Author Note: Holy crap, I can't believe I'm typing this, but if you're reading this right now, then congrats! You have officially reached the final chapter. I just wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has read and reviewed this over the past six or seven months. This idea started small and expanded as I wrote the fanfic, and I honestly never expected it to become as long as it did, but to be honest, I am so proud of the story that it's evolved into, and I am so thrilled that so many of you enjoyed this. I want to give a shout-out to my consistent reviewers, K and Minnie, who are both guest reviewers, and AnonymousAva and thequeenxofhearts, who are both a couple of the most talented Scooby Doo fanfic writers on this entire site. I am so indebted to all of my readers, but I am especially grateful for you four. There were so many times when I wondered if anyone would notice if this story just ended when I was frustrated last fall, but whenever I saw your constant reviews and support, I knew I wanted to finish it so you guys could have a conclusion to the story you spent so much time investing in and reviewing.

And now that this is over, the question arises as to whether or not I will continue writing fanfics, and to be honest, I think I am going to take a small break. I do want to return to writing more stories, but I've reached a point in my life where I have a lot going on, and I don't have tons of personal time to devote to another long-winded, nuanced story like this one. I think that when I do return, it will be with some one-shots and some fluff/every day life to balance the first two serious stories I've put forth, and I do hope/aim to return with another full length story like this one, but it most likely won't be until early spring of this year. I do have a list of tumblr prompts thequeenxofhearts sent me, and I think that when I'm ready, I may start by tackling some of the writing challenges since those don't necessarily require consistent story updates. But for now, I just want to bask in the fact that I somehow created this long ass story (it's just shy of 400 pages, double spaced, on my Word doc!) and spend some time reading some of the awesome Scooby Doo fanfics floating around online right now, of which there are so many.

Again, as with every other chapter, I hope you enjoy this latest - and final - installment. I would love to hear of your thoughts on the conclusion in the reviews, and your thoughts on the entire story in general, as I do plan to check in still consistently, even though I may not write for awhile. And as always, I appreciate everyone's support and feedback and reviews.

With love,

iamacliche

Chapter 24

"Like, Freddy, calm down, all right?" Shaggy says, grabbing both of my shoulders with his hands and shaking me, as if the physical act of jostling me around will still my nervous energy. "Daphne is, like, gonna be totally fine; I know the freaky vampire guy has her, like, kidnapped, but we can get her back!"

"Shaggy, you don't understand!" I exclaim, squirming out of his grip so I can continue pacing across the front of the gymnasium. It's a few hours after the vampire has interrupted the school dance, but there are still traces of the event strewn throughout the gym floor. Crushed flower petals, derived from the remnants from the corsages that dangled daintily from the wrists of the girls at Coolsville High, are sprinkled around the floor, along with the occasional high heel. The deejay booth is still stationed at the front, but one of the monitors has been knocked over, and the deejay has long since abandoned his post. The gang and I were hoping to catch the vampire and retrieve the cash box prize in time for the end of the dance, but as we chased him around the school and attempted to piece together the clues for our first mystery, at some point Daphne had somehow been kidnapped, even though I had done my best to keep my eye on each of my friends at all times. And now we were right back where we had started, in the middle of the gym where Daphne and I had just enjoyed our slow dance only a few hours earlier, and I was a nervous wreck. I couldn't stop berating myself for getting my friends and I into this mess, and for allowing Daphne to get kidnapped. How could I innocently believe that this had been anything like reading my favorite mystery novels? Those books were works of fiction, and the good guy always won out in the end, and while the danger and action weren't necessarily minimal, but they didn't directly impact the people I knew and loved. I was so naïve to believe that we could seamlessly solve this mystery within minutes and have a conclusion like those books, all neat and tied up with a pretty bow.

"Freddy, Shaggy is right," Velma interrupts with a cough. "I know this is scary, and I am just as worried about Daphne as you are right now, but this panic attack won't help us bring her back. What we have to do is develop some sort of idea for a trap so we can finally nab this creep!"

