*Author's Note - This chapter is a direct sequel to Chapter 64: "Ana's Amazing Adventure", and Chapter 70: "A Girl and a Ghost". Reading those two chapters is essential to understanding today's story.

Wednesday Addams and Enid Sinclair. They were a duo that shouldn't have worked... but they did... and somehow their relationship resulted in marriage and two twin children - Harmony and Ana: two incredibly resourceful and talented eighteen year old women. Harmony, who carries both of her mother's special abilities, continues to grow and explore the world alongside the love of her life: Megan. Ana meanwhile is a very "different" type of girl without special powers, who is still trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life, while going on adventures with her boyfriend: Gerard... who just so happens to be a ghost... something that the rest of Ana's family only recently learned...

"The Journey of a Girl and a Ghost"

Written by: "Fun But Shy Girl"

One evening: a large crowd of individuals covered in cloaks and hoods were gathered in an old abandoned warehouse. The warehouse was cold and vast, with a solitary light bulb casting a feeble light that barely reached the concrete floor, throwing eerie shadows on the metal racks, dusty cardboard boxes, and over the one hundred cloaked individuals that gathered in the room. Emerging into the dimly lit clearing was the figure of an older man standing before a makeshift altar, with an oil barrel sitting near it. The man's eyes glowed with a fiery intensity, his face a canvas of sharp angles and deep lines, as if etched by a lifetime of harsh truths. The man at the altar soon lifted his arms, his eyes closed, his voice reaching a crescendo as he loudly proclaimed, "Ancient spirits, we have gathered on this sacred night as the prophecies have foretold! We have forsaken all our worldly goods to be bestowed upon you the blessing of the next era of prosperity!"

The older man then threw a match in the nearby oil barrel, causing a bright fire to glow from it. The older man held out his hands, as did the large gathering of cloaked individuals. The older man then loudly yelled, "Now ancient spirits... move through us and give us your blessing!" Everyone remained silent, as they observed the glow of the fire from the oil barrel. Suddenly, the older man began to be slowly lifted high into the air, causing him to float near the ceiling. Many of the cloaked individuals gasped, as one of them said, "The prophecy is being fulfilled! The ancient spirits are already moving through our great leader!" The older man however was beginning to look worried, but tried to sound calm as he said, "Uh... yes. Yes, they are! This is the work of the ancient spirits! For they can lift us into the air as easily as a mother can lift a newborn baby!"

Then suddenly the sound of a teenage girl loudly giggling could be heard across the room, followed by the same voice beginning to say, "Oh baby, baby." One of the cloaked figures then turned their head as they loudly yelled, "Who speaks!? Who dares mock this ancient ceremony!?" Then everyone heard the same young voice continue to say, "Oh baby, baby, how was I supposed to know... that something wasn't right now..." One of the other angry cloaked figures then loudly said, "Show yourself you sacrilegious sinner!"

Then suddenly one of the cloaked figures stepped forward, and removed their cloak, revealing themselves to be... Ana Addams wearing a Catholic schoolgirl outfit. The teenage daughter of Enid and Wednesday Addams smirked at the crowd of cloaked individuals surrounding her, and then pointed to the older man floating in the air as she began to shake her hips while singing, "Oh baby, baby. I shouldn't have let you go... and now you're out of sight, yeah!"

Then one of the cloaked figures angerly interrupted Ana as they yelled, "She's a spy who has infiltrated us! Get her!" Many of the cloaked individuals tried to run at Ana attempting to grab her. However Ana quickly dodged every individual's attack, dodging and jumping around them as she happily said, "Come on people. Certainly you can do better than that. Give me a sign. Hit me baby one more time!"

However Ana was interrupted by the older man floating near the ceiling as he said, "How did you find this place girl, and how did you make me float in the air!?" Ana then quickly jumped up and grabbed onto a chain hanging from the ceiling. As Ana began to climb the chain, she looked down at the large crowd of cloaked individuals as she loudly said, "Hey, you all heard that people! This guy doesn't know how he's floating in the air, because he can't channel ancient spirits! He's actually a con man that took all your money with false promises of a better life. He's pulled this stunt in countless other cities, and the feds have been trying to nail him for years!" However, one of the cloaked individuals said, "But he floats in the air. Surely that is work of the ancient spirits." Ana then smirked as she said, "Actually, the only spirit here is with me. Go ahead and show yourself babe!"

Then suddenly the form of Ana's ghostly boyfriend Gerard appeared before everyone. Gerard was floating above the ground using his supernatural abilities to create a wind from his ghostly body that kept the old cult leader floating in the air. All of the cloaked figures began to gasp, while Ana (still holding onto the chain attached to the ceiling) made a big smile as she said, "Gerard, meet the crazy cult I infiltrated. Crazy cult, this is my boyfriend Gerard. Yes people, my boyfriend is a ghost. Don't question how that works. It just does."

Meanwhile the older cult leader was still floating in the air as he angerly said, "You have no way to expose to the authorities my operation and the millions of dollars I make off my schemes fooling countless chumps with empty promises. It'll just be my word against the word of a crazy girl who claims to be dating a ghost." Ana however maintained her big smile as she said, "Actually it'll be your word against you because we just recorded your confession. You got that Stormageddon the Conqueror!?"

Suddenly Ana's cat jumped out of a nearby box holding Ana's phone in his mouth. Ana's cat gently dropped the phone on the ground, and happily said, "Rowr!" The old cult leader now looked worried as he said, "Oh crud!" Then Gerard smirked as he said, "And now you can come down." Gerard immediately moved his ghostly hands down, causing the old man to fall to the ground on top of some boxes filled with foam (leaving him hurt and unable to get up, but still alive). The rest of the cloaked figures began to look confused as they backed away. Ana then climbed down the chain as she landed near where the old cult leader lay. As Gerard floated to her left, and her cat sat near her right: Ana Addams stood proudly as she looked down at the old man while saying, "Sorry buddy, but you're going to the police station down the road where all the other wannabe witches go."

Suddenly Ana paused for a moment, and then she looked very excited as she said, "OMG! He's going down the road to where all the wanna be witches go! You know what that means!?" Gerard simply made a happy smirk, while Ana's cat used his paw to press a button on Ana's phone. Then loud rock music began to play on Ana's phone, as Ana pointed down at the fallen old man while she happily sang, "You're going down, down, down the road. Down the witch's road!" Meanwhile Ana's cat happily sang, "Meow, meow, meow, meow!" Then Ana began to play air drums, as her cat rocked his head to the music, while all of the cloaked figures looked very confused as they began to leave the room.

