"That's interesting…" Daphne mumbled into her mug before taking a gulp of coffee.
She currently had her nose buried in that morning's newspaper, sitting on the kitchen counter and pretending to help Shaggy with breakfast (actually helping him would most certainly result in disaster).
The aforementioned individual snorted, "What? Is the lawn flamingo peddler at large once again?" He said jokingly as he poured more pancake batter on the skillet.
Daphne looked up and glared although she knew his statement had merit. Nothing particularly exciting happened in Coolsville. The so-called "lawn flamingo peddler" had most of the residents on the edge of their seats as the Coolsville Gazette managed to weave quite an epic tale. In reality it was just one teenager that had been identified and apprehended within a week of that first major headline. Daphne referring to something in the paper as interesting could be more a charitable compliment rather than something genuine.
However, on this rare occasion (that surely would not happen again through Shag and Daph's life in Coolsville), Daphne's statement was indeed genuine.
"Elmira Thorne has gone missing." She said casually before taking another sip of coffee, wrinkling her nose at the bitter taste. She really should have just let Shaggy make the coffee.
Shag turns and looks at her wide-eyed, "Seriously?" He walks away from the stove to lean against the counter next to her.
"Seriously." She hands him the paper.
He takes a second to read over the big lettering of a front-page story, expression looking shocked. An understandable reaction because in a town where stolen lawn flamingos are the story of the year, you can imagine people didn't go missing.
"Elmira…" He whispers out, looking up from the paper and staring off into space.
Daphne nods, "That's Jack and Tammy's daughter, right?"
He nodded, mouth in a grim line, "I – Like I think so. We've only been to their house the one time… Jesus…" He ran a hand through his hair and turned his attention back to the paper, "She's been missing since Thursday."
"Do they say where she was last seen?" Daphne asks, her stomach turning.
Shag read a little further down in the article, his brows furrowing as he nods, "The bakery on Winston."
Her breath catches in her throat for a moment, "Didn't w – Didn't we take the kids there on Thursday too?" She's unable to suppress the urgent tone of her voice.
He nods and she can feel his hand gently brush her shoulder blade, "I don't remember seeing her…" He says as he starts staring off to the side.
Daph followed his gaze and then quickly scooted closer to him, stopping when her knee nudged against his hip. He was looking up towards the stairwell where their four kids were completely knocked out. It was Saturday so they were all sleeping in.
Immediately, she understood the concerns overtaking her husband's mind. After seeing the worst humanity had to offer it was only normal for him to worry about their kids. Especially after Coolsville was experiencing the first disappearance in its simple history.
Her heart ached in her chest and she placed her mug down, opting to rub Shag's shoulder and pressing a kiss on his sleeve, "I'm sure she's probably just run off somewhere. She's fifteen remember – we were all doing crazy stuff at that age."
He turned his head and smirked down at her, "Something like that."
Daphne giggled as he turned to face her, standing in between her knees. It had been fifteen years since they had decided to settle down in Coolsville together, forever. And yet they had each other blushing and giggling like they were still those teenagers in that van.
They settled into that calm moment for a few seconds, just examining the other's features. Daphne had proceeded to run her hands up his chest until they stopped to hold his face. He frowned as she squished his cheeks and she giggled again. He retaliated by pulling off her headband, locks of yet-to-be-tamed red hair falling in her face.
She playfully slapped him in the shoulder, he smirked and handed the headband back to her, signaling a truce. His brown eyes shone and she could hear echoes of "I love you" coming from them. They had never needed to communicate in so many words, they just always knew what was being left unsaid.
He stepped away to return to the abandoned pancake and she shivered as the warmth of his presence left her.
As she began the challenge of getting her hair semi under control, Daphne said, "Seriously Shags, the kids won't have a safer place to grow up than here."
Shaggy nodded and then flipped the pancake, the sizzle of the batter soothing him, "Like, I know that Daph…I just – I guess I'm still not used to the fact that every bad thing that happens here isn't because of some psycho in a mask." He said softly.
Daphne bit her lip, the past wasn't exactly a sensitive topic for them (lifelong trauma aside) but it was something they agreed to leave behind. It was something they did but…it wasn't who they were.
Fred and Velma's shellshocked expressions when they announced that they were moving back to Coolsville and staying there still had guilt clawing its way up Daphne's spine.
But her life was so much bigger than chasing the call for adventure now. She had a family – they both did.
Daphne grabbed her mug and stared down into the coffee, "Well…if worse comes to worse we can always set a couple of traps." She smiled as he turned around and gave her an exasperated look.
"Like, if Freddie finds out we set a trap without him it'll break his heart." He said as he turned off the stove and carried the pan over to the sink.
