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Chapter Text

Bucky Barnes’s life had always been a bit strange.

Maybe that was an understatement given the fact that he was an Addams.  His mother, Winifred Barnes, had been born Winifred Addams.  His mother had moved away from the family when she was a young woman and fallen in love with his father.  George Barnes hadn’t even batted an eye when the Addams family descended upon Brooklyn to meet him and take part in the wedding.  Most people who weren’t as… spooky as his family were didn’t take kindly to them, but not his father.  His mother always told them that their father had merely shrugged and welcomed them in. That was how she had known George was the one and that she had found the love of her life.

Then the war happened, and Bucky was drafted.  From there, he was captured, and part of him was glad to be an Addams.  He could take the torture where his fellow soldiers couldn’t.  When they experimented on him, he was the first one to survive.  Bucky took it all, knowing his men wouldn’t be subjected to this yet.  They were still experimenting on him to see why he survived where many others hadn’t.  If he ever got out of here, the family would have fun tearing Zola apart.

Imagine Bucky’s surprise when his formerly small friend with health issues a mile long, was now over six feet tall and there to save him.  Bucky was still a little out of it from where Zola had electrocuted him, and he thought maybe he was hallucinating.  Then everything started to clear, and he realized that Steve was there, and he had signed up to be experimented on.  Part of Bucky wanted to yell at Steve because he wasn’t an Addams like Bucky, and that could have been terrible.  The other part of him wanted to ask what it had been like.

Then he and Steve crashed Schmidt’s plane into the ice and slept for more than seventy years.  Waking up in a new era was disorienting and strange.  Come to find out that both Peggy and Howard were still alive and had started a new agency known as SHIELD.  They were older and living with Howard’s son, Tony, in his Stark Tower.  They were moved there as well to help with the adjustment period.  

Bucky loved all the new technology and took to it quicker than Steve did.  Then Norse gods arrived from space and an alien invasion all within two weeks of them waking up.  “Just like old times!”  Bucky called as he fired his guns at the Chitauri.  

“Could you act like you’re not enjoying this just a little?!”  Steve called over his shoulder as he swung his shield and backhanded one of the Chitauri.  

Maybe Bucky was having too much fun, but it was nice knowing the world was weirder than they had left it. That maybe his family wasn't the weirdest thing out there.

When things calmed down again, Thor’s girlfriend and her assistant moved into the Tower, and Bucky wasn’t sure what it was about the assistant, but there was something about her that drew him in.  Steve had caught Bucky watching her and nudged him toward asking her out.  Bucky would shake his head; he couldn’t ask her out yet.  He was still trying to puzzle together that pull towards her and why she was familiar in some strange way.

“Sergeant Barnes,” Jarvis’s voice came over the speakers, and he looked up toward the ceiling.  “Mr. Stark wishes to see you in the lobby.”

He furrowed his brows and got up, Steve following closely behind him, curious as to what Tony could want from him.  The ride down the elevator was silent, and when Bucky stepped out, he was smacked in the face by his family standing before him.  “Bucky!”  They shouted and descended upon him like a group of vultures.

He was so overwhelmed seeing them that he didn’t even pay attention to the strange looks they were all getting.  Steve was looking at them with his eyebrows to his hairline.  Tony was looking like he was trying to solve some kind of puzzle.  Everyone else just looked slightly horrified.  Bucky had gotten used to that being the default reaction to his family because he knew they were a bit different compared to the rest of the world.

His sister was at the front of the group, squeezing him for all she was worth.  Becca Barnes looked like she was in her fifties, but she was closer to a hundred now.  “Look at you!”  She exclaimed, her brown hair streaked with grey and pulled back into a bun.  “Looking very spry for your old age.”

He couldn’t hold back the laugh at her words, “You’re one to talk, Becs.”