Some time later, in a small home: a husband and wife in their early 50's were sitting on the couch together watching TV. All seemed simple until Gerard, now invisible, began floating outside the window to the house looking in. Gerard made a little smile as he softly said, "Hi mom. Hi dad." As Gerard flew through the window and into the home, he watched as the rising morning sun painted the windows with a warm glow. As he slowly floated through the room, he saw his mother and father sitting together on the couch, holding hands as they watched TV. A commercial for a car insurance company played that explained their insurance plan for new teenage drivers in the family. As the commercial showed a mother and father together giving the keys of a brand new car to a teenage boy; Gerard could see a few little tears in the eyes of his parents.

As Gerard looked at his parents, he watched them talk about their respective weeks at work, as they tried to ignore the unexpected emotion the television commercial just gave them. But then Gerard's mother suddenly burst into tears as she said, "I... I can't keep acting like I'm fine. I still miss him so much. I wish I had told him I loved him more, or told him how proud I was of his art." Gerard's father sighed, and then said, "Well... I have regrets too dear... but he's gone now. So lets be thankful for all the good times we had with him, while finding some happiness in the time we still have left."

As Gerard's parents continued to talk, Gerard's ghostly chest tightened as he watched them. Gerard then opened his mouth ready to speak... but then chose not to, as he floated out of the house. As Gerard floated into the sky, he said to himself: "It isn't right. They would never be able to cope with me being a ghost now. It's best if I just appreciate the times I did have with them, and focus on my new journey alongside Ana now." Then Gerard began to fly towards Ana's home.

Meanwhile, Wednesday Addams was sitting on the couch of her living room reading a book, while her wife Enid laid on the couch, her head resting on Wednesday's lap. Enid was looking at her phone, and saw a news article on her screen with a title that said: Local Jericho Girl Stops National Cult Leader. Then Enid saw a picture of a smiling Ana giving the peace sign with her fingers (with her tongue was sticking out), while police in the background were hauling away the old cult leader. Enid then put her phone down as she said, "Wednesday... are you worried about Ana?"

Wednesday simply looked annoyed as she closed up her book, and looked down at Enid as she said, "Not enough to disrupt my reading of The Shining." Enid made a little sigh, and then looked up at Wednesday as she said, "It's just... Ana seems to be doing so many dangerous things ever since she started dating this new ghost boyfriend of hers. Aren't you worried about her?"

Wednesday remained calm as she said, "Enid... Ana has faced demons, assassins, monsters, terrorists, and a dark alternate universe version of myself. She has become quite the self-sufficient individual in all things... with the exception being to completing her homework assignments on time." Enid however began to look more worried as she said, "Yeah, but she always has faced her problems with family. I'm just... I'm just worried that as Ana grows up and distances herself from us that she's not gonna be able to handle the dangers of the world with someone who can't even touch her."

Suddenly Wednesday and Enid's conversation was interrupted by the sound of the nearby front door opening. Then the two women saw Ana stepping into the home. As Ana was entering the house though, she was doing a little dance as she rocked her hips and sang, "Who's that sexy thing I see over there?" Then Ana quickly spun around, and pointed to a nearby mirror as she sang, "That's me! Standing in the mirror!"

Then Enid sat up, waved, and while having a worried face, tried to put on a smile as she said, "Hi Ana. How was your day?" With a big smile on her face, Ana said, "OMG! Me and Gerard took down this huge nationwide cult! It was so much fun!" Enid, while trying to keep a smile on her face, had concern in her voice as she said, "So... you and Gerard have been spending a lot of time together fighting organized crime lately. But... don't you feel a little concerned having him be your main back up?" Ana raised one eyebrow, and had a confused look on her face as she said, "What do you mean?" As Enid began to look more worried, she said, "I mean... what if someone quickly throws a knife at you? Gerard can't suddenly stop physical objects from moving at a second's notice. Or what if someone is trying to punch you? Gerard can't get in their way."

Ana however had a big smile on her face as she said, "Oh, don't worry. I've got my sweet moves I learned from the Canadian Ninja Culinary School. Plus, Gerard can possess people if absolutely necessary, which prevents them from hurting me. He can even make people do that weird creepy neck turn thing without killing them. It's so horrific and traumatizing, but it's so cool every time he does it! It is so much fun dating someone that can give you nightmare fuel!" Wednesday then finally entered the conversation as she said, "On that I can relate to; as I chose to marry someone that still to this day keeps trying to dress me up every Halloween as Glinda the brightly colored witch of Oz." Enid then turned to look at Wednesday as she quickly said, "I told you Wednesday. If I dressed up as the Wicked Witch, and you dressed up as Glinda: it would be epically ironic!"

Then Enid turned back to Ana as she said, "Well... I'm glad you feel safe with Gerard... but please be careful." Ana made a warm smile as she said, "Mom... thanks for caring about me... but remember, I always exercise the right level of caution no matter what I do." Then suddenly Ana's cat entered the house through a pet door. Ana looked at her cat, and in a matter of fact tone she said, "Hey Stormageddon the Conqueror. I need you to go online and order me some more duck tape, Mike and Ike candy, and a couple cases of dynamite." Ana's cat squinted his eyes as he said, "Rowr!" Then Ana sighed and said, "You're right. That stuff is very expensive now. Okay, you can take the Mike and Ike candy off that list." Ana then headed up to her room, as Enid now looked more worried. Enid then slowly stood up as she said, "Maybe I should go talk to her again."

Ana was laying on her bed in her bedroom as she watching an old black and white program on her nearby TV screen. Gerard meanwhile hovered in the air near Ana, with his ghostly body in a laid down position in the middle of the air. Ana had a content look on her face as she said, "This is the life. Just me, my boyfriend, and old 1960's British sci-fi. It doesn't get better than this." Gerard then looked down at Ana with a curious face as he said, "Ana, why do we often watch really old movies and TV shows together?" As Ana looked at the black and white program playing on the TV screen, she smiled as she said, "Because there's something almost magical about watching a really old program like this. Most of the people that worked on these old black and white movies and shows are passed away now... and yet right now in this moment... they feel so alive. It's like... watching and listening to a ghost."

