Five Days Later:
"The campaign to free Justin Richardson is gathering momentum and signatures as every day goes by since the sensational news broke of Devon Blake's death. Richardson, 28, an undercover police officer, originally from Coolsville, was arrested for the murder of Blake, 46, on Friday.
As of 10.30 this morning, the petition to free Richardson has amassed over 570,000 signatures and campaign groups have now started to protest outside the Coolsville Police Station where Richardson remains in custody. Richardson's father, a police captain in Los Angeles, is yet to comment on his son's arrest.
We can go live now to our reporter who has caught up with a couple of the protestors outside Coolsville PD to get their thoughts on the case that has rocked this part of California and indeed America and beyond, as more details emerge every day. Kirsty, can you hear me?"
"I can hear you Tina, and I'm right here with a couple of the protestors. Sir, can I ask why are you here today?"
"I'm here to protest the absolutely ridiculous decision to jail the young man who has finally brought peace to our town!"
"Could you elaborate?"
"Sure! For months Devon Blake has brought misery and terror to our town, leaving people with no choice but to flee Coolsville even. Now his reign of terror is finally over and they have arrested the man responsible for this amazing feat of bravery! It is completely SHAMEFUL."
"I'm telling you that man is a HERO! You hear me! He's a bloody HERO! He should be getting a commendation or something not a jail sentence!"
"Madam, I understand the strong emotions right now but I feel I absolutely must point out the facts of this case once again as we understand it – Devon Blake was unarmed and restrained when, by all accounts, he was shot dead by Justin Richardson..."
"SO?! He was probably getting him back for KILLING all his colleagues in that bombing! I'm glad he's dead. That bastard is finally rotting in hell where he belongs."
"FREE JUSTIN! FREE JUSTIN! FREE JUSTIN!"
"As you can see Tina, emotions really are running high here, the citizens of Coolsville clearly feel very strongly about this matter. Back to you in the studio."
"Thank you, Kirsty. We must apologise for any language you might have heard in the live broadcast. We also must point out that the opinions heard in this piece are pure speculation and it is not yet known what the motive for Blake's murder was. Tensions outside the Coolsville police station remains high. We can now also bring you the results of our exclusive flash poll – Is Justin Richardson a hero or murderer? An overwhelming 79.6% say that Richardson is a hero and should face no further punishment for his actions."
Fred got up and turned the TV off in disgust. The whole gang and Ethan were in their apartment when they had stumbled across the news report. There was no getting away from it. If they thought that Devon's original actions had been a huge story there was no doubt his death was still leading every news item on the West Coast and beyond, even nearly a week on.
"Hero? Hero?! He tried to kill you too!" He spluttered in outrage as he sat back down on the couch with Daphne.
Daphne looked strained as she responded to him. "They don't know that though, do they? And besides, I actually don't think he would have. He was just very confused and grieving Adelaide desperately in that moment, seeing me was so hard. Remember the press don't know about the Adelaide angle yet either."
"I'm sure it won't take long and besides, don't defend him Daph!" Velma sighed. "He was so unhinged; he could have done anything to you in that moment. You got lucky. I can't believe all these people are campaigning for him to be bloody released!"
"I guess we underestimated the wave of disgust against Devon here, given that none of us have been around recently. Just hearing he was dead must have been such a relief for people. Look at how many people have returned already and it's been less than a week!" Ethan exclaimed.
The 'great Coolsville BounceBack' as the news were terming it, had taken everyone by surprise. Even just in the first few hours after the news of Devon's demise was starting to leak out, there was an immediate impact with a steady stream of returning families to the area as soon as daybreak hit. The bus depot had to put on more buses to meet the demand of everyone who wanted to return the next day. Already, there was a fresh feeling about Coolsville now, as people started to take pride in its appearance again. The streets were beginning to be tidied up and people tentatively began to go about their daily basis again; people said 'hello' to their neighbours again and boards were removed from the windows of businesses. Devon had cast such a black cloud over the town for so long, that as soon as it was confirmed he was gone for good, people had the confidence to return immediately and the town recovery was soon in full swing.
Of course, the cover of darkness was the true test and the very first night after his death, a Saturday night, saw a few half-hearted attempts to try and cause a little mischief but it soon petered out. By Sunday, and as the population swelled yet again, the only bangs heard that night were the sound of fireworks as people had parties to celebrate some semblance of freedom returning to Coolsville.
While Ethan and the gang were absolutely delighted by the resurgence in Coolsville, at no point had they themselves felt like celebrating. For a long time after, there was nothing but a feeling of numbness and downright despair that threatened to tear them all apart.
That night.
The Coolsville Docks had suddenly become an absolute flurry of activity. In addition to the helicopter circling overhead, and the initial team that Justin had diverted, crime scene investigators had soon descended and even more law enforcement personnel swiftly arrived too. Huddled in her blanket with Shaggy and Scooby, Velma noted the letters on the jackets with a snort of derision. FBI. Well, better late than never!
She felt Shaggy put a reassuring arm around her shoulder and she sank into his embrace as they both watched an emotionless and bloodied Justin be escorted past in handcuffs and put into one of the cars. Just like he had done so when he arrived at the Docks, he stared ahead silently, and hadn't said one word since Daphne had disarmed him.
The coldest shiver went through Velma and it wasn't just from her wet clothing. They had been too far away to do anything, but in all of their tussles with Devon and some of their more hair-raising cases; she had never been so frightened as she was when Justin suddenly pointed that gun at Devon. She knew he was going to kill him and there was not a thing any one of them could do.
She watched in fascination as the CSI's photographed Devon's body from every angle and laid down crime scene markers. There was blood everywhere. She looked a little further down the pier and saw Daphne, Fred and Ethan in a mini embrace as chaos reigned around them and she afforded herself a small smile. If Ethan saving his life wasn't enough to begin the road to their friendship's recovery, then nothing ever would be.
She realised that Shaggy had not said a word since Justin had carried out his deadly attack and she turned to look at him now properly.
"Are you OK Shaggy?"
Although his arms were wrapped tightly around her, he wasn't really focusing on her and she knew he was still looking at the body as it was covered and carefully put onto a gurney.
"I, I have never seen anything like that," he managed to choke out, looking pale and distressed. "God Velma, that was so brutal! I mean I know he's a monster but..."
"I know Shaggy, I know..."
She buried her face in his shoulder then, knowing it would take them a long time to even begin to come to terms with what they had witnessed together.
Rory was still completely shaken by Justin's bloody actions but forced himself to move, retrieving more blankets from the team that had arrived and carrying them down to where Ethan, Daphne and Fred were still huddled together. While it had been awful to witness, even from a distance, the three of them had been so much closer and he could only imagine how traumatic it had been. He didn't know what he could say so he just handed Fred the blankets, who took them from him gratefully with a small smile. Rory faltered as he saw the blood droplets splattered all over Fred, Daphne and Ethan's clothes and he grimaced as he knew they would have to go through the ordeal of being processed themselves. Daphne actually had some big smears across her cheek where Justin had embraced her. It didn't seem to bother her, he wondered if she had even noticed. He desperately wanted to ask them how they all were, but he never got the chance as he saw one of his superiors urgently waving him over and he could lip-read his shouted instruction; Dewhurst! Get over here! He sighed and made his way over, knowing he was going to be the one who was relied on for a coherent explanation of what the hell had happened here tonight. They never once asked him if he was OK.
