A/N: Thank you all for your lovely comments, follows and favourites - you are all precious!
Chapter 10
Gomez heard the commotion in the hall, that indicated Ivy was finally home and smiled eagerly at the prospect of seeing his daughter. He didn't realize how much he actually missed the little girl until he and Morticia arrived home in the late afternoon only to find out that Ivy was out shopping with Ophelia.
His sister-in-law jumped right in with an offer to babysit the moment Morticia mentioned their trip, despite the fact that Gomez's parents were perfectly happy to look after the girl for four days.
He didn't remember actually agreeing to Ophelia's babysitting Ivy yet somehow Hester and Ophelia decided it would be a perfect opportunity for a sleepover and Ivy was so excited at the prospect he didn't have the heart to refuse her.
He exited the library and immediately a flurry of pink connected with his legs.
Half-delighted, half-mortified he picked his daughter up and settled her on his hip taking one good look at her.
Her coat was pink.
Her dress was pink.
Her shoes and tights were pink.
"Gomez, you're back!" the little girl exclaimed happily and without waiting for his reply bowed her head at him. "Do you like my new hair clips? They are pink and they have daisies on them, aunt Ophelia bought them for me!"
"Beautiful,"he commented cheerfully, kissing the crown of her head tenderly before turning sharply towards his sister-in-law and regarded her with a vicious glare."I left her with you for four days and you've ruined her."
"Ha! Face it, Gomez, you fathered a child who has an intense love for pink,"she commented, crossing her arms against her chest. Her lips curled in a triumphant smirk.
His breath hitched in an unspeakable outrage at her words and then before he could stop himself...
"Tish, your sister is being mean to me!"he complained petulantly before turning back to Ophelia, narrowing his eyes."You're the worst sister-in-law in the history of humanity."
"I'm precious and you know it,"she countered.
Gomez was about to reply when his darling wife entered the hall from the conservatory with a mildly bemused expression on her face and stopped dead on her tracks at the sight before her.
"Oh...dear,"she managed to mumble before Ivy jumped off her father's arms and run towards her excitedly.
"Look at me Tish, I'm all pink!"She exclaimed proudly, pirouetting in front of her.
"I can see that,"Morticia replied and smiled warmly at the child. She picked the little girl up and placed a soft kiss on her temple before turning to her sister with the same warm smile still attached to her face while summoning the most vicious glare in her repertoire but her sister only grinned at her obnoxiously.
"We've had the most wonderful time together, haven't we, you little pink ball of adorable?"
"Yes! We even painted my room all pink."
"You what?"Morticia and Gomez repeated together, looking at each other in panic.
"And we're going to paint spiders on it as well!" Ivy exclaimed excitedly.
"What?"Ophelia shrugged when they both glared at her."I'm mending my broken heart, ok? I need to keep myself busy otherwise I'd just throw myself off the cliff of despair."
"Why do you need to mend it in my house with pink paint?" Gomez complained.
"Why, darling,"Morticia interjected."What an insensitive thing to say. Whatever helps my sister get through these difficult moments we must support her."
"But Tish…,"he whined petulantly."Pastels in the Addams mansion?"
"Eudora doesn't mind and Ivy loves it,"his obnoxious sister-in-law interjected earning herself another glare.
"Are you telling me my own dear mother agreed to a pink room?"he asked in disbelief before muttering to himself."I leave for four days and the world goes mad."
"Grandmama said it's my room and I can paint it however I want to,"Ivy grinned at him wrapping her arms happily around Morticia's neck."I looked after Cleopatra when you were away," she added proudly.
Morticia smiled at her softly.
"Oh, aren't you a darling?"Morticia praised and placed a soft kiss on her little nose."That's most kind of you, thank you. We missed you."
"I missed you too…,"she replied happily before adding: "But not very much because I was very busy having fun with aunt Ophelia."
"You say the sweetest things."
"Anyway," Ophelia interjected before adding in a momentous manner."Since you're both here I need to speak with the two of you...privately."
Morticia and Gomez shared an amused look as they watched Ophelia make her way to the parlour without so much as a glance at either of them.
"Ivy, darling," Morticia turned to the little girl."Why don't you go find your grandparents, show them your new outfit."
"Okay!"
The little girl jumped off Morticia's arms and run in the direction of the kitchen leaving the two bemused adults in the hall.
"Ivy told me she overheard you two arguing before you left for California," Ophelia said with somewhat uneasy look on her face as Morticia and Gomez took their seats on the sofa in front of her."I mean look, I know this has been a stressful time and all but …" she started to continue but the look of total bafflement on their faces made her stop abruptly.
"Ophelia you must be mistaken,"Morticia retorted calmly."We didn't argue the other day or any day for that matter," she continued and looked at her husband with a loving smile, linking their hands together."We never argue."
"Sometimes we do,"her husband interjected, taking a short puff of his cigar, and grinned when his wife turned to him sharply.
"Those weren't arguments,"she countered serenely.
"Oh? What do you call it then?"he asked, still grinning at her.
"Marital debates,"she deadpanned eliciting a hearty laugh from her husband.
"She was very upset,"Ophelia interjected rolling her eyes at them."She said you two were arguing in the library and that you,"she pointed at Morticia."Were crying,"she said and frowned when her brother-in-law started to laugh.
"Oh that!" Gomez exclaimed, finally realizing what she's talking about."We were not arguing, we were...ouch!" he winced when Morticia elbowed him sharply to his side. He looked at her in mild outrage but then noticed her pointed look.
Ophelia's gaze shifted from Gomez to Morticia and she narrowed her gaze suspiciously, realization suddenly dawning on her.
"Please don't tell me she overheard you fucking in a library," she said and looked at them accusingly but they didn't even have the decency to look sheepish. She got up with an exasperated huff and headed for the door but turned sharply just as she was about to press the handle and pointed her finger at then in an accusing manner."You two need a therapy,"she muttered and left the parlour. Closing the door sharply behind her for a good measure.
Morticia turned to her husband and looked at him with her eyebrow arched and an amused smile.
"Who would have thought that a day will come in which I will be reprimanded by my sister for having sex with my own husband,"she mused in disbelief.
"I know,"he agreed, gently pushing her down on the sofa, grinning at her as she laughed softly, before covering her body with his own and added, deadpan."You wanton."
She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I don't recall any resistance from you," she pointed out before a thought occurred to her."Do I really sound like I'm crying when we…"
"I love the way you sound,"he murmured against her lips."Just thinking about it sets my blood on fire," he added kissing her irresistible lips lovingly.
Morticia was just about to surrender to his delicious cares when his head snapped up and he looked at her with bewilderment.
"Hold on a minute, just what in the devil was your sister trying to do here?"
Morticia narrowed her eyes, considering his question for a moment.
