Sponge: Thanks for reading and reviewing! The title of the last chapter, "The Great Escape," is a song by Boys Like Girls, so congratulations to iamacliche for the correct guess. I've had scenes from this chapter in my head for like nine or ten years at this point, so I'm SO EAGER to have finally written them down. I've made this chapter a bit longer than I normally would, but I hope you enjoy anyway! Warnings: some language, a teensy-weensy bit of angst (like miniscule…you probably won't even notice it), and plenty of kissing. Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Scooby Doo characters. They belong to Cartoon Network, Warner Brothers, and Hanna Barbera. The line about consciousness-altering love is from the TV show Lost, and the conversation Fred and Daphne have on the dance floor is inspired by SDMI. Lyrics of the title song are included in this chapter, so I won't be disclaiming them here, but I obviously didn't write them. Guess where they're from!
Chapter 16: A Thousand Years
"Everyone's staring at us," Velma pointed out on Monday morning.
"Let them," Daphne replied, linking one arm through Velma's and another through Fred's. "They should know that Mystery Incorporated is back."
That morning Fred had picked them up for school in the Mystery Machine as he'd always done in the past, and as the five of them walked from the van to the school entrance, heads were indeed turning. Velma noticed Marcie across the parking lot, smiling brilliantly at the sight of Velma walking with the gang. She also spotted Tony, who flashed his signature lopsided grin and a thumbs-up at them as they passed. It was amazing how easy it was for the gang to fall back into a rhythm, almost as if they'd never split up at all. It felt so good to be back together again – there was a kind of invincibility that they felt from being together, so that the stares didn't bother them.
Fred kissed the top of Daphne's head and patted Shaggy affectionately on the shoulder. He barely even cared that final exams started today, he was so happy.
It was with reluctance that he left his friends to go make morning announcements, but he and Daphne did share a very lingering kiss in the hallway – much to the chagrin of Maureen Fischer and Red Herring, who happened to be nearby.
In homeroom, the others had just settled into their seats when the announcements began. Everyone chattered quietly through the ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade representatives, but hushed once Fred began speaking.
"Good morning Coolsville High!" he crowed, sounding much cheerier than he had on the announcements these last couple months. "It's the first day of finals week, seniors – good luck! Yearbooks will be handed out in homeroom this week, so make sure to pick yours up. Don't forget that if you'd like to include a senior quote in the graduation program, you have until this Friday, May 28th to email your choice to the SGA. Graduation rehearsals begin next week, so keep an ear out for those announcements. Also, the senior prom will be held here at the school this Saturday, May 29th. If you still need to buy tickets to the dance, you can do so during all lunch periods or at the door.
"And speaking of the prom, I have one more very important announcement regarding the dance. This message is for Daphne Blake."
Everyone, including Mr. Aiken, swiveled their heads towards the redhead. Daphne felt herself flush scarlet.
"Daphne," Fred said through the PA system. "We've been through so much since the day we both walked into Mr. Aiken's homeroom on the first day of our freshman year. We started out as something like enemies, and then became friends before we fell in love, and I've been falling in love with you a little bit more every day since. I've been wanting to ask you this question for years, and I'm thrilled that I finally get to do it now: Daphne, will you do me the very great honor of going to the prom with me?"
There was a short pause as everyone continued to stare at Daphne, though she was no longer aware of them – she felt like she was floating.
"Mr. Aiken," Fred's voice came through the PA system again, a little hesitant now. "Could you please send her to the front office so she can give me her answer?"
Daphne glanced over at Mr. Aiken, who appeared to be trying not to laugh.
"Go, Blake," he told her, grinning.
Daphne sprinted down the hall, paying no attention to the other kids in her homeroom. She arrived in the main office, breathless, and found Fred standing at the microphone and grinning with a kind of anxious anticipation. Mrs. McDougall, the secretary, sat behind a long desk nearby pretending to file documents, but clearly eavesdropping. Her smile was even bigger than Mr. Aiken's had been. Even Principal O'Donovan had popped his head out of his office to watch the exchange.
But Daphne barely noticed anyone other than Fred.
