Disclaimer – I don't own American Horror Story

. . .

"Hey . . . Mom?" Violet asked. "Is it okay if I have my boyfriend over for dinner?"

She figured now would be a good as time as any to tell her mother, right? And Tate was already here, she didn't feel like asking him to leave. Mostly because he couldn't. So, she left her cousin and her boyfriend upstairs in her room and made the journey down into the kitchen to talk to her mother.

"You have a boyfriend?" Vivian asked in shock. What was happening to her little girl? They used to talk . . . In fact, there was once a time when Violet would actually trust Vivian with her crushes and things. That had been years ago now though . . .

"Yeah, Dad didn't tell you?"

"Dad knows you have a boyfriend?" Vivian's mind was racing. What was happening? It was like her whole family was working against her. Purposely trying to keep information from her. Betrayal, that's what it was. They were working together, differences aside. Trying to get under her skin. For a great purpose? Possibly . . .

No, Vivian, she told herself. It's just the crazy pregnancy hormones talking. Your family's fine.

"Yeah, he's one of Dad's patients," Violet said, absentmindedly playing with one of the flowers Vivian had set out in a vase on the counter top. "He's upstairs now. He wanted to meet Lily, so he snuck into my room as a surprise. I figured since you're making extra food anyway, it'd be nice for you to formally meet him. Being that he saved your life and all."

Violet mentally patted herself on the back for playing the you-owe-him-your-life card. Now her mom couldn't say no.

Vivian examined the ingredients she had laid out in front of her. "Yeah, I guess he can stay. We've got enough food . . ."

"Thanks Mom!" Violet exclaimed, actually smiling for once. Then she did something even rarer, she gave Vivian a hug. Before Vivian had time to react, Violet was flying out of the room again.

Vivian smiled. Violet hadn't hugged her since . . . since before the she was pregnant again back in Boston. That had been over a year ago now.

. . .

Ben closed the door behind him, careful not to make a lot of noise.

"Sneaking out again?" a familiar voice asked.

Ben turned to face his least favorite person, boiling with rage. "Larry, I told you to stay away from here. I'm going to call the cops."

"Are you, Ben?" Larry asked, limping closer to him. "Are you really? I think we both know how that will go over. Besides, I wasn't trespassing, I was invited here."

"Who invited you here?" Ben asked, reaching hysterics. He was really mad. "There's no one here but my wife, my daughter and I!"

"That's what you think," Larry said. "And as for who invited me, it was Constance. She wanted to see me."

He sounded very smug.

"Well, Larry I'm very happy for you," Ben said. "But you need to get off my property. I hope everything goes well for you and Constance, and that everyone lives happily ever after. But for now, I have to go."

"Where are you going, Ben?" Larry asked. "Sneaking off to another mistress? Again?"

"No," Ben replied sternly.

"Well where are you sneaking off to then?" Larry followed Ben when he started to walk away. "You were pretty careful with the door there . . . is it a secret?"

Ben's pace sped up. "Well, I was going to pick up some flowers for my wife, but if you plan on following me the entire time, I'll just go back into my house."

"You think flowers will fix what you did?" Larry asked. "She's not just going to forgive you, Ben. She already hates your guts."

"I have to try," Ben admitted. "Now leave."

"Fine," Larry agreed. "But this isn't the last you'll see of me, Ben Harmon, I promise you that much."

Ben shook his head and continued walking to his car. He didn't look back to see where Larry was going, and he didn't really care that much.

. . .

"Hey," Violet said when she reentered the room. "Wanna stay for dinner?"

Tate smiled. "Your dad will let me?"

"I didn't ask my dad, now did I?" Violet replied.

Tate rolled his eyes. "Okay. I'll stay. On one condition."

"Which would be . . . ?" Violet asked stepping closed to him. He liked it when she was close to him.

