A/N: Here's that cliffhanger conclusion! This chapter also includes a couple of very familiar cameos :)

Chapter 3 – A Blast from the Past

3 weeks had passed since the beautiful ceremony in Hawaii where Fred and Daphne had stunned their friends with a surprise beach front wedding under the guise of a 'vacation.' As soon as they had returned to Coolsville they had made a collective decision to do an interview together once and for all to draw a line under the continued fallout from the Dire Docks Drama. (Journalists just loved their alliteration) Since Talia Roberts had leaked a tape showing their involvement, Coolsville had been awash with gossip so they knew it was high time to shut it down once and for all.

With the bold decision made together on the plane, was the handily placed Talia (who had tailed them to Honolulu) their choice for this jaw-dropping exclusive? Of course not. In a deliberate snub in response to her stoking the fires, Ethan and the gang instead sat down with Grant Farron, her direct network rival, a move that caused Talia immense fury.

Grant was warm and sympathetic and didn't push any of them on things that they didn't want to talk about but they found themselves opening up in the reassuring presence of the older reporter.

The one hour pre-recorded interview was sold to every interested network in the state and they all left the studio feeling like an enormous burden had been lifted off their shoulders. Now everything was out into the open, could they finally properly move on from it?

Daphne and Fred had their whole new life together to think about but as usual their minds were centred on 'work.' With final preparations in place, they were going to fly to Italy for their 'working honeymoon' so Daphne could get some closure from the whole Mario Materazzi ordeal.

You would think that with such a daunting and terrifying prospect in place, that Fred would have been consumed with nothing but his fears for their trip but that would be ignoring that other major event that occurred after their post wedding interview. Three weeks had also now passed since that and to Daphne's immense frustration, Fred hadn't even contemplated discussing that again. She knew they couldn't fly to Italy with him still steadfastly refusing to even talk about the issue that had caused his life to implode once again the very minute they returned from newlywed bliss.

Their suitcases were packed, tickets had been bought for Florence and Daphne had a nervous excitement bubbling in her stomach about the trip, but she couldn't resist one final attempt to get him to open up about the shocking event.

They were curled up peacefully on the couch watching an action movie together. Daphne was leaning into Fred's side, his hand was resting on her bottom. In front of them was a bowl of popcorn and a couple of sodas. He was engrossed in the movie, possibly one of the latest 'Mission Impossibles' but Daphne wasn't a hundred percent sure, she was much less enthusiastic about guns and fast cars these days. Being shot and starring in a real life plot more dramatic than any movie she had ever seen obviously hadn't put Fred off. But he was completely relaxed and that's all Daphne wanted. Not waiting for a lull in the high-octane action and as Tom Cruise was preparing to scale a building, she subtly grabbed the remote and hit pause to Fred's immediate protest.

"Come on Daph! Another bathroom break?! Do you want to watch this movie or not?"

Daphne tactfully avoided Fred's question and sat fully up to make eye contact with him. "No Fred, not another bathroom break," she said seriously. "We're flying to Italy tomorrow and so I just wanted to know exactly when we are actually going to address the elephant in the room?" she said pointedly.

"Daphhhh" Fred groaned displeasurably. He knew exactly what she was referring to. "I told you to drop it!"

"No, I won't drop it! You can't clam up about it forever!"

"It's my choice," he told her calmly, trying to reach around her to grab the remote back.

Daphne pettily launched the remote across the room, hitting the wall and causing the batteries to spill out.

"Great. Real mature Daph."

He tried to get up but she quickly placed her legs across him, preventing him getting up to recover the remote.

He glared at her before sighing in defeat. She was clearly determined they were having this chat.

"Fine, but you surely mean the wicked witch not elephant," he grumbled quietly and Daphne lightly smacked his forearm in disapproval.

"Fred! You can't shut her out of our life forever, eventually you're going to have to talk to her! She's still your mother!" Daphne pressed.

Fred noticed the subtle inclusion of the phrase 'our life' not just his, and replied bitterly.

"What would be the point?" he complained. "You heard how pathetic she was that night! She couldn't even come up with a single excuse for her behaviour!"

