Every few years something happened that would leave an indelible mark on the mind of those that witnessed it, the gathering of the Dinkley clan – the World Wide Dinkley Convention or WWDC for short. This time the gathering was to be in Coolsville and was to be a global affair, members of the extended family were coming from all over the world. There was no one truly archetypical Dinkley but it was generally agreed that Velma and her father. Harold, were considered to be the closest to one. Both were small, wore glasses of similar prescriptions and had a predilection for turtleneck jumpers. He was gracefully sailing through middle-age with a reducing hair-line and an expanding waistline. Encountering tens of Dinkleys in a room could be an overwhelming experience for the unprepared; even the other members of Mystery Inc who had grown up with Velma and her family could be discombobulated by spending any length of time in a room full of Dinkleys. Despite the risks the gang were at Velma's parents' home helping them get ready for the huge event. Fred and Shaggy were carrying in boxes of party supplies, Scooby and Daphne were checking off the inventory and Velma was simply an orange blur rushing this way and that trying to do a million things at once.

"Man, d'ya think Velma is excited?" chuckled Shaggy

"Ha, that's like saying Daphne is partial to purple," laughed Fred "or you're excited at getting to spend some time with Maddy."

"Like yeah, you got me there," said Shaggy.

"Still it'll take the load of the postal service, what's it now a letter a day?" teased Fred.

"Yeah, plus phone calls, emails, text messages, skype..."

"Well you've only a couple of hours to go."

"Yeah, can't wait. Man I hope Velma doesn't get too upset this year."

"Don't worry Shag, we're all working to keep her busy so she doesn't notice the date."

"Man I hope so, it's a shame we couldn't do the same as last year."

"Yeah, well we weren't mixed up in a war," said Fred quietly.

"Shhh man, like don't mention the war, Velma might hear," Fred nodded, another topic they had to tip-toe around as if things weren't complicated enough at this time of the year. Their current tasks done they went to see Velma's mother to find out what she wanted done next.

There was one thing about this event that the gang appreciated, everything went like clockwork, the Dinkley's were fearsome organisers so whilst there was a lot of work to do by the end of the day everything was where it was supposed to be at the appointed time, not even a paper-clip was missing. Finally all that was left to do was to tidy up the house. Velma and her mother were in the kitchen along with Daphne and Shaggy clearing up after dinner; in addition Daphne was keeping Shaggy away from the cookie jar. Fred was taking Scooby for walk as they both wanted to stretch their legs. Velma's mother looked at the time then at the schedule on the refrigerator and turned to Velma.

"Velma dear there are a few more people arriving this afternoon could you pick them up from the airport before Norville collects Madelyn from the train station?"

"Who's that mother?"

"The mutants!" shouted her father from upstairs.

"No! Seriously? All of them, I haven't seen them together for ages. Daph, tell Freddie I've taken the Mystery Machine!" A huge smile spread over Velma's face and she grabbed the van's keys.

Velma's mother sighed "I wish your father wouldn't call them that."

"The mutants?" said Daphne her surprise clearly evident. Shaggy saw his chance and headed for the jar.

"Oh it's Harold's little joke, they are so like him or Velma in many respects but so very different in many others. If you go and help Velma with their luggage you will see what I mean."

"This we have got to see," said Daphne following Velma out of the kitchen dragging Shaggy along. He gave a plaintive moan as his fingers passed within a whisper of the jar.

Soon the trio were waiting in the arrivals lounge of the airport. Daphne spent the time teasing Shaggy about Madelyn and looking through a magazine while Velma kept an eye on the arrivals board and idly toyed with her engagement ring.

"Their plane's been down for a while, won't be long now" she said to herself.

"VEL-MA!" a huge Teutonic voice boomed around the airport arrivals area, Daphne caught a sight of Velma grinning wildly before she vanished.

"They should be easy to spot," whispered Daphne "Look for three Harold's and one Velma."

"Like the little aliens from ET except all wearing orange turtle-necks," said Shaggy quietly, he extended his index finger "jin-kies," he croaked imitating the alien.

