I think we've reached the tamer violence of my brain. This...could be worse.

And if Bog Saget really did leave an anonymous comment about how he loved this fic, I would totally...freak.

My apologies. For some odd reason editing this thing in this FFNet editor is giving me issues. There is supposed to a line break or a horizontal LINE between two points and it just won't show the hell up. So rather than have you confused, I have the scene break in (). Okay? Sorry!

Chapter 11:

Everything happened in a whirl of movement that had Googie kissing the dirt face first with the scent of Fred's cologne in her nose and all around her with the feel of plastic keeping her from being a shredded mess. She didn't dare look up, screaming as the dummy was hacked at until she heard the digging paws of Yabba rushing that thing and snatching it by its neck. There was a loud screech and a snap and she moved when that dummy moved only to see that horrid thing staring at her lifeless with Yabba stomping its face in before charging another.

Scooby was already in the thick of things, moving faster than should be allowed and tackling one monster after the other with ease and tearing one's arm off the moment it tried to swing at him. He was knocked into a tree by another quicker one, but the blow didn't knock him out. It made him angrier, and somehow a branch of that tree fell right on top of the creatures without warning.

What left in their fallen places was smoke and shadow; a sign that these were minions and not the real culprits behind the attack. It didn't matter. They were here, they were seeking to do harm, and one was already quite pissed when the shaggy image erased itself at his touch and it was tackled by the plastic dummy of Fred only to have its face beaten in.

Winifred bounced off of the ground behind him, howling as her inner wolf nature got the better of her and her morphing paws. What were fists were now clawed hands that shred the face of one creature and slammed another back into the trees in time to see a mistress wink before she lopped its head off. They still didn't know what these things were, but they were like roaches crawling out of the woodwork and resembled a cross between species and alien with the true essence of terror.

She passed Sibella, idly dancing backwards from the swipes of one of those creatures until it smacked the side of a tree. She vanished and appeared behind it, smirking as it turned too late in time to see its world fall upside down into darkness. There was nothing more than shadow and dust, and Sibella staring down at it in its remaining sight as she effortlessly took out the two behind it without much movement on her part.

Googie watched in horror, nearly screaming again as someone pulled her out of the clearing and into the woods. She looked back to see Fred doing so, none too gently shoving her over where she was somewhat safe and over where the other girls were sitting terrified. The carnage before them wasn't what warranted them speechless. It was the sudden change in demeanor of the dogs and their destructive nature; their willingness to so what needed to be done without a lick of remorse for anything that was the target of their design. It had all started with Scooby rushing the first one that appeared, slamming into it and snapping in half on a tree that was outlining the clearing. It vanished with a bone chilling scream and that was the signal for the rest to come out. Sibella, Winifred, and Yabba had leapt into the circle and fought like it was an everyday thing, but this side of the dogs…it was more than shocking.

"Where's Shaggy?"

Fred spun, more than determined to find him, but was tackled to the floor as soon as a claw came flying in his head. He winced, seeing double for three seconds too long but rolled them back over in time to get up and move out of the way of Sibella moving to lop that creature's head clean off.

He grabbed a large stick in his running, snatching it from the ground and swinging it at the head of another that slipped out of the clearing and scented them. It didn't take kindly to the beating, swinging back and breaking the stick in half. Fred kept himself in front of Shaggy, but the pop of something loud and completely unseen kept him from moving. He smelt the smoke before he saw that creature's eyes roll backward and fall before it faded into shadow. He didn't have to spin to know what had gone on, but he was no less shocked.

Shaggy stepped in front of him with a rifle in hand, a grim look on his features and willing to do it all over again. "Just because I'm a pacifist doesn't mean I'm not human," he said. "Besides, Pop never lets me leave his sight without some kind of a weapon."

Fred had forgotten about that. He was sure the old man had thrust it upon Shaggy before they left, with silent instructions to use it only when it was bad enough. He knew from their tales that they didn't use firearms. Traps were enough, but this wasn't some wayward human trying to keep something secret or scare them off. This was real, a test to see if they could live beyond their screams and do what must be done to live to see another morning.

