Disclaimer: I do not own AHS

A/N: Hi, everyone! Super sorry I haven't updated this fic in forever. Busy with other fics, college and a damn writer's block. But not to worry, I will not abandon this fic! Same goes for Heaven & Earth. Still working on it too. Anyway, enjoy the new chapter!

…

CH 25- Brave One

…

"Quit yer fussin' now." Jude ordered as she brushed Lux's hair back in to a pony tail that morning.

Lux squirmed and moved about, making faces as Jude brushed her hair. "I don't wanna go." She whined with a pout and a frown.

"Well, yer goin'." Jude said, "Whether ya like it or not."

The first day of school had finally arrived and Jude could already tell she was going to have a tough time with Lux. The girl had been fighting the thought of school all week. She had refused to go to bed the night before and in the morning she had faked a cold. Jude knew her tricks and got her right out of bed. She wasn't going to allow her child to miss the first day of school.

Nevertheless, the child was reluctant. She put up a good fight and would not give up. She reminded Jude much of the reporter and her reluctance to give up the story on Briarcliff. That stubborn attitude had gotten her in much trouble.

"Hold still or I'll never get done." Jude warned Lux. Her patience was wearing thin with the child. Jude felt like she was dealing with a two-year-old Lux again. Those had been some tough times and Jude almost swore the girl was going to give her gray hairs.

Lux pouted. "Mama, don't make me go. I don't wanna go."

"Ya'll be fine, Goose. Ya'll make new friends and learn new things." Jude reassured her but Lux didn't look too convinced.

"Sounds like gabage." She crossed her arms.

Jude scoffed with amusement. She couldn't deny the look of defiance that belonged to the reporter written all over her child's face. Lux looked like Lana but sounded like Jude. It was quite entertaining to see. Speaking of the reporter, Lana had gone back to Boston if only for a few days to collect a few of her things and leave her editor at peace. She said she had to tie a few strings and dot a few lines and she'd be back just in time for the children's first day of school. In the time Lana was gone, Lux had moped around, following Jude and Kit around like a lost little duckling asking when Lana would return.

"She'll be back before the first day, right?" She asked over and over again.

"Yes, Goose. Now eat yer dinner." Jude would tell her.

"She'll be back before ya know it." Kit would reply with a smile.

Jude didn't see or understand Lux's obsession with the reporter. She supposed it was the blood calling and that was something Jude could not ignore. She just hoped the truth didn't resurface. Jude didn't know what she would do without her child. Her stubborn, hard headed child.

"Mama, I think I'm gettin' sick again." Lux said once Jude finished putting her hair up.

"Let's see." Jude placed her hands upon Lux's cheeks. "Hmm, ya feel mighty fine ta me."

Lux frowned instantly. "Mama, that's mean!"

Jude chuckled. "Put yer shoes on and let's go. Oh, and don't forget yer glasses."

Lux whined and did as she was told. She walked over to the living room and plunked down on the rug. She slowly grabbed the new oxfords Lana had bought her and put one shoe at a time ever so slowly. Jude watched as the child tied her first shoe in slow motion.

She sighed heavily. "Dear Lord, give me the patience…" She walked over to Lux, "Give me those." She said and knelt down, taking Lux's foot and quickly putting her shoe on. "C'mon now."

Lux pouted, "Mama, no."

"Mama, yes." Jude said as she pulled Lux's glasses from her dress pocket and put them on her, and led her out the door with her backpack on.

"Wait!" Lux said when they reached the porch and pulled back.

Jude frowned lightly, "What is it now, child?"

Lux took a step back with both her hands in tiny fists before her. Worry filled her big brown eyes hidden behind the thick-rimmed glasses. She looked terrified and Jude knew why. "What if- what if they're mean to me?" She gulped. Her doe eyes filled with tears.

Jude knelt down to her level and took a hold of her hand. Lux had dealt with bullies in the past before. The children often teased her for being adopted and up until the Walkers moved in to town, she had no friends. It was a new year and Lux worried she wouldn't see Thomas and Julia during recess or lunch. The Walker children stood up for her and kept her safe from the children that teased her. They made her feel like she belonged. Not being with them would be strange for her.

"Lux, child, what did I tell ya before?" Jude asked gently without anger but with understanding and patience.

"Not to let people put me down." Lux answered, "Not to let 'em make me feel any less important."

Jude smiled. "And?"

"Cause I am important an' just cause I'm adopted doesn't make 'em better than me."

"Exactly. Yer so smart, my girl." Jude kissed Lux's forehead. "Just remember that and ya'll be fine. I assure ya."

Lux nodded. "Yes, Mama."

Jude crossed the road with Lux in tow. Lux had felt a little better after talking with Jude and being reminded of her mother's lesson. It was hard to remember when the entire tide was against her. Lux kept her eyes down the road in the direction Lana went and came in. She had been hoping to see her before she went to school. Kit and Jude had reassured her that she'd be back in time but she hadn't arrived. Kit had to hurry to the shop so Jude took the children to school. As they walked down the road, Julia talked excitedly about how much fun their first day was going to be. Thomas was still sleepy and clung on to Jude's hand for support. Lux lagged behind them, her little hands clutched the straps of her backpack. She'd often look behind them to see if any cars were coming but the road remained still.

"Catch up, Goose!" Jude called behind her, "Don't doddle now."