"Have you really wanted to ask me to prom for years?" was the first thing she asked him. She was feeling too giddy to cut right to the chase.
Fred grinned wider. "I had a crush on you for a whole year before we started dating, remember? It gave me a lot of time to plan."
"Is this how you'd always planned it?"
"No," Fred admitted. "There was a trap involved in previous versions. But I didn't have time to set anything up. I would have asked you sooner if we hadn't…" he trailed off, not wanting to say broken up.
But Daphne understood his meaning. She swiftly closed the gap between them and threw her arms around him before Fred had time to respond. Their faces moved together into a sweet, gentle kiss that conveyed all the longing, regret, affection, understanding, and love they felt for each other.
"Ahem," said Principal O'Donovan, whom they'd both forgotten was still there. They broke apart flushed, embarrassed.
"Sorry," Fred apologized to the principal, who simply raised a stern eyebrow.
"Are you going to answer him, sweetheart?" Mrs. McDougall piped up.
Daphne giggled and looked up into Fred's blue eyes, shining with adoration. "Fred Jones," she said with a dazzling smile. "Of course I'll go to prom with you."
Fred picked her up in a bear hug and spun her around as Daphne gave a soft shriek of surprise.
"Young man," the principal reprimanded, but good-naturedly.
"Sorry sir," Fred apologized again, putting Daphne down. Then suddenly, as though he'd just remembered, he pressed the 'talk' button on the microphone. "She said yes!" he whooped.
From the classrooms that surrounded the main office, they could hear the muffled sounds of applause.
x.X.x
"So," said Julie that evening when everyone arrived at Tony's for their meeting. The pizza was set up on the kitchen island, and everyone began helping themselves. "How was school?"
"Great!" Fred exclaimed exuberantly. He and Daphne shared a sly smile, and Scooby good-naturedly rolled his eyes.
"Reddie asked Raphne to rhe rom," Scooby informed the band.
"That's wonderful!" Priya exclaimed, eyes shining.
"My whole homeroom burst into applause when we heard it over the announcements," Tony told them.
"So did ours," Velma replied, grinning at her smitten friends.
Daphne nodded and leaned affectionately against Fred's shoulder as he put an arm around her. "It's been a pretty incredible day. The only bad part of it was my trig final. It totally kicked my ass."
"Oh, you want to compare ass-kickings?" Velma laughed. "I had my AP calc final this morning. That was no picnic."
"Oh please," Daphne chuckled. "You know you got an A – and a 5 on the AP test."
"I will like, never understand why the teachers make us take final exams in AP classes," Shaggy sighed. His AP Spanish final was the next day, and he was not looking forward to it. "Like we already took a test for this! Why do we have to do it again?"
"Reah," Scooby agreed, chomping his pizza. He didn't have to take any exams, of course, but he wanted the others to know he was on their side.
Fred shook his head blithely. "Well," he pointed out, ever the optimist. "The good news is that after this week, we won't ever have to take a high school final ever again."
"Like hear, hear," Shaggy remarked, raising a cup of soda. Velma was nearest to him and clinked her cup against his. They made eye contact briefly before Shaggy quickly averted his gaze. He couldn't entertain the thought of getting back together with her. It was never going to happen. Why torture himself? He'd already made up his mind.
Though, that didn't mean he had to be happy about it.
"So, ladies," Priya smiled at Daphne and Velma. "Have you decided what you're going to wear to prom?"
"I just had my final fitting this afternoon after school," Daphne replied with a glow in her cheeks. She was enormously pleased with her prom dress – it was sleeveless and sparkly, and it reached all the way to the floor. And, of course, it was purple. "Do you want to see a picture?"
"Um, duh!" exclaimed Julie as she and Priya crowded around Daphne's chair. Velma peered over as well, but Daphne stopped Fred, Shaggy, Tony, Joey, and Felix, who were also trying to look.
"Sorry, girls only," she told them.
Fred frowned. "Aw come on, Daph. Shouldn't I know what my date is wearing?"
"Nope!" Daphne sang, smiling.
Fred shook his head. "Then how will I know what color your corsage should be?"