"Oh, I don't think that capturing me will be necessary, Velma Dinkley!"

Velma, Shaggy, and I all whipped our heads towards the cackling voice, which was coming from the other side of the gym, and discovered that we were face-to-face with the vampire. And when I saw that he was gripping Daphne and that he had her hands tied behind her back, my heart clenched and unclenched inside my chest like a fist.

"Freddy? Guys?" Daphne choked, her eyes wide with fear and glossy with tears. The vampire merely guffawed again, and I felt hot and enflamed all over, as though my blood was boiling inside my veins.

I rushed towards the vampire, propelled by anger and adrenaline, but he stumbled back as I approached, heaving a horrified Daphne to stumble alongside him. I could feel the sweat streaming down my back and my heart galloped as I could only focus on one thing: saving her and keeping her safe.

"Hey ass hole, let go of her!" I screeched, pointing an accusatory finger in his direction. "If you don't do it right now, you'll be sorry!"

The vampire merely sniggered again, obviously undeterred by my vague threat. "You're too late, Romeo," the vampire sneered. "I'm about to take a bite out of your precious girlfriend's neck, and she is going to join me forever!"

Daphne's face paled as she struggled to writhe out of the vampire's grasp. "Freddy," she breathed, her voice low. "Don't worry about saving me, just save yourselves!"

"It's too late for you anyway, sweetheart!" The vampire laughed as though he had heard the funniest joke in the world. He lurched towards her suddenly, and when she attempted to move away from him, he forced her against his side and jeered, "Now, let me taste that sweet, delicious blood of your's!"

And he began moving towards her pure white skin neck, but I was running towards him and had tackled him in seconds, effectively taking him down onto the ground, which caused him to disconnect his grip on Daphne as well, and she tumbled to the ground near us. Admittedly, I wasn't the most popular football player on the high school's team, but years of playing the sport had taught me how to move swiftly so that the opposing team (or in this case, monster) had little time to react. After I had collided into him I straddled his waist, and I was blinded by rage as I pummeled his face with my fists. It had taken all the other members of the gang to wrench me off him before I stopped, and by then I had punched the vampire so many times that his mask had slipped right off his face, revealing the first culprit we had ever unmasked, who was none other than Jordan, the boy who had been hitting on Daphne moments before I had stolen her for a dance. When the cops arrived, Jordan admitted his motive in dressing up as the vampire was his disgruntled attitude over not having been nominated for Homecoming King; he wanted to claim the cash prize – and Daphne – all for himself.

After the gang debriefed the cops on the case, the five of us watched the cops guide Jordan, who was now handcuffed, into the cop car, and something light and warm filtered into my veins. Standing on the outside of the school steps with Daphne, Shaggy, Scooby, and Velma, I felt as though the universe had crafted this night so that it had unfurled the way it had on purpose, and something inside of me craved more of the satisfying feeling of watching Jordan duck into the back of a cop car at the conclusion of unravelling this mystery.

I was jarred from my reverie by Daphne, who had placed her hand on my arm and was grinning at me shyly. "Freddy," she said sweetly, and I felt my heart flutter in my chest. "I don't know what to say, except thank you for saving me. I was worried for a minute there that I was about to become Jordan's vampire wife or something!'

In spite of the heaviness of the situation, I couldn't help but laugh, and I smiled at her as I tucked a lock of her red hair behind her ears, which caused her to blush, but only faintly. Between having Daphne back safe and solving this case, I was feeling bold; the usual uncertainty that shrouded me whenever I talked to Daphne or felt the urge to banter and flirt with her had wilted. I was drunk off the events of the past evening, so I closed the little space between us and pulled her to me gently.

"No need to thank me, Daph," I replied. "I'll always keep you safe, no matter what happens. But, if you wanted to pay me back with another slow dance sometime, I definitely wouldn't be opposed to it."

The crimson on Daphne's cheeks deepened, and I couldn't help but secretly marvel at having made her blush. "It would be my honor, Mr. Jones," she said, a smiling stretching across her face as she threaded her hand through mine.

