CHAPTER 3: Confrontation
Daphne sat at the edge of the fountain, facing Velma and Shaggy. "Boy,
it's great to see you guys again. You can't possibly know how much I've missed
you."
Velma grinned. "Oh, we know, because we felt it too, but we didn't want
to bother you." The bespectacled girl leaned over the stroller and looked at the
baby. "And who, might I ask, is this?" she asked, putting her hand under the
infant's chin.
Daphne giggled. "This is Victoria," she announced, proudly, lifting her
daughter out of the stroller and showing her off to her best friend.
Scooby lay contently at his owner's feet, preferring to ignore the fuss
going on around him. Suddenly, his nose began to twitch. He sensed something
in the air, the scent of which spoke to an instinct deep inside of him. This same
instinctive voice seemed to urge, go to her. She is waiting. As if drawn by a
trance, Scooby obeyed the voice, slowly getting up and walking in the direction of
the scent. Suddenly, he stopped and looked up. In front of him stood a majestic
creature, the epitome of canine and Great Dane beauty. Scooby stared at the
beautiful creature, transfixed by her presence. The same voice that he had heard
only seconds earlier spoke to him once again, this time even more strongly than
before. Go, it urged, and he did.
The instinctive drive was broken by a more familiar, less distant sounding
call. "Hey, Scooby-Doo." Shaggy came running over, accompanied by Velma,
and found his dog and found him nose-to-nose with the fawn colored female.
"Well," he commented. "Like, what have we here?"
Velma surveyed the newcomer. "I know that dog," she announced.
"That's Champion Race the Wind's Kahlua Cream. She was named 'best in
show' at Westminster last year."
Shaggy looked at Velma doubtfully. "Like, some guy entered a drink in a
dog show?" Velma chuckled. "No, silly. 'Kahlua Cream' is the name of the
dog. She's the offspring of Bob Miller's champion Great Dane. Remember
Bob?? He's the one who gave us the break in that dog napping case."
The skinny man nodded. "Yeah, I remember now, but like, what does she
want with Scooby? "
Daphne chuckled as she walked over and surveyed the scene. "I think it's
more like what does Scooby want with her. " She pointed to the two animals.
"Look at them."
The two, giant dogs walked in circles around each other, stopping
occasionally to nose nudge.
"Y'hungry, girl?" Shaggy asked, holding out a Scooby snack which the
female Dane promptly devoured. Her tailed swished rapidly from side to side as
she nudged the skinny man's arm, hoping for another morsel.
Before he could react, though, Laura Whitney stormed onto the scene,
glaring angrily at the female dog. "There you are, you stupid animal!" she yelled,
sternly, grabbing the leash and pulling forcefully. "I'll teach you to run off!" she
yelled, taking the loose end of the leash and holding it overhead like a whip.
The female dog cowered in fright.
Seconds later, Marc Wyndham caught up with his ex-wife. "Be gentle!"
he scolded. "Don't hurt the poor thing."
Laura shot him a dirty look. "Stay out of this you imbecile," she fumed.
"This is my dog, now!" She turned towards Shaggy, Daphne and Velma, glaring
at them. "You kids keep that mutt away from my dog! Do you have any idea
who this dog is?"
Hearing the commotion, Fred hastily rushed over, nearly tripping over his
daughter's stroller. "I'm sorry, madame," he spoke, looking apologetically at
Laura Whitney. "I assure you, it won't happen again." As if to emphasize his
point, the blond man gripped Scooby's collar and tugged, firmly.
The chocolate colored Great Dane resisted, refusing to be pulled back.
"Come on, Scoob," said Shaggy, adding his grip to Fred's. "Like, that's
enough for one day."
Still, the dog refused to move.
Laura Whitney shot the two men a dirty look. "See to that," she sneered,
as she dragged her dog away. "Ignorant kids," she mumbled, as she stormed off.
"They don't know a million-dollar show dog when they see one."
Scooby slowly followed Fred, Daphne Shaggy and Velma back to the
fountain; he dropped forlornly at their feet and sighed. His gaze followed the
other dog as she was dragged away by her ornery owner. Scooby let out an
uncharacteristic whine before settling back down at his master's feet.
"Scooby Doo, what's with you?" asked Shaggy.
The Great Dane lifted his head and looked at his owner. "Ri think r'im in
ruv," he answered.
Velma rolled her eyes. "Oh brother," she said out loud.
Shaggy looked at Fred and Daphne, sitting together and holding hands.
"Like, it looks as if you two started a trend," he chuckled. "Even Scooby's caught
it!"
Daphne shot Shaggy a dirty look, elbowing him in the ribs. The look
spoke for itself. Zip it.