"Yes, Mama." Lux muttered and picked up her pace if only a little.

…

"Now, I want all ya'll to behave, ya hear?" Jude warned as they arrived at the school.

Children's shouts and laughter filled the air. Parents stood in front of the school, waving off their kids while others dropped them off on the edge of the sidewalk and drove off. Teachers stood in front of their classrooms welcoming in their new students with warm smiles.

Lux hurried to Jude's side and clutched her hand. She watched with nervous eyes as rambunctious children ran past her.

"No disrespectin' yer teachers and no climbing the trees at recess. I'm talking to ya, Thomas."

"Yes, Nana." Thomas said.

Jude stopped when she reached Thomas and Julia's classroom. They were in the same grade so they often shared the same teacher. Lux, on the other hand, was a year younger and a year below them so she didn't get to share the same classroom.

"Now, I'll be right here to pick ya up after school." Jude said as she leaned down and kissed each child on the forehead. She had just spoken to their new teacher and walked them to their new desks. Jude knew they would be just fine.

"Bye, Nana!" Thomas and Julia said as they sat happily in their new desks.

Lux waved at Thomas and Julia, "Bye-bye, have a good day at school." She then turned away, "C'mon, Mama. Let's go home."

"Hold yer horses." Jude grabbed Lux and pulled her back, "I'm gonna walk ya to yer class too so I know ya made it there safely."

Lux sighed heavily and followed Jude to her classroom. Lux's class wasn't too far off from that of Thomas and Julia's. It was right down the hall. Lux was still a bit nervous so Jude walked her in to the classroom just as she had done with Thomas and Julia.

Lux's new teacher was a young woman in her mid-twenties. She was kind and welcomed each child with a smile. She showed Jude and Lux to Lux's desk. On the corner of the desk was a colorful nametag with Lux's name written in brilliant turquoise marker.

"Would ya look at that, Goose?" Jude said with a smile, "Yer very own desk. Just like Thomas and Julia."

Lux pushed her glasses up and looked at her desk and then at her classmates who had also arrived with their parents. Some of the children looked nervous, still clutching on to their mother's hands. She turned to Jude. "Ya'll be here to pick us up, Mama?"

"Ya bet." Jude smiled and kissed her cheek, "Just like I always do."

So Jude said her goodbyes to the little girl and forced herself to exit the class, leaving Lux behind, watching her go with big sad brown eyes.

…

Jude was barely arriving at the cottage when she saw Lana's car parked in the driveway of Kit's house. She stood outside of the car, leaning against the passenger door with a smoke in her hand. She brought the lit cigarette to her lips and inhaled.

Jude walked up to her. "Welcome back, Ms. Winters."

Lana blew the smoke in the opposite direction. "Thank you, Sister."

Jude chuckled meekly at the nickname that would always stick. "Kit is at the shop and the children are at school. Its just me."

Lana nodded. "How was it?" She asked referring to the children's first drop off at their new classrooms.

"Well." Jude answered as she glanced down the road in the direction she had come.

"And Lux?"

Jude looked to Lana. Her eyes were filled with worry and there was an almost breakable tone in her voice. She had really wanted to make it in time to see Lux off on her first day but she had gotten sidetracked with some loose ends back in New York. Nevertheless, Jude could see that Lana really did care. Even if it was something as simple as seeing the girl off on her first day back at school.

Jude nodded once, "She was nervous but she'll survive."

Lana nodded and glanced away, averting her gaze from Jude who stood there watching her. She then took another drag from her cigarette and blew out the smoke. "You know, the first time I saw Lux when I arrived in town, was at the church."

Lana's words caught Jude's attention instantly.

"She was in the playground." Lana continued her memory, "I had stopped at the church. I don't know why…" She paused as a soft smile brushed her lips, "I've never been too religious, you know." She looked to Jude as she inhaled another drag and let the smoke blow out in to the air, "So I had no excuse to stop there but I did…"

Lana glanced down to the pavement below. "And there she was." She smiled softly as she remember her little girl but then her smile faded as quickly as it came, "Some older boy had pushed her to the ground. I walked over and shooed him off. And she was sitting there; looking up at me with these big brown eyes I swear I had seen before. She looked so helpless."

Lana finished the smoke and dropped it to the floor, crushing it beneath her heel.

Jude didn't speak. She only continued to listen to Lana's words trying to figure out where she was getting at.

"She reminded me of my daughter—of course at the time I didn't know she was." Lana paused for a moment. "I would of never have imagined that she was."

Jude stood next to Lana and leaned against the car. "She was nervous about going to school today, ya know."

Lana looked to Jude, "She was?"

Jude nodded. "Lux's always been…an introvert." Jude said when she found the right word. "Before Kit and the children moved in, she didn't have many friends. The children, they teased her for being adopted." Jude saddened at the memory of her child crying over being called an orphan. Children had been so cruel.

Lana's heart tore at Jude's words. There was no way she could ever make it up to her child for causing her such pain.

"She was afraid that she was going to be teased again." Jude sighed, "Ya should a' seen her. Tryin' so hard to get out of goin'."

Lana's eyes fell to the ground.

"But she went, none the less." Jude said as she stood off the car, "Because she's a brave one, that girl." She sighed and nudged Lana, "Come along, Ms. Winters. I'll make ya some coffee."

Lana nodded and followed Jude to her cottage. Lux never left her mind.