He looked down at the rifle in Shaggy's hands. "Last resort?" Fred asked quietly.

Shaggy nodded. "Just like you're not ready to lose me, I'm not ready or willing to lose you."

Just to prove his point, he took aim at the trees and shot down the unseen creature lurking within them. Fred was impressed, and slightly horrified to learn that there was a new kink in his life he wanted to explore the moment they got back home.

Home.

They still had to get back home. He grabbed a slightly longer stick, one with a jagged edge and waiting to find a home in the chest of a creature that spread its arms at the most inconvenient time. The shoved until he was bent over, staring at that thing glaring up at him in disbelief and at the stick in its chest before it faded and vanished into smoke and what looked like black sand.

"I want one," he breathed as he moved with Shaggy somewhere closer to where the girls were staring wildly at him. Shaggy stopped to shoot another, but Scooby was there and tackling it to the ground, snapping its back with his weight and snarling as he and Yabba tore it to pieces. "And Yabba is welcome anytime at our house."

Yabba lifted his head up, tilting his hat a bit. "Good to know," he crowed. The image of his smiling face was marred by the disheveled look of his fur and the open wound on the side of his face, but neither bothered him. He leapt off just as soon as the last of those creatures came looking to see what happened and found two angry dogs on either side of them.

Sibella lifted herself from where she was crouched, brushed herself off a bit, and sighed. "Just as I thought," she muttered. "There's nothing else like it…and I was hoping it was something resembling a dementor or something tolerable."

"Those things are real?!" Daphne cried.

"A lot of things are real…most of what you think is fiction is truth told between the lies. This is no different, and the things that we're fighting fight for keeps. In other words, they aren't going to stop until the main problem is taken care of….and while sacrificing the caster is usually the issue solver, I don't think we're allowed to do that."

Googie shook her head no even as the others contemplated what she said. It wasn't an option even if she hadn't said it. The noise was quieting, but the sudden yelp of Scooby was more than enough to draw them out of their little reverie.

Scooby lie on the ground, guarded by Yabba and his bleeding muzzle. The thing that was in front of them was much bigger than the others and stronger and twice as ruthless. It's size was like that of a troll, it's skin flapped and folded over and unable to hide the hideous smell that exuded from it and its mouth when it opened to roar at the dogs. He wasn't even able to make a decent midway roar when another shot echoed and this time cut that ugliness down with a shot to the head it stupidly waved at before it was turned into nothingness.

Fred lowered the gun and rushed out to tend to Scooby as he moved to get back up.

(back at the cabin a little later)

"Red…I'm rokay.…"

"Whatever Scoob. Just…shut up and rest, will you?"

Scooby pretended to pout, but he really couldn't when he was sitting in front of the fire with a blanket over his prone form. Fred was the reason behind it and he left him with a firm pat on the head. Scooby listened to him walk away a short distance before his attention was on the younger dog curling up to him against his chest. Yabba's head was careful to land on his shoulder, a light nuzzle of relief the only thing spoken between the brothers staring into that fire and trying not to think of just what those things really were.

"Scoob…"

"I know," Scooby murmured exhaustion in his voice. He put his head down, leaning into the nuzzling of his nephew. Yabba leaned further into him, a whine in his throat as his bandaged face buried itself in the warmth of the fur beneath him. "It'll be taken care of…"

"I don't want you to die doing it…"

"I can't promise that….but it's going to end before it gets out of hand."

He meant what he said, and that had Scrappy silently crying. He did his best to lick away the pup's tears, tired, annoyed, and upset that something like this had caused them to see the mortality of life. He could feel Scrappy's spirit wane at the thought of what was to come and he wanted nothing more than to prove the logical part of their brains dead wrong.

He settled for doing his best to comfort his nephew while his brother took to watching over them and ignoring the world around them.

