Disclaimer: I do not own AHS but it gives me major feels.
A/N: Hey guys! Thank you all so much for the reviews for both Dear Father and its prequel Dear Johnny (I'm just so clever at these titles, aren't I?) Anyway, I wanna thank all of you for all the wonderful words. I'm glad you guys like the Lana/Rachel pairing, I was nervous about it but glad I went with it. Also wanna thank Penelope L for creating the ship name "Lanchel". I died when I read that lol
But seriously, thanks to every single one of you!
CH 28- Said the King to the River
"Wait!" Lana called after Rachel as she followed her out in to the parking lot. The night was cool against her skin.
She grabbed Rachel's wrist, pulling her back.
"You can't do that." Lana said almost out of breath. Rachel slowly looked back at her wrist in Lana's grasp. Lana finally caught her breath, "You can't just kiss me and run away like that."
"I-I'm sorry." Rachel stuttered to speak, "But I have to go. Please let me go."
"I'm not going to let you go if you're going to run away again." Lana said sternly, scolding Rachel as if she were but a mere child.
"I didn't mean to. I don't know what happened." Rachel began to panic as she blurted out excuses to her very surprising yet satisfying actions.
She met Lana's eyes and stopped herself. "Please let me go, Ms. Winters."
Lana raised a brow half amused. "Ms. Winters? Let me get this straight, first you kiss me and now you're being formal with me? I don't think that's the way it works, Rachel."
Rachel was beyond embarrassed. Her cheeks were a brilliant red and she looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
"If I let you go, you promise not to run?" Lana asked cautiously.
Rachel hesitated but nodded in the end. Lana slowly let go of her wrist. As soon as she did, Rachel tried to run but Lana grabbed her again, pulling her back. The two women met eyes.
"You liar." Lana said with a sheepish half smile.
"Please, Ms. Winters-"
Lana gave her a look.
"Lana." Rachel repeated, "Please, Lana, don't tell Lou. I don't want to lose my job. I don't want to lose everything I have. I- I just put my life back together. I-" Her eyes began to water.
Lana slowly let go of her wrist and her hand traveled down to Rachel's fingers. "Don't worry. I'm not going to tell anyone."
"You're not?" Rachel was surprised.
Lana understood Rachel. She had been there many years ago. Lana also understood what Rachel meant when she said that she had lost everyone she knew when they learned who she really was. It's because she was a homosexual. Rachel was a young homosexual woman afraid of her own feelings because they had caused her to lose everything she had in the past. The truth had stolen everything from her and now here she stood betrayed by her own feelings once more.
But it all made so much sense now. The way Rachel was always nervous around her, the way she worried about Lana and the way she remembered the little things like how Lana liked her coffee or how she hated the smell of nutmeg. Lana had been blind to it all. But now she knew.
"No." She let go of Rachel's hand completely, "I'm not. I've been where you are and I know how scary it is. People didn't understand then and some still don't now." She found herself smiling at Rachel, "Don't worry, it'll be our little secret."
Rachel smiled, "Thank you."
Lana was quiet for a moment. A playful smile brushed her lips. "But you know, next time you kiss me you don't have to run away."
Rachel blushed profoundly at this. She returned the smile. "I- I'll keep that in mind."
X
Lana drove to Kit's in complete silence. Her head replayed her encounter with Rachel over and over in her head. It was obvious, Rachel liked Lana and she liked Lana a lot. Lana didn't know how she felt exactly. She knew that she was attracted to Rachel, that was a definite given for Rachel was the first woman who had managed to catch Lana's attention since Wendy had died over seven years ago.
Lana just couldn't believe how many years had gone by since her death. It had been just about eight years and in those eight years Lana had not laid eyes on another woman. She had planned to recreate her life but when she decided to keep Johnny her entire world revolved around him and her work. Little did she know a woman had been looking at her all along.
Lana hadn't even thought about her love life. Sure, she felt urges and wishes when she awoke in the middle of the night. A dream of Wendy's soft kisses still fresh in her mind. She felt her needs then but she'd always get out of bed and wander in to Johnny's room where he was fast asleep. Upon seeing his face she was reminded of her priorities and returned to bed missing Wendy's touch more then ever.