Daphne shook her head sadly, remembering with perfect clarity, every second of the shocking moment that Nerys Jones had turned up on their doorstep three weeks ago, and in one single moment had shattered Fred's world...

Daphne's expression of cool hostility immediately softened to one of shock and concern as she heard how the strange woman had addressed Fred.

"Son? My god, Fred, is this your mother?" she stuttered in disbelief now staring at the woman in shocked fascination.

Fred continued to hold Daphne in his arms tightly but his whole body had tensed defensively as he struggled to come to terms with the shocking arrival on his doorstep as he had returned with his new wife. Nerys Jones' pale and drawn face immediately brightened as she acknowledged the girl held so protectively in Fred's arms.

"Is this your lovely Daphne?" she indicated the redhead warmly. "My dear, the pictures in the paper do not do you justice, you are quite exquisite, it's lovely to meet y..."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Fred cut her off rudely, quickly taking a step backwards as Nerys tried to extend a thin hand to a still stunned Daphne.

Nerys looked awkward and shuffled a little on the spot, she jammed her hands deeply into the tattered mac she was wearing. "Well, uh, I heard about what happened to you. Your name really is everywhere now Fred!"

She beamed a little smile and Fred narrowed his eyes immediately in distrust. He gently set Daphne to the floor before turning all of his fury on his long absent mother. "So that's it! Now your son's famous, you want a little piece of the fame and fortune! I'm surprised you haven't sold your story already," he snorted in derision.

Nerys looked completely shattered by his sudden hateful tone and obvious scorn. "No, that's not it at all son! I heard all about what happened to you, Freddy. I'm so sorry, it's absolutely horrific what that man did to you..."

"What happened to me?" Fred interrupted incredulously. "You haven't got the faintest idea what happened to me," he said, his words seething with anger.

"But I do!" Nerys replied earnestly. "And I can't believe that happened to my dear sweet boy. Had I known about your ordeal at the time, I would have been back here in a heartbeat."

Fred laughed; the sound laced with his own bitterness. "No, you wouldn't."

"Of course I would Freddy," Nerys insisted. "You were kidnapped and attacked! What kind of mother would I be if I...?"

Fred fully exploded at that and a worried Daphne laid a hand on his chest to gently try and hold him back. She could feel his heart beating wildly erratically.

"What kind of mother would you be?!" he spat, nothing but hatred burning in his eyes now. "Maybe the kind of mother that walked out on her only son when he was 18-years-old! Do you even know what happened to me?" he cried.

"I told you already," Nerys replied desperately, her own voice quivering now. "I, I read all about it online, you were held prisoner at some old factory and..."

"No." Fred cut her off once again but calmly this time. "No, not about what Devon Blake did to me. I'm talking about what YOU did to me," he addressed her coldly. "I'm talking about what happened to me after you left me."

His mother looked absolutely stricken now. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry! I was in such a bad place after what happened with your father."

"You fucking abandoned me!" Fred suddenly screamed at a volume that had Daphne nervously looking around at their neighbour's doors. She fully expected someone to come barreling out any minute as Fred broke down fully now.

"I was barely eighteen years old! I looked everywhere for you! I could never believe you were truly gone! It didn't take long at all for the house to be re-possessed and then I was all on my own. Do you know how fucking scary that was?! I was out on the streets with drug dealers and who knows what else. I was terrified. My entire world fell apart in an instant. If it wasn't for Shaggy..." his hands shook as his emotions threatened to overcome him completely and Daphne gave him a gentle squeeze.

"Maybe this would be better inside," she suggested to him quietly but Fred abruptly shut her down.

"No, I'm done! I don't have anything more I want to say to her. I just have one question and one question only – Why. Why did you abandon me? Why have I heard nothing from you for SIX years?"

"I'm so sorry Freddy," Nerys shook again but offered no further answers to Fred's immediate disgust.

"See! She can't even give me that! She rocks up here after all this time and she STILL can't even offer a single explanation as to exactly why she destroyed my life! Come on Daphne," he said shakily, grasping for his keys as Nerys stood desolately.

