Disclaimer: I do not own American Horror Story or anything of the like. I do own my original characters and any subplots that were not in the show. Also the quote in the summary is from multi-murderer H.H. Holmes.

The following story is rated M for strong language, violence and sexual situations. Reader discretion is advised.

Chapter One: Where Is My Mind?

Boston, Massachusetts

Vivien had just agreed to go to LA to look at a house or two, in hopes of starting anew, when she felt her cellphone vibrate. She looked down at it and saw that it read "Molly", Ben's sister. During Ben's final plea, she had noticed him reject several phone calls but didn't bother asking who it was. Mainly because a part of her just didn't care anymore. He had ruined everything when he betrayed their marriage vows in their bed. But even through all the heartache, she still loved him. No matter how much she tried not to, she couldn't help it.

She quickly answered, wondering what was wrong,

"Hello Molly, is something wrong? Or have you just decided to send Briar-Rose back home since you had already signed your parental rights over to us before you fled the state with her?" Her tone conveyed genuine concern intertwined with irritation, that was met Molly speaking frantically, worry and fear lacing her voice. She completely regarded Vivien's words.

"Oh Viv, I know you guys are busy with everything but I just had to call. I don't know what to do, she's been locked up for a month now! That's why I've been trying to get a hold of Ben, I knew he would know what I should do."

Vivien set her mouth in a deep frown as irritation and worry filled her being. Violet had been right to be concerned weeks ago when she hadn't heard from her cousin. Something obviously happened with Molly's daughter, Briar-Rose. She was furious with Molly because she insisted on moving so far away from them. Ben had even stated that putting her daughter through the stress of such a drastic change and ripping her away from her support group would exacerbate her condition, possibly even causing a psychotic break. Ben even volunteered to take her in. Molly had agreed to it but backed out of it at the last minute. Vivien was furious because they had gotten the court documents to have guardianship and custody of her transferred to them. They had called the police but they couldn't find them. She refused to heed the advice and now look, they hadn't been gone two months and now who knows what fiasco's transpired.

"Are you kidding me, Molly? Why the hell didn't you just let her stay with us like we had all originally agreed on? Now she's in jail?!" Vivien snapped through gritted teeth.

Ben walked into the kitchen after he heard her voice getting shrill with rage. Once he caught her eye he silently mouthed, "Who is it?"

Rather than announcing it, she simply put the phone on speaker so he could hear his sisters brazen insensitivity and weak justifications for her selfishness.

"Oh no, Viv! She's not in jail, she's locked up in a loony bin! I know I should have just let her stay with you, I just didn't want to be that far away from my baby."

Vivien and Ben shared a mutually enraged look, so united in their outrage, that they almost forget all their marital troubles. Before Vivien could lambaste her sister in law further, Ben decided to chime in.

"God damn it Molly, what in the hell is your problem?! Your daughter gets admitted to a psychiatric hospital, you don't tell us and then you try to play the loving mother? Your act is far from convincing, Molly." He said darkly. He heard her starting to respond, when a thought occurred to him. He knew his sister always had some sort of hidden agenda.

"Wait, why are you calling us? Oh Jesus Molly, what did you do that they won't release her to you?" Ben finished his question as he figured out her motive for calling before she could answer.

Seattle, Washington

I was laying on the cot provided in my cell, staring up at the ceiling wondering if I would ever get out of here. I don't even know how long I have been here. The days begin to run together after awhile. The full details of how I got here were still a bit fuzzy.

I remember, my mother refused to let me keep taking my meds because I simply needed to learn to be normal. Apparently my condition was bothersome to her current flavor of the week. He explained to her that I was obviously too weak and coddled; I just acted that way for the attention. He didn't seem to mind when he'd creep into my room in the middle of the night. He called me his beautiful basket case and his paranoid angel. I felt vile and covered with a particular filth that would never come clean. I told my mother about it every morning and had pleaded with her to either leave him or just let my go back with my aunt and uncle; that was home to me anyway.. My mother brushed it off and remained adamant that it was just another hallucination, I believed her.

Without my medications, Mr. Cromwell started to talk with me again, though I still hadn't seen or heard from the others yet. I had never stopped seeing him but when I took the pills, it just made his voice sound garbled and indistinguishable. He was very unhappy with me. He started telling me to do horrible things to people. I tried to ignore him and go on with my life but he was my constant torment. He would scream at me night and day. I couldn't sleep or function. I just wanted it to stop.

