A/N: Happy Galentine's Day, you guys!
Thank you for all your support, kudos, and comments, they are all very much appreciated. And a special shout out to those of you who got in touch via tumblr - that was super sweet, thank you again for your lovely messages. 😊😊
We're nearly there here, I promise. This story fights me like no other, it often feels like I'm bleeding the words on the page instead of writing. lol
Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you thought, feedback is always appreciated.
Chapter 17
There was a time when Gomez Addams would find facing his father-in-law and admitting his misdeeds to him an unbearable prospect. In fact, mere hours ago his accusing gaze would probably make him avert his own eyes in shame of disappointing him so much - the man who showed him nothing but kindness, who put his trust in him, it would make the guilt almost suffocating, but it didn't. All he was able to feel towards him was acute, abject, almost irrational anger.
"Please tell me I didn't just hear what I think I did."
Gomez didn't reply to his words, didn't so much as twitch under James Frump's accusing, scrutinising gaze. Among all the berating and criticism he faced in the last days, albeit duly deserved, Gomez felt suddenly armoured, empowered with the knowledge that this man had no right to judge him, that his life choices were just as bad, or even worse than his own. His own sins didn't expiate his, but the mere fact that the man before him, whom he admittedly once greatly liked and admired, was just as flawed as Gomez was - the mere fact, that this man had no moral higher ground to stand on and could not judge him, was enough.
On some level, Jame's wrongs felt even worse, because his lies and his sins hurt the very person Gomez held dearest to his heart, the woman whom he loved more than anything; and they put him in an impossible position because knew that when he told Morticia the truth, and there was no option of not telling her, she would be nothing but devastated, and he would be partly responsible for that pain. She would be absolutely heartbroken by the fact that her own father, whom she clearly loved very much, and who was so important to her, had lied to her all those years in the worst possible way - concealing the truth that was her right to know. And her pain was the hardest thing for Gomez to take, almost unbearable, the mere thought that Morticia would suffer filled him with almost irrational anger on her behalf.
"I could tell you that," Gomez finally replied, staring directly into James' eyes. "But that would be a lie."
Whatever James Frump expected, it was clear that the hostile response was not one of those things, if his surprised expression was anything to go by.
"But then, maybe you'd prefer it," Gomez continued, with purposeful, unfamiliar and accusatory malice that seemed to shock him as much as his father-in-law." We are all so well-versed in lies, after all. It seems to be the running theme in our lives."
"If this poetic wordplay is meant to deter me from punching you in the face, then let me assure you, it's doing a poor job," James replied, with barely concealed anger. "You better have a more convincing explanation for what I've just heard."
"Ophelia and I are getting a divorce," he said firmly, almost taken aback by how easily the world passed his lips. He noticed the other man's eyes widened and then clouded with ire but before James could reply, Gomez went on," we're getting a divorce because I'm in love with another woman - I'm in love with Morticia, and I'm sick and tired of keeping it a secret. I'm sick and tired of living a lie."
A flicker of realization crossed the older man's face but he schooled his features almost immediately.
"This is her sister you're talking about," he hissed."This isn't just any other woman, have you gone insane?"
"You of all people," Gomez replied just as firmly."Have no right to pass judgement."
"The hell I don't, if you think, even for a second that I will - "
"You've lied to her," Gomez interjected firmly.
Perhaps it was unfair, to deflect the matter of his affair in such a way but if James Frump thought he was just going to just stand and take it, he couldn't even begin to tell him how mistaken he was.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You've lied to Morticia," he repeated."She had the right to know the truth about her mother and you chose to - "
"Be quiet," the older man hissed.
"You chose to lie, all her life," Gomez went on but lowered his voice just the same."So if you think I'm going to stand here and listen to you berate me for the choices I've made, you have another thing coming."
"You don't know a damn thing what you're talking about," James replied sharply. "And it doesn't justify - "
"How long do you want to keep lying to her? He asked instead, unperturbed by the threatening tone."Do you really think she'll never find out?"
The look of panic that crossed the older man's face was so acute Gomez could almost feel it himself. It was evident that James would rather burn the whole world to ashes than allow Morticia to find out the truth and it made Gomez wonder if the whole thing wasn't much worse than what Ophelia told him - which was bad enough.
"She won't if you keep your mouth shut," James shook his head, his tone bearing no argument but the look on his face was pleading.
"If I won't then Ophelia will at some point," he replied."And trust me… of the two, I'm the better option."
"You don't know what you're talking about and neither does Ophelia. Whatever you think you know," James whispered, and Gomez could detect clear panic in his tone." It's much more complicated, she can't know… she will not understand, she will never forgive …," he paused, his eyes flashing angrily." This is nothing to do with you and you have no right to tell her. This has nothing to do with what's going on between the two of you and it doesn't change the fact that what you're doing is despicable."
"No, it doesn't," Gomez agreed."But there's one difference between us."
James Frump tilted his head briefly, snorting condescendingly.
"Really, and pray tell, what is it?"
"Unlike you, I'm done with lying," Gomez replied, and watched the other man shake his head in an exasperated manner.
"It will not change anything, you bloody fool, don't you see where this is going?" James barked, advancing towards Gomez."Don't you have even an ounce of honour to do the right thing and -"
"Like you did?" Gomez shot back, getting progressively angrier."Abandoning the woman you had an affair with because she became an inconvenience? That's the honour you're talking about?"
It was an educated guess, of course, but the startled look on James's face told him that he had more than hit the nail on the head with this one.
"I'm not going to abandon Morticia now because things are going to get difficult; because when I say I love her, I mean it," Gomez continued."I'm not claiming that what we've done is right - it's not, but I do love her, and I'm going to stand by her."
"Yeah, until what point?" James whispered condescendingly."Until your family threatens to disown you and leave you with nothing? Until you realise you're about to lose everything? Until you realise that, no matter what choice you make, someone will suffer, that there's no bloody right choice to make? Tell me, Gomez, at what point you'll realise that it was all a mistake? At what point will your love for her turn into bitter regret?"
