All right, let's get going to the next chapter! This is going to be a little bit fun to write for, especially since we're going to dive in to the obscure of the Scooby franchise! How obscure, you ask? Oh, you'll see soon enough! Anyway, enjoy!
It was a small date, but to Daphne, it was the most wonderful date of her life as she looked over at Shaggy, smiling and sighing happily. The night was young, the stars were shining, and things seemed to be going peacefully. All in all, a nice night out for the two of them.
As Shaggy was about to take another bite out of his sandwich, he suddenly heard a strange sound. He stopped eating as he looked around. "Do you hear something?"
"Hear what?" Daphne asked in confusion.
"I don't know, it felt... faint..." Shaggy said as he clutched onto his sandwich nervously and took another bite. "Like... m-maybe it's just nerves."
Daphne blinked twice, before giving a smile. "Oh, Shaggy, it's perfectly natural for you to hear sounds... with all we've done are mysteries our whole lives, it's natural for you to get a little paranoid."
"I don't know, Daph, like... maybe I am hearing things..." Shaggy said to himself as he swallowed his food...
And then, he heard it again, just a faint giggle, as if somebody else were watching from afar. "There it is again!"
Daphne paused as she looked around. "Yeah, I hear it too. Like a... girlish giggle. Maybe there's another date nearby."
"Like, I don't know how there is. I made sure we were the only ones here." Shaggy said in worry as he raised an eyebrow. "Like, you don't suppose we have another m-m-m-m-"
"Don't say it." Daphne groaned as she held her tummy. "I don't know if I can take that kind of pressure... especially not with our baby on the way."
"I'm sorry, I can't help it. It's an instinct. I hear creepy sounds, I assume the worst." Shaggy whispered back as the constant giggling started to become louder. "Maybe it would be best if we moved."
"Well... maybe it's nothing, but I suppose one of us should investigate in case it's not what we think." Daphne said as she got up. "I suppose I shoul-"
"Daphne, no!" Shaggy grabbed her hand and held her close. "What if it is a creepy monster out there, and he or she comes to harm you or our child? I can't risk you out in the open like that! No, you stay here. I'll... brave it out and check it out. If there is something creepy, though, we split, call Velma and Scooby and get right on the case."
"Are you sure?" Daphne asked in concern. "It's okay, I think I can do it."
"And I know you can, but if someone hurt you... or our child..." Shaggy sighed. "No, I'll do it. I'll check it out, and come back to you."
Daphne pouted, as overwhelming feelings of anger, concern and worry filled her head. However, such feelings were pushed aside in her mind, as she trusted Shaggy. She gave a smile. "All right, but I'm coming in if you take too long."
Shaggy smiled as he watched Daphne sit down in her seat. Giving a nod, he grabbed a flashlight and started to head towards the giggling sound, which became a bit louder.
He turned on the flashlight and headed towards some bushes before kneeling down and peering inside the bushes, looking around. He didn't see anything, but he did hear some giggling further beyond. Curious, he stepped past the bushes and started to walk around the dark forest, shining the light in every corner as he peered around nervously.
"Like, hello? If you're a creepy monster, please say so!" Shaggy called before giving a slight pause. "On second thought, please don't say so! Instead, let me see your face so I know whether to start running!" Another pause. "I realize that sounded worse... ju-just give me a sign of creepy monster!"
The giggling still sounded as Shaggy kept walking as he looked around. He had never noticed before, but the woods seemed a bit more... creepier than they usually were. He did seem to remember a time when he and the gang went on this hunt in the woods to find some monster haunting it, even filming it at times... although it all ended with them arguing and getting all stressed out, hanging out in the woods all that time... a mere week, actually. Reminded him of that movie where kids entered the woods to prove a theory, only evidence being lost footage.
At the moment, this felt like that movie... and that time. Shaggy's teeth started to chatter as he kept shining his light around every corner. And he could swear he heard the sounds of twigs snapping right behind him... wait... right behind him?
He turned around and shined the light... but nothing was shown in front of the light's vision... save for a tall bush that joustled, as if someone had just hid when Shaggy turned around. Shaggy whimpered as he carefully, and cautiously, approached the bush as he shined the light on it. He then noticed that the giggling had stopped. He paused before giving a small laugh for himself.