Once the body had finally been removed and wheeled from her sight, Daphne then couldn't stop staring at the huge blood smear which marked where his body had lain. Just beyond that, she could see the numbered plastic little cones that indicated where the bullet casings lay spent on the ground. Daphne would never forget the horror of Justin shooting Devon dead in cold blood for as long as she lived. She had been standing close enough to see witness Devon's bone-chilling reaction. How his eyes had widened in sheer terror at that split second realization that Justin really was going to shoot him. She had seen that fear on his face as the bullet tore into his chest with deadly accuracy and how his body then slammed down like an absolute dead weight. She saw his final moments as he lay bleeding out on the deck, and his eyes had locked with hers in his final few seconds of life as Justin had pumped the gun again, ensuring there would be no miraculous resurrection. From spinning the gun onto him to firing the two shots in rapid succession had taken no more than about 30 seconds. 30 fatal seconds she would never ever be able to erase from her memory. For all of her bluster about 'getting Devon' she had never truly thought she wanted him dead. Though she had undoubtedly contemplated it on more than one occasion, she knew in her heart that she could never have gone through with it. She didn't have it in her heart to kill him.
Fred was now wrapped in his own blanket; he was still sitting next to Daphne and Ethan but he was also lost in his own thoughts. Like all of them, he just hadn't seen it coming. For all of the venom Justin had spewed about Devon since arriving from China, and even when he finally revealed the real reason why he was so desperate to get Devon, at no point had Fred ever believed that he would actually kill him. The action had left him completely frozen in shock and disbelief. One minute Devon was there doing his customary bragging and then he was dead. Actually Dead. Immediately, Fred hadn't been able to move a muscle, barely even reacting to Daphne's scream and subsequent drop to the floor. He was utterly frozen in place, unable to form even one coherent thought or action. He knew it was the reason why Justin had been able to grab Daphne so easily. The threat to her then had been the only thing that could prise from his paralysed stupor.
But now that Daphne was safe again, it was all he could think of. Justin had executed him. In that moment Devon was completely defenceless and restrained. He was not a threat then. Justin murdered him anyway. And Fred got it. Oh boy did he get it. Justin had an such overwhelming sense of grief and desire for vengeance that it had taken over any rational thought of mind he might have had. As Justin had explained, merely just capturing Devon had never been enough for him, he always wanted more than that, he needed to avenge what Devon had taken away from him.
Fred had almost made the same mistake once. Driven by a desperate need for revenge, he had firmly decided that Ethan was right and Devon deserved to die. Though he had wrestled morally with the idea, when it came down to it, the red mist descended and he had so very nearly gone through with it. So, Fred understood. He perhaps of any of them still alive had the most reason to actively revel in Devon's death. First, Devon had kidnapped him, mentally tortured him and left him to die. Driven by some kind of obsession, Devon had resurfaced almost a year later and tried to kill him again. Not any of the others, just him. Then tonight, he had decided that merely just shooting Fred wasn't enough for him. Devon had wanted to involve himself much more personally and brutally in his death, and only Ethan had saved him from a grisly fate at Devon's hands. He had pitched backwards into the water, pain exploding in his chest from the close shot and Shaggy and Velma had had to help him break even his weak bonds as his body threatened to go into shock in the icy cold waters. Devon Blake was evidently more than happy to kill Fred Jones and revel in it. So why did Devon's death now not bring Fred even the slightest bit of happiness?
Ethan wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and shuffled quietly away from Fred and Daphne to sit at the bottom of the pier where he had 'shot' Velma, Shaggy and Fred, he stared blindly across the now still waters in silent contemplation of the last extraordinary hour. He was being driven by nothing but a deadly thirst for vengeance against Devon Blake for a couple of years now. That feeling had been ignited and accelerated again by the death of Tomas in China and then it had gone into overdrive with the deaths of Will and Stella in close succession. Ethan had then been given the perfect opportunity to kill him himself. Successfully trapped by the gang's elaborate and brilliant deception, he had put that gun to the back of the son of the bitch's head and toyed with the idea of pulling the trigger. He deserved it. Oh, hell did he deserve it. The horrific murder of his own father should have been enough motivation for Ethan, but the man was also now a serial killer for his deadly attack on law enforcement. Ethan should have been one of many queuing up to end the bastard for good. But he hadn't. He had instead been forced to watch in horror as Justin had no such hesitation in gunning him down for good.
Justin.
When Justin had joined the mission in China, and Ethan had found out he was a fresh recruit from Coolsville of all places, Ethan had been unsurprisingly suspicious. When Justin eventually told him his story, he had been floored and significantly moved. Justin had sobbed angrily to him as he revealed that no-one knew his grief. No-one had known about his relationship with Adelaide. That he was so fearful of his powerful father's reaction, he had tiptoed around with a girl from a far lower social standing. He told of how ashamed of himself he felt that he had hidden her despite the fact he loved her. And though her family grieved openly when her tragic death was eventually revealed, he didn't get to. He didn't get to mourn her at her funeral, he didn't get to reminiscence about her life with her friends. He grieved her in private and finished his training, which he passed with flying colours. And then slowly but surely his grief faded to anger. The prime suspect in the killing was one Devon Blake. Now graduated, he joined the fight against his forces in Coolsville when they rose up but it soon became a frustrating dead end for Justin when it became clear that Devon himself wasn't actually there. Finding his way to the undercover mission in China gave Justin renewed purpose as he joined the covert mission to nail his resources there instead. Accomplished and smart, Justin spoke of nothing but getting Devon. It should have been a red flag to Ethan. Instead, he found the shared animosity towards his despised uncle was a comfort he took sanctuary in. Worse still, he exposed Justin to Fred and Daphne, getting him involved in the messy protection battle after Tomas had been killed. Ethan couldn't even say there were no warning signs then. He had seen the look on Justin's face when he first set eyes on Daphne in China. How he had stopped in his tracks ever so briefly and tried to cover it up. But Ethan had seen. And he had ignored it. When the lurid truth about himself was revealed to Fred and Daphne, Ethan could have taken the responsible and experienced Farshan with him back to help in Coolsville. He hadn't. Justin had jumped at the opportunity. When a still disgruntled Fred had loudly raised his suspicions about Justin, Ethan had laughed and shrugged them off. He had even vouched for Justin in front of Daphne.
What an idiot he had been. Perhaps there was a part of him that relished what Justin had done. That even though he couldn't go through with it himself, that he could still punch the air and salute him and shout 'Way to go Justin!' but he felt no such feeling. All he could feel was despair. He didn't even know when the tears had begun but when Rory laid a hand on his shoulder, shaking him from his bitter reflections, his face was streaked hard with blood and wet tears.