Gomez felt his jaw set angrily at the insinuation.
"I'm not you."
"That's what you think, but you are me," James replied, his tone somewhere between disdain and pity."We are all the same. Do you think I didn't love her mother? That she was just a fling?" He asked, "she was everything to me, do you understand? Everything."
Gomez didn't reply, staring at him tempestuously.
"But in the end, it didn't matter," he continued, the words spilling forth uncontrollably, making Gomez wonder if this was the first time he allowed himself to say those things out loud to anyone," I allowed my feelings to rule over me and it turned into tragedy and you're following the same blueprint, and I will be damned if I allowed my daughters to suffer like that."
"Let me ask you something, then," Gomez said, swallowing heavily."If you had a chance to make those decisions again - if you could make a different choice… wouldn't you? If you really loved her, wouldn't you choose her?"
James Frump looked away and shook his head, as if he mulled over those agonising scenarios his whole life. His whole body seemed suddenly devoid of any energy.
"I love Morticia, you have to understand that," he whispered, letting out a painful gasp, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, the words spilling haphazardly," I only wanted her to be happy, to have a home, I only wanted the best for her, only the best, do you understand? All her life I tried to make it up for her… all the wrong… but it's of no use," he faltered and closed his eyes briefly before continuing, in a broken voice," even if I lived for thousand years, there's no way I could ever atone for any of it and you - you both are fooling yourself, there's no choice that's right - there is no choice -"
Gomez stared at the man before him - troubled, defeated, consumed by guilt and lies and felt bitter disappointment bubbling under the surface of his skin. He felt every ounce of comradeship and respect he had for this man just melt away as if it never existed in the first place. He wanted him to shut up, to stop talking, to leave him even a modicum of illusion, an ounce of respect for him.
"You're a coward," Gomez found himself whispering.
He watched James swallow heavily and bite at his lower lip before meeting Gomez's eyes in a firm, defeated gaze before uttering the words that made his disdain for the man instant and absolute.
"I loved her mother, more than I can ever put into words," James said, his tone was soft, broken and not at all unkind, when he said, "but I wish, every day… I wish… I had never met her."
The biting-cold December wind hit her the moment she took a step outside the building, but Morticia barely paid it any attention, didn't even bother to wrap her cloak around her a bit closer. All she wanted was to leave this place, leave this whole blasted country, today - now.
She didn't remember the time when she felt so angry and so awfully heartbroken and so… so infinitely naive and stupid. She could not get a hold of either her thoughts or emotions, it all seemed jumbled and chaotic, descending on her in one huge wave after another, and she was sure that if she didn't leave this instant, if she didn't get a moment to breathe she would just fall apart.
She nodded in thanks to the doorman who hailed her a taxi, grateful that he managed to get it so quickly because she assessed she could just about hold it together until she reached her apartment and then, hopefully, Debbie would be out on her date and she will be alone and free to -
"Leaving so early?" The familiar, entirely unwelcome voice reached her from her left and she turned to see Vlad, leaning against the wall, an empty tumbler in his hand and a barely concealed rage on his face. "Not feeling well?"
She didn't answer. His taunting tone suggested it wasn't a question and he wasn't really seeking the answer.
"I guess it's understandable," he scoffed."It's difficult to feel good when one is having an illicit affair."
She supposed it was due to the fact that she took so much emotional heartache in the last few days - hours even, that his accusation barely registered with her, it seemed almost trivial, inconsequential.
"Of all the people, though," he continued, now appearing to be irked by her silence."You and Gomez, really?"
"Yes, really," she replied and it sounded colder than she intended but God, she was so exhausted, she really didn't have an ounce of energy to deal with Vlad right now.
"That's it? That's all you've got to say?" He asked, invading her personal space."Don't I deserve at least an explanation?"
"You do," she replied, forcing herself to continue," but I don't think it would make things any better."
"Jesus, I can't believe myself," he laughed sharply." All that time, I was indulging you in your playing hard-to-get act, chasing after you like some demented puppy while you fucked my cousin - no, no I'm impressed, I really am. I don't think I've ever been played like this in my entire life."
Morticia took a deep breath and swallowed heavily. She didn't want to argue and she didn't blame him for feeling betrayed but -
"Vlad, I really can't do this right now," she managed to force the words out, but her voice was on the verge of breaking.
"I don't care what you can and cannot do right now," he retorted coldly.
"I'm not going to discuss it with you - "
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He asked sharply.
"That's none of your business," she replied in kind and made a move to get inside the taxi but he stepped in front of her, blocking her way.
"The woman I was involved with is fucking my cousin? I think it's very much my business."
"I was never involved with you," Morticia retorted firmly."I've slept with you, there's a difference and I will gladly discuss it with you at any other time but not now - "
"You knew bloody well I wanted more and you led me on a merry chase."
"I've ignored you for weeks, - "
"Playing hard to get - "
"No," she replied sharply." I've told you, as blatantly as humanly possible, that it was over and your response was to plan a vacation in Italy. You just couldn't see past your ego to realise that I was not interested -"
"You were interested just fine until you started whoring with your sister's husband - "
"Hey, is there a problem here?"
Vlad immediately stepped away from her.
"No problem," Morticia replied with barely concealed anger, glaring at Vlad."We were just talking. And Mr Addams was just leaving."
"I will take you home," Vlad offered.
She almost laughed out loud, incredulous.
"Oh, I don't think so," Morticia replied.
"We're not finished here, you can't just - "
"Hey!" Itt interjected sharply, coming closer towards them."Don't make me kick your ass, cousin. She doesn't want to talk to you."
Vlad exhaled impatiently.
"Itt… back off, it has nothing to do with you, okay?"
"Itt," Morticia said softly, even though she could feel the tears burning behind her eyelids."It's fine."