In the next room, Googie placed down a now empty glass. The scent of whiskey was strong, but it lingered and did its job in calming those who ingested it down. Shaggy had declined, choosing to nurse a beer Fred hand handed off the moment he inhaled half of it. His hands were still shaking. He did his best to occupy them with something mindless to do, but there was no dishes to be done and nowhere to put them aside the table. He did so when he sat down, but his hands were soon taken under the warmth of those slender fingers wrapping around his right hand and bringing up to grateful lips.

"I need to thank you…"

"I would have done it anyhow," Fred said softly. "But that is probably not the way to refresh one's shooting skills."

Shaggy smiled and butted his head against Fred's. It was no secret that if you were a member of the Rodger household you knew how to handle a firearm and how to respect one. The girls weren't interested in such means of violence, but the boys couldn't have been gladder to know how and when to use it. The gun was still an unexpected factor in all of this, one that had the boys grinning in relief and the girls wondering if they should sign up for lessons somewhere. It was still a shock to the systems of all, one that had Daphne reaching for the whiskey bottle again and downing another glass.

"You shouldn't drink after giving that much blood," Velma warned.

Daphne shook her head. It was a disturbing feeling but more welcome than the terror still drifting in her bones. Sibella had exhausted a good bit of her energy before when she was fighting those things, but the fight raged on after Fred shot that massive thing in the head.

Winifred was a little mangled and tired, but otherwise fine. She had a few wounds here and there but nothing that wouldn't heal on its own in time. Sibella, on the other hand, had been caught off guard by the appearance of another massive creature and was attacked to the point where blood was drawn.

Daphne had never seen anyone transform so quickly, not even in her nightmares. The girl that was somewhat pale looking with rosy cheeks was definitely not the monster that let itself out and cause havoc amongst anything that was identified as a foe. She tended to forget that Vampires were types of demons themselves, and when pushed to the limits they weren't just large bats that flew around for the hell of it. They were fearsome creatures and willing to take out anything that wasn't on their good side.

Once the battle was over, the gun was emptied, and they were settled again, Fred had scooped up Scooby and darted back the way they came with Winifred and Yabba leading the way. The initial armada had been taken care of but they weren't staying to find out if more were coming. Googie was hoarse from screaming and Shaggy was ten seconds from unveiling another piece of metal from his side. The pistol was still there but it wasn't going to be used for much else than the secure weight. Velma was fascinated, horrified, and sorely confused, and Daphne didn't quite have a chance to let it all sink in so that she could properly freak out. Sibella grabbed her before she could sit down and then…

She rubbed her arm a little and fingered the closed wounds. "We'll call it an aide to getting drunker faster," she said to Velma. "I think I need to remember tonight as little as possible."

"Did you find out what those things were?" Sam asked from where he stood.

"Unfortunately yes…and solving that matter is going to be work," Sibella sighed. "You see, when the girl chanted the spell to erase Shaggy's dreams, she conjured a dream-mite that sucks the thoughts and dreams out of whoever its intended is."

"A….dream-mite?" Velma asked.

"More like the beginnings of what a real nightmare is. You see, humans are creatures that can dream and have the ability to change the world and perform the impossible. Dream-mites are like mosquitoes; they're drawn to strong dreams. Usually they have their fill and leave well enough alone, but some like the one she conjured are not dream-mites in reality. They're sandmen….sandmen that are addicted to power and creativity, and would do anything they could to get their hands on a jackpot like Shaggy."

"So…those creatures—"

"Are minions of the Sandman…and the manifestations of whatever was trapped in that Dream Catcher."

"So that's why they looked like alien movies gone horridly wrong," Fred mused, "And why my shoes are full of sand…."

"Sandmen are dangerous by right," Sam said. "They are not to be toyed with; not even the well-meaning ones. They control dreams and the outcomes of the dreams they guard and dispense. Shaggy's dreams are outrageous…letting some evil Sandman get his claws in my son is not happening."