"Hey Ethan," Rory said kindly. "It's time to go. They need you, Fred and Daphne to come to the station to be processed." Ethan blinked back at him in confusion and Rory smiled a little sadly in sympathy. "It's uh, it's because you were standing so close when um, it happened. There's er 'transfer' on all of your clothing."
Ethan looked down in surprise to see blood speckles all over the sleeve of his light jacket and then he slowly reached a hand to his face. He looked at the wet and red palm in fascination. "Huh," he said. "I never even realised."
"It's okay," Rory said, gently placing an arm around his shoulder as they walked to join the gang who were being put in separate cars. "It's all okay now."
But they both knew it really wasn't.
The next few hours and indeed for the initial couple of days after, it all passed in a blur for Mystery Inc and everyone involved.
At the police station, Daphne, Fred and Ethan had gone through the awkward job of being processed as their clothing was collected. In time, and individually the whole gang had then all gave the police their statements. They all gave exactly the same version as the police desperately tried to find a way to defend Justin's actions. It was impossible for the police team not to feel glee at what Justin had done, having been devastated by his actions so directly but they knew the investigation had to be professional. There could be no cover-up. The officers probed for a reason, for any kind of legal justification for Justin's actions that would redeem the young officer.
Did you place the cuffs on his body after?
Did Justin kill in self-defence?
Was he defending someone's life?
The answers all came back to one thing. No. Murder. Murder. Murder.
When Justin himself was interviewed, he was calm and content. He confessed happily to shooting an unarmed Devon Blake. He told them how on seeing him cling to a sliver of life, he had delivered a professional shot to the head. It was 100% pre-meditated. The officers were stunned but they only wanted one thing answered now: Why. And this is where Justin Richardson finally shut his mouth now. How he only said mysteriously that she was at peace now. The officers were baffled but Justin had stopped talking. They had to try and make sense of the drama before the inevitable media shitstorm got out of hand. It didn't take long.
Less than three hours after Devon's cold heart had stopped beating, the news was joyously leaked from within and the frenzy began. Devon Blake was dead. The media scramble that followed was terrifying and frantic and Mystery Inc had to move quickly. Once reunited after their police interviews, Rory had sneaked them all out the back and into their now recovered grey van. Now almost 5 am, they drove in mostly silence, no-one yet coming to terms with what had happened. Though their clothing had been processed, the gang themselves hadn't begun to process. Not even close. Fred drove them around aimlessly and fed up of the silence, he had turned on the radio, hoping for some music to distract them. Instead, one sentence crackled through jolting all the occupants of the van. "BREAKING NEWS – DEVON BLAKE IS DEAD. We are still awaiting confirmation from official sources but..."
Fred switched it off. They knew it was true, they had all witness it happen in frightening proximity but hearing it declared so solemnly really brought it home. Devon Blake was dead. Devon Blake was dead.
Fearing that the press might be camped outside their homes, Ethan could only suggest one place, one place where he knew they would be away from prying eyes, where they would be safe. As soon as the van pulled up outside 7 Diagora Street, the front door flew open and Velma broke into the sobs she had been holding back for so long as she unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped out of the van. The others hung back while Velma dove into the outstretched arms of her also tearful younger sibling and broke down in tears while an older man threw his arm around both sisters, a look of pure relief and joy on his own face. Daphne, Fred, Ethan, Shaggy and Scooby watched the Dinkley reunion with genuine smiles on their faces right now. Belatedly, Velma introduced each of the gang in turn to Madelyn and her father as they stepped from the van. Mr Dinkley enthusiastically pumped the hand of each member and then enclosed Ethan in a bear hug as he stepped out last. "Thank you for bringing my daughter back safely," he said warmly as he invited them all inside.
The atmosphere inside wasn't exactly somber but nor was it one of joviality you might expect from such a reunion, instead it seemed to be one of quiet reflection for everyone. They decided not to tell Madelyn and John Dinkley the gory details of Devon's murder at the hands of Justin nor the dangerous risk they had taken to trap him. Instead, they gave them the bare bones of the story.
"So, he's really dead then? Good." Mr Dinkley's reaction wasn't venomous or biting but it was obviously dripping with relief that the man who had threatened both of his daughters couldn't harm them anymore.
"He's dead," Daphne confirmed. She was sitting with Ethan not Fred, who was sat on the floor. They had barely said a word to each other since in the immediate aftermath of what had happened since Justin's arrest but apart from during their interviews at the police station, they had barely been alone.
"I'm so happy he's dead!" Madelyn exclaimed. She was sitting on the floor, stroking Scooby affectionately, who she seemed enamored with. He licked her face delightedly in response. "He deserved to die for everything he's done to you guys and people like Will! Good riddance to bad rubbish!"
Nobody verbally responded to Maddy's sentiment. John Dinkley quickly changed the subject. "So, what do you think will happen now?"
Velma shrugged. Nobody really knew. "I guess it will be safe for you and Mads to go home soon Dad, now that Devon's gone. I heard it was a mess though. I'm sorry."
"We'll come help," Fred offered immediately. "We can help tidy and with any repairs that need to happen."
"That's really kind of you, thank you Fred," Mr Dinkley said warmly. "I didn't just mean what would happen to us though," he said gesturing at his family. "I meant what will happen to the town, what will happen to Coolsville? If he was such a terrible influence then surely his removal might mean we could see the off-shoots of recovery."
"I hope so," Daphne said, "but it will surely take a while, it's not like things are just going to change overnight."
It only took 24 hours for Daphne to be proven spectacularly wrong as they watched in amazement from the background as the great Coolsville BounceBack began in earnest the very next morning.
If only the gang could have bounced back so quickly. The cracks began to form all too quickly as they all struggled to recover.
"Madelyn is absolutely lovely," Shaggy remarked to Velma once they were alone in his apartment and Scooby was snoozing in his bed. John had offered for Velma to stay with him and Madelyn in the safe house; he probably wanted her close and in his sight but Velma had declined and Shaggy had found himself offering his couch before he could stop himself.
They were sat comfortably together on it now, both cradling beers and Velma turned to him with a smile. "Yeah, she is, isn't she?"
"She's exactly what I pictured," Shaggy offered. "She's so beautiful and positive, she radiates energy. You must be so very proud of her."
"I am," Velma replied distractedly and Shaggy sighed, he didn't have to be a genius to know what was on Velma's mind, if he was honest, it was still on his. How could it not be? "I know it's not healthy to reflect on it Shaggy but I can't get it out of my mind," she admitted and Shaggy put his can down. He pulled his long limbs up to sit cross-legged on the couch, directly facing her.
"So, do you want to talk about it then? I don't mind."
"No, Shaggy I know you were really traumatised by it. It's not fair."
"Oh, come on Velms," he chuckled. "It's not like this is something we're going to get over any time soon. I thought nothing could shock me anymore with all the horror we've faced together but it seems like I was very, very wrong."
"Are you glad he's dead?" Velma asked him suddenly and the question caught Shaggy off-guard. He thought about it for a few seconds before answering thoughtfully.
"I know I should be. I know I should be punching the air that he can't hurt us or our friends ever again. I wanted to shout 'oh hell yeh sister!' when Maddy said good riddance but..."
"You couldn't?"