As Gerard had his ghostly body slowly float down towards Ana, he had a warm smile on his face as he said, "Well, I guess I'm lucky you have a thing for ghosts." Then Ana looked up at Gerard, and had a smirk on her face as she said, "Well, I know I'm lucky every day you're with me. So... would you like to try possessing me ghost boy?" Gerard looked a bit concerned as he said, "Are you sure we should try that so early in our relationship? I mean... I know you've never been possessed before." As Ana began to relax her body, she made a big grin as she said, "It's okay. I want you to be my first."

Gerard looked a bit worried, but then smiled as he slowly moved his ghostly form near Ana. Suddenly, the door to the room opened and Enid stepped in as she said, "Ana, I just wanted to ask you about..." Ana suddenly looked angry as she turned to Enid while yelling, "Mom! Haven't you heard of knocking!?" Enid then stepped back looking worried as she said, "I'm sorry. I didn't know... Wait. Was Gerard trying to possess you just now?" Gerard then looked very worried as he said, "No ma'am. This isn't what it looks like." Then Ana sat up as she angerly said, "And even if it was: it's my soul, my choice." Then Ana quickly stood up, and shut the door on Enid.

Enid walked into the living room with a disturbed look on her face, while Wednesday was still calmly reading her book. Wednesday then glanced at Enid, and casually said, "You walked in on Ana about to be possessed weren't you?" A surprised Enid turned to look at Wednesday as she asked, "How did you know?" Wednesday calmly looked back at her book as she casually said, "I may have experimented before I met you. Many Addams women tend to when they're young."

Then out of nowhere: suddenly the ground began to shake, and both Wednesday and Enid's eyes widened. Things around the room began to fall over, as Enid lost her balance and fell down screaming in pain. Then the nearby piranha tank in the room began to fall off the table and towards Enid. Wednesday tried to move towards Enid, but everything was happening too quick. Then suddenly Gerard flew through the ceiling and into the living room as he said, "I got you Mrs Addams."

Enid screamed as she felt the water from the tank fall on her, and felt piranhas hit her body. However Enid stopped screaming when she realized the piranhas weren't moving. Enid then turned to look at Gerard, who was holding out his ghostly hands as he said, "I've possessed all the piranhas, and are forcing them to be still and calm. Quick. Get them back in their tank." As the earthquake stopped, Wednesday and Enid, moving fast, quickly put the frozen piranhas back in their tank. Wednesday then began to refill the tank with water, as Ana rushed down the stairs and asked, "Everyone okay?" Enid caught her breath as she said, "Yeah... thanks to Gerard. Thank you for saving me." Gerard smirked as he said, "Anything for Ana's family."

As Ana began to put things back in their place she said, "That was crazy. I don't think there's ever been an earthquake in Jericho. Is this town on some kind of fault line?" As Wednesday finished putting water back in the piranha tank, she said, "It isn't... and I do not believe that was an earthquake. Real earthquakes feel like a series of natural waves; like the way one's body feel when it's hit by lightning. It's raw and powerful. However, that apparent earthquake we just experienced felt more like being strapped to an electric chair. It was quick, direct, artificial." Enid's eyes widened as she said, "You mean someone manufactured an earthquake? But how?" Meanwhile Ana's face became excited as she said, "Sweet. I was looking for an excuse to not do that 12 page essay for school."

A short time later: Wednesday was flipping through an old book in the living room while sitting on the couch. Enid was sitting near Wednesday, while Gerard floated near them looking at the book. As Wednesday looked at several pages, she said, "There are no records in the history of Nevermore Academy that speak of outcasts with abilities or magic that could create wide scale earthquakes. However, there have been ancient legends passed down through lost Native American tribes that were transcribed by the earliest members of Nevermore. They speak of creatures long ago that had the power to shake the Earth, harness waters that can extend life, and capture spirits that haunt the lands." Enid looked curious as she asked, "Could these creatures still exist?"

Suddenly everyone heard Ana's voice say, "If they do, then we'll knock some sense into them!" Everyone turned their heads, and saw Ana enter the room. Ana was wearing a purple coat that had a hood in the back, with a long scarf around her neck, and a backpack hanging behind her. Ana then held out her phone as she said, "I have the exact location to the epicenter where the earthquake started. Me and Gerard will check out the area. If any creatures are hiding about, Gerard can go through any walls and find them, and then I can use my explosives to break down any barriers in our way."

Enid however stepped forward looking worried as she said, "Wait Ana. You can't go exploring for creatures of legend with just explosives and your ghostly boyfriend." Ana paused for a moment... and then said, "You know what mom? ... You're right. I need to buy a new baseball bat too. Anyway, don't stay up late for me!" Ana then dashed out of the house, while Gerard remained in the home. Enid then turned to look at Gerard, and with desperation in her eyes Enid said, "Will you please keep her safe?" Gerard smiled as he said, "Ma'am... as a ghost, I am only bound to this plain of existence if I still have a great purpose here... and for me... being there for Ana is the greatest purpose I could ever want." Gerard then quickly flew out of the house, while Enid remained looking a bit worried.

Wednesday then stood up, and went beside Enid as she said, "Ana will be fine. She is an Addams. As for her choice of companion... I seem to recall long ago those that believed we were quite the unusual pairing." Enid then gently held Wednesday's hand, and smiled as she said, "Yeah... a girl that meets someone totally different than themself that engages in a romance that shouldn't have worked but it totally does... I guess Ana truly is our daughter."

Ana was walking through the woods looking at a GPS signal on her phone, while Gerard hovered near her. As the two traveled, Gerard had an uncertain look on his face as he said, "So after checking in on my parents for the third time, I'm starting to have doubts on whether hiding my existence from them was the right move. At first I thought I was sparing them some sort of pain... but now I'm starting to wonder if I'm just afraid of what they'll think when they realize their son didn't turn out the way they planned."

As Ana kept looking at her phone, she casually said, "None of us turn out exactly the way our parents thought we would Gerard. However, a long as we're doing something worthwhile for the world using all of the relevant skills and values they taught us while being our best selves, we honor our parents, and that's what's most important." Gerard smiled as he said, "You know Ana... underneath that free spirited and childish personality of yours, you're as wise as you are pretty." Ana suddenly began to blush, and then giggled uncontrollably, followed by saying, "You called me pretty."