"Which is why evil sandmen are called Nightmares," Sibella explained. "Basically she unleashed a walking nightmare that feeds off of other nightmares to gain power…and if their source of power is worth the risk, they will find a way to snatch it for themselves."

Fred stared worriedly at Shaggy. "I almost wish you never…had to have one…"

"I wish it myself." Shaggy kissed Fred softly and buried his face in his shoulder. "But they happen in order for me to deal with what I see. I can see that most things aren't quite that scary, but I have a healthy respect for them and what to leave alone."

"Shags…"

"Like, I'm okay Fred. I haven't had a nightmare since I've been with you."

"And we're not risking you having one," Velma declared. "But since you've been nightmare free…oh dear god, that Nightmare is going to go after Fred…"

"What?!" Daphne cried. "How do you know?!"

"That thing needs a source, and a source that doesn't have nightmares is no good to it…especially when the source has something or someone preventing it from having them in the first place!" She hated being right, and she hated it when she couldn't think of anything to announce she was wrong just so they wouldn't worry as much about things. Velma cursed and slammed her fist in front of the silent blonde. "I'm starting to change my mind!"

Googie thought she would faint. "You're not serious!"

"The hell I ain't! No one asked for this shit and frankly you should be the one trying to fix it, not us!" Velma snapped. There was no calming the residential genius. She was disgusted, angry, and had more than three shots of whiskey in her system. Shaggy got up to calm her but she knocked his hand off of her shoulder with a small apology and towered over Googie. "You have been a pain the ass since I met you! First you take Shaggy from us, then you break his heart, and now you waltz back in like its nothing with something like this hindering our lives because you were too stupid to realize NOT to mess with that damn TOME?! No, I'm not hearing it. You need to get it together," she snarled. "You should be working twice as hard to make things right because not ONE of us asked for this! I certainly didn't ask for my thanksgiving to be a nightmare fest thanks to the righteous selfish actions of an idiot and I'm not going to HAVE one."

"Velma, you've had too much to—"

"I haven't had enough to drink, damn it." She snatched the rest of the whiskey bottle, a glass, and started marching out of dining room. "I'll have a headache come morning, but I sure as shit won't have to consider throwing this bitch to the Nightmare and forgetting about it. My conscience will work again and I might consider trying to fix this shit somehow. But right now, I'm getting friendly with Mr. Whiskey and forgetting the world for a little while."

Velma left, but she popped in long enough to point at the back of Googie's head. "The only thing I can be grateful for aside being alive right now is that you weren't cowardly enough to wait until there was some inexplicable death. I'm sure the decision would have been unanimous."

She left again, muttering, and leaving some stunned faces behind. "Okay…well, we know not to let her drink when she's angry," Daphne said needlessly. "Oh boy….this is going to hell in a hand basket. She's right, isn't she…"

Sibella nodded and tried not to sigh along with the rest of them.

Googie wiped her face before anyone could notice the new onslaught of tears. This was her fault, and Velma was right about one thing…she had to try harder to fix it.

"Fred…"

It hadn't been quite that long since his hands hand traveled along the soft planes of his torso, but it felt like forever with the foreign feel of bandages and tape in the way. There was nothing they could do about it but nurse their wounds; the soft spread of Shaggy's fingers over where Fred's forearm lingered in support, feeling the bandages but not acknowledging them. It was the same for Fred as he reached up and felt smooth patches of skin between the bandages on Shaggy's backside, a total contrast from the front that settled against him; his chest heaving slightly as he adjusted and kept hold of Fred.

Fred kissed the center of Shaggy's chest lightly. "I think we're supposed to be fighting…"

"Over what?" Shaggy breathed.

"Who does what…who goes where…how much I want to wrap you in bubble wrap and just stick you somewhere safe…"

Shaggy laughed softly, drawing a soft moan from Fred. He leaned forward and snatched those lips for his own, pushing them backward or forward on the bed until Fred was breathless and Shaggy was staring down at him with those half lidded eyes. He was always so lax looking…always calm despite his being scared…he night have yelled and ran and usually tripped over his own feet in trying to get away from the madness, but tonight…tonight Fred saw a little more.

