Hi! This is my first fanfiction I've posted here ever, so this is more of a test to see if I can keep everyone in character and organize the plot correctly. This is a bit of a pairing fic, but mainly these are two of my favorite characters who I thought deserved more attention. If you don't recognize the scene it is taking place in, the scene takes place after the first kidnapping in 2.03 (The Night the Clown Cried pt II). It's supposed to be the unwritten interaction between Ricky Owens (Mr. E) and Cassidy Williams before the authorities show up the next day. Suggested romance between the two.

I do not own Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated or any other form of the Scooby Doo franchise.

The door handle rattled under Cassidy's frantic fingertips, but the door itself remained stubbornly shut. It was only a bathroom door at a hairdresser's-Cassidy didn't know what kind of insecurity you needed to have to install a door this sturdy, but it served its purpose well. Beside her, Ricky apparently had no intention of helping. He stood in his slightly hunched posture, hands stuffed tightly in the pockets of his monogrammed jacket.

On the other side of the door, a vehicle of some kind crackled across the scattered glass of the recently demolished window and screeched away. With a frustrated growl, Cassidy drew back and executed a concentrated kick on the wood of the door directly beside the door handle. The door crashed open and the doorframe shattered where the locking mechanism had once held it in place.

Pausing only to glare fiercely at the brooding man beside what remained of the doorframe, Cassidy flew through the doorway and skidded to a stop to fully survey the damage. The hairdresser's shop window had been smashed through completely, where a gaping hole about the size of a car glinted in the dimness of the moonlight. Cassidy whirled and frantically searched through the shop, which took about all of thirty seconds; there were only so many supply closets in one hair store. All the while, Ricky stood perfectly still, watching her with a tired disinterest that was a solid confirmation of her unlikeliness to find anything.

When she had finished her frenzied search, she turned back to him, her eyes glinting with frustration and her chest heaving.

"Well?" she snapped in his direction. "Who was that?"

Ricky gave the barest of shrugs that mirrored his lack in enthusiasm. "It's none of my concern."

"You mean you don't know?" she spat. "How could you not know? Are you as idiotic I think you-" she lost check on her temper long enough to spin on her heel and kick through a mirror. Glass exploded from beneath her foot and tinkled lightly to the floor.

"Careful," commented Ricky flatly. "I hear that's bad luck."

"Answer the question, smartass."

Ricky glared. "It means I don't know and I don't care. I have more important things to deal with than some ambitious fool in a clown costume-"

"Dammit, Ricky!" Cassidy punctuated her interjection with another well-aimed kick at nearby chair, which clattered into the wall. "She was a friend! You remember having those? Anywhere in your conceited little mind for those memories to fit?"

"I remember," said Ricky coolly. "But most of them went insane."

"You're falling apart," said Cassidy, her voice hoarse and tired. "All of you. None of you would listen. And-" She gestured widely with one hand, punctuating her rant, which collided with the side of a nearby cabinet with a loud crack. Blood trickled from her knuckles. "Some evil German parrot has made you his lackeys. How does it feel, Ricky? Being manipulated by a bird, I mean?"

Ricky stared at her silently, eyes flickering briefly to the bruised, bloody mess that was her right hand. She seemed not to have noticed. "Your hand," he commented blatantly.

Cassidy ignored him. "What happened to you, Ricky?" she asked with a decided note of exasperation. "This can't just be about that stupid disk."

"Shows what you know," replied Ricky, shifting his stance slightly in a defensive manner. "Pericles and I have formed a partnership. Once we get the disk pieces from those kids, we'll be halfway to the treasure. And then I'll finally have the power I deserve."

Cassidy laughed almost jeeringly. "You and I both know that Pericles will never stick to that partnership crap. He's so far gone I don't think he can even remember the definition of the word." Cassidy took a step forward, her stance shifting to a less rigid posture. "Come on, Ricky, what happened to you? I used to-"

Ricky's lip curled as turned slightly away from her, as if to deflect her words. "It's you you should be worried about, Cassidy Williams," he spat. "I have nothing more to say to you. What I do from now on is none of your concern."

"Ricky, I want to help," insisted Cassidy, stepping forward. She held one hand in the other, still seemingly oblivious to the bloody mess of her right hand. There was a moment of silence between the two that felt thick and palpable. "You could come with me. You could start over, and we could forget this stupid treasure. It's not worth wasting your life over-"

"Don't lecture me, Cassidy Williams." Ricky said quietly, completely unwilling to listen. His voice, however, had lost its venom. He finally turned to meet her gaze, and the deadness in his eyes frightened her. "I know what I'm doing, and I'm not going to stop until it's done. And there's nothing you can do to make any difference."

Cassidy lowered her gaze, silent. "Pericles has really got to you, huh?"

He hesitated, drained. "I suppose."

"But, Ricky, you know him. I mean, you used to. There must be something you can do to put him in his place-"

"He's entirely out of control. He's running Destroido Corporations more than I am, bleeding our resources dry." He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I don't think there's much sanity left in him."

"Well then-" she sighed and turned away, taking a few slow steps to the front of the shop. She turned around.

"You should really remind him who's in charge, Rick. You built Destroido from the ground up, you know." She met his eyes again. "Whatever you say, Ricky Owens, I still think there's reason in you. Don't let some bird...don't let someone walk all over you just because you used to be good friends. If anything, he should be following your orders, not the other way around." She turned toward the exit again and hopped over the jagged windowpane.

"Cassidy."

She didn't turn back again. "Best of luck to you, Ricky." And then she was gone.

He stood there for a few moments, watching her shadow disappear. Then he put his hands in his jacket pockets once more, and picked his own way through the broken glass to the gaping cavity of a window. There was a peaceful silence about him, but as usual, his head was on fire and clamored with thoughts and suppressed misery. I need a drink, he thought numbly, and staggered away through the midnight gloom.

In case it was unclear, I modeled the the dialogue here to cater specifically to the scene in Season 2 Ep. 14 (The Devouring) in Destroido, where Ricky attempts to lock Pericles out of the corporation's system and regain control of the situation. I thought Cassidy might be a good inspiration for his actions because of the twelve different screens he is studying on pictures of her before Pericles comes and yells at him. (Yeah. I know.) Make of that what you will; this is just one interpretation.

Their relationship (Ricky and Cassidy's) is something I haven't gotten a chance to study fully yet, but when I do, I'll probably update this.

Thanks for reading! Reviews are certainly not mandatory, but greatly appreciated. Constructive criticism is encouraged. If you happen to have seen all the episodes in the series, maybe drop me some tips on how to keep everyone in character. If not, just let me know what you thought!

Thanks!