Suddenly Ana's phone began to make a beeping sound. Ana then looked around as she said, "Okay. This is the epicenter of the earthquake. But I only see big rocks sitting around here." Gerard then had his ghostly body float through the largest rock for a moment... and then he came back as he said, "Ana, there is literally a cave hiding under this rock. The cave looks like it hasn't been touched for maybe hundreds of years." Ana then excitedly pulled some explosives out of her bag as she said, "All right. Time to test out my special gear that's nine times stronger than typical nitro explosives. I call this stuff... Nitro Nine."

Then Ana threw a package of explosives at the large rock. Ana ran for cover, and then suddenly there was an explosion that obliterated the rock. Ana jumped with excitement as she yelled, "Woohoo! We blew that thing up good! Who's bad? I'm bad! Oh yeah!" Gerard chuckled a bit as he said, "Okay Ana, you might be acting a little too childish now." Then Ana smirked at Gerard as she said, "Come on Gerard. There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes."

Ana and Gerard then moved towards the large cave opening they created. The two then moved into a dark cave as Ana took a lamp out of her bag to light their way, while Gerard made a glow come from one of his hands to give some more light. As they kept moving, Ana said, "Whoa. You can totally feel we're traveling downwards." Suddenly the two saw a giant chasm ahead of them. As the two looked down into a dark pit, Gerard said, "Well that's definitely traveling downwards. How deep do you think it is?"

Ana then took out of her bag a thick laser pointer. Ana turned on the laser pointer which emitted a blue laser beam. Ana pointed the laser pointer down the chasm, but was unable to see the end of the laser beam. Ana's eyes widened as she said, "This laser is supposed to have the ability to travel miles. If I can't see the end of the laser... this could be the deepest chasm in all of existence. Man... I'd love to see what's at the bottom."

Gerard however looked nervous as he said, "Yeah, but it obviously be too dangerous if you tried going down there. So we better turn back." Then Ana made a big grin as she said, "Yeah... maybe..." Then Ana began to slowly move towards the edge of the dark pit, as an annoyed looking Gerard said, "Ana, don't." With a smile on her face, Ana coyly said, "Don't do what?" Then Gerard crossed his ghostly arms as he said with a direct tone, "You're thinking about jumping down the giant chasm." Ana tried to play dumb as she said, "Whaaaaa!? Noooo. I would never do something that crazy." Then as Ana continued to slowly move towards the edge of chasm, Gerard rolled his eyes as he said, "Ana, I can clearly see you moving towards the edge."

Ana then stood very close to edge of the pit as she said, "Oh, don't worry about me. I know how to be careful, and..." Then suddenly Ana let herself fall down into the pit as she sarcastically yelled, "Oh no, I slipped! Aaaaahhhhhh!" Gerard shook his head, rolled his eyes, and then quickly had his ghostly body fly down the pit after Ana. Soon, Gerard was able to fly past Ana, and then used his ghostly powers to create a wind that stopped Ana from falling. As Gerard floated beneath Ana while casting a ghostly wind from his hands to hold Ana up, Ana looked down at Gerard with a smile as she casually said, "Hey there babe."

Gerard looked slightly worried, but also chuckled as he said, "You know Ana, you seem to enjoy doing very dangerous things." Ana however made a warm smile as she said, "Maybe... but I know that every time I start to fall, you'll always be there to catch me." Gerard then smiled as he lovingly looked into Ana's eyes. Then Ana quickly snapped to attention as she said, "Well, now that we've gone down this far, might as well go the rest of the way." Gerard made a happy sigh, and then said, "Of course we should."

Meanwhile, Enid was walking through a quiet neighborhood, feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin. As she was walking though, Enid pulled out her phone and began to look at various old news articles. Soon, Enid brought up the news article that revolved around Gerard's death. As Enid scrolled through the article, she saw pictures of Gerard back when he was alive, along with pictures of Gerard's parents. Enid quickly did a few button presses on her phone to find the address to where Gerard's parents lived, surprised to see they now lived close to where she was walking. As Enid looked up, she said to herself, "Hmm... Should I?..."

Deep beneath the Earth's surface, Gerard was flying downwards, while he still used his ghostly wind abilities to keep Ana hovering over him. Soon the two reached the bottom of the large chasm as Gerard said, "This is insane. It feels like we just traveled down hundreds of miles." Ana meanwhile was just focused on the cave walls around her as she said, "Whoa..." Both Ana and Gerard began to notice that the walls around them showed ancient etchings and paintings of figures that seemed to be worshiping a large creature that was depicted with tentacles, teeth, and eyes all over it's body. Ana looked around in amazement as she said, "Whoa. It's like discovering an alternate dimension hiding under your own."

As Gerard looked carefully at the cave walls, he remarked, "There might have been a whole other world down here long ago. It's like Jules Verne's story: Journey to the Center of the Earth. I wonder... maybe that book wasn't just fiction. Maybe that was based on some sort of ancient truth that was passed down through stories, or maybe Verne discovered some scientific evidence to back it up when he was alive." As Ana continued to look at the cave paintings around her that featured even more strange creatures, she said, "Well it would make sense for Jules Verne to disguise seemingly unbelievable facts as fiction. I mean... it is way easier to make money off a fantasy franchise than a textbook full of facts."

Suddenly the two heard a strange sound echoing through the cave. It was a sound of something moving through the walls of the cavern. Gerard looked around as he said, "Ana... I don't think we're the only ones down here." Ana nodded as she pulled out her lamp, and began to shine it around the room. Then suddenly, the light from the lamp hit something in the corner of the cave. As Ana shone the light on it, the two of them saw a creature unlike anything they had ever seen before. The creature was large, with tentacles for arms, teeth that looked like sharpened stone, and eyes that were pitch black... except for when they reflected the light of the lamp, showing a deep red. The creature let out a loud roar that shook the cavern walls.

Ana then looked at the creature and made a happy wave as she said, "Congratulations, you are the 1000th monster to ever roar at me! Are you ready to receive your prize?" The creature roared again, as it began to move towards them. Ana then threw the flashlight into the creature's eyes, blinding it momentarily. As the creature stumbled back, Ana reached into her bag and pulled out a rope, quickly throwing it around one of the creature's tentacles. Gerard then flew towards the creature, closing his eyes as he tried to concentrate on possessing the creature. However as the creature kept roaring, Gerard began to look very worried as he said, "I can't possess it. I... I've never encountered a creature I couldn't possess on some level before." The creature began to roar even louder as Ana said, "Quick. We need to get out of here." Ana and Gerard rushed down a long tunnel, while the creature began to thrash around, trying to break free from the rope.