"Like hell," Itt replied before turning towards Vlad." This is not a good time, chap. Please, fuck off until further notice."
Vlad snorted out loud, shaking his head in disbelief.
"What? Are you fucking him too?" He asked menacingly."Going through the Addams family like wildfire, are we?"
The crudeness in his tone was so sudden, she felt as if he physically shoved her and she almost took a full step back.
"Don't be an asshole," Itt interjected."Go, take a dive into the nearest heap of snow, looks like you need to cool down."
"This isn't over," Vlad said, pointing at Morticia, "you can't just - fuck, I won't leave it like this, you can't - " he paused, taking in a ragged, angry breath."You don't know what you're doing, he's using you - "
"Hey," Itt interjected again." I'm serious… take a walk - a long one."
Vlad set his jaw angrily and with one last look at Morticia he walked away without another word. Itt watched until his cousin's angry form disappeared back into the hotel before turning to Morticia.
"You're okay?"
"Aren't you getting tired of asking me that?" She managed to reply in a jagged whisper.
"Not yet," he replied."Need a ride home?"
She couldn't help but smile, a little.
"Thank you, but I think I bothered you enough for one evening."
"Don't be silly," Itt said, peeking through the window to the taxi driver, "sorry for your trouble, chap," he supplied, handing the driver a hundred-dollar bill.
"Itt, you don't need to do this, I really-,"
He waved her off, already leading her towards his limousine.
"I'm just looking for an opportunity to show off my new limo," he assured." Come on, let's get out of here before I freeze my sexy ass off."
There was a restless energy in him, he could feel it pulsating in his veins all the way to his fingertips. His gaze was frantically searching the large ballroom for the sight of her but Morticia was nowhere to be seen, neither was Cousin Itt or Vlad or Ophelia, for that matter, and none of it was a good sign.
Where the hell was everyone? Where was Morticia? Was she taken ill? She certainly looked ill. She shouldn't have come, he should have pressed harder, insisted she stayed home… she was so stressed, almost sick with worry and he knew that, he knew she wasn't up for this farce. And now things seemed so much worse, so much more complicated. How was Morticia going to handle the truth, when the stress was already getting to her? How would he tell her? How would he help her get through this when he barely knew what to do with himself, with this secret?
God, he wished fervently he never found out about it, he didn't want to tell Morticia, he didn't know how. But if he didn't… then it would be equal to lying to her, and that he couldn't bear to even think about. If he didn't tell her, he would be no better than the rest of them.
He realised, with a sinking feeling, that Morticia would need the support from him he felt inadequate to give, he had no idea how to help her, because even to his own ears James's words sounded devastating. How could he have uttered such an awful thing, how could he claim to have loved Morticia's mother and then tell him he wished he never met her? Was he really such a bastard? Such a coward?
To have wished he never met that woman was equal to wishing Morticia didn't exist and this Gomez found the most devastating of all. Never, even at their worst, his father ever uttered such an awful thing to him. None of it was even Morticia's fault. Maybe if that bloody fool was honest with her from the beginning, if he had told her the truth -
"Looking for you inamorata?" Ophelia asked, flashing him a brilliant smile as she curled her fingers around his elbow."She's not here."
God, she had such a satisfied look on her face, Gomez started to fear the worst. The fact that Morticia was still nowhere to be seen didn't help.
"You probably didn't mince words, did you?" He found himself saying, barely looking at her.
"Oh, darling, it was nothing, really, I'm just getting started," she smiled at him, leaning closer to whisper in his ear," trust me when I tell you, you haven't seen anything yet. Watch and see what happens to the whores who sleep with other women's husbands."
He finally looked at her, setting his jaw tensely.
"Do you really think this is going to make you feel better?"
"It already did," she quipped."I always enjoyed breaking her spirit, double pleasure if I made her cry."
Gomez frowned at her.
"What did you say to her?" He asked, warily.
"Nothing she didn't deserve to hear," she replied in a blase tone.
"Did you tell her about…," he paused, hesitant to say it out loud but looked at her pointedly.
She turned to him with a brilliant smile.
"Oh, you mean our little family secret," she whispered in an overly dramatic manner."Why, are you worried it would break her little heart?"
"Ophelia -" he breathed out an exasperated sigh.
"Let's just say it was a memorable conversation," she supplied lightly, picking up a flute of champagne from the passing waiter carrying a tray.
Gomez shook his head, letting out an exhausted sigh.
"I think I've had enough of this evening," he told her, disentangling her arm from his.
"Oh no, no," she grinned at him."You're not going after her, in fact, you're not going anywhere until I tell you to, so put your shining armour away and calm the fuck down."
He couldn't help but snort in disbelief.
"Or what?" He asked, his tone openly challenging and it seemed to take the proverbial wind out of her sail as she stared at him for one, stunned moment.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" She snarled, grabbing his forearm." You're not going to fuck this up for me -"
"I'm not trying to," he replied in kind."But I'm not just going to stand by and let you -"
"You will not leave this party," she interjected."You fucked up enough already, you will not fuck this one for me as well. Now be a good boy and go do what you do best - put your charming smile on and lie through your fucking teeth."
Patricia Frump fully expected this whole charity ball to be one of the dullest events in the history of humanity as well as one of the most stressful ones and so far she was proven only partially correct. Firstly, she didn't think dull was a word in the dictionary of any Addams, it certainly wasn't in Knick Knack's. That the man was insane she had no doubt about but did she care enough to extract her hand that was firmly placed in between the said man's palms and periodically peppered with ardent kisses? Definitely not.
Secondly, where the hell was everyone?
She scanned the crowd around them for, what seemed like a thousand times, before finally, her gaze settled on the pair near the balconies and even from the distance, she could tell they were having a fight. Gomez Addams obviously didn't know what was good for him if he thought arguing with Ophelia was a good idea, in any circumstances, but especially now, of all the places, what the hell was wrong with them? Surely, he wasn't stupid enough to confess his affair with Morticia to Ophelia in the middle of a -
"You look troubled, my queen," the passionate voice next to her uttered, before immediately placing a trail of kisses along her extended arm.