"Give us advice on how to handle marital fights?" she said slowly with an undeniable amusement coloring her voice, knowing exactly what he was going to say next.
"What the hell, Tish, she's butchered every relationship she's ever been in!"
One thing that really surprised Morticia about Aurora...scratch that...one of the things that really surprised Morticia about Aurora was how really Spartan-looking her apartment was.
Aurora Addams was a vastly opinionated and outspoken character with a particularly imposing personality who's always dressed with utmost elegance. Morticia fully expected her apartment to reflect that but, to her surprise, Aurora's apartment was practically bare; with the exception of a vast library that held an impressive, yet extremely eclectic selection of books - everything from magic textbooks to trashy romance novels, the apartment contained nothing of particular value. No paintings, no artefacts of any kind, not even a vase with dead flowers - nothing.
Morticia decided she should really cease in her quest to categorize the older lady in any way because every time she was sure she made and sound assessment, Aurora Addams would do or say something that would disprove any theory Morticia had about her.
"Any news from Russia?"Morticia asked, her voice laced with a mild concern when Aurora entered the study where Morticia was pouring over 'The Dark Arts: Classical Teachings in Modern Practice' for the last two hours.
Aurora huffed exasperatedly, shaking her head.
"We have extended our offer to help several times,"she said, taking her seat on her favourite armchair, close to the fireplace ."But Russians being Russians, thanked us for our concern and told us they're handling the situation. They'll probably wait until their ass is deep in a hot oil before admitting they've screwed up."
"Do we know what triggered those incidents?"Morticia prodded further, resisting an urge to roll her eyes at the explicit way the old lady expressed herself.
"Apparently, a very young, over-ambitious witch," she retorted calmly before explaining further:"There was a case of a demon possession in a village near Novosibirsk; but according to our sources, nothing a good exorcist priest couldn't handle. If that poor girl wasn't so eager to prove herself, she would still be alive and so would the others. Russians are not the greatest with managing their covens."
"Did she manage to extract the demon?"
"Oh, yes, it wasn't a very complicated case."
"Still, that was rather unthankful to kill her,"Morticia said with a mild annoyance.
"Very true," Aurora agreed."One never sees people with pitchforks going after an exorcist priest."
"Good old prejudice, I suppose,"Morticia replied."People still adhere to this nonsense about priests doing God's work, but witches are always spawns of the devil."
"What an absurd,"the old lady huffed ungainly."As if we're not all beings of the same Creator. A handful of dark witches go awry hundreds of years ago and the whole community is demonised - pun intended."
Morticia let out an amused laugh and shrugged.
"It's the human nature, I guess."
"Ah, screw that,"the old lady stated and smirked when Morticia flinched inadvertently upon hearing her swear. "Ready for the practice?"
The younger woman nodded, closing the heavy book and raised gracefully from her chair.
"I shall never get used to hearing you swear,"she proclaimed.
"And I find it hilarious."
"A hundred-and-four-year-old lady should not use profanities," she pointed out.
"Does my swearing offend your tender sensibilities?" the older lady snickered, rising slowly from the sofa.
"Very much so."
"Then you must know that I'm restraining myself severely in your company."
"I haven't noticed."
"You should hear what an amazing repertoire of profanities I possess in Russian - now, that's a language with proper obscenities, not this English fuckery you have" she mused as they made their way slowly towards the door and on their way to the Addams' mansion.
"No thank you," Morticia replied, shaking her head with an amusement.
"Are you sure? My Russian obscenities are quite magnificent, I'm very proud of them."
"It's ok, calm down, don't panic," Aurora appeased watching Morticia as she picked herself from the hard ground briskly, she could practically hear the younger woman rapid heartbeat."You've got this, just focus."
Morticia licked her, dry from apprehension, lips and closed her eyes in an attempt to regain her thoughts but her breathing was still erratic, her hands were shaking and her nose was bleeding.
She couldn't do it, she thought. It was too strong for her, too fast.
As if sensing her fear and lack of confidence, the creature lunged at her causing Morticia to lose her focus completely and within a split second she found herself thrown across the barren land so hard it knocked the breath out of her. She barely had time to register what happened when it pounced at her again, but this time she rolled over from the way just seconds before it hit her. Her lips started to mutter the curse before her brain could form a thought and the creature froze in the mid - lunge.
Morticia was only faintly aware of Aurora behind her, muttering the spell of her own and within seconds the demon dissolved into nothingness.
She could not help but breathe out in relief.
"Not bad,"the old lady commented with a slight tilt of her grey head."But your lack of confidence is what worries me."
"This is more difficult than I thought it would be," Morticia admitted breathlessly, wiping her damp forehead. God, her hands were shaking so much it was almost embarrassing.
She knew what to expect when dealing with the dark forces...well in theory at least. She read all there was about demons, she knew which spells to use, yet knowing all about them and being faced with one was a whole different experience. She didn't expect the overwhelming sense of fear they created. It attacked without any warning at all the moment she summoned it. She was sure as hell that if Aurora wasn't here to help her, the demon would kill her within thirty seconds.
It was a huge blow to her self-confidence, to say the least.
"I don't mean to sound like a self-help book, but you need to believe you can do it," Aurora replied.
"I don't think I can," Morticia said angrily, her voice muffled as she pressed her silk handkerchief to her nose to contain the bleeding.
"Nonsense," the old lady huffed dismissively before adding pointedly."Nobody subdues a demon on their first try...no matter how brilliant they are."
The sheepish look on Morticia face told her she hit the right nail.
"I thought…," she said but hesitated, not really eager to voice her thoughts before finally admitting. "I thought I'm better than that."
"You are," Aurora replied smoothly." I know you feel disappointed, but I've already told you it takes more than a mere talent to do this. It takes hours and hours of study and years of practice, no matter how talented you are. No harm in getting your butt kicked every now and then to remind you of it."
"I didn't expect them to be so…"
"Terrifying?"the old lady supplied.
Morticia looked at her thoughtfully for few moments before nodding.
"If it'll make you feel any better, the first time I tried to subdue a demon not only did I fail miserably,"she reminisced before adding with a small smile."I was so scared I vomited."
"You didn't,"Morticia countered in an amused disbelief, still pressing the handkerchief to her nose.
"On my tutor's shoes no less,"she added and was glad when the younger woman laughed because Aurora thought Morticia looked like she was going to faint."Come on, enough of this practice for today, let's have some tea."
The bath, as always, made her feel much better, if not accounting for the fact that her self-esteem was crawling somewhere on the floor.
She wrapped the large, purple towel around her body and moved her palm across the steamed mirror wincing slightly at the sight. She was fairly certain she got fewer bruises throughout her whole childhood than after few hours of her magic practice.