Enid found herself standing outside the home Gerard's parents lived in. Enid stood unsure of what she was doing, and was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Gerard's mother step out of the house. She was startled to see Enid standing so close to her property, and she took a step back, her hand going to her chest as she said, "Oh, I'm so sorry." Enid then held up her her hands as she said, "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I was just... looking for information on someone. My name is Enid Sinclair Addams. My daughter is friends with... err... I guess I mean... was friends with your son, Gerard." Suddenly the eyes of Gerard's mother were filled with tears as she stepped forward, a hand reaching out to Enid. "Please," she said, "Come inside. It's been so long since anyone new talked to me about my boy." Enid looked a bit uncertain as she took a deep breath... and then smiled as she said, "Sure.

As she was sprinting at full speed through a long tunnel, Ana's heart raced in her chest, her breaths coming out in ragged gasps. "What the heck was that thing?" she exclaimed. Gerard's eyes remained focused ahead, his ghostly form zipping through the air with surprising agility alongside Ana as he said, "I don't know, but we need to be careful. If I couldn't possess that creature, we could be dealing with seriously unknown forces down here."

Suddenly, the tunnel that Ana and Gerard were traveling through opened up into a vast chamber, illuminated by an eerie, pulsing light. In the center of the chamber, a pool of glowing water was casting a strange glow across the room. "This has to be it," Ana panted, pointing towards the light. "The heart of this place. Maybe that's where the earthquake's power is coming from." Gerard nodded, his eyes scanning the room as he said, "Well, we still need to be careful. Who knows what other horrors this place holds?"

Before Ana could take another step though, suddenly a human-sized lizard creature leaped out from the shadows, its eyes glowing a vibrant green. It lunged at Ana, teeth bared and tail whipping through the air. Ana rolled aside, barely dodging its snapping jaws, and pulled out a pair of knives from her backpack. "Not today, Ninja Turtle wannabe!" she yelled, slashing at the creature. The creature was fast, though, and it knocked the knives from her hands with a swipe of its scaly tail. Ana tried to fight back, throwing punches and kicks, but the creature's scales were as strong as armor. It swiped at her with its sharp claws, throwing her against the cavern wall with a painful thud. Her breath knocked out of her, Ana struggled to get up, her vision swimming.

Gerard however flew towards the lizard creature as he said, "Let see how tough you are when I possess you, and make you throw yourself off a cliff." However as Gerard held out his hands towards the lizard creature, he saw the creature turn towards him with its' eyes filled with anger. Worry began to go across Gerard's face as he said, "I... I can't possess this creature either. What's going on down here!?" Suddenly the lizard creature pulled out a strange device that looked like a electric lasso. It began to chant in a language that seemed to resonate through the very air, and then it threw its' lasso at Gerard.

Ana watched in horror as the strange electric lasso actually surrounded Gerard and then began to grab his ghostly body. Gerard's face was with filled with worry and confusion as he said, "What's going on!? How can this be happening!?" As Ana watched what was going on, she said, "No, no, no, no. Gerard!" As Gerard felt his ghostly body being pulled towards the reptile creature, he looked at Ana with sadness in his eyes as he said, "Ana, I lov..." But then suddenly Gerard's very ghostly form was distorted and shrunken and then suddenly it entered a bottle the lizard creature was wearing on a utility belt it wore. The lizard creature closed the bottle, as a devastated Ana immediately yelled, "Noooooo!" But then the lizard creature ran at Ana once more, and using his strong closed fist: punched Ana so hard that she was knocked out.

Meanwhile, Enid was standing in a room filled with many photos of Gerard growing up. Enid also noticed several fantasy novels sitting near the pictures as she said, "Were these Gerard's?" Gerard's mother was standing near Enid as she said, "Indeed. We gave away most of his things after he died... but I couldn't give up his favorite books. He used to spend hours reading about myths and legends. He sometimes got in trouble when he was little because he refused to go to sleep due to not wanting to put those books down... but he was a good boy. He also loved to read books featuring dark gothic supernatural stories as well."

Enid made a little smirk as she said, "My wife writes those kind of stories. I should ask Gerard if he read her books... I mean, I should've asked him if he read her books. I'm sorry." Gerard's mother made a small smile as she said, "I sometimes get mixed up still as well. But I'm glad to know Gerard had more friends than I realized when he was alive. You said your daughter's name was Ana, correct?" Enid nodded her head as she said, "Yeah." Gerard's mother looked slightly puzzled for a moment as she said, "I don't remember Gerard ever mentioning a girl by that name. But he was a teenager, and teenage boys aren't meant to tell their mothers everything. Were he and your daughter close?"

Enid hesitated for a second, but then nodded her head as she said, "Yeah. I... I think he may have loved her. He is... I mean was very protective of her. The last time I saw him, he said that being there for Ana is the greatest purpose he could ever want." Gerard's mother made a happy smiled as she said, "Now that sounds like Gerard. My boy was a very traditional kind of noble young man. When Gerard was little, he always told me that if he found the right princess one day, he would protect her and cherish her forever. However, he also told me would never love any princess. He told he would only be willing to love the brightest, the strongest, and most unique princess in all the land. If... if only I could've seen that boy's dream come true one day." As sadness began to enter the eyes of Gerard's mother, uncertainty began to enter the eyes of Enid.

Meanwhile Ana slowly opened her eyes, and she saw that she was lying on a cold stone floor of the chamber, her head throbbing. She looked around, and saw she was in a metallic cage in the corner of a strange looking laboratory. Ana tried to call out for Gerard, but her voice was barely a whisper. She managed to sit up, her hands feeling around for the knives she'd lost in the scuffle. But as she searched, she heard the echoing footsteps of the creature returning. "Gerard?" she called out, desperation in her voice. "Where are you?" The creature emerged from the shadows, the electronic lasso still in its' hand, and a smug grin on its face. "Ah, you're awake," it hissed. "Good. I was worried I'd have to wake you up myself." Ana glared at the creature, her heart racing. "What do you want with me?" she demanded, trying to sound braver than she felt.