"Please," she appealed desperately, looking directly towards Daphne now. "Please, I just want to talk to my son..."

Daphne visibly hesitated as Fred finally succeeded in getting the door open after fumbling with the keys for what felt like an eternity in his shaky grip. She looked at the slight woman regretfully, looking like she wanted to speak but Fred had grabbed her hand before she had chance to open her mouth and he tugged her firmly inside their apartment.

"No! No, I don't want to speak to you. Don't you get it? Just get out! You don't get to just catapult yourself into my life again. I cannot do this! Please, if you love me, just leave. Please." Fred's voice cracked as he uttered that final sentence but he stood resolutely, arms folded in the doorway with Daphne looking pained behind him.

Nerys stared completely broken-heartedly at Fred, she silently handed him a scrawled note that he didn't even glance at. She sadly nodded her understanding and began walking away from their door, with Fred watching her retreating form grimly.

As she reached the elevator, Fred suddenly called out to her again and she turned so eagerly at first but her shoulders soon slumped when he unswervingly refused to even call her 'mom' as he addressed her once again.

"Hey, Nerys. Don't ever try and call me again, okay? Don't come back here, don't try to bother my friends either and definitely don't even think of speaking to my wife."

He paused grimly, waiting for her reaction, and Nery's face was a snapshot picture of utter radiance but then immediate despair as she digested what he just said. Fred's own hands were shaking uncontrollably now. "Yes, that's right. Daphne is now my wife. Something else you have missed in my life," he said scornfully. "Don't come here ever again."

Nerys had nodded and disappeared into the elevator and Fred had stepped quickly back into the apartment, just about managing to close the door before he collapsed against it. He slumped down to the floor, an absolute tidal wave of tears instantly cascading down his face as Daphne held him close as his entire body convulsed and sobs escaped his throat. She stroked his back soothingly as Fred broke down; the gleeful manner in which he had picked her up to carry her over the threshold, instantly forgotten. Years of Fred's bottled-up pain and his anger over his mother's abandonment exploded fully to the surface in that moment, their newly wedded bliss shattered in an instant.

Daphne carefully prised the scrunched-up note Nerys had given from Freddy's hand, he barely noticed, he was too lost in his grief. She silently unfolded it to find a handwritten note of just one line. "When you're ready. Mom x" and was followed by a phone number.

Daphne felt her heart clench, she knew she couldn't show him that now, he wasn't in the right frame of mind. She folded it back up and put it in the pocket of her jacket hanging by the door. Then she bent down to a still distraught Fred, and helped him up. "Come sit down Freddy," she guided him to the couch. "Let me get you a drink, I think you need it..."

He had cried most of that night, even in his sleep, but then the next morning was odd. He woke up with a smile on his face and virtually bounced out of bed and made them breakfast. It was as if last night had never happened. It was still raw, she had no intention of bringing it up with him to hurt him again but she knew he couldn't possibly be truly 'over it.' She didn't press it.

As the week rattled on, he never brought it up again as they actively planned their 'working' honeymoon to Italy. Despite his outward shiny façade to everyone, Daphne knew that his mother's abrupt re-appearance had completely thrown her new husband's world for an absolute loop. She suspected he was equally curious as to why she would turn up now after all these years and undoubtedly had the same questions. Where had she been all this time? What was she doing? Who was she with?

The difference between them was that Fred obviously had no interest in actually getting those answers, he made it clear that night he wanted nothing more to do with his mother. Daphne was a loyal girlfriend and now wife, if he didn't want to talk about it, she wouldn't press it. She never mentioned the name 'Nerys' again. Well...not to Fred anyway.

The thing is, Daphne Blake couldn't let things go. Maybe it was a curse, she didn't know, she didn't know much about Fred's relationship with his mother but she was determined to find out. Just two days after Nery's dramatic re-appearance, Daphne called in two separate illicit lunch dates...

Lunch Date One: Velma

"So, remind me again Daphne, what we are doing?"

Daphne looked at her brunette friend sat alongside her in Velma's car and gave a weak smile.