"I'll give you a hint…purple," Daphne teased with a wink.
Everyone laughed, then the girls oohed and ahhed over the dress.
"What about you, Velma?" asked Julie.
"I don't have a picture," she replied. "But it's red, with off-the-shoulder sleeves."
"It sounds lovely," said Priya.
It did sound lovely. Too bad Shaggy would never see it.
At the behest of the band, Fred and Daphne recounted the story of the prom-posal. While that was going on, Shaggy took Scooby outside. He was glad he had a few moments to himself, to wallow in his self-pity before he went back inside. He was happy the gang was back together, he really was. But it was hard to be around Velma now that they couldn't go back to the way they'd been. Especially now that Fred and Daphne were better than they'd ever been.
"Hey."
Shaggy turned at the sound of the voice, and was surprised to see Julie closing the back door behind her.
"Like hi," he said. "I just had to take Scooby Doo outside."
"Sure." Julie nodded.
In the brief silence that followed, Shaggy reflected on how familiar all this was. Hadn't they started a conversation just like this almost three months before?
"So," Julie began. "You and Velma…?"
Shaggy exhaled. "Yeah like…I think that's over." It still hurt to say it. That wasn't comforting.
Julie looked nearly as crestfallen as Shaggy felt. "Why?"
"Several reasons." Shaggy began to tick them off on his fingers. "First of all, we broke up. I'll like, take the blame for that – it was my fault it ended. But I was right – when Scooby Doo found out about us, he got like, totally mad. Second, Velma's probably got something going on with Marcie now. Which is like…fine." He couldn't disguise the lie, and he heard it in his voice.
Julie heard it too. "No it's not," she said softly. "You're not fine, I can tell. I was watching you in there. You miss her."
Shaggy shrugged and said nothing.
Julie sighed. "Fred and Daphne got back together. Why can't you guys?"
Shaggy shook his head. "Because our relationship was never like theirs. It was never so easy, or so open."
"Well," Julie pointed out. "It might have been if it hadn't been a secret."
"Yeah like, that's my point," Shaggy told her. "As long as Scooby Doo's not ready, I can't be the kind of partner that Velma deserves."
"And what kind of partner is that?" asked Julie, raising an eyebrow.
Shaggy frowned and shrugged. "You know…" he stammered, thinking of Fred and Daphne's relationship. "She like, deserves someone who…loves her. Like real, spectacular, consciousness-altering love."
"So…the kind you have for her, then?"
Again, Shaggy said nothing.
Julie sighed once more. "So, what are you going to do at the prom?"
Shaggy closed his eyes. "I'm like, not going to prom, Julie," he told her quietly.
Julie stared at him, aghast. "You're what?"
"It's gonna be too painful," he replied. "We can't go back to the way we were…so like, I gotta get over her somehow."
"Or you could tell her you love her!" Julie exclaimed.
Now it was Shaggy's turn to sigh. He just couldn't make her understand how impossible that was.
"It's like, too late," he told her. "I already made her wait for me once. It's like, not fair for me to make her keep waiting till Scooby's ready."
At that moment, Scooby emerged from the forest, and Shaggy headed for the back door.
"Shaggy…" Julie started.
But he just shook his head, opened the door, and followed Scooby back inside.
x.X.x
The day of the senior prom was warm and fair-weathered, both aspects which carried over into the early evening. Daphne took her time styling her hair into an elegant updo and slipped into her violet mermaid gown moments before Fred rang the doorbell. After one final check in the mirror, she rushed down the stairs as fast as she could.
She found him standing on her porch wearing a crisp white tuxedo with light blue accents, holding out a lavender corsage, and beaming the brightest smile she'd ever seen.
"Hey…" he murmured, taking her in. "Wow…" He was stunned speechless as he gazed at her. Daphne flushed slightly pink. "You look…amazing," he whispered. "You're gorgeous, Daphne." His face turned a bit red, and Daphne felt her heart turn over.
"So are you," she told him, deftly clipping a boutonniere to his lapel and kissing him softly on the mouth, which he returned with fervor. When they broke apart, Daphne glanced behind Fred and was surprised to notice not the Mystery Machine parked in front of the house, but a rented limo. She looked at him and he shrugged.