The creature leaned in close, its breath hot and foul as it said, "You will not give the questions! I will! Now explain to me alien creature why you have invaded my planet!?" Ana looked confused as she said, "Your planet!? Dude, I'm a human being. The dominant species on this world." The lizard creature then began to look angry as it loudly said, "You lie! When the meteor was detected 65 million cycles ago, my people put themselves into hibernation. Our artificial electronic membranes predicted that due to the fallout of the meteor strike on the planet, it would take that long for the planet to become sustainable to live on again. There can be no other life on this world!"

Suddenly Ana chuckled a bit as she said, "Hold on. You used AI to predict what was going to happen for the next 65 million years, and you thought it would be correct!? Umm... I think I need to catch you up on some things. It sounds like you're part of a species that lived on this planet long ago, and you put yourself on ice when you saw a meteor about to hit the planet... and while that meteor did kill of all the dinosaurs, it wasn't the end of life. From what I know, new life was born thanks to God or evolution or Neil Degrasse Tyson or somebody. The point is: tons of new species emerged and thrived for the last tens of thousands of years; with the dominant species being people like me... humans. Sorry to break it to you, but the surface world is pretty crowded now."

The lizard creature began to look more angry as it said, "No! My people are the only lords of this planet! We mastered all forms of science and sorcery! We harnessed the power of the atom, created waters that could extend our lives a hundred years every time we bathed in them, and developed the technology to capture spirits! I even tested our land redistributor equipment on its' lowest setting when I first came out of stasis to ensure it still worked; which after 65 million years: still does! There is no other species that could live on our planet, let alone dominate it! None!" Ana then began to look more serious again as she said, "Lets go back to the part about capturing spirits. The one spirit you captured earlier... where is he?"

The lizard creature then pointed to a bottle sitting on a nearby table as he said, "He sits there... unable to help you in your plans intruder. But know this... there is nothing you can do to stop my people from reclaiming this world. Your inability to stop me in combat shows how weak and pathetic your entire species are. I was the first of my people to be awakened; to survey the condition of this planet. But now I shall be the first to awaken my fellow soldiers. We shall go to the surface and destroy your kind, shake the ground beneath any enemies that would oppose us, and make our species dominant once more. You shall be allowed to live for now; for your body shall one day be a museum piece... the first human defeated in our re-conquest of the planet!" The lizard creature then walked out of the room, leaving Ana all alone. As Ana looked at the nearby bottle with Gerard's spirit trapped inside it, a sad look was on Ana's face as she said, "Gerard... I'm sorry. I let down you... and I let down the entire planet."

At the same time, Enid was beginning to walk out a front door as she said, "Well, I should get going. My wife gets a little worried if she doesn't see me for an extended period of time." Gerard's mother nodded as she walked towards Enid while saying, "Yes, of course. Thank you so much for coming by and talking to me about my son today. I... I didn't realize until now how talking about him actually does help with the pain." Enid then made a small smile as she said, "Of course. You're welcome." As Enid turned to walk out the door, she saw one last picture of Gerard that was clearly taken shortly before he died. Enid felt a sudden pang of sadness as she walked out the door and then towards the nearby sidewalk. Enid then quickly took out her cell phone, dialed a number, and when she heard the phone being answered, Enid immediately said, "Wednesday... I did something crazy just now, and you're the only one crazy enough I trust to tell me if it was too crazy."

Ana continued to sit in her cage in the strange laboratory. As Ana tried to reach through the bars, she looked at the bottle holding Gerard's spirit as she said, "Come on. Just break you stupid bars. I can't let humanity be destroyed... and more importantly, I can't let myself not see Gerard again. Not before I get the chance to tell him that I lov..." Then suddenly Ana heard the meowing noise of a cat. Suddenly Ana's eyes lit up as she said, "No way! Don't tell me..." Then suddenly walking around a corner was Ana's cat meowing at her. An excited Ana yelled, "Stormageddon the Conqueror! How did you get down here!?" Ana's cat then looked at his owner as he simply said, "Rowr." Ana chuckled as she said, "I see. You were hiding in my backpack just in case I got in trouble, and then went into hiding when things were looking rough. Well quick. Break that bottle over there. Gerard is stuck in it."

Ana's cat then jumped onto the nearby table, and then knocked over the bottle. As the bottle hit the floor and broke, a swirl of smoke came out of it. Immediately Gerard reappeared, looking very shocked as he said, "My God. That thing I was trapped in... I could see everything happening outside of it but I couldn't do anything." Ana however just smiled, with a few tears in her eyes as she said, "Gerard... I was worried I'd never see you again." Gerard then floated towards Ana, smiling as he said, "And I was worried that I would never get the chance to tell you that I lov..." Suddenly Ana's cat interrupted the two as he loudly yelled, "ROWR!" Ana quickly snapped to attention as she said, "No time! We've gotta save the world. Think you can create a concentrated gust of wind to break this cage?" Gerard smirked as he said, "You got it."

Gerard then pointed his hands at the cage as he sent a strong wind from his hands. Soon the door to the cage broke open, and Ana stepped out. Ana looked very happy as she said, "Thanks for breaking me out of the dungeon my hero." Gerard simply smiled as he said, "I'm always ready to save my beautiful princess." Suddenly Ana began to giggle uncontrollably, and then she happily said, "You called me your beautiful princess." Then Ana's cat jumped on Ana's shoulder, and loudly yelled, "ROWR!" Ana quickly snapped to attention again as she said, "Right. Lets go save the world!" Then Gerard and Ana (with her cat on her shoulder) rushed out of the room.

Meanwhile Wednesday and Enid were sitting together in their shared living room, as a worried looking Enid said, "I don't know why I went there... but the more Gerard's mother kept saying how much she missed her son... I just... I just wanted to say something that would comfort her... but I wasn't sure if telling her the truth would help. Would saying your son is a ghost now give Gerard's parents closure or just make things harder? Would they be devastated knowing their son is still around but trapped in a state of intangibility... or would they be happy just seeing him? Or would seeing him make their grief worse? I don't know Wednesday! I just don't know!" Enid then began to hug her knees, while Wednesday remained quiet and calm.