I had kept her safe then, during our very first mystery; I had swooped in just before danger could befall her, and I had always managed to wedge myself between Daphne and any harm. I always prided myself on saving her whenever she was kidnapped, and I always wanted to keep her safe.

But I couldn't save her this time; I was too late.

As the blood continued to stream down Daphne's chest, I continued to hold her against me as the sobs and cries continued to wrack throughout my body violently. Holding her against me had caused her blood to color and stain the front of my shirt, but I hardly noticed; I was too distracted by the fact that after this entire experience, after going through every door together, Daphne had been wrenched away from me in our home world, of all places. I never would have fathomed that she could be killed so mercilessly right in front of me, and that I wouldn't be able to save her, like all the other times.

As I cried and screamed in anguish, my body felt numb all over, and I began rocking back and forth as I looked down at Daphne. Her face was distorted with shock, and her mouth had dropped as if to reflect this, and even her eyes were still wide open with fear, as though even in death, she was paying witness to all of the horrible events unfolding before us. I was so distraught that I couldn't speak nor beg her to stay with me any longer; all I could do was run my hand through her hair slowly and gently as I rocked her back and forth.

I felt as though I had been holding her for hours, but I'm pretty sure it had only been a few seconds since she was killed. The multiverse Fred hardly reacted as he watched us, but he was still towering above me, standing just a few feet away. He slowly and reluctantly lowered the gun to his side as his face twitched with some sort of undecipherable emotion, and normally I might have been glad to have seen his gun retreat, but right now, I really didn't care that much, and part of me hoped he would just aim the gun at my head and shoot me so I could die alongside Daphne and leave this horrible world forever.

And then I heard the sound of feet clattering against the ground as someone from the gang rushed towards me, and I distantly heard the multiverse Daphne's voice shrill, "Freddy! Freddy, it's not what you think!"

I arched my eyebrows with mild and disinterested confusion as I slowly raised my head towards the multiverse Daphne, who was now running towards me from where she had been standing with the rest of the gang. Her face was blotchy from crying, but she still looked exactly like my Daphne, and my heart squeezed and the tears gushed down my face as I stared at the shocking resemblance. A second later she was standing over me as I continued to cradle Daphne against me, and her mouth twisted in horror as she stared at Daphne in my arms. Her gaze flickered back to meet my eyes, and her face visibly paled by several shades. But then she lowered herself to sit on the ground beside me, and when she placed her hand on my shoulder, I jumped, startled by how similar her touch was to my Daphne's, and then she moved her lips and spoke again, penetrating the fog billowing in my mind, and she repeated, "Freddy, it's not what you think – I'm okay!"

Perplexed, I looked at the multiverse Daphne, who was staring at me with the familiar love and warmth I had so often seen in my own Daphne's eyes. I wasn't sure how she could continue insisting that I was misunderstanding what I had just witnessed; I had watched her boyfriend shoot and kill the love of my life in cold blood. I just stared at her as I continued to hold Daphne against me, but when she reached over and ran her fingers through my hair tenderly, my mind flipped back to all of those nights in the multiverse when Daphne and I had curled against each other in the box, and Daphne had run her hands through my hair affectionately as she attempted to soothe me after we had nearly been killed in whatever world we had managed to escape. I flinched as I tried to process how this multiverse Daphne could so closely resemble my own, but when my eyes drifted to her neck and noticed the green scarf that was missing, I gasped as all of the air was sucked out of my lungs. The fog in my mind quickly dissipated as I flashed back to the mental image I held of the gang in my mind from just minutes ago, and I distinctly recalled feeling jarred by the fact that both Daphnes had looked exactly the same, right down to the same outfit – with the exception of the green scarf tied neatly around the multiverse Daphne's neck, which was an accessory that my Daphne had lacked.

"Freddy, it's me – I'm your Daphne, not her!" Daphne said again, and when I glanced at the Daphne in my arms and saw the green scarf, which was now speckled with blood, tied around her neck, my heart sputtered and my eyes welled with fresh, salty tears.

