As the two separate pairs that formed Mystery Inc. searched the stores for gift each found what they were looking for. Unfortunately, Fred was unable to purchase Daphne's present for her while with her and like-wise for Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy with their respective partner. Therefore, after a bit of planning by cell-phone from Fred to Shaggy, they met up and switched, each girl continuing to work with a guy. Both Shaggy and Fred may have seemed too overprotective of the girls, but they merely did not want to see them get hurt, or have pick-up lines tossed their way, though the latter they would never confess. Therefore, Velma now went off with Fred and Daphne with Shaggy and Scooby.
"So, Fred, you're not going to tell me you just spent all night around with her and didn't say a thing, right?" Velma questioned with a match-maker's gleam in her eye.
"Velma," Fred sighed, "If you're asking if I told her that I love her, the answer's 'no'."
Velma slapped his bicep and said, "What! I told you, tonight would be perfect!"
"Hey, ease up on the brutality," Fred joked as he mockingly rubbed his arm, pretending it did not hurt as much as it truthfully did. "I'm going to tell her at her family's Christmas party this year, besides, she already knows that I've liked her for a while."
"Oh Fred!" Velma exclaimed as she went to a near-by wall began hitting her head.
"Whoa! What's wrong, Velms?" Fred inquired, worried for his youngest friends state of mental stability.
"Freddie, are you that blind? Daphne's not the only one who knows that you've liked her ever since we were kids...all of Collsville knows it! When we had junior prom did you think it was mere coincidence that you were both chosen as the prince and princess? And senior prom did you think it was a fluke that you were unanimously voted you king and queen? Everyone's known! Now all you have to do is tell her how you really feel...that you don't just like her, you honestly love her."
True as it was, and as odd as it may seem, Fred felt more comfortable spending time sorting out his problems with Velma than Shaggy because he received answers instead of a guy's reply of "Like, I don't know man, I got the same problem!" Though every once in a while it didn't hurt him to speak with Shaggy, if only for the reason that he could relate with another and not feel alone in the universe with his issues.
"So, Mr. Can't-see-what's-right-in-front-of-me," Velma joked, "What did you two talk about?"
"Velma, incase you weren't aware I wasn't just with Daphne. I was in a mall with Daphne. Daphne. Me. Mall...I barely got her attention." Fred's hand motions almost made him loose the bags that held the gifts for his family and friends.
"I doubt it," Velma snickered in a tone so quietly that Fred almost did not hear her words. She then continued on a bit louder, "Did she at least hold your hand the entire time?"
"Yeah," Fred shrugged, not thinking much of it.
"Then believe it or not, she thought of you more than the other things. I mean, Freddie, come on! You said it yourself, you were in a mall, with Daphne, and she held your hand the entire time. Now, unless you went into a dressing room with her-" at this point Velma's eyes shot daggers out of showing him she knew his thoughts and wouldn't let her best-friend be thought of like that.
"Hey, you brought it up, Brainster," Fred stated trying to defend himself.
Her eyes rolled, yet she continued, "Then she it means she wouldn't have tried on anything she liked. Do you know exactly how many articles of clothing Daphne last tried on when she took me to the mall last month?"
"Fourteen?" Fred attempted to guess, only scoring a number that would be high for a male on a shopping spree.
"Three hundred twenty-seven," Velma's words were stated with care for a friend, yet distaste for spending such a long time in a mall.
"Oh," Fred stated with a slight shock, as he jumped out of the way of five seven to ten year old children running to the toy store past him.
"Yeah. Incase Coolsville noticed something else before you did, she likes you too," Velma stated, the last part slightly mumbled.
"What!" Fred exclaimed as he purchased Daphne's gift at the jewelry department, their final stop of the night.
"Oh brother...Fred it's good thing you have looks," though she joked the previous statement something inside Velma made her feel as if she meant it. "She likes...I think she loves you too, Freddie."
The next thing Velma knew was that she was slightly backing away from Fred, in a joking manor, laughing all the while, while he did his famous 'touch-down victory dance' that had been seen on the football field so many times in the years previous to that. Soon enough each member of the gang went with their first partner and linked arms as they left the mall, each had at least three bags in hand, varying in size color, and quantity.