"Surveillance," she admitted, keeping her eyes on the storefront, they were sitting opposite with shades on.

"You mean stalking someone?" Velma asked wide-eyed. "Daph, what the hell have you got into now? You've barely been back five minutes and you've got me stalking someone. Was Fred busy or something?"

Fred would kill me if he knew what I was doing! Daphne thought but merely said 'yes'.

Velma rolled her eyes. "Aren't you at least going to give me some background. Is this a criminal? Are we about to witness a crime?"

"Maybe."

"Really?!" Velma was suddenly enthused and sat up a little straighter in the driver's seat now. "Is this going to be a new mystery?"

Possibly, Daphne thought. "It's a situation I'm keeping tabs on."

Velma sulked again. "God, could you be any more vague Blake!" she retorted before catching herself, causing Daphne to grin. "Sorry I mean Jones."

"Wait!" Daphne suddenly yelled. "There she is!"

Velma squinted to see who she was pointing at and frowned in confusion at the timid looking blond woman who came out of the shop with a single scruffy carrier bag. "Her?" She seemed so unremarkable.

"Yes," Daphne confirmed. "Velma, we have to follow her!" They both watched as she suddenly got on a bus.

"Hmm, well that could prove to be a little tricky..."

"Follow that bus Velma!" Daphne shouted enthusiastically and Velma sighed.

"You owe me a full explanation at the end of this," she sighed indicating out from the parking space to follow the 56 Coolsville service.

Velma kept a couple of cars behind the bus, dutifully pulling in every time it stopped so Daphne could scan the departing passengers but the mysterious woman was still on board.

Twenty minutes later as they were approaching the outskirts of town, the girls began to believe she was going out of town but at possibly the last stop before the Coolsville limits appeared, she finally got off.

Daphne watched with excitement as the woman crossed the road to the slightly rundown Red Lion Motel.

"Gosh, I guess she really is sticking around and not leaving town any time soon," she exclaimed to Velma's frustration.

"Daphne, who is she!? Do we need to follow her into the hotel? Do you want to speak to her?"

Daphne shook her head. "No, it's okay, surveillance over. Let's head back. Thanks for this Velma!"

Velma waited for her to give the information but it still wasn't forthcoming. Last time I do you a favour she thought wryly.

They pulled up outside Daphne and Fred's apartment and Daphne turned to get out.

"You're really not going to tell me?" Velma said despairingly and Daphne wavered, having a change of heart.

"Okay, I'll tell you but you have to promise me not to tell Fred what we have just done."

"Okay," Velma agreed uncertainly.

"And Shaggy too."

"Fine."

Daphne nodded and grabbed the handle, she turned back quickly and garbled out her reply before slamming the door.

"It's Fred's mom okay. Bye!"

Velma's jaw hit the floor and she screamed out after her infuriating friend. "DAPH! What the hell?! You can't just leave me hanging like that! Daph! Daph!"

But Daphne was gone, buoyed with what they had found out. Daphne knew better than to meddle, she knew she could face Fred's wrath if he found out what she was up to but dammit, she just couldn't let this lie. She knew Nerys had caused him enormous heartache; she understood his anger well but also recognised this could be an opportunity for Nerys to make amends with Fred too. Daphne pondered over Nerys' motivations now it was clear she was sticking around. She knew she needed to dig a little further into Nerys and satiated her curiousity with another illicit lunch date...

Lunch Date Two– Shaggy.

"NERYS is back?!" Shaggy exclaimed in pure astonishment when Daphne met him for coffee in the park in the afternoon after she and Velma had stalked Nerys. She didn't waste any time dropping the bombshell news. She knew Shaggy had known Nerys when he and Freddy were best friends at school together so was keen to get his insight into the 'Fred's mom' of back then.

"Yep," Daphne nodded, sipping her coffee watching Shaggy's reaction with interest. "There Fred was insisting on giving me the bridal carry back into the apartment and then suddenly there she was. I thought she was yet another reporter at first but then I looked at Fred's face. He looked like you and Scooby do when you first clock a 'ghost'," she added with a small smile.

