Chapter Text
The office is filled with the consistent and steady clicking of keys, continuously. Wednesday sat in her chair with perfect posture, eyes following each ink splotch as the words filtered onto the page. She had gotten into the ‘zone’ as her wife said, where words seemed to pour out of her. The setting seemed to shape itself, and Viper came to life beneath her fingertips. Speaking directly through her fingers, existing at her touch, not mere writing.
The woman was making wonderful progress when she began to feel the stare of someone burning into her. Wednesday glanced up from her typewriter, immediately met with bright blue eyes peeking over her desk and a head of unruly blonde hair.
Wednesday raised an eyebrow silently at her son, whose stare was unrelenting. She waited for him to speak, he knew better than to interrupt her when she was working so it must be important.
Leonidas rocks back on his feet and then stands up as straight as possible, clasping his hands behind his back. “Mother.”
“Son.” Wednesday greets back in the same manner.
“I want a brother.”
Wednesday nearly choked on the breath she was taking, narrowing her eyes at the four-year-old who was staring unflinchingly. Whatever she had expected her son to ask for, it wasn’t that. “No,” she answers, recovering from her brief point of shock and returning to her typewriter.
The child’s face hardens and he crosses his arms in defiance. “ You have a brother. You have two .”
Wednesday has to give him credit for his reasoning skills, he would do just fine in hostage negotiations, bright boy. Leonidas had always been very well-spoken for his age, Wednesday assumed this was some grand work of karma inflicted on her for how she treated her own mother and father. “Because my parents are—“
“Rabid animals.” Leonidas finishes for her in deadpan, Wednesday would almost be proud if it wasn’t interrupting her writing with this. But if she’s learned anything from her child, it’s that she can never have enough patience. Never.
“I know mother,” he continues, and Wednesday decides to give up on writing for the time being. Clearly, this conversation would take more effort to shut down than a simple no. Leo is a stubborn child. “But you said I could ask for anything I wanted for my birthday!”
Okay. He got her there. Wednesday Addams did tell her son he could have anything he wanted. In all fairness, how could she deny him anything he wants? And how was she supposed to know he’d want a brother of all things?
Wednesday folds her hands in her lap, prepared to explain sex and childbirth to him. Giving birth to Leonidas had been the most painful and excruciating experience of her life, when she had been pregnant doctors had expressed their concerns about someone her size giving birth to a baby big, and Wednesday was insulted by the notion. “Leonidas—“
“I’ve been researching brothers.”
Wednesday doesn’t even begin to understand what that could mean. “What?”
Leonidas only stands on his toes to get a better look at her, though the tall boy hardly needed to. Wednesday had a hard time believing he came out of her to this day. “I was researching brothers in the library, and apparently younger ones are really useful.” As her son lists all the reasons he believes having a brother is a good idea, a prideful smile grows more prominent on his face. “He can do all my chores. And play games with me. And I can teach him how to fence—“ And then he says something that makes her heart drop. “And then I won’t have to be alone when I wolf out. Me and mama can have a pack like she always wanted! It can be her gift too!”
Wednesday didn't move for exactly three seconds. Her mind was instantly filled with memories of a certain blonde woman crying over being a lone wolf. Over her family not accepting her and the rejection she faced at the hands of many. Over years of isolation when all she wanted was to be loved. Wednesday’s heart ached terribly to imagine her own son in isolation and longing for companionship, she recalled the day Pugsley was born and every day after. A little minion for her to torture, and then Pubert and all the days that followed. She would never trade them for anything.
Wednesday glances at her son, a rapidly growing young werewolf with unruly blonde hair. It stuck out in every direction no matter what they did or how they combed it, curling around his face. As an infant, he reminded her of Pubert when he had been cursed with blonde hair. Enid said he reminded her of Wednesday herself, but Wednesday could never see anything but her wife staring back at her when Leonidas smiled. Enid was written all over his face, he had her lips, her eyes. She knew no greater miracle and menace than him.
Though Wednesday would love Leonidas regardless of if he could wolf out or not, his expectations were already very high. And there is a chance he has the same condition as Enid, which they had never figured out in the first place. He is half psychic as well, but this could mean nothing. The truth is they simply don’t know how Leonidas will present, and only time could tell. Wednesday knew it might take a long time for him to wolf out on his own.
Her silence didn’t go unnoticed, Leo was patient for the three seconds before he leant forward, “Is that a yes?”
Wednesday continues typing again, this time because she needs to have something else to focus on. She thinks about the fact that Enid to this day is still sad her brothers never see her, she had practically latched onto Pugsley and Pubert when she met them. They love her just as much, and Wednesday’s chest lightened when she saw it despite her scowl. Being able to provide a family for Enid where she would feel loved is everything Wednesday had dreamed it would be and more. There was no mistake, Enid was meant to be an Addams. And this young man was an Addams as well.
