Mrs Addams was stood at the front doorway watching her son Gomez entertaining their guest cousin Balthazar. It was good to see her son happily throwing knives at his captive cousin who had kindly chose to visit to cheer Gomez up. Since Fester had left for the Bermuda Triangle Gomez hadn't been up for anything except his trains which he only played with when he was really depressed.

In hindsight Mrs Addams probably shouldn't have introduced her sons to the Amour twins Flora and Fauna. Both her boys were very competitive though Fester was very shy around the opposite sex. Gomez had no such problem as he was very much his father's son, he had notorious reputation as womaniser. Mrs Addams still had fond memories of her husband dismembering her former suitor. She fell in love with him that very night however his devotion was not easily won. Fortunately she was no ordinary woman; she learned from the best witches in Salem including the prestigious and most powerful witch Esmeralda Frump in how to enslave a man. Her husband didn't stand a chance.

It was thinking of her old friend that reminded her why she had come outside in the first place. "Gomez." she called out. "Your father wants to speak to you."

"Coming Mother." Gomez sighed in frustration; he was a bit rusty in his knife throwing skills. He hadn't been able to hit Balthazar once. Lighting a new cigar he joined his mother indoors.

"Are you going to leave your cousin tied up outside like that?" His mother asked.

Gomez turned and looked at his struggling cousin. He grabbed a bucket and chucked the contents over his cousin and watched as the birds gather pecking at his cousin.

His mother smiled in approval and led him to his father's office. Gomez had just entered the office when a sword flew at his head. Gomez ducked and grabbed his own sword, "Dirty pull old man."

"Who are you calling old son?" His father smirked as they began dueling each other. His father had Gomez on the defensive, "You're getting rusty my boy." Swinging at Gomez's head, "You should stop playing with those trains."

Gomez flipped out of the way and managed disarm his father knocking him to the ground. "Who is rusty now old man?" he smirked pointing his sword at his father.

His father responded by pulling the rug from under Gomez's feet causing Gomez to fall to the ground. "You should mindful of your surroundings my boy." He laughed moving to sit at his desk, "Now to the old business!"

Gomez picked himself up and sat opposite his father looking at him curiously. Being the younger brother his father never included him in business before.

His father lit up a cigar and offered one to his son who had lost his other one in the fight. "As you know son we have been trying to contact your brother from the great beyond."

Gomez nodded he knew this, so far the séances had came up with nothing which meant that Fester was alive somewhere. It unfortunately also meant that Fester was still mad at him. Gomez looked down in shame.

"Now Gomez, there is no need to be ashamed." Mr Addams tried to reassure his son "If Fester felt that strongly about the Amour twins, he should have tried to disembowel you like I did to my brother when he tried to win the heart of your mother."

"But Fester is not like you father." Gomez countered "He always liked taking pain rather than inflicting it."

"That is true." His father agreed "However it doesn't change the fact that I'm not getting any younger."

"Are you ill father?" Gomez asked eagerly "Are you dying?"

"No son, worst luck." Mr Addams sighed in disappointment. "But you never know when death comes knocking at your door which is why it is so important that you Gomez continue the family name."

Gomez removed his cigar from his mouth, "Are suggesting that I get married?"

"No son I'm not suggesting anything." Mr Addams calmly answered then he smiled mischievously, "We have already arranged you a bride."

"What!" Gomez exclaimed dropping his cigar.

"I knew you would be pleased." His father sat back casually smoking his cigar smiling. "The woman in question just so happens to be the daughter of one your mothers friends. You remember Esmeralda Frump don't you?"

"I wasn't aware she had any daughters." Although Gomez didn't like the idea of an arranged marriage, he was intrigued. He heard many tales of his mother and Esmeralda's exploits; he wondered why he hadn't met Esmeralda's daughters before.

"Well unfortunately one of Esmeralda's daughters' has gotten into the wrong crowd." Mr Addams showed Gomez a picture of the daughter in question.

