ROAD TRIP

This one is for all of you who favor the Shaggy-Velma coupling and have been asking for such a story. It is rated PG-13 for a brief scene of drug use and some thematic content, although, I admit, it is rather tame for such a rating..

Chapter 1: Farewell

The constellations in the late summer sky shone brightly that night, but for once, Velma Dinkley paid little interest to the stars; the events of the past few hours replayed constantly in her mind, distracting her from any other thoughts. The night had begun routinely enough; the gang had solved the case of a ghost haunting a toy factory and spoken to the media about their adventure. But following the interview, things had taken a horrible turn, ending in a fight that ultimately led to the untimely demise of Mystery Inc. And now that Fred and Daphne had left, the young woman found herself alone with Shaggy and his Great Dane, Scooby-Doo. "I can't believe it ended like this," she wept, softly.

"Rah, re reither," uttered Scooby, echoing Velma's sentiments.

The skinny man put his arms around the younger girl, drawing her into a tight and reassuring embrace. "I know, Velms," he replied, patting her gently on the back. "Like, I can't believe it myself."

The bespectacled girl shook her head. "And the worst part of it is, it is all my fault. If only I hadn't wanted credit for my plan, we'd still be friends with Fred and Daphne and we'd be…" Velma's speech trailed off, her last words lost in the sound of her sobs.

Shaggy drew her closer, tightening his grip in the embrace; he felt both awkward and secure in his new role as the younger girl's confidante. In the past, it had been Daphne who had provided the emotional support for the younger girl; Shaggy had been somewhat of an older brother figure. But, since Daphne was no longer there, the skinny man knew that he now had to fulfill both roles; the younger girl's well being almost depended on it. "So, like, what are you planning to do now?" he asked.

"My father knows someone who works for NASA who is looking for a research assistant; I was going to give him a call tomorrow." She paused, then looked up at shaggy. "What about you?"

The skinny man shrugged. "I dunno, like, just chill out, I guess. I got a buddy out in California whom I haven't seen in quite sometime; I was thinking of paying him a visit."

"And after that?"

Shaggy shook his head. "I really don't know. I'm not like you, Vel, I just go with the flow and live each day as it comes to me, you know, like they say, carpe dentum."

Velma managed a feeble smile at the sound of Shaggy's mistaken phrase. "That's Carpe DIEM, Shag," she gently corrected, then hugged him. A sudden wave of sadness swept over the young woman. "I'm gonna miss you, Shaggy," she wept, tightening her grip.

"Like, I'll miss you too, Vel," he softly replied, handing her a crumpled piece of paper. "The guy I'm going to see lives out in Santa Cruz. I dunno where I'll be, but, if you're ever in the area, like, feel free to look me up."

Velma nodded. "I'll do," she whispered.

"And, if you can't find me, like, just look for the van. It'll probably stand out, even down there.

The bespectacled girl smiled at the comment.

A soft whimper broke the silence, and Velma felt a wet nose gently nudging her hand. "I'll miss you too, Scoob," she whispered, gently scratching the dog behind his ears.

Shaggy hugged the younger girl one last time. "So long, Vel," he whispered, "I'll miss you."

Velma hesitated for a moment. "Shaggy," she blurted, looking at her friend through her tear stained glasses, "please." She threw her arms around the skinny man one last time, and gently kissed him on the lips. The pair savored the moment; although there was nothing romantically between them, the kiss carried the feelings of deep, devoted love.

Shaggy hesitantly broke from the kiss. "I'll miss you, Vel," he whispered, as he turned to walk towards the van.

Velma felt a lump forming in her throat, trembling, as she felt his hand withdraw from her grip. Slowly, she raised her hand, waving as she watched the van pull away from the curb. "Goodbye, Shaggy," she whispered, "I'll miss you."

Unable to contain her emotions any longer, Velma burst out crying; the sound of her ragged sobbing echoed in the silence of the star-lit night.