...Velma...

"Damnit Shaggy," I yelled into my pillow as I cried, "why did you have to show up? I was doing fine! Now I have all of these damned emotions running through me!"

I was doing fine, wasn't I? I just became head of the Science Department at Coolsville University, I'm about to buy my own house, and I have a few friends who understand all of what I am saying. So I'm doing just spiffy, right?

Then why is it that when Shaggy lied to the old gang for my sake, and came to see me, I let all of these pent up emotions come back? I mean damn I go to therapy twice a week now instead of five, I've learned to cope with the rape, and the possibility of ever getting married is next to nothing; I can't trust a man ever again. Well, Fred and Shaggy are exceptions; they're the two guys I've known since middle school. My dad is another exception, but hey; he's my dad.

"I miss them all so much," I mumbled as my sobs died down, "I want to go back but, I can't. Can I?"

Sighing, I rolled over onto my back, and clutched my stuffed elephant 'Marty' close to me. I scanned my walls, and took in the old photographs. There were old newspaper clippings of when we solved a random mystery, pictures of Mystery Inc. also lined the walls, and I stopped at a picture of Shaggy and I at prom. My best friend; yeah he's a goofball.

He was wearing a green tuxedo with a brown tie. I myself, well I wore an orange dress that barely showed anything. I grimaced at the fact that I was wearing a skirt; never again.

Sitting up, I sighed, "Okay, I guess I should go and face the music. To Shaggy's house, I guess."

I walked over to my small closet and pulled out a pair of denim, sequen pocketed jeans, and my signature orange sweater.

...8...

I didn't bother knocking on the front door, I walked around and knocked on the basement doors; Shaggy had been living in his parents' basement for as long as I can remember.

Standing there nervously, I watched as one of the doors opened, and a very shaken Shaggy stood there. His eyes were red, and I wondered if he'd been crying. That couldn't be true, though. He'd always been the one to make us laugh, to make sure we didn't cry.

No words were spoken as I walked in and stood in the middle of the room, watching Shaggy close the door. When he turned and looked at me, I felt my heart racing; I wanted to go home. However, by home, I meant back with the members of Mystery Inc. I missed them all too much.

I slowly walked toward Shaggy, and leaned my head against his chest. When I felt his arms wrap around me, I let the tears flow.

"Like, Velma it's okay," I heard him say, "I didn't mean to upset you, honest."

"You idiot!", I exclaimed through my sobs, "You didn't upset me, I missed you! I've missed you and everyone else so much. I thought walking away would solve everything, but I was so wrong."

He took my hand and led me to sit in the bean bag chairs that sat in front of his television. "Velma, like seriously; what's wrong?"

"I," I wouldn't tell him. I knew that for a fact, so I opted for telling him something else that had been bothering me, "I've been gone for so long. I thought I was on a journey of self discovery, but I wasn't. I thought Mystery Inc. was holding me back from reaching my true potential. Shaggy, I was so wrong; Mystery Inc. is where my true potential lies. I'm supposed to be out there solving mysteries and busting the bad guys with you and the gang. Instead of being out there with you guys, I became head of the Science Department at the University, and it's not me. I'm lonely, I'm bored, and it's not where I belong."

I couldn't look at Shaggy; I'd forever be known as 'Crybaby Velma' or something stupid like that. I had already started to cry again, though not as loud as before. Shaggy scooted his bean bag over next to mine and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Like Velms, we all miss you. Daphne was distraught, I mean like, she did lose her sister. Fred was pretty down, not having anyone to pick on like he did with you. Scooby-Doo, well he like, he moped around for quite some time. He didn't even have the heart to eat a Scooby Snack before a mystery. We each tried to give him one, but he refused to take any part in looking for clues. And I...," he stopped.

"And you, Shaggy?", I proded, willing him to continue.

I watched him as he looked at me and sighed, "I missed you so much. When we found out you were gone, I was freakin' out, man. I didn't know what to think or what to expect. I was frantic, Velms. Like, when Daphne found the letter, and read it out loud to all of us, I felt numb. I missed my best friend so much. Like, it got so bad I wouldn't eat. I couldn't bring myself to. I felt like I did something wrong, like all of us did. I never cry over anything, Velma; I cried for two weeks straight before the gang started pulling me to my feet. It just hasn't been the same without you."

I held in a gasp at his words. Shaggy not eating? What did I cause now? I felt the tears pour over again and I began to cry into my knees as I curled into a ball, "I caused you to not eat? I'm so sorry Shaggy! I fuck everything up, don't I? I was never good for anything, hell I even cause appetite loss. Why come back for me when I can't do a damn thing right?"

I felt myself being brought in for a hug. Shaggy must have really missed me, because he hardly ever gave out free hugs. Crying into my best friend's shoulder, his words made my sobs reside, "Because, Velma. Like, we're not a team without you. You can't spell team without Velma! You don't mess anything up, so like, stop saying that. I didn't eat because I missed you. It's like, a common thing for depressed people to do, man."

He made me giggle. Shaggy actually made me, little old sadistic me, giggle. It felt so good to laugh, yet it felt foreign to me. I'd changed a lot over the past five years. Nobody, not even my parents, know what happened to me. Well, nobody except for my therapist, Mrs. Linda anyway. I couldn't tell anyone, especially not Shaggy. I had someone I could lean on for support, again. I've missed that greatly. I've missed the entire gang, but I've missed Shaggy's funny and carefree nature more than anything.

Pulling away from him, I smiled and took my glasses off to clean them. "Shaggy, I want to come back, and I'm going to. I know what I said, and okay I was wrong. I'm coming back, just give me a day to say goodbye to my parents first. I also have to quit my job. I know we'll be coming back to visit at least once a month, but I don't want them to be upset because I didn't say goodbye."

"Like, no problem, Velma," he smiled at me, a look of relief on his face, "I have to visit with my parents, too. When you're ready, I'll be here waiting. The gang is in the next town over, so we'll catch a ride there. Like, don't forget to pack!"

I nodded, and smiled. Walking to the door, I smiled at knowing that I was doing the right thing.