle of ketchup and squirted a little mound in the corner of her fry tray. When she set it down, Johnny grabbed it and did the same, seemingly without noticing that his mother had done it. Rachel looked at her fries. She had squirted ketchup all over them. This amused her and she couldn't help to smile. Lana and Johnny were more alike than the other knew.
The two women watched in amusement as Johnny ate his burger. He had ordered a double cheeseburger and Lana doubted he would be able to finish it all but Johnny claimed he could so she let him get the big burger.
"And you're going to finish every bite."
"Every bite!" he said trying to take a big bite out of the burger. The pickles slipped out at his did. "Ew, pickles." He made a face and flicked them aside.
"Johnny." Lana scolded him, "Don't flick them."
Rachel only laughed.
When they were done eating, they took a stroll through downtown, enjoying each other's company. The rain had stopped long enough for them to enjoy the fresh, rain scented air of the crisp night. Lana wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around Rachel, holding her close as they watched Johnny trot in front of them.
By the end of the night, it began to rain again and they went home. Johnny sleepily asked about Doyle on their drive home but Lana assured him that they'd pick her up the following day. She'd be just fine.
…
Rachel was making her way from the kitchen with a glass a water when she saw Johnny's bedroom light on. He was in bed, reading a The Amazing Spider-Man comic book.
Rachel knocked on the door and Johnny looked up. "Can I come in?"
Johnny nodded.
Rachel walked over and set her glass of water on the nightstand. "What are you reading there?"
"Spider-Man." Johnny said and showed Rachel the comic book. She sat upon the bed and looked at the comic book.
"Super neat." She smiled tenderly at him, "Johnny?"
"Yeah?"
"I just wanted to wish you a good night."
Johnny smiled. "Goodnight, Rachel."
"And I wanted to thank you for letting me move in with you and your mom. I know it must be different."
Johnny's brows pulled together for a moment and then relaxed, "Family shouldn't be apart." He told her.
Rachel blinked the tears away, grinning from ear to ear.
"Besides, my mom's less grouchy when you're here." He joked.
Rachel laughed too. "Don't let her hear you say that."
"Aye-aye." Johnny saluted her.
Rachel leaned down and kissed his forehead, "Now, get some sleep before she comes in here and scolds us both." She took the comic book and placed it on the nightstand and grabbed her water.
Johnny settled in under his blankets. "Rachel?"
"Yes, Johnny?"
"I'm really happy you're gonna live with us now."
Rachel couldn't help but to smile at the boy. "Me too."
…
Lana sat in bed applying lotion on her bare legs. She had tucked Johnny in but was sure he was up reading his comic books like always. Rachel had gone to get some water, leaving Lana alone with her thoughts and Lana had been thinking a lot about their new lives together. They would have to inform Lou now that Rachel would be changing her address. Lana couldn't believe that Lou hadn't caught on to them; of course, he was always so self involved that he barely noticed the people around them, let alone their personal lives.
But Lana was ready for that change. She was ready to love and let herself be loved. She deserved it after everything that had happened to her and Johnny deserved to be happy too. Their little family would be different but it would be just as good as any.
Another thing Lana had been thinking a lot about was Rachel's new role in Johnny's life. Lana had asked her to move in but she hadn't asked Rachel to be a parent to her son. She knew they weren't allowed to marry and had to keep their relationship a secret to the world, but they had a special bond that linked them together. But to Lana it was important that Rachel was comfortable with having that kind of responsibility. Rachel already loved the boy to death and vise versa. They had built their own little bond and a strong friendship that Lana knew wouldn't be broken. They were quite fond of each other and Lana knew that Rachel was the type of woman to take care of her own. And Lana and Johnny were now her own.
When Rachel came into the room Lana was smiling to herself.
"What's that smile about?" Rachel asked as she set the glass down and plunked on the bed next to her girlfriend. Lana smelled fresh out of the shower.
"Oh, nothing."
"Oh, nothing? The great and powerful Lana Winters has no thoughts? The end really is upon us."
"You goof." Lana laughed.
"I'm kidding." Rachel kissed her cheek and got under the covers.
"You know what Johnny asked me the other day?" Lana settled next to Rachel.
"What?"
"If we were going to make him run to each other when he asks us permission for something."
Rachel mused at this. "How peculiar it must be to have two women raise you."
Lana met Rachel's eyes, "It's far better than whatever awaited him out there." She referred to when she almost abandoned him in the system.
Rachel's eyes softened and she placed her hand over Lana's. "Hey, the past is the past. You have to look ahead now."
"Yes, I know."
"Then?"
"You're right." Lana beamed, "Now, tell me, where's that cat of yours going to sleep?"
Rachel lifted a brow at her, "Not outside."
Lana laughed and Rachel gasped at the audacity that Lana would let her precious Doyle sleep outside. There definitely were going to be a lot of changes. But this change, Lana could handle.