"What, in the devil, has happened to you?" her husband exclaimed as he entered the steamy bathroom."I thought you were supposed to practice summoning the dark forces with Aurora."
"I was," Morticia replied calmly before turning her head towards the mirror and winced at the sight of a particularly prominent bruise forming on her left shoulder. Aurora has assured her that her pain endurance will increase with practice, admitting that the first weeks were the hardest. Morticia could only hope that's true yet until then she was ever so thankful for her mother-in-law and her painkilling potions.
"Then why do you look you've been to a battle?"
She laughed gently at the accuracy of his statement.
"Well, that's actually not that far away from the truth," she retorted with a small smile, fixing her towel."It turns out summoning demons is more of a hands-on task than I thought."
"This isn't funny, Tish," he said sternly and came to stand behind her. "Look at your shoulder, all bruised."
"Do you want to kiss it better?" she joked, smiling at his reflection in the mirror, but to her surprise, it only made his frown deeper.
"I don't like it," he said seriously and she immediately knew he meant more than just her few bruises.
"Oh, darling,"she said dismissively before turning towards him and wrapping her arms around his neck. "It's nothing, my ego is more bruised that my body, trust me."
"Tish…"he whispered but faltered, pondering what to say next or rather how to say it. It scared him to see her like this. Seeking out the dark forces seemed like a great fun, it didn't occur to him for a second that she might get hurt."I'm not sure I want you to continue with this...it's too dangerous."
She almost laughed out loud at his assessment. Dark forces were dangerous by definition, that's why they were so enchantingly appealing.
"Gomez, I can't improve if I don't practice,"she reasoned softly before placing a warm kiss on his lips but her husband was not to be distracted.
"I don't remember my mother ever coming home battered like this from her magic practice,"he said pointedly.
"Well, mama specialises in potions,"she reminded him before adding with a small smile."I think I've already explained how appealing I find those."
He already opened his mouth to reply but she stopped him, placing her palm lightly over his lips.
"Frankly speaking,"she said uneasily."I'm not sure I like where this conversation is going, darling," she admitted and for few seconds they just looked at each other before she felt him place a soft kiss to her fingertips.
"I love you so much,"he said slowly, swallowing hard."I could never go on living if something happened to you, querida."
"Neither could I,"she admitted, caressing his cheek in a comforting manner before adding in a gentle but firm tone: "But...I am who I am...I can't change that, I don't want to. I love you more than anything in this world, but don't ask me to give up who I am. Don't ever ask me that, Gomez."
She watched him bite his lips and regard her thoughtfully. She knew he wasn't happy about this, but he had to understand some things were non-negotiable. She was a witch. She was a dark witch and dark forces were part of her. She felt drawn to them more than she could ever explain; no matter how dangerous the practice of the Dark Arts was - to give it all up was to her unthinkable. The sooner her husband understands that, the better.
"I can't bear the thought that I could lose you, Tish,"he said pressing his forehead against hers, his voice hoarse.
"You can never lose me, mon cher," she replied appeasingly against his lips."We live together and we'll die together, our lifeless bodies shall rot together, side by side, six feet under through all eternity."
His breath hitched at the passion and conviction that was so clearly laced through her words and he sneaked his arm around her waist, pressing her firmly against him.
"Cara mia."
"Mon savage," she replied before their lips met in a hot, ardent kiss.
Gomez gritted his teeth in annoyance, he really tried his best to be understanding and reasonable but the blasted woman was insisting on being aggravatingly obtuse. She took his every word as a criticism and insisted on obnoxiously treating him as some sort of a temporary custodian to her child, not even attempting to discuss their situation.
"Ivy," Gomez bellowed when he noticed the little girl pass. He held the receiver firmly in his hand, trying his best to remove the vexed expression that was undoubtedly gracing his features after his conversation with Rebecca. He could swear he's never met a more infuriating woman in his entire life.
The little girl stopped in her track and he watched her little body tense slightly as she slowly made her way towards him apprehensively.
"I didn't do it!" she said before he had a chance to open his mouth. "Whatever Lumpy told you is a big bunch of lies."
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing..." she retorted, realising quickly that grumpy look on her father's face had nothing to do with the prank she performed on Lumpy Addams that resulted in his hair mysteriously turning a very vivid shade of pink."What are you talking about?"
Gomez let out a gentle laugh and shook his head good-naturedly.
"Something tells me it's more than a mere nothing," he commented and pointed at the receiver."Someone is very eager to talk to you."
"Who?" she asked suspiciously."If it's aunt Lithium, I really really know nothing about Lumpy's pink hair."
"Lumpy's pink…"he started to repeat but stopped abruptly and just rolled his eyes."Just come here, you pink tornado."
Ivy narrowed her eyes suspiciously but took the receiver obediently.
"Hello?"she said slowly, uncertainly, still half-glaring at her father.
"Ivy?"
Gomez watched Ivy blink in confusion and then her eyes widened in recognition.
"Mummy?"
"Yes, honey, it's me…"
"Mummy, mummy it's you! I can hear you!" she exclaimed excitedly before looking at Gomez with bright eyes."It's my mummy!"
Gomez smiled and nodded in confirmation.
"I miss you so much, baby," her mother said softly.
"I miss you too!"
"Are you ok? Having a good time at your father's?"
"Yes mummy, so much! I have a big family here: two grandmas, two grandpas, there's aunt Ophelia and Tish and Lumpy, but he's a bit annoying but fun...sometimes- "
"Wow, that's a lot of people," Rebecca commented.
"That's not even everyone," Ivy explained excitedly."And guess what, we're going to have a real Halloween party and my dress is pink and has spider webs on it!" she exclaimed turning to Gomez and he smiled at her enthusiasm. He would happily forgo this blasted party himself.
"Seems like your father's looking after you."
"Oh yeah," Ivy confirmed, smiling at Gomez before whispering secretly into the receiver as if oblivious to the fact that her father was right next to her and could hear every single word."Gomez spoils me, he buys me lots of stuff."
"He does? Wow, good for you, milk it for what it's worth," she joked and smiled when the little girl laughed happily."You shouldn't call him Gomez, though, he's your dad you know."
"He doesn't mind, mummy," Ivy replied unconcernedly but frowned slightly, obviously not happy to get reprimanded.
"I'm sure he'd like it better if you called him dad,"Rebecca insisted and Gomez watched curiously as Ivy's face wrinkled in a momentary annoyance.
"Did your doctor say you're feeling better, now?" she asked instead, effectively changing the subject.
There were few seconds of silence before her mother's voice reverberated again through the phone.
"I'm trying to get better, honey,"she replied uneasily.
"Oh, that's good," Ivy said carefully and smiled but Gomez thought the smile didn't reach her eyes."Can I come to visit you?"