After a moment of silence though, Wednesday finally spoke up as she said, "Enid... the truth can indeed be terrifying at times... but allowing people to live in denial of it typically does more harm than good. I for one lived in denial for years of my... sentimental fondness I felt for you... only for my deeply repressed urges to inevitably force me to take drastic action on the night we first made love. But one question that must be asked is... why are you so concerned for the well being of Gerard and his family?" Enid looked down for a moment... and then looked right at Wednesday as she said, "Because I've been in denial of the fact that... despite being a ghost, Gerard is the best thing that's ever happened to Ana."

In a very large room with upper level hallways surrounding it, thousands of lizard creatures laid in stasis pods, which were all connected to a giant glowing pool that sat nearby. The lead lizard creature stood before a group of ten other lizard creatures dressed in armor. The leader of the creatures then loudly said, "During the time we slept, pests have overtaken our world! But now we shall exterminate all those in our way!" The many lizard creatures began to make strange sounding battle cries, as long tongues briefly shot out of their mouths.

Meanwhile on one of the upper level hallways, looking down at the lizard creatures were Gerard and Ana (with her cat). Gerard looked slightly scared as he said, "I'm a bit worried about us taking on these guys Ana. I can't possess them, and these are creatures that actually can detain me." Ana sighed as she said, "I know. These guys are tough... and they're practically immortal. Look at that glowing water that's being fed into those stasis pods over there. The creature that had me captured mentioned they developed a water that can help people live a hundred years longer every time they bathe in it. The water must be constantly fed into the stasis pods, which is how they've all lived for the last 65 million years. Uggh. We've never faced enemies so unstoppable before. How can we even face them?"

Gerard began to ponder as he said, "I mean... I could go invisible and try to knock over all their world domination tools... but they would eventually figure out it's me, and then use their weapons to detain me again." Ana sighed, and then put a hand over her forehead as she said, "Err. What am I supposed to do against these creatures!? How am I even supposed to get the upper hand? They already think I'm just a weak and defenseless human that isn't special in any way." Gerard then turned to look right at Ana as he said, "Don't say that about yourself Ana. You're not weak or defenseless. You're one of the strongest people I know. Strong beyond measure. You can find a way stop these creatures. I know you can."

Then as Ana looked down at the lead lizard creature still talking, she rolled her eyes and said, "Just listen to that leader of theirs go on and on with his whole we're gonna take over the world speech. He talks like an old school villain. Sure he's got impressive gadgets, but all he really wants to do is show off with all his big talk. He's more interested in just using his words to get his way." Then Gerard's eyes widened as he said, "That's it. Ana... these creatures may look different than us, but they have the same kind of minds as many human beings do. They just love to do lots of big talk, and brag about how seemingly great they are. So lets use their methods against them." Ana looked a bit confused as she said, "What do you mean?"

Gerard began to look excited as he said, "Think about that cult leader we stopped recently. He couldn't actually provide people what he said he was going to; but he was still able to use all his big talk to manipulate his followers. You just have to use your own big talk to intimidate and manipulate these creatures. I'll go invisible, knock some stuff over, and before they even think it's just a ghost doing it; you find a way to make all those creatures think you're not just an ordinary human girl, but something much more dangerous; someone with special abilities beyond their comprehension. You get them so scared, that they'll believe they have no choice but to go back into hibernation for another 65 million years. Think you can do that?" Ana sat silent for a moment... and then smiled as she said, "Oh, I have the perfect plan. Stormageddon the Conqueror. You remember my favorite TV series soundtrack I keep on my phone? Get Series 6, Disc 2, Track 35 all cued up. I have the perfect plan to really intimidate these creatures."

Meanwhile, as the lizard creatures were preparing to open the stasis pods containing many other lizard creatures, their leader yelled, "Soon we shall restore our army and nothing will stop us! The entire world shall be ours!" Then suddenly Ana stepped through a door into the room looking confidant as she said, "Why do so many evil villains like you lot wanna take over the world? Don't you realize the world is worthless? Once you have the whole thing, there's no one to sell it to. Luckily you won't have to worry about that, because I'm going to stop you."

The lead lizard creature made a growling sound towards Ana, and then loudly said, "I don't know how you escaped, but no weak human girl without special or supernatural abilities can stop me!" However, Ana made a big smile as she said, "Oh, I only look human, but I am far more than that." The lead lizard creature suddenly laughed a bit, following by saying, "Really? Then tell us. Who are you?" Meanwhile, high up above in the upper hallway, Ana's cat had his paw press a button on Ana's phone. Suddenly from the phone's speakers: loud dramatic music began to fill the room.

Ana then looked very excited, but also heroic as she stood confidently while saying, "Who am I? ... I'm the Doctor! I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the Constellation of Kasterborous. I'm nine hundred and three years old and I'm the woman who is going to stop you and save the lives of all eight billion humans on the planet above." Several of the lizard creatures began to look worried, but the lead lizard creature continued to look brave as he said, "And what shall you do to stop us Doctor? You clearly have no great physical strength." Ana smirked as she said, "Who needs strength... when I have a sonic screwdriver!" Then Ana took out her laser pointer and began pointing the laser at several crates and small machines scattered around the room. Gerard (while invisible) began to fly by all these objects, and used the wind from his ghostly body to knock them all over.

Many of the lizard creatures looked scared as one of them said, "How can she be doing that?" As Gerard continued to knock over many objects around the room that Ana pointed to with her laser pointer, Ana smirked while loudly proclaiming, "It's because I am the timeless child that has walked through all of space and history. I am the Oncoming Storm, the Last of the Time Lords, the Shadow of the Valeyard, the Beast of Trenzalore, the Butcher of Skull Moon, the Last Tree of Garsennon, the Destroyer of Skaro, the Doctor of War! And if you have any plans to attack humanity, its riches, its potential; then know this... it is defended!"

Many of the lizard creatures began to back away scared, while Gerard (still invisible) kept knocking objects over. As the lizard creatures began to move back into their stasis pods, one of them said, "She holds power unlike any we have seen. What shall we do great leader?" The lead lizard creature began to look nervous as he said, "I... I..." Suddenly Ana interrupted him as she yelled, "Excuse me, but I am the holder of the Great Pandorica, and who takes the Pandorica, takes the universe! So be quiet, because I AM TALKING!" All of the lizard creatures immediately stopped moving and became quiet as they looked at Ana.

