Sponge: Welcome, everyone, to chapter 6! This fic is now officially rated M with the publication of this chapter, so please for the love of all that is holy READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. Warnings: Fraphne kissing and some graphic Shelma romance. Shirts are coming off, people. You have been warned. Also, some implied masturbation and, as always, language. Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Scooby Doo characters. They belong to Cartoon Network, Warner Brothers, and Hanna-Barbera. All lyrics to the song "I'm Alive" belong to Brian Yorkey. All dialogue in bold comes from the Next to Normal script.

Chapter 6: I'm Alive

Dog and ghost stared at each other across the catwalk, both unmoving. Scooby began to tremble in fright but found himself rooted to the spot, frozen with fear.

She was just as Leesa had described. From the hair to the eyes to the dress. Leesa hadn't mentioned her murderous glare though.

Scooby shut his eyes, hoping that by the time he opened them again, the specter would be gone. When he did open his eyes again, he was surprised to discover that she had, indeed, disappeared.

"Ruh?" Scooby blinked in disbelief. Save for himself, the catwalk was completely deserted. It was as though she had never been there at all. But he had definitely seen her. Hadn't he?

For a millisecond, he thought about investigating the other end of the catwalk. He even took a tentative step forward. Then his self-preservation caught up with him and he turned back around and sped through the costume loft, down the stairs, and onto the stage.

Nearly everyone had returned to the auditorium now. Shaggy and Velma were back from the practice room, and Leesa was just arriving with an armload of folders. The only one still missing was Holden.

"Where in God's nameis that boy...?" Mr. Atwood was muttering when Scooby skidded into view. He stopped just before he knocked Mr. Atwood over.

"Scoob!" Shaggy saw the look of fright in his pet's face. "Like what's the matter, buddy? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"Rye rid!" Scooby exclaimed, feeling a little hysterical.

Everyone furrowed their brows, but Leesa gasped.

"The Phantom? She's here?" She looked around. "Where did you see her?"

"Ron rhe ratwalk," Scooby replied, a little short of breath. Everyone looked up towards the catwalk.

Suddenly, Holden entered through the curtains, and stopped short at everyone's gazes.

"Walsh!" Mr. Atwood barked. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I was tidying the boy's dressing room a little," Holden replied. "What's going on?"

"The dog thinks he saw the Phantom of the Auditorium," one of the stagehands said. Scooby frowned at being called "the dog."

"Rye rid ree rer," he muttered, even though it had happened so fast he couldn't be sure. Holden could hear the hesitation, and furrowed his brow skeptically.

"What did she look like?" Leesa asked in a terrified whisper.

"Rack rair. Rhite ress," Scooby replied, still trying to regain control of his heartbeat.

Leesa glared at Holden. "Isn't that exactly what I said around this time last year? Didn't I say she had black hair and a white dress?"

"You also said she had yellow eyes," Holden reminded her.

"Rhe rid!" Scooby barked. "Rhe rid rave rellow ryes!"

Daphne knelt beside Scooby. "Shh Scooby, it's okay. How about we go investigate?"

Scooby shook his head emphatically. "Ruh-uh! Ro way!"

"Like it's all right buddy," Shaggy tried to calm him. "How about me and you stay here while the rest of the gang goes?" Shaggy had never seen his friend so shaken, and glanced around at the others, who nodded in understanding.

"Which part of the catwalk was she on?" Velma asked.

Scooby pointed up to the right.

"Let's go through the wood loft," Fred said.

"There's no time," Mr. Atwood exclaimed. "We were supposed to start rehearsal fifteen minutes ago. We have to begin."

Fred and the girls looked at each other.

"Are you absolutely positive you saw something up there?" Fred asked Scooby.

"Res," Scooby repeated stubbornly, even though he wasn't sure at all.

"Well," said Leesa reluctantly. "Regardless, we've got to get to work now. I don't want Mr. Atwood to have a coronary embolism." She patted Scooby on the head. "Don't worry. I believe you."