"You have to tell your dad that you think I'm sexy," Tate said. Lily laughed from her bed, where she was sitting. Violet had totally forgotten she was there. Thank God she remembered before things with her and Tate got . . . physical. She was pretty sure Tate wouldn't care, but the last thing she needed was her cousin to see her doing it with her boyfriend. The kid was messed up enough already.

"Are you serious?" Violet asked. "Of course. It'll be so much fun to see the look on pathetic little face."

"You don't like your father?" Lily asked. She stood up from her bed and walked over to them, probably trying to join in on the conversation. Ben had mentioned something in the car about Lily needed to practice her social skills for her first day at Violet's school . . .

"I hate my father with a fiery burning passion that lives deep inside my soul," Violet replied. "He cheated on my mother and totally knocked up a girl who's only a few years older than me. He doesn't care about anyone but himself. So yeah, you could say that I don't like him."

"I hate my dad too," Lily replied, starting to sound angry. "And my mother. They don't understand me. They want me to be different than I am. They won't accept me."

"Same here," Tate replied. "My dad left me alone with my mother, who's a total slutty bitch by the way."

"My mom doesn't get me, she doesn't get that I'm growing up and I don't need her anymore. And she just . . . doesn't get it," Violet added. "So I guess we all hate our parents."

"Quite the trio," Lily agreed. "So Tate, do you go to our school?"

Tate shook his head. "I got kicked out of that shithole."

"Awesome."

"Guys!" Vivian's voice carried through the halls. "Dinner!"

"Let's go eat," Violet said. "I think she made lasagna or something."

"I already love your mother," Tate remarked as he followed Violet out of the room.

On their way down the stairs, they ran into Maria and Glades. Violet swallowed. Under her breath—so Lily wouldn't hear—she muttered, "Go away!"

And they did. Just like Tate had promised.

The three of them kept walking into the dining room. Violet could have sworn she saw Lily staring at the spot Maria and Glades had been standing out of the corner of her eye, but she could have been seeing things.

Vivian was standing there in front of the table, ready to welcome them. They stopped in the doorway, and an awkward silence fell.

"Mom," Violet said, realizing they didn't know each other. "This is Tate. Tate, this is my mom."

Tate held out his hand. "Very nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Harmon."

Vivian shook it. "And you too. I don't know how I'll ever be able to thank you enough for helping Violet and I when those people broke in . . ."

"Don't mention it," Tate told her. Violet smiled as her boyfriend's ability to smooth talk even the stiffest of adults.

"You had a break in?" Lily asked. She took a few steps into the room, pulling in front of Violet. It was then that Violet noticed her cousin was almost the exact same height as her, maybe a half inch taller.

"Uh, yeah . . ." Vivian said. "About a month ago. Tate helped Violet and I get out. Your parents didn't tell you?"

Lily shook her head. "We don't talk. Ever."

Vivian didn't really know what to say to that, so instead she invited the teenager to sit down. "Ben should be coming any second now, and then we can eat."

"Where is he, anyway?" Violet asked her voice harsh. She liked to show her hate for her father in every possible way, which included using a mean tone when speaking of him.

"I don't know," Vivian admitted. "I think I heard him step out a little while ago."

They heard the front door swinging open. "And that would be him."

"Sorry I'm late," Ben said as her jogged into the room, holding a bundle of flowers. He handed them to Vivian. "These are for you."

She smiled in spite of herself. "Wow, Ben . . . thanks."

When she wasn't looking, Tate gave Dr. Harmon the thumbs up and mouthed, nice. That was when realized his psychotic patient was present. "Tate?"

"Hey, Dr. Harmon," Tate said. "Good to see you."

"What are you doing here?" Ben asked, taking his seat at the table. She shot a quick look at Violet that read you are going to be in so much trouble if he says what I think he's going to say. And what he was thinking Tate was going to say is something that disturbed Ben so deeply he couldn't even finish the whole thought.

"Mrs. Harmon said I could have dinner here," Tate replied, shrugging.