Wednesday stopped typing, and her keen ‘little’ son’s blue eyes lit up. Then Leonidas does something she was sure he didn’t learn from her. His big blue eyes widened, and he pouted.
The fucking nerve.
Wednesday had never seen him do something like that, he looked exactly like Enid when he did that. He pressed his lips together the way she did, made his eye big and round the way she did. The seer clenched her jaw, battling the voice inside her head that demanded she gives in. She would not—
“I will talk to your mom about it.” Fuck!
Wednesday shakes her head in disbelief at herself at the way her mouth betrays her, “but I can make no promises. You are already our pride and joy, two of you is a lot. And we’d have to plan—“
“Victory!” And she lost him.
He scuttled out of her office without another thought, but Wednesday had an afterthought. He had a habit. “Do not go into the kitchen!”
“I want ham, mother!”
“Wait for me, I’m coming, Leo.” Well, she had two fulltime jobs, mother and writer. She’d have to get back to the latter later, Leonidas could consume the whole fridge to himself if they didn’t stop him. Young werewolves had an unrelenting appetite.
**********
As the night had wound down and Leonidas had been put in his room for bed, Wednesday sat in her own, watching carefully as her wife moved around the room with damp hair. “Do you want to have another child?”
Enid stops in her tracks and swiftly turns to her. Wednesday just barely manages to focus on her face and not her biceps, “Is that what you’ve been thinking about? Jeez, you scared me. I thought I added too many tomatoes to your sandwich.”
Wednesday shook her head, “No, you put exactly the amount I like. Thank you, mi sol.” Wednesday addresses the problem, in all her years of marriage with Enid, she found addressing something directly was usually the best way to handle her wife.
When Enid beamed pridefully, Wednesday felt the bulk of the day roll off her shoulders. While she was making Leonidas lunch, she’d looked away for five seconds and he managed to figure out how to unscrew the vents. Her son was not in the business of ‘sitting still’ or ‘relaxing’.
“Do you want to have another child?” Wednesday addresses the problem, approaches it honestly and clearly.
Enid looks startled by her question, her eyebrows pinching together in a way that makes Wednesday long to brush her fingers over them and kiss her forehead. “Do you?”
Wednesday looked off to the side, removing the distraction of her wife’s cute face so she could focus and humming as she thought about it. “Leonidas wants a brother for his birthday,” Wednesday reveals, “He interrupted me while I was working just to tell me that. He never does that, I believe this is something that he really wants.”
Enid chuckles fondly, “We should talk to him about it. But first I need to talk to you, do you want to have another kid? It is possible to tell our son no, despite what you think.”
Wednesday scowls, “He was pouting, you weren’t there.”
Enid laughs harder this time, and Wednesday curses herself for missing it, looking back to find her wife shaking her head in disbelief. “And I missed it?” Enid’s face scrunched up into her own pout, which tugged at her heart and urged her to satisfy Enid’s every aching need until her smile returned. “I hate being away from you two for work.”
“You love your job.” Wednesday counters, because she knows her wife.
“Yes, but I love you more!” Enid is suddenly attached to her side, taking a spot on the bed next to her and resting one hand on her thigh. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Wednesday presses her lips together, sifting through her thoughts in order to place them into words. Enid is patient, her thumb strokes assuring circles on her skin as she waits. “I am worried Leonidas may feel alone, my brothers cannot stay forever, they can only visit and he wants his own. He is a pack animal and—“
“My family hates us.” Enid says with a small chuckle.
“Your family puts tradition over their own grandson.” Wednesday restates, letting the venom spill into her voice. “He is too good for them. I feel as if—this is something he needs.”
“Slow down. Stop.” Enid shook her head, taking a breath. “Our obligation is to take care of him, yes, but having another child at his demand is insane, babe.”
Wednesday opens her mouth, but Enid clearly isn’t finished so she waits. “Wolves are pack animals, but I am a lone wolf and I am just fine. I found a pack that really loves me and as he grows up, that will be something he values. Not only that, he can get more social interaction when he starts school.” Enid’s eyes cloud with a memory, “It’s not exactly the same, but Yoko was a part of my pack before I knew it, and Leonidas is smart enough to pick out good people.”
Wednesday lets out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding, resting her head on Enid’s shoulder. Her paramour’s words eased a tight feeling that had been forming in her stomach. “I just want the best life for him. How can I say I am providing that if he feels lonely?”
Enid wraps one arm around her, “When he starts school, it’ll be different. If we want to have another kid, we should probably plan for that this time.”