Scooby sighed. It was a start, at least.

x.X.x

Rehearsals continued. Mr. Atwood was still tense, but no one mentioned it, as if by ignoring his frustration, it might go away. They all worked hard and steadily, eager to have the first act blocked by the end of September, even though it looked more and more likely every day that this would not actually happen. The good news was that Fred was getting a little better at memorizing his lines, though he still wasn't entirely off book. Luckily, Leesa or Scooby were always around to give him a line. Tony and Daphne had finally gotten their dance down perfectly, and everyone moved right along through Act I.

Other people had begun to notice the weird things happening at rehearsal, especially after the Phantom had allegedly appeared to Scooby Doo. Lights on the catwalk flickered constantly, though Travis and his team checked them every day. There were regular issues with the soundboard, which Addie and her team tried desperately to fix. And nine times out of ten, the props were not where they were supposed to be. Usually they were items that Daphne needed, but nearly everyone in the cast found themselves missing props at one point or another. Diana's pill bottles. Dan's office phone. Natalie's textbooks. Henry's bong. Dr. Madden's clipboard. They all had gone missing over the past several days. Part of the reason Mr. Atwood was so frazzled was because of the disappearance of props. Corinne Faulkner and the rest of her team were frantic. The seniors blamed the Phantom, but no one had seen her since Scooby.

Through it all, Shaggy and Velma continued their secret trysts in the practice room. Five minutes before and after rehearsal had become almost a tease at this point, and it was no longer enough time to satiate their passion. Shaggy almost always had to wait in the practice room a few extra minutes to get himself to calm down before he joined the others. Even more embarrassingly, sometimes he would find himself fantasizing about Velma during class – particularly in English and Spanish, where they sat next to each other, and he often found himself trying in vain not to stare at that forbidden line where the tops of her thighs met the hem of her skirt. It was almost impossible for him to concentrate on anything else during class, especially as he was counting down the hours to how soon he would actually be kissing and touching her.

Since the first time Shaggy had gotten aroused, they had gone a little farther. Velma, who had always been the braver of the two, had made the first move. Truthfully, she'd gotten the inspiration from Daphne and Fred. She'd seen the effect that Daphne's touch had on Fred, and wanted to see if it would be the same for her and Shaggy. The first time her hands had slipped under Shaggy's shirt had been the day after they'd caught Fred and Daphne in the Mystery Machine. When Velma's fingers made contact with his bare, tender skin, Shaggy had felt lust shoot through him like a jolt of desire he felt for Velma was unparalleled to anything he'd felt for any other girl. And he wanted to touch her back.

So he had slid his hands up her spine, under her sweater, brushing his fingers along her smooth, delicate skin. Her reaction had been just as he'd hoped – a shuddery gasp, then quiet whimpers as he glided his fingers up and down her back, occasionally skimming over the band of her bra.

Shaggy had never unhooked a girl's bra before. To be honest, he didn't quite understand how they worked. He was content with this, for now.

Until Friday.

It was two days after Scooby's ghost sighting, and Shaggy and Velma were in the practice room before rehearsal. There were no more awkward silences or gathering of nerves – these days, they were on each other as soon as Shaggy locked the door. They had also taken to sitting (and occasionally laying) on the floor together, as they sometimes found their passion too strong to remain standing. They were sitting now, as close as they could get without Velma actually straddling Shaggy's lap. Both of their shirts were pushed up very high, and Shaggy reveled in the fact that he could get a vocal response out of Velma by just occasionally brushing his fingers down her back.

She had no idea her body could feel like this from the simple skin-on-skin contact under their clothes. Every single one of her nerve endings felt alive. Velma wondered briefly how she would feel if neither of them were wearing anything. It was exhilarating to feel her skin on fire under Shaggy's touch. No wonder Fred and Daphne couldn't control themselves sometimes.

What's the matter with you? Stop thinking about Fred and Daphne! Velma scolded herself. She didn't have to admonish herself for long – Shaggy was proving an excellent distraction.

Their kissing was impatient, tongues colliding, teeth nipping, breathing harsh. Velma's hands traveled up Shaggy's body under his shirt, up to his shoulders. Instinctively, he broke apart for a moment to remove his shirt completely.

Everything was happening so fast, but time seemed to slow down for both of them in this moment. Perhaps it had even stopped altogether. They stared at each other, breathless, taking in what he'd just done. Velma blinked several times at the sight of him. The gang had gone to the pool together over the summer and she'd seen him in swim trunks then, but there was something very different about seeing him in his context. Why was that so surprising to her?