She squeezed him a little tighter and then said, “Let me introduce you to the newest members of the family.”  She said as she turned toward the others who had amassed.  “You remember Cousin Gomez, this is his wife, Morticia, and their children, Wednesday and Pugsley.”  Gomez had been a young boy when Bucky had shipped out for war.  He remembered the kid’s fascination with swords and knives and had gifted Gomez with a pocket knife right before he shipped out.

Morticia smiled; the only color on her face was her red colored lips.  She held out her hand, and Bucky took it, kissing her knuckles.  “A pleasure to meet you, Morticia.”

“We’ve heard so much about you,” she said as she pulled her hand back.  “We were thrilled to know you had been found.”

Wednesday tugged on his shirt and asked, “Is it true that you were frozen in ice?”

Bucky knelt so that he was eye level with the young girl and nodded his head.  “I was,” he confirmed.  “It was absolutely dreadful, but I enjoyed my nap.”

Wednesday eyed him shrewdly and then she nodded, “I would like to hear more about this later, Cousin James.”

He tweaked her nose and rose from his place.  The others greeted him after that, and then it came time to introduce his family to the others.  There were still some curious looks, but none of the normal judgment that he was used to seeing when his family was involved.  However, they didn’t go running for the hills.

That was when Darcy appeared, and Bucky held his breath when her eyes swept over the group that had amassed themselves in the lobby.  “Oh, James, you didn’t tell us you knew a Munster!”  His sister’s eyes practically lit up with excitement when she saw Darcy.

Bucky was very confused as to what his sister was referring to.  “What?”  

Darcy wandered over and smiled at the Addams family.  “You have me at a disadvantage, I’m afraid you know me, but I don’t know you.”

“Rebecca Addams Barnes,” his sister said more brightly than he had ever seen her before.  It was a little off-putting seeing Rebecca practically glow at the sight of Darcy. “Bucky’s little sister.  This is our family, the Addams.”

It was then that a lightbulb went off over Darcy’s head; he could see it in how her eyes lit up, and a smile stretched her pretty red lips.  “Oh yes!”  She exclaimed as she reached for Rebecca.  “My aunt Lily knows Cousin Itt.”

“Cousin Itt?”  He heard Tony whisper to someone behind them.

“How is your aunt?”  Rebecca asked as the rest of the family crowded around Darcy.  “Dreadful, I hope.”

Darcy tossed her head back and laughed, “Oh, she’s absolutely dreadful.  I believe Grandpa is about to drive her to an early grave.”

Rebecca hummed and affectionately patted Darcy’s cheek, “Men will do that to the best of us.  My Charles never quite could get used to the family, not like Papa did.”

“He didn’t dote on our Rebecca enough,” Morticia spoke. Gomez was practically wrapped around her like a vine.  Their family was known to be very affectionate towards their significant others. “Not like my Gomez.  Addams men are so romantic.”

Darcy’s eyes drifted over to Bucky, and he felt something stirring in him at her appraisal.  He felt the need to straighten and make sure there were no wrinkles in his clothes or food on his face. “Well, I won’t keep you all from your reunion.  I need to go and fetch my scientists some coffee, or else there will be hell to pay.”

“Do come see us on the Addams estate!”  Rebecca called after Darcy.  “Invite your family!”

“I will!”  She called over her shoulder as she made her way to the doors.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with his family cooing over him and trying to tell him what a catch Darcy would be for him, as if he didn’t already know that for a fact.  She was his type, and he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her from the moment that he met her.  Now his family was giving him that look that said he better not waste a perfect opportunity.

After his family had left, Bucky was nursing a cup of tea in the kitchen, his grandmother’s special blend that Rebecca had brought for him, when Darcy wandered in.  “Your cousin Gomez is very spirited in his affections towards Morticia,” she said as she made her way towards the coffee machine with one of those little pods.

He chuckled as he swirled the remaining liquid in his cup around.  “We Addams are a very amorous bunch.  I think Cousin Itt is worse.”