Of course – this whole time I had thought it was my Daphne who had been killed, when it had actually been the multiverse Daphne, and it was an easy mistake since they looked exactly the same, minus the one small, tiny distinction in their wardrobe.

"Oh my God," I breathed, as I stared at my Daphne, who was alive and safe and crying her own fresh tears as she stared back at me. "You're – you're alive. Oh my God, so if you aren't dead, then that means this is actually – "

By now Shaggy, Scooby, and Velma had rushed over to stand beside us, as well, and as they flanked our side, I saw all three of them staring at the multiverse Daphne, who was still cradled in my arms. Scooby whined and moaned as he surveyed the scene before him, and Shaggy wrapped an arm around Velma, who had begun to sob loudly, her hands covering her face as her body convulsed and shuddered fiercely.

My Daphne slid closer to me, and she gazed down at the multiverse Daphne in my arms, who was still staring at the ceiling with wide, horrified eyes. "Oh my God," Daphne whispered. "She told me she was going to make things right just before she died, and I didn't want to hear it from her. I guess she wasn't joking when she said that, huh?"

I felt my throat knot as tears slid down my cheeks. Everything that had just happened was finally settling in; my Daphne was safe, yes, but the multiverse Daphne had selflessly attempted to not only kill her boyfriend, but she had saved my life in the process, as well. When Daphne and I were attempting to find our way back in the multiverse, we had been expecting our kidnappers to be cruel and relentless once we finally found our way home and confronted them. The multiverse Fred had certainly proved himself to be every bit as toxic and fatal as we had expected, but the multiverse Daphne had proved she was truly remorseful for her actions, and now I literally owed her my life.

As a sign of respect, my Daphne leaned over and gently closed the multiverse Daphne's eyes and lips, and she ran her hands through her counterpart's hair gently. "Wow," Daphne breathed. "I said so many mean things to her just before she died, but she still saved your life, and she must have known what she was going to do when she swore she would make things right. And now I can't even tell her that I'm sorry, or say thank you."

A thick, heavy silence had shrouded the gang and I as we attempted to process everything that had just happened; yes, I was immensely relieved that my Daphne was alive and safe, but now it had been at the cost of someone who once had hurt us, but could have turned out to be a good friend. And now that opportunity was taken away from us forever.

As this entire exchange had occurred, I almost forgot about the multiverse Fred, as he had been watching everything silently from the distance, but now he screamed and we all recoiled with surprise, shocked to see his red, blotchy face streaked with tears as he surveyed us from a few feet away.

"NO!" he screeched, his voice raw and coarse. Fred looked at the multiverse Daphne, who was still in my arms and was surrounded by the gang and I protectively; my Daphne was still running her hands through her counterpart's hair, and Velma had taken the multiverse Daphne's still hands in her own and was apologizing profusely for building the box, as if the multiverse Daphne could hear Velma and respond, but Velma stopped speaking when the multiverse Fred screamed.

"No no no no no nononono," the multiverse Fred spoke repeatedly, as though voicing his denial would make the scene before him vanish. "No, this isn't possible – but I thought – I thought she was the other –"

"Well, you were wrong," my Daphne said simply, eyeing him with contempt. "I'm right here, and I'm fine."

"Look at what your greed and actions have gotten you!" Velma spat, her face twisted with scorn and fury. "I will always regret building the box and the multiverse because of the events that have transpired over these past few weeks, but you were the one who pulled the trigger and killed her! You will never get away from the fact that your selfish actions literally killed your own girlfriend; you have no one to blame but yourself!"

The multiverse Fred was shaking and trembling, and he dropped the gun to the ground beside him. I wasn't sure if our words had affected him or infiltrated his thoughts, but he was clearly stunned. He took a few shaky steps towards us, his arms outstretched. At first I felt something inside of me coil, and I feared for my friends' safety, but it became apparent that he was reaching for the multiverse Daphne. The gang knotted themselves around her collectively, as though they could still protect her from the multiverse Fred. He must have sensed our discomfort, because he stopped, and in a small, pathetic voice, he howled, "Please – oh please, just let me hold her."