I walked over to the grungy mirror on the wall. I had bandages covering my left ear and directly below it, as well as right below my jugular. In my desperation to get Mr. Cromwell to leave me alone, I had taken a pocket knife and a screwdriver to myself. I don't remember too much after that.

Since I've been here, I've been very compliant with Dr. Lane's requests. I participated in group as well as individual therapy. I took my medications without a fight, which seemed like a rare feat in the place. I even showered and shaved in front of the nurses and orderlies, which was the standard procedure; they had to watch to make sure that I didn't try to harm myself. Standard procedure or not, it was a humiliating experience. Being naked in general really isn't my idea of a good time, let alone in front of a group of people. I hate it here. Even so, I cooperated as much as I was able because Dr. Lane had made an agreement with me. She said that if I complied with everything that I was supposed to do, she would give me back my cell phone so I could contact my cousin, Violet.

I missed Violet. We talked everyday, about anything and everything. She was the one person I could talk without feeling judged and vice versa. Cousin or not, she was the only friend I've ever had. I needed to talk to her, I was worried about her. She had been very depressed lately with everything that had gone on with her parents.

First the horrible miscarriage, followed by the funeral, the infidelity of her father and the constant fighting and tension between them. I love my uncle Ben and my aunt Vivien unconditionally but I am still very upset and angry with them.

The miscarriage was a tragedy, but we all grieve differently and I don't think anyone should be forced to attend a funeral. So when I got the 2 a.m. call from Violet, her voice cracking as she begged me to come with her, I couldn't tell her no. She didn't want to go but her parents were making her, hoping that sharing in the grieving process would bring them closer together. It didn't, if anything it pulled them farther apart. We went but sat on the opposite side of the pew as her parents. She had a death grip on my hand, leaned her head on my shoulder as she fought back tears. I sat there rigidly, trying to comfort her as well as I could but I felt helpless. She was always the strong one, not me. I didn't know how to save her from the pain.

After that came the adultery, my uncle had an affair with his prized pupil. No one is entirely sure how long the affair went on before he was caught in the act or if it was indeed a one time thing like he claimed. It completely shattered Violet's view of the man who was once her hero. I hated seeing her so disillusioned and hurt.

"Briar-Rose?…..Briar-Rose?" "Briar-Rose?!" "BRIAR-ROSE HARMON!"

A familiar voice called me out of my thoughts as I looked to up to Dr. Lane wearing a concerned grimace as she stared at me.

"Yes, Dr. Lane?" My voice still held a raspy hoarseness to it that came from the latest catatonic and psychotic episodes I had experienced.

I could see Dr. Lane visibly relax as she spoke. "Well you were certainly deep in thought, I had been to trying to get your attention for over five minutes! Do you want to tell me what you were thinking about?"

I gave a sigh before droning my answer, "My family."

With a nod and a knowing smile, she took a seat next to me. I looked up at her with curious anticipation as she began to speak.

"Well about that. You have done so well with everything this last month, I am absolutely thrilled with your progress! You should be proud of yourself for the strength you have shown. I think it's time that I fulfill my end of the bargain don't you?" Her smile made her brown eyes sparkle as she pulled out my

cellphone from her pocket. "It's fully charged. If you keep up your routine, you may use it an hour in the morning and an hour at night."

My heart was beating wildly with pure unadulterated happiness. I had finely done something right, on my own. As I reached out my trembling hands to grab my phone. I turned on the phone and waited with anticipation for it to boot up. My felt my heart sink as hundreds of missed calls, texts and voicemails from the last month popped up. They were all from Violet. I read through them in quick succession, before listening to the voicemails. They started out concerned, then angry, then frantic and finally defeated. I felt like I had failed her. She had needed me and I wasn't there. My illness prevented me from being there for her.

I couldn't fight back my frustrated tears any longer as I rapidly texted her back. Dr. Lane placed a hand on my shoulder while softly asking, "Are you doing alright, Briar-Rose?"

I felt overwhelmed. I began compulsively repeating her word "Alright" over and over. I felt as though I were in an endless loop and no matter how hard I tried to break out of it, I couldn't. I hated myself for being so weak.