"Guess whoever was there is gone now..."
"Shucks, Ah wouldn't say gone, sweetie-pie... more like, watching you from the corner!"
Shaggy's eyes widened like dinner plates as he heard the voice... the all-too familiar voice that he thought would only be a distant memory. "Oh no... no! It can't be!"
"It can... and it is!" The voice said as two arms came out and snagged Shaggy from behind, pulling him into the bush.
Shaggy yelped as he felt a body pushing him from behind. Shaggy yelped as he struggled to get away, only for the hands to pull him tighter.
"Shucks, Shaggy, it took me a little ol' while to find y'all, and when Ah heard that you were in the city, Ah just knew Ah had to get my hands on ya!" The girlish voice squealed in delight as said person immediately turned Shaggy around as he was met with a smiling face. "Y'all remember me, of course, don't you?"
"How could I forget...?" Shaggy said with a sad sigh.
The woman, in question, was a cute blonde haired girl with pigtails, red bows and green eyes. She was wearing a patched red top and light pink short shorts. Shaggy lowered his eyelids, looking more annoyed, but still fearful. "You're Sadie-Mae Scroggins, from my late uncle's mansion!"
"Next door to the mansion, sweetie-kins, but Ah'm happy you remember me!" The girl, identified as Sadie-Mae, grinned as she pulled him closer. "Oh, we have so much catchin' up to do, don't we?"
"I do- MMMPH!" Shaggy yelped as Sadie-Mae smashed her lips on his, engulfing them into a kiss before pushing him down, showing off her strength. Shaggy yelped as he tried to struggle out of her grasp, but to no avail as she separated from the kiss.
"You're probably wonderin' how Ah got here, huh?" Sadie-Mae giggled as she started to cuddle next to the uncomfortable man next to her. "Well, after Ah saved you from my brother when he was about to get you from the well, Ah decided to get some rope to get you out, but by the time Ah came back, you weren't in the well. Of course, mah brother dragged me back home to talk about discipline and the like, but Ah was determined, Ah knew that Ah wanted to see ya again. Of course, by the time Ah got out of my predicament about a day or so later, you was drivin' off, your dogs and all!"
"Right... that was it..." Shaggy nodded. He HAD wondered why Sadie-Mae or her brother Billy-Bob hadn't been down to see them off, but then again, it was probably for the better.
"Well, you know Ah wasn't going to let you off that easily, so after distractin' my brother with some interestin' thang involving a poison oak frog and how it's the biggest frog that ain't got caught, Ah slipped away and ran away from home. Ah've been lookin' for ya for what feels like thirty-seven years!" Sadie-Mae explained as she held her hand over her head and gave a dramatic sigh.
"...I only left the plantation, like, two years ago." Shaggy said with a deadpan voice.
"To me, it felt longer... and Ah've been hunting down your trail for days and days... and in the meantime, Ah moved into the city and... well, it was tough for a little ol' country girl like me to live out in the city, so Ah had to get a job... served as a waitress at a roller derby drive thru for at least a year, then Ah had to rent an apartment... Ah did take a month or two off to do some foot modelling, because people there seemed to enjoy how wonderful my feet were..." Sadie-Mae explained as she held up her feet, causing Shaggy to recoil. "Ah know, it was a learning experience, but it was pretty fun. But Ah never forgot my personal mission... to find the man who managed to romantically sweep me off my feet... the man Ah have decided to marry..."
With that, Sadie-Mae snuggled towards Shaggy's body as his eyes shrank in horror. "Oh no... listen, Sadie-Mae, I can't marry you! Like, I don't think you and I would even be a perfect fit!"
"Oh, nonsense, sugar pie, of course you'll fit right in! It's been way too long since Ah've seen you, and Ah do declare that our dance together when the music was playing and everyone was having fun was divine... the way we hugged and swung each other around..." Sadie-Mae sighed happily as she imagined little hearts floating around her head.
Shaggy lowered his eyelids in annoyance as he tried to push her off. "Like, I never even knew you until you came in... and the reason there even WAS music to begin with was because my dog and I were being chased by a GHOST! THREE OF THEM, who happened to be ghost exterminators! You just grabbed me and started throwing me around, and kept chasing after me every time!" Shaggy narrowed his eyes. "If anything, like, you're a crazy woman!"
