Chapter 10- The Finale

Velma and Daphne sat at the bottom of the pit. An air of new understanding surrounding them. Velma had picked up a stick and was drawing some bizarre diagrams into the walls for the trap. Daphne on the other hand was tracing floral patterns into the floor, humming idly to herself.

"Whatcha drawing over there, Velma?" Daphne peered over.

"Traps." Velma replied, "I need to figure out what kind of traps a werewolf would fall for."

"Ooh!" Daphne squealed in excitement, "can I help?"

Velma looked up in shock, "you? I thought you hated traps!"

"Oh sure they're annoying when Fred is choosing a trap over me," Daphne gushed, "but a good ol' trap never hurt anyone... that it wasn't supposed to."

Velma smiled, "no, I guess not."

Daphne and Velma worked closely together, etching crude schematics into the clay soil. They were both deep in focus when they heard thundering footsteps above them.

Daphne perked up, recognizing those footsteps. "Fred?" She called out, "Fred is that you?"

"Daphne?" Fred responded, "where are you?"

"Down here!"

Finally Fred's face came into the girls view, and he peered into the deep pit.

"Jeez Daph," Fred Chuckled, "how'd you get down there?"

Then he squinted, noticing Velma besides Daphne.

"What are you doing with her?"

Velma scoffed, "Fred, we can work through your paranoid delusions later. For now, do you have a rope?"

Then there was a second set of footsteps, this one gangly and unbalanced. Shaggy.

"Like, we do!" Shaggy called down to them, "like hang tight!"

Daphne and Velma looked at each other, as Shaggy ducked out of sight. A few moments later a long tendril of tope fell limping into the pit.

"Awesome!" Daphne grinned, grabbing the rope and pulling herself up.

Velma followed after her, and as she pulled herself of the lip of the pit, Marcy reached out to help her up. Velma accepted her hand gratefully. But once she had gained a steady stand on the ground, she quickly withdrew, painfully aware of Fred's presence as she rose to her full hight.

There was a tense silence between Fred and the rest of the gang. Fred crossed his arms.

"What are you all doing here?" Fred demanded.

The five exchanged worried looks, nobody really sure what to say. Until Velma finally piped up.

"Look, Fred" Velma rubbed her thumb over her forefinger nervously, "I know you don't trust me... and I haven't exactly told you the whole truth—"

"Aha! I knew it!" Fred cut Velma off. She held up her hand with a deadly calm expression.

"Let me finish." Velma sneered, "...I haven't exactly told you the whole truth BUT, I am not the werewolf...and, I can prove it, but I need your help."

Fred nodded his head back, suspicious but not unreceptive, "how?"

"Well," Velma looked up at Fred, determined. "Help me trap it."

"Excuse me?"

"Fred, you know traps better than anyone. Our best attempt got me and Daphne stuck in a hole! So I'm asking you, please— just one more trap."

Fred rocked back on his heels, thinking silently to himself. Velma would have sworn she heard the mechanical whirring of his thoughts. Several agonizing seconds ticked by, until Fred finally made a move to speak.

"Fine," Fred conceded, "I'll do it— BUT I have one condition."

"Fine, what is it?"

"I know you've been hiding something from me. Maybe it's not this werewolf business, but whatever it is, want to know as soon as we catch that monster."

Velma's heart stopped, her eyes darted from Fred to her feet, back to Fred, and then, locked in on Marcy. They didn't need to exchange words. Silently, Velma asked for Marcy's permission to agree to Fred's terms. And with an ever slight tilt of the head, Marcy agreed.

Affirmed in her decision, Velma reached out an hand to Fred. "It's a deal."

————-

It had snowed all night. Velma looked out, unamused by the glittering white blanket that now covered the roads. Surely, this would only make her life harder.

Velma pulled on a large puffy coat, cursing the snow the whole time. She wrapped the same red scarf that had started this whole debacle around her neck, and began searching for her ice spikes.

The snow was crunchy beneath her feet as Velma left the first distinguished trail of footprints in the otherwise perfect snow. Relief washed over her as the familiar facade of Marcy's house came into sight.

It was a relief to be by the fireplace. Velma mused as she pressed her back against the warm metal grate. Marcy was busy in the kitchen, cooking up some of what Velma was sure would be the best hot chocolate of her life.

But, as Marcy sat down, she only put one mug of hot chocolate on the coffee table between them.