The gang and I all exchanged glances, and something in me forced me to stand as I carried the multiverse Daphne's limp and bloody body and walked towards the other Fred, who met me halfway with trembling arms. I gingerly placed her in his outstretched arms, and I was surprised to see the emotion flood the multiverse Fred's face as he stared at his girlfriend, and like me, he too began to rock back and forth as he cradled Daphne in his arms. He dropped to the ground as he held her and began to wail, his voice guttural and primitive, like a dying animal. I stumbled back to stand beside my friends, and as the multiverse Fred cried over the multiverse Daphne's corpse I took my own Daphne into my arms and felt something loosen inside of me as a wave of contradicting emotions flooded me. I buried my face in her hair and her neck and sobbed, allowing the relief of having her safe and in my arms once again to consume me, while I also wrestled with the fact that the multiverse Daphne had given us something so precious and valuable, something we would never be able to repay. I knew that Daphne was feeling the same way, because I could feel my sleeves spotting with her tears, and her body shuddered and vibrated with emotion, too.

The gym was eerily quiet as Daphne and I cried and held each other, and the gang shuffled behind us and threaded themselves around us comfortingly, and I sighed, allowing their friendship and love to warm me, and I finally let myself feel grateful to finally be reunited with the gang after everything that had happened. We were wrapped up in each other and too busy comforting each other, so we weren't watching the multiverse Fred, whom we had assumed was still preoccupied with grieving over his girlfriend's body.

But when we heard the click of a bullet sliding in the barrel of the gun we all jumped and flew apart from each other, and we turned to see the multiverse Fred, who was still cradling Daphne with one hand, but now had used his other hand to level the gun against the side of his head.

My body jolted, thrumming with shock and terror as the multiverse Fred blinked at us, his eyes empty and flat. His hand gripped the gun as he eyed us defiantly, almost daring us to stop him.

"You guys are right," the multiverse Fred stated grimly, his voice monotone and flat. "I'm the cause of all of this, and I allowed my greed and selfish desire to do all of this. I should have listened to Daphne when she first came to me the day after we switched lives; she felt guilty only a day or two after it happened. She was always a much better person than I was; I truly didn't deserve her. But God knows that I loved her so fucking much, and look what I did to the one person I ever cared about."

The roof of my mouth felt dry, and my throat was parched as I listened to him speak; even though we were vastly different, the love we both shared for Daphne was apparently something that would always resonate with us both.

Now he turned his gaze towards me and Daphne, and he watched as we both trembled in each other's arms. "I'm truly sorry now for what I've done to you both," he said, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the gun even harder. "And I'm even more sorry that I had to kill my own girlfriend to realize that she was right, and that I had taken things too far. There's nothing else for me to do now; I deserve to die the same death I subjected her to just moments ago. Good bye forever, now!"

"WAIT!" I screamed, but my cry was eclipsed by the sound of a gunshot. Daphne pulled my face into her shoulders, willing me not to look, and I could feel her burrow her face into my neck as she turned away and began to sob again. Even though we had watched versions of ourselves die way too many times over these past few weeks, and although I knew she was right in suggesting I look away, I couldn't help withdrawing myself from the safety of Daphne's embrace to catch one final glance at the two people who had kidnapped us and changed our lives forever. When I saw the multiverse Fred slumped over on top of the multiverse Daphne and the river of blood already flowing across the gym floor, I leaned over and vomited onto the gym floor, my body heaving and rejecting every emotion and experience bottled up inside of me, until I was hollowed out and numb. The gang said nothing as my body purged itself, but when I was done we all stood together and quietly stared at the multiverse Daphne and Fred, so silent and motionless before us.

And just as quickly as it had started, this whole nightmare was over.

