Chapter 4
Fred stormed through the local police office, something was off with him. Usually the calm, cool and collective young officer in training was helpful and encouraging. Today he was like a raging beast. "48 hours! She's still missing!" He shouted, slamming his fist into the desk. His good friend and also a member in training, Carl eyes widened. "Who? Fred calm down!" Fred inhaled and exhaled, trying to cool off. If he didn't shape up they'd put him in the same cuffs he usually put on the crooks. "Daphne!" He answered rudely, Carl could hear the panic in his friends voice as he sat down in the office chair. "Your ex?" He asked, soon regretting he'd opened his big mouth. Fred huffed. "Oh great! Word got around fast! How the heck did you know that?" He grumbled. Carl felt almost afraid of Fred in this state of mind. He wasn't himself at all. "Forget I said anything. Obviously it's not true, or you wouldn't be here right now in such a fix.." Carl tried resolving the issue slightly. "The police are looking for someone now, I didn't get word on who yet. I guess it's Daphne." Curse language was never so close to slipping Fred's mouth before he held back some. Carl was innocent, he was just in charge of office work today. But once again Fred was ready to throw someone into the deep in when in reality nothing he was struggling with was they're fault. "Sorry Carl.." He apologized sympathetically. Carl wasn't sure what happened, but he acknowledged that he seemed to have calmed down tremendously. "I shouldn't take my anger out on you..i just, I need to find her. I have to apologize to her."
Carl, the average masculine man build with red hair and a few freckles patted him on the back. "Don't worry Fred. I'd say we're pretty good at what we do and chances are we'll find her safe and sound. I'll help you all I can."
"Don't you have enough photos now?" Daphne wined, fear seeping out of her voice. Like a doll, he strapped her arms and legs in the positions he desires her to be in. The poses made her feel incredibly uncomfortable, she felt so abused. The shots from the little agonizing photo session printed out instantly. "Look at that" his lips slapped together as if he were a lion getting ready to chow his prey. Daphne winced, she couldn't look at herself like that. No class, grace or strength. She looked pathetic, being portrayed as such a woman. "And where do you plan on keeping those?" She asked. He flashed a devilish grin and made his way over to a cabinet, carefully opening the well kept and polished doors. Lights flicked on and quickly revealed a large display of his collections of Daphne. Secret photos of her sleeping, on the beach, in her car, at restaurants and some mystery solving. Tears filled her eyes. Fear settled in and reality hit her, she would most likely die to this man that madly obsessed over her in the sickest way. "Isn't it breathtaking?" He admired dramatically. "Your a star here in my secret place. " tears streamed down her exhausted face. "You're a monster..."she said under her sobs. He opened a drawer and pulled out a familiar cloth. "Here, dry your eyes with your beloved hanky." Holding in front of her face. "Where did you get that.." She whimpered. He grinned mischievously. "Remember when you got this, don't ya?" He taunted.
*FLASHBACK*
"Where's Fred?" Velma questioned. Daphne shrugged her shoulders. Shaggy looked across the old pool deck of the alleged haunted hotel and spotted him. "Like, he's been a little..slow today.." He informed, examining the way he drug his feet to the scene. "Finally! Fred, which way should we lay out the net?" Velma asked. He had dark circles under his eyes and his nose resembled somewhat of the "red nosed reindeer". "Right, well..I think we..we- we-a-a..a. AACHOO!" He sneezed into his arm. "Sorry." He sniffled. "What I was saying wa-a-a" before he could finish a pesky hard sneeze came right along. "ACHOO!" And followed with two more. He sniffled and then proceeded to attempt to explain the plan, that wasn't much use at all. He wasn't making any sense. "Fred are you feeling alright?" Velma quizzed. "Yeah..peachy." He replied, hoping she'd buy it. "Dude, you can barely hold your eyes open." Shaggy pointed out. Daphne dug through her petite handbag and pulled out a few tissues and handed them to him. Something so simple as a tissue never looked more glorious to him and his runny nose. "Thanks Da-aACHOO!" She wrapped arms around his waist and pulled him in close. "Sorry guys, but I think our main man isn't exactly feeling the greatest." She announced. Velma cut her eyes at him. "You think." She snorted, making Shaggy chuckle a little. "I'm going to take him home and let him get some rest." Fred almost fought her plan, but when another sneeze banged him up pretty hard, he resisted. The couch and blanket sounded delightful. "That's okay, he's not much help in that sort of fix anyway. Get better Fred." Velma said.
