"You're nervous?"
"Yes, why wouldn't I be nervous?" Christina replied.
"You shouldn't be"
"I'm meeting your family, Shaggy, I have every right to be nervous"
"They're going to love you!" Shaggy promised, "Now, come on"
He grabbed her wrist gently, pulling her the last few feet to the door and inside. Because even though she'd already met his parents and sister Shaggy insisted on having an "official" meeting where she wasn't ticked off at him and he wasn't in a hospital bed. That's how she found herself in the Rogers house for the second time.
"Like, we're here!" Shaggy called while pulling her into the living room.
"In the kitchen" came his mother's response.
"Hi!" Sugie greeted happily from where she sat at the counter.
"Like, what's that look for?" Shaggy asked curiously, his sister looked ready to burst.
"Her powers came in today," Sam chuckled as he entered behind them.
"Congrats sis"
"You'll teach me right, Shaggy?"
"I can but Uncle Vincent's a better teacher than me"
"I heard my name," Vincent appeared, grinning mischievously.
"Uncle Vincent!" Sugie cried excitedly.
"Still trying to process this," Christina said, placing a hand on her head.
"Seriously, I never told you?"
"No, Shaggy"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Shaggy,"
"Well like, as you probably guessed, I have werewolf ancestors", Shaggy said.
"On my side of the family", his dad added. "It skips generations at a time. Before Norville, the last wolf in the family was my grandfather."
"And there are magic-users on my side", Stacy explained. "Witches, warlocks, and wizards like my brother Vincent here. But the magic powers only appear in about one-third of our family, and random generations. I'm powerless."
"For either gift to appear in a generation is a blessing", Vincent continued. "But for both to appear in the same child is a miracle. Shaggy is truly special."
"He's turning red," Sugie giggled.
Shaggy hid his face in his hands.
Christina giggled at the sight, prying Shaggy's hands away.
"Dinner won't be ready for a while," Stacy declared, mercifully changing the subject, "Why don't we move to the living room while it cooks?"
Shaggy responded by grabbing Christina's wrist and pulling her there before anyone else could embarrass him. This being his family, however, embarrassment was around every corner. Or in the case of the living room, on the fireplace mantle.
"Is that you?" Christina pointed to one of the pictures in the center as they sat on the couch.
"Yes," he moaned, "That's me"
"You're adorable!"
The picture in question depicted four-year-old Shaggy with cherry pie smeared all over his face at a Thanksgiving dinner while an even smaller Scooby swiped what was left on the plate.
Shaggy would combust if she saw anything else.
But, the embarrassing pictures were all over the house.
"Aww," she giggled, "You're red as a tomato"
"I forgot to take the pictures down"
"That's not something for you to decide, Norville," his mother declared.
Shaggy could have died. WHY?
When he glanced at Christina there was amusement dancing in her eyes but she didn't comment on his name.
This was going to be a long, long, long night.
,,,,,,,,,,
Moanica was gone from school the following day and while this made Christina happy it also put her on edge. What if she was planning something? luring them all into a false sense of security? What then?
Darker and Darker her thoughts became until:
"What's the matter?" Shaggy asked with concern, sitting beside her.
"Something isn't right, I feel it," She said, leaning into him, comforted by the touch that once made her recoil.
"Whatever it is we'll like, get through it together"
"Promise?"
"Cross my heart"
…...
Meanwhile
"So you mean to tell me that Clawdeen's the ALPHA?"
"Yes and her fire-breathing menace of a boyfriend is a kaiju"
at this Moanica thought Drew had gotten his brains knocked out.
"Kaiju?! How can that be? He's no giant!", Moanica scoffed.
"His mother is a normie", Drew spat with disgust.
"He's half-normie?", Moanica smiled cruelly. "Just like Christina's new boyf..."
"DON'T! Say that word", Drew hissed.
"An' what're you grinnin' at anyway, Moana?", Torq sneered. "Duncan ain't no pushover! Do you remember how strong Abby Bominable is? Well, that punk is WAAAAAY strong den her! And he breathes fire!"
"My name is MOANICA, idiota!", the queen zombie sniped. "Remember it or I'll feed what little brains you have to my zomboys!"
"Brains?", a few of them moaned hopefully
"Ugh! NO! There are no brains", she groaned. "Estupidos! I was smiling because if he's half-normie, maybe I can make him join my army of zomboy, eh?", she laughed cruelly. An equally vicious grin split Drew's face. Duncan, a stupid, clumsy zombie? PRICELESS!
"I always did like how twisted your mind is, Moanica!", Drew chuckled. "If you were a vampire, I could almost forget about my Princess! But we may need more help with this. Meet me in Barren Bog between here and Grimwoods after sundown"
"Que? What for?"
"We're going to see my scary godmother", he grinned. "Revolta, the witch of the Web!"
…...
A few nights later:
It was no easy task getting by the protective shields that surrounded the Dracula estate but with the help of some magical trinkets Drew managed. Landing on Christina's balcony and slipping into her room.
She lay fast asleep on the bed, moonlight spilling across her. Unguarded and his for the taking. But, there were things he had to do first. From the bag he carried came two flowers, not poppies but something unnatural, orange, and purple with a thick perfume that he was thankfully immune to. Christina, however, would sleep until they were removed. Next, he lifted a vial of toxic green potion. Popping the cork, he lifted Christina's arm, the one with the S on it, and with a grin that would kill anyone who saw it, dumped the potion on her arm. The mark which worked as a link between the two burning away
His work done, Drew lifted Christina and fled into the woods, leaving no trace behind.