"Gomez looks like a caged animal about to claw his way out," she whispered to him.
"An apt description," Knick Knack replied, letting out a jovial chuckle."You should have seen him when he was just a wee lad and clawed his way through his three nannies."
"This is hardly a place for a marital spat."
"Oh, I say that's a much more serious matter than a marital spat, cara mia."
She turned to him, surprised by his insight.
"My darling, I might be mad but blind I am not, nor stupid," he leaned back, taking the cigar out of his pocket."I say the lad got himself in quite a pickle, wouldn't be the first time - oh, look at that diamond ring, it's exquisite, I want to get it for you - thirty thousand!"
Patricia was about to point out that he already got her three diamond rings but at the same moment, she noticed her son making his way to the bar at the end of the ballroom.
"Excuse me for a moment," she muttered, already getting up from her chair.
"Have you seen Morticia?" James asked, barely looking at her, his tone frantic."I need to speak with her."
"I was just about to ask you the same question," she replied, looking at him with obvious concern. She thought he looked like he has just seen a ghost.
James exhaled in annoyance.
"God damn it…fuck," he swore and then looked around apprehensively. "I need to speak to her."
Patricia looked around and then, rather unceremoniously, grabbed his arm and pulled him outside to one of the balconies. They could both use some fresh air.
"James, what's going on?" She asked the instant they were alone. God, it was freezing.
"You don't want to know," he threw at her curtly.
"Try me," she said pointedly, wrapping her arms around herself.
She watched him close his eyes and rub the back of his neck.
"Gomez told me he and Ophelia are getting a divorce," he said in a breathless whisper, finally looking back at her." I heard him arguing with Vlad and I asked him… he didn't even deny it," he paused, allowing his words to sink in but Patricia's face barely twitched at the revelation, if anything she looked annoyed. He gave a derisive snort. "Which obviously is no news to you."
"No, it's not," she admitted, but then fixed him with a stern look."What the hell is wrong with all of you to bring it out here - now, this is hardly the time -"
"He knows," he blurted out loud, dragging his palm towards his jaw and then the neck, his hands shaking.
"Knows what?" Patricia prompted impatiently.
"About Morticia's -," he hissed and then suddenly paused before finally whispering," Hester, he knows about Hester," he clenched his teeth and watched the colour drain from Patricia's face.
"How?" She whispered.
"What does it matter how?" He hissed impatiently."He knows and he wants to -"
"The hell he will," she interjected."Who the hell does he think he is to even - "
"She will not understand, she will never understand -"
There was such a panic in his voice she could feel it herself, the feeling of impending loss so acute that for a moment she forgot how to breathe.
"Be quiet," she snapped icily, her eyes not leaving his as she pointed at him sharply." Just... shut up."
All those years she worked so hard to keep her family together; all those years, the sacrifice, the heartbreak, she would be damned if she allowed Gomez Addams to ruin it.
This wasn't happening.
She would not allow it.
Morticia decided that spending one's life using sarcasm and dark humour to deal with intensely emotional situations wasn't even a remotely adequate way of coping. It seemed that all those emotions were simply pushed back to the deepest corners of her heart where they lay dormant behind the thick brick wall she managed to build around them. All the things she convinced herself she no longer cared about, things she told herself no longer hurt, all those feelings she spent years and years burying as deep as she could, not only resurfaced but engulfed her entire being. It felt as if everything she knew, every ounce of stability and definition to her life was taken away and she felt stripped bare, vulnerable and defenceless.
Yet now, hours later, sitting on the sofa in her apartment, her legs drawn to her chest and cheeks still damp from her tears, she could barely force herself to feel anything at all, she went from the heights of heart-breaking pain to almost debilitating numbness within hours, the emotional turmoil was now replaced with a dull ache. She felt numb, she felt tired and exhausted. Nothing else.
Except for the tears.
The damned tears just wouldn't stop falling.
And it upset Debbie Jellinsky more than anything.
The moment Morticia stepped through the threshold of her apartment, she had done one thing she had never done in her entire life in front of Debbie - she burst into tears. She just couldn't help it. There was no way for her to no longer contain it and now she just couldn't stop.
And it spooked Debbie out.
It unnerved her to the point where she was immediately inclined to kill everything and everyone if it meant the flood of tears stopped. And of course, the poor, blameless Itt was the first and obvious target.
It took Morticia at least a good ten minutes to placate Debbie into releasing the baseball bat she was very inclined to end Itt's existence with. Morticia didn't have the strength to explain to Debbie exactly what happened, besides telling her friend that going to the ball was not the best idea, but Itt was not to blame. Itt was, in fact, the only saving grace of the whole blasted evening.
Debbie accepted the explanation, albeit reluctantly, and decided to blame Gomez Addams for Morticia's tears.
"I'll kill him," Debbie declared firmly.
"You gals have nothing to eat?" Came Itt's muffled question, his almost entire body buried in the fridge as if he thought that going deeper inside the fridge would make the food magically appear."I can't handle emotions without food."
Morticia wondered if it was possible for this evening to get any more insane but perhaps she should not tempt fate. However, she seriously considered expanding her circle of friends to people with the capability of experiencing a wider range of emotions than hunger, anger, abject rage and mayhem, and yes, not until she had the opportunity to spend the last endless minutes in the joined company of Itt Addams and Debbie Jellinsky, had she ever considered mayhem an emotional state.
But apparently, it was.
"Please stop crying," Debbie begged."When you're this sad it makes me want to kill someone, it also makes me hungry and you know I'm on a diet."
"That is quite natural, rage lowers my blood sugar too," Itt supplied.