"Yeah."
"I know what you mean, I was ready to party like it was 1999 all over again too when I thought we were going to get him arrested at long last but death? No. I think it feels almost unjust. An easy way out. He's never going to face those families he destroyed."
"I know how you feel. I'm not sad he's dead either though, just bewildered I guess."
Velma took a deep drink from her can before putting it down next to Shaggy's on the table. "I can't believe we agreed to bait ourselves like that!" she reflected suddenly and Shaggy laughed a little in response.
"Right!? Even though I knew it was Ethan with the gun, part of me was thinking, 'oh my god' what if it's NOT? What if he mixed up the bullets somehow and he was firing with a real bullet but it was over so quickly, it was actually..."
"Exhilarating?" Velma suggested and Shaggy grinned back.
"Yes! I mean god it was fucking scary. Especially when I was in the water, waiting for you and then Fred. God, I really thought something had gone badly wrong. Daphne's scream DID feel too real. I'm so glad he was safe after all."
"Yeah," Velma reflected. "But then after, when Justin put the fear of God in us all...I know what you did Shaggy," she said looking deeply into his eyes and Shaggy couldn't break the spell.
"I did what I had to do," he murmured as their heads inched closer together. "I would always protect you Velma..."
Her lips were on his in an instant and his hands tangled into her hair, she moaned as he kissed her back passionately, before reaching to remove her glasses which he placed carefully next to the beer cans. Velma leaned back into the sofa cushion as he pulled off his shirt, gasping a little when she saw the angry bruise on his chest and she circled it questioningly, breaking off from the kiss.
"Just a little scratch from the pellet," he explained before he reclaimed her lips hungrily. His hands were everywhere now, on top of her clothes, under her clothes and she could feel herself losing to him as her own desire grew. She shed her own shirt and unbuttoned her trousers as Shaggy kissed her neck and down her throat. Oh god she wanted this, she really wanted this. She deserved this.
He began sliding her trousers down her legs, kissing her thighs and her eyes suddenly flew open. She knew she wanted this. So why did her hands suddenly push him away?
"Wait Shaggy," she tried to get him to stop but he didn't pull away. She shoved him more forcefully. "STOP! I'm sorry, stop!"
Oh god, the hurt. The hurt that pooled in those brown eyes before being replaced by anger.
He got up off her abruptly and got re-dressed in a hurry, barely able to even look at her. She rebuttoned her own trousers and scrambled around for her shirt, which he tossed at her aggressively.
"Sort your fucking shit out Velma Dinkley!" he spat at her as he stomped off to his bedroom and slammed the door, leaving Velma to stare open-mouthed still clutching her balled up shirt in her hand. Why oh why had she done that? All of that progress with him since she opened up on the plane over here, undone in an instant. What is wrong with me? She thought miserably as she flopped down on the couch with a groan. She didn't bother to get re-dressed.
The immediate aftermath wasn't much better for Fred and Daphne either. After Shaggy and Velma went home, and Ethan said he wanted to be alone, they had decided to return to their apartment too. Having not been there for the best part of two years, their first job was to avoid the mountain of mail that had inevitably stacked up. It was absolutely freezing and Daphne hurried to put the thermostat on while Fred grimaced as he looked in their mostly empty fridge. He grabbed a couple of things that he could no longer identify that now looked like some fungal science experiment, and swept them quickly into a garbage bag. He grabbed the keys to the van again.
"Daph," he called to her as he saw her enter their bedroom. "I'm just going to pop out for some groceries."
Daphne barely heard him as she opened her wardrobe. With her own clothes now being 'processed' at the police station and the rest of her luggage at the base, she was eager to shed the oversized jumper and unflattering joggers the police station attendant had given her, but most of all she was relishing the opportunity to get into her own shower again. She selected a comfortable outfit of cut-offs and a hoodie, laying them neatly on the bed before stripping off and wandering naked into the bathroom. She switched the shower on and as the pipes creaked back into life, it took a good few minutes to properly get going but soon steam started to fill the bathroom and she stepped into the cubicle as the water heated up. She stood under the jet just allowing the water to caress her skin before soaping up with her favourite body wash. She had been allowed a quick shower during processing but it had been tepid and she couldn't wait to get out, now she was home again, she was determined to take her time. She washed carefully, surprised at how absolutely filthy the water was, that was cascading at the bottom, with more than a few tinges of redness in it too. There had obviously been more 'transfer' than she had first imagined. She idly inspected her nails, seeing more trapped dirt and blood but it was when she got out her favourite shampoo and the entire shower seemed to turn red in an instant as she massaged her hair, that it properly hit her like a tsunami. Blood. She was covered in it. Devon's blood. Devon's death. It clung to her and hysterically she began to scrub herself hard as she sobbed loudly now. She screamed in frustration when the red didn't disappear and it was only as she sunk to the floor of the cubicle that she realised the blood was fresh from rubbing her skin raw. She didn't care. She allowed herself to think of a memory she had repressed, a time when she had also wanted to rub her skin to the bone. She sat with her head in her hands, letting the scalding water wash over her while she finally released all of her pent up emotions alternating between crying loudly and screaming.
She didn't know how long she had been underneath the jets before Fred burst into the bathroom, opening the cubicle door and turning off the water, murmuring 'sweet jesus'. He reached down and gently scooped her up. He carried her from the shower, grabbing a bath towel from the rack as he passed, and he laid that on the bed before placing her on the towel and wrapping it around her.
"I didn't realise..." she muttered, shivering on the bed, staring numbly.
"The time?" he asked. He hadn't been gone at the store for more than about fifteen minutes but was unnerved when he walked back in and heard Daphne screaming while steam filtered from the bathroom into the bedroom. There was so much heat in there and he was horrified to find her sitting numbly under the scalding water, her skin already reddening and blistering in places. He dreads to think how long she could have been there if there had been a longer queue or lack of parking spaces.
Daphne hardly seemed to notice the mild burns as Fred hugged the towel to her tightly.
"No," she shook her head wildly, sending water droplets from her hair onto him and the bed. "The blood, I didn't realise how much blood there was. How close I was standing. There was so much blood Freddy!"
She had a glazed look on her face now and Fred wasn't sure if she was referring to the blood on her in the shower or the blood at the scene, either way he knew she wasn't OK. Neither was he.
He wrapped his arms tightly around her towel-clad body. "He's gone now, it's over. He can't hurt us anymore." She turned her still tear-streaked face towards him and he was crying now too as she threw her arms around his neck. He gently eased their bodies so they were lying face to face on the bed, still with the towel wrapped around her torso and with him fully clothed. No more words spoken, they didn't need it, they just lay in each other's arms. Beautiful. Broken.
At some point they had both fallen asleep in each other's arms, though neither had enjoyed a peaceful sleep, there was far too much swirling in each of their minds for that. Fred woke to the sound of his cell phone ringing and he gently untangled himself from Daphne to answer it.
"Hello? Hello?"
