Hi,
I present to you the last chapter of the story. This time, I am unable to come up with anything that doesn't reveal a part of the plot so...
Enjoy!
VerMa.
Less than a year after Fred and Daphne as well as Shaggy and Velma had gotten engaged, Saturday, June 25, all the servants in the Blakes' mansion had a very busy morning. That was because in the afternoon, a wedding reception for Miss Daphne and her fiancé, Master Fred, as well as for their two close friends, Miss Velma and Master Shaggy, was to be held. It was obvious for everybody that they should do their best so that both of the newlywed couples referred to this day as the most beautiful one in their lives.
Meanwhile, in one of the rooms on the upper floor, Daphne, with the help of her mother and Mrs. Jones, was getting prepared for the great moment. In contrary to her, Velma couldn't sit still, no matter what methods her aunt and Mrs. Rogers used.
"He still isn't here" Velma said upset, looking out through the window for the nth time. "What if he doesn't come?"
"He will come" Jane ensured her niece, pulling her away from the window and seating her in a chair. "He did promise it to you, didn't he?"
"What if he changed his mind?"
"Listen, dear" Jane looked straight into Velma's eyes "I know Dave very well and I'm sure that if he'd promised you he would come, he won't break his word. He wouldn't miss the wedding of his only niece."
"Your aunt is right, sugar" said Mrs. Rogers. "Now don't move because we still have to apply your make-up."
x
"He's not here! He didn't come!" Velma, who stood in front of the church, was almost crying with rage. "How could he have done this to me?!"
"Now, now, kid, don't cry or your make-up gets smeared" Mrs. Jones embraced her shoulders. "Maybe it's not his fault."
"But he'd promised he would escort me down the aisle!"
"If you want it, I can replace him" Mr. Jones offered.
"Thanks, Uncle Skip, but no" Velma shook her head. "In this case, I prefer to go alone..."
"Are you sure?" Miss Walton asked, gently turning her niece's head.
"UNCLE DAVE!" Velma screamed happily, running up to a tall, dark-haired man with moustache and embracing his waist. "I already thought you'd not come, Uncle!"
"And I already thought that I wouldn't get here on time" the man laughed. "I've been out of Coolsville for so long that I simply got lost. Now come. Your fiancé is waiting" he added, offering her his arm.
x
Three hours later, during the reception, Jane and Dave went out to the porch to be able to talk without being disturbed.
"You know, sis, there's only one thing I don't understand" said Dave. "You'd always been famous for your beauty, so how come that you didn't get married?"
"Let's call it a bad luck. My so-called fiancé simply broke the engagement and went away when I told him we had to delay the wedding because of the mourning" Jane shrugged slightly. "I didn't despair after him for a very long time because Velma took all my attention. When she was eight, I decided it was time to find her a good uncle at last. And I had the bad luck again. One of my suitors didn't want to believe that Velma isn't my daughter and Velma scared off five other."
"Scared off?" Dave laughed. "I find it hard to imagine. How did she do it do and why?"
"She didn't like any of them so she pretended to be an annoying, spoiled child and they ran away as fast as they could. Sometimes, I was angry at her for this but I must admit that she was a great actress" Jane said with a slight smile. "Well, and then beauty was gone, and I am now an old maid" she sighed.
"Cheer up" her brother put his arm around her shoulders. "The fact that you didn't get married doesn't mean you've wasted your life. If anyone should regret anything, it's me who was mostly absent for the last seventeen years..."
"Auntie! Uncle! There you are! We were looking for you everywhere!" came Velma's voice suddenly; their niece had just come to the porch, holding hands with Shaggy. "Come dance with me, Uncle Dave!" she added, grabbing the man's hand and pulling him inside.
"Well..." Shaggy spoke after a while and held out his hand towards Jane "since my wife has left me temporarily, will you dance with me, madam?"
"Oh, Shaggy, why the fuss? Just call me Auntie, alright?" the woman laughed, giving him her hand.
x
A little later, Jane pulled her niece aside.
"I have something more for you, Velma" she said, handing her a savings book.
"But, Auntie, I can't take it" Velma protested. "Over all those years, you've spent a whole lot of money on me..."
"Darling, this money has belonged to you from your birth day when your dad had deposited it in the bank for you" Miss Walton laughed. "I haven't told you about it because your parents had planned to keep it a secret until the day of your wedding. They'd wanted you to have a normal childhood."
"And, like, that's just fine" Shaggy went up to his wife and her aunt, holding a plate with some cake "because otherwise, you'd have been bratty and whimsical like Daphne..."
"I heard it!" Daphne, who was just walking past them, grabbed a bit of cake from Shaggy's plate and smeared it on her friend's cheek. At that very moment, Fred's mom took a picture...
xxxxx
Velma closed the album and smiled at her memories. In the nine years that passed since that day, a lot of things changed. First, Fred and Daphne had twins, Lily and Bobby, who were celebrating their seventh birthday today. Then Tommy Rogers, now six-years-old, came to the world and immediately became Auntie Jane's pride and joy. Three years later, Scooby quietly ended his long dog-life and – of what his friends were convinced – went to the dogs' paradise. However, because Tommy and the Jones twins were heartbroken after losing Scooby, Velma and Shaggy decided to take in their friend's nephew, Scrappy – a fun-loving, very energetic and vigorous young dog who quickly became little Tommy's best pal...