Itt and Debbie were both trying their best to make Morticia feel better or, in Debbie's case, to force her to stop crying and, in between, Debbie and Itt have managed to argue about: the age at which one should make their first kill; is it impolite to backstab someone, and also - Morticia's favourite so far - a debate on which shampoo and conditioner were the best yet affordable for a luminous blond hair. All that in between trying to make Morticia 'feel better.' If by 'feeling better' they meant for her to go from dull despair to starting questioning her own sanity, then they were doing a fine job indeed.
"Morticia, if you won't stop crying, I will really have to kill someone, you're making me feel things I'm not comfortable with," Debbie announced. Again.
"Would it help if I said that I'm not crying, only that my eyes are wet?" Morticia finally replied, throwing her a mild glare.
"See? Sarcasm, that's better," Debbie exhaled in relief, planting herself heavily next to Morticia on the sofa and lightly patted her friend's knee as if praising her efforts."That's more like you. All this externalising of emotions feels unnatural but you were right all along."
"About what?"
"The powder kohl barely smudges," Debbie said seriously. "But you look like shit."
"It's not easy to look spectacular when one's life is falling apart," Itt remarked, his voice muffled with the food he was currently chewing as he came over with a whole plate of zebra burgers he took from the fridge and sat on the armchair nearest to the sofa."This is delicious by the way. My compliments to the chef."
"It's actually plant food," Debbie explained."Morticia never cooks for us," she added in a mildly accusatory tone, earning herself another glare from her friend. "What? You don't."
"And I never will."
"I'm sure you cook for Gomez -," Debbie tried not to smile in relief when Morticia shot her an annoyed glare. Good. This was good. Anything was better than the tears and that heartbroken look on her face.
There was a quiet click of turning the lock in the door, cutting their conversion short.
"That's Gomez," Itt informed them between bites of his burger meat. "I've told Thing to let him know we've left the party."
True to his words, not two seconds later Gomez Addams materialised in the living room with a distressed look on his face but stopped dead in his tracks at the image before him.
"What -"
"Oh, thank God, it's you," Debbie breathed out as she got up immediately and went to Gomez, all but pushing him towards Morticia. "Go and fix her. Now. It's all your fault anyway."
Morticia tried not to show how relieved she was to see him, not that Debbie and Itt weren't doing a fine job and supporting her, but all she wanted right now was to feel Gomez's arms around her and she was never more grateful than ever for his ability to read her so well because before she could even utter a word he was already next to her pulling her into his arms.
"You're late," she said.
He looked at her curiously, slightly taken aback.
"You've missed quite a spectacular display of my mental breakdown," Morticia explained, her lips curling into a sardonic smile. "I was hoping to have it in solitude but those two refused to leave."
"You know me, chap, I can't handle crying women," Itt supplied, chewing at his burger. "I'm very sensitive to emotional pain. I cried for days when they killed Bambi's mother - "
"So not only you've missed that," Morticia continued in a flat tone," but also an absolutely fascinating debate, between this pair, which included but was not limited to: whether it's rude to kill a family member without permission, the most efficient car to run someone over with, and - my personal favourite - the best shampoo to make your blond hair more luminous."
She delivered her remarks almost all in one breath, in such a smooth deadpan manner that Gomez wondered if this whole evening ever happened, or did she really was just hanging here by the thread and was two seconds from falling apart.
He would be willing to bet for the latter.
"Don't mind that," Debbie interjected, adding smoothly," the sarcasm gets heavier when she has to deal with complex feelings. It's very natural to use violence, sarcasm and overeating to deflect from the screaming void inside one's empty heart," she paused, shifting slightly when three pairs of eyes were suddenly directed straight at her. "Or… so I've heard. I've been reading a lot of Psychology Today, okay? I have a free subscription at work."
"Do you mind leaving us alone?" Gomez asked, feeling suddenly exhausted.
"Good idea," Itt readily agreed, looking between Gomez and Morticia."This whole thing is emotionally draining. And you know what's the best remedy for that? - a limo and a minibar full of alcohol; drink until you pass out and I guarantee you the next day's hangover will be worse than any emotional turmoil you've experienced."
"Sound advice but maybe some other time," Gomez replied.
Itt turned towards Debbie.
"I don't know, I can't stand all those emotions but… ugh, who knows better how to support a friend than me? Who knows better than me how hard life can be," Debbie sighed, and then sighed again.
When nobody reacted she let out another, exaggerated sigh.
"You wanna hear about a difficult life?" She asked, more to herself than to anyone in the room.
"Debbie, this -" Gomez tried to interject softly.
"Once," Debbie exclaimed dramatically." I asked my parents for a Ballerina Barbie, in her pretty pink tutu - my birthday… and you know what they got me?"
"Malibu Barbie," Morticia supplied in a dry tone, perching her chin on the pillow of her hand, and by the look on her face, clearly have listened to this story before more than once.
Way more than once.
"MA-LI-BU BAR-BIE," Debbie exclaimed, still outraged at the memory.
It was followed by a sharp intake of breath from Cousin Itt.
"Malibu Barbie?" He echoed, almost spitting out his food, disgusted. "What a nerve. A nightmare …"
"Right? I was a ballerina - grace-ful, de-licate," she went on dramatically, slapping her hand against the table."They had to go, but you know… those painful memories stay with me forever… is it even surprising that I kill husbands for sport? I mean all that negative energy has to go some-where, right?"
Gomez resisted the heavy, exasperated sigh that was currently trapped in his chest and turned to his cousin instead.
"Itt, old man, why don't you and Debbie take a walk?" He proposed.
Itt let out an incredulous squeal.
"Walk? In this freezing cold? Do you even know what it will do to my hair? Can you imagine the split ends? Do you even care?"
Gomez bit his lips, pretty sure he was about two seconds away from jumping off the nearest cliff.
"Fine," he asserted," then take a limo and go get drunk," he said impatiently, taking a roll of hundred dollar bills from his pocket and putting it in Debbie's already open palm.