She leaned against the counter, and for the first time, he could see the greenish hue to her skin that the Munster family was known to have. Well, all except Marilyn, who was somehow the only human of the bunch. It had taken him a bit, but he recalled the Munster family after some gentle prompting from his sister.  “I covered my complexion with makeup,” she said when she realized what he had noticed about her.  “It was easier to get a job that way and not have to answer any questions.”

He nodded his head in understanding.  “Well, you’re beautiful no matter what.”  The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and he looked up at her with wide eyes.  She was biting her lip to hold back a smile or a laugh he didn’t know.

“You’re adorable.”  She turned back to the coffee machine and grabbed her mug from a shelf. 

Bucky had been smooth once upon a time when it came to charming women. It was the Addams in him, but there was something about Darcy Lewis that threw him off his groove. He could practically hear Rebecca's voice in the back of his head telling him to go for it, that a Munster would make a perfect addition to the family.

"Were you serious earlier about visiting the Addams Estate?" He had a sudden idea and hoped that Darcy would be agreeable to it.

She rounded the counter with a little sway to her hips and stood directly in front of him. Her head was cocked to the side as she studied him. "I was serious," she told him.

Bucky felt like his heart was going a million miles an hour, and he watched her eyes dip to where his pulse was no doubt racing. A little thrill went through him at the prospect of her sinking her teeth into his veins. Rebecca had told Bucky that Darcy was a vampire like her aunt Lily. "Would you like to come with me? Now that the family knows I'm back, I really should go for a visit."

Her eyes drifted back up to his face, and her mouth lifted into a smile, "I'd like that, James. Just say when and I'll tell Janey that I'm taking some time off." Then she sauntered away, leaving Bucky to watch her go.

Chapter Text

Steve was looking at Bucky with a strange look on his face. Natasha was beside him, looking at Steve like "Really, Steve?" Bucky knew that this was about his family. It had been a day since the Addams family appeared in the lobby of Stark Tower, and the others had all gotten over the weirdness of the bunch. Clearly, Steve was struggling a bit with the family and the image that Bucky had portrayed all these years.

"You know it's rude to stare, Steven. What would your ma say?" Bucky said as he rose from the couch, grabbing his mug and moving over toward the kitchen to get a refill on his coffee.

"Is this why I never met your family?!" Steve finally managed to snap out of whatever funk he had been in. "Your ma, pops, Becca, and you were always so weird about your ma's family. I never really questioned it, but I was always curious."

Bucky braced his hands on the counter and sighed, "Yeah. My family hasn't always been welcome in places. We're a bit odd, as you saw, and I mean Becs doesn't look her age at all. We age a bit slower than most folks. You know how I was tortured by HYDRA?" Steve nodded. "I volunteered because I knew that out of everyone there, I could take it."

Steve blanched, "What do you mean you can take it?"

Reaching down into his pocket, Bucky pulled out a pocket knife and walked back over to the couch.  He cut himself enough that some blood welled up from the cut, but it healed almost as quickly as he had done it. "Even before the serum, I was always a quick healer."

For a moment, Steve couldn't find his voice.  All he could do was stare at the spot where the cut had been, and how now there was nothing.  He looked up at Bucky and managed to croak out, "How?"

"Bit of magic," Darcy said as she wandered in.

Bucky's eyes practically turned to hearts at the sight of her. There was now a white streak in her hair, and he understood why his cousin Gomez worshipped Morticia the way that he did. That pull Gomez had mentioned to him when they were talking was stretched taut in her presence, and it took everything in him not to rush over to her. They were not together like that.

Well, not yet at least.

"Magic?" Natasha asked curiously.

Darcy's eyes found his, and she smirked at the probably lovesick look on his face. She crooked a finger at him, and he didn't fight that pull any longer. He took her hand and kissed the back of it, and then flipped it over and kissed her wrist. There was a spark in her eyes as his lips lingered. "Yeah," she said a bit distractedly. "There are several families throughout the world like mine and like Bucky's. Each with different attributes. The Addams have long lives and healing abilities. Mine are considered the 'monsters' of the world. They're descended from different magical beings."

"Interesting," Natasha said. "Are all these families still around?"