"Ehm, soon baby, I promise," she whispered, but Ivy could sense she was getting upset.
"All right," came her faint reply.
Gomez frowned, watching his daughter shift uncomfortably as she listened to her mother talking. He assumed she was whispering because he longer could hear a damn word and he didn't like it at all.
"It's okay, mummy, don't worry," Ivy said but all the traces of her previous excitement were practically gone."I love you too. Bye."
Ivy handed him the receiver obediently and he took it gently replacing it mechanically as he watched his daughter bite her lips, blinking her eyes in a rapid movement suggesting she was trying very hard not to cry.
"I don't think she wants to get better," she whispered disappointingly, whether to him or to herself, Gomez wasn't sure.
"She's trying," he placated but the little just shook her head at his words.
"She's always saying that."
He faltered and realized, with a sinking feeling, that the little girl knew perfectly well about her mother's problem. That Rebecca lied to him. Not that he didn't suspect that but now he was beyond certain. He felt his gut tighten at the worried look at Ivy's face, she looked suddenly much older than her five years. He hated that.
He was surprised at the sudden anger that engulfed him on her behalf. He wanted to protect her, to shelter her, to remove all that sadness from her little heart.
"Have you ever wrecked a train?"he heard himself asking and watched Ivy turn towards him and shake her head gently."Would you like to?"
Morticia just finished applying a final layer of her blood red lipstick when she heard the bedroom door open and her husband peered inside with that irresistibly debonair smile she loved so much.
"Ready, cara mia?" he asked entering their bedroom and closed the door behind him with a soft click."Mama wants everyone is the hall in the next five minutes."
"Oh, I'm ready,"she smiled at him as she closed the lipstick tube."I just need you to help me with the zip,"she added and stood up gracefully, pulling her long hair over her shoulder and looked at him expectantly.
"Dios mio,"Gomez uttered more to himself than to his wife as he took into the enticing image of her bare, supple back encased in a shimmery material of her party dress. He approached her from behind with every damn intention to just zip up the damn dress, but he just couldn't resist caressing the soft, ivory skin."Are you trying to kill me, querida?"
"Kill you?" she murmured innocently, turning her head slightly towards him, a small, knowing smile gracing her luscious lips."Now, why would I want to do that, darling? What good are you to me dead?"
"This dress...is pure torture,"he said passionately, his lips already placing soft kisses on her shoulders. He smiled against her skin when his hands sneaked up to her front to caress the underside of her breasts and he was rewarded with her soft moan. He was about to peel the soft material off her body when a sharp, loud knock on the door reverberated through the bedroom.
"Get away from her this instant, Gomez," his mother's stern voice reached them from behind the door making Gomez growl loudly in frustration."Don't you dare growl at me, Gomez Addams. Don't make me come in there! I'll see you two downstairs in thirty seconds or else."
They heard the sharp clicks of Eudora's heels as she made her way down the hall and Gomez sighed in defeat, reluctantly zipping the sinfully alluring dress up.
Morticia laughed gently and turned towards him slowly, pleased when his breath hitched at the sight of her.
"Dios mio,"he repeated in a defeated whimper, biting his lips in an attempt to resist the unholy images that assaulted him voraciously as he took a good look at her. The dress was a pure torture. It barely revealed any skin at all, but it clung and accentuated every delightful curve of her glorious body in such a faithful, enticing way it made his mouth dry.
"Do you like it?" she asked coquettishly with a soft, wilful smile as she slipped into her black stiletto heels.
"When we're back from this damn party,"he whispered roughly not taking his eyes off her, but not daring to touch her again either, knowing full well he possessed no will nor desire to resist his beautiful enchantress."I'm going to show you exactly how much I like it."
"You are?"she asked and felt her body tingle with anticipation at this very sinfully delightful prospect.
He growled and nodded at her, before adding purposefully: "All night long."
Gomez Addams tried very hard not to roll his eyes as his aunt made her way through the sea of part guests to greet them in her usual ostentatious fashion. His father saw her before he did and in, what Gomez thought was a pathetically selfish gesture of self-preservation, practically dragged Eudora to the dancefloor before their not-so-gracious hostess could reach them.
"Gomez, darling, there you are!"Matilda Addams stretched her plump arms and pulled her nephew into a firm hug.
"How are you, auntie? You look stunning as always,"he complimented placing his two polite, customary kisses on her cheeks.
"Oh, you know, getting there,"his aunt replied morosely."Life's just not the same without our dear Balthazar. What a pity they've cleared you of his murder."
"Ah well, you can't have everything."
"True, true,"his aunt confirmed before turning to Morticia. "Morticia, my dear, you look absolutely mesmerizing,"she complimented before taking her hand into hers and regarding her sympathetically."How have you been?"
"Very well, thank you," Morticia replied with a soft smile.
"We were all just talking about how wonderfully you're handling all this, truly admirable,"she stressed, nodding her head gently and without waiting for the young woman's reply she turned to the little girl, who was nervously holding her father's hand, with a brilliant smile."And this must be our little Eve."
"Ivy," Gomez corrected gruffly.
"Oh, pardon me,"his aunt laughed with a careless wave of her hand."Of course, Ivy. I'm very pleased to meet you, young lady."
"Hello,"the little girl replied before turning to her father with an accusatory glare."You tricked me. She doesn't look like a big, fat, wrinkly bat at all."
Gomez blanched and his eyes widened in horror and he resisted an urge to hit his head into a brick wall. He could practically sense his wife next to him biting her cheeks. As sweet as his daughter was, her ability to just speak whatever was on her mind was simply flabbergasting.
"What's that, dear?"his aunt interjected."I didn't quite hear you, it's so noisy here."
Gomez breathed out a sigh of relief but covered his daughter's mouth with his hand just the same.
"I've told her you have bats in the garden, she loves bats,"he explained promptly and watched Matilda's face brighten.
"Oh, but of course we do, I'm sure Lumpy will show you later where they are,"she smiled at Ivy and extended her hand towards her."Why don't we go find him?"
Ivy looked up to her father for the permission to go and he nodded somewhat reluctantly and watched as his aunt took Ivy across the room, no doubt in a not so furtive attempt to extract from the little girl all the juicy details she was craving for.
"Tish,"he turned to his wife, sneaking his arm around her waist."When was the last time we waltzed?"
"Our wedding I suppose,"she replied leaning towards him.
"A gross negligence,"he commented with disapproval, placing a soft kiss to her smooth hand before moving them in a gentle rhythm."We should waltz every day."
"Marvelous idea, darling,"she smiled at him lovingly.
"You look breathtaking, Tish," he complimented, staring appreciatively at the enticing way her dress clung to her body."I can't wait to take that dress off you."