"I'm game if you are," Debbie shrugged, glancing at Cousin Itt.
Itt clasped his hands loudly.
"Debbie, let's go, there's a whole bottle of Smirnoff waiting for us."
"Hell no," Debbie shot him a disapproving look, already in the process of slipping her coat on."I only drink Snow Leopard."
"Got that too."
"Itt," Morticia called softly just before the two left the room. "Thank you… for everything."
"Anytime, doll," he saluted her. "You two fucked up royally but for what it's worth, Morticia… welcome to the family."
"Off we go," Debbie said."Gomez, she better be fixed by the time I'm done with my hangover because I still blame you 100% for all this and I have an endless supply of baseball bats if need be."
They were both out of the door before Gomez could blink, let alone offer a reply.
He turned towards Morticia.
"So… do you want to know the best shampoo for luminous blond hair?" She asked in a dry tone.
"Not particularly," he replied, looking at her softly.
"Sorry, I thought I'd break the ice with some humorous factoid before we get to the heavy things."
She slid her bare feet on the floor and rested her elbows on her knees, rubbing her face tiredly with the palms of her hands before finally turning towards Gomez again.
"I spoke with Ophelia," she told him flatly."Or I should say, she spoke to me in one rather angry monologue."
He couldn't help but wince, he could only imagine how that went.
"She still stands by her choice of not divorcing you," she continued, locking her gaze with his."She will patiently wait until you tire of me and return to your senses."
He didn't like the bitter tone in her voice, it unnerved him, it felt eerily ominous.
"That will never happen," he said, sliding his hand into his.
God, he didn't know how to tell her. How could he tell her when she was already so heartbroken? How will she take the horrible news? Maybe it was better to wait and tell her later? He didn't know. He couldn't imagine being privy to this awful secret while she remained oblivious, it made him feel uncomfortable, as if he was betraying her just like everyone else.
"Tish, there's something -"
"Oh and apparently, Ophelia and I are not as tightly related as I thought we were," she threw offhandedly almost at the same time he spoke, immediately feeling her eyes well up with tears.
She heard his sharp intake of breath.
"What?" He whispered, as if he wasn't sure he understood her.
"Apparently, we have different mothers. Well…," she paused, swallowing heavily, "had different mothers. I no longer have one, or any."
"She's told you," he breathed out in painful realization.
While he hated the prospect of telling her himself, he couldn't think of a worse way for Morticia to find out than from Ophelia.
"You knew?" She asked, there was an unbearable note of accusation in her tone.
"No," he immediately shook his head."Not until tonight, I swear. Ophelia told me - in anger, on the way to the ball."
"I see," she nodded, drawing her bottom lip in between her teeth. "It's pretty astounding, don't you think?"
He frowned, unsure what to say.
"How infinitely stupid people can be, how naive," she went on, her tone eerily dispassionate." All those years, and never once I realised that there had to be a reason she hated me so much. That she wasn't just mean and malicious, that she hated me for a reason… and it's because I ruined her life. They both did, my mother - sorry, my stepmother, I need to remember that," she smiled bitterly."I ruined her life as well."
He felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach, he barely knew what to say to her.
"You were a child, how could you have ruined anyone's life?" He managed.
"And on top of everything," she continued, ignoring his words." I'm having an affair with my brother-in-law, you just couldn't make this up, the sheer theatrics are just unbelievable, don't you think?"
"Tish -" he watched, helplessly as she stood up in an unfamiliar, restless manner and turned towards him.
"Oh, and poor Mrs Frump - so dutiful, so benevolent," she remarked flatly, folding her arms together."Forced to raise her husband's bastard child only for that harlot to ruin her daughter's marriage. It was better to have left her in some orphanage - out of sight, out of mind. Why, talking about biting the hand that fed you -"
"Stop it," he breathed out sharply, standing up as well. He couldn't stand her talking like that.
"Why?" She let out a mirthless chuckle, turning towards the large window, focusing on the snowy darkness outside."It's the truth. Everyone knew that…," she paused and then gazed at him again, her lips curling into a completely lifeless smile."Well, everyone except me, of course. Even you knew before I did."
"Tish, you can't blame yourself for the actions of other people, that's insane."
She shrugged, and drew her bottom lip between her teeth, biting firmly.
"Your father came over the other day," she said quietly.
He looked at her sharply, his eyebrow furrowing in almost instant anger.
"He what?"
"He asked me to leave you alone," she recalled blandly but her eyes shone with tears, there was such an inexplicable sadness attached to her beautiful features he could barely stand it." He begged me not to destroy your family. You know, that's the second person this week to tell me that. Or third, if we count Ophelia."
"You're not destroying anything," he said pointedly. "I destroyed my own marriage."
"Oh, I think it's quite the opposite, Gomez," she told him ruefully." That woman - my mother, had an affair with a married man."
He swallowed heavily, apprehensive at her sudden remark.
"Tish - "
"You know the parallels, the sheer absurd similarities are almost unbearable," she said quietly, as if currently in the process of contemplating the matter herself.
"You're not her," he said firmly. "It's not the same. You're not the same."
"She died," she echoed dully." So I could live… and for what? So that history could repeat itself - first as tragedy and then as farce… except, in this case, it seems I am both. The tragedy and the farce."
"Stop it," he whispered, taking her in his arms, and pressing his lips against her temple."Just… stop talking like that, please."
He felt her body shake slightly as she let out a small, mirthless chuckle.
"I know, I'm being awfully dramatic myself, aren't I?" She remarked bitterly, lifting her head from his shoulder to look at him."Wallowing in self-pity… as if I didn't bring it all upon myself."
She locked her gaze with his, taking in the helpless look on his face and smiled at him sadly.
"Thank you for being here," she told him softly, placing her palms against his chest in a familiar manner."But I think… I'm not the best company at the moment."