Lana had needs. She knew that much but with everything that had happened recently, she had forgotten all about them. It wasn't until she felt Rachel's soft kiss against her lips or until she smelled her sweet fragrance so close that those needs resurfaced. But there was a strong guilt brewing within Lana. Was she betraying Wendy by nurturing feelings for another woman?
No, that was nonsense, Lana thought. Wendy had been dead for many years. Lana had cherished her memory for so long and a part of her knew that it was time to move on. She couldn't keep pining over Wendy forever. But still, she couldn't help but to feel at a loss. As if Wendy was watching her from heaven, disappointed and heartbroken that Lana had finally forgotten about her.
Lana hadn't forgotten, it was just that fact that Wendy was dead and she was alive. She couldn't keep worshipping Wendy's ghost as if someday she would came back to her. Wendy was gone for good and Lana had to move on. She deserved to be happy in that aspect, didn't she? She had raised her son with all the love she could muster. She had worked her ass day and night for her career. She deserved to be loved in a way only another woman could love her. She deserved to have the support and nurture of another adult. Lana couldn't be alone and single forever.
Lana sighed. "Fuck." She said and brushed the thought aside. She was starting to feel very strongly about the young blond but her love life was the last of her worries at that moment. Her main priority was Johnny and making sure he was safe from Oliver.
Lana reached Kit's home in no time. She drove up the driveway to find the porch light on. Lana found this odd for Kit turned off the light when he went to bed. He must have still been awake.
Lana instantly felt something was wrong and hurried out of the car. She went up the porch and pulled out her keys but the door was already unlocked. Lana pushed the door opened and stepped inside. The entire house was dark; the only light was coming from the kitchen.
"Kit?" Lana called out.
Lana followed the light to the kitchen where she found Kit sitting at the table. He was hunched over with a towel against his temple. It was covered in blood.
Lana gasped. "Kit!" She ran to him. "Kit, what happened?" She demanded.
"Lana?" Kit looked up rather disoriented.
Lana took the towel from his face and was immediately mortified. Kit had a large gash along his eyebrow at the side of his temple. It was swollen and bleeding and a large purple bruise had spread across his cheek bone.
"What happened to you?" Lana demanded, "Where are the children?"
"Lana," Kit said in a slurred voice, "I'm sorry Lana, I- it happened so fast."
Lana's eyes narrowed. "Kit what are you saying? Where's Johnny?"
"Thredson." Kit said as he winced from the pain. "Thredson took Johnny."
Lana's heart stopped. The towel slipped from her hand and fell to the floor.
X
Johnny's eyes slowly began to open. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Lana was the first person that came to his mind. "Mom?" He called out in a groggy voice.
He set his hands down and looked around the room. The morning sun was showing in through the tall windows. The walls were made out of dark stone and there was a cold feeling in the room. Johnny grew scared when he didn't recognize the room. It was then he recognized the blanket under him. It was his. He looked to find his missing pillow and the remainder of his missing books and toys. The room was decorated in all the things that had been stolen from his room at home. His real home.
"Mom?" Johnny called out louder as he slid off the bed and hurried to the door. It was locked. It was then he remembered what had happened the day before and began to panic.
"Mom!" Johnny slammed his little fists on the heavy wooden door, "Uncle Kit!"
Johnny had no idea where he was. It looked similar to his room but it wasn't his room. He called out for Lana desperately until the lock to the door clicked. Johnny stepped back and watched with wide eyes as Oliver entered the room.
Oliver smiled softly at his son. "Good morning." He said. In his hands he carried a plate with a sandwich and a bowl of soup. Johnny had liked the dish so much at the cabin he thought it would make him feel better or at least ease the transition from Kit's home to Briarcliff.
Oliver had cleaned the Monsignor's old room from top to bottom. He dusted the windows and made sure enough light made its way through. He decorated the room with all of Johnny's things to make him feel more at home and less in an abandoned insane asylum.