Boston, Massachusetts

Violet has just walked out of her favorite bookstore, more sullen the usual as she on a bench and pulled out "The Man Who Laughs" to read. It had been over a month now since she had spoke with her cousin, though not for lack of trying. She knew that Briar-Rose wouldn't ever her intentionally blow her off, especially not for this long. Something was wrong, she could just feel it. It didn't matter how much her parents tried to ease her worried mind, her concern remained. Even though she knew something had to have happened, she couldn't help but feel a little betrayed by Briar-Rose. She knew full well how ridiculous that was but she couldn't help it. She felt abandoned by the only person that ever truly understood her.

Violet was called out of her thoughts when she felt her cellphone vibrating continuously in her pocket. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion because she never received too many calls and texts and now she was being flooded with messages. She pulled out her phone and a genuine smile lit up her face. Seeing her cousin's name on there caused relief to wash over her. She read through the messages and began to feel a bit guilty when Briar-Rose apologized for not being there for her, especially when she found out why her cousin was so aloof lately.

"I've been at Morde Asylum in Seattle, Washington for about a month. I've done everything they told me to and today Dr. Lane gave me my phone to use 2 hours a day. I'm so sorry, Vi! I should've been there for you….."

Anger was replacing Violet's guilt as she processed that piece of information. Briar-Rose was committed and Molly had neglected to let anyone know...For. A. Month. Even when they had all called her on several occasions when Violet started to get worried and Molly never once mentioned that THAT was the reason why no one had heard from her. Slamming her book shut and stuffing it into her bag, she called her cousin as she began power walking home.

Her heart sank when she could hear the tears thickening Briar-Rose's voice. Her entire being was filled with self-reproach because her cousin felt so devastated for letting her down. Regretting her emotions previously getting the best of her, she wished she could take back the anger filled messages she had sent, but she had just been so damn frustrated.

"Hey, hey, HEY! Briar-Rose it's fine, I promise. I'm not mad or upset with you. I was just worried about you." Violet spoke in a soft tone that others weren't used to hearing.

She felt terrible lying to Briar-Rose but she knew that if she didn't, her cousin would never forgive herself.

"Oh. Alright. Well I'm still sorry that I worried you. Have you heard from my mother at all? Dr. Lane said she spoke to her once when I first got here but she hasn't been able to get a hold of her since." Briar-Rose voice was still thickened with tears but she was far more legible. It was obvious that she was hoping to hear that her mother was actually concerned for her.

Violet couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her mother hadn't even come by to visit her. She was beginning to wonder if it were even possible for her aunt Molly to NOT be a piece of shit. She felt her heart racing from the rage that was coursing through her veins. She was so sick of the adults in her life being stupid. What happened when you passed the threshold into adulthood that made you no longer capable of being a decent person?

She and Briar-Rose continued talking until she was about a block away from her house. It was so nice to have her best friend back. They talked about everything that happened of the last month. Violet was surprised and happy at how much better her cousin sounded, what ever treatment she was getting was obviously helping. Still, they used to live mere houses from each other, sometimes in the same house. Now they were almost three thousand miles apart. It sucked and made Violet all the more moody and depressed.

"Well, it's been wonderful talking with you Vi! Seriously, you have no idea how much better I feel, thank you for that by the way. But I have to go to Group now. I'll talk to you tonight, okay? I love you." Briar-Rose spoke in a much more calm and relaxed voice. If Violet wasn't mistaken she even thought she could detect a hint of excitement in her tone.

She smiled softly before saying, "Oh don't thank me, I'm just glad that you're okay. Alright, I'll let you go. I love you too." She stuffed her phone back into her pocket before marching up to her house. With a heavy sigh she pushed open the door.

She was welcomed to sound of her mother shrieking like a banshee and her dad yelling. She figured they had started fighting earlier than usual today. As she looked around, she noticed suitcases and boxes packed up everywhere. She followed the sound of her parents screaming with fury into the kitchen.

"What's going on?" Violet's droning voice cut through the sound of their arguing as they looked up at their daughter. Both instantly stopped shouting and softened their expressions.

Vivien stretched out her hand to Violet as she spoke in a gentle tone. "Oh, come sit down sweetheart. We have a lot to discuss." Ben nodded in agreement, trying to keep his gaze soft and loving.

With apprehension and an annoyed roll of the eyes, Violet took at seat at the table with them.

Author's Note: So that was the first chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions or comments feel free to message me or leave a review! If you have any constructive criticism to offer, I would be happy to hear. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

I would like to dedicate this chapter to CohanLove0106. You have been such a huge help and inspiration to me! I really appreciation all of the input you have given me.