Thank you, guys. Review and I'll love you forever! I prefer and especially adore specific reviews, but simple ones of encouragement are welcome.

Breathe, Daphne, breathe. You're doing the right thing, I'd been telling myself that for an hour now and I wasn't any closer to believing it. Come on, Daph, I thought, slamming my hairbrush down, looking into the reflection of my eyes in the mirror. He's had his chance. You need to move on. He's broken and ripped and torn your heart so many times before without even realizing what he's done… you've waited for him long enough, Daphne. Let him go, he was never yours. Move on. He'll never realize how you feel, and he could never return those affections. Stop breaking your own heart and let him go.

I sighed, still unsure whether I believed what I was thinking at myself. I forced myself to think of every time I saw Fred with a girl, smiling at her, dating her, kissing her, holding hands with her, looking at her with those blazing, smoldering, loving pools of blue topaz… Every night I'd cried myself to sleep or stuffed myself with chocolate devotion. All the pain he had put me through, and I had put myself through.

My pain, anger, and hurt ironically giving me strength, I lifted my head and rose. I stood straight and confident as I could even though I felt like I would crumble at any moment. Smoothing out my dress and checking my hair one last time, I turned and headed out the door.

***

I was in the front hall, sitting in a stuffed armchair, reading, secretly waiting for Daph and Duval to leave on their date. He was taking her to dinner, the Eiffel tower to see the sunset, ballroom dancing, and the Eiffel tower again to see the stars. The girl had been all over Paris shopping, gotten chased by a vampire, packed all of her stuff, and unpacked all of that and yet she had the energy to go out to a five star restaurant, go dancing, and go to the Eiffel tower twice in one night?!

Sure, familiar footsteps interrupted my thoughts. Footsteps so light, soft, and gentle no one would be able to hear them, except for me, because my ears had been listening to and for those footsteps for years, because my ears lived for hearing anything from the owner of those footsteps.

Daphne…

Dropping my book, I rose and walked to the grand staircase. Her thick, fiery, voluminous, lustrous hair fell gracefully, perfectly around her face as usual, cascading down past her shoulders. Her gown looked like it was designed for her and her alone, a dark, rich purple, covered in little specks of glitter or something that looked like stars. It was a simple, but beautiful and elegant gown with thin straps and a short slit on her left that ended, started, whatever they called just above the side of her knee. But it wouldn't look half as drop dead gorgeous, and simply beautiful, if it was on anyone but Daph.

Her flawless face was luminescent as the moon, and far more beautiful, smoother than water, softer than kitten fur… my entire being ached, longed, and screamed to feel it, hold my hand on her cheek, just brush my hand against her skin. Yet, at the same time, I was afraid that if I touched her this beautiful enchantress would disappear, prove to be just a dream or mirage. The only makeup she had on was lipstick, and maybe a little mascara. Daph didn't need make up. And it never ceased to amaze me how her eyebrows, nose, eyes, lips, forehead… everything was shaped and placed and proportioned perfectly. That soft, smooth, and fair face of a fiery, passionate, stubbornly steadfast, and kind angel…

Her luscious, black lashes brushed her cheeks as she looked down, feathering out, the longest, most beautiful lashes I had ever seen. Her lips were glossy and red, just the right shade as usual. They parted for a moment as she breathed out through her mouth, brilliantly bright, breathtaking, flaming pools of blue topaz looking up, fair face smooth, still and breathtaking as ever. I thought I was going to pass out. She was even more beautiful than usual, and on most days her every movement, lift of a finger, blink of an eyelash, made it difficult or impossible to think, breathe, speak, or make my heart beat.

Daph, you're gonna kill me…

She was still walking, scratch that, floating down the stairs, her perfect hand barely gracing yet gliding down the rail, when she saw me. She smiled, her flames suddenly exploding like fireworks, her dazzling smile making it physically impossible for any part of my body to function or move.

I smiled when I saw Freddie's expression, instantly forgetting my earlier angry thoughts about him. I couldn't help it when he had that face. That face that showed his amazement at, admiration for, and wonder at my beauty, and the enchantment it put him under few a few seconds. That stunned, she's-so-breathtaking-I-forgot-how-to-breathe look. His topaz blue eyes bright and wide, fair eyebrows raised, sometimes his jaw even dropped.

He snapped out of it in a second, putting on a mask of calm. His face was soft-eyed yet still, smooth, and emotionless, but his crystalline eyes shone brilliantly as I walked towards him.

"Well?" I asked. "Is this long enough?" I teased, eyes sparkling.

His dimmed ever so slightly, still, smooth face not moving.

"You look beautiful, Daph," he answered my unspoken question, voice calm, almost completely inflectionless, and painfully sure and confident.