"Shaggy that's so cruel, funny but cruel," replied Daphne trying to hide her laughter "just don't let Maddy hear you say it." The pair looked down and around to see where their guests were. All of a sudden their world darkened Shaggy and Daphne realised they were looking in the wrong direction, they had always looked up to Velma and her family, metaphorically of course, now it was literally. That's why they're called the mutants thought Shaggy.

Daphne and Shaggy looked at Velma's relatives standing in a row in front of them, each as tall as or taller than they were with Velma sitting on the shoulder of the second one on the left.

"Folks this is Daphne and Shaggy, two of my best friends," Velma jumped down and going from left to right introduced her relatives to Shaggy and Daphne.

The first wore an orange jacket with red trousers, orange socks and sandals; he had an immaculately groomed goatee which extended to a point several inches below his chin while his hair extended in a long ponytail, both hair and goatee where auburn in colour. His poise and posture almost a mirror image of Velma. He wore similar glasses but these were more rounded and had a pink tinge. "This is Matthias; he's a professor in philosophy and logic at Leiden University."

The second was essentially a giant version of Velma's father but without the glasses or the waistline but with hair. He didn't look like he could bench 220; he looked like he could arm-curl 220. He wore a crisp white shirt and black jeans with dark-orange trainers.

"This is Gustav; he's a Major in the German border police and occasionally lectures in Norse and Icelandic mythology at Stuttgart University," both Shaggy and Daphne winced as he shook their hands.

The next was the only woman in the group, Daphne stared at herself from an alternative universe; the woman had auburn hair but styled like Daphne along with matching figure, unlike Daphne she wore orange, black and red clothing. She had the same thick heavy glasses as Velma and had a face full of freckles.

"This is Linda; she is a sports scientist at Stockholm University and a national athletics coach."

The last one had a similar build to Gustav but with the same round, open face as Velma, the same hair colour and freckles. Put a pair of rectangular glasses on him and you'd have Velma's twin brother. He wore boots, orange and green striped combat trousers and a red and white striped rugby shirt, round his neck were a pair of large high-end head-phones.

"This is Marcus; he's a part-time musician in London," again Shaggy and Daphne winced as he shook their hands. Shaggy stared at the crumpled, twitching remains of his hand wondering if he would ever be able to eat a super-submarine sandwich again.

"As a trick he can imitate me," said Velma she fished a pair of empty frames out of her pocket and put them on him.

"Jinkies guys I sure can," he replied in a very convincing imitation of Velma, everyone but Shaggy and Daphne laughed. Marcus took off the frames and put them in his pocket.

"That was so disconcerting," whispered Daphne, Shaggy nodded in agreement a room full of Dinkley's was bad enough, but this?

When everyone else was loading luggage into the back of the Mystery Machine Velma got ready to drive them to the hotel. Daphne got in the front and sat next to her.

"So with this Marcus we've finally found someone in your family who isn't super clever," she whispered.

Velma shook her head and smiled "Sorry Daph he has a double first in Music and Mathematics and a Doctorate in Music, Mathematics and Mythology both from Oxford."

"Not fair," Daphne sulked.

"If it's any comfort he did fail a woodwork exam once."

"Oh I feel sooo much better now," Daphne rolled her eyes as she spoke.

That evening there was a buffet reception for those attending the WWDC. After everyone had eaten their fill they sat down to listen to the opening talks, towards the end of the proceedings Gustav was up on stage addressing the Dinkley clan in German. Velma was sitting next to Madelyn who had not long arrived from Whirlen Merlin Magic Academy, via a passionate reunion with Shaggy. Velma had been rushing around all day; Madelyn had had a long journey and an eventful arrival, so both were rapidly flagging. A while later Marcus looked away from the stage to the row in front where Velma and Madelyn sat in front of him. Madelyn was quietly sleeping, resting against Velma and from the way Velma's head was lolling forwards it wouldn't be long before she was asleep. He leant over to Velma and whispered in her ear "As Mark Twain said 'the greatest thrill in German is waiting for the verb' Gustav is a great guy but he can go a bit."

"You said it" she replied then stifled a yawn "I've got to stop counting compound nouns it's the same as counting sheep. I'd hoped to practice the magic act with Maddy but..." Velma yawned again "... too tired," Velma rested her head on Madelyn's and soon was asleep. Marcus sat back and cast his eyes around the room, so far everything was as it should be, and that worried him.