Oliver set the food down upon the monsignor's old desk against the wall. He looked to Johnny. Johnny stood against the side of the bed watching Oliver with cautious eyes. Just the look on his face made it clear to Oliver that Lana had filled Johnny's head with nonsense about him. The boy was obviously weary of him and he was not happy to see Oliver at all. It hurt Oliver. He didn't want his son to fear him or hold any resentment towards him.
"I thought you might be hungry." Oliver spoke softly as not to startle the boy.
Johnny kept quiet and pressed himself against the bed.
Oliver smiled softly. "Why so quiet?" He asked as he approached him, "You're not afraid of me, are you?"
Oliver knelt down to Johnny's level.
Johnny instantly glared at Oliver. "I'm not scared." He finally spoke. "Where's my mom? I want my mom."
Oliver grew angry at this. Johnny should want him not Lana. After all, Lana didn't even want him in the first place. She had called him a monster and tried to end his life with a dirty coat hanger. She didn't deserve him, or so Oliver believed.
"Now, now, Johnny. You're going to stay with me now."
"I don't want to be with you." Johnny glared deeper at him, "I want to be with my mom."
A seem tore in Oliver's heart. "Why not? I'm your father, remember?" He said as he smiled sadly at the boy.
Johnny only grew angry. "No, you're not!" He shouted hurting Oliver's pride.
Oliver tried to hold his temper. He grabbed Johnny's arms and tried to calm him. "Yes, I am."
"No! You're a liar and a bully!" Johnny cried.
The seam tore even more creating a large hole. He couldn't believe how much hate Lana had planted in their son. Johnny used to love him; he would follow him around the cabin and ask him so many questions. His eyes would light up at the mere sight of Oliver. What had happened to kill that light? Who turned his son against him? It was obvious, clear as day.
It was Lana.
Lana had turned his son against him. She had filled him with so much hate.
Oliver tightened his hold on Johnny in means to calm him but Johnny squirmed, fighting him. "Johnny." Oliver said sternly, "You don't speak that way to your father."
Johnny stopped his squirming and looked him straight in the eyes. "You're not my dad!" His eyes filled with tears, "You're just a big bully who hurt my mom!"
Oliver froze at his words. Johnny pushed his hands off of him.
"You broke your pinky promise and hurt my mom. You said she wouldn't get hurt and you lied! Liar!"
The word slapped Oliver across the face. He had promised him that he wouldn't hurt Lana and he had done just that. Hell, he was even planning to kill her. What Oliver didn't realize was that the promise he made meant so much to Johnny. Lana was Johnny's entire world; she was the only parent he knew. He simply adored her and wanted to protect her and to think that someone who was supposed to be his father hurt her, well, there was no forgiveness for that. That silly little pinky promise had been Oliver's downfall.
"Johnny-" Oliver tried to speak.
"No! I want my mom! Take me to my mom!" the boy cried.
Johnny then pushed past Oliver and ran to the door. Oliver caught him before he could escape. Johnny squirmed and kicked in Oliver's strong arms as Oliver plucked him off the ground and sat him down on the bed.
"Listen to me, Johnny." Oliver said. His voice was stern and he was close to losing his temper. "I am your father whether you like it or not, do you understand me?" He lifted a finger.
Johnny looked up at him with the wounded and angry brown eyes of his mother. He surely had inherited all of her tenacity and pluck. Oliver almost wanted to cry at the boy's rejection but he held himself strong. "Now, as your father you are going to respect me and do as I say."
"I want my mom." Johnny repeated with red teary eyes.
"Well, forget about her because I'm all you've got now." Oliver said coldly and exited the room, slamming the door behind him.
Johnny glared at him as he left. When Oliver was gone, he slid off the bed and hurried to the door. He kicked the door and slammed his fists against it but it wouldn't budge. After he wore himself out, Johnny laid his back against the door and slid down to the floor.
"Mom, come get me." He whimpered as he hugged his knees.
X
Oliver instantly regretted his words as soon as he slammed the door behind him. He never wanted to be cruel to his son but his rejection had pained him so much that he almost couldn't take it. Johnny was his son, his own flesh and blood, he was supposed to love him unconditionally. It's the way things had to be.