Frowning, he hung up as he received no response but quickly shrugged it off. It was probably some journalist trying his luck. He swung his legs off the bed, being careful not to disturb Daphne who was still sleeping, and padded into the kitchen. He was glad he had made the grocery run as there was nothing he craved more than a coffee right now. He poured himself a big bowl of cereal and realised as his stomach groaned in anticipation that he actually couldn't remember when he last ate. He carried through his bowl and the steaming cup of coffee to the living room, where he quickly demolished the cereal and then returned for a second helping before he guiltily remembered Daphne. He retrieved a tray from the cupboard and poured a bowl for her and some fruit juice and carried it into the bedroom, just like he had done for her so many times when they first moved in. She was awake and was just dressing as he came in.
"Ah sorry," he apologised. "I was hoping to give you breakfast in bed."
"Breakfast?" she said with her eyebrow raised in amusement. "Freddy, it's nearly 4.30 in the afternoon!"
"It is?" he said in disbelief before a quick glance at his watch confirmed. "Oh, so it is."
He set the tray down on the bedside table and Daphne swiped the glass of juice as they sat back down on the bed together. He slipped his arm around her waist as they settled against the headboard. "How are you feeling?" he asked her.
She sighed as she took a sip of the juice and snuggled into his arms. "Like it was all just a really bad dream?" she said hopefully. "That the entire last couple of weeks were really just a bad dream in fact and we're really still in Hawaii and Will and Stella are still alive."
Fred smiled at her sadly and kissed her forehead. "Sorry Daph."
"I knew it," she said regretfully, laying her head on his chest, which caused him to shift position and grimace. "Oh god sorry," she said. "How are you? You really should have gone to hospital like Ethan told you to."
"It's fine," Fred brushed off. "It's just bruising, I'll be fine."
They lay in quiet contemplation for a few minutes, they both had so much they wanted to say to each other but neither had the strength to find the right words.
Until Daphne found her voice and suddenly and looked at Fred searchingly. "When are we going to talk about it?" she asked him in a quiet voice and Fred tensed immediately.
"Which part?" he asked, though he knew exactly what she was referring to, he just tried to put her off because he knew it would lead to another unpleasant fight.
"Fred," she sighed. "Don't. We can't avoid this."
"What do you want me to say Daphne?" he sounded strained not angry; they were still in each other's arms.
"Just tell me Fred, tell me why you decided to change the plan? Why did you still decide to sacrifice yourself after all?"
"Come on Daph," Fred tried to shrug off. "We had to make it seem a realistic argument, I didn't really mean what I was saying."
"No, nice try Fred but I don't buy that for one minute! You meant every last word!" she accused him. "Maybe to Rory and Ethan it seemed exactly like the fake argument we had promised, but that wasn't part of the plan! Admit there was nothing fake about it Fred."
She wriggled from his arms now and wrapped her arms around herself. She had that look again. 'The Daphne Blake is pissed' look. Fred had seen it far more than he would have liked.
"Okay fine," he relented. "If it meant securing Devon's capture, then yes I was prepared to do whatever it took."
She scrambled away from him on the bed, her eyes had narrowed further. He faced her wearily, steeling himself for the argument he had tried so hard to avoid.
"I knew it," she commented scornfully.
"Please let's not do this Daph, we've been through so much..."
"Yes! We have! And that's why I'm perplexed as to why at the end of all of this you were ready to just hand yourself over to him! Don't I mean anything to you?" she said, tearful again now.
"You mean the world to me Daphne," Fred replied, his own emotions coming to the fore again. "But as he told us himself, we can't even hope to have a future," he said lamentably.
"Oh god, I knew he would get under your skin with what he said," Daphne moaned. "Don't you see? He was only trying to get a rise out of us!"
"Is what he said wrong?" Fred challenged. "Can you ever forget what I did to you? I saw the look in your eyes outside the theatre, you were afraid of me!"
"I wasn't!" Daphne tried to deny unsuccessfully. "I'm not! God Fred, what you did to me, that was so long ago, I've completely forgotten it. He only said it to get under your skin and It's working! I love you," she said desperately. "You're not the man that he claimed you were."
"Aren't I?"
"No! You're a good man Fred! You have to believe that and believe that you have self-worth!"
"What if he was right though Daphne? What if there is a darkness inside me? How can we even begin to think about having a future?"
It was Daphne's turn to cradle an emotional Fred and she scooched over and pulled him into her lap now, stroking his hair. "Forget about what he said," she said firmly. "I know your true heart and there isn't an ounce of darkness in there. He's getting into your head but he can't hurt us anymore!"
Fred nodded his head as tears slid down his face, he didn't see how he was ever going to get Devon from his head, he may be dead but he still had the power to hurt them.
The next day, the whole gang had been summoned back to the military base to collect their things but also for a private briefing before the finer details hit the press. They reunited in the same room they had originally convened in when Daphne, Fred, Ethan and Justin had arrived in China. The tension between Fred and Daphne and Shaggy and Velma, had not gone unnoticed by Ethan and Rory who exchanged worried glances as Rory brought them up to speed on what had happened since Justin had been arrested.
"The interrogation was somewhat problematic," he admitted, causing eyebrows to shoot up all around him.
"Oh, don't tell me he tried to deny all in front of six witnesses?" Fred snorted but Rory quickly put him straight.
"No, he very quickly confessed to the murder. He was very calm in fact as he explained what happened."
"Okay," Daphne said. "So why was it problematic?"
"While he was happy to take responsibility, he clammed up on being probed on why. He made no mention of Adelaide McKenna."
"We think he just wants people to think he did it in vengeance of his murdered colleagues."
"Oh," Ethan said. "But he knows that we know the truth. Is he counting on us to keep quiet?"
Rory shrugged. "Possibly. It will come out eventually but for now the story that hits the press soon will be, how can I say this? Sympathetic."
"Sympathetic? Please don't say he's going to look like some kind of hero for killing the big bad wolf!" Velma exclaimed. "He's fucking nuts! He tried to kill Daph too, let's not forget!"
"He has been charged with the murder," Rory confirmed, "and that information will be released freely but the captain has asked that for now, we shield your involvement from the media."
"Great! Everyone will think he's some regular Jack Bauer steaming in there to save everyone. What a hero!" Fred sneered in disgust.
"But what about Madelyn?" Velma pushed. "He made a public tape claiming to have my sister and called us out specifically in it. How is anyone going to think we weren't involved?"
"He never named your sister; the captain is swinging it that Devon was paranoid and delusional."
"You got that right," Shaggy sighed.
"It doesn't sit right with me guys," Rory pleaded seeing the animosity on everyone's faces. "But these are the captain's orders. After Swinton's confession, he believes he can make it work that it was a coordinated raid and Justin merely went rogue in revenge for his murdered colleagues."
"Back up Rory," Ethan instructed. "What do you mean 'Swinton's confession'?"
Rory looked between Ethan and Fred. "That missing piece about how Devon knew your movements? One of our officers has confessed to being on Devon's payroll. He was the mole. He never had anything to do with the attack but he was feeding him information."
"Oh," Fred digested this information somberly, automatically glancing at Ethan.
"There's going to be a press conference later today. Even though you won't be named in the conclusion, everyone still knows your involvement in the case generally, so I strongly suggest going to ground for a few hours while they initial hysteria blows over. One more thing," Rory said, pausing for a moment. "There's a planned memorial service for Will and Stella on Friday..."
