Don't own AHS

A/N: Dem jeans, Pauly.

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EIGHTEEN

All the Late Bloomers

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The boy sat plopped on the doctor's table in his diapers waiting to be examined. Lana stood by the table, guarding him in case he decided to crawl off. So far, the baby boy only seemed interested in the sanitary tissue he was sitting on. He crumbled it with his little hands and tried to rip it from beneath him.

Lana chewed on her thumbnail. She was eagerly awaiting the return of the doctor with his diagnoses of Johnny's inability to walk at a year old. Wendy was the first to worry but now Lana worried too.

Lana reached over and squished Johnny's thigh rolls, wondering if there was anything wrong with his legs. He seemed to be standing up on his own with the help of furniture or a hand but didn't make the effort to walk. At first Lana thought he needed time but enough was enough and she was an impatient woman after all. If there was something wrong with her son she wanted to know.

There was a knock on the door and the doctor stepped inside. Johnny took one look at the older gentlemen and raised his arms up to Lana. He didn't like to be poked and prodded with cold doctor's tools.

"Well, Miss Winters," He spoke, making his way over to the table.

"What is it, Doctor? What's wrong with my son?"

"That's the thing, there's nothing wrong." He said proudly and firmly with an aging smile. "Young Johnny here is healthy as can be."

Lana was confused, "Then why isn't he walking? He should be walking by now, I'm sure."

"To be honest with you, Miss Winters, all babies are different. They all reach milestones at different months. Johnny here is just a little late is all but he'll walk when he's ready."

"Muh-muh…" Johnny reached for Lana again. That time Lana picked him up and sat him on her hip.

"Are you sure?" She was still worried.

"Oh, I'm sure. He's just taking his sweet time. Trust me, some children don't begin walking until seventeen months, it's perfectly normal."

And with that, Lana left the doctor's office somewhat reassure with Johnny bundled up in his sweater and beanie.

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"Are you sure?" Wendy asked skeptically. She sat at her desk in her classroom grading papers from a small pop quiz she had given earlier that day.

Lana stood by the black board, looking over the math equations that had been left behind on the board. "Yes, I'm sure that's what he said."

"Hmm." Wendy wasn't too convinced but was relieved the words had come from a doctor himself. She glanced over to where she kept the bookcases and play area. Johnny sat on the carpet playing with some of the classroom toys for free time. "Well, I guess we'll just have to wait."

Lana turned from the board with a sigh and glanced around at the Halloween decorations Wendy had plastered around her classroom; Halloween was the following day. It had been an hour since school let out and they were the only three in the classroom. Wendy's car was in the shop so Lana had swung by to pick her up.

Lana went around the desk and noticed the framed photo of little Johnny Wendy had on her desk. It made Lana smile but she wondered what Wendy told people when they asked the boy who it was. In that moment, Lana didn't want to ask. She wanted to give Wendy the benefit of the doubt. After all, Lana was no saint. The manuscript was still in her study.

Instead, a playful smirk danced along her lips, "I don't think we've ever been alone in your classroom before."

Wendy noted Lana's silky tone and glanced up to meet her tantalizing gaze. "Lana, the boy."

Lana looked up to check on Johnny who had used the book shelf to stand up and was now knocking books off the shelf. "Oh-oh!"

Lana frowned for a moment, distracted and then took her attention back to Wendy, scooting closer to her, "C'mon, don't be a prude."

"Lana!" Wendy gasped when Lana's hand attempted to make it's way up her skirt. "Lana, there's faculty still in the building. Someone could walk in."

Lana pulled away with a heavy sigh, "You're no fun, you know that?"

"Yes, well, I'd like to keep my job." Wendy turned hotly back to her papers.

Lana rolled her eyes and went to pluck Johnny from the mess he was making. "Fine. We'll wait for you outside then."

Wendy stood from the desk to stop her, "Lana—"

But to no avail. Lana was as stubborn as always and left with the baby.

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Lana sat Johnny on the playground's merry go round and slowly began to spin it. She kept a close eye on him, making sure he wouldn't fall off. Wendy's fear of being caught always rubbed Lana the wrong way. She understood Wendy had it all on the line but every time she showed any sign of fear, Lana was reminded of her days in Briarcliff. Surely it had been Lana's fault for going in the first place but Wendy had been the one to keep her there with that ridiculous signature filled with fear and selfishness.

Screams suddenly hit the air, causing Lana to jump out of her deep thoughts. She immediately stopped the merry go round and grabbed Johnny. When she looked up, all she saw were a group of older children wearing masks running down the streets screaming and laughing.

Lana sighed, calming down her beating heart. She sat Johnny back down and knelt down right in front of him.

"Oh-oh." He mumbled.

"Uh-oh." Lana mimicked him. She caressed his hair and sighed, "Guess Mama Wendy's gonna want to take you trick or treating…." She studied his sweet little face.