"No babe, I can wash. And I'm sure Fred would be just as proud as he would be heart broken." She replied, hopping off the counter and bumping him out of the way with her hip.
Shaggy crossed his arms, "You just wanna see all the steam rise when you run cold water on the skillet."
In response to his statement, Daphne turned on the faucet and was instantly met with a wave of sizzling followed by a column of steam.
She turned to look at him and gave him a satisfied smile, "It's like a free, mini facial."
He sighed and shook his head, "Like, you're so adorable…"
And with that he kissed her, both of them enjoying that single moment of peace before a wave of children would come flying down the stairs.
The disappearance of the Thorne girl far from both of their minds.
But then a month had passed, and people were having trouble believing this was just some bout of teenage rebellion.
Daphne had swallowed a lump in her throat when she went to drop off a pie at the Thorne's house. Breath hitching as she saw how withered this mother had become in such a short time. Her home full of flower arrangements and her fridge stuffed with casseroles. Daph had pulled her into a hug and squeezed her tight. Understanding her pain in the way that only another mother could.
The missing posters were becoming almost haunting; every time she looked at one, she couldn't help picturing her own daughters' faces there.
People had become too afraid to talk about it, out of fear that they would be talking about a dead girl. What once was on the front page of every issue was now a small column in the classifieds, reminding everyone that the Thorne girl had still yet to be discovered.
It was all becoming too much to bear.
Exactly one month and three days after Elmira had been declared missing, Shaggy walked into their bedroom to find a spaced-out Daphne sitting at the foot of their bed. Tears silently streaking down her face and onto her purple pencil skirt.
"Daph, you're still dressed for work." Shaggy says softly, kneeling down in front of her and resting his hands on her knees.
"Tammy can't have kids anymore." Daphne blurts out, the statement making her lip tremble.
Shaggy's eyes widen, "What?"
Swallowing the desire to sob, she continued, "Elmira was the only one out of four pregnancies that carried to term… She barely made it… The – The doctors say that there's no chance she'll be able to have another… Elmira's all they've got Shags."
Shaggy nods and gently pulls her down into a hug, feeling how exhausted she is when she presses all her weight against him. He rubs her back and doesn't say anything; what is there to say?
"Should we try reaching them?" He finally says after several minutes.
He feels her shake her head as she mumbles into the crook of his neck, "We don't even know where they are right now… The last letter I got telling me where to contact them is from three months ago."
Shag hummed in affirmation, Fred and Velma never stayed anywhere longer than a couple of weeks. As long as it took them to solve whatever case they had stumbled upon. He held onto Daphne tighter.
They stay like that, nestled against each other on the floor, minds racing as they try to make sense of what this ordeal has become.
Things like this didn't happen in Coolsville, and if they did there's no way they'd be stretched out this long. Not when you have a whole town banding together in search of one girl. Odds are they should have found something – anything – at this point. And yet the Thorne's were still missing a daughter and still getting casserole after casserole sent to their house. Truly the height of suburban condolences.
Eventually, Daphne lets out a sigh and pulls away to wipe the tears from her face, "I should probably get out of this thing…"
Shaggy nods and pushes a lock of hair behind her ear, "Yeah I didn't wanna have to say it but, like, you smell like sweat and potato salad."
Daph's eyes widen and she sniffs at her sleeve, "Oh my God I do. How is that possible? I didn't even eat potato salad!"
She immediately stands up and runs for their closet. Shaggy smirks at how fast her face managed to turn bright red. He stands and follows her to the closet, casually leaning against the doorframe.
"This is a disaster! God, I really hope I didn't smell this way all day! Ugh – what if the ladies noticed?!" Daphne says with a distressed tone as she kicks her shoes off and starts unbuttoning her blouse with one hand and swiping through her collection of nightgowns with the other.
Shaggy shrugs, "Daph I don't know how you can smell anything in there. Like the atmosphere of that office is so polluted with old-lady perfume. I can't even be there for five minutes before I start getting a migraine."
Daphne turns and glares at him, taking a break from picking out a gown to take her earrings off, "Babe, we've been over this. I am there all day and I have had no problem with Ethel's perfume alright? As a matter of fact…I happen to like it…" She says, handing Shaggy her earrings.
As he takes them, Shaggy raises an eyebrow at her, "Daphne…if you start wearing that – that poison I don't think I'll be able to stand within fifty feet of you." He states as he leaves the doorway and walks over to Daph's vanity where her three separate jewelry boxes are (one for earrings, one for bracelets, and one for necklaces).
While he's returning the earrings to their rightful home, Daph shouts, "Have the kids eaten anything?"