"More or less," Bucky told her.

Darcy curled into him, and he looked down at her with a heated gaze. Steve cleared his throat behind them, and Bucky turned to see what his friend wanted. If Steve's cheeks went any redder, he'd look like a tomato. "And what's with the two of you…?"

"Fonduing?" Bucky asked with a smirk.

"Oh, please explain that one to me," Darcy grinned as she raked her nails over the soft cotton of his shirt. "Steve looks ready to burst."

She was right, Steve had gone a deeper shade of red that had Natasha eying him with her own sort of interest that Bucky was going to come back to later. "He thought Howard and Peggy were sleeping together, or at least romantically involved with one another, when Howard asked if she wanted to stop off for a late-night fondue."

"I wasn't used to innuendo back then! Sue me," Steve said with a slight pout.

Bucky laughed and said, "It's all right, pal. I just gotta tease you a bit about it. Carter used to love telling that story when she wasn't cross with Steve." Peggy had fondly told that story over campfires when they all needed something silly to focus on. "And to answer your question, I'm not entirely sure." He looked at Darcy, "I wasn't always around the Addams enough to ask them about the weirder aspects of what it meant to be one of us."

Darcy nodded in understanding, "Yes, your mother tried to protect you and your sister as much as possible, didn't she?" Bucky nodded. "It's like the human version of soulmates, two halves making a whole. You've always felt a bit of pull with me, right?"

"Yeah, ever since we met, there was just something about you," he admitted. "Couldn't understand why."

"I felt it too," she told him. "However, both of us have been masking a bit when it comes to our true natures. Given that the secret is now out in the open and we no longer have to hide the weirder halves of ourselves, that pull is being felt in full force." She caressed his cheek, and he leaned in to her touch. "Ask Gomez about it because he and Morticia clearly have a very strong soulbond."

"I will, this weekend if you'd like to come with me," he asked with a hopeful look on his face. "I haven't let the others know in case this time didn't work for you."

She mentally went over her schedule for a second and then shook her head. "Thor should be back, and he and Jane are always wrapped up in one another whenever he's been away for long stretches. I'd be happy to take some time off; she can handle things without me for a week or two."

Bucky grinned and held her a little tighter. "Fantastic, I'll call Becca in a little bit and tell her to expect us. Do you want me to tell her to extend an invite to your family as well?"

"Yes, please," she said. "If they can't make it, then our next trip will have to be to go see them."

Steve could only stare at them in utter confusion. Natasha, however, understood completely because she, too, knew that she was descended from one of the families they talked about. There was always something just a little different about her that she could never put her finger on. The otherworldliness of her beauty or her gracefulness seemed almost predatory.

She didn't know anything about her family before the Red Room, but she knew there had been something different about them. "Could I come too?" She asked, her tone casual even though she was praying Bucky would agree.

Both Darcy and Bucky looked over at her, eyes narrowed as if they sensed her casual tone was a facade. "Of course, Natasaha," Bucky said automatically. "You're more than welcome to come along." Then his gaze shifted to Steve, "You want in on the fun, punk?"

Steve looked between Natasha and Bucky for a few seconds and then nodded. "Why not?"

The plans were made, and the family was told that they would be coming. Rebecca promised to reach out to the Munsters to inform them that Darcy was coming for a visit, and they were more than welcome to come. Tony was also informed and pouted when they told him he couldn't come.

"Next time, Stark," Bucky promised, though he hoped the billionaire would lose interest. He wasn't sure he wanted to see Tony and Gomez play 'Whose bank account is bigger' while they were there.

The morning of Friday dawned bright and early. Bucky was awake as the first rays of sunlight kissed the New York City skyline. He felt an excitement under his skin he hadn't felt in ages, and he was quick to grab his bags and head for the kitchen to grab a quick bite to eat.

Steve, Natasha, and Sam were all in the kitchen when he arrived. Steve and Natasha already had their breakfast in front of them, and Sam was at the stove fixing his usual breakfast sandwich. Bucky murmured a greeting before going straight for the coffee and the travel mugs. None of them said anything as they settled into a familiar morning routine.

