Return

Luke slammed the door behind them. Dinner had been a disaster. Elise had been almost unresponsive all day. She was usually very subdued but equally passionate.

"What was that at lunch?!" He shouted.

Elise looked to Luke with something resembling confusion. Lowering the cheap umbrella they'd bought to replace her old one earlier that week.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I asked you to marry me! And you-you-you said no!"

Elise didn't know how to explain it. He wouldn't understand. She wanted a love that would totally consume her. Luke just didn't do that for her. At first it was like fire. They couldn't seem to keep their hands off one another. Then he suddenly changed. He wanted to go out...in the sun. He started bringing colors into their apartment. Elise didn't know how much more she could take.

"Why?! I thought you loved me!" Luke shouted as he slumped onto the new tan couch he'd just purchased.

"Oh mon amour sombre, I did. Before you began using," She shuddered and tried to calm her nerves, "colors."

"I can't be surrounded by complete black anymore Elise." Luke sighed.

"That is why I said no. You're not the man I loved before."

Luke silently looked up at this beautiful woman who stood tall in her black dress that hugged her snugly around the waist. She was almost a carbon copy of her gorgeous mother.

"What should we do then? Elise, I have nowhere to go." He sighed.

"I know that mes ténèbres. I shall be moving home. It's almost Halloween and I've missed my family dearly." Elise said as she sat next to him.

"I-I-I can keep the apartment?" He asked, clearly surprised.

"Why of course! My father already paid for ten years!"

Elise stood and gave a small smile.

"T-t-t-ten years?"

"Of course you don't have to stay that long. You can just take whatever money you don't use for the apartment on your move out."

She sat there knitting in silence while her husband paced back and forth. He was growing anxious. Halloween was just around the corner and they'd not yet heard if their oldest child was returning with her boyfriend. Just the word made him mad. Boyfriend. His daughter didn't need a boyfriend.

"Darling, pacing back and forth isn't going to cause the phone to ring. We may not hear from her today." His wife said as she watched him with her small smile.

"She missed the last two years querida. She hasn't called or written. That man has taken her from us!" He shouted as he stomped his feet.

With his last stomp the phone rang. He turned quickly but his beloved already had the phone to her ear. Her eyes grew wide and she looked to her husband. She gave a slight nod and her husband cheered. She hung up the phone and her husband raced around.

"Lurch! Go get my daughter!" Her husband shouted as he raised his hand into the air.

Elise finished packing her things when she heard Luke give a shout. She looked around the corner and gave a large smile. Standing with his head down a bit, the ceilings not tall enough, was Lurch. She came out pulling her suitcases.

"Lurch! Did mother send you?" She asked.

"Your father." Came his low answer while looking expectantly to Luke.

"He won't be coming with us Lurch. I'm moving home. Please put my bags in the car for me while I finish up here." Elise said as she placed her bags in Lurch's hands.

He gave a low groan and nodded, though a faint smile on his face. Luke was plastered to the chair and Elise tilted her head.

"It's just Lurch. He's harmless."

"Harmless? He-he-he's huge!"

Elise leaned over and touched Luke's cheek.

"Luke, thank you for the wonderful years." She said as she kissed his cheek then stood tall.

Lurch then reappeared with a small black umbrella and waited expectantly for Elise. She took the umbrella from Lurch and looked up at him.

"Take me home Lurch. It's been far too long."

"Gomez please."

"She should be here already Morticia." Gomez said as he paced again, back and forth.

The sound of the car outside caused both to look up from their respective activities. They looked to each other and Gomez raced off to welcome their oldest child, Morticia following behind at a slower pace. Lurch had offered his hand and Elise was stepping down from the car.

"Elisabane!" came Gomez's shout.

Elise looked up and gave a small smile. Her mother shuffled past her father and embraced her oldest child. Elise sighed and wrapped her arms around her mother. She'd missed this, her mother and father's welcoming faces. Her mother smelled the same as two and a half years ago. Hemlock and Nightshade mixed with Belladonna. Her mother made a small 'oh' sound and rubbed Elise's back.

"Oh darling, is everything alright?" Morticia asked as she lifted Elise's face to look at her darling daughter.

"I'm just happy to be home. For good if you'll let me."

"Oh darling of course!"

Morticia pulled her daughter's head to her chest and rubbed her back.

"Where is Luke?" Gomez asked with some disdain.

"Gomez!" Morticia cried.

"I left him. He started using..."Elise, though wrapped in her mother's arms, shuddered, "Colors in the apartment."

"How dare he!" Gomez shouted again.

"Well, let's get out of this awful sun and into the house."

With that Lurch lifted Elise's bags and the four of them went inside. Wednesday and Pugsly both looked up from their guillotine and gave a cheer as they rushed to their older sister, who knelt down to lift little Wednesday into her arms. Pugsly was smiling as he hugged his older sister around the waist; Wednesday had her arms around Elise's neck.

"Are you going to leave again?" Came Wednesday's little voice.

Elise took her sister's chin and lifted it so she could look into her eyes.

"Never again. I'm here to stay Wednesday."

"Promise?" Asked Pugsly.

"Promise."

"Mama! Fester!" Morticia said as she walked around her children and seated herself in her chair.

Mama and Fester came running out and each gave a cry as they both hugged Elise. Gomez was pouting and Morticia cleared her throat. He smoked his cigar and Elise gave a small chuckle.

"Father."

Gomez opened his arms and she wrapped herself in them. Oh it felt good to be home. In the gloom and darkness that was the house. He kissed her temple and she kissed his cheek.

"I've missed all of you." She said as she seated herself in her father's chair and began to relax.

"Where's Luke?" Mama asked as she clasped her hands in front of her.

"Yes darling, you didn't tell us what happened." Morticia said as she began knitting again.

"Luke changed. He began using colors in the apartment. He wanted to go out...in the sun." Elise said with a grimace.

Each family member groaned and Elise sighed as she sat back. She looked around and gave a smile as her father rang the bell, shaking the house. She watched as Lurch came in and gave a groan in her way before turning to her father.

"You rang?" He asked.

Elise, for just a moment, watched as each of her family members smiled and laughed. Wednesday was holding Marie Antoinette, her headless doll, in her arms and Pugsly was watching Uncle Fester make the light bulb glow. Mama was speaking with Morticia about dinner for that night. Lurch was at his harpsicord, playing happily. Thing tapped her on the shoulder and she turned her gaze.

"It's very nice to see you again too Thing." She said softly as she gently shook the hand.

Her eyes turned back to the rest of her family and landed on her father, who was dancing merrily by himself. Her mother was gazing with adoration as her father smoked his cigar and danced.

Elisabane Talavina Addams was home at last, where she belonged.

I hope that I at least tried to make the Addams' at least in character. I absolutely love the show!