She moaned softly and felt the familiar heat build in her groin at his words. She saw his self-satisfying grin at her reaction and felt a mild annoyance at how much she wanted him. Well, two could play this game.
"You look quite irresistible yourself,"she purred, looking at him pointedly before bringing her lips closer to his ear and whispered softly:"I can't help but think of all the delicious things I'd like to do to you."
She smirked, feeling his body stiffen.
"Gods, Tish, when you speak like that ...my blood boils, querida,"he whispered passionately.
"As does mine."
"Think they would mind if we left early? Now, for example?"
She laughed gently, tilting her head back in amusement.
"Think of the mighty headslaps we shall undoubtedly receive from our dear mama if we do that,"she pointed out and laughed at his disappointed groan.
"That's a good point,"he admitted.
"Is it just me or is everyone staring at us?"Morticia asked in an amused tone as they continued to move fluidly into the beguiling sounds of "An der schönen blauen Donau."
"Blatantly so," he husband confirmed with a charming grin."This house just heaves with gossips."
"Ah, yes, Mr and Mrs Addams and their scandalous way of life,"his wife supplied with a grin of her own.
"I say we should scandalize them some more,"he said and dipped her low in his arms before placing a sinfully delicious kiss on her ruby lips.
No man was a stranger to bawdy jokes because all men, in one way or another, indulged in them on a regular basis. Usually, the jokes were in reverse proportions to man's sexual prowess, that is the older the men the more ribald the jokes were. There were, of course, explicit rules to such comments and a cardinal one said that no man should make a suggestive comment about other man's wife if the said man present.
"Oh, I'm telling you Gomez that wife of yours...mmmm...if I was ten years younger."
Uncle Squirt obviously never heard about the cardinal rule and Gomez tightened his grip on his champagne glass after yet another improper comment about his wife.
"Calm the hell down,"his father muttered next to him, placing his hand on Gomez's tense shoulder." You're going to break that glass."
"Then take it the hell away from me," Gomez hissed through clenched teeth and his father prudently did just that.
"He's eighty-seven-years old," Salvador pointed out."You want to challenge him to a duel?"he asked sardonically and Gomez glared at him.
"Easy for you to say,"he replied sharply."He's not making lewd comments about your wife."
"Well, not anymore," Salvador grinned at his son."Not after I broke his nose."
"You should be glad you're not ten years younger, uncle," cousin Cyrus interjected, watching Gomez carefully before adding pointedly:" Had it been me making all those risque comments about Gomez's wife I would be long dead or at least... missing some vital organs."
Uncle Squirt laughed heartily and nodded vigorously at Cyrus' words.
"Ah, you hot-blooded Castilians," he commented jovially."Gomez knows I mean well,"he added, giving Gomez a strong pat on the back and Gomez forced himself to smile.
"Of course."
"Although, I tell you my boy...she's truly something, you lucky dog," he said looking suggestively in the direction to where Morticia was talking to Matilda."Just look at those hips," he added before letting out a low growl.
Gomez Addams could not help but raise his eyes to high heavens praying to whoever was listening to give him patience because, eighty-seven or not, he was going to wring his uncle's neck if he continued to make those luscious comments about his sweet querdia.
The Frump family was not nearly as wealthy to ever be considered an upper-class but due to Mortimer's position as a head surgeon at the biggest hospital in the city, that he took over five years ago, they were certainly reasonably well-off.
In fact, it's through his very work Dr. Mortimer Frump got acquainted with the Addams clan in the first place - treating various family members' stab wounds, gunshot wounds or re-attaching decapitated body parts - all kinds of injuries acquired in duels, brawls and other friendly family fun. Very soon, he became known amongst the clan as the go-to doctor who accepted their bizarre explanations with no questions asked and only involved authorities if it was absolutely necessary.
Befriending the Addamses opened and his family doors to the wealthiest houses in town. Hence the Frump girls enjoyed the best of both worlds: the ease of a well-off, upper-middle-class upbringing with opportunities brought by mingling among the very upper-class members of society.
Despite the opportunities, such associations might have provided her family, what really always irritated Morticia was how passive-aggressive some of them, particularly older women, tended to be. How they dressed insults in pretty words, sticking them into a conversation in a way one would stick pins into a pincushion - it wasn't lethal but it made one bleed slowly and painfully.
Yet, much like her father, Morticia Addams was a very patient, extremely poised and serene person. Hence it was absolutely a rare occasion where she was reactionary in her responses - one of those moments was when she met her darling husband and accepted his proposal mere hours after she first laid her eyes on him; the other she was currently experiencing.
She took great pride in her good breeding, but even she had limits - limits that Matilda Addams, or as Aurora liked to call her 'that old crone', was slowly but surely reaching as she kept talking Morticia's ear off about how she admired young Mrs Addams for taking in 'Gomez's out of wedlock daughter' for she 'would surely die if she was faced with such a trial herself', how she could not imagine how difficult it must be for Morticia to be faced with a knowledge that 'Gomez fathered a child that was not hers and to be forced to raise the girl no less' - all that while patting Morticia's hand comfortingly while two other ladies, whose names Morticia forgot, were dutifully nodding their heads to everything Matilda was saying.
Morticia silently wondered how would Gomez feel about her turning his aunt into an ugly bullfrog or something really disgusting...like a butterfly.
"Far from me to stick my nose into other people's lives…" Matilda cooed and Morticia almost choked on her drink to prevent herself from snorting."...but if I were you, my dear, I would make arrangements for some nice boarding school," Matilda suggested, but noticing Morticia's confused frown she continued in a conspiratorial whisper."You know, out of sight out of mind."
Morticia wasn't a fool, she knew exactly what the high society thought of illegitimate children - no matter how backward the idea seemed in this day and age.
Sure, men were allowed mistresses and illegitimate children - as long as they are out of sight, not offending society's fragile sensibilities. She knew all that, most of the men in this very room had mistresses and children out of wedlock everyone knew about but pretended not to. This questionable morality never bothered her, but when it was suggested that she should treat Ivy as if she was some sort of insult to her status as a Gomez's wife, Morticia found it unbearable. She turned her eyesight to where the little girl was mischievously running around with Lumpy Addams in between the crowd of people who thought of her a mere nuisance, bemused by the way Gomez 'flaunted' his bastard daughter in front of everyone.
Morticia swallowed heavily and felt the white, hot anger sweeping through her on Ivy's behalf.
"She's not a nuisance…"she found herself whispering, more to herself than to the women surrounding her.
"Pardon?"
Morticia blinked and looked at Matilda Addams who watched at her with a content look on her face as if pleased she could offer new Mrs Addams a sound advice of how to handle one's husband's bastard children.