Shaggy felt himself blush. They hadn't talked about this, but it certainly went beyond the 'practice kissing' they told themselves they were doing. Was this what she wanted?

"Velm," he breathed. "You like...have to tell me if this is okay."

She nodded, but he shook his head.

"No," he said firmly. "I need you to like, say the words. I need to hear you say it's okay."

"It's okay," she murmured, and he relaxed.

"Okay," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her again.

"Wait." Velma hesitated a moment, then reached down to the hem of her own sweater and began to bring it up. Shaggy put his hands on her arms before she got too far.

"Velm," he said again. "If you're not ready..."

She looked him in the eye. "I am ready," she told him.

And in one swift movement, her sweater had come off.

So had her glasses. They caught on the cowl neck as the sweater slipped over her head, and landed with a soft clatter on the carpeted floor.

She giggled, feeling around for them. "I can't see without my glasses," she said. Shaggy picked them up and held them to her. She put them on and looked at him appreciatively. "And I want to see this." She blinked a few times, eyes never leaving his. "I want to see you."

Shaggy gulped as his eyes roamed over Velma's exposed torso, save for her delicate white bra. He'd never seen a girl without a shirt on before. Well, unless you counted over the summer when he'd seen Velma and Daphne in swimsuits. Daphne was the only one who had worn a two-piece though, and as objectively attractive as she was, she couldn't compare to Velma right now.

Shaggy reached for her waist tentatively, eyes asking permission. Velma nodded, and gasped at his touch when he finally made contact. He held her gently and laid her down on the floor under him. She wrapped her arms around him, gripping his shoulder blades and they kissed breathlessly.

Shaggy was propped over Velma on his elbows, one hand in her hair to bring her face closer to his, the other hand moving gently along her waist. She shivered under his touch, gasping and whimpering in pleasure. He loved those sounds, and his body reacted to them.

"Is this okay?" he asked, moving his hand from her waist to her chest. Over the bra – he was not yet brave enough to try to remove it.

"Mmhmm" Velma sighed into his neck, nodding fervently. She trailed her fingers down his abdomen until she reached the waistband of his jeans. "Is this okay?" she asked, trailing her fingers along the edge.

"God yes," Shaggy moaned, clutching Velma closer to him. He was so ablaze with desire, his jeans felt constricting. He sat up to undo the button of his pants, but stopped just short. Velma sat up too, and they gazed at each other. Their breath came in ragged and heavy, and Shaggy suddenly felt unsure of himself. Was he pushing this farther than he should?

"Velma," he rasped. "Are you sure it's okay for me to do this?"

She nodded. "I want this." She took one of his hands in hers, and moved it back to her breast. Then, in a whisper, "I want you."

Shaggy felt himself twitch under his jeans at her words. Velma wanted him. And unbelievably, he felt the same way about her. He crawled back over her as she laid down again.

"I want you, too," he confessed breathlessly, bringing his impassioned lips to hers. Their hot breath mingled together as Shaggy used one hand to hold himself up from crushing her, while the other hand snuck under the cup of her bra and made contact with her bare skin. He'd never done this before – touched a girl in this way. But just like his mouth the first day he'd kissed her, his hand seemed to know what to do all on its own.

"Ahh—!" she gasped, sucking in a harsh breath as pleasure coursed through her. No one had ever touched her like this before. Admittedly, she hadn't been sure of what to expect when she offered up this part of her body. Having never experienced anything like this, she had no idea how she'd react. But now, as his fingers moved gently along her breast, Velma clutched him close, her skin tingling as desire rushed through her body like flames.

"Like, are you okay?" he asked her, though he didn't stop.

"Yes," Velma panted, burying her lips into his neck.

Feeling her exhale hot, sweet breath just below his ear gave Shaggy a new bravado. He'd been kissing her neck, but now he moved downwards, nipping at her shoulder and her collarbone before coming to his desired end, at the valley between her breasts.