He was looking a little like Oliver the older he got. Except those sky blues, those were all his own.

"Mommy's a little jumpy." Lana admitted to him, "And she might be for a long time."

Lana had often contemplated if she was going to one day tell Johnny about her time in Briarcliff. She was sure the boy would grow old enough to ask about his father one day and if she wouldn't provide answers, he was most likely going to look for them. Still, Lana was determined to not tell the boy who his father really was, hell, what he was. She wanted to spare him that pain and shame. Alas for Briarcliff, that was a part of her past that had left so many holes in the life. Holes that still needed to be covered with the kind of closure that took years to harvest.

Of course Johnny was going to ask her why she had nightmares during the night. She just hoped she had the right answers for him.

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Wendy sat on the sofa that night watching the news. There was a segment on the upcoming holiday and the excitement going around. There were warnings issued about proper safety and so on. Johnny sat by the book case, harassing Lana's plant.

When Lana saw him, she plucked him from it and sat him back on his blanket in front of the television screen.

"You little stinker, what did I tell you about that plant." She scolded him.

"Oh!" He protested and began to crawl back to the plant.

"Which one of us is taking him out tomorrow night?" Wendy asked.

Lana once again plucked him from the floor and stood straight, holding him from under the arms as he dangled a few inches from the floor. "Take him where?"

Wendy raised a brow, "Trick or treating, you doof. Or did you forget?"

Lana scoffed, "I didn't forget." She sat Johnny down on the blanket again and handed him a toy.

Johnny shook the toy and threw it aside, crawling towards the plant again.

"I just don't understand why we both can't take him?"

"Well, one of us had to stay and pass the candy."

Lana sighed, "I don't know why you decide to every year."

Wendy frowned, "The kids know I do every year and they always stop by. You know that."

Lana watched Johnny reach her plant and begin to pull the soil out. "I guess I'll take him then. Your students will be awfully disappointed to see me instead."

Wendy laughed, "Well, have you picked out a costume for Johnny then?"

"No." Lana went over to the plant and yanked the boy back by his onesie. "I'll stop by tomorrow after work."

"Don't forget." Wendy warned.

Johnny squirmed out of her grasp and dove for the plant again.

"I won't—Johnny! Please stop." Lana picked him up and sat him on her hip. "You just earned yourself a bath."

"He's determined. I wonder where he gets that from?" Wendy called out as Lana disappeared down the hall with the whining child.

"Ha-ha, very funny!" Lana's voice echoed back.

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As soon as the sun set behind the stormy gray clouds, children emerged from their homes dressed in costumes to beg for candy. Their cries of excitement and laughter could be heard from inside the Winters-Peyser residence.

The two women stood in the living room, hands on their hips and eyes down on the baby boy that sat on the floor in front of them.

Wendy didn't look too convinced but was awfully amused, no less, "Lana, you're terrible."

Lana frowned and glanced at her, "What? Why?"

Wendy tried to cover her smile, "The poor thing. You're so mean."

"I told you, it's all they had." Lana defended herself.

Wendy sighed, "I guess that's what we get for waiting last minute."

The two women laid their eyes upon the baby boy dressed in a skunk costume, striped tail and all. He glanced up at them, hoodie and ears over his head and flashed them a smile, unaware of what they were laughing at.

"Oh my goodness, let me get the camera."

"Wendy—" Lana sighed, "We're going to be late."

Wendy returned with her camera, "Oh, don't be sour, Lana. It won't take long."

Lana just shook her head. She had arrived to the costume store after work a few hours prior. They were low on baby costumes and only had the skunk, a tiger and a pumpkin left. Lana made the quick decision when she remembered her dismembered plant at home. It wasn't her best moment but one she would laugh at in years to come.

The little boy seemed to enjoy trick or treating. He was a bit confused as to why they were doing it but once he saw all the other children receiving candy he grew excited and wanted to join in too. Sadly, he couldn't quite walk on his own but he seemed eager to do so.

By the time they returned home, Wendy was sitting in the living room with the bowl of candy watching a horror movie.

"How'd it go?" She asked.

Lana set the boy down; he had yanked off his skunk hoodie and was crawling to the plant. Lana, too tired to fright him on it, let it go. She plunked down next to Wendy and picked a candy from Johnny's pumpkin pail. "Exhausting."

"Did he have fun?"

"Looked like it."

Johnny used the pot to haul himself up. He then glanced over his shoulder, looked at his mothers and smiled. He took one stepped towards them and toppled over.

"Any day now." Wendy pointed out and called the boy over.

Johnny crawled over to them and raised his hands to be picked up. "Dey-di." He babbled when Wendy picked him up and sat him on her lap.

Lana watched the two of them. That time last year Johnny was a tiny new born and the year before that Lana was locked inside Briarcliff. She was almost nervous of what next year would bring but hoped it would be worth it.