Then as Ana pointed to her ordinary wrist watch (as if it was a mystical item), she said, "See this mystical device I wear? Now the question of the hour is, who wields the powerful Pandorica? Answer, I do. Next question. Who's coming to take it from me? Come on! Look at me. No plan, no back up, no weapons worth a damn. Oh, and something else. I don't have anything to lose! So, if you're standing over there in your silly little armor, with all your silly little guns, and you've got any plans on taking the Pandorica tonight, just remember who's standing in your way. Remember all of my great blessed names and abilities; and then, and then, do the smart thing... let somebody else try first."

Then Ana held out her arms like a triumphant hero, as Gerard (moving very fast now) used the wind from his ghostly body to knock over a very large number of objects all around the room. All of the lizard creatures, looking terrified, immediately put themselves back into stasis. However, as the lead lizard creature put himself back into stasis, he yelled, "We shall protect ourselves and wait for your kind to die off over the next 65 million years... but we have defense systems that can still eliminate you Doctor!" Then within seconds, all of the lizard creatures went into stasis and lost consciousness. As Gerard made himself visible again, an excited Ana yelled, "Woohoo! We did it!" However Gerard looked a bit worried as he said, "Wait. That lead lizard creature... what did he mean when he said he still had defense systems that could eliminate us?" Then suddenly, the sound of a nearby computer voice could be heard saying, "Now activating Destroyer Robot to eliminate all intruders."

Then, coming out of a nearby door: a large round metallic dome shaped robot with lasers appeared, and with a very robotic voice, it yelled, "Life forms detected! Exterminate! Exterminate!" Gerard quickly began to look worried, while a very excited Ana yelled, "Oh, hell yeah! Now this makes my great fan-girl dream become a complete reality!" Meanwhile, the Destroyer Robot moved towards Ana as it said, "Small female life form detected, with mind of psychic level three." Suddenly, Ana looked angry as she quickly pulled her baseball bat from backpack while yelling, "Who you calling small?" Then Ana began brutally hitting her enemy with her baseball bat, as the Destroyer Robot yelled, "Under attack! Under attack! Vision impaired" Then the Destroyer Robot began to fire lasers in all directions, all of which Ana jumped over and dodged as she happily said, "You can't stop me. When it comes to saving the world, I'm Ace!"

However as the Destroyer Robot began to keep firing laser blasts towards her, Ana began to get very close to the nearby pool of glowing water. Then as she dodged one laser blast, Ana tripped and began falling towards the glowing water. A look of instant fear went across Ana's face as she let out a panicked scream. Quickly, Gerard flew under Ana and used the wind from his ghostly body to stop Ana from hitting the water, and then put her back on the dry ground. Meanwhile, Ana's cat jumped into a hole in the Destroyer Robot, and broke several wires with his claws, causing the robot to be deactivated. Near the glowing pool, Ana sat on the dry ground catching her breath, while a concerned Gerard asked, "You okay Ana?" Ana made a little smile as she said, "Yeah. Thanks." Meanwhile, Ana's cat crawled out of the defeated robot as he happily said, "Rowr." Ana smirked as she said, "Good work Stormageddon the Conqueror. Now come on guys. Lets go home."

An hour later, Ana stepped out of the cave entrance and into the sunlight as she said, "Phew. Was worried we'd never see the sun again." Gerard floated out of the cave behind Ana, while Ana's cat ran out and yelled, "Rowr!" Ana smirked as she said, "I get it Stormageddon the Conqueror. You go home and take care of those kittens of yours." Ana's cat then looked up at Ana as he said, "Rowr?" Ana sighed, and then said, "Fine. I'll buy you a couple boxes of catnip and a few dozen stocks in Netflix. You deserve it." Ana's cat jumped up with excitement as he happily yelled, "Rowr!"

As Ana's cat ran off, Gerard smiled at Ana as he said, "You were awesome down there Ana. No one else could've saved the world like you did today. You're amazing." However, Ana looked a bit unsettled as she said, "Yeah, I know. I'm just... still a little shaken up. Thanks for saving me from falling into that pool by the way." Gerard looked at Ana with a warm smile as he said, "Ana... every time you start to fall, I'll always be there to catch you. However, I am a little confused. The water in that pool wasn't poison. If I remember, you told me that lizard creature said bathing in that water would extend your life by another hundred years. What would be wrong with that?"

However, Ana began to show a nervous and vulnerable look on her face as she said, "It's just... I was worried that if you realized you'd have to wait a hundred years longer for me to join you in the afterlife... you'd decide we shouldn't be together anymore." Gerard then had his ghostly body float closer to Ana, and he looked at her with deep sincerity as he said, "Ana... if I had to... I would wait a thousand years for us to finally be completely together."

Suddenly, happy tears and overwhelming emotion began to appear in Ana's face as she said, "Gerard... I love you." Then without thinking at all for just a brief moment, Ana stepped forward quickly reaching her arms out... only to go through Gerard's transparent ghostly form. Ana stopped for a moment, her head turned away from Gerard as sadness began to enter her face... but then Ana turned around to look at Gerard once more (just as Gerard turned to look at her), and happiness entered Ana's face again. As Gerard gazed upon Ana with a warm smile, he said, "I love you too Ana." Gerard then put a hand over his ghostly heart, while Ana (still with tears in her eyes) put both her hands over beating and grateful heart.

THE END

...

..

or maybe not...

EPILOGUE:

Ana happily opened the door to her home, while Gerard floated into the house behind her. As Ana took her shoes off, she said, "Mom, mother. I'm home!" From the dining room (which was out of Ana's line of sight), Enid's voice could be heard saying, "Ana, are you alone?" However, Ana smirked as she walked towards the dining room (with Gerard right behind her) as she said, "No. Gerard is with me, and he used his ghostly powers to help me totally take down a lizard empire hiding beneath the Earth!" Then just as Ana and Gerard turned into the dining room, they realized that Enid and Wednesday were sitting in the room... with Gerard's parents. Both Gerard's mother and father looked astonished and confused, as Gerard's mother (with tears in her eyes) said, "Gerard?" Ana then turned to look at Gerard as she said, "Wait. Are these..." Gerard meanwhile looked very nervous and uncertain of what to do, as he simply waved his ghostly hand while saying, "Um... hi mom... hi dad..."

TO BE CONTINUED...