Wednesday, at the mention of how their son had been conceived, smiled in delight. The first rut Enid had ever felt comfortable to share and she ended up pregnant. Her wife had always had a fear that she may not be able to control herself during her ruts, and no matter how much pain Enid was in she never let Wednesday relieve her. Wednesday had always tried to tell her wife otherwise but she’d never trusted herself enough in those eight years of marriage up until an award showing they were attending. Enid’s rut came early and shocked them, and her wife was clearly suffering, and she looked so pretty suffering Wednesday had to drag her to the bathroom and kiss it away. She asked Enid to trust them , and staring into her wife’s blue eyes she found nothing but love and want. Wednesday was usually on birth control, but what they had both forgotten at the time was werewolf ruts were infinitely more potent. And here they are.
Wednesday found it much funnier than Enid did now, “You didn’t plan on impregnating me in the bathroom before I took an award on stage for my novels?”
Wednesday watches the delicious way blood rushes to her wife’s cheeks and she groans in horror, placing her face in her hands, “Oh my gosh, no, Wednesday. We’ve been over this.” And then Enid dropped them and looked at her. “But I don’t regret it, you and Leonidas are the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I’d do it again, a million times over.”
Wednesday doesn’t even want to begin imagining childbirth a million times. “I am not pushing out a million children, Enid.”
“That’s not what I meant, Wednesday.” Whatever face of horror she was making made Enid giggle, “I just mean marrying you and being able to have a son is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I wouldn’t change anything. So?”
“So?”
“You never answered.” Enid clarifies, “Do you want to have another kid? I would love to, I kind of miss maternity leave, being here at home all day with you and Leo.” Wednesday remembers. She had been put on bed rest, Enid took off work to be at home with her. Those were some of the most sleepless and exhausting nights of her life, her writing suffered tremendously and her mood dropped significantly but nothing was more rewarding than finding out her son loves to fall asleep to her cello. “I don’t know if you want to have another kid though.”
Wednesday doesn’t speak at first, she has to think about it. Another child running around her house destroying everything they could get their hands on? Another child accompanying Leo with waking them up every morning? It would mean another hiatus for her fans, but they would survive. Leonidas Addams is a gift. Once upon a time, Wednesday confided in Enid about her fear of being a “good” mother, for a moment she let those imbeciles from Enid’s so-called ‘family’ poison her. But when Leonidas was born that all faded away, he screamed and screamed as if cursing her and the very world she brought him into, and Wednesday knew she’d love him until the day she and Enid died, and then forevermore. The same would be true for his sibling.
“Yes.” Wednesday finally voices, pressing her face further into Enid’s neck, “I want to have another child.”
In all their years together, Wednesday had only seen Enid smile that wide twice. Enid smiled a lot, but this smile was reserved for special occasions. The first was their wedding day, the second was the day Leonidas was born. And now?
**********
If Enid Addams could tell her younger self one thing, it’s that everything is going to be okay.
“Leonidas, give these plates to your sisters please.”
A head of messy blonde hair appeared before her with a deeply unimpressed look plastered on his face, Leonidas reminded her of Wednesday in high school more than her wife would like to admit. Despite only being ten, the young werewolf was already a staggering five foot seven. Last year he was five-three. Enid wasn’t sure if it was because he was half werewolf, but doctors say he looks perfectly healthy. The blonde boy’s face doesn’t change as he speaks, “I say we see how long one of them can go without food before the other starts crying.”
Enid snorts quietly at that, “We’re not starving your sisters, young man.” Handing her son two plates of food and grabbing two herself for Leonidas and Wednesday while hearing him mutter under his breath, ‘If you say so’. “Is your mom at the table like I told her to be?”
Leonidas shakes his head, walking to the dining room. “She’s still in her office, mama.”
“I’m going to kill her,” Enid hisses, following Leonidas into the dining room where she found the twins sitting next to each other at the table conversing amongst each other. Leonidas set the plates down with her and took his seat.
“Who, mama? Can I help?” Vittoria asked, “Thank you for the food.”
“Yes thank you, mama.” Leo chimes up, taking a seat in his usual spot at the table, he throws a fit if anyone takes it and Vittoria only does when she wants to annoy him.
From beside Vittoria, Naenia’s hands moved to convey a silent message. “Thank you, mama. I love you” Enid always thought it was cute how Nia could sign some of the sweetest things while having the meanest look on her face. It’s a talent she gets from Wednesday, being able to say something so sweet while glaring.
Enid’s chest grew warm at her children’s thanks, she raised them right. “You’re welcome. I love you too Nia, can you go get your mom for me? And tell her I said she isn’t allowed to do overtime on Sundays.”