"My dad convinced me to go for it," he told her. "He said you only have a senior prom once."
Daphne smiled luminously, and Fred's heart pounded.
It didn't take them long to arrive at the school, but almost everyone was there already. Balloons and crepe streamers decorated the gym. The band was set up on a large platform near the exits to the locker rooms. Heavy Meddle sounded great and Fred couldn't help tapping his toes to the beat.
Daphne glanced around the gym at their classmates. Rob King and Laura Greer were dancing nearby, while Sadie MacElroy and Patrick Kutner were snuggled up together on the bleachers. Brandon Michaels and Ashley Hoang were laughing with a group of students on the far side of the gym. Red Herring and several other football players leaned against a wall and watched a group of dancing girls, which included Maureen Fischer, Rachael Amora, and Phoebe Albion. There were a few friendly couples on the dance floor as well – Caleb Walters danced with Ellie Flanders, and Tony Moretti danced with Corinne Faulkner.
As Fred and Daphne made their way to the dance floor, Daphne noticed Velma enter the gym alone, but looking sensational. She wore a fiery scarlet dress with an A-line silhouette that accented her curves perfectly. Daphne noticed that Velma had opted to leave Dottie's magnetic earrings at home tonight, but someone – probably Madelyn – had helped her put slight waves in her short hair.
Regardless of how striking Velma looked, Daphne still sighed a bit wistfully No one knew exactly why Shaggy had decided not to come to prom, but their attempts to convince him otherwise had failed. They were disappointed – especially Velma – but there was nothing they could do.
Daphne caught Velma's eye and waved.
Velma grinned and waved back. She was about to make her way over to them, when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.
"Hey," said Marcie, grinning as Velma turned.
Velma's face broke into a wider grin. "Hi!" she exclaimed. "You look great!" She really did. Marcie wore a buttery yellow ensemble, a color that Velma – with her limited fashion sense – thought suited her quite well.
Marcie kept grinning, though her cheeks were now tinged a bit pink.
"Thanks. So do you," she murmured. Then she glanced up apologetically. "Sorry. I interrupted you on your way over to see Daphne and Fred."
Velma shook her head with a grin. "Don't worry about it," she replied. "I'll catch up with them later."
Marcie took a deep breath. "Listen," she sighed, not quite meeting Velma's gaze. "Maybe this isn't the best time, but I wanted to talk about…last weekend…"
Velma froze. They hadn't spoken about Marcie's secret admirer confession since the day Velma had been abducted. Of course, she'd known it would have only been a matter of time before they had to bring up everything that had happened last week, even if Velma had no idea what to say.
She thought she might as well start by trying to curb any awkwardness. "I'm not mad," Velma told her. "Really, I'm not."
"I know," Marcie assured her. "I just… I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry."
Velma furrowed her brow. This, she hadn't been expecting. "What are you sorry for?"
Marcie sighed. "I only told you about the notes so I could help you solve the mystery. But I really never wanted you to know that it was me."
Now that she thought about it, it was a bit odd that Marcie had never told Velma about her feelings during the two months that the gang had been apart. Though she thought she might know the reason, Velma still asked, "Why?"
Marcie finally turned to gaze at her. "You know why," she responded softly.
Now it was Velma's turn to look away. Several moments passed before she finally spoke again. "I'm…just confused," she admitted.
"About what?" asked Marcie.
Velma bit her lip. "My feelings." Velma had always been a logical person, relying more on her brain than her heart in times of crisis. She figured it was best to be honest with Marcie about this. "I mean…" she continued. "I'd never really thought about you like that before. I'd never thought about anyone like that, besides…Shaggy." Her breath hitched when she said his name, but she pressed on. "Your confession last week just surprised me. And I didn't give myself a chance to really think about what it meant for me. I think it just…might have been too soon. But give me some time, and – "
Marcie held up her hand. "Remind me again why you didn't come to prom with him?"
Velma shook her head. "I'm sure he's still angry at me."
Marcie frowned. "Why would he be angry at you?"