"Ivy,"Morticia said silkily."She's not a nuisance, she won't be going to any boarding school."
Matilda gave her what could only be described as a pitying smile.
"My, dear, there's no reason to get offended,"she said placatingly."It's for her own good, really."
"What's good for her is to stay with her family, to have a home, not to be send off to some institution…"she said in a firm voice.
"You may do as you please,"Matilda interjected in a soft, unconcerned tone before adding pointedly."But she will always be a reminder that some other woman has given your husband a child before you had."
Morticia gave her a sharp look and saw a self-satisfied smirk form on the other woman's face that told her that she knew she delivered the verbal blow with utmost precision.
"Excuse me," she said, then turned away and headed towards the balcony. She needed a fresh air, she needed to get away from them all and calm the hell down.
She was thankful that there was nobody on the balcony. She gripped the sturdy cement balustrade firmly and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in order to regain her composure. The cold night air was vicious and the thin material of her dress provided no protection from the October chill, but she welcomed it. She was angry and disappointed at herself for how much the remark stung and that she unwittingly allowed that blasted woman to see it. Morticia didn't blame Ivy for the situation, she didn't blame anyone, she didn't feel violated by it, but she had to admit that it hurt her - the very fact that there was that other woman who gave her husband a child - even though it was accidental and unplanned. She knew it was pathetic and pitiful, but she couldn't help it.
She heard a sudden movement behind her, followed by the soft click of high heels on a cement floor and Morticia winced in annoyance. It seemed her moment of solitude was no longer. She didn't turn, clinging to the last remnants of hope that the person would leave her be.
Alas, no such luck.
She felt the presence beside her.
"Here," a gentle feminine voice, that felt vaguely familiar, said. However, Morticia met so many people tonight that she stopped keeping track of them half an hour into the party."You look like you may need it."
Morticia opened her eyes and smirked when she was faced with a glass full of red wine. She turned to the woman on her right, wrapping her long, slim fingers around the stem of the crystal glass - accepting the drink.
"Thank you," she said gratefully and graced the woman with a polite smile before taking a long sip of the red liquid. No cyanide, but it will do.
The woman returned the smile and leaned her back against the balustrade. She didn't say anything but looked contemplatively into her own glass which gave Morticia a moment to study her closer. She was certainly very beautiful, her chocolate brown hair were swept to the back and twisted into a complicated chignon and glittered in the moonlight, complimenting her olive skin. She was very slim, but few inches shorter than Morticia.
"Don't let what that old crone said bother you,"the woman said gently before lifting her head to look at Morticia."I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry but you are all everyone is talking about in there."
"Indeed?"Morticia said irksomely, with more frost than she intended but the woman didn't seem to mind her tone and nodded.
"I think it's great...the way you are with the little girl…," she said sincerely."You make her feel wanted... be a part of the family, despite everything, that's really nice of you."
Morticia shrugged in response and took another hefty drink of her wine, not at all interested in discussing her family masters with a stranger, no matter how kind she seemed.
"It's not an easy life being a bastard," the woman stated calmly.
Morticia turned to her sharply with a look that could turn water into ice in an instant, but the woman lifted her hands in a gesture of surrender.
"I know all about it, being one myself," she smirked.
Morticia's icy demeanour instantly softened at her words.
"My mother died giving birth to me and my father graciously decided to raise me - his illegitimate, bastard, dark-skinned baby. His wife was livid," she explained in a matter of fact voice. "She," the woman added pointing her head to the ballroom from which Morticia understood she meant Matilda Addams."Helped my stepmother arrange for the boarding school as soon as I turned four."
"Out of sight, out of mind?"Morticia quoted Matilda's words sarcastically.
"Exactly," the woman confirmed."Which in the end I didn't mind, better the boarding school than a constantly brooding stepmother, blaming me for existing."
Morticia laughed mirthlessly and turned to look into her glass.
"What about your father?"she asked curiously after a moment of silence."He just allowed her to send you off?"
The woman face wrinkled in a thoughtful grimace and she half-turned to look at the garden below.
"In his opinion," she started slowly. "He's done his part by claiming me and that's more than anyone in his position would do and I should be eternally grateful," she smirked and turned to Morticia."But Gomez isn't like that, he's a…,"she paused searching for words."He's a good man and he'll be a great father."
Morticia frowned slightly at that somewhat intimate assessment of her husband's character and apparently, the woman noticed her confusion.
"I'm Melanie by the way," she said, extending her hand."Melanie Newton."
Melanie.
Suddenly hearing her name made Morticia realize why the woman's voice seemed familiar. Her eyes widened in recognition and she couldn't help but laugh shaking Melanie's outstretched hand nevertheless.
"Morticia Addams," she said in an amused, bewildered tone, because the very fact that she was discussing her husband's illegitimate child with his ex-lover was simply too bizarre not to be hilarious at the same time.
"Yeah, I know," Melanie said with a smile."I hope this isn't awkward,"she added knowingly.
"Awkward doesn't even cut it."
Melanie laughed.
"Oh hell, you're breaking all the social conventions anyway, why not to go a step further and befriend your husband's ex-lover?"Melanie proposed and grinned at her companion.
Morticia laughed back.
"Wouldn't that be interesting,"she said raising her glass to her lips.
"Oh, we would be the talk of the season," Melanie agreed drawing an amused smirk from Morticia."But it may give Gomez a heart attack."
Morticia laughed before she could stop herself and turned to her companion with a raised glass.
"You're killing me, querida," he moaned but her only reply was an amused laugh."Let me have you."
"Mmmmm, not yet,"she purred and slid her hand between his legs to cup him firmly.
He let out a strangled moan and his hand fisted into her ebony locks. He watched her turn her head and lick the length of his forearm all the way to his wrist.
"Mon amour,"she whispered seductively while nipping at the soft skin on the inside of his wrist and heard him moan."You're not supposed to touch me yet."
"I can't help myself, cara," he replied, without a shadow of remorse, pushing himself to a sitting position, his hands roaming her body restlessly."You're so exquisite."
She leaned forward, hovering just above his lips before replying in that soft, husky bedroom voice:
"Rules are rules, darling,"she pressed herself against him, her nails digging into the soft skin of his shoulders before capturing his lips in a hot kiss. She felt him grab her hips and grind them against his groin, eliciting a strangled moan from both of them. She broke their kiss and narrowed her eyes at him in a mock disapproval."You're very disobedient tonight."
"Don't tease me anymore, Tish, I want you too much,"he groaned against her collarbone."My minx."
She smiled at him knowingly before capturing his lips into another hot, wet kiss.
"Stay where you are,"she said softly before moving off him and walked towards the dresser in all her naked glory.
He watched, mesmerized, as she removed two of his leather belts from the drawer before turning slowly towards him. He just couldn't tear his eyes off her.