The following few weeks slipped by in a blur, and whenever I try to reflect on that time, I struggle to dredge up specific details. They say that trauma can do that to you; trauma makes the memories blurry and soft around the edges, trauma forces your brain into survival mode and boxes away specific memories and stores those emotions in the recesses of your mind, safely away from your reach, in order to protect you. I do remember that the police were there minutes after Fred shot himself, although I don't remember which one of us called them nor what we said to them once they arrived. I don't remember how the town buried or disposed of the multiverse Fred and Daphne's bodies, but I do remember the sterile white sheet the cops draped over their bloody and destroyed bodies. I do remember that the school was closed for a week to quietly clean and disinfect the gym, and all I did during that week was sleep, and when I wasn't sleeping I was with Daphne, and when we were together we curled around each other and all we did was sleep, ensconced in her sheets and saying nothing whenever we woke in each other's arms, and usually when we woke one or both of us was drenched in sweat and had just come out of a nightmare involving the multiverse. Occasionally we were physically intimate, which was something I had wondered would ever happen again since our first experience in the multiverse, and these moments were usually brought about after both of us were particularly haunted by a nightmare and needed to feel reassured by the other person's presence and safety. Whenever we had sex it was always fueled by a ravenous hunger and a desire for physical and emotional closeness and security, and those minutes when we were together were when I felt safest and happiest, which was something I thought the multiverse had taken from me forever.

Velma burned the box immediately after the entire incident, and even now, weeks later, she attempts to apologize to both of us profusely, even though we have both told her that none of this was her fault. I know she gave a public announcement recanting the box and the sprawling multiverse contained inside the box, which was previously viewed as a wild success by Coolsville, but once the story got out people were mortified and called for the box's destruction, which Velma happily obliged. I worried that this incident would somehow jeopardize her ivy league school scholarship, but the school informed her that the apology was enough, and instead it was determined that the box was going to be utilized as an example of the importance of inventing ethical products for present and future scientists.

My parents, while mortified to learn that they had been living with someone who wasn't truly their son, were also extremely relieved and grateful to have me home, and they respected my excessive need to sleep and process everything I had just gone through. There were some days when I would wake up to find my mom sitting at the edge of my bed, staring at me with tears in her eyes, and it always formed a lump in my throat. Even my father was trying harder around me, and he sat me down and told me he was sorry that I had felt as though I had disappointed him. When both of my parents informed that even though I wasn't going to college they could never be disappointed in me, I felt something break open in my chest, and I cried openly in front of them for the first time in years. Even though the multiverse had damaged me in so many ways, it had at least served to rectify the relationship I had with my parents.

And the multiverse had reinforced the relationship I had with my friends and Daphne, as well. Even though we took a break from solving mysteries for the first couple weeks, we silently agreed that getting back into our routine was the right and necessary thing to do, and I couldn't help but remember the multiverse Daphne and Fred, who had given so much for that chance to solve mysteries with their friends one more time. If the multiverse had shown me anything, it was that I couldn't take any time I spent with my friends for granted, and that I had to live in the moment and enjoy the world and the life I had been fortunate enough to receive right here and right now.

The desire to enjoy every second with the gang was underscored by the fact that we were now rapidly approaching graduation. Daphne had accepted the offer from her dream school, and Shaggy and Scooby were bound for culinary school while Velma was preparing for her ivy league scholarship. Even though this all would have induced panic and stress for me before the multiverse, I was now truly at peace watching my friends plan for their futures, even though I knew that I was going to remain in Coolsville while my friends and girlfriend met new people, and our mystery solving days would be suspended, at least temporarily. I made sure to smile beatifically and genuinely whenever they discussed college and their excitement to live in a dorms, and I even asked them questions to ensure that they knew I was so proud to be their friend and that I was so proud of their accomplishments, but I think Daphne sometimes worried about me; whenever we were eating dinner at Sherry's Diner after a mystery or we were driving towards another case in the Mystery Machine, I would catch her gazing at me out of the corner of my eye, her eyebrows knit together and her forehead furrowed with concern, and her eyes clouded as though she was deep in thought. Whenever I tried to ask her about it she would blink and catch herself, and ensure everyone that everything was fine, but I couldn't help but wonder what was on her mind.