Velma scoffed incredulously. "I made him choose between me and Scooby, Marce. If he hasn't forgiven me for that yet, I honestly don't blame him. He can take as much time as he needs. And if he never gets there…" Velma swallowed as her heart twisted sickeningly. "Then that's okay," she finished quietly.
Marcie just looked at her skeptically.
Velma shook her head. "Look…Shaggy's home with Scooby. Don't worry about him – he made his choice."
"But so did you," Marcie said softly. "A long time ago. And I know it's not me. And that's okay. It really is."
Her voice was sincere, but Velma still felt bad. She exhaled slowly.
"I really do like you, Marcie," she told her, feeling her face flush a little.
Marcie nodded. "I know. I like you too." She looked at Velma seriously. "But you love him."
Velma said nothing.
Marcie shrugged. "Am I wrong?"
Velma sighed, thinking about the way Shaggy made her laugh. And about the way she felt when they made eye contact across a room. She thought about the way her fingers tingled when she touched him, and the way her whole body felt electric wherever he kissed her. She didn't understand it – she never really had. But it was true. It had been all along.
"No, you're right," she admitted quietly. "I know it doesn't make any logical sense but…I'm in love Shaggy. I always have been." She glanced up apologetically. "I'm sorry, Marcie."
Marcie just looked at her kindly. "You can't help who you love, V. It doesn't matter if it's logical – it's okay to trust your heart sometimes. To be honest, your feelings make perfect sense to me. The two of you have been through so much together… I don't think I could ever have the kind of bond with you that you have with him." She smiled slightly. "Besides, you could do worse."
Velma sighed again, full of remorse for what she'd lost. If she'd never asked Shaggy to choose between her and Scooby, maybe he'd be here with her. But asking him to make that choice was unforgiveable, and she knew it. It was her own fault they'd broken up. She deserved this loneliness, this heartbreak. "It doesn't matter," she murmured. "It's over between us anyway." She glanced back towards Daphne and Fred who were now laughing together as they danced. She was watching them so closely that she didn't notice Tony eavesdropping nearby, typing quickly on his phone.
x.X.x
"Scoob!" Shaggy called from the living room. "Like are you coming? I've got the movie all set up."
"Rokay, Raggy," Scooby called back. They were having a guy's night in, watching Vincent Van Ghoul movies and, of course, eating. Scooby was currently gathering bags of chips and bowls of popcorn which Shaggy had prepared.
Bzzt bzzt
Scooby paused as he started to leave the kitchen and turned back towards the sound. Shaggy had left his cellphone on the countertop, and Scooby saw that the screen had lit up with a text message.
Tony Moretti: dude, dinks is in love with you. i just heard her tell fleachy. look, i'm not one to meddle, not like you guys, and i know i said i wouldn't take sides, but i'm taking sides here. i think you two deserve to be happy together. please come to prom
Scooby stared at the message. He'd known that the prom was tonight, but Shaggy hadn't given any clear reason for why he wasn't going. He hadn't realized that Velma was the factor. It occurred to Scooby that he'd never asked Shaggy point-blank about why he'd kept his relationship with Velma a secret, or why they'd even broken up in the first place. It was clear now that Shaggy was more upset about his breakup with Velma than he was letting on – and suddenly, Scooby had a reason why that might be. If Shaggy was in love with her too…
Scooby hesitated, glancing back into the living room where Shaggy sat fiddling with the remote. He watched him for a while, looking back and forth between the living room and the phone. Then he made up his mind and headed out of the kitchen, balancing the snacks on his back.
"Here roo go," Scooby said as Shaggy reached forward to place the snacks on the coffee table.
"Like thanks, buddy," Shaggy replied.
Scooby paused. "Raggy," he said quietly. "Rast year…rhy ridn't you rell me rabout Relma?"
Shaggy froze. Scooby just gazed at him solemnly. Then, Shaggy sighed. He'd lied enough. It was time for the truth.
"I was like, worried about how you'd take it," he admitted. "I mean, I know that you were always like, rolling your eyes or whatever when Fred and Daphne were…you know." Shaggy flushed, embarrassed to be talking about this. "I didn't want you to get mad." He chuckled humorlessly. "Like, fat lot of good that did me, huh?"