"Ah, shucks, you're just playin' hard to get, now." Sadie-Mae giggled as she winked. "Now, don't you worry, Shaggy hun. Now that Ah found you, Ah'll take you back to my place and we can catch up together..." She used her fingers to "walk" up Shaggy's right arm. "Shucks, maybe Ah'll drag y'all back to the plantation and we'll be wed right away."
"WED?!" Shaggy yelped as he tried to struggle. "I don't want to marry you, like, I don't even know what your likes are!"
"That's okay, hun, Ah can tell ya!" Sadie-Mae giggled as she put her arms around Shaggy and got up. "Now, my personal likes are walks in the swamp, swimming in the buff, and..."
"Somebody, HELLLLLLP!" Shaggy shouted as he tried to push Sadie-Mae away.
"Hey! Drop him!"
Shaggy's eyes gave a look of relief as Sadie-Mae turned around towards the sound of the voice. There, standing nearby a tree, overhearing the sounds of Shaggy and Sadie-Mae talking was a very angry Daphne, holding her own flashlight. She narrowed her eyes towards Sadie-Mae before walking forward at least a couple steps.
Sadie-Mae blinked twice as she examined her. "Who's the harlot?"
"Harlot?" Daphne asked, as if offended.
"Hey, like, that's my girlfriend you just insulted!" Shaggy frowned as he glared at the girl holding him tightly.
Sadie-Mae's eyes popped open as she looked over towards Shaggy, then at Daphne. She did quick head turns for at least ten seconds, before pausing, then turning her head towards Daphne. "Wait, that is your girlfriend? Honey, Ah know we haven't been away for that long, but to go down as low as to hire this prostitute to get the feel... besides, she doesn't look worth the time of day!"
Daphne gave a hard glare towards Sadie-Mae as she marched towards her. "If there's anyone who looks like a prostitute, it's you! You just came in here and from what I'm seeing, you're making my boyfriend rather uncomfortable!"
"Honey, Ah hate to break it to ya, but you're old news. Clearly, my honey bunch is clearly missing the good ol' country life, playin' hard to get." Sadie-Mae rolled her eyes as she put Shaggy to the side (making him get up as he ran over to the side of the tree to recover from the bear hug she put him through).
Daphne narrowed her eyes. "Looks to me you're trying to kidnap him and drag him away."
"He's just shy, that's all. He'll learn to love our life." Sadie-Mae bluntly said as she crossed her arms.
"Wh- bu- do you not even listen to yourself when you talk?" Daphne asked in pure shock, before frowning. "I don't care WHAT you think or say, but just know that you don't know Shaggy as well as I do! And I know because I was one of his best friends since childhood! From what I'm seeing, he doesn't like you and the way you treat him!"
"What are y'all talkin' about? Shaggy and Ah are close! We're both soulmates!" Sadie-Mae frowned.
"Okay, then, prove it. Tell me three things you know about him that you learned." Daphne said with a slight frown.
"That's easy! He's a Beauregarde! He's a rich and fancy man, AND he's what's known as a forbidden person to mah family, the Scroggins, because of our feud." Sadie-Mae crossed her arms as she gave a smirk.
"...I asked for things you learned about SHAGGY. Not who he is and what he is to you and your family." Daphne said simply.
This caught Sadie-Mae off guard as she looked at Shaggy with a confused look, as if trying to comprehend what Daphne had said. "Uh... I... he... uh... he likes runnin'?"
"He runs because he's nervous. You don't KNOW Shaggy. You just have this romanticized idea that he's this... guy who's different from your folks. And believe me, I know romanticism, I experienced it a few times. But what me and Shaggy have... they're real. Why, I can count the number of times Shaggy could run from a ghost, and I could count how tall of a sandwich he could make... I could even tell you his favorite foods. Do you know them?" Daphne asked.
Sadie-Mae stammered a bit, before shaking his head. "Ah will admit, Ah don't, but what does it matter? He and I are to be wed the minute we go back to the Beauregard plantation, and Ah don't care what mah brother says, Shaggy here is my true destined one!"