Darcy wandered in moments later, her hand caressing Bucky's back as she passed by him on her way to grab her own mug from the cabinet. His eyes zeroed in on her and watched as she moved gracefully from place to place. It was strange seeing the subtle shifts in her now that she was no longer hiding her Munster half behind makeup and humanity.

Darcy Munster was a little more sure of herself, still full of wit and charm, but not the girl he had come to know. Her eyes met his, and when she grinned, he caught a quick glimpse of her fangs, which had his blood thundering in his veins. How he wanted her to sink those fangs into him.

She had gravitated toward him now and leaned in to whisper, "Later," as if she knew exactly where his thoughts had gone.

They quickly finished their breakfasts, and Sam said his goodbyes to the group and wished them a safe journey. He also promised to call if any world-ending events happened and they needed them back ASAP.

"So what can we expect from your family's estate, Barnes?" Natasha asked from the backseat. Bucky was driving with Darcy sitting shotgun beside him. Steve and Natasha had gone to the back without question or complaint.

Bucky glanced at her in the rearview mirror and said, "Imagine what a stereotypical haunted house looks like when Halloween rolls around." In his effort to catch up on the times, he had looked into various holidays and saw what had become of them. "There's also constant cloud cover. Most Addams are allergic to the sun."

Darcy reached over and took his right hand, which he hadn't been using to drive. "I know what that's like. I step out into the sun without my SPF a thousand and I turn into a tomato."

"Sounds like me pre-serum," Steve snorted.

"I didn't have the sun aversion, something I got from my dad," Bucky said. "Becs, though, she had a real terrible time if she was out in the sun too long. Thankfully, our accelerated healing helps in most cases. It's a pain when you're in it, though, and you can feel your skin start to burn."

"Where will we be staying?" Was Steve's question.

"I'm not sure where Gomez and Morticia will put us. There are some smaller homes close to the main house that the family uses for bigger events. If Darcy's family comes, I imagine they'll be put up there." He looked over at her. "You're more than welcome to stay with them if you'd like, doll."

"And if I want to stay with you?" She asked casually, her eyes taking stock of his every facial expression.

Want simmered in his eyes, "I wouldn't turn you away."

That was exactly what she wanted to hear, and brought his hand to her lips, kissing his knuckles and letting her fangs scrape against him. His grip on her hand only tightened slightly, and he gave her a look that said they would be coming back to this later when they didn't have an audience.

The rest of the drive passed rather quickly, with the radio going and conversation switching to other topics like the latest TV show drama and whether Tony and Pepper were going to tie the knot soon. In the blink of an eye, they were out of the city and heading up the winding roads where the Addams' estate was located.

The closer they got, the more cloud coverage they saw. Darcy was practically vibrating with excitement as the first glimpse of the Addams' home came into view. It was dark and creepy and large, just as he remembered it. With the same creaking shutters and groaning front porch he hadn't seen since he was a teenager.

"Home," he sighed as they came to a stop in the drive.

Lurch was already lumbering toward them while the rest of the family piled out onto the porch. There were excited smiles and waves as they got out of the vehicle. Bucky tossed Lurch the keys and patted the man on the arm. "Good to see you, Lurch."

Lurch grunted in response as he got into the driver's seat. The others had gathered their bags from out the back and were waiting on Bucky. When they were clear, Bucky patted the closed hatch to let Lurch know he could park the car.

With nothing left to do, the group picked up their bags and made their way towards the Addams clan.

Chapter Text

The family was so excited as Bucky made his way up the stairs and onto the porch. It had been a long time since his last visit to the Addams home, and it felt good as the first board creaked under his foot. The last vestiges of being "normal" seemed to fall away, and he was just Bucky Addams Barnes.  No pretending, no hiding, just himself.  The others weren't far behind him as his family accepted his hugs and then went to say hello to their other guests.   