"Rye rasn't mad rabout that," Scooby told him.
Shaggy furrowed his brow. "Like what are you talking about? Yes you were. You said so like, the day the gang split up."
"Rye rasn't mad rabout Relma," Scooby clarified.
The two gazed at each other for a moment, and understanding suddenly washed over Shaggy.
"You like, weren't mad about my relationship with her," he realized. "You were mad that I lied to you about it."
Scooby nodded and Shaggy leaned forward on his elbows to bury his head in his hands. They were silent for a few moments.
"Scoob like, I'm sorry," he murmured after a while. He realized he'd never really apologized – not to him, not to Fred or Daphne. Certainly not to Velma. Shame rushed through him, and he groaned. "I wish I'd never lied to you – any of you, but like especially you. She like, kept saying that I needed to tell you about us, that it would be worse the longer I waited." He shook his head. "She was right."
He sighed and looked up to gaze at Scooby mournfully. "I should have listened to her," he muttered. "I just…I was like, so worried about losing you that I never really thought about how I would feel if I lost her."
"Roo'll rever lose re, Raggy," Scooby told him. The idea was ridiculous…a girl coming between them? Not likely. Especially if the girl in question was Velma. "Resides…roo can rix it." Scooby went back into the kitchen and returned with Shaggy's cellphone and a Scooby Snack.
Shaggy stared at the screen and read Tony's text. Scooby saw his lips moving as he read the words.
"She…like she's in love with me?" he murmured, blinking in disbelief at the message.
Scooby gazed at Shaggy and indicated the Scooby Snack with his tail. Shaggy glanced at it, its meaning clear. The Scooby Snack had always been a symbol of bravery, of courage. And now the time had come for Shaggy to conquer his fear once and for all.
He gulped it down and stood up.
"Like Scoob, you still have that bowtie collar?" he asked.
"Reah," Scooby replied, feeling a grin overtake his face.
But Shaggy just looked resolute and serious. "Go get it," he said. "We're like, going to the prom."
x.X.x
Red Herring and Maureen Fischer were crowned Prom King and Queen, which might have bothered Daphne in another lifetime. Tonight she couldn't care less about popularity contests. She was dancing with Fred, the great love of her life, and being in his arms like this was only thing that mattered to her.
"Is this how you always pictured our prom?" Daphne asked him, gazing up into his bright blue eyes.
Fred smiled, but shrugged. "Mostly. I always pictured you as my date."
Daphne stood on her toes to kiss him. "I did, too," she told him softly.
Fred's face fell slightly. "There is one thing I wish was different," he confessed.
"What?" asked Daphne.
Fred frowned. "I'm sorry I couldn't get us a hotel room. I know that we'd been talking about…you know…"
But Daphne just shook her head and wrapped her arms more tightly around him. She couldn't pretend like she wasn't disappointed that their original plan wasn't going to happen, but Fred already felt so guilty. She didn't want him to feel any worse. "Freddie, please don't worry about that," she begged. "We'll have time. I'm just happy that we're here now. Together."
They shared another kiss as the song ended.
"All right everybody," Julie said from the stage. "It's been pretty fast-paced this evening, so we're getting ready to slow things down a bit. Right now might be a good time to ask that special someone to dance." She grinned out at the students as couples began wafting their way towards the dance floor. Fred and Daphne were already out there, but he drew her in closer so she could lay her head on his chest and sway gently to the music. Priya had begun to play a low, slow ballad on the piano, and the notes resonated through Daphne's whole body.
Daphne sighed. "This is so romantic."
"Yeah," Fred agreed, murmuring into her hair.
Daphne closed her eyes. "This really is how I've always pictured prom, you know? Us here, on the dance floor. Just you and me…"
"…And Scooby!"
"What?" Daphne's eyes shot open and she glanced off in the direction that Fred was staring. A dog in a blue bowtie collar had just entered the gymnasium, closely followed by a tall, lanky young man in a dark tuxedo.