Back at his house the sound of coughing and sneezing filled the air, Daphne made a cup of out tea to help smooth the pain. She used his moms recipe and added in honey. "Baby, you look awful." She said sadly, planting a kiss on his forehead. "Drink some of this." She handed him the cup of steaming honey tea. His parents were away on a vacation to celebrate their anniversary so Daphne was playing the motherly role tonight.
He coughed then smiled softly. "Thanks hon." He said, sounding nothing like the usual Fred Jones. She rested her head on his arm and comforted him with her soft voice and touch. Suddenly he let out the biggest sneeze yet and splashed hot tea on her clothes. He wasn't even able to manage an apology before another came and on after that. Daphne handed him the tissues with she cleaned herself off with a dishrag.
"Jeepers. You've got the sniffles bad." She declared. He moaned from the sinus pressure in his face. "You better go before you catch it Daph. I wouldn't give this to my worst enemy much less you." He sniffed. "And you've got that big test tomorrow. And what about work? Aren't you going to be standing outside all day for promotion? You've gotta get some rest." He insisted sweetly. She tucked a warm fleece blanket overtop of him. "You focus on getting well, I'll worry about me." She chimed kindly, he rested his head back on the pillow she'd just fluffed for him. "If you get sick, I'll take care of you." He promised innocently, hoping in his heart she would fly under the radar of this cold. She smiled at him, and before she could reply he was out like a candle. Fast asleep, exactly the medicine she knew he needed.
The next day Fred woke to the sound of Daphne leaving early in the morning. She evidently had fallen asleep on the sofa beside him. He woke to feeling almost back to himself besides a cough and sniffle that hung around. At lunch time he knew her big important test in a class was probably over and it was safe to call her. She let the phone ring five times before finally she answered. "Hey sweet thing" he greeted. "you ran off without telling me goodbye." He joked. "Freddy, I was busy today." She replied bluntly, following with a hint of a cough. Fred was more that a little concerned. "You feeling okay?" He asked. "Your voice sounds funny." She grew angry with his comment. "I'm perfectly fine Fred." She answered. "I'm at work and I-i" she quickly pressed the phone up against her skirt so he couldn't hear the sneeze that came and another. "I've gotta go." Her nose all stuffed up changed her voice dramatically. She hung up before he could say he knew it. Later that night the gang was called out to another case, but Daphne never showed. Fred canceled it off and drove to her house finding her getting out of her car. "Daphne Blake." He said, she froze like a child caught with her hand in a cookie jar. "Freddy, go home" she mumbled, coughing roughly afterwards. The frown on his face made it obvious he wasn't buying the story of her feeling just fine. He pulled her towards him. "Daphne, look at me." He commanded kindly. She sniffled and let out a little sneeze that he found extremely adorable. "I look horrible, don't look at me!" She begged, near tears. He pulled her in closer and wrapped his generous arms around her tiny waist. "You caught the sniffles." He sighed, feeling more guilty then he thought he would. Her eyes were terry and her nose was more pink that the blush on her cheeks. Without hesitation he drove her to his house and tucked her into a warm soft blanket on the sofa. His poor girl had it twice as bad as he did. The sneezing and sniffling were so tense she literally could enjoy nothing. She reached for the last tissue and blew her nose into it. "Just great, the last one." Her stuffed up voice wined. Fred went into his room and returned with something like a cloth in his hands. "Take this hanky. It's new, my grandma use to make them for me all the time when I was little and under the weather." He said. She admired the pretty detail in the fabric. "This is far too pretty for me to blow my nose and sneeze into." She complimented. He laughed. "It's just a hanky, I have lots. My grandma use to tell me she sprinkled magic healing dust on them." She grinned, for the first time all day. "I hope it works, I can't handle much more sneezing." She said, coughing into her sleeve weakly. Fred kissed her lips. "You sacrificed a lot last night to help me get better, I'll do anything to help you feel better. " he smoothed. "I promise to hold you close and always be there for you." She smiled "I'll always be there for you. Even on your worst days you can count on me." She whispered softly, gently closing her eyes, soon falling fast asleep.
*END OF FLASHBACK*
Fred thought back to when he promised. He promised to be there for her. He broke that promise the night he told her to basically get lost. Now she was out there somewhere in need of a hero and he wasn't there. Just like that cold winters day when they snuggled inside sick together she was there for him that night he broke her heart, and all he did was abandon her.
He had to find her, no matter what the cost.
TBC