"I'm afraid the only way to make sure you obey the rules is to bind you to them,"she purred with a purposeful gleam in her eyes as she pushed him gently to lay on the bed before striding his middle and his breath hitched at the mere prospect.
"Tighter,"he rasped as he watched her slid the leather through the metal hoop and moaned with pleasure when she complied.
She looked at him, bound and helpless. His eyes ablaze with lust for her, his breathing erratic and felt an irrational yet overwhelming surge of need to state her claim on him. She thought, unwittingly, of all those women at the tonight's party, following him with their eyes lustily…
"Mine,"she purred as she placed soft kisses on his neck before sinking her teeth sharply into his shoulder until she felt his skin pierce and was rewarded with a loud moan of delight.
"Gods…more Tish, don't stop," Gomez groaned and shut his eyes tightly, feeling his groin tighten uncontrollably as Morticia lips travelled alongside his jawline, biting and licking the rough skin while she rubbed her wet centre against him.
He opened his eyes when he felt her vermilion nails scratch roughly against his abdomen, leaving the vicious marks on his skin, her glorious lips following its trial with hot wet kisses and he bit his lower lip as the surge of pleasure swept through him and couldn't help but jerk against her.
She sank down on him slowly and moaned deliciously as he filled her, stretched her.
"You feel so good,"she whispered against his lips as she pressed her hands against his chest and started to move her hips in a gentle rhythm, rubbing her core against his abdominal muscles. She smiled when he jerked his hips against her."So...impatient, my darling," she mocked and arched backwards, taking him deeper inside her and was rewarded with a harsh moan of pleasure.
"You will kill me like this, I swear," he groaned and tugged desperately at his bondage but to no avail. He wanted to touch her so desperately it made him half-crazed.
"I thought you liked it...slow,"she teased but moved her hips just a little faster.
The sheer image of her above him, moving against him in that deliciously sensual manner was almost too much for him, yet the view was just too mesmerizing for him to tear his eyes off her. He felt himself balancing dangerously close to the edge and swore before thrusting his hips forcefully upwards pulling at the leather restraints.
He couldn't help a smirk that formed on his lips when she gasped in pleasure and grasped his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin painfully.
He watched her teeth sink into her lower lip in an attempt to regain her composure but he already felt her inner muscles starting to squeeze him and knew that she would not be able to resist any longer.
She made a mistake of looking at him and saw his lust, his need for her so desperate it made her breath hitch and it was her undoing.
She cried out, feeling the wave of pleasure hit her and spread gloriously through her body. She leaned towards him and captured his full lips into an ardent kiss while her hips moved frantically pulling him over the edge with her.
She untied his arms and collapsed on him, her breathing erratic, skin glistening with perspiration in the aftermath of their fervent lovemaking. She felt so good, tired but sated, the ire that penetrated her body the whole blasted evening was virtually nonexistent. She felt Gomez's strong arms pull her closer towards him firmly and she sighed contentedly, listening to his rapid heartbeat.
"I've met Melanie tonight," she said suddenly, without lifting her head from his chest.
Gomez let out a dramatic moan and immediately reached to the bedside table for his cigar.
"Aren't there any rules regarding acceptable post-coital conversations?" He asked, his voice muffled by the cigar in between his lips.
She laughed at his discomfort and lifted her head to look at him.
"She's really nice, I like her."
"Tiiiiiish,"he whined petulantly.
"You have a very good taste in women, mon amour," she commented, placing a soft kiss on his chest.
"I beg you."
"Do you mind if I invite her over sometimes?"
His eyes widened in horror.
"Is this some kind of punishment?"
"No, of course not," she said and smiled sweetly."I just like her. I want to invite her for lunch next Friday."
"I would rather paint the whole house pink."
"Thursday then."
"You can't be serious."
"Why not?"
"Because, she's…,"he paused, scrambling for words. "You know...Melanie."
"Yes, I know that."
"Then why are we even having this conversation?"
"It may seem awkward…"
"You think?"he interrupted sarcastically more harshly than he intended and felt her body tense."I'm sorry but I'm really not comfortable with this."
She rolled off of him to lie on her side next to him, propping her head on her hand.
He frowned, annoyed at the loss of her warmth.
"Querida,"he said pleadingly then dropped his cigar in the ashtray on the bedside table."Come back here."
She complied and felt his arms wrap around her in a tight embrace.
"What do you think we're going to do? Compare notes?"
He snorted at the suggestion. "Are you?"
"Maybe,"she smirked.
He raised his eyes to the ceiling in a silent prayer and inhaled deeply.
"Mon cher,"she purred the French endearment and bent down to place an open-mounted kiss down his chest.
"You're not playing fair,"he moaned as she reached his lower abdomen.
"I can stop if you'd like," she said coquettishly.
"Not bloody likely," he replied in defeat.
Morticia was never afraid of pain. She always had a high tolerance for it and often derived a physical pleasure from a certain amount of it. Not to mention the fact that since she started her practice with Aurora she's been thrown against the ground so many times the pain seemed her constant companion nowadays. She certainly understood now, why the practice of summoning demons was always conducted in wide open spaces, for while she lost count at the number of rocks and stones that's been thrown at her in the last weeks, she could only imagine what a disaster it would be if there were larger objects available for the demon to use against her. She had to admit, though, that her reflexes have never been better.
Hence when Aurora warned her that the spell they're going to practice was particularly painful she didn't think much of it. She did not, however, expect that summoning of the dark forces would feel like holding onto hot coals.
Her palms were burning so badly she could barely stand it. She kept her eyes closed to aid her concentration but could feel the dark phantom creature begin to circle her, curious, testing her strength.
"You are losing focus, Morticia"," Aurora said slowly from the distance behind her."Keep repeating the spell, keep visualizing - these are dark forces, this is chaos and you bend it to your will."
Morticia hissed and shut her eyes tighter, the pain was becoming unbearable but she could feel the creature weaken against her spell and felt a surge of strength filling her, giving her a burst of confidence to continue. She opened her eyes and watched the phantom float higher and higher, retreating. If it had eyes, or face for that matter, she could have sworn it was eyeing her curiously. She focused her eyes on the creature, muttering the spell, her arms outstretched in front of her.
Suddenly, the creature lunged at her causing Morticia to falter and gasp at its force, but she managed to stop it just before it collided with her. She could feel her body cover with a cold sweat as she whispered the spell with more force and the creature backed away, but Morticia felt its dark force surround her, pulling her in, inviting her to let it in, to let it consume her.
Tentatively, the creature began to float towards her, apparently sensing Morticia's curiosity and she let it came so close it was mere inches from her.
"Morticia stop," Aurora said gravely."It's trying to possess you."