And now with just a little over a month left before graduation her and I were tangled together in her bed, watching Netflix on the television that was anchored to her wall. Whenever we weren't solving mysteries with the gang her and I were almost always together; since we had been through the multiverse together it felt natural to be with someone who could relate to the sudden and unannounced panic attacks both of us were starting to suffer, and whenever one of us was feeling unexplainably sad, the other intrinsically knew it was best just to lay together and cry it out or wallow in our favorite TV shows. It had always been easy being around Daphne, but now that we had this trauma and experience in common, being around her became even more effortless. There was also this part of me that couldn't help but flashback to the moments after the multiverse Daphne's death, and whenever I recalled the unexplainable grief that filled me after I had mistakenly thought that my Daphne was dead, my heart wouldn't stop racing and the lump in my throat didn't go away unless I was holding her in my arms and inhaling her apricot scented hair, and being around her constantly ensured that I would always have this reassurance.

One of those moments was actually binding my heart right now, and instead of watching the show on her screen, I was holding Daphne and reaffirming myself that, yes, she was safe, and yes, she was lying beside me right now. I had thought that I was being inconspicuous in my thoughts because it appeared that Daphne had been watching the screen, but a second later she picked up the remote and clicked the television off.

I arched my eyebrow as I stared at her with a question in my eyes, but I didn't say anything, and instead I opted to brush a lock of her hair behind her ear as she shifted to face me.

Daphne took my hand in her's and smiled at me. "Freddy," she began. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

I felt my heart gallop in my chest; even though I was comfortable and secure in our relationship, everyone knows that "we need to talk" is never usually a good thing. She must have sensed my discomfort, because she quickly placed her hand over my heart and said, "It isn't what you think! It's about college."

I felt my muscles relax and I echoed curiously, "College? What about college?"

Daphne ran her fingers through my hair and smiled at me, a tinge of emotion buried beneath her smile.

"It's something I've been thinking ever since we've been trapped in the multiverse," she began. "Freddy, being in the multiverse and confronting the other Fred and Daphne showed me that mystery solving is in my blood; no matter what happens, solving mysteries and being with you guys is the one constant in my life, and I never want to let that go. Obviously I have other dreams of going to college, as well, but I have a solution of sorts, and I really want you to hear me out."

She paused to see if I would respond, and her midnight eyes reflected a mix of different emotions, but I simply nodded as a means of encouraging her, compelled to hear what she had to say. "Okay, let's hear it then," I said.

Daphne ran her fingers through my hair and smiled at me. "Freddy, I really want you to go to college with me," she said. "I just called my school, and they said I can do most of my classes online, so I only have to go to a few classes at the actual campus itself throughout my entire four years of studying there. I was going to move into the dorms, but I'm not so sure if I'm open to the idea of sleeping in the same room as a stranger; after all, if solving mysteries has taught me anything, it's that anyone can potentially to be a monster in disguise."

My mind was reeling as I processed everything she was suggesting.

"Daphne," I began, placing my hand over her's. "I love that you want me to go with you, but I'm not so sure that's a good idea. I don't want to hold you back while you go to school, and I don't want you to be worried about us; I feel secure with our relationship, and you know I'll be here every break and every weekend you visit."

"I knew you might want to say that, Freddy, but hear me out," Daphne said. "Like I said, being in the multiverse showed me that I don't want to end up living with regret, like the Fred and Daphne who kidnapped us. I want to be able to say I lived my life to the fullest, and that I felt content with every choice that I made. I know that if I go off to college, I will have to give up not only you, but mystery solving, as well. And I know you wouldn't want me to give up my dream of pursuing a journalism degree, so what if I suggested we do both?"

I shook my head, biting the inside of my mouth to stop from smiling in case I was incorrect as to where she was going with this. "I'm not sure I follow," I said."

