What happened next was all a blur. Duncan took Shaggy down before he could hurt Daphne, it was surreal. Christina stayed still pinned against the balcony railing trying to catch her breath as she watched Shaggy writhe and thrash still trying to take a swing at Daphne who had long since retreated as far away as she could. Clawdeen marched onto the balcony and although Christina did not fully understand the extent of her friend's abilities Clawdeen was somehow able to calm Shaggy down. He stopped trying to struggle, went limp for a second when he came to his senses. Only to imendently freak out at his now wolfy nature. It took some effort to calm him back down but once he was calm he turned his attention to her as she got to her feet.

"I like, didn't hurt you did I, Christina?" he asked with a whimper.

"No, Shaggy, you just startled me. I didn't know you were a werewolf is all,"

"I didn't either. How? How is this like, even possible both my parents are human!"

"Come on you two, let's go back inside and I'll do my best to explain," Clawdeen assured them.

As Christina followed behind the others her leg gave out again. Upon seeing this, Shaggy dove to catch her before she could tumble down the stairs. Even surprised at his own reflexes, he devoted all his attention to Christina even going so far as to carry her down the stairs despite her protests. Carrying her to the nearest room, the parlor, he set her down on the couch and sat down next to her while they waited for the others to file in one by one so that Clawdeen could be spared having to repeat herself nine dozen times. As they waited, Christina wrestled her shoes off and squirmed uncomfortably when she saw all the gray lines in her skin. They looked like the thin discolored tentacles of an evil octopus or long fingers reaching out to take her piece by piece. Christina honestly couldn't tell you which seemed worse.

When Shaggy saw Christina's condition he felt his stomach drop. Seeking to make her fill better he asked where her medicine was. With a small groan of pain, she told him it was in her room. Shaggy wass up like a shot thundering up the stairs just as the remaining dinner guests started to enter the parlor. He didn't have time for Fred and Velma's shocked faces. He had to help Christina. He tore into her room at a speed he wasn't used to and barely stopped before smacking into the wall opposite the door. Recovering quickly with a shake of his head he turned to her bathroom. As he had predicted her medicine was spread out on the bathroom counter. He gathered the pills she needed, filled a syringe and raced back downstairs. Into the parlor, he went passing the meds to Christina.

"How do I do this?" he asked holding the syringe above her foot.

"Jam it in there. It doesn't really matter where,"

He did so make Fred, Daphne and, Velma flinch at his lack of hesitation. With Christina taken care of he eagerly turned his attention to Clawdeen who went onto explain that somewhere in his family line Shaggy had werewolf ancestors.

"I don't know why it's happening now but you've always had the potential to be a werewolf and for whatever reason, The Great Mother chose to bless you,"

"So, i'm like, stuck like this?"

"No, you're a half werewolf. Your resting state is human. You'll only turn on the full moon and in cases of extreme emotion,"

Shaggy fell silent as he thought this information over. He looked at Christina who now lay with her head propped against a pillow the medicine had made her sleepy. She looked better already. If a little droopy-eyed.

"Feelin' better?" he asked.

"Mm"

Christina's eyes drifted shut and soon she was fast asleep.

The rest of their conversation was held in hushed whispers as Clawdeen painstakingly answered all the questions she could some of which she felt the world-famous investigators should have already known but they were in understandable shock so she didn't hold it against them.

This was going to be a long talk though.

…...

as Christina woke up she tried to discern where she was and what was going on. She heard voices lots of voices some of which sounded angry. She could only pick up a few things as everything sounded muffled to her. Shaggy. Werewolf. Race. Wolf Wagon. Cancel. Those words ran circles around her brain as she tried to piece them together. Slowly it started to come together as she strained to listen. Shaggy was a werewolf. He could drive in the Monster Road Rally. Uncle Dracula thought this would be better than having to cancel. She bolted upright when she realized what was going on. Her Uncle KNEW what was going to happen to Shaggy. He planned to get Shaggy to drive in the race. Or he would CANCEL. He knew! He knew what Shaggy was going to go through! He KNEW.! Christina couldn't believe this! Nothing on earth made this okay!

"Christina, what's-"

Let me get this straight," she cut Dracula off, "You KNEW Shaggy was a werewolf and you arranged this dinner so that you could BRIBE him into driving in the race?!"

"I didn't want to cancel, Christina you've worked so hard,"

"And what's so wrong with putting an ad in the newspaper? Or see if I could ask around at school? and even if you had no control over this you could have warned Clawdeen so she could warn Shaggy!"