"Jeepers," Daphne murmured. "That is Scooby. And…Shaggy!" He had combed his hair, so Daphne hadn't recognized him right away. Shaggy was here? At prom? But why?
Understanding what must be going on, Daphne pulled away from Fred just enough to look around the gym. "Freddie, where's Velma?"
Julie began to sing.
"Heart beats fast,
Colors and promises."
"Rogers!"
Shaggy and Scooby had barely entered the gym when Tony Moretti sprinted towards them. "You made it!" Tony seemed relieved.
"Like where is she?" Shaggy asked, ignoring any pleasantries.
Tony's brow creased. "I don't know. I lost track of her after I texted you. She was with Fleachy last I saw her, but Fleachy left a little while ago."
"Velma didn't leave too, did she?" Shaggy asked frantically.
Tony shrugged, worried. "I'm not sure."
"How to be brave?
How can I love when I'm
Afraid to fall?"
"Raggy!" Scooby barked suddenly, gesturing across the gym. Shaggy and Tony both turned and beyond the dance floor, sitting by herself on the bleachers, was Velma. She looked stunning, radiant, bright as the sun. Shaggy felt his heart climb into his throat, beating wildly.
Julie sang.
"But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt
Suddenly goes away somehow."
Tony clapped Shaggy on the shoulder. "You can do this, man."
Scooby nodded and gazed up at him seriously. "Go ret her, Raggy."
"One step closer…"
Fortified by their words and the Scooby Snack, Shaggy nodded and started across the room.
"I have died every day
Waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid,
I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more."
Velma still hadn't noticed Shaggy coming towards her, but he was suddenly overcome with doubt and fear. What the hell was he doing? This was insane. He wasn't one for making grand gestures like this and besides, it wasn't going to change anything anyway. There was no way Velma would take him back after everything he'd put her through. He stopped walking midway across the room, right in front of the stage where the band stood.
"What's he doin?" Tony demanded, glancing at Scooby. "Why'd he stop?"
"Re's scared," Scooby replied quietly. He'd recognize that terrified look anywhere.
Velma, still unaware of Shaggy's presence, sighed and got up from the bleachers. She began making her way towards the exit, taking the long way around the dance floor. Shaggy did nothing except turn to watch her go.
From their spot on the dance floor, Fred and Daphne watched them cautiously, still holding each other. "Daph," Fred began. "Should we…?"
Daphne shook her head. "No. Look." She pointed up to the stage. Fred followed her gaze.
Julie was the lone member of Heavy Meddle who had noticed Shaggy. In the short instrumental space between verses, she glanced between him and Velma, and realized what was happening.
Shaggy sensed Julie's eyes on him and turned back to glance up at her. She sang.
"Time stands still
Beauty in all she is.
I will be brave,
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me.
Every breath,
Every hour has come to this."
It was ironic, thought Shaggy, that Julie had so wanted to help him all those months ago, and now she was without quite realizing how. Shaggy turned back to gaze at Velma's retreating form and let the lyrics of the song embolden him. He was tired of doing nothing, tired of pretending that Velma didn't mean as much to him as she did. He loved her, and he needed her to know that – whether she wanted him back or not.
"One step closer…"
He doubled back. "Velma!" he called.
Velma suddenly turned at the sound of her name. She almost hadn't recognized the handsome young man striding towards her. "Shaggy?" she murmured in disbelief.
"I have died every day
Waiting for you."
"What are you doing here?" she asked as he drew closer.
"Like, setting things right," he told her.
"Darling, don't be afraid
I have loved you
For a thousand years."
Shaggy suddenly realized he had no idea what to say. He didn't have a plan. What was he going to do? Like, I guess I'll just open my mouth and let out whatever comes to me, he decided. "Look," he said aloud. "I am so sorry. Like, I was an idiot. I am an idiot."
"I'll love you for a thousand more."
"I never apologized for like, any of the shit I put you through," Shaggy continued as Julie continued to sing in the background. "I'm sorry that I always made you feel like you didn't matter to me, because that's not how I feel at all. You…you do matter. You matter so goddamn much to me, Velma. That's why it hurt so bad when we broke up. I like, can't even begin to explain to you how much I regret that."