* * * * * * * * * *
"I don't want to argue anymore, Marc. Just give me my dog, I'll leave and
you can forget that you ever knew me. That's all there is to this."
Marc Wyndham shook his head. "No way. Not after how you treated her,
and in front of those people, too. If you're going to treat her like that, well, you
shouldn't have a dog, and that's that."
Laura's eyes grew bloodshot with rage. "She's gonna be bred in two
weeks. She stays with me until then." Laura Whitney snatched the leash from
Marc's hand, turned and stormed away from her ex-husband. The giant dog
whined in protest. "We're not through yet," Laura growled, as she jerked sharply
on the leash and walked away.
Marc Wyndham watched helplessly as his ex-wife disappeared with the
dog. He felt as if a part of his life had been taken away from him. "Don't worry,
Kala," he whispered under his breath. "I'll get you back…somehow."
* * * * * * * * * *
"Boy, like am I glad that that's over." Shaggy looked at the others.
"What was she so mad about, anyway?"
"Dog show people can be that way," replied Velma. "They don't want
anybody corrupting their prize winning animal. Of course, that woman's
behavior was a little extreme."
"Extreme," replied Daphne, exasperated. "Someone ought to teach that
woman how to manage her anger, not to mention, how to treat an animal."
Velma nodded. "Yes, I agree. But I wonder what that dog was doing off-
leash like that in the first place. Most show dog owners would never let their
prize winning animal appear in public, yet alone off the leash."
Daphne shook her head and shrugged. "Well, if I were that dog, and I
belonged to a woman like that, I would want to get out at any chance I could get!"
Fred nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that poor dog." He pointed towards
Scooby. "Speaking of poor dogs…"
The Great Dane was lying in the grass plucking flowers with his teeth then
dismembering them with his paws. "Rhe ruve me, rhe ruve me rot."
Shaggy looked at his dog. "Like, she's out of your league, buddy, so just
let it go."
Fred continued. "Anyway, I don't think there is anything we can do, so
we might as well forget about it." He glanced at his watch. "Come on, gang, let's
go home. It's getting late."
Daphne looked at her husband, then at the others. "Not before you all
promise me one thing: that we are going to see each other again and a lot more
frequently than we currently do."
Fred, Velma and Shaggy looked at the red-headed woman. "You got a
deal, Daph," Velma replied, speaking collectively.
Daphne sat at the edge of the fountain, facing Velma and Shaggy. "Boy,
it's great to see you guys again. You can't possibly know how much I've missed
you."
Velma grinned. "Oh, we know, because we felt it too, but we didn't want
to bother you." The bespectacled girl leaned over the stroller and looked at the
baby. "And who, might I ask, is this?" she asked, putting her hand under the
infant's chin.
Daphne giggled. "This is Victoria," she announced, proudly, lifting her
daughter out of the stroller and showing her off to her best friend.
Scooby lay contently at his owner's feet, preferring to ignore the fuss
going on around him. Suddenly, his nose began to twitch. He sensed something
in the air, the scent of which spoke to an instinct deep inside of him. This same
instinctive voice seemed to urge, go to her. She is waiting. As if drawn by a
trance, Scooby obeyed the voice, slowly getting up and walking in the direction of
the scent. Suddenly, he stopped and looked up. In front of him stood a majestic
creature, the epitome of canine and Great Dane beauty. Scooby stared at the
beautiful creature, transfixed by her presence. The same voice that he had heard
only seconds earlier spoke to him once again, this time even more strongly than
before. Go, it urged, and he did.
The instinctive drive was broken by a more familiar, less distant sounding
call. "Hey, Scooby-Doo." Shaggy came running over, accompanied by Velma,
and found his dog and found him nose-to-nose with the fawn colored female.
"Well," he commented. "Like, what have we here?"
Velma surveyed the newcomer. "I know that dog," she announced.
"That's Champion Race the Wind's Kahlua Cream. She was named 'best in
show' at Westminster last year."
Shaggy looked at Velma doubtfully. "Like, some guy entered a drink in a
dog show?" Velma chuckled. "No, silly. 'Kahlua Cream' is the name of the
dog. She's the offspring of Bob Miller's champion Great Dane. Remember
Bob?? He's the one who gave us the break in that dog napping case."
The skinny man nodded. "Yeah, I remember now, but like, what does she
want with Scooby? "
Daphne chuckled as she walked over and surveyed the scene. "I think it's
more like what does Scooby want with her. " She pointed to the two animals.
"Look at them."
The two, giant dogs walked in circles around each other, stopping
occasionally to nose nudge.