His sister quickly gave Steve a hug when he approached, and then her gaze turned to Natasha. "Oh, and who are you?" Rebecca cocked her head to the side. "I can't tell what family you come from."

Steve did a double-take and looked at Natasha with wide eyes while Bucky and Darcy both had a lightbulb moment. "That's why you always felt different," Bucky said. "When we met, I just couldn't put my finger on it."

For the first time, the group saw Natasha look vulnerable.  There was a look in her eye that she couldn't quite mask now.  "I don't know what family I come from," she admitted. "I was taken as a child to a place called the Red Room. I never knew who my parents were."

A sound of disapproval came from Morticia, who gracefully swept forward and wrapped an arm around Natasha, already ushering her inside the home.  The house even made a noise of disapproval at Natasha's story, like it didn't like that she had been forced to live outside of the norms of who she was meant to be.  "Come inside, dear, we'll help you figure out who you are."

Steve looked at Bucky and Darcy and asked, "Am I the only person here who is just human?"

Darcy chuckled and patted him on his cheek. "Well, if my family arrives, you'll have my cousin Marilyn to commiserate with. Though she's used to all of this since she grew up around it." Her attention turned to Rebecca, "Is my family coming?"

His sister nodded her head in confirmation.  "Yes, they'll be here later this evening. We have them set up in the guest house closest to this one. Will you be staying there as well?"

"Oh no, I'm staying with James," she told Rebecca.

Rebecca's eyes widened, "Oh! The two of you are soulbound!"

"WHAT?" Came the cries from the rest of the family.

Gomez was the first to get to Bucky, and he lifted him clean off his feet. "What a fortuitous time! My cousin has found his soulbond after coming home again! We must celebrate."

The house seemed to vibrate with the growing energy from the family as they were swept the rest of the way inside. Pictures of past and present Addams members greeted him on the walls of the entryway. Thing was waving from the banister, and his sister's ancient cat was sitting by the entrance to the living room. Even after seventy odd years, everything was just as he had left the home.  There was a comfort in that as well; the world may have moved forward and changed around them, but not this place.

Morticia and Natasha had already disappeared, either upstairs or somewhere on the main level of the house, and Bucky could tell Steve wanted to go after her. Maybe he wasn't the only one who had found his match. Given that Natasha was like them, there was a possibility of her having a soulbond too, and that it could be Steve, since the pair gravitated toward one another more often than not.  He had noted on several occasions how the pair seemed to be attached, how they always found little ways to touch.  The thought crossed his mind of Natasha not knowing why she felt that pull toward him if Steve was her soulbond, and it made him mad at how much was stolen from her over the years.

"Steven can stay here in the main house with Natasha," Rebecca was saying as she began making preparations for the change none of them had seen coming. "I'm sure she'll want someone familiar nearby while we help her sort out her family mystery. Darcy and Bucky can stay in the guest house west of here. You remember the one, don't you, James? Near the little marsh."

He did because that was where they always stayed when they came to visit. It had been his home away from home. "I do. Does that marsh monster still live there?"

"Larry? Yes, he does. Poor thing is lonely though, we're putting out feelers to see if we can find him someone," Rebecca said. "Make sure you say hi, and I'll send you with some fly muffins for him."

Darcy looked at Steve, who was looking a little pale. "Oh dear, Steven, do you need to sit down?" She asked, already putting a steadying hand on his elbow in case he decided to fall over.

"Marsh monster?" He asked in a hushed voice.

"Don't worry, he's very friendly," Rebecca said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "But Lurch, would you be a dear and take Steven up to his room? I think we need to let him settle for a bit before dinner."

Lurch nodded his head and gestured for Steve to follow him. The Captain did so without question. Bucky watched him go, a little smile on his face as his best friend looked exactly like he remembered him to be before the serum. Steve took things in stride, but sometimes the world got a little too overwhelming, and he shrank in on himself a bit. They'd talk later, and Bucky would help him wrap his head around the weirdness of his family and the world they occupied.