"And all along I believed
I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you
For a thousand years.
I'll love you for a thousand more."
There was an instrumental break in the song now, and Shaggy was afraid that if he stopped talking for even a second, he would lose his nerve completely. So he kept going. "I was miserable – just ask Scoob. But like, I couldn't choose between the two of you. It's impossible. Scooby Doo is my best friend, and…you just like, can't be what he is to me." Shaggy took Velma's hands. "But he can't be what you are to me either."
The moment their hands touched, such a familiar feeling flooded through Shaggy that it was almost palpable. From the look on Velma's face, he was sure she'd felt it too. It fortified him, and he didn't take his eyes off her.
"Every single good thing that's happened to me since I moved here…the gang, our friendships…it's like, all been because of you. You've made me like, better and braver than I ever thought I could be, and I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to tell you, but…like…" He glanced away briefly and swallowed, almost chickening out. But he steeled himself, took a deep breath, and finally said the thing that he'd been wanting to say to her for months.
"I love you, Velma." He looked into her eyes again, his gaze soft. "I'm in love with you."
Velma stared at him, slack jawed, hardly daring to believe her ears.
Shaggy loved her.
He was in love with her.
And he was admitting it, out loud, in front of everybody.
Could it be possible that he'd forgiven her for everything? Was she dreaming? She'd never seen him more sincere.
Unbeknownst to either of them, eyes from all over the room – Fred's, Daphne's, Scooby's, Tony's, Julie's – were boring into them. But Velma didn't see any of them. She only saw Shaggy.
"One step closer…" sang Julie.
As Velma stared into Shaggy's eyes, she remembered Marcie's advice from earlier in the evening. It's okay to trust your heart sometimes. And now, in response to Shaggy's words, it felt like her heart was swelling up to fill her entire ribcage.
Overwhelmed, Velma blinked back tears, but her voice still shook with emotion when she confessed in a whisper, "I love you too, Shaggy."
"One step closer…"
Shaggy only paused for a fraction of a second. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Scooby Doo across the room. But the dog wasn't scowling, or frowning, or looking betrayed. He was smiling proudly. A blessing that Shaggy had never really needed, but craved anyway. Shaggy and Velma had finally confessed their love for each other, and the world hadn't come crashing down around them. In fact, it appeared to have mended itself.
Shaggy looked back at Velma, eyes shining. Then, instinctively, he bent his face towards her and she stood on her toes. And at last, their lips met in a soft, tender kiss.
"I have died every day
Waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid
I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more."
They didn't notice Julie clench her fist in victory from the stage, or Tony sigh in relief, or Fred and Daphne grip each other happily and engage in a kiss of their own. They didn't notice the confused and awed glances of some of the couples around them, the raised eyebrows or romantic grins. They were only aware of each other – Velma's hand on Shaggy's jaw, Shaggy's arms around Velma's waist, and the feel of their first kiss in a very long time.
Julie was still smiling victoriously as she sang.
"And all along, I believed
I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more."
As the song ended, Shaggy and Velma broke apart, still staring at each other.
Then Shaggy said, "Oh no."
"What?" asked Velma, confused.
Shaggy frowned. "Like does this mean that the Twilight song is our song now?"
Velma laughed out loud before she could stop herself. Shaggy was such a goofball, even a confession of love couldn't change that part of him. Somehow, this solidified Velma's feelings in a way she hadn't realized. It didn't make logical sense. But maybe it didn't have to. Maybe she just loved him. This simple realization made her feel lighter than air, and she leaned into him, still laughing giddily.
Shaggy laughed too, pleased and thrilled by the simple fact of her laughter. The laughter of this girl that he loved more than any other was the best sound in the world to him. As she leaned into him, he brought his arms around her, chuckling into her sweet-smelling hair for a moment. Then he pulled back from her slightly and traced the line of her freckled cheekbone with his thumb.
Their lips met again, and it felt like coming home.
Sponge: FINAL CHAPTER NEXT WEEK! Review if you please, and don't forget to guess where the chapter title comes from!