"I'm not leaving you," he said decisively, shaking his head.
"I appreciate the sentiment," she said quietly." But I think I prefer to complete my mental breakdown in solitude, after all."
"Then pretend I'm not here," he retorted firmly."Because I'm not leaving you, not now, not ever."
She bit her lips and looked at him softly, before pressing her forehead against his.
"I really love you," she breathed out, framing his face with her hands."I never knew I could love anyone so profoundly, and so completely."
He couldn't help but swallow heavily, he didn't like the tone of her voice, the finality of it.
"Tish - "
"And I can't bear the thought that one day we might hate each other," she continued.
"That will never happen," he promised, wrapping his hands around hers and placed a warm kiss on her knuckles."Let's leave, Tish," he said." Until the dust settles."
"I think it's pretty clear that this dust has no intention of settling," she retorted." Not now and not ever."
"More reason to leave then."
"I don't know," she shook her head."What good will it do?"
He exhaled helplessly.
"Then tell me how can I help you?" He asked, his tone desperate and pleading. "What can I do to make it better?"
She shrugged and for a while she stayed quiet, focusing simply on the feeling of being in his arms, the stability of him.
"I feel… confused," she finally said, the words coming out in a slow, thoughtful stream." Betrayed. And I know I have no right to feel this way," she whispered." It's such a mess, all of it. Everything I ever knew just… crumbled at my feet and I feel so… so naive, so…," she swallowed heavily, looking at him listlessly," stupid. So stupid to have never seen it, or… I don't know… maybe I didn't want to see it. God, I was so stupid."
"It's not stupid," Gomez said gently." You have the right to feel however you want, it's never stupid."
She shook her head and gently pushed herself away from him.
"You know, I never said that to anyone but…," she paused and shook her head again, briefly tilting it back in an exasperated manner, "all my life I have wished, so desperately, so… pathetically, that she'd love me, that just once she'd… hug me," she swallowed heavily, looking back at him, "And to know now that all that time she probably could barely look at me…"
"This wasn't your fault."
"I know," she said with surprising vehemence." I know. I was a child, naive and stupid, but still a child, I understand that. I know. But I always thought of her as my mother, and I…," she faltered and swallowed heavily, blinking the tears away." I can't stop thinking of her as a mother, even though she never wanted to be my mother, I can understand that, that it was forced upon her and she hates me… I still love her - I know…, "she waved her hand in a dismissive manner, " I know it's stupid, but it… hurts me to know that I was never anything more to her than a daily reminder of the betrayal and pain she suffered. A mistake. And I think Ophelia is right -"
"The hell she is - " Gomez retorted sharply.
Morticia lifted her palm to still whatever he wanted to say.
"I'm not feeling sorry for myself, it's the truth," she assured."I am the worst thing that ever happened to her. And now I'm ruining her marriage."
"I ruined our marriage from day one," he insisted, shifting restlessly " I never loved her and I should have never married her."
"But she would have never known that if it weren't for me," Morticia argued."She would live happily as Mrs Addams in sweet oblivion. And I ruined that."
Gomez shook his head.
"She would know," he replied firmly."She would, eventually. People know those things, people can tell when it's just not it. People know when you look at them and wish, desperately, that they were someone else."
"But Gomez, -"
He shook his head again and he suddenly knew, he knew the words, he knew what to tell her and the words seemed to just flow from the core of his being.
"No, listen to me," he insisted, framing her face in his hands." I love you. We'll get through it because loving you is part of who I am and being with you... it makes me look forward to the future, and it's not bleak anymore, just because I know I have you, you're… you're more part of me than the blood in my veins, you're everything - everything, remember that, always, because that will never change."
"Everything," she echoed in a faint whisper before pressing her lips firmly to his." You're my everything."
She kissed him again, moaning softly when he pressed her body closer to his, allowing his presence, his love, his commitment to her to fill her and reassure her. Everything she knew was a lie, her life was falling apart but he was her constant, he was there to grab on and hold on to. He loved her.
"Let's leave," he whispered."Let's get away from here."
"For how long, Gomez?"
He shrugged.
"As long as needed, even forever," he assured her.
"Forever," she whispered."Is a very long time."
"It is," he agreed."And I promise to spend that time loving you and dedicating every single moment of my life to you and your happiness. Trust me. Trust me to be there for you. Forever."
"I do trust you," she breathed out. "But your family - "
"Don't," he shook his head."We'll worry about that later. It all might be going to hell in a basket case but this - us," he motioned between them." This is forever."
She nodded and pressed her lips to his.
His love, his commitment to her, and his choice to be by her side, was probably the only thing keeping her above the water, preventing her from drowning in the pain she had no means to handle right now.
She tried to hold on to him, to focus on him and his assurance but couldn't help the cold, apprehensive feeling that seemed to sweep her entire being, the realization of just how alone she suddenly was, that every ounce of what was once familiar, every ounce of security in her life was stripped away from her and that he was the only certainty she had left, that she had nothing but him to hold on to and without him she'd just fall apart.
And suddenly, she found being in his arms comforting as it was terrifying. Suddenly, that single thought scared her more than anything else.
There was pulsing anger in her veins. The violent, anxious energy seemed to consume her. God, how she hated her, she hated her so much she was barely able to contain it.
She couldn't believe that bastard just left. Stupid, worthless, son-of-a-bitch. Chasing after that useless whore like a moth to the flame.
God, he was so fucking stupid. What was he planning to do? Hold Morticia in his arms so she could cry about how mean and unfair Ophelia was to her? What exactly did she say to her that wasn't true? Nothing. She deserved every single word.
But if Gomez left her, if that idiot really left her to be with Morticia, how would she keep it under wraps when gossip travelled in this city with the speed of light? It only took one malicious bitch to spread one tiny rumour and it would catch fire almost immediately. Especially something of that calibre, Gomez Addams leaving his wife to be with her sister - nothing would be able to top that scandal. They would be the talk of the many seasons to come.