"Christina, don't get worked up-"

"Of all the crazy things!"

"Christina, please calm down,"

"You couldn't think to do something normal?"

"Darling-"

Dracula's pleas fell on deaf ears as Christina continued to get angrier and angrier. Her eyes burned a deep red as she seethed. Standing from her place on the couch she paced and paced stumbling once but never losing steam. Then, then it happened. Her jacket started to smoke. Christina remained completely oblivious to it as she ranted and raved without end. Her jacket burned away falling to the ground in a pile of smoking ash. It was only when their guests let out a collective gasp did Christina stop her rant, suddenly realizing how cold her arms now were. Tossing a glance to the mirror she saw what they were staring at. Dark flaming wings jutted out from her back. Her deepest secret exposed. Her wings extinguished as she calmed instantly sobered by this realization. Her wings the color of smoky crystal fluttered nervously as she whirled around to face the shocked faces of her friends. Christina did the only thing she could think to do:

Run.

And run she did. Bolting out of the parlor, she threw open the doors to outside and took to the skies. The castle sat on twelve acres of land most of which was covered with towering trees meaning she wouldn't be easily found, she flew until her wings cramped more or less crashing in the center of the forest. How could she have let this happen? Why didn't she see the warning signs? Now. They knew. They knew her deepest, darkest secret. The reason Toralei called her a freak. They knew.

She could never show her face again!

…...

Meanwhile, back at the castle.

The gang stared. They stared at where Christina had just been standing. With their mouths agape they stared. While they stared Dracula stood at the door fretting. Someone had to find Christina! Someone Had to find her before she hurt herself!

As if sensing his thoughts, Shaggy bolted from the castle on a sole mission to find Christina.

Duncan followed behind him at a distance. With them gone, Clawdeen informed Daphne that they needed to have a chat. The look in Clawdeen's eyes told her it wasn't an option and so Daphne left with Clawdeen.

"I know you're still thinkin' Christina did this,"

"I don't trust her!"

"Why? Cause she's a threat to your group?"

Daphne silently glared.

"I'm right then,"

"She turned him into a mindless monster,"

"She didn't do anything. Ya heard Dracula!"

"He tried to kill me!"

"And you think Christina, CHRISTINA of all people ordered him to do it? I've known her longer than you have she wouldn't do that,"

"Then how do you explain-"

"He was protecting her. When you came out there yellin' at her he thought you were a threat,"

"But why would he protect her?"

"He imprinted on her,"

"imprinted?"

"It basically loves at first sight for werewolves. He can't do anything about. The goofy way he's been actin? Looking back now those were his instincts coming out little by little. Christina had nothing to do with it." Clawdeen explained, "And if I were you I'd let them be. That girl's been through too much for you to be attackin' her"

"What do you mean?"

"It's not my place to talk about it,"

Daphne's mind flashed back to the leg brace and all the medication Christina had taken early. How she struggled to walk some times.

"She had cancer?"

"Of sorts. She was on her deathbed. It was a miracle she lived,

Clawdeen left to await her friend.

Daphne was left in thought.

She'd been wrong.

So wrong.

…...

Christina jumped when the trees rustled. She dared not face whatever or whoever it was. Hiding her face in her hands trying to become as small as possible so as not to be noticed, her attempts failed, however, as Shaggy plopped down beside her. He said nothing for which Christina was grateful. She couldn't seem to find her voice at the moment. Minutes passed stretching into an agonizing silence before Christina finally found the strength to speak.

"I don't know,"

"Don't know what?"

"Who my parents were. Uncle Dracula cries when I ask him they left me with him when I was a baby, I've always hidden. I'm too different, too much of a freak. The one person I ever told tried to hurt me because of it then after that she told the school bully. I'm a freak,"

"I don't think so, Christina,"

"Y-you don't?"

"Like not at all," Shaggy assured her, "You're special,"

"Special how?"

"You're kind and smart. You welcomed my friends and me without hesitation. If there's truly no one else like you that makes you one of a kind,"

"But I don't want to be one of a kind! If my peers found out it'd never end!"

"What?"

"The bullying,"

"They're like, crazy to do that to you!"

"What?"

"They're crazy! And you're crazy for thinking you're a freak,"

"What do you think then?"

"I, like, I think you're beautiful,"

"What,"

"I think you're Beautiful,"

Then, he kissed her.