"...are you kidding me right now?" Daphne asked as she slapped her forehead. "Now, I'm not sure what the story behind you and Shaggy is, but from what I can tell from his expressions, it seems like you knew him for... what, a day? And you just want to MARRY him, just like that?"
"Yeah, harlot, just like that?" Sadie-Mae said as she snapped her fingers.
Daphne groaned. "I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but YOU CAN'T MARRY A MAN YOU JUST MET!"
"You can if it's true love." Sadie-Mae smirked as she crossed her arms.
"And what do you even know about true love?" Daphne frowned as she narrowed her eyes.
"More than you, apparently... Ah mean, look at you, you dress just like a harlot. Ah bet that ugly green scarf you accessorized on you just says it all." Sadie-Mae crossed her arms with a smirk.
Daphne gasped a bit as she gave a growl. Shaggy, who had managed to cower in the background, stopped as he turned towards Sadie-Mae with anger.
"Hey! I'm the one who gave her the scarf, and I think it's cute on her!" Shaggy shouted in anger.
Daphne smiled a bit as she turned towards Shaggy, but that momentary distracted caused Sadie-Mae to make her move as she made a grab for Daphne's hair.
"AHHHH!"
Daphne yelped as she felt the pull on her hair before being pulled to her. Sadie-Mae gave a growl towards Daphne as she whispered in her ear. "You may all be talk and words, but I'm all about strength and true love. So kindly stay out of mah business so that Ah may proceed with making mah Shaggy a man..."
"For your information... I already made him a man... especially when I'm carrying his kid..." Daphne whispered back.
Sadie-Mae's eyes widened in shock as she let go of her hair. "Wh-wha-?"
This gave Daphne the opportunity to jump up and karate kick Sadie-Mae directly in the face, causing the strong country woman to stumble backwards and fall down. As Sadie-Mae was rubbing her cheek from where Daphne kicked her, the pretty red-haired girl towered over her in anger. "Needless to say, he's not only got himself a girlfriend, but we're also going to be a family... and if you think you're going to ruin this for us, you're going to wish you WEREN'T involved in my life..."
Sadie-Mae narrowed her eyes in anger before jumping up as Daphne grabbed her hands in an attempt to defend her, only to find herself being pushed to a tree. "You know what Ah think? Ah think that you managed to manipulated him so that he can be forced to stay with you... like the prostitute you are, y'all just can't get enough of the Shag Train, can you?! Well, when Ah'm through with you, Ah'll make sure that Shaggy is well taken care-"
"Sadie-Mae, STOP! Drop her!"
The country girl gasped as she felt Shaggy going between the two, separating her arms from Daphne's hands as he gave a small, angry growl. "Sadie-Mae, I never liked you! In fact, you just scare me completely! What you were doing to me back at the plantation and now here, this is not okay! I'm sorry I never got that closure with you earlier or tried to explain myself... that was my mistake, I realize that... but you have to, like, understand... I don't like you. I never did! I wouldn't mind getting to know you as a friend, but as it was, all you did was try chasing me around without getting to know me! And even then, your brother would always try to shoot me, all because I'm related to my Uncle Beauregard!"
Sadie-Mae panted, but her eyes were kept on Shaggy as he continued, "Sadie-Mae, I cannot marry you, because I don't know YOU. Correction, I knew you for, like, a night and day, and that's only because you kept chasing me around for something you were never going to obtain!"
Shaggy then put his arm around Daphne's hips and pulled her closer as he explained, "And Daphne, on the other hand... she's not you. She's not crazy. She does have her moments, but she is the most sweetest, level-headed person I know. Like, I even LOVE her! More than anything in the world."
"Shaggy, honey, don't you see that-" Sadie-Mae started to protest, before Shaggy held up his hand.