"Y'hungry, girl?" Shaggy asked, holding out a Scooby snack which the
female Dane promptly devoured. Her tailed swished rapidly from side to side as
she nudged the skinny man's arm, hoping for another morsel.
Before he could react, though, Laura Whitney stormed onto the scene,
glaring angrily at the female dog. "There you are, you stupid animal!" she yelled,
sternly, grabbing the leash and pulling forcefully. "I'll teach you to run off!" she
yelled, taking the loose end of the leash and holding it overhead like a whip.
The female dog cowered in fright.
Seconds later, Marc Wyndham caught up with his ex-wife. "Be gentle!"
he scolded. "Don't hurt the poor thing."
Laura shot him a dirty look. "Stay out of this you imbecile," she fumed.
"This is my dog, now!" She turned towards Shaggy, Daphne and Velma, glaring
at them. "You kids keep that mutt away from my dog! Do you have any idea
who this dog is?"
Hearing the commotion, Fred hastily rushed over, nearly tripping over his
daughter's stroller. "I'm sorry, madame," he spoke, looking apologetically at
Laura Whitney. "I assure you, it won't happen again." As if to emphasize his
point, the blond man gripped Scooby's collar and tugged, firmly.
The chocolate colored Great Dane resisted, refusing to be pulled back.
"Come on, Scoob," said Shaggy, adding his grip to Fred's. "Like, that's
enough for one day."
Still, the dog refused to move.
Laura Whitney shot the two men a dirty look. "See to that," she sneered,
as she dragged her dog away. "Ignorant kids," she mumbled, as she stormed off.
"They don't know a million-dollar show dog when they see one."
Scooby slowly followed Fred, Daphne Shaggy and Velma back to the
fountain; he dropped forlornly at their feet and sighed. His gaze followed the
other dog as she was dragged away by her ornery owner. Scooby let out an
uncharacteristic whine before settling back down at his master's feet.
"Scooby Doo, what's with you?" asked Shaggy.
The Great Dane lifted his head and looked at his owner. "Ri think r'im in
ruv," he answered.
Velma rolled her eyes. "Oh brother," she said out loud.
Shaggy looked at Fred and Daphne, sitting together and holding hands.
"Like, it looks as if you two started a trend," he chuckled. "Even Scooby's caught
it!"
Daphne shot Shaggy a dirty look, elbowing him in the ribs. The look
spoke for itself. Zip it.
* * * * * * * * * *
"I don't want to argue anymore, Marc. Just give me my dog, I'll leave and
you can forget that you ever knew me. That's all there is to this."
Marc Wyndham shook his head. "No way. Not after how you treated her,
and in front of those people, too. If you're going to treat her like that, well, you
shouldn't have a dog, and that's that."
Laura's eyes grew bloodshot with rage. "She's gonna be bred in two
weeks. She stays with me until then." Laura Whitney snatched the leash from
Marc's hand, turned and stormed away from her ex-husband. The giant dog
whined in protest. "We're not through yet," Laura growled, as she jerked sharply
on the leash and walked away.
Marc Wyndham watched helplessly as his ex-wife disappeared with the
dog. He felt as if a part of his life had been taken away from him. "Don't worry,
Kala," he whispered under his breath. "I'll get you back…somehow."
* * * * * * * * * *
"Boy, like am I glad that that's over." Shaggy looked at the others.
"What was she so mad about, anyway?"
"Dog show people can be that way," replied Velma. "They don't want
anybody corrupting their prize winning animal. Of course, that woman's
behavior was a little extreme."
"Extreme," replied Daphne, exasperated. "Someone ought to teach that
woman how to manage her anger, not to mention, how to treat an animal."
Velma nodded. "Yes, I agree. But I wonder what that dog was doing off-
leash like that in the first place. Most show dog owners would never let their
prize winning animal appear in public, yet alone off the leash."
Daphne shook her head and shrugged. "Well, if I were that dog, and I
belonged to a woman like that, I would want to get out at any chance I could get!"
Fred nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that poor dog." He pointed towards
Scooby. "Speaking of poor dogs…"
The Great Dane was lying in the grass plucking flowers with his teeth then
dismembering them with his paws. "Rhe ruve me, rhe ruve me rot."
Shaggy looked at his dog. "Like, she's out of your league, buddy, so just
let it go."
Fred continued. "Anyway, I don't think there is anything we can do, so
we might as well forget about it." He glanced at his watch. "Come on, gang, let's
go home. It's getting late."
Daphne looked at her husband, then at the others. "Not before you all
promise me one thing: that we are going to see each other again and a lot more
frequently than we currently do."
Fred, Velma and Shaggy looked at the red-headed woman. "You got a
deal, Daph," Velma replied, speaking collectively.