Disclaimer: I do not own AHS

A/N: Hey guys! Love reading all of your reviews. You guys are the best, seriously. Just wanted to thank you once again for all the kind words, thoughts, and comments. It really means a lot to me as a writer to get such wonderful feedback from such wonderful readers. So to thank you all I decided to update early! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

As for the prequel, I'm thinking of posting it soon since I have to wait on the sequel till I finish Dear Father (obviously lol). Anyway, I'll keep you guys posted.

DEAR FATHER

CH 25- In Fear and Faith

Lana stood in front of the door. If it was Oliver then she was ready. She reached for a thick candleholder from a small dresser with a family portrait of Kit and his kids. She held it close and quickly opened the door. Lana lifted the candleholder when someone burst in through the door taking her by surprise.

"Its about time, Winters!"

"Lou?!" Lana was surprised and dumbfounded at the sight of her boss.

It was then Rachel walked through the door with a box of files in her arms. She looked at Lana shyly and apologetically. "Sorry. I couldn't convince him to stay away."

Lana remembered Johnny's words and stuttered at the sight of her.

"Come on, Rachel!" Lou sang and walked in to the house. Rachel stepped inside.

Johnny jumped up to his feet. Lou looked at him and ruffled his hair as he continued his way to the dinning room. Johnny then looked to Rachel.

"Hi, Johnny." She smiled politely at him.

"Hi." He said and watched as Rachel joined Lou in the dinning room. He turned to his mother.

He made circles with his hands and put them over his eyes. "Googly eyes." He said to Lana.

"Johnny." Lana shook her head at him and grabbed him by the shoulder, ushering him to the dinning room.

"Lou what are you doing here?" Lana demanded as Lou began to place a bunch of papers on the table.

"I need your help, Winters." He kept his eyes on the papers, "We're working on a new story about Bloody-"

Lana cleared her throat. Lou looked to Johnny.

"Er. Right." He looked back to his papers, "You know who."

"Who?" Johnny looked to Lana.

Lana turned to Johnny. "Baby, why don't you and Scout go play outside?"

"I thought I wasn't allowed outside by myself?"

"I'll watch you from the window, go." She smiled reassuringly at him.

Johnny looked from Rachel to his mother. "Kay." He said, "Come on, Scout." He said and hurried out to the backyard, Scout was hot on his trail.

When Johnny was out of earshot, Lana turned to Lou, "Are you insane? You can't just come over here. Kit's not even home."

Lou waved away her words and continued to work. "Rachel, be a dear and serve me some coffee."

Rachel's eyes widened slightly and she became nervous. "Lou." She spoke softly, "This isn't the office."

Lou looked at her. "Rachel. Be a dear and serve me some coffee."

Rachel looked like a deer caught in the head lights as she looked to Lana for help. Lana gave her a reassuring look and showed her to the kitchen.

"I'm really sorry about Lou." Rachel said apologetically. Lana could tell she was both nervous and embarrassed. She must have fought Lou all the way out to Kit's. Lana knew how hard headed he could be so she didn't blame Rachel.

She sighed softly. "Its alright, Rachel. He's as hard headed as a bull."

Rachel looked at Lana as she commenced to make the coffee. She smiled softly at her. Lana then looked at her and smiled. Rachel panicked and looked down to the mugs. "How've you been?" She asked her.

Rachel stuttered to speak. "M-Me? How I've been?"

Lana figured that Rachel spent most of her time being Lou's assistant and that being said she probably didn't have anyone to ask her about her day. Lana knew; she had been there before with Lou.

"Yeah, you." Lana chuckled softly. She then glanced out the window where she spotted Johnny attempting to play fetch with Scout.

"Good- very good." Rachel answered. "And you?" She sounded nervous when she said this.

Lana pressed her lips together for a moment. "I'm hanging in there."

"Lana." Rachel spoke softly but seriously. She stepped closer to Lana and looked in to her eyes. "If you ever need anything- you or Johnny. I'm- well, I guess what I'm trying to say is that-"

Lana smiled softly and placed her hand on Rachel's giving it a light squeeze. "Thank you."

Rachel's cheeks flushed red. Her eyes flickered from Lana's hand on hers to Lana's eyes. She opened her mouth to speak when-

"Rachel! Where's that coffee, Rachel?"

Both women turned to the kitchen entrance. Lana glared at Lou's direction and Rachel looked embarrassed.

X

Johnny played in the backyard on his own. He attempted to teach Scout how to fetch but the puppy was easily distracted by other things. Johnny picked up a red ball and threw it.

"Fetch!" He called out.

Scout watched the ball roll past the bushes went a few feet after it and then turned back, looking up at Johnny with his tongue out.

Johnny sighed. "Fine." He said and went after the ball.

Careful eyes had been watching Johnny play outside, hell; he had been watching the house all day just waiting for one of them to come out. Oliver had been feeling bold that day (like most days) and thought about entering the house when that man and his assistant arrived and stopped him from coming in through the back door. Oliver scowled and hid in the backyard behind the trees.

He was almost surprised when he saw Johnny come out with Scout close behind him. He watched his son play with the puppy and couldn't help to smile. His son was still so young and innocent and Oliver didn't want to take that from him. He knew Briarcliff was no place for a child but it wouldn't be forever. He would find them a new home, a better home. He just needed time.

Oliver felt a soft thud against his foot and looked down to spot the red ball. He looked up and Johnny was gone from his spot in the yard. Oliver frowned and listened intently.

"Stupid ball." Johnny muttered as he looked through the plants and bushes. He then found the ball resting on top of a stump in a small clearing. He frowned and went to it.