"Uh uh. I am NOT finished!" Shaggy frowned as he glared at Sadie-Mae, the girl wincing a bit at the glare. "I knew Daphne Blake since we were kids, and most of the time, we did everything together, like a team! Now I'm finally beginning to open up a new chapter in my life with her in it... but then, here you come, waltzing in, trying to budge into my life, grabbing me from behind a bush, KISSED ME BY FORCE, INSULTED MY GIRLFRIEND IN FRONT OF ME, MADE FUN OF HER FAVORITE ACCESSORY THAT I GAVE TO HER AS A GIFT, THEN TRIED TO BEAT HER UP! You may be strong, Sadie-Mae, but Daphne, if given the chance, would WIPE THE FLOOR WITH YOU!"
Shaggy panted a bit as Sadie-Mae paused silently as he took a deep breath. "Look, I'm sorry I never gave you that closure back at the Beauregard plantation, but now I'm giving it to you! Your journey was, like, a waste of time! What you romanticized in your head was never going to happen... and I sure as heck don't want to go back to a place where your brother would shoot me if given the chance! Besides, like, you and I would be a terrible marriage once you learn who I really was!"
"He's right." Daphne frowned as Sadie-Mae turned to her, her look changing from surprise to anger. "Look, I understand the trouble you went through, but my friends and I would not let my best friend... nay, my BOYFRIEND... be the unwilling husband to a girl he doesn't even love!"
"...Ah'd teach him..." Sadie-Mae said as she looked between both people, tears forming in her eyes.
"You mean you'd teach me to be afraid of you. I'm sorry, Sadie-Mae, but I don't love you. I love Daphne... I love everything about her... and like, even though they're not born yet, I love our kid. I'm not going to let anything happen to my girlfriend OR our kid if they're being threatened. And I certainly don't want a creep like you trying to wedge yourself into my life... so, please forgive me when I say... BACK OFF, MAN!"
For the longest time, Sadie-Mae remained silent as she looked between the two, tears forming in anger, her face starting to grow red, her fists clenching... before giving a sigh.
"You know what? Fine. Ah get the picture. If you wanted me to leave, Ah'll leave. Ah can see now Ah wasted my time and ran away from home for nuthin'." Sadie-Mae said as she turned around... before giving a sigh. "But don't think this is the end, oh no! Ah'll be back, Shaggy... and Ah'll be prepared with something else... once she's out of the picture, Ah'm comin' for ya!"
With no further words being said, Sadie-Mae started to run off, not wanting anyone to see the tears falling from her face. And soon, it was just Shaggy and Daphne standing together, alone in the forest once more. No giggling was heard from a mile.
After taking a moment to calm down, Shaggy turned to Daphne in concern and said, "Like, I swear, Daph, I never liked her in the fi-"
However, Daphne put a finger on his lips, shushing him as she looked up at him, giving a smile. "Did you mean it when you said you'd do anything for me and our child?"
"Anything." Shaggy said with a warm smile as he pulled Daphne into a hug. "I love you, Daphne, and I love our child. I want to be there for you both."
"Then why worry?" Daphne giggled. "When I noticed you were gone for too long, I saw you with that strange girl, and she was clearly making you uncomfortable. I may not have known the full story, but I can piece together that... Sadie-Mae is a bit... nutty."
"Like, more than nuts!" Shaggy said with a nervous chuckle.
"She may have met you before, but she doesn't truly know you. I truly know you, and despite everything from our flaws to the fact that I'm from the upper class, and you're from middle class at best, I truly love you." Daphne smiled as she patted her stomach. "I mean, jeepers, the fact that I have our baby inside proves that fact."
The messy-haired man paused as he rubbed his chin. "Like, I suppose that's true." He smiled as he leaned over and kissed her lips softly, with Daphne returning the kiss in full before separating. "Like, uh... sorry I never told you about Sadie-Mae before, I was just hoping I forget her..."
"That's all right. Sometimes, you have some skeletons in your closet that you want to keep hidden. After all, the past is the past." Daphne smiled as she looked up at her lover. "Surely, you know that."
Shaggy paused, before giving a smile. "I sure do, Daph, I sure do." He paused before looking at his clock. "Shall we get back to our date?"
"Of course. Meanwhile, I WOULD like to know about who Sadie-Mae is, and what the story behind her is..." Daphne sighed.
Shaggy chuckled nervously. "Well... uh, do you remember two years ago when the gang went on a summer vacation, and Scooby and I were looking after Scrappy at home? Well, a letter came from my uncle Beauregard that he had passed