Daphne clasped both of my hands in her's and said in a rush, "I want you to move out there with me and stay with me somewhere. I think that no matter where we go, there will be monsters and mysteries to solve. What if you moved out there with me while I studied and took online classes, and we started our own mystery solving business while we lived out there? It would be the best solution for us both; we would still be together, and I would be able to study and solve mysteries. You would still be solving mysteries, and you'll be out of Coolsville, like the rest of us. And then, after Shaggy and Velma and I graduate, if everyone else is interested in getting back together, we can reform Mystery Incorporated and go from there."

I blinked, trying to drive away the tears pricking at my eyes; I was overwhelmed by Daphne's selfless desire to accommodate her school plans just so she could include me and make sure we could still keep solving mysteries.

"Daphne," I asked quietly. "I can't ask you to give that up for me – that's too much."

"No it isn't, Freddy!" Daphne replied adamantly. "Again, all I'm giving up is the experience of staying on the dorm. I would still go to school full time and I would still move to college, but it would be with you, in our own apartment near the school, and best of all, we would solve mysteries while we lived out there. Honestly, this is something I've wanted ever since we said good-bye for the second time to the Crystal Cove multiverse gang, and you showed me what you had written in the notebook before we got home. When you wrote that home was more than just a place and that it was possible to be home when you were with someone else, and that you realized I was your home, I realized that I felt the same way, and I don't want to lose that, ever. I don't want to give up solving mysteries, and I really don't want to end up feeling regretful like the multiverse Daphne and Fred. So Freddy, I'm going to ask you just one more time; would you be willing to move with me and solve mysteries with me while I study at college?"

I could feel myself beaming as I wrapped my arms around Daphne and pulled her close, and I kissed her softly on the forehead. "Daphne Blake, are you suggesting that we move in together?" I asked, winking in a suggestive and playful manner. "Because it sounds like you're asking me to take this relationship to the next level."

Daphne's face turned several shades of red, and I burst out laughing. "Well, if you're worried it's too fast, then I understand, but –"

"Baby, I'm kidding around with you," I said as I kissed her nose playfully, but then I felt myself growing serious as I considered what she had suggested and reflected on everything that had happened to us over the past few weeks. We had gone from stumbling around in the multiverse and feeling as though we had no future to rebuilding and intertwining our lives together. When I thought back to the shy boy who could hardly muster up the courage to ask her to dance in the school gym four years ago, I couldn't help but think of how he would be grinning and shaking his head incredulously to hear Daphne Blake ask him to move out of the house and move into their own apartment together.

In one fluid movement I climbed myself on top of Daphne as she squealed and laughed, and I kissed her face and her neck and tickled her, relishing the sound of her laugh and the taste of her lips.

"My answer is yes," I finally replied, smiling at her as I held her in my arms. "Yes, I'll move in with you and solve mysteries with you and help you study for tests and make sure I'm there to support you in any way you may need it. I love you, Daphne."

Daphne circled her hands around my neck and brought me in close against her and kissed me then, and as I lost myself in the kiss, I couldn't believe how lucky I was. I was finally back home, I was finally safe, and I was finally reunited with my friends. Even though Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby were going to school soon and I would miss them, I was still going to solve mysteries, and I was going to fall sleep and wake up next to the love of my life every day as we solved mysteries together and lived our lives together. The multiverse may have been traumatic, and I may have seen some things I would take a while to heal and recover from, but it had taught us so much, too. I had learned to appreciate every second with my friends, and I had finally realized that, yes, I wasn't a perfect leader, but that was because no such leader existed; I was human and therefore full of flaws, and I would always be a good enough leader for my friends, who knew that I would sacrifice everything to keep them safe. My girlfriend knew of and loved all of those flaws, and now we were about to write a new chapter in our lives together, and I couldn't wait to see what the future held in store for us as we took our relationship to the next step. My parents were finally at peace with my decision to solve mysteries and not attend college, and I knew that they would support me no matter what I did. But best of all, Daphne and I were home again, and we never had to endure the horrors we had seen ever again.

And there was no other life, and no other world, that I would rather be living in than the one I had right now.

THE END