Oliver watched his son from behind a tree. How easy would it be to reach and snatch him. Oliver was sure Lana had told him horrible things about him by then. He didn't want to imagine the boy being so terrified of his own father or worse hating him. Oliver's world would burn down if the boy were to hate him. And then he would truly not have anyone to love him. Not his son and not the mother who bore him.

A twig snapped and Johnny instantly looked up. He looked at his surroundings and grew nervous. "Hello?" He called out. He looked down the direction of the sound and stepped closer. "Scout is that you, boy?"

No answer.

Oliver held his breath.

Johnny was mere feet away from him.

"Johnny!" Lana's voice rang through the trees.

Johnny jumped and ran off with his ball. Oliver released his breath. If Johnny had seen him he would have had no choice but to snatch him. Oliver questioned why he hadn't. Why? Well, Briarcliff wasn't ready for him yet. Oliver had much cleaning to do. He didn't want to terrify the boy. He needed more time.

Johnny ran up the porch where Lana stood alarmed.

"Where were you?" She demanded.

"I lost my ball." He explained as he went up the porch.

Oliver peeked behind the trees. It was then Rachel came out to the porch to meet them. She peeked Oliver's attention. He had never seen her before, perhaps maybe he had but he didn't remember her.

Rachel was tall, about and inch or so shorter then Lana, however. She was thin and toned with fair skin and straight golden brown hair reaching past her shoulders. Her bangs were cut straight along her forehead. She had brilliant hazel eyes and a beautiful face. She was young, younger then Lana. Oliver watched as she joined Lana and Johnny.

Oliver studied her body language. She seemed shy and a little awkward when Lana looked at her. He also noticed the way she smiled and looked away when Lana humored her. Oliver suddenly remembered Lana's preference for women and his blood began to boil. Who was this woman hanging around their son? Was she someone to Lana?

Oliver never cared for Lana's sexuality. He always believed he could change her. After all, they were fated to be together. But watching this woman around their son made him jealous. Still, there was no way of knowing if Rachel was a lesbian as well. She looked like a normal young woman who could have had a boyfriend or even a fiancé. Perhaps he was jumping in to conclusions but he didn't trust Lana.

He then watched as Lana, Rachel and Johnny went inside.

X

Kit and the children came home shortly after Rachel and Lou left. They spent the rest of the day playing inside until dinner. After dinner, Lana got Johnny to take a bath and then put him to bed. She went on buttoning his pajamas even though he claimed he could do it himself.

Lana needed to feel useful in a way and was still in denial of her son's never ending growth. She then put him in to bed and tucked him in.

"Mom, what did Lou want?" He asked. He had wanted to ask earlier but was strictly sent to the living room to watch cartoons while they worked on their story. Lana didn't want him to know anything about what they were saying about Oliver.

"Work related things." She reassured him, "Nothing to worry about."

"Okay." He said, "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Are the police still looking for Oliver?"

"Yes." She answered as she brought the comforter to his chest. She attempted to smile but Johnny could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Are you sad about that?" She asked him.

Johnny was pensive for a moment and then he answered without a beat, "Not anymore."

Lana kissed his forehead. "Everything will be just fine. Don't you worry."

Lana waited until Johnny fell fast asleep before she left. Lana had been thinking about the letter Johnny had written to Oliver the months prior. She slightly remembered him handing her a folded piece of paper when they were still at the cabin. She hadn't had the chance to open it but she remembered placing it in the pocket of her dress. It still had to be there.

So Lana drove back to her house leaving Johnny in Kit's capable hands. She hoped Johnny didn't wake up while she was gone and worry. She promised Kit she would be careful and come back as soon as possible.

Lana stood in front of her house. She had worked so hard to raise the money to put down a deposit on it. She had raised her son in that house since he was five years old. They hadn't been there very long and had lived in two other homes before that one but Lana honestly believed that that beautiful one story home would be their last. Oliver had come and tainted every bit of safety she had harbored over the years.

She couldn't believe how much he had taken from them already, starting with their sense of security. Lana stepped through the front door and flickered on the light. The living room flickered to life; everything was as they had left it. Lana wandered through the house checking to see if everything was still in place. It was dusty and in need of some fresh air but everything was all right. There were no signs of intrusions, none that she saw anyway.

Lana hurried to her room and dug through the hamper where she dumped the dress she wore the night they escaped Oliver's cabin. She reached in to the pocket and pulled out Johnny's letter. She stared at it for a moment trying to collect the strength to open it. Finally, she sat upon the bed and opened it.

"Dear father," She read out loud, "I don't know who you are but I have to write this letter for father's day. How are you? Fine, I hope. I'm doing well. I'm learning cursive but I am not good at it. My mom helps me practice when she is not busy with work…" Lana paused remembering how much time work took away from her time with Johnny. She collected herself, "She works for the newspaper but maybe you already knew. Maybe you met her there. Sometimes I wonder why you don't- why you don't live with us." Lana's voice began to stutter as she felt the large lump at her throat. "It be nice if you did…Take care. Happy Father's Day. Sincerely, Johnny Winters…" She let her hand fall and the letter along with it.

"Oh, Johnny." She whispered, "My poor baby boy."

Her hand clutched the letter tightly, wrinkling it. She never wanted her boy to feel this way. He didn't deserve it.

Lana wiped away her tears. She put the letter in her purse and returned to Kit's. Kit was relieved when she returned and claimed he couldn't get to sleep until she came home. Lana thanked him and retreated to her room where she found Johnny still fast asleep.

She lay next to him and brought the covers over them both. Johnny's back was to her. Lana had to make sure Oliver never hurt her son again. When the sun came up she was going to track him down.