"Of course, we'll be there," Daphne confirmed immediately, speaking for all of them.
Rory nodded. "It's at 11.30 at the crematorium, see you all then."
The memorial was subtly somber but also reflective. It was packed to the rafters with all current serving police personnel, Stella and Will's families, and members of the Coolsville public who had all come to pay their respects to the slain detectives.
Ethan did a beautiful reading in tribute to the brilliant pair, where he had to be helped off the podium by Daphne, and then Fred spoke on behalf of the gang in reflection of the Detective's unwavering support.
"Will Barnum and Stella White were not just brilliant Detectives; they were also dear friends. We simply could not have begun our role as Mystery Incorporated without their support. For Will, a straight-talking kind of man, this was completely bewildering. He could never understand the 'costumed weirdos' as he delighted in calling them. But he embraced it. And for every dangerous situation since, they were right there. They saved each and every one of us so many times. They put their lives on the line to protect the town they adored. I'm just incredibly sorry we were not able to save them. Their deaths however are not in vain. Because of their bravery, a malevolent force was finally able to be removed and I know this will give them great peace. They will be remembered for all of the incredible work they did and their legacy will live on forever more. Thank you Will, thank you Stella. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten."
Everyone looked suitably moved as he shyly shuffled down off the podium in his dark suit. Once the readings were done and the service was over, there were more tears as a few balloons were released in their memory. Daphne couldn't take her eyes off the simple tribute to Will with her heart shattering once again. Daddy. She sobbed again as Will's young daughter, Olivia, crouched down by the flowers to place a small teddy by the photo of Will and Daphne cried into Ethan's arms. It was so desperately sad and moved everyone there.
They had put on a united front for the funeral but the cracks that had developed in Daphne and Fred's relationship were growing at an alarming rate now, and if there was anything going on with Shaggy and Velma, it wasn't happening anymore either. It was the deepest irony; the gang had helped to save Coolsville and the town was starting to thrive again but fractures had appeared for Mystery Inc. It was a distressing development for Ethan who decided on desperate measures and staged an intervention.
Now
Sat in the living room of Daphne and Fred's apartment after watching the news report together, the room crackled with tension and apprehension. Daphne and Fred were at least sat together but they were barely touching now when previously he would always have an arm around her or her hand would rest on his knee. Velma had chosen a chair that was as far away from Shaggy as possible, the tension was palpable. It had taken a lot of effort for Ethan to get them all together and it seemed nobody could wait to leave.
Ethan couldn't handle it any longer. "OK you guys, that's enough!" he suddenly said loudly after more timid and polite conversations had been had. They all stared at him in surprise. "What is going on?!"
Glances of hostility were exchanged between Velma and Shaggy especially and Ethan responded harshly.
"Look, I'm going to be blunt here, but if you can't work out what ever this is. Then he will win! Look at you, you can barely look at each other!"
Velma folded her arms and resolutely refused to look at Shaggy, who quickly turned his back to Ethan's exasperation.
"How fucking childish!" he said dryly. "What the hell happened?"
"You know what Ethan," Velma said venomously. "It's none of your fucking business! Since when did you get to be peacekeeper all of a sudden anyway?"
"You're right, it's not but if Devon could see us now, he'd be smirking away. He didn't kill you but he's driving you guys apart anyway! And what about you two?" he cried, pivoting to Fred and Daphne. "Is this because of what he said to you? Because that was a huge load of bullshit to try and push your buttons and that is all! You two are stronger than that."
Neither Fred nor Daphne spoke but their facial expressions gave away their pain.
Ethan held his hands up and grabbed his stuff. "Look you all obviously need space but please, please talk to each other. Don't throw away what you have because of that bastard!"
Before he could reach the door himself, Velma suddenly got up silently and marched out of the door before anyone could say anything. Ethan looked expectantly to Shaggy who shrugged indifferently. "I'm not going after her."
Ethan rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Screw it, I tried. Well played Devon, well played!" he clapped sarcastically before walking away, shaking his head despairingly.
Shaggy looked to Fred who barely made eye contact as he sighed. "Go ahead Shaggy, I think Daphne and I do need to talk."
Shaggy nodded and quickly beckoned to Scooby and suddenly Fred and Daphne were alone again.
"You want to talk? Well that's novel given the silent treatment over the last few days," Daphne said cattily.
"Daphne, please, this is tearing me apart, you can't be with me if you feel you can't trust me and we both know you never will fully be able to do so."
"Fred, you've let him get into your head," Daphne sighed. "Three years. That's how long ago it was. Since then, we got an apartment together and you've been by my side on more mysteries than I can count! We have travelled the world together and I trust you implicitly and I always have done. Even on that night, that night you took me, I knew you didn't really believe in what you were doing, that your heart wasn't in it. That you never wanted to hurt me. You're a good person Fred and I forgave you for that a long time ago. Don't let Devon dredge that up again. It's in the past."
"But it will always be a part of my past," Fred said mournfully. "What I did in that factory to that guy, it will always be a part of me that I can't let go of. I have never stopped having nightmares even though it was three years ago."
"Some things will always haunt us," Daphne suddenly replied distantly and Fred immediately caught that nostalgic bitterness as she wouldn't meet his eyes, she looked absolutely stricken all of a sudden. "Oh god Fred, I'm sorry! All these arguments we're having about whether I can trust you after what you did, and in all this time I just haven't been entirely honest with you."
She bit her lip timidly and Fred felt his pulse quicken in total alarm, what on earth was she going to say? Tears pooled in her eyes now and she sought to touch his hands, sending Fred's panic into overdrive.
"Fred," she whispered completely broken. "I was never completely honest with something that happened to me because I knew it would destroy you, and I thought it was the right thing to do, but I realise now I have to be honest with you if we are to have any chance of salvaging what we have." She began to sob loudly now and Fred was completely on the edge.
"God Daph, you're really scaring me now, please just tell me what it is. Whatever it is, we'll work it out..."
"It's about Venice," she managed to gasp through her tears and in an instant that one sentence sent the coldest feeling through Fred, he knew what she was going to say.
Venice, last year.
When Mario grabbed her, panic and fear crashed through Daphne as he pressed his hand unrelentingly tight against her mouth. She fought to get out from his crushing hold but he held her fast. She thought she was going to pass out from lack of oxygen as he dragged her towards a car, and then her heart soared as she heard a commotion at the other end of the alleyway. Shaggy, Velma, Scooby. Fred. She was going to be saved.
She felt Mario turn his hooded head towards them in irritation but he wasn't put off. He moved quicker, elbowing his way into the driver's window of the nearest car. Blood ran down his elbow immediately but he didn't care. He opened the door and then dragged her with him towards the trunk. Daphne ground her heels into the cobbled street, doing anything she could to slow him down as he popped the lid. They were so close; Fred was so close.
He had to release her mouth as he needed both arms to lift her up and Daphne screamed for all she was worth as she was brutally deposited into the trunk. Fred was close enough now she could see his terrified eyes but his face was full of determination. She still thought he was going to make it. She wasn't really going to be kidnapped. She was wrong. He got away.