Not so long ago, he would have blushed, looked uncomfortable or awkward, been shy, maybe would've even stuttered as he said something lame like "You look… nice," or even "pretty." But he really had grown up. And it was painful for me to hear him so confident and sure of his words, because that meant he was certain about his feelings for me, that I was like a sister, so he could call me beautiful without being awkward.

For some reason, she seemed hurt by this reply. No one else would notice it, it was just that her eyes were suddenly not as bright, still breathtaking and brilliant, but ever so slightly dimmer. Everything in me yelled to reach out to her, but everything in me yelled to kiss her every time I saw her lips or when she was angry, upset, or about to glare or lose her temper. Or when she was particularly gorgeously, breathtakingly, angelically beautiful, like now.

Duval doesn't deserve her, even more than I don't. No one deserves her.

Why was she hurt? Couldn't she see the pain filling me when I had to see her, knowing I couldn't be with her, knowing she was with someone else. Didn't she know how much it hurt for me to look at this beautiful woman that I loved more than anyone when she was unaware of that and with another? No, Fred, you idiot, because she doesn't know you love her. She doesn't know that seeing her so beautiful breaks your heart because she's beautiful for another man. Focus, Freddie! Why is she hurt?

"Daphne, I…" he started, brow creasing as he reached out to me.

I heard a noise before his hand could touch my arm. Darian was walking down the stairs. I smiled a weak smile that I managed to pull off as gentle and turned momentarily to Fred.

"Excuse me, Freddie."

"Daph…" he said as I walked to Darian.

I couldn't stand the pain in his voice, the worry, guilt, and unidentifiable emotion on his face. Everything in me screamed to spin around, run to him, throw my arms over his neck, and beg for forgiveness, to do anything and everything in my power to end his pain.

How can you turn away from him? How can you ignore his pain? How can you hurt him?! How can you feel anything for Darian at all? You love Freddie more than anyone!

And he'll never return that love. I don't deserve him. He could never love me. And he's hurt me so… Nights spent crying yourself to sleep, Daphne. Gallons of chocolate devotion you've devoured for comfort after all these years…

Darian took me by the arm, and I forgot everything as I looked into his heart melting, mind numbing, endless, chocolate eyes.

***

They should be back by now… It's nearly eleven! I'm turning into my father…

Footsteps interrupted my frenzied, frantic, and admittedly maybe irrationally so, pacing. I dove back into my room, hushing Shaggy and Scoob as I looked out the peephole. I knew from experience that Shag and Scooby would find the kitchen and eat everything if I didn't keep my eye on them.

Daphne was cracking up at something Darian had said, tears in her eyes. They came to a stop outside her room, which was right across from mine, and he took her hand as she tried to wipe the drops of mirth away. She looked up at him, trapped in his eyes as he took a step towards her.

I quickly threw the door open.

"Daph! There you are, I need to talk to you about something…" I said, gently but firmly grabbing her by the arm and pulling her away from Duval, down the hall, and into a room.

" Oh? Was I interrupting?" I asked, feigning surprise and innocence when I saw her enraged expression.

Daph didn't buy it for a second of course. She glared, hands on her hips as she shouted.

"Frederick Herman Jones! I'm going to kill you!"

I winced at my middle name. I really hope Duval didn't hear that. I HATE my middle name! Who names a kid HERMAN anyways?! Even just as a middle name! What am I a grandpa?!

"Um, guys…?" Velma started, looking up from her book, an eyebrow raised.

I realized we were in a massive room filled with shelves and shelves of books. I couldn't even see a wall besides the one that had the door we had entered through. Velms must be in heaven.

Daph still faced me, not even blinking at Velma's voice.

"What?" I almost screeched, shrugging, hands up, palms facing the ceiling.

"UGHHHH!" Daphne groaned loudly. "Fred Jones, you are unbelievable?!" she cried, storming out of the room without a glance at Velm.

***

I took a deep breath, finally gathering up enough courage, and knocked on Daph's bedroom door, hiding the rose behind my back. Daphne was scarier than any monster when she was angry with you. I just hoped I could apologize before she threw something at my head…

"What do you want?" she demanded after the door opened, glaring icily at me.

Even though her glower was filled with nothing but anger that would dissolve as soon as I apologized, it still cut deeply into my heart.

"I just wanted to apologize, Daphne. I shouldn't have…" I cut myself off when I saw the massive bouquet of roses sitting on the table behind her.

Fred, you idiot…I scolded myself, keeping the rose behind my back, determined to never give it to her.

"I'm sorry," he said before turning and walking away.

"Freddie, wait!" I called, running after him.

I turned the corner but he had already disappeared. Glancing down, I noticed a red rose that had been thrown away. I picked it up off the floor, stroking its soft petals. Fred must have seen the bouquet Darian had given me. I always did prefer a single rose to a bunch, I thought as I smelled the flawless flower.