Disclaimer: I do not own AHS
A/N: Enjoy the new chapter, guys! It's looong overdue. But no lie, Dear Father was heavy on my mind during this whole chapter. God, I miss working on that fic. Also, I apologize if this chapter is a bit slow. It took me way too long to overcome the writer's block but the next will be much more interesting, I assure you lol
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CH 28- Ourselves
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Johnny moodily flung the stick across the yard and watched Scout fetch it. His right hand didn't throw as well as his left so the stick went sideways and in between some bushes. Scout happily chased after it anyway and dove right into the greenery. Johnny kept his back to the house, an annoyed expression upon his young face. His eyes looked extremely light in the soft gray gloom of the day. It looked as if it was about to rain. David said it would; he claimed to have an eye for rain.
David seemed awfully nice but Johnny didn't remember him at all. After all, he was only two years old since he had last seen his uncle. The house had a different vibe with their new visitors and Johnny wasn't sure how to go about it but he was taken it as gracefully as a bull in a china shop—or as best as a ten-year-old could. So he wandered out with a burrowed brow and a little chip on his shoulder to the backyard where he could be alone.
"What're you doing?" Came the little voice from behind him and Johnny tensed up. Not even in the yard could he find a moment to himself.
He turned his head and gave his cousin and unsure look. "Nothing."
"Is your dog coming back?" Zoey asked, rather concerned.
"He always does." He answered with a matter-of-fact tone and turned his back on her. He hadn't been quite happy when his mother suggested he take out Zoey with them. She was only two years younger but that was enough for Johnny to think that she was just a little kid and unworthy of hanging out with a big kid like himself.
Nonetheless, the boy had just found out that he had family members his mother had never told him about. Rachel had told him early in the morning when he woke up not to let it bother him, that Lana had her reasons not to tell him and would clear things up when she had the chance.
"Your mom's gone through a lot of stuff, Jay. You know that. Please be patient with her."
So Johnny tried to keep Rachel's words close and be patient with his mother who in that moment was in the kitchen talking with her sister.
Zoey walked up to Johnny and eyed his cast, "What's wrong with your arm?"
"It's broken." He muttered, kneeling down to take the stick away from Scout who had come back from beyond the trees.
"Did you break it?"
"Mhm."
"How?"
"I fell."
"From where?"
Johnny frowned and glanced up at her, "From non-ya."
"Non-ya?"
"Non-ya business." Johnny stood and headed towards the back door of the house.
Zoey frowned and thought about it and then giggled, "Johnny, wait!" She chased after him. Scout barked after them, white-tipped tail wagging insanely.
The kids rushed in through the kitchen. Johnny almost bumped into Lana who hadn't mentioned anything about school or work. Her main priority seemed to be clearing out the current situation and Johnny wasn't going to remind her.
Lana placed her hand upon Johnny's shoulder, "You okay? You getting along with your cousin?"
Johnny only nodded and stepped past Lana and went to go find Rachel. She seemed to be the only one he wanted to be with in that moment. Margo, who was seated at the breakfast table smiled at the boy who hurried out of the room. "He's a sweet boy, Lana."
Lana sighed, "He's looking awfully sad. I wonder what's wrong with him…" but she had a feeling of what was wrong. Life was changing too much too fast for him.
"Well, we did come as a big shock to him. I'm sure he'll be fine." Margo assured Lana and looked to Zoey who had stayed with her, "And you? Are you getting along with your cousin?"
Zoey nodded vigorously, "Yeah."
"All right, now go find your daddy."
"Yes, Mommy." Zoey said and left the kitchen.
Lana watched her go and then turned to the tea pot boiling on the stove. "So, when are you planning on seeing Daddy and Mom?"
"Not sure yet." Margo gave a soft sigh, "Soon."
Lana nodded but didn't look at her sister. "I assume they don't know you came to see me."
"I didn't think you'd be happy if they did."
Lana turned to face her sister, "Margo, listen, Johnny doesn't know about Mom and Daddy. He doesn't know that—" Lana glanced out the kitchen and lowered her voice, "He doesn't know that they had temporary custody of him. As far as my son knows, Rachel and I are the only family he has."