There was no denying that he loved Shaggy. He loved him more than he loved anything or anyone else. He loved that spirit that was often mistaken for something less than it was, and it was that same spirit that gave him the strength to stay where he was. He could have easily fallen back for that woman back there, could have easily sidestepped what they had and blamed it on loneliness…could have found some justification in why this was happening to him and let it…but he didn't. Shaggy didn't. This small little feat is what continued to amaze Fred each and every time he looked upon Shaggy and wondered what he'd done right to deserve this happiness.

"Like, you could do that," Shaggy chuckled, "I'd let you…but I'd do the same…and I doubt the girls would be happy with being the bait or setting the traps."

"Daphne's too much of a MacGyver to change roles now….ugh!"

"Enough…" Shaggy whispered, dragging his lips over the shell of Fred's ear. Fred shivered; his hands snaking down the planes of that skin to find the globes that sat back and reminded him just how attached at the hip they were at the moment. He felt Shaggy's head push into his own, soft lips against his breathing and huffing as the pleasure mounted to where it was hard to speak. "Move…"

It had been a little more than an exhausted tumble into the sheets. Fred had sat down and Shaggy was on top of him, kissing him senseless and making it hard not to reciprocate when the clothes came off and the idle touching became burning yearns for flesh upon flesh and sealing their love in the physical sense rather than the mental. They were still virtually on the same page in their thoughts; there was no other and there probably would never be. Shaggy dove into their love making with a desperateness Fred had felt the first time they were like this…like he'd never get another chance and that he'd wake up bleeding somewhere and seeing it as some farfetched dream.

This was as far from a dream as it could be…the gentle motion of them as one moving to their own tempo, somewhat frantic but tempered with the knowledge that they were not alone. Fred rocked and Shaggy rocked with him, cradling him in his arms, kissing him, whispering soft nothings against his lips as he tried not to cry out. Fred stole his lips and his breath, sinking into the hippie and losing himself completely without fear of waking up to find himself alone.

When it was over and they lie there against one another breathing, Fred wrapped his hand around Shaggy's and placed their twined hands over his heart. The gentle thud of it against his ribs kept them from drifting but allowed them to relax and feel one another as they only could. They didn't think about Velma's sure conclusion, or about the girl that really didn't ask for any of this, or the worrisome fact that someone could indeed die from this. They only thought about the here, the now, and how they weren't about to lose the best thing since Shaggy had come back to the group that short while ago.

"If I die tomorrow…I'd die happy," Shaggy whispered. "I got to love you…the way I want to, and you understood that more than anyone else. I'd regret leaving this life behind, but…something is better than nothing."

Fred tightened his hold on Shaggy. "You're still moving in with me."

"You know, I'm like packed and just waiting for this to be over."

"I know…and it's going to be over soon, and when it's over, we'll suffer through the families mucking in our lives, go back to OUR home, and make a mess of that bed before we plod down this road of our lives with me stalking you."

"Like…stalking Fred?"

"Oh yeah. I'm not letting you out of my sight after this…and any ex's that come knocking are getting kicked in the ass."

Shaggy giggled as Fred stole his breath away one more time. The night was still fairly young and they were still fairly pumped up with adrenaline, so it was of no surprise to find himself filled again and breathless as Fred tried his best to make him pleasantly numb.

Morning would come…and they would face this…but right now Shaggy could only think of Fred and that drilling piece of him that sought to make him brainless.

What a way not to have a nightmare.

Okay, some sappiness to...calm us down a little. Onto the sure drama, talking, and appearance of Fae type people that are NOT happy. I'll be borrowing from Scooby Doo and the Goblin King a little.

I don't know how long this is going to be but I hope you'll stick with me. :) I love the reviews. Again, you don't have to read "So Close, So Far" to understand this fic but it is a nice introduction as to how Shaggy and Fred got together.

More soon.