The contact of his mouth on her chest caused Velma to arch her back in pleasure. She whimpered with passion, and bit down hard on her lip to silence herself. Her go-to exclamation, jinkies, was not nearly enough to express how she felt. She needed something stronger. She needed an expletive.

"Fuck," she whispered, eyes shut in ecstasy.

Shaggy gently nipped at her skin and felt himself go rigid. She had said fuck again, and it had the exact same impact on him as it did when she said it in rehearsal. But now he could do something about the fire within him.

"Say it again," he begged, detaching from her breast for a millisecond before leeching onto the side of the other one.

She gasped at the touch. "Fuck, Shaggy," she whimpered again, sliding her hands down his sides to again fiddle with the waistband of his jeans.

His breath caught as he pressed his lower body against her to ease some of the tension building there. "Velma," he breathed.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Both Shaggy and Velma groaned out loud at the sound of someone rapping on the door, this time from frustration rather than pleasure.

"Who is it?" Velma called, rolling out from under Shaggy to grab her sweater.

Daphne's voice came through the door. "It's me! Mr. Atwood sent me to get you. Rehearsal's starting, and you know he's on the warpath, so the sooner you get there, the better."

Reluctantly, Shaggy sat up and reached for his shirt. Velma sighed. "We'll be right there," she called back to Daphne. They listened to their friend's heels click down the hall and Velma pulled her sweater back on. "Well," she murmured once she was sure Daphne was gone. "That was…" She couldn't think of an adequate phrase to describe how it was for her. How did you put desire and heat and passion like this into human words? She decided the best thing was to just be honest. "I liked that," she said simply.

"Like, really?" Shaggy asked. Why was that so surprising to him? "Like, me too," he replied truthfully. They smiled shyly at each other., though Shaggy knew that "liked" was insufficient in describing how he felt. Now that it had happened, he knew he wouldn't be able to think about anything else for a very long time. Which was a problem, because he was about to be late to rehearsal.

Velma stood up then, but Shaggy remained on the floor.

"Need a minute?" she asked him, not quite looking at the part of his body that most demanded her attention.

Shaggy nodded. "This one like, might be a while." He didn't look at her as he said it. Why was he embarrassed to look her in the eye after what they'd been doing? How they'd been touching each other? Like, stop thinking about it! Shaggy chastised himself in his head. If he thought about it too much, he'd never be able to leave this room.

"Okay," Velma said, also still not quite making eye-contact. "I'll cover for you as long as I can, but you know what Mr. Atwood's been like this week."

Shaggy nodded again. "I'll try like, not to be too late."

Velma nodded in response, and let herself out of the room. Once she'd gone, Shaggy exhaled slowly and glanced around. His eyes landed on a box of tissues on top of the piano, and a wild idea popped into his head.

He had never, ever in his life even considered doing something like this at school. But he knew that there would be hell to pay if he was late to rehearsal, and desperate times called for desperate measures. He locked the door again and undid his jeans.

Shaggy knew he wouldn't last long, not with his mind full of the very fresh memory of Velma's skin under his and her soft voice in his ear. He gritted his teeth, remembering the feel of her skin under his hand, and the sounds she'd made as he touched her. His breathing became labored. He thought about her fingers toying with the waistband on his jeans, teasing the tender skin that lay just beneath. His breath hitched. He imagined her going farther, past the constricting denim of his jeans and elastic of his boxers, all the way down, until her gentle touch arrived right where he needed it the most. He pretended it was her hand, not his, touching him now, and let himself remember the sound of her voice quietly moaning his name.

Shaggy finished with a small gasp. He breathed deeply a few times, then crumpled the used tissue into a ball. He quickly zipped his pants back up and made a pit stop at the men's room to toss the tissue into the wastebasket. After he did, Shaggy checked his appearance in the mirror and splashed some water on his face. He didn't look as though he'd just jacked off in a practice room. At least, he hoped he didn't.

On his way to the auditorium, Shaggy couldn't help but continue thinking about what had transpired between him and Velma. It was certainly the farthest they'd gone before - the farthest he'd ever gone with anyone. Was it the same for her? He tried not to think about Velma taking her shirt off for Tony Moretti. Somehow, though, Shaggy had a feeling that he was the only one who'd ever seen Velma topless. Would they go farther than that? He thought of Holden's line in the play: "Who knows? They're young, they're horny...it happens."