"I think Darce and I will head to the house now and rest up before dinner. Just give us a ring if Natasha or Steve need anything," Bucky told his sister.

"And let me know when my family arrives," Darcy added.

"Of course," Rebecca began, ushering them toward the back of the house. "I'll have Lurch come fetch you for dinner." She plucked the muffins off the counter and shoved them toward Bucky. "Do not forget to give these to Larry. I know you'll have a one-track mind at the house, James Buchanan Addams Barnes."

He grinned at his sister, "I am a gentleman, Rebecca Eliza Addams Barnes."

Rebecca turned her gaze to Darcy, "Make him behave."

Darcy smirked, "I shall try."

Together, he and Darcy made their way toward the cottage near the marsh. They passed the family graveyard along the way, and he shouted his greetings to his family. "I'll introduce you tonight when the spirits are more likely to be awake," he promised Darcy. The house and the marsh came into view, and Bucky called out for Larry.

It took a second, but a head popped out of the water and slowly started making his way toward the pair. "James," he said in a growly voice. "Been a while since I've seen you."

"Yeah, I was trapped in some ice for a few decades, but I'm back now," he replied. He held out the tray of muffins for him. "Rebecca asked me to bring you these fly muffins. She hopes you like them."

Larry took the muffins in his grass-covered hands and hummed. "Tell her thank you."

"Sure thing, pal," Bucky replied. "We'll be here for a bit, so if you need anything, just let me know."

Larry waved him off, "Sure, sure. I'll see you around." Then he was dipping back into the marsh and was out of sight.

"He's shy," Bucky whispered to Darcy.

She chuckled, "There will be plenty of time for me to get to know him. Now come on, let's get settled." She tugged him back toward the path that led the rest of the way to the cottage.

Bucky had barely set his bags down when Darcy shoved him up against a wall. Her body was pressed against his, and he groaned when her teeth started to nibble on his neck. "Doll, was kinda hopin' to make it to the bedroom at least."

"You've been driving me crazy all day, James," her voice breathy against his ear. "I can't help it."

He scooped her up, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist. "Just a few more feet," he promised.

Even though it had been decades, he still knew every inch of the cottage and made it to the main bedroom in record time. He lay Darcy down and hovered over her, watching her expression for a moment. She was so beautiful with her hair spread out against the dark red comforter, her eyes staring at him like he was the only man for her. Part of him couldn't believe he had gotten so lucky to find his soulbond so soon after coming out of the ice, and that it was someone as amazing as Darcy.

He dipped his head and kissed her then, it was slow and sweet and full of promises of what their future would be like. She had a hand in his hair, tugging him closer, and the other went under his shirt to explore every inch she could reach from this position. Her hand was cool against his heated skin, and he moaned at how good it felt to finally know what her touch felt like. That moan seemed to awaken something inside her because she broke the kiss and stared up at him with a glint in her eyes.

Darcy suddenly flipped their positions so that she was straddling his hips. Her lightning-fast reflexes left him a little stunned. She trailed a finger over his pulse point, which was thundering under her delicate touch. "You are the only person I will ever feed from," she told him, her eyes drifting up to meet his gaze. "And I'll only use blood bags if you're away on missions."

He sat up so that they were face to face. "I will always be there for you, Darcy. Through thick and thin, you are my one, the other half of my soul, and my bright moon on the darkest of nights."

She kissed him again, both of them not needing to say another word to the other as they finally completed their soulbond.

The Addams family house was dark and creepy in a way, but there was also something oddly comforting about it as well. Natasha felt as though she were in a horror film, and a poltergeist was going to appear around the corner and stab her. Morticia was as calm as ever, though as she led Natasha up the old stairway and down a hall toward someplace.  "Grandmama," she called out as she pushed a door open to some kind of laboratory. "We have a guest."