Margo nodded. "I understand that you wouldn't want to tell him what happened back in 67'."
"He doesn't need to know that."
"I just don't understand why you chose not to tell him about us. About the rest of his family."
Lana took a few steps from the stove and crossed her arms. "I guess I just thought it would be easier if he didn't know. If it was just the two of us." She gave out a sigh, "I didn't want to have to explain to him why his grandparents rejected me. I don't know. Maybe I was selfish. Maybe I just wanted the easy way out."
The teapot began to screech. Lana snapped herself out of it and went to take it off the stove. The high-pitched whistle came to a stop. Margo stood to her feet and went to her sister, "You kept a lot from him, Lana and in the end the truth came to light anyway. I know I can't tell you how to live your life or how to raise your boy but I do believe he deserves all of the truth. In the long run, it'll be better for him."
Lana met her sister's gaze, "There are just some things he wasn't meant to know…"
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It was Rachel whom reminded the boy that he had school and offered to take him. Johnny didn't fight it, he figured it be better to see his friends than to stay at home with his estranged family. Lana gave him a hug and a kiss on the forehead and promised him they would talk when he came home. Johnny only gave her a silent nod and followed Rachel to the car.
During the car ride to Johnny's school, Rachel tried to seem optimistic about the situation. She and Lana had spent good hours of the night talking about what had just occurred. Lana was exhausted but she promised her that she would find the time to explain it all once she cleared things with Margo.
"Your aunt and uncle seem like really nice people, don't they?" She tried to break the silence. Johnny only shrugged. Rachel took notice of his brooding and sighed, "Johnny, don't be such a sour puss. There can be worse things."
"Like what?"
Rachel scoffed, "Okay, like, for instance you could have no family? There are a ton of kids living in orphanages with no mom and no dad and no aunts or uncles or cousins. And they as sure as hell don't have a second mom. But you do, Johnny. You have parents and uncles and a cousin. You have a lot more than others do and you should be happy for that, kid." Rachel stopped her train of thought and remembered how Lana was so close to giving up Johnny to the system when he was just an infant. He almost had nothing.
Johnny glanced down to his lap remembering how Oliver had once told him that he had no parents and had grown up on his own. He guessed Rachel was right. He glanced out the window to see the passing homes. "I know S'just that things keep changing…" He muttered feeling a bit sad about it. "I just want it to be you, mom and me a little bit longer."
Rachel felt for him. The boy had been through much and just wanted a break from it all. She reached over and gave his hand a soft squeeze. "Hey, cheer up, Jay. I know things are changing but before you know it, this change will become normal."
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Rachel's words cheered Johnny up just a little bit more and throughout the day, he was able to forget about it if only a little. Johnny was a smart boy; he caught on to things and he didn't easily forget them. Still, his mind often wandered through class and was brought back when a rolled up wad of paper hit him in the back of the head. Johnny quickly spun around to see Thomas' rigid smile and mischievous eyes. Johnny turned back to see his teacher writing math equations on the board and ripped a piece of paper into a little ball and chucked it back at Thomas.
The boys continued their roughhousing well into recess where they wrestled on the grass. Their wrestling match ended early however when Thomas accidentally hurt Johnny's casted arm. During lunch they looked over their Batman card collection and talked about trading and cards they were hoping to get. Julia and her friends walked by but the boys paid no mind to them. Johnny took the bus home that day since Rachel was to work late and Lana was at home tending to their visitors. When the bus dropped Johnny off, Thomas gave him a supportive pat on the back and wished his best friend good luck.
"Thanks." Johnny muttered and exiting the bus. He dropped his books upon stepping on the grass and struggled to pick them up because of his troublesome cast.
David was outside getting a suitcase out of the car when he saw Johnny struggle with his books. He went over and helped him. "Let me help you there, Johnny."
"Thanks." Johnny said, letting his uncle pick up his math book and a few of his Spider-Man comics.
"Must be a pain in the butt to have to deal with that thing, huh?"
Johnny looked at his cast and shrugged, "Could be worse."