Thanks to a few cringe-worthy "talks" with his father, Shaggy understood the ramifications that could happen to horny teenagers who went too far before they were ready. He knew how important it was to be careful. He also knew the only reason things hadn't gotten even more heated in the practice room just now was because Daphne had interrupted them. Should I like...be more prepared in the future? Shaggy thought. He'd never bought condoms before. He'd never needed to, obviously. But would it be prudent for him to bring them along next time, just in case? Or would that make it seem as though he were expecting something?

The thought of losing his virginity in a school practice room made his stomach clench in discomfort, even if his partner was Velma. Maybe it would be better for them to have a discussion about this first. Of course, the thought of that made Shaggy break out in a cold sweat. Talk about a nerve-generating conversation.

"That was quicker than usual," Velma remarked quietly when Shaggy arrived at the auditorium moments later. He slipped into the seat beside her. Amazingly, Mr. Atwood and Leesa had not yet called everyone to order – they were bent over the production binder with Scooby - so the cast and crew were in the house chatting quietly with each other. Everyone was far enough away from Shaggy and Velma that their conversation remained private.

Shaggy shrugged, a little embarrassed. "I uh...like, figured out a way to calm down faster." He went a bit red, and she did too.

Does that mean what I think it means? she wondered. But just then, Mr. Atwood clapped his hands.

"All right everybody, shut the hell up," he said to the company. "Glad to see we're all here on time." Shaggy and Velma glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes as Mr. Atwood continued. "So, it appears my original plan of having the entire first act blocked before October was merely a pipe dream. At this rate, it'll probably be a few more weeks before we start in on Act II. We might have to have a Sunday rehearsal in a few weeks to catch up. But don't be discouraged – everything is coming together quite well. That being said, we're blocking 'I'm Alive' today."

Velma noticed Holden perk up. "I'm Alive" was the song he'd sung at auditions. It was a Gabe solo, but dialogue between various characters was interspersed throughout. Shaggy was the only cast member who wasn't actually onstage during this song.

He settled down into his chair. "Like, I'll just stay here, I guess."

Velma giggled as she got up and walked past him. He tried not to stare at her legs.

Scooby came and sat with Shaggy as the rest of the cast assembled onstage. Shaggy took the opportunity to dig out a bag of chips for them to share. If their mouths were full, they were in no danger of talking, and Shaggy was terrified that he'd blurt out what he and Velma had been up to in the practice room. Shaggy focused on the scene as it played out on stage.

They started in the middle of the scene depicting Dr. Madden's first meeting with Diana. Fred, Velma, and Holden all waited in the wings.

"Why don't you tell me about the last time you felt truly happy," Tony/Dr. Madden said to Daphne/Diana, who sat in an armchair opposite him.

Daphne/Diana had no response. She just sat there, staring blankly at him.

Tony/Dr. Madden tried again. "Were you happy when you got married?"

This time, Daphne/Diana shrugged. "I thought I was," she replied.

Tony/Dr. Madden leaned forward. "There's a difference between being happy and just thinking you're happy?"

Daphne/Diana snorted ruefully. "Most people who think they're happy just haven't thought about it enough. Most people who think they're happy are actually just stupid."

"I see," Tony/Dr. Madden said with a nod. "Were you happy when your son was born?"

From the pit, the music started. Daphne/Diana looked at him inquisitively.

"My son?" she asked.

Holden/Gabe entered from the wings then to watch this conversation play out.

"Tell me about him," Tony/Dr. Madden encouraged.

Daphne/Diana furrowed her brow. "About my son?"

"Why is he still around?" asked Tony/Dr. Madden. "Who is he? What is he?"

Daphne/Diana didn't answer, and Holden/Gabe began to sing.

"I am what you want me to be

And I'm your worst fear – you'll find it in me

Come closer...

Come closer..."

"Where does he come from, do you think?" Tony/Dr. Madden said to a still-silent Daphne/Diana.

"I am more than memory," Holden/Gabe continued as he circled them.

"I am what might be, I am mystery.

You know me

So show me."