Oliver rushed to Jude's old office in pure rage. He slammed the door shut. The heavy sound echoed through the room and dust fell off the ceiling. Oliver paced back and forth running his hand through his messy dark hair. He took off his glasses and discarded them on the desk. He was conflicted more now then ever.
If he killed Lana, Johnny would hate him. He would never forgive him for breaking his promise further. But then again, Johnny didn't need to know. He didn't need to know that his mother was dead. After all, Briarcliff was only temporary. He could kill Lana and move them far away where no one would find them and with time Johnny would forget his mother and learn to love and depend on his father.
It was a cruel thing to do, Oliver knew that. He didn't grow up with a mother and the long term affects cost him so much. He didn't want that for his son. He wanted Johnny to grow up with the warmth and love of a mother but Lana was not complacent. He had tried once and he couldn't trust her. She couldn't be changed to live at his side and be a mother to both of them. It just wasn't going to work. Besides, his seething rage was burning uncontrollably and all he wanted was to end her. He was truly at a crossroads.
X
"Ms. Winters, please calm down." One of the detectives said as Lana paced back and forth at the police station.
Lana paused and looked at him with fire in her eyes. She slowly approached him, "My son was taken by a maniac and you want me to calm down?"
Detective Rogers stood his ground. "I'm sorry but we have our best men looking for him."
"That is not enough!" Lana snapped.
Apparently what had occurred was as soon as Kit opened the door to see who was there, he was instantly hit in the face with a blunt object. Kit had not seen it coming and fell to the floor unconscious. When he woke up night had fallen, Julia and Thomas were at his side and Johnny was nowhere to be seen.
It took Kit moments to come to and when he did the children told him that the boogey man had come and taken Johnny. Kit instantly knew it was Oliver and called Lana but he couldn't find her anywhere. When he managed to call her office, Lana had already left. So Kit called Lou who contacted the police.
Now they were at the station trying to calm a raging Lana down. She had been hysterical and almost fainted when Kit told her what had happened. She rushed out the house in search for her son and it took the detective and two officers to force her back to the station. They needed all the information she had and Lana gave it all to them.
She told him that she had been looking for him but finding him was close to impossible. Oliver Thredson had vanished like thin air. Nevertheless, a child abduction alert was sent out through the state in hopes that someone, anyone, had seen them.
When Lou and the detectives left the interrogation room, Kit walked over to Lana and took a seat next to her at the table. He placed his hand on hers. "I'm sorry, Lana. I'm really sorry."
Lana lifted her eyes to meet his. "Its not your fault, Kit."
"Yes it is." He said hating himself, "I was supposed to be watching him. I was the one who opened that door."
He closed his free hand in a tight fist.
Lana brushed his cheek with her hand. The swelling had gone down just a bit but his cheek was still puffy and red and the bruise was visible as day. "Oliver is a maniac. He can't be trusted or underestimated." She let her hand fall, "Besides, I'm the one who left my son…" She tried to keep the anger at bay but couldn't control the rage burning inside of her, "I left him to search for that bastard and look what happened? He was so close to us all along."
"It isn't yer fault, Lana." Kit reassured her, "Ya didn't know he was watchin'. Neither of us knew."
"You don't understand, Kit," She looked at him with broken eyes, "I promised Johnny I wouldn't let anything happen to him. I failed him…" She bowed her head and let the tears run down her face and on to her lap, "My baby boy, my poor little baby boy is all alone and scared. He needs me and I failed him."
Kit hugged Lana, bringing her close. "We'll find him, just ya wait and see."
Lana pulled away. "I'd do anything for that boy. I'd kill for him, Kit."
Kit caressed her cheek, wiping away her tears with his thumb. "Yer a good mother, Lana."
Lana was almost at a loss from his words. The doctor who tended Johnny when he had that asthma attack all those years ago had told her the same thing. At that time Lana felt undeserving of his words just like she did then at that moment. She had sworn herself to protect Johnny from Oliver and she had failed. Oliver took her boy but he wasn't going to get away with it, not alive at least.