Shag shouts back, "The vultures have picked the fridge clean. I can make you a salad if you want." He walks back to the closet and smiles at the disappointment on her face.
"Sounds great babe. Healthy…"
He smirks, "You wanna order some pizza?"
Daphne stops in her tracks, looking absolutely flabbergasted and sputtering, "Wh – What…Why would you thi – just assume that I would want all that…that grease and – and carbs? Do you know what that will do to you?"
He crosses his arms and tilts his head, pretending to mull it over, "I know that pizza is an ethereal gift from the heavens. Man needed to be taken on an emotional journey that could only be orchestrated by melted cheese…" He smiles when he sees her shoulders stiffen, "…And savory tomato sauce…" She clasps her hands together, "…Sometimes olives, or mushrooms. Maybe even some pineapple…"
"Nobody likes pineapple." She interrupts, tone breathless and airy.
He takes a step into the closet, knowing he's already got a hold on her, "Like, I'm pretty sure that point is up for debate Daph." He reaches out in front of her, stopping when his fingers graze the lilac satin of the nightgown he knows she's gonna pick because it's the one she always picks. Gently, he places it in her grasp, letting his thumb brush the back of her hand as he leans in and whispers, "We have a coupon."
His breath on her neck sends a chill down her spine and her breath hitches, she bites her lip.
And then, he's turning around and exiting the closet – satisfied with the fact that he's gotten his point across.
A few minutes later, after he's changed into his pajamas, Daphne emerges from the closet – a vision in shiny satin.
"Okay fine we'll order a pizza," She says as she tosses her clothes in the hamper before turning around and giving him a sharp look, "But…" She walks up to him and points a perfectly manicured finger at him, "…We have to get the veggie supreme with extra bell peppers. They always skimp." She says the last part to herself with a sort of pout.
He smiles and grabs her finger, "Like I would expect anything less. You. Me. And a veggie supreme at almost ten at night." As he says this, he begins to bend down while blatantly eyeing her lips.
Daphne giggles and closes her eyes, lips already puckered.
"Mom! Dad! There's something crazy happening on the TV!"
The two of them jump apart as their bedroom door is thrown open and their oldest daughter runs in.
"Luna…" Daphne starts, clearly trying to hide the frustration in her tone, "Weird stuff is always happening on TV… You know…because it's not real?"
Shaggy smirks at the way a blush has crept up his wife's face.
Luna shook her head, "No this is like actually weird. We were watching Cagney and Lacey when the channel changed all by itself! And it won't let us go to another channel, we tried!"
Daphne and Shaggy shared a look before Shaggy knelt down and asks, "What channel is it stuck on?"
Their daughter shrugged, "I don't know… It's just some video of a dude talking about the girl who went missing."
In an instant, the two of them move to leave the room. Daphne is shrugging into her robe as they both turn the corner and enter the living room. Their other three kids are crowded in front of the TV; Duncan is turning the knob to change the channel rapidly. A stubborn and frustrated look on his face as it doesn't seem to be doing anything.
When they notice that Shag and Daph have entered the room, all three of them begin firing off questions. They can't make head or tail of what's actually being said (although it's safe to assume they're wondering why the TV isn't working) and Daphne rests a hand on Shaggy's shoulder, silently signaling him.
He nods and holds out his hands in a vague calming gesture, "Okay kiddos, like we're all gonna take a minute to breathe so Mom and I can see what's happening."
Daphne mimes out a deep, exaggerated breath in support of his statement.
Pack mentality takes over and soon the three of them have turned it into a "who can hold their breath the longest" contest. Luna, who was standing next Shag and Daph is the only one to follow the instructions despite not really needing them.
They share an amused look before walking over to the TV and assessing the situation.
Daphne lets out a soft gasp and Shaggy's eyes widen.
It's a man in a mask.
So I've recently become obsessed with The Conjuring franchise and I realized it's because really enjoy a married couple do something insanely dangerous together while managing to maintain this very pure and selfless love. A love that can only come from being together for a very long time.
Now Shag and Daph are obviously no Ed and Lorraine but I still think that this could be a lot of fun. Plus there are some similarities like the insane protectiveness over one another and them knowing each other their whole lives thing.
They also have like a whole litter of kiddos in this because on my blog I stated that I think they'd have a lot of kids and I stand by that statement. I can't find the post where I talk about them but I know what I said.
I chose to have this set in the 80's because:
A) I really enjoy writing stuff in this time period.
& B) There is no B actually I just like using the 80's vibe.
This is something I work on in between classes since I'm cool with shorter chapters so don't think I've abandoned everything just to work on this random story that came out of nowhere.