An old woman popped up from behind a stack of books that had titles like 'Magic for Beginners', 'A Hundred Ways to Cure Sunburn', 'Spells for When You're Bored'. Part of her wondered what Strange would think of this room and if he would scoff at how this woman did magic. Strange still had a bit of trouble accepting different ways of doing magic.

Grandmama cocked her head, and Natasha, for the first time in a long time, felt like she was prey. That unnerved her more than she cared to admit to herself. "She's Fae," the old woman announced. "Long time since I've seen someone from Titania's line."

Natasha stiffened, "What?"

The old woman stepped closer and peered at her with these all-knowing eyes. "Well, I'll be damned." Grandmama's gaze shifted upward to look at Morticia. "Your mother is Katerina. I can see her in your eyes, girl."

There was a moment of stillness as the names washed over her.  Katerina, her mother, and Titania, the Fairy Queen from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Part of her could hear someone in a distant memory talking about how Titania had given Shakespeare the idea that she was the queen of the fairies.  How it had become a family inside joke of how they had managed to immortalize themselves in a classic play everyone thought was pure fiction.  Natasha's knees gave out, and she crumbled to the floor. Morticia cried out in shock, and Natasha's nails dug into the floor.  Then the hushed whispers of her parents one night after she had snuck out of bed.  Her mother had been worried because her father - a human, and her mother's soulbond - had said that the KGB wanted Natasha, that they were looking for young girls to raise and train.  Her mother had been horrified by the thought.  They weren't going to give up their daughter to these people.

The next day, they had her sent away, but Ivan Dreykov wasn't someone you could fool easily.  He had figured her mother and father would send her away, and so he waited.  And when she was just out of her parents' reach, he sent Widows after her.  She was so young and had fought so hard to get back to her family, but it was no use.  She couldn't use her magic then because it hadn't manifested itself yet, a small blessing her young self had thought, because Ivan would have exploited that as well.  Then it had never manifested at all.  

They allowed her to keep her name because they wiped her memory; some memories had trickled back in over the years, but it was like the others were locked away deep within her mind.  The Red Room made sure she forgot her mother, her father, everyone that she had loved growing up, and now it was all coming back in waves.  She could remember her mother's long red hair, much like her own, and her father's green eyes.  The way they laughed and had sung her lullabies every night.  They had been so happy together because Ivan Dreykov started the Red Room.  She wasn't sure why he had set his sights on her or her family, as far as she was aware, Ivan never knew her family's secret.  That would be a question for another day.

Hands were on her back, warm hands, small hands. Not her mother's or Dreykov's, these were Morticia's hands. "My dear girl, breathe," Morticia commanded. The door opened, and Thing appeared. "Go get the Captain," Morticia ordered Thing.

The hand disappeared out the door, and a moment later, they heard boots thudding on the floor, and Steve appeared in the doorway. "Nat!" He cried as he dropped to his knees and gathered her in his arms. "What happened?" He asked worriedly.

"My mother," Nathasa muttered, eyes squeezed shut as she curled into Steve.

Morticia's eyes were so full of worry, "I'm afraid Grandmama may have shocked her by announcing who her mother was. There was a moment I could feel magic leaking from her. I think something inside her snapped or broke upon hearing her mother's name."

Steve looked at the old woman, "How do you know who her mother is?"

"Katerina is a dear friend, but I haven't spoken to her in many years.  After the loss of Natasha, we didn't know what happened to her or the rest of the family." Grandmama shuffled over to her tea set and poured a cup. "The Romanovs are an old family like the Munsters and Addams. Myths were written about her great, great-grandmother Titania, about her being the queen of the fae.  I've spent years trying to locate all of them, but there was something blocking them from my sight.  Now I have a feeling I know why that was." She handed the tea to Steve. "Take her back to her room or yours and make sure she drinks that. It will help settle her. When she's ready, she can come back, and I will happily tell her about her family and her heritage."

Steve nodded and stood up, Natasha safely secured in his arms. He carried her back to his room with Thing leading the charge. And when he laid her down on the massive bed, he pulled a chair over and sat silent beside her, making sure she was going to be all right.