Stupid whore. Stupid, fucking, shameless bastard whore.
How could she do this to her, didn't she have even a modicum of some moral compass? Didn't she see how completely and outrageously fucked up the whole thing was?
She thought she was in love? What did that bitch even know about love? She loved ruining Ophelia's life and that's the only love she knew.
Oh for fuck sake, damn her, damn her father for being such a cheating bastard, damn him for bringing this spawn of a whore to their home, and damn her mother for not having the guts to tell him where he could go with that bastard child of his.
Their whole family was fucked up to the core, that's what it was, even more fucked up than the Addams Family ever could be.
God, she had to get herself together and go back to that blasted party. The auction was almost over and she missed most of it, they still had the press photos and the rest of the party to get through and how the hell was she going to explain that her husband left the venue? That thought alone was enough to consider grabbing the nearest bottle of champagne and getting drunk, just to get through this nonsense. And then she could break the fucking bottle on Gomez's fucking head the next time she saw him.
He didn't have the decency to stay until the end before running off to that slut. If he thought she was being mean to Morticia, he's seen nothing yet. Stupid fuckboy. At least she had the guts to tell Morticia the truth, maybe knowing that she was a huge mistake would finally put her in her place.
"There you are! Where the hell is everyone?" She heard her mother's annoyed voice." Have you seen Morticia? The press wants the whole family photo just after the auction is finished - hopefully, they get the hell out of here after that, they're like bloody vultures, constantly in people's faces, it's so irritating. Where the hell is that girl?"
"She's not here," Ophelia replied flatly.
"What do you mean she's not here?" Her mother echoed."She better not be getting on my nerves tonight with her obnoxious behaviour, I've really had enough for one night. Have you seen the dress that Hornby woman is wearing? Someone should tell her she's not twenty years old anymore. I swear her tits are almost overflowing -"
"Morticia's not here," she repeated, interrupting her mother's rant. "She went home, she didn't feel well," Ophelia remarked brazenly and then, with deliberate malice, she added," I think someone might have accidentally filled her in on… our little family secret and boy, she didn't take it very well."
His mother frowned, taken aback by her tone.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Oh, don't look so shocked," Ophelia rolled her eyes." She's a big girl. She can handle the truth. And if not… oh well, not much of a loss here, is it? God, I really need a drink -"
She turned towards the door when she felt her mother grab her arm and turn her back towards her.
"What did you say to her?" She demanded.
"Nothing she didn't deserve to hear," Ophelia replied brazenly." Let's just say she pissed me off one too many times."
"Ophelia," her mother hissed."What did you do?"
Ophelia shrugged, unconcerned.
"I told her the truth, that her mother was a whore who seduced another woman's husband."
She saw her mother flinch as if Ophelia just slapped her, and all the colour just drained from her face.
Oh for fuck's sake, her mother and her dramatics. Oh, boo-hoo-fucking-hoo, what was Morticia going to do now? She'd stop talking to them and fuck off to the other side of the world? Good riddance. They could all pray for that to happen.
"She was not a whore," her mother breathed out angrily."You don't know a damn thing about her -"
Ophelia was briefly taken aback by the outburst but the surprise was quickly replaced by even more anger.
"I know enough," Ophelia spat," she was a whore and the apple didn't fall far from the tree."
"You know nothing," she hissed."You had no right to tell Morticia about things you only have a vague idea about - "
"Oh, trust me, I had every right -" she threw back but then faltered but her mother picked on her hesitation in an instant.
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It means that the fucking history likes to repeat itself," Ophelia retorted angrily. "An apple doesn't fall far from the tree? What could have come out from one shameless whore if not another shameless whore? Is that plain enough for you, or do you want me to spell it out?"
She watched the meaning of her words suddenly hit home, and felt her mother release her arm.
"Oh, God," she whispered, closing her eyes briefly and then looked back at Ophelia, her gaze soft and loving and -
"Don't," Ophelia retorted angrily, raising her hand to stop her."Don't look at me like that, I don't need you to feel sorry for me, I don't need anyone's pity. Yours least of all. I'm not like you."
"Ophelia - "
Ophelia shook her head violently.
"Your husband might have cheated on you and then had the audacity to throw his bastard child at you - well, that won't be me. That will never be me, I will not be humiliated like that. I won't allow anyone to spit in my face and pretend it's raining."
"Darling, listen to me -"
"I've listened enough, and it didn't do me any good, did it?" She hissed."If you had the guts to tell her the truth from the beginning I wouldn't be in this fucking situation. You're all at fault that I have to deal with this fuckery, that she's in my life at all, so don't tell me to listen, because there's not a damn thing you can tell me that would help here. And I don't care how pissed you are, she should have known the truth, she should know that she's a whore just like her damned mother."
"I know you're upset but you need to -"
"Oh, please, you've allowed him to treat you like a doormat, and the fact that you allowed him to bring that little whore's child to your own home was the final insult. How could you allow him to humiliate you like that? How could you allow him to destroy our family?"
"Are you done?" Her mother asked her icily." Then listen to me now."
The tone, so cold and ruthlessly firm, was so entirely unfamiliar that Ophelia found herself falling silent, unable to ever recall the time when her mother would speak to her like that.
"You don't know a damn thing," her mother continued in almost breathless anger. "What Gomez did to you, we'll deal with it, but no matter what, you had no right to tell Morticia about things you have no understanding of, and don't you dare - don't you dare, to call her mother a whore ever again, because the only whore in that equation was your father. Do you think he dumped his bastard child on me? That bloody coward did not lift a finger when the girl was born and he sure as hell did not decide to bring her to my home," her mother replied fervently.
"What are you saying?" Ophelia found herself asking, barely able to get her mind around the unrestrained wave of words.
"It was me," her mother said. "I brought her home."
A/N: Thank you for reading!