AAN: I OWN NOTHING OF THE SCOOBY DOO FRANCHISE!!!!
Practical War,
Chapter One: Happiness Only Lasts so Long,
It had been two, blissful months since the trip to Florence. Melinda and Harry been together officiallysince arriving back in Coolsville. School had just begun, day care for Susie, Anna, and Daniel and High School for Melinda and Harry. Fred and Daphne once more took their day-jobs as journalists during the school year and Velma rejoined her fellow scientists at the Coolsville space center. As for Shaggy, he managed a local restruant during the year while Sciiby stayed home and watched over Mary, Chastain, James, and Kylie with Scarlette.
"Scooby, it's time to wake up. I'm leaving in ten minutes. The kids are all dressed and fed, but they're waiting for you so that they can watch their morning cartoons." Velma told him as she shook the Great Dane awake. Scooby stretched lazily and yawned before nodding to Velma who was now putting her earrings in. Velma gave Scooby a scratch behind the ears, grabbed her bag, and headed to the Collsville space institute. Scooby liesurely walked into the living room where the four young ones were already waiting on the couch for him. He jumped up next to Chastain, resulting in a giggle from the young boy, who was only two years old. Scooby took the remote and put the television onto a TV station called, Boomerang.
It was 7:30. Melinda's alarm-clock went off annoyingly loud, she reached up and pressed the green button, shutting it off immediatly. She groaned and sat up stiffly.
"It is too early to be waking up, on a Monday, for school." She said to herself in annoyance before getting up and getting, well attempting to get, dressed by magic. She looked in the mirror and sighed. Once again, her magic decided to choose her outfit for her, resulting in a jumbled up mess. This time she sported a black sweater, fairy wings from last years Halloween costume, and camo pants with neon pink sneakers. She quickly ditched the fairy wings, camo pants, and sneakers, for neon, lime-green pants and black flats and headed into Mystery Inc.'s Kitchen to meet with Harry.
"Good morning," Harry greeted her as she walked into the kitchen and began making a fast breakfast
"Hey," She replied as she threw her bread into the toaster.
"Running late, again?" He asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.
"Definatly, wardrobe malfunction." She explained as she grabbed the toast from the toaster. Harry laughed, what was with her crazy idea about getting dressed by magic? It's never going to work. Melinda threw him a glare and grabbed her bag from it's place by the door.
"Come on, we're late enough for school as it is."
School seemed to pass on as slow as it possibly could, as if it knew that Melinda couldn't stand being there on Monday's and desperatly wanted to keep her there as punishment. Finally, at 2:45, the final bell rung. Melinda raced to her locker and grabbed her back-pack before meeting with Harry by door fifteen. Melinda and Harry were walking home however, when Melinda got the most peculiar feeling that they were being followed by somebody. She turned her head slightly and noticed the smalled perception of movement behind her. She whirled around, and was relieved to find that it was only her gaurdians, Arya and Allou. Arya, the wolf, gave what must have been a smile, or as close to a smile as you can get when you are a wolf.
'Arya! How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that?' The wolf simply smirked and took in the image of her young charge and her accompanying friend.
'I thought I was supposed to be taking you to the shadow realm today, or have you forgotten young one?' Arya cocked her head and sat down on the pavement. Melinda was shocked, how could she have forgotten something this important?
"Am I missing something?" Harry asked, though he was used to being a little behind the times.
"These are my gaurdians, or familiars I guess you could call them, Arya and Allou." Melinda explained, picking up Allou, who was in the form of a cat.
"A cat and wolf, interesting mix. Does Allou talk? I heard Arya."
'How did you hear me?' Arya questioned, slightly suspicious of this new-comer her charge was seemingly comfortable with.
"I'm a wizard, and you haven't answered my question." Harry noted as he scratched Allou behind the ears, resulting in a purr.
"Allou can talk, she just chooses not to is all." Melinda explained.
'Well, with the company of three magical beings, I may as well speak.' Allou told them, surprising them all. She had a gentle voice, but sounded as if she was from the same era as Arya was, the sixteen-hundreds.
'Well, well, look who's talking.' Arya noted sardonically as they once more began their walk home.
'Look who's being sardonic, there's a big surprise.' Allou said as she hopped out of Melinda's arms and onto the pavement below next to Arya.
Meanwhile at the space institute, Velma was not exactly enjoying working with her lab partner. She had been assigned to a wonderful task yes, but anything was better than working with her lab partner, Gibby Norton. Ever since they were young children, Gibby had fawned over Velma to extremes, but all she saw him as was an annoyance that couldn't seem to get the message that she didn't like him.
"So, Velma, how are your plans for this weekend? Anything important going on, any dates free?" Gibby asked Velma as he leaned on one arm against the counter-top, eyebrows raised and a cheesy smile upon his face. Velma rolled her eyes.
"Gibby, how many times do I have to explain to you, that we are not compatible?" Velma asked him as she tried to focus on the project they were intended to work on.
"Aww come on Velms. Don't tell me you still love that beatnik Norville?" Gibby smirked.
"Gibby, I married him. I think that should tell any normal human being that I love him. If that doesn't drive my point home into your thick head, then maybe the fact that I have five children, and I'm two months pregnant right now." Gibby sighed.
"Velma, Velma, Velma, when will you realize you want me?" Velma hid a laugh.
"When Shaggy leaves me for the boogey man and my daughter marry's her cousin."