"Velma, Shaggy has problems" Scrappy spoke suddenly, nudging the hand of his mistress with his nose.
Velma, who had almost managed to fall asleep, opened her eyes.
"Again?" she groaned, carefully rising from her armchair. "I thought that dressing a six-years-old boy in previously prepared clothes wouldn't be too hard for him" she murmured in irritation, going to the upper floor.
In her son's room, she found chaos. Tommy, a freckled little boy with green eyes and light brown hair, was running away from his father who tried to dress him in a sky-blue shirt.
"I want the shirt with the racer car" the boy said firmly.
"Forget it, Thomas Samuel Rogers" said Velma, catching him and dressing him in the shirt, taken from Shaggy, as well as in a sapphire blue bow-tie and dark gray trousers. "We're going to Aunt Daphne and Uncle Fred's house for Lily and Bobby's birthday party. You have to be well-dressed."
"Mom is right, Tommy" Shaggy panted. "And, like, thanks, Velmsie."
"But why can't I dress the shirt with the racer car?" Tommy pouted.
"First, you should say wear, and second, this shirt is all dirty after you and Scrappy were rolling in the mud yesterday, you little urchin" Shaggy replied and slightly ruffled his son's fringe.
"I wonder who gave them an example" Velma muttered, smoothing the boy's hair and glancing at her husband with disapproval. "There are times when I feel as if I was going to have the third child, not the second one."
"You're exaggerating" Shaggy put his hand on her stomach and kissed her. "Sure, I could, like, give up on all those crazy ideas. But, like, what's the point since I have a little son, and you're going to give birth to my baby daughter in a month? But don't worry, I'll get serious in a couple of years."
x
About half an hour later, Bobby Jones ran into the living room, where his parents sat, shouting joyfully:
"They came!"
Indeed – a moment later, from behind the door, came Shaggy's laughter and Velma's angry voice:
"Norville, put me down right now or you'll be sleeping on the couch for a year!"
"Ah, we have guests!" Fred opened the door with a flourish and put near it a stool on which Shaggy placed Velma. "Welcome, welcome" he added, taking off Velma's jacket.
"I guess you two are completely crazy now" the annoyed Velma muttered, then stood up, took her jacket from him and hung it on a hanger. "How many times do I have to tell you that pregnancy is not a disability?"
"You know how they are" Daphne laughed, embracing her friend's shoulders and leading her into the living room "so caring that you can actually get fed up with it."
"You know, Velma, motherhood serves you well" Fred said suddenly. "You look very pretty..."
"Fred, stop it" Velma looked at him sternly. "You know as well as I do that I'm not pretty."
"Like, you're absolutely right, dear" Shaggy agreed with her, letting the Jones twins climb on his back.
"What did I tell you?" Velma sighed. "Even my own husband thinks I'm ugly."
"Funny. I haven't heard him using this word" Daphne pulled her daughter down from Shaggy's back, straightened her dress and disappeared in the kitchen.
"Because I haven't used it. That's not what I meant" said Shaggy. "I meant, Velmsie, that you're not pretty but beautiful."
"Lily! Bobby!" Daphne returned to the room with a big chocolate cake in which seven lit candles were stuck. "Look what I got for you!"
"Cool!" the twins cried out happily.
Soon, the candles were blown and the cake cut and eaten.
"Daphne, you've outdone yourself this year" Velma said with admiration. "You must give me the recipe."
"It was you who gave it to me" Daphne giggled.
"In that case, I guess you're better at baking than I am" Velma smiled and yawned slightly. "Sorry... I'm exhausted..." she mumbled, leaned against her husband's arm and fell asleep.
"She couldn't sleep at night again?" Fred guessed.
Shaggy nodded.
"You know, guys, I think we should go" he said softly, taking Velma in his arms.
"You came only half an hour ago" Daphne remarked. "The kids will be disappointed that they didn't get to play."
"Then what do you suggest?" Shaggy looked at her curiously.
"Why don't you stay for the night? Fred and I will prepare the guest room."
"Thanks, Daph."
x
A month passed and Tommy's tiny sister, Nattie, came to the world; Shaggy and Velma brought her home two days later. That night, about half past midnight, Velma was woken up by her daughter's cry. Guided by instinct, she got up and fed the baby but when she put her back to the crib, the girl started crying again. Velma had no choice. She had to take her to her bed where slept Shaggy, unaware of anything. Fifteen minutes later, when everyone in the house was already asleep, two bright figures, a man and a woman, appeared in the room, made small crosses on the baby's forehead and stroked her cheeks.
"You'll have a kind heart and a joyful, contagious laughter, like your dad" the woman whispered.
"And you'll be beautiful and smart, like your mom" the man added softly, after which he put his arm around the woman's waist and they both disappeared.
You can believe me or not but their words did come true...
PS – As for the exams which I'd mentioned earlier, I failed. Thus, I'm changing the school and from October 1, I'm starting all over again – with a new course of study.
Oh, and I sure will be very glad if any of you decide to leave a review!
See you soon (I hope),
VM.