The speed Mario drove at was simply frightening, and she was jostled every which way in the trunk, feeling incredibly nauseous and thankful she hadn't eaten anything recently. The journey seemed to take forever but was probably only an hour in reality. When the trunk opened again and Mario stood there with a knife grinning at her, she shook away a shudder of repulsion, hating the way he was looking at her, instantly remembering his unwanted lecherous eye as soon as they had arrived in Italy.
He reached a hand in to pull her out of the trunk, which she declined so he grabbed her by the hair instead, pulling her onto the ground as she looked around wildly at her surroundings.
"Go ahead, scream if you want!" he told her cheerfully. "This is our summer house and there isn't another soul around for miles. Come inside and I'll give you the grand tour."
"And if I refuse?" she said defiantly. Mario cocked his head, giving a small chuckle as he aggressively pulled her up and pushed the knife at her throat. "I really don't want to have to hurt someone as beautiful as you my dear, but please don't think that means I won't. Walk please."
And Daphne did, with Mario trailing her the whole way inside with the knife poking into her back.
He quickly gave her a tour at knifepoint before leading her into the bedroom where he handcuffed her to the bedpost. Daphne didn't want to think about why there were already handcuffs handily attached there. Instead, she tried to get him talking so he wouldn't just stare creepily at her.
"Why did you kidnap me?" she said huffily as she took the bottle of water he offered. "My friends will find you and you won't get away with this."
"Ah yes Mystery Incorporated," he said scornfully and she looked at him in a little surprise. "Oh please Miss Blake, you didn't think I would believe you really were 'art students'? Give me some credit!"
"So, you know we're detectives," she said smugly. "Good. You should know they're very smart. They're probably on their way here right now."
"Oh you have such confidence! Tell me, how do you think that's going to happen when they don't even know yet that I'm the ghostly gondolier?" he said mockingly, air quoting the moniker.
Daphne faltered when he said that but tried not to let it show. "Trust me you were under suspicion."
"Of course! And you knew who I was, so that's why I had to bring you here you see. I'm just not ready to be unmasked quite yet."
"No," Daphne said nervously as he continued to leer at her. "No, that can't be right. You revealed yourself to me. I offered you the amulet!"
"Oh," Mario grinned. "That's right. I 'exposed' myself to you. Well observed Miss Blake."
"This isn't just about the amulet is it?" she whispered in horror and tried to move away from him on the bed.
"No, I already told you that back in the alley, remember?" he said as he reached forward and stroked her face as she tried to turn away. "Miss Blake, I've been getting away with this for years."
He lunged forward and kissed her so suddenly, she didn't have time to react but as he pushed his tongue inside, she bit down a little and turned her head away.
He didn't seem angry, just amused as he lifted up her shirt and pushed the knife hard against her stomach. "Ah, ah, ah."
Bastard! Daphne forced herself to kiss him back, trying to imagine it was really Fred's soft lips, she closed her eyes.
"Mmm" he finally pulled away, a huge grin on his face. "Just as good as I thought you would be."
He left her a while then and she tried in vain to release her wrists from the handcuffs and tried not to think about what he meant about 'getting away with it for years.' She knew he wasn't talking about the amulets but she was relieved when he next came in and wanted to talk of nothing about the Gondolier and the amulets.
She tried to forget about the kiss, he hadn't tried to do anything else to her and she began to think that was enough for him. After three hours of being his hostage, he offered her food and she accepted without hesitation, her stomach rumbling, he even let her eat with him in the kitchen.
But not long after, that's when things went rapidly downhill. He looked at her in concern as she started to feel faint and he carried her back to the bed, offering her small sips of water along the way. What's wrong with me? She thought.
Mario carefully laid her on the bed, not bothering to recuff her as Daphne's vision swam in and out of focus, she felt him stroke her face and he told her 'she was sick'. He looked so concerned and then she felt his breath by her ear and his fingers trail down her shirt buttons, telling her it was all going to be OK and then finally she understood what the monster had done to her. She was completely paralysed and at his mercy.
"He drugged you?" Fred asked, sounding absolutely devastated as she finally tearfully told him what really happened in Venice. "Daphne, did he, did he," his voice shook as he struggled to get the word out. "Rape you?"
Tears flooded down Daphne's cheeks as she spoke. "When I woke up, he was gone but I was in my underwear," she admitted, seeing the rage build in Fred's face. "I don't know what he did to me," she concluded. "I didn't want to know! I just wanted to forget it ever happened. I couldn't tell you; how could I tell you?" she said desperately.
"Did you tell anyone? Velma?" Fred asked but she shook her head. "You promised us all you were fine, you said nothing happened! How could you say nothing and let him get away with what he did to you?!"
"It was easier to forget," she admitted. "He's in jail, he isn't getting out any time soon. I didn't want to dredge it up especially as I didn't know exactly what he did."
"They could have investigated!" Fred exploded. "They have kits for that."
"I guess, I guess I didn't want to admit I was a victim," Daphne said hollowly, breaking Fred's heart into a million places. "I couldn't tell you, I felt so, so ashamed, so I... lied."
She expected Fred to continue his outrage but to her surprise he broke down in tears, covering his eyes with his big hands, letting out huge gut-wrenching sobs.
"How couldn't you tell me Daph? How could you just let that monster get away with it? When we found out who he was, what he had done," Fred shuddered. "I was absolutely terrified but then so relieved when you told us he hadn't harmed you. For a year you've carried this, hidden it from me. Talk about trust issues!"
"I didn't know what to do," she replied distraught. "Please look at me Freddy!"
But Fred couldn't and soon he was standing up abruptly, brushing tears from his eyes and grasping for his jacket.
"I can't do this Daphne, not right now," he muttered and his heart clenched again as he looked at her standing there so devastated. "I don't know if we can ever come back from this," he told her honestly and then he was gone.
It took him 2.5 seconds precisely to realise that in his storming out, he had forgotten his car keys, he groaned loudly, dreading the prospect of having to face Daphne and his feelings again. Before he could contemplate what he was going to do next, he was alerted by someone jovially shouting his full name and his eyes narrowed in distrust.
"Fred? Fred Jones?" He didn't recognise the tall, slim blond but as he clocked the microphone in her hand, and the two blokes behind her carrying a camera and boom mike operator, he certainly recognised her intentions and cursed loudly to himself as she waved and hurried over the street. He realised they must have been lying in wait and he idly wondered to himself if they had stopped Velma or Shaggy when they left. Given the mood the pair were in, he doubted the reporter would have been given anything other than the cold shoulder and that was being polite.
He looked around wildly, sizing up his options, the absolute last thing he wanted to do was speak to the Coolsville grief vultures and especially not when he was still absolutely reeling from Daphne's bombshell. The news van was parked across the street and she was already making her way over, a huge fake smile plastered over her heavily made-up face. "Mr Jones, Talia Roberts! We just want to talk about how you feel about your tormentor being murdered so brutally!"
