I'm Alright
Daphne stood in the kitchen stirring mugs of tea. She watched Fred, he sat on the living room couch.
It had been less than a week since the gang returned from Tennessee. They'd been on a case involving an axe killer who had murdered 12 innocent people. The trap to catch him didn't work and the axe man chased Daphne and Shaggy, which resulted in Fred shooting the axe man; killing him.
They'd seen a ton of scary shit before, Fred was usually a little bit out of it for a couple of hours, then he would be back to his normal self in no time. But it had been a few days since the killing, she couldn't deny that she still had visions of the axe man chasing her, but Fred seemed to have shut down since the incident. Daphne was becoming worried.
He was quiet, but he insisted that he was tired, but Daphne knew that he was lying awake every night, and he didn't hold her at night like he usually would. But they hadn't been apart since the incident, she was too worried about him to leave him on his own.
She tried to get him to eat but he insisted he wasn't hungry; he looked exhausted. He hadn't showered since they'd been home, he hardly spoke, he didn't even kiss her good night or good morning anymore; she didn't know what she could do to help him.
She put a mug of tea on the coffee table for him, then she sat on the couch with her own mug. She didn't say anything when she sat down, but Fred didn't seem to acknowledge her presence. Daphne put her mug on the coffee table next to Fred's, she sat back on the couch and looked at him.
"Freddie, is there anything you want to talk about?" She asked, gently putting her hand on his leg, he shook his head. "I'm alright." He replied, his voice was hoarse, Daphne knew he wasn't alright, she probably shouldn't push him to speak but he couldn't carry on like this, and she didn't know how much longer she could.
"No, you're not." She said, "I know you're not."
"Daphne, I said I'm fine." Fred snapped, Daphne sighed, "You're not Freddie, I know you're not. Tell me what's bothering you?"
"You're bothering me." He said, annoyance in his tone, "I'm fine, I don't need to talk about anything!" He snapped.
"Why are you being like this?" Stop tell me you're fine!" Daphne snapped. "I am fine!" Fred shouted.
Daphne felt tears stinging her eyes, he'd never shouted at her before. "Fine, you obviously don't need me." She said, she stood up, making her way to the front door.
"Where are you going?" Fred asked. "My parents house." Daphne said, quickly putting her coat on, "I won't bother you anymore." Just as she reached for the door hand, Fred screamed; "No!" He jumped up from the couch and grabbed Daphne's wrist tightly.
She whipped her head around and was startled by the sight; Fred's eyes were wide and filled with tears, his face was pale; he had a firm grip on her wrist as he tried to pull her away from the door. "Don't go!" He begged
"Freddie?" Daphne asked.
"Stay!" Fred exclaimed, "I'm sorry, I need you!" He cried, he pulled her to his chest and held her tightly; sobbing into her hair.
She'd never seen him in this state before, she knew she needed to get him to talk, "Freddie, Fred, you're holding me too tight." She said, struggling in his arms, he quickly let her go, "I'm sorry." He said, quickly.
"Sit down." She said, softly, he stared at her, she pointed at the couch, "Sit down." She said firmly.
He turned back to the couch, Daphne followed and sat next to him. "Why won't you talk to me?" She asked.
Fred's body shook as he began to cry, Daphne had never seen him like this before, in all the years she'd known him, he rarely cried; he hated crying in front of people.
"I'm sorry I shouted at you." He cried. "Why are you being like this?" Daphne asked.
Fred remained silent, "Freddie?" Daphne asked, "Talk to me."
His bottom lip quivered, "I'm a killer." He muttered, "I'm a monster."
Daphne's heart broke as his crying continued. She forced herself to focus on Fred, and not cry in front of him, "You're not a monster Fred."
"I am. You deserve so much better than me." He said, he closed is eyes tightly letting the tears fall down his cheeks. "That's not true. I need you." She said, Fred looked at her and she smiled.
"Daphne?" He asked. "Yes, Fred." She replied. "Can you…can you hold me?" He asked, Daphne smiled, and pulled him against her chest.
She laid on her back with her head on the arm rest, and Fred buried his face in her neck. She rubbed his back and gently ran her fingers through his thick messy hair, as his crying continued.
"You're not a monster, Freddie." She said. "Tell me what's bothering you."
"I killed a man, Daphne." He cried, "I'm a monster."
Daphne kissed the top of his head, "No you're not." She said, "Look at me. Fred, look at me." She said, Fred slowly lifted his head up from her neck and looked into her eyes.
"Why did you kill him?" She asked, Fred narrowed his eyes at her, but he seemed to have quickly realised that he hadn't thought about why he had done it.
"Because the trap didn't work." He sniffed, "And he chased you and Shaggy with the axe."
"Exactly Freddie." She said, he studied her eyes, "When we got there, the cops told us a man with an axe had been breaking into houses at night and killing random people. The trap did work Freddie, but he broke out of it. When he got out, he chased me and Shaggy, if you hadn't stopped him, he would have killed us both." Daphne said, stroking his cheek, "You're my hero."
Fred looked away, he shook his head, "I'm not. I didn't have to kill him; I could have stopped him."
Daphne cleared her throat, "Shaggy and I tried to." She said, Fred narrowed his eyes, "Huh?" He asked.
"When he broke out of the trap, I pointed my gun at him, and I pulled the trigger but my hands were shaking so much; I missed. Shaggy got his gun and shot his leg, but it didn't stop him. And so, he chased us."
"You and Shaggy shot at him too?" Fred asked, Daphne nodded, "Neither of us wanted to, but I guess we didn't know what else to do." She said, "Neither of us are killers."
"It's not like you killed a random person who was chasing Shaggy and I, you killed a serial killer, his kill count was 12, he probably would have killed all of us if you hadn't stopped him." Daphne said.
"You don't think I'm a monster?" He asked, Daphne shook her head, "I've known you all my life Freddie, I know you would never have killed him if he was stuck in that trap, you're not cold hearted. You would never kill a man on the street, I know that. You were doing your job." She pressed her lips firmly to his forehead.
"I love you." He said, "Promise you won't leave me, and I promise I won't shout at you ever again!" He begged.
"I promise I'll never leave you; I love you." Daphne replied.