"Where's yours?" Velma asked hesitantly.

Marcy twirled a loose lock of hair around her finger, "I dunno I'm not hungry."

Velma looked her girlfriend up and down carefully. Marcy was slouched in on herself, looking like a deflated wavy guy. Velma made her way over to the couch, where she gingerly wrapped her arm around Marcy.

"Hey," Velma whispered, "what's up?"

Marcy breathed a deep heavy sigh. "I've been thinking a lot recently... about my dad."

Velma made a sympathetic noise as Marcy set her glasses down besides the mug of cocoa.

"I mean, I knew he wouldn't be able to accept it... but to go this far?" Marcy trailed off, staring wistfully into the crackling fire, "It's just hard... to think of all the people out there who think like him."

Velma squeezed Marcy tightly, "y'know when I first told Shaggy you know what he told me?"

"What?"

"He said life's too short to stop loving you just cause of some people who don't have their head on quite right." Velma leaned down, resting her head on Marcy's shoulder, "I think he's right."

"But, people will—"

"They'll learn to live with it." Velma insisted, "I've learned over that past few days that the world is much more accepting than we thought. And those that aren't? Oh well, their loss."

Marcy looked at her girlfriend, stunned by the new sense of assurance that she carried with her. "Yeah," Marcy agreed, "their loss."

——————

The gang met in the woods as the dusk sky began to glow orange. Fred had brought with him an array os supplies, and a mountain of complex diagrams that looked like ancient glyphs to everyone but Fred.

Fred quickly took on the role of a foreman, commanding his crew to move a net to the left or a counter weight to the right. The work was grueling and tiresome, but as the moon began to peek up from the horizon, the gang stepped back to see an perfect replica of what had been on the diagrams.

That is to say an array of random things with no connection to each other except in the mind of Fred Jones.

"Alright gang!" Fred clapped hands together matter of factly, "looks like we're all set."

And thus the group scurried to their places and the waiting game begun.

————-

It didn't take long until the gang heard a growl on the horizon Fred was the first to perk up.

"Ok gang!" He called out, "everyone get ready!"

In mere seconds the werewolf was howling, and making desperate attempts to claw himself out of a net. But alas to no avail.

Velma stalked up to the monster, relishing each stop, "finally," she purred, "lets see who's behind this mystery!" Velma grabbed a big old fistful of faux fur, and with a grand flourish pulled off the mask to reveal-

"Mr. Fleach?!" Fred jumped back in surprise, "but I thought—?"

Velma adjusted her glasses and took one great big breath in, "You see Fred, it all began whe—" and like that she was off. The words seemed to pour out of Velma's mouth, an endless stream that only paused when she took a breath.

Through it all Fred look surprised, awed even, but never once did his face reflect anything but support for his friends, and for that, Velma was eternally grateful.

——————

Finally, Mystery Inc. and Marcy piled into the van, and pulled out of the parking lot of Mr. Fleaches business. Velma sat hand in hand with Marcy as the cobble road shook the mystery Machine, a thought flitted through Velma's mind.

"Hey Fred, would you mind letting me and Marcy out here?"

Gently pulling over, Fred obliged, "Sure Velma, everything alright?"

"Just perfect," Velma beamed as she helped Marcy out of the Mystery Machine.

As the gang pulled away Marcy looked at Velma, confused.

"Velma, what are you doing?"

Velma just grinned as she took Marcy's hand in hers. "C'mon, I want to show you something."

The two walked, arm in arm on the quiet sidewalks. Velma's mid was calm. At peace for the first time she could remember. There were no words to exchange, no cares between them. The pair just walked and walked until pavement turned to sand beneath their feet.

Marcy smiled, but a hint of confusion still lingered in her eyes, "wow," she said, perhaps a bit stiffly, "the beach!"

"No!" Velma shook her head, as she leaned back, "look!"

As soon as Marcy's gaze landed on the glowing mosaic of starlight, her jaw dropped. Velma smirked, as she silently cupped Marcy's face and pulled her close.

Their lips met, and for one brief moment there was nothing in the world but Marcy.

And that was all Velma needed.

Author's note: hey y'all! I wanted to put the note at the end of the chapter this time, so u could properly thank all of you for your support. I had loads of fun writing this, and who knows? I may be back soon! Either way, thank you so much for coming along for the journey, 3