Gomez looked at the picture horrified. "Are those golden curls?"

His father nodded "And that's flowers in hair and not thorns."

"What am I supposed to do with such a woman?" Gomez raged.

"You're asking me?" His father laughed, "A man of your experience should know what to do."

Gomez grabbed his hair in frustration "Does this foul beast have a name?"

"Ophelia."


"Mother!" Ophelia shouted coming down the stairs. "Morticia is cutting the heads off my flowers again."

"Good." said Esmeralda, looking at an invite to the Addams funeral. "You know how I feel about flowers in the house."

"They are not even roses." Morticia complained, "At least roses have thorns on them."

"What are they?" Esmeralda asked curiously.

"Daisies." Morticia spat in disgust.

"Daisies!" Esmeralda exclaimed in horror.

Ophelia folded her arms defensively "I thought they looked nice."

"I have a coven of witches that meet here every Wednesday!" Esmeralda shouted, "I will not have you embarrass this family by bringing nice things into this house."

"Yes mother." Ophelia sighed in defeat.

"Maybe your new husband can bring you to your senses." Esmeralda huffed.

"Oh no mother not that again." Ophelia groaned "Arranged marriages are so archaic."

"I know." Morticia sighed dreamily, "You're so lucky Ophelia."

"You don't know who he is." Ophelia glowered at her sister, "He could be horrible."

"Oh he definitely is horrible." Esmeralda smiled "He's an Addams!"

"Ophelia is going to be an Addams!" Morticia exclaimed excitedly. It was the only time Ophelia had seen Morticia express any kind of emotion.

"We've been invited to a family funeral." Esmeralda smiled showing her girls the invite.

"Balthazar Addams." Ophelia read out loud then her eyes widened in horror. "It says here he was murdered." She was surprised that the invite would even mention murder but here it was proudly stating it.

"Yes." Esmeralda cackled "Your future husband Gomez is considered one of the main suspects."

"Such an honor." Morticia placed a hand over heart. She heard of Gomez Addams, a well known scoundrel, the kind of man Morticia wouldn't mind enslaving but alas that honor belonged to her sister.

"I'm not sure I want to do this." Ophelia fiddled with hair nervously.

"Nonsense dear." Esmeralda waved her hand dismissively, "If you don't like him you can always chop him up into little pieces."

"Like you did with father you mean." Ophelia glared placing her hands on her hips. Her mother still had the axe she used to murder her father with, placed with pride on the mantle.

"That's not what happened Ophelia." Morticia tried to reason with her sister, "Papa was about to leave Mama for another woman. So she chopped him up and incited a mob to burn the woman at the stake for witchcraft." Morticia always found that part funny considering her mother was a very powerful witch and people were too afraid of mothers curses to think about burning her or her daughters.

"You know what Morticia since you are doing so well in your studies; you can come with us to the funeral." Esmeralda was very proud Morticia and her accomplishments. It was a shame Ophelia wasn't more like her.

"Oh really Mama." Morticia smiled with tears of joy. She had never been allowed to go to a funeral before.

"No tears Morticia." Esmeralda said sternly. "Now go and find something inappropriate to wear. Remember it's an Addams funeral and our future in laws."

Morticia rushed upstairs to look for the perfect dress to wear for a funeral and not just any funeral but an Addams funeral. She couldn't believe how lucky Ophelia was, for the first time in her life Morticia was actually jealous of her sister. Ophelia was always an embarrassment to the family; with her blond hair, her flowers and bright coloured clothing. Ophelia was in her early twenties and she hadn't maimed or killed anyone yet. Yet here she was getting married into the most prestigious family and not just anyone, Gomez Addams.

Morticia had broken many hearts herself. She took pleasure in seeing men swoon over her and then crushing their hearts without mercy. Many of the men were womanisers like Gomez but none of them were really a challenge. She often had wondered what it would be like to cross paths with him: if he would more challenging than the rest. Maybe at funeral she would get to find out.