Shaggy shook his head in disbelief. Holden had had a phenomenal audition, but the song sounded even better now with the proper orchestration. He was as good as Daphne. Maybe even better.

He kept singing. "When I appear it's

Not so clear if

I'm a simple spirit or I'm flesh and blood."

Scooby shivered involuntarily at the lyrics. They reminded him so much how the Phantom had appeared to him earlier that week.

Holden/Gabe was really getting into the song now. "But I'm alive

I'm alive

I am so alive

And I feed on the fear that's behind your eyes.

And I need you

To need me

It's no surprise

I'm alive...

So alive...

I'm alive..."

Fred and Velma entered then, the music continuing under them. Shaggy tensed up when he noticed Fred wasn't holding his script. He shared a nervous glance with Scooby, and prayed that Fred would remember his lines in this scene.

"Four times a week?" Velma/Natalie asked him. She was meant to have a backpack in this scene but, like many of the other props, it had disappeared, so she ran the scene without it. "That's a lot, isn't it?"

Fred/Dan shrugged. "It's what the doctor..." He broke off, struggling to remember the rest of the sentence. "Line?" he called out tentatively. The orchestra stopped, and the mood was broken.

Scooby sighed in defeat and left Shaggy to join Leesa and Mr. Atwood at the front of the house.

"It's what the doctor recommended," Leesa read to him.

Fred nodded resolutely. "Right, sorry," he replied. Back to Velma, he said, "It's what the doctor recommended." The orchestra picked up where they'd left off.

Velma/Natalie waited a beat before replying," "This is never going to get better, is it?" At this, Holden/Gabe joined them to listen, though neither of them acknowledged his presence. "He's never going away?"

Fred/Dan shrugged again. "I don't know, Natalie," he replied. Inwardly, he fist-bumped himself – he knew he'd gotten that line right.

Velma/Natalie looked at him. "This is one of those moments when you could just be a typical parent and lie and say yes."

"Yes," Fred/Dan replied.

Velma/Natalie rolled her eyes. "Thanks," she said. "That's comforting."

She turned to exit and Holden/Gabe started to sing again.

"I am flame and I am fire

I am destruction, decay, and desire

I'll hurt you..."

Fred/Dan called over to Velma/Natalie. "You know, Natalie..."

Holden/Gabe: "I'll heal you."

Fred/Dan: "It's not always about your comfort."

"It's not all about your comfort," Leesa corrected.

Damn. Fred gritted his teeth.

Holden/Gabe: "I'm your wish, your dream come true

And I am your darkest nightmare too

I've shown you..."

Fred/Dan: "It's about helping your father – I mean, your mother."

Scooby shook his head as Shaggy groaned and hid his face in his hands.

"Cut!" Mr. Atwood exclaimed. The pit orchestra stopped playing again and Holden glared at Fred.

"Come on man," he said. "You're throwing off the song."

"I know, I'm sorry!" Fred cried. Velma put a hand on his arm.

"It's all right, Freddie," she comforted, but she looked just as frustrated as the others felt. Daphne looked at him sympathetically from the armchair, and Tony grinned cheerlessly.

"Jones," Mr. Atwood sighed. "Keep your script with you for this song, just so we can keep moving along."

Shamefacedly, Fred went to the boy's dressing room to get his script. While he was gone, Velma looked over at Daphne, worry shining through both of their eyes.

They worked through the song a few more times, making a little progress. There were a few snafus, such as when Velma couldn't find the pill bottles she needed near the end of the song, but they had been able to complete one full run through by the time rehearsal came to an end.

"Have a great weekend, everybody," Mr. Atwood told the company. "We'll start in on "Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me I'm Falling" next week." At this, he grimaced, and it became clear to everyone that he was not looking forward to blocking this particular song. "It's one of the most complicated numbers in the production, so please, for the love of God, make sure you know your parts backward and forward by Monday. Hopefully the missing props will turn up soon as well. I'll see you then. You may go."

Everyone headed off in different directions; Shaggy and Velma to the practice room, Holden and Tony to the parking lot, Scooby and Leesa to the sound booth for a quick production meeting with the sound engineers. Other members of the crew dispersed, and the band kids chatted idly as they packed up their instruments. Daphne caught up to Fred onstage, and led him behind the curtain. They stood in the wings, near the assistant stage manager's desk – the one where Scooby would be sitting come opening night.

