It was a familiar scene, in the living room of the famous Mystery Inc household. Sitting in her usual spot, Velma was all curled up around yet another book, wearing a hole in the part of the couch she claimed as hers. The only thing different in the room was the fact that at the base of the couch, sitting on the floor looking up at her, Shaggy and Scooby sat. She hadn't even needed to lower her book, to give him the answer to his question.
"But... But..." Stuttered Shaggy as he looked up at her. He had a reason for being on the floor, as he and Scooby were in a sense, laying in wait for Velma to drop her guard. But the book provided the perfect shield against the two's current tactic. But if she ever looked away from the book, two pair of Puppy eyes, full force, was waiting for her. They even employed a pout into the mixture, to make it even more dangerous. It wouldn't take long.
Sighing, Velma was loosing her mental battle with herself. While she wanted to help him and Scooby out, it was something she felt strongly for. Too strongly. It was too close for comfort and she didn't want to put that much on poor Scooby. She sighed again, letting the book close before her. She fell right into their trap.
"Gwah! No! No! Put those away! That's playing dirty..."
Flinching away, she had only gotten a quick glance at the full power so she was able to force herself to look away in time. Covering her eyes, she waited till the coast was clear. It was only when she heard them both shift their positions and sigh, that she even dared to peek behind crossed fingers. The pout was still there, but they had put away the big guns... for now. Shaking her head, she shifted back to face them both.
"Come up on the couch, you two goofs." Grabbing Shaggy lightly by the arm, she guided him up on the couch beside her. Scooby just sat up, scooted closer and dropped his head in her lap.
"Not those eyes Scooby... I'm not trying to be the bad guy here. But I think it's better that I don't help that much for this." Giving Scooby a sympathetic ear scritch, she felt bad about her choice, but she believed it was the right one.
"But, like' Velma. You parents are fish scientists..."
"Marine Biologists."
"...Yeah, that too. They like' spend all day with fish and know so much about them. And I know you have been taken on trips with them about fish too. So you must know alot about fish!" Sitting beside her, Shaggy had scooted over and clung to her arm as he spoke. He lightly held her arm, but squeezed it some urgency. Velma's eyes softened behind the thick glass upon her nose. She was loosing the battle, but she really couldn't blame them. Slowly, she shook her head.
"That's the problem Shaggy, Scooby. I know way more then I ever wanted to know about fish. Sometimes I know to much and because of that, it seems not worth even having one. So rather then bring you guys down about all the negative things, it's better for you to not even know and find out things for your own. After all Scooby, you want to have your own dog, right?"
"Rah rah!" Scooby lifted his head up at the notion, shaking it up and down to enforce his desire for his very own pet dog. Velma cringed a bit as the Dane bumped her lap with his energetic odding, but didn't blame him for it. It was her fault asking the question in the first place. Placing a hand on his head, she rubbed it, slowing the nodding to a stop. With his attention finally back on her, she moved her hand to under his chin to bring his eyes to hers.
"Just think of this as part of learning. If you really want your own dog, then your going to have to pick your own fish. You won't get anywhere if we choose everything for you. You have to take responsibility for it as well."
Scooby stared into her eyes for a while before they closed and he gave her a big lick across her face. He would do what she suggested, and pick it himself.
"R'ok Relma!" Turning to his buddy, he barked at him happily. "Ret's ro Raggy!"
Pushing to all four paws, Scooby got himself to his feet and then moved to where Shaggy sat. Leaning his head down, the Dane got a good grip on the edge of Shaggy's bell bottoms and started to back up. With the intent of getting to a pet dog, he needed a fish first, so he was going to prove himself as fast as he could to reach his goal. Shaggy noticed this, but wasn't ready to leave just yet. Reaching up and around, Shaggy caught a grip upon the back of the couch. As Scooby pulled, Shaggy pulled back using the top of the couch as his brace. Making it a tug of war, with Shaggy as not only the opponent, but the rope as well. But it didn't seem to bother the man as instead, he brought his attentions to Velma beside him.
"Can you like', at least come along? I mean, not to give any suggestions or nothing, but just in case? I don't think we want Scooby picking like' a Piranha or something like that. So it will still be his choice, just not a choice that we will all regret. I do have to sleep in the same room..."
It was a funny sight. At the point when he had finished his sentence, he was fully off the couch. Wobbling with the tugs from Scooby, the Shaggy rope clung at an angle that the only part of him still on the couch was the hand holding on for dear life at the top. Thankfully, Shaggy was fond of belts, as much as he was of his belt buckle collection, so there was no worry of Shaggy loosing his pants in front of Velma. But even through all of that, Shaggy was more concerned of asking Velma for help, even though it was for just in case.
"Alright. You win. I'll come along, but just in case. Nothing more." Velma gave in. He was asking so polightly, and she might as well come. For all she knew, the person who worked by the fish might not know what they were talking about. Better that she came along to watch over them. The last thing they needed was for Scooby to get a sick fish from the get go. That wasn't really fair for the Dane.
"Whoo Hoo!"
Shaggy whooped as Velma agreed to come. But he forgot the fact that he was still holding on to the top of the couch. So when he let go his hands to throw them into the air in victory, Scooby's incessant pulling finally kicked in and the duo went tumbling backwards to meet the other side of the living room with a crash! The impact rocked the house, and thankfully the two had not hit anything even though they had made such a loud noise to bring the others out of hiding. From all corners of the house, peeked heads from the rest of the gang. Peering their heads from either side of the hallway, Fred had come from upstairs while Daphne came from the basement. Both curious on what had caused the disturbance.
"What's all the hubbub?" Fred asked as he finished going down the last set of steps to walk into the beginning of the living room. Daphne did the same, only coming from the other hallway arch and tried to get a glimpse at the pile of Shaggy and Scooby. They were a tangle of limbs and paws, having tumbled together and gotten themselves in quite a tangle. But it didn't stop them from both popping their heads up from the mass to grin at the rest of the gang, obviously having decided something. They both grinned simultaneously, eyes glittering with glee.
"Roadtrip!"
"Roadr'ip!"