"Wow." Shaggy acknowledged, still reeling from the news. "I have to admit, I thought she was gone for good. How did she look?"

Daphne paused to recall Nery's frantic appearance and frowned. "Not good," she admitted. "She looked really pale and withdrawn. She was super skinny actually...almost looked like an..."

"Addict?" Shaggy guessed and Daphne nodded her head. She looked at him sadly as they sat together on the bench, watching children playing on the grass ahead of them.

"Yeah. I'm guessing she used to look a heck of a lot better?" She said with her eyebrow raised slightly in silent question.

"Oh hell yeah!" Shaggy agreed, instantly remembering the crush his 15-year-old self had developed on Fred's mother during his hormonal outbreak. "She was always slight, but with healthy curves you know? Blond hair, nice smile, she was actually kind of hot!" He couldn't help but admit and Daphne smiled.

"Yeah, I could tell she used to be pretty," she mused. "Wow, I bet Fred just loved you crushing on his mom!" She grinned at him.

"Ah well, I never told him. And he'll never know, right?" Shaggy replied with a little wink at Daphne.

"Your secret is safe with me Shaggy," Daphne promised faithfully, touching his knee lightly.

"I grew out of it quite quickly thankfully, and soon discovered girls my own age. She was always such a cool mom...well, until she really wasn't." Shaggy sighed, remembering the absolute state Fred was in that day. "Man, what happened with Fred's dad getting arrested and all that was bad enough but her getting up and leaving like that? It near fucking destroyed him. How's he coping with this? Not good I'm betting?"

"It really threw him for a loop," Daphne admitted. "He was just shaking for hours after. I think it really messed him up, you know Freddy though, he won't talk to me about it, he's just bottling it up and pretending it didn't happen."

"Daph," Shaggy said gently. "I don't think you quite appreciate the impact this must have had on him. It's not even the fact she left and never said goodbye, or never contacted him for years; it's the utter sense of betrayal he felt. Fred and his mom, they were pretty darn close. As an only child she doted on him. He loved her. For days he convinced himself that something terrible must have happened to her, he couldn't comprehend that she could ever have left him voluntarily. When he finally accepted that she was gone...he was a mess."

"So I understand," Daphne said sadly, grimacing as she thought of a teenaged Fred's heartache. "I don't quite know how she could do that to him if she loved him so much. She must have had a reason though, right?"

Shaggy caught that undeniable curious tone and his hand reached across to his friend's arm. "Daph," he warned her good-naturedly. "I can see what you're trying to do and just don't. Do not poke that bear Daphne. Fred will not thank you for it. What's in the past, is always best left in the past. You don't want to stir up a hornet's nest just when he's finally happy again."

Daphne sat facing Fred in their living room now, with Shaggy's words ringing in her ears again. Would talking about it with Fred really be a hornet's nest? She hadn't actually done anything else since that lunch date with Shaggy but she also hadn't told Fred about the meeting or the surveillance with Velma. Now really wasn't the time for any of that, she reasoned. Her focus and his focus had to be elsewhere.

"You know what Freddy, you're right, let's not do this," she smiled to his obvious bewilderment. "With what I'm asking you to do, you should just relax tonight, enjoy the movie!" she said grabbing up the remote and handing it back, leaving Fred utterly speechless.

Sometimes I just can't work that girl out, he thought in amazement.

Daphne went and laid down on their bed, she smiled thinking about Shaggy's advice as she had assured him she wasn't about to go on the hunt for answers. She knew what Shaggy had advised her was well meaning, but the uncomfortable truth was that Fred's bad history with his mom wasn't the only thing she knew that should be left firmly in the past, but just couldn't resist. While she was willing to put the mystery of Fred's mom on the shelf for now, there was one thing she just couldn't ignore. Daphne was still very much determined to poke that particular bear and tomorrow it was finally time.

Time to face her own personal demons.

A/N: Another Sunday update comes to an end! The good news is next week is the double weekend update - Next week there will be a Saturday AND Sunday chapter for you to enjoy :) See you next week!