Naenia grabs her book about, shudder, spiders off the table right next to her plate and slides out of her chair, waiting patiently for Vittoria to do the same before they both venture down the hall together to drag her wife out her office. Enid laughs to herself, those two were inseparable. Enid disappeared back into the kitchen to get the drinks for everyone, and when she came back on her second trip she found her wife sitting in her usual spot, next to Enid’s spot.
When her Wednesday spotted her, the excuses began. “It wasn’t overtime, my love. I was just finalizing–”
Enid is going to stop her there, “I don’t want to hear it, Wednesday.” Enid sets the last two drinks down with her and Wednesday and glares at her wife. “Kids. What is Sunday?” She passes the question around the table as she sits down next to the seer.
All together the children answer, “Family day.”
Wednesday’s glare is shared around the table, “You’re taking her side, Nia?”
Naenia snickers to herself, motioning with her hands, “Don’t try to get me in trouble too, mami. I didn’t sneak away to do any writing today.”
Wednesday’s deadpans, “You’re throwing me under the bus, my own daughter?”
“Yes. I can collect my inheritance.”
Then Wednesday smiles in a way Enid has to lean over and kiss the dimple that forms quickly, “I’ve never been more proud of you. My little backstabbing fiend.” And Naenia laughs to herself again, one of Enid’s most favorite sounds. Their daughter didn’t talk very often, and so they cherished her laughter in every aspect. When she was younger, Nia was so quiet she used to scare Enid. Plenty of times she had turned to the stove to cook, and turned back to find her just standing there watching with a glare as a toddler and screamed in horror. Then scared Nia and had to pick her up and kiss her.
“Oh! I wanna buy a car with my inheritance!” Vittoria adds as she stabs her chicken with a fork, and Enid does her best not to laugh.
Wednesday looks at Vittoria, “Are you all secretly planning my death or something?”
“A car?” Leonidas chimed in and when Enid looked over, two-thirds of his plate was already gone. “You’re six, you can’t drive. You don’t need a car.”
“Shut up, Leo.”
“Make me, tonta.”
“Not at the table,” Enid says quickly, before it escalates. Vittoria and Leonidas could destroy the house in their back and forth if they weren’t careful. “Wednesday,” Enid calls to her wife for aid but she only watched their children with amusement,
“He started it!”
“No, but I will finish it!” Before Enid knew it, her son had drawn his fencing blade. Where was he even hiding that? And if there’s one thing she knows about her daughter its–
Vittoria stood up, fork in hand and pointed it at her brother, “You think I’m scared of you, αρουραιος?”
That she doesn’t back down when her brother presents her with any conflict. It was kind of funny since the twins were so short in comparison to Leonidas. His height for his age was quite frightening, compared to Vittoria, who was a tiny little thing. That didn’t stop her from bothering Leonidas, it barely even slowed her down.
Naenia looked up from her book, and took a bite of food, staring at her siblings with disdain for their antics. “Can you guys argue quietly?” She signs, then looks at Wednesday, “ They do this in the hallway. At school.”
“ Little sister, those will be your last words, how embarrassing.” Vittoria narrowed her eyes and before Leo could lunge over the table, Wednesday raised her hand and they both froze.
Her wife eyed the both of them, “Finish your food, Vittoria. Your mom worked very hard. You two can duel in the backyard after, I’ll come watch.”
Cheers erupted from Vittoria and even if Leonidas didn’t say, Enid could tell he was excited but–
“They have school tomorrow, Wednesday.” Enid reminds the beautiful woman next to her.
Wednesday’s eyes gleamed with mischief, “But it’s family day, cara mia.” Enid felt Wednesday’s fingers lace with hers and her wife leaned forward to kiss her gently. No matter how many times she kissed her, Enid’s stomach still twisted happily. After all these years being in love with Wednesday was the same, magical . “We will be quick, you can head to bed and I can make sure they’re in their own.”
Enid stared at Wednesday. Her wife had a ghost of a smile painted on her face, and Enid couldn’t help but count her blessings. This woman right here gave her three of the most wonderful kids she has ever met and loved her endlessly since the day they met. Enid Addams wouldn’t trade her life now for any traditional werewolf pack life.
The kids sat forward in anticipation and Enid sighed, “No.” Their faces fell and she couldn’t stop her lips from tilting upward, “No way I’d miss this, I’ll come watch. But then it's straight to bed.”
“Woo!”
“A whole audience to watch me wipe the floor with you.”
“Vittoria has literally never won.”
“I’ll get him this time!”
“You say that every time.”
Yup, Enid Addams would tell her younger self not to worry. Not to stress, cry, or blame herself. She’d tell that little girl that her pack will be the most amazing in the world and that everything would be okay.