"Yeah," Violet put in, trying to help him out. "Mom wanted to meet my boyfriend."

Ben cringed at the word boyfriend.

"Come on," Vivian said. "Let's eat!"

. . .

"So Tate," Vivian said about half-way through the dinner, trying to make small talk. "Do I know your mother?"

Violet answered for him, "Yeah mom, Tate's mother is Constance."

"What?" Vivian asked, looking at Ben. "You never told me that."

"I didn't know either," Ben said honestly. "You live next door, Tate?"

"What?" Tate looked really confused.

Violet became desperate. She began shoveling lasagna into her mouth. "This is so good mom! You'll have to show Lily and I how you make this."

"She will?" Lily asked, staring at her half-eaten piece.

"Yeah," Violet said. "It'll be something fun to do. I guess . . ."

Tate's hand drifted to her leg casually. Ben didn't notice. Violet knew what the action meant, do it now.

"So . . . Dad," Violet said. "Don't you think Tate's sexy?"

Ben spit out the Coke he had just taken a sip of all over the table. Tate surprised a laugh, and Lily snorted.

"Oh, Ben!" Vivian exclaimed, standing up to get paper towels.

Violet smiled. This was the best family diner ever.

. . .

After Ben's mess had been cleaned and everyone had finished their diner, Tate pretended to leave by walking out the door, and Violet and Lily went back upstairs. Violet opened the window and let Tate climb in.

"That was the best," he said.

"It really was," Lily agreed. "I can't believe you actually said that, Vi."

Violet shrugged. "I loved his face when he spit the water out. He was like, surprised I even knew that word."

"You know what would really piss him off?" Lily asked. "If you got pregnant."

"Don't give her any ideas," Tate hissed, smiling. Violet hit him.

"Oh shut up," Violet said. "I've heard some of the stuff you say to my dad about me in your sessions."

"Fine," Tate agreed. He turned to Lily. "Don't give me any ideas."

Violet rolled her eyes. She liked it when Tate was like this, when he joked around and smiled and laughed. It was better than that confused look he got when he was close to figuring out he was a ghost, or that weird way he had gotten when Violet tried to do him at the beach. But at the same time, he was 100% more annoying like this. She decided that the way he acted that she liked best was when they were kissing. He was happy, and he also wasn't talking. Not that she didn't like it when he talked. She loved it when he talked. His voice made her happy. Just seeing him made her happy. Was this what being in love felt like?

She laced her arms around his neck. "Do you realize how annoying you are sometimes?"

"I try," he replied. They began kissing. Violet liked kissing Tate. She liked the way his lips felt. She liked the way she could feel where every scar near his mouth was. What were those from, she wondered. Add that of the list of things to tell her.

"So . . ." Lily said, sounding awkward. "Did . . . either of you see those girls at the bottom of the stairs earlier?"

Tate and Violet broke apart and looked at each other, then to Lily. "What?"

"I saw . . . two girls at the bottom of the stairs," she said, sounding unsure of herself. "One of them was kind of heavy set, and she was all wet. The other had stab marks all over her torso, and looked like she had been crying."

"You saw Maria and Glades?" Tate asked her. He stepped closer to her, as if that might help. This was too much. Lily could see them too? Violet stepped up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder.

Lily nodded. "So I wasn't hallucinating?"

"No," Violet said, sighing from the irony. "I guess it turns out you really can see ghosts, Lily."

. . .

Man, this must have been a sucky chapter, huh? Sorry . . . it's just that I'm really bad with the adding characters in thing . . . At least I think I am, anyway. Am I? Again, with the review thing, constructive criticism is appreciated. Oh, and just a little side note, that "hate him with a fiery burning that lives passion deep inside my soul" thing is like my catch phrase. It originated from my friend saying that she hated our science teacher with a "fiery passion" so . . . yeah ha-ha felt like sharing. I say that whenever I dislike something/one.