"Freddie," she said quietly. "Are you all right? I know rehearsal was rough today."

Fred glanced away from her. "I'm sorry, Daph," he murmured. "I know I'm putting us behind schedule."

Daphne shook her head. "You're not putting us behind schedule, babe," she replied, even though he was. "You'll get your lines down. I promise. I can help you."

"Like, run lines with me, you mean?" he asked.

Daphne hopped up to sit on top of the desk and took his hand to bring him closer to her. "Yeah," she said with a nod. "And maybe give you some incentive to get them right."

"What do you mean?" Fred asked, clueless.

Daphne lowered her lashes and wrapped her arms around Fred's neck. "Every time you get a line right," she murmured. "We do this." She brought her face close to his and kissed him sweetly and tenderly.

Automatically, Fred's mouth opened to her and he used one hand to brace himself on the desk while his other hand tangled in her luscious hair.

"I'd hate to see what we'd do when I get my lines wrong," Fred murmured when they broke apart.

Daphne grinned and kissed him just below his earlobe. "You won't get your lines wrong," she whispered. Fred felt his heart accelerate. "I'll make sure you don't forget them again."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

He barely had time to get the words out before Daphne kissed him with such intensity that Fred saw stars. He groaned into the kiss as her soft mouth moved against his. Instinctively, he positioned himself between her legs and brought his hands to her knees. Daphne shuddered under his touch and pulled him closer. She wrapped her legs around his lower body as her delicate fingers trailed down his neck and under the collar of his shirt. Fred glided his hands up Daphne's thighs until he was almost all the way under her dress.

"REY!"

Fred and Daphne separated in a hurry at the sound of Scooby's voice. Much to their embarrassment, he wasn't alone. Leesa Beamer stood with him, arms crossed with an eyebrow arched.

"Really?" she said disdainfully. "On his desk?"

Daphne jumped down and smoothed her rumpled skirt as Fred cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other.

"Sorry, Scooby," they mumbled, neither of them looking him in the eye.

He glowered at them. "Rye'm ronna ro rind Raggy," he muttered, leaving through the curtain.

Leesa shook her head wryly at them. "Wrap it before you tap it, kids!" she called over her shoulder as she walked away. Fred and Daphne's faces burned.

Scooby muttered to himself the entire walk to the practice room and knocked on the door when he arrived. "Raggy?" he called.

There were some muffled sounds from the other side of the door. "Like hold on a sec, Scoob," Shaggy's voice came through the door. Scooby waited. A few minutes later, the door opened and Shaggy and Velma appeared.

Scooby figured he was still pouting, because Shaggy said, "What's the matter, buddy?" almost immediately, and Velma said she'd go wait for the Mystery Machine outside.

"Like why the long face?" Shaggy asked once Velma was gone.

Scooby launched into everything that was bothering him – all his hard work, Mr. Atwood's frustration, the misplaced props and technical mishaps, his fear of the Phantom, and now, on top of it all, Fred and Daphne going at it on his desk. He was on such a roll that he didn't even realize Shaggy was waving his hands to stop him until he was midway through his speech.

"Like slow down buddy, I can't understand a word you're saying," he said.

Scooby took a deep breath to calm himself down. He repeated himself slowly so Shaggy could try to make out every word. He nodded sympathetically along as Scooby described his worries about the show, Mr. Atwood, and the Phantom, but Shaggy felt his face go warm with embarrassment when Scooby mentioned walking in on Daphne and Fred.

Just now in the practice room, Shaggy and Velma hadn't gone nearly as far as they had earlier that afternoon. All their clothes had remained on. But their "bonding" had been cut short by Scooby's interruption. If Scooby was this upset about Fred and Daphne, who'd been together for several months, how would he feel about what Shaggy and Velma were doing?

Shaggy knew. Scooby's feelings would be hurt so much worse. It didn't matter how alive Shaggy felt while he was with Velma. If Scooby knew, he would feel betrayed. Possibly even abandoned. And that was why he could never, ever find out.

Sponge: Thanks for reading. More next week! In the meantime, review if you please!