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A dark-as-night vehicle was approaching them. It was a very distinctive Gothic limousine—a 1938 Pontiac Silver Streak model, meticulously modified and extended on the sturdy chassis of a classic Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

The limousine stopped a short distance from them. The first to step out was the driver: Lurch, the Addams family butler. He is tall, gangly and grim, looking a bit like Frankenstein's monster. He wore a black-and-gray striped blazer over a matching buttoned vest. Beneath his vest, he had on a white button-down shirt with a black tie. His black pants and shoes matched the rest of his attire.

'That's Lurch,' Luke thought, watching the tall man open the car's rear door. It was the first time he saw him in person.

From the back of the car, Gomez emerged, then tenderly helped Morticia out, taking her hand.

"An extraordinary evening, cara mia," Gomez remarked, looking at Morticia with love.

"It was, darling. Although many graves were returned to their original state," Morticia replied softly, a slight smile on her lips.

The outcast police force had quite a task, putting the remains of the undead back in their respective graves. They simply threw the remains into random graves and replaced the earth. However, they couldn't manage it for more than five thousand graves, as many zombie remains were shattered, or they couldn't find all the pieces.

If by morning all the graves appeared desecrated, it could spell trouble for Nevermore and the American outcast society.

'Could they have visited Garret Gates' grave?' Luke wondered with curiosity as he listened to the conversation.

From the memories he'd read from Marilyn—or rather, Laurel Gates—he knew there was a grudge involving the Gates family. Actually, there were two grudges. The Gates are descendants of Crackstone. The main grudge would be between Goody Addams and Crackstone. The second grudge is between Gomez, Morticia, and Garret.

From what Luke knows from the series, Garret is the eldest son of the Gates family and Laurel's brother. Garret was infatuated and obsessed with Morticia during their teenage years when she attended Nevermore.

At a Rave'N, Garret's father ordered him to prove himself worthy of the family name. To do this, he was to kill all the outcasts attending Nevermore's prom. The plan was for Garret to take a vial of poisonous nightshade and use it to poison all the students by spiking the punch.

However, Garret didn't complete his mission, as he was distracted when he saw Morticia and Gomez leaving the dance. Filled with rage and jealousy, he followed the two and began to fight with Gomez. In the struggle, Garret managed to knock Gomez down, but in the process, he dropped his sword. Morticia picked up the sword and ended up stabbing Garret, who staggered backward and fell off the balcony, where he died.

'That story doesn't make much sense,' thought Luke. That's what he saw and remembers thanks to his eidetic memory of the series. It was impossible for him to believe that Gomez could be defeated by a normie. It was also absurd that a normie could fight him even for a few seconds.

Laurel, or Marilyn, was a normie with no powers. The same should be true for Garret. Luke could kill them in a matter of seconds without them being able to do anything to stop him. Gomez, as a psychic and leader of the Addams family—one of the six most important psychic families—should have been able to do the same in his youth.

'There must be something different...' thought Luke. Garret existed in this world; he knew from Marilyn's memories and public information he found, which showed that he had died years ago.

He set those thoughts aside. If he had the time and nothing else to do, he might try investigating this mystery and uncovering the truth of the events in this world.

Gomez and Morticia greeted everyone with their usual cheerful enthusiasm.

"Come on, I'm sure you'll love our home! You'll feel right at home," Gomez said enthusiastically, looking at Luke and Natasha, who had silently arrived a few seconds earlier.

Gomez gestured for them to get into the luxurious limousine while Lurch loaded Wednesday's luggage.

"That's very kind," Natasha said respectfully. "But we'll follow closely," she added, pointing to a luxurious Audi parked on the other side of the street."

"Nice car," praised Gomez, though he preferred more classic and antique cars. "At least you come with us, kid. I want to get to know the boy my little viper chose," he added with a crooked smile.

"That's right, Luke. We have more than four hours to talk," Morticia added with a slight smile. As for Wednesday, she had already gotten into the limousine without saying a word.

"I…" Luke began, then fell silent, unsure what else to say.

The truth was, he didn't want to have a more-than-four-hour chat with his in-laws. He noticed Wednesday was upset because he'd forced her to kiss him in front of her brother, and besides, her relationship with her mother was tense. He'd rather avoid that ride. It would be more relaxing to go in the Audi, listening to music with Natasha.

"Go on, Luke. Spend some time with your girlfriend and her family," Natasha said, giving him a little push. Then she waved goodbye and headed for the Audi.

'That damn…' thought Luke, with no choice but to get into the limousine, followed by Morticia and Gomez.

Fortunately, Pugsley got into the front passenger seat next to Lurch. At least he wouldn't have to endure his hostile gaze for more than four hours.

The seats were upholstered in blood-red leather. There were two rows, with room for a total of six people. Wednesday sat in the middle, completely still, staring straight ahead with her usual inscrutable expression.