She said it so salaciously, Fred could practically see her eyes light up and she was like a lion circling its prey and he began to sweat nervously; he could run but she was likely to follow with her crew in tow. He could return back to the safe haven of his apartment but then he would have to face Daphne again and the pain of her revelation was too raw. He was trapped. Just as he had resigned himself to the ambush, he was startled as a car squealed to pull up outside, providing a handy barrier between Fred and the persistent reporter. He was surprised to see Ethan sitting behind the wheel.
"Get in!" Ethan offered, throwing open the passenger door and Fred hesitated. One on one time with Ethan wasn't exactly at the top of his wish list right now either, but, it was surely preferable to the accosting he was about to get from that reporter. Fred jumped in and Ethan peeled away much to the visible disappointment of the blond who stamped her foot in frustration.
"Thanks," Fred said tersely as Ethan drove them away. Ethan glanced at Fred, seeing his eyes looked puffy and red.
"Are you OK?"
"I'm fine, Daphne and I just had an argument that's all," he sighed and Ethan groaned.
"I've already said it Fred, don't let him split you guys up! You know as well as I do, he was the master of psychological torture, he knew his time was up so just went for broke digging at your insecurities."
"Ha," Fred said softly. "I wish it was just that. I wish it was only Devon's subtle torment from beyond the fucking grave."
Ethan looked at him in concern and quietly drove the car to an empty parking lot.
"If you think just because you saved my life that we're even and you're my closest confidante again Ethan, you're sadly mistaken, I can't just forget everything!" Fred said hostilely, cross that Ethan was intent on playing Dr. Phil.
Ethan bristled in annoyance. "Fred, I'm not expecting you to, but please tell me what's going on, it's tearing me apart to see you guys like this. I know this is not exactly the way we wanted things to go down with Devon and I made a hideous call of judgment with Justin that I wish I could take back. I made a fucking hell of a mistake," Ethan admitted with a sigh before continuing. "But he is gone and we have to be happy about that. It's taken a few days for me to realise this but we are allowed to be happy about it! We have to start looking forward."
"I'm not unhappy about his death," Fred explained. "Of course I'm not, but I guess I'm still trying to come to terms with things and so is Daph, so it was already awkward between us, before she told me..." his eyes glazed over and he stopped himself, immediately provoking Ethan's concern when he resumed with a haunted expression coming over his face. "Something bad happened in Europe Ethan, something she kept from all of us, that she's kept from me all this time."
Fred looked furious and upset all at once and Ethan tensed immediately on hearing something had happened to Daphne that incited this reaction in Fred. "She was attacked," Fred said harshly, his fists balling and causing Ethan great distress. "She was attacked and never said a word."
"Attacked?! What do you mean, she was attacked?! How could she cover something like that up?" Ethan said, his voice rising in panic.
"She was kidnapped," Fred said in disgust, "by an absolute sleaze but she promised...she PROMISED that nothing had happened...that he left her alone!" he said angrily. "She told us she was fine and all this happened a year ago. She's sat on this for a whole year!"
"No," Ethan said in horror, catching onto what Fred was implying when he said Daphne was 'attacked'. "No, no, no that bastard!" Ethan, like Fred, was absolutely sickened by the ordeal Daphne had kept secret.
Fred was crying now and without thinking, Ethan had gently laid his hand on his knee. "You know what the worst thing is?" he sobbed through his tears. "That I have had nightmares about what that sick of a bitch could have done to her but I have always been reassured that they were just nightmares, that she had been safe the whole time."
"Oh god Fred, I'm so sorry, I don't really know what to say, when did you find out?"
"Uh, about half an hour ago," Fred admitted causing Ethan to jolt in surprise. "That's why you were fleeing the apartment? After she had finally plucked up the courage to tell you, you just left her?!"
Fred shook off Ethan's sympathetic hand to regard him coolly now. "Oh of course you would be on her side! I might have known!"
"It's not about taking sides Fred, I can't believe you just left her!"
"Why wouldn't she tell me Ethan! I can understand not telling Shaggy or Velma or heck even the police if she really just wanted to forget about it, but why wouldn't she tell me?!" Fred uttered brokenly. "How can we have trust in each other if she couldn't tell me something like that."
"You know Daphne," Ethan said ruefully with a shake of his head. "You know how proud she is, how she hates to be labelled as a …"
"Victim?"
"Yeah." The two men sat in silence for a few minutes, reflecting on the woman they both loved.
"I can't believe that after everything that happened with Devon and everything we got through that this is where we are now. I don't know if we can come through this Ethan," Fred said honestly and Ethan snapped around to look at Fred in alarm.
"Freddy!" he said, ignoring Fred's scowl at his unthinking use of his nickname. "You were going to marry her two weeks ago before all this nightmare started. You can't throw that away!"
"Maybe Devon was right after all," Fred said scornfully. "Maybe we are cursed."
"You gotta stop that way of thinking!" Ethan said in frustration, seeing Fred become so forlorn and accepting. "Devon Blake knew absolutely shit about your relationship. You cannot listen to a word he says! Look Fred, the situation with Daphne, it's tough but she needs you. You have to talk to each other."
"No Ethan, we need a break," Fred said firmly. "We need a break from each other and I need time to figure this whole thing out. Before, she...told me. I got an email from Mei-Ling," he revealed.
"Mei-Ling? Who the fuck is Mei-Ling?" Ethan asked, his eyebrow furrowed.
"You'll probably know her as 'the doctor'," Fred said with a slight smile.
"In Hong Kong?! You can't be serious about going back to Hong Kong! Why would you go back there?"
"She's a friend," Fred said firmly. "She was worried about me. And I never said anything about actually going to Hong Kong but maybe that's not a bad idea."
"So you'd just leave? Poor Daph needs your support right now not turning your back on her!" Ethan said accusingly.
"Don't do this Ethan! Don't make out like I'm the bad guy here!" Fred said bitingly.
Ethan said nothing but calmly pressed a button and there was the subtle soft sound of locks clicking into place. "What the fuck?" Fred said in exasperation.
"I'm not letting you do this Fred, I'm not letting you make a huge mistake and throw this away."
"So you're going to do what, kidnap me? Again?" Fred snapped back without humour.
"I'm not letting you leave this car until you listen to sense Fred," Ethan said resolutely. "If you go to Hong Kong, I promise you it will be the biggest mistake of your life. Please just listen to what I have to say and when I'm done, I'll unlock the door, and what you do next is up to you but please for the love of god just give me a chance and listen to me!"
And Fred did; after twenty five minutes as promised, Ethan allowed Fred to get out of the car. Fred hadn't said much in response to Ethan's heartfelt pleas, but Ethan just had to hope that what he did say was enough. The alternative was too painful to bear as despite everything they had survived together, Fred and Daphne were on the verge of breaking apart for good.
A.N. - Oh My God. I didn't think I could write so much in a single chapter but all this happened in five days and needed to be contained in the same chapter. The good news is there is another chapter, it's definitely the final one! I hope the angst wasn't too much to bear in this chapter. I just had this idea that the aftermath would be tough, and Daphne's confession is something I've sat on for a long time. Let me know your thoughts as we approach the end at last!