But Morticia could barely hear her, finding it unbelievably hard to resist the enchanting pull of the darkness. Come to me, her mind whispered at the phantom and she could not stop it. Emboldened by her apparent acquiesce the creature moved towards her, now floating a mere breath away from her.
Yes, Morticia's mind whispered, come to me.
"Morticia, no!" the old lady bellowed but it was too late, the phantom already lunged forward. Aurora sucked in her breath and felt metallic taste of panic fill her mouth, but before she could whisper the spell to repel the phantom, the previously mute creature let out a loud shriek and bolted away from Morticia.
Aurora followed it with her eyes, utterly bewildered at what was happening. She could feel its terror, she could almost taste it. She looked at Morticia who kept muttering the spell while her eyes turned the shade of black silk and were glittering with vicious pleasure, focused entirely on the terrified demon. She watched the young women lift her hands and then slowly close them into tight fists, the creature shrieked in pain and a few seconds later dissolved into the thin air.
"How did you do that?" the older lady whispered in an awe, staring at her niece.
Morticia lowered her hands and turned her head towards Aurora, her eyes momentarily unfocused before she blinked rapidly to clear her mind.
"It was terrified of you, I could feel that, how did you do that?" Aurora repeated insistently grabbing Morticia's arm firmly.
Morticia licked her lips, realizing how dry her mouth felt.
"I don't know...I felt…"she started, her voice croaked. She cleared her throat, suddenly very tired."It wanted to possess me and I allowed it,"she said."But then I felt it weaken, I felt its power filling me and then it bolted right off of me."
"This is incredible…" the old lady muttered, more to herself than to Morticia. "You, you made it suffer."
Morticia nodded.
"And then you killed it," Aurora said, her eyes gleaming.
"Yes."
The old lady shook her head and covered her mouth with her hand, staring at the space vacated by the demon. Suddenly, Aurora grabbed her hand but, to her surprise, Morticia gasped in pain and snatched it away.
She watched, in alarm, as the young woman turned her hands to look at the inside of her palm and let out a strangled yelp of pain.
Aurora gasped.
Both palms were covered with fresh burn wounds.
"This will help you in no time, couple of days and you will be as good as new," Eudora Addams said comfortingly as she gently covered Morticia's hands with dark-greenish ointment. Her daughter-in-law smiled at her gratefully, but it was very clear that she was in a great pain. Her dark-brown eyes were glistening feverishly and a faint sweat covered her temples, but she didn't complain."I will need to bandage your hands," Eudora added as she unrolled the white, woven material.
Morticia nodded but hissed in pain when the bandage connected with the burned skin.
"Sorry," her mother-in-law winced apologetically.
Morticia shook her head dismissively.
"It's ok, mama," she whispered, but her voice was clearly laced with pain.
Gomez squeezed her arms comfortingly and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head, yet she could sense a fury brewing inside him.
"If it makes you feel any better," Eudora said gently not lifting her eyes from Morticia's hands. "I have never seen Aurora being so proud of anyone in my entire life," she praised, picked the large metal scissors and snapped at the bandage."She's still on the phone talking with your French tutor - bragging about you really."
Morticia actually smiled at her words, but Gomez huffed exasperatedly.
"I would rather you wouldn't go to such lengths to please our dear aunt, querida," he commented stiffly.
"Darling, don't be mad," Morticia said softly.
"I'm not mad," he replied with a forced calmness, pulling a cigar from his breast pocket.
"I beg to differ."
"I'm not mad…at you, Tish...I'm angry because you've got hurt," he said irksomely and sat down in the chair next to her.
"Well, son, what did you expect? Subduing a demon is not exactly a child's play," his mother said irritably."She's not frolicking with bats there."
"Mama, you're not helping," Morticia muttered while smiling placatingly at her dear husband who looked more and more like a thundercloud.
"Why?" The older woman asked as she carefully kept bandaging Morticia's left hand. "He should be proud to have such a gifted witch for a wife. Not many witches are able to subdue a demon at such a young age."
"Of course I'm proud of her, mama" Gomez defended fiercely."That's not the point."
"I know what your point is," his mother said pointedly. "But you're missing the bigger picture here."
"Am I?" Gomez asked sardonically.
His mother ignored his tone and for few moments busied herself with dressing Morticia's hand. Only when she snapped off the bandage did she turn to her son.
"Morticia," she started pointing at Gomez with her scissors."Is a dark witch and the primary job of a dark witch is to keep the dark forces under control. There aren't many dark witches and wizards to begin with, and our dear brothers and sisters on the bright and sunny side can only do so much when it comes to the dark forces. As appealing as the total chaos may sound, keeping the balance between the two sides is essential. Any witch can repel a demon, but…"she paused deliberately. "A witch who can subdue and destroy a demon? Now, that doesn't happen very often. That's not something you can learn, it's a very special gift. "
"Not at such costs," he said stubbornly pointing his head at his wife's bandaged hands.
"Oh, you're being over-dramatic, darling," his mother scoffed and turned to her daughter-in-law."All done, my dear."
"Thank you, mama."
Eudora smiled warmly at the raven-haired woman and turned again to her son.
"Now, take your wife upstairs, the pain-killing potion I gave her will start working soon and it will knock her down for a good couple of hours."
Gomez nodded obediently and put away his half-smoked cigar.
"Arms around my neck, cara mia," he said gently as he slipped his left arm under her knees.
"My legs are fine, darling," she smiled at him but wrapped her arms around him as asked, careful not to touch her bandaged hands.
"You are exhausted," he said knowingly and lifted her in her arms. It always surprised him how little she weighed.
She smiled at him tenderly and placed a grateful kiss on his lips.
By the time they reached their bedroom, Morticia was fighting off sleep and Gomez lay her gently on the bed before he sat down next to her and proceeded to remove her shoes.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Gomez smiled at her warmly and placed a soft kiss on the outside of her knee.
"Tish…" he started but halted as if unsure what to say. After a few long seconds he looked at his wife's bandaged hands and his lips compressed in a hard line. "Be more careful...please, cara."
She felt her heart swell with love at the desperation in his voice. She motioned for him to come closer and waited until his face was less than an inch from his.
"I love you so much, mon cher," she whispered and captured his lips in a tender kiss.
"You are my whole world, querida, I could not go on living without you," he said, his voice hoarse with emotions as he rested his forehead against hers.
"You will never have to, I promise," she said even though there was only so much one could do to keep a promise like that. Morticia, however, was determined to keep it. "Lie down next to me," she asked sleepily.
He did and watched her wince as she turned slowly toward him. He rested a comforting hand on her hip.
"I love you."
She smiled at him sleepily, already closing her eyes before whispering softly:
"Forever."
A/N: Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Comments are always welcome! :)