The signs to New Elounda Bay Hotel suddenly started cropping up, pointing to the silhouette of a large building pretty much next to the bay. The Mystery Machine followed each one obediently, eventually pulling up outside the hotel itself.

The gang piled out of the van and just took in the building.

It was overwhelmingly huge, windows stretching on for what seemed like miles into the star-encrusted sky. The building itself was gorgeous, with light-coloured panels covered in sea-themed mosaics and in gorgeous sea colours, light turquoise and a gold sand colour blending together beautifully. The entrance to the main foyer was marked with eight turquoise marble pillars, gleaming in the light from the hotel and polished to perfection. On the right hand side of the pillars was a huge ornamental fountain, with three marble dolphins curving round each other, frolicking in the waves of stone, their glassy eyes fixed on the sky and their long mouths open to allow a flow of clear water from down their gullets. On the left hand side of the huge turquoise pillars there was a sign made of what looked like glass, with "NEW ELOUNDA BAY HOTEL" engraved clearly against the transparent slab.

Fred opened the back doors of the van and pulled his luggage out. He tried one of Daphne's suitcases, then turned to her and raised his eyebrows as if to say, What did you bring, your whole house?

"Sorry, Freddy, I think I may have over-packed a little…"

Behind her, Velma and Shaggy were trying to muffle their laughter.

"Like, a little?"

Daphne sighed and rolled her eyes at them, then joined in the laughter herself. She could never stay grouchy with the rest of the gang for long!

From inside, Velma thought as they stepped in, this place could be the entrance to a palace or something, save for the reception desk and the mosaic next to it saying "Main Reception". It looked much too grand and gorgeous to be a hotel foyer.

"'Ello, 'ow can I 'elp?"

A young woman who looked about twenty or so walked over and smiled at the group. Her name badge said "Marina".

"Erm, hi, we wanted to check in?"

"Of course. Come zis way, pleeze." The woman motioned for them to follow her to the reception desk. Shaggy leaned over and whispered to Velma.

"Like, what kind of kooky accent is that?"

Velma giggled. "She's French, it's a French accent, Shaggy!"

"Oh, like, right…"

Marina didn't appear to have overheard the exchange between the two; she smiled brightly at the group.

"Ze boys are een room 103, and ze girls are een room 105, so- 'ow you say?- next door. I 'ope ze arrangements are een order wiz you?"

"Yes."

"Eet eez just up ze stairs, did you want 'elp wiz your bags?"

She indicated the pile of luggage. They decided they could cope and went up to the rooms after Marina pulled a pair of turquoise keys from behind the desk and handed them over.

"'Ave a good night's sleep!" she called brightly after the gang as they disappeared up the smartly polished stairs.

Fred and Daphne opened their respective doors and the others followed them in. The rooms were pretty much identical, except in the girls' room there was a little china doll with a swimming costume on.

"Oh, isn't she sweet?" Daphne sighed, stroking the doll's red curls, which tumbled past the bottom of the swimming costume. Velma couldn't help noticing how similar the doll looked to Daphne. She giggled and pulled her sponge bag out of a suitcase.

"Oh, are you going for a wash? I need to send a message to my folks; I said I would when we arrived…"

Velma nodded and headed for the shower as Daphne pulled her cell phone out of her bag.

Next door, an argument was starting over who got to have the first bath.

"Like, humans first, Scoob! Like, you leave dog hairs all over the bath, man!"

"Ruh-uh! Rogs rirst! Ri rake ress rime!"

"Less time? Less time? Like, you take years to have a shower, man!"

"Rokay! Reddy, ro roes rin rirst?"

Both sides of the argument looked to Fred, who was quietly laughing, sitting on the single bed in the corner.

"Uh… You do take a while, Scoob, no offence!"

Scooby sighed, and resigned himself to the fact that there would be human hairs all over the bath tub when he got to have his shower.

"Rand ruman rairs rar ronger!" he muttered as he climbed into the double bed he and Shaggy were sharing. Fred reached down into his bag and pulled out a book.

"Don't sulk, Scooby- guess who gets the hot water…"

There was a yelp of "OOHTHATSCOLDMAN!" from the bathroom just as Fred said it.

"Ruh-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee!"

There was another, annoyed-sounding yell from the bathroom.

"Like, Freddy, you knew that was going to happen, didn't you, man?"

Fred burst out laughing even though his cover was blown.

"No point getting uptight, Shag! Besides, you either get cold water or you get dog hairs all over the bath tub- which one would you prefer?"

Shaggy groaned and started emptying the bath out.

"Like, outmanoeuvred by a dog and a football jock! Like, I was under the impression that I wasn't that lacking when it came to smart, man! Hey, like, Freddy, I'm going to have to get you back tomorrow, man."

Fred laughed again.

"I'll be on my guard, Shaggy… Thanks for the warning!"