David nodded, "That's very true." And followed the boy inside.
"Mom, I'm home!" Johnny called out when he and David entered the house. Zoey was in the living room watching TV and cuddling with Scout on the sofa.
Johnny looked at them and frowned at Scout, "Traitor." He muttered and went into his mother's study where Lana and Margo were talking.
They both stopped and looked up at him, halting their conversation to an immediate stop. Lana smiled when she saw him. "I'm home." He said.
She smiled, "I'm glad. How was it?"
He shrugged, "Okay. Oh…this is for you." He walked into the room and made his way around his mother's desk to hand Lana a note.
"What is it?"
Johnny walked out of the den, "I got detention."
Lana frowned, "What? For what?"
"Throwing papers at Thomas." Was the last thing he said before he scampered off.
Margo laughed. "He's all boy, isn't he?"
Lana sat back down with the note in her hand, "He used to be quite the little sugar ball. Believe it or not."
Margo sighed, "That's what happens with kids. Their personalities often change over night. When Zoey was a toddler she was the shiest thing you had ever seen. She'd freeze if strangers looked at her and would curl into a little ball. Now I can't keep her from telling people at the store what she had for breakfast."
Lana laughed, "Johnny was quite the little nightmare as a toddler. Coloring on the walls, climbing all over the place, throwing fits, breaking my figurines. Then suddenly he mellowed out…" She thought of her little boy at the age of two and smiled warmly, "He sure kept me on my feet."
"It looks like he still does."
Lana snorted, "Yes but now he's not throwing my make up in the toilet." He's breaking and entering abandoned houses, she thought but didn't tell Margo that. "He's grown up a lot and everything that's happened…it's changed him."
"Of course it has, Lana. No normal person would remain the same after what you've both been through."
Lana nodded. "I just wish he'd could go back to being that care-free boy he used to be."
"He will adjust. I'm sure he will."
"Let's hope so."
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After her conversation with Margo, Lana went to seek Johnny in his room. He was sitting on his bed with Doyle huddled at his side reading his comic books when she came knocking.
"Johnny?"
"Yeah?" The boy glanced up to meet her gaze. In that moment Lana envisioned that little two year old with the impish smile that always gave her big soft eyes to get himself out of trouble.
"May I come in?"
"Mhm." Johnny sat his comics aside and let Lana sit on the bed across from him.
She smiled softly but her smile soon weakened, "So, how do you like them?"
He shrugged, "They're nice."
"And your cousin?"
"She's annoying."
"Johnny, be nice."
"I'm kidding." He said with the tiniest hint of a smile. "Are they going to be here with us forever?"
"No, they're just visiting for a little while."
Johnny nodded and then glanced up at Lana, "How come you never told me about them?"
Lana sighed, "Johnny, you know life hasn't always been the easiest for us." Lana let Doyle climb onto her lap, purring like a motor. She scratched the top of her head, "When you were a little boy, your grandparents and I had a disagreement. They weren't the nicest of people and tt got to the point where things became really ugly." Lana wasn't sure if she was ready to tell him what his grandparents had done. "After, I decided that it best for you and I that we keep to ourselves. I know I was wrong in denying you a chance to have a bigger family but I honestly believed it was the right thing to do."
Johnny shrugged, "S'okay, Mom. I trust you."
Lana caressed his cheek, "I'm sorry I've put you through hell, kid."
Johnny smiled, "I'm sorry your parents suck."
Lana laughed. "Me too. Me too."
"I don't have any other family do I?" Johnny asked, skeptic.
"No. Your aunt Margo is my only sister."
Johnny nodded. "Okay. I guess it won't be too bad." He thought about what Rachel had told him, "Rachel said it could be worse." He reached over and pet Doyle.
"Oh, yeah?"
"Mhm. I could have been an orphan and stuff."
Lana thought about the day she drove him to the orphanage when he was about eight months old. She was so close to giving him up but she couldn't and she was glad she hadn't. Lana moved Doyle aside and gave her son a hug.
"We'll be okay, right?" Johnny asked.
"Yes," Lana assured him, "We'll be okay."