"Can you make some room for me?" Luke asked in a low tone, knowing well that his girlfriend was not in the best mood.

Wednesday glanced at him sideways, then rolled her eyes with a mix of annoyance and resignation. She slid a few inches to the side, just enough for Luke to settle next to her.

Morticia and Gomez sat across from them.

Both were staring intently at Luke. Morticia kept a soft, enigmatic smile. She had noticed Wednesday roll her eyes when Luke spoke to her, and this piqued her curiosity. It was very difficult to provoke such a reaction from her daughter, who rarely showed emotions so openly, and this boy seemed to do it with surprising ease.

'Interesting,' thought Morticia to herself, her smile deepening slightly. She could have a long chat with Wednesday's boyfriend and find out, if possible, how they met, among other things.

Gomez also watched Luke with a smile, though crooked and not as enigmatic as his wife's. His eyes gleamed with curiosity as he analyzed the young man. He'd gotten to know him a little on Rave'N night, but not in depth. He wanted to know more about him. To learn more about John's son. His old, late friend.

The journey to the Addams mansion began. The Addams residence was located in New York State, a little over 500 kilometers away.

However, they didn't live in the bustling center of Manhattan, the busiest neighborhood of the city, filled with skyscrapers, traffic, and constant activity. The family had settled in Westchester County, a quieter area, removed from the urban hustle.

During the long trip, both Morticia and Gomez asked Luke many questions, which he had no choice but to answer. He talked about his childhood in the orphanage, a place falling apart and gloomy, which the Addams family found fascinating.

They also asked him about his two published novels and whether he planned to publish another book. Luke had stopped writing—or rather, plagiarizing. He'd been very busy this year and had barely had any meetings with his editor, Josh.

Now he would communicate with Josh online. He didn't want to put the middle-aged man in danger. They already had a good relationship, and it would be a hassle if he died and Luke had to find another editor.

"Now, what really intrigues me is… how did the two of you meet?" Gomez asked, changing the subject. Morticia looked more curious than ever.

Before Luke could open his mouth, Wednesday, who had remained silent the entire trip, finally spoke.

"That's none of your concern, Father," Wednesday said in a cold tone.

"Don't answer their questions," she added, turning her gaze to Luke.

Luke nodded slightly with an odd expression. It had been a while since he'd seen Wednesday act so cold and sharp, especially toward him. Although what he'd done earlier might have annoyed her a bit, it was more likely that the situation—being on the way to her home with her parents—was making her act this way. An emotional barrier she raised in Morticia and Gomez's presence.

Neither Morticia nor Gomez showed any sign of anger at their daughter's attitude. With their usual calmness, they smoothly changed the topic and continued the conversation as if nothing had happened.

Thankfully, the interrogation ended. From that point on, the conversation shifted to other topics, centering on the exchange between the two of them, which left Luke relieved, allowing him to look out the window and lose himself in his thoughts.

At one point, an old romantic song began to play. Gomez started singing, his sparkling eyes directed exclusively at Morticia. His tone was deep, full of devotion and tenderness.

Morticia, as always, reciprocated the gesture, her dark eyes filled with love, and soon she began to sing too, her voice low and seductive.

Luke, still looking out the window, furrowed his brows slightly at the scene unfolding in front of him. He turned his head and saw Gomez and Morticia exchanging affectionate glances.

With each passing second, it seemed the atmosphere in the car grew more intimate between them. Gomez gently caressed Morticia's hand, while she looked at him with intense passion, as if they had transported themselves to another world.

Luke felt a growing discomfort witnessing such an open and passionate display of affection. A kind of unease that increased when Gomez began to kiss Morticia fervently, completely ignoring the presence of the two young people in the car.

Wednesday, who had remained silent until then, also turned her gaze toward her parents. Her expression remained almost blank, impassive, but Luke noticed a subtle change in her face: a slight pursing of her lips and a flicker of distaste in her eyes.

'Seems like she's still not used to it,' Luke thought with a hint of irony. If Wednesday, who had grown up with them all her life, still found those displays of affection distasteful, it made sense that he, who was just getting to know them, felt uncomfortable.

Unable to resist, he sent her a mental message in a teasing tone.

[Do you want me to dedicate a love song to you and kiss you so passionately?]

Wednesday's expression didn't change, but she responded instantly.

[I'd kill you before you could even attempt something that pathetic.]

[They'd have to kill or torture me in the worst way imaginable for me to even consider doing something like that,] Luke replied.

After that brief exchange, they both went back to looking out the window. Meanwhile, as Morticia and Gomez remained wrapped up in their world of passion and love, Luke and Wednesday watched the scenery outside, without speaking, without touching, and with no need to show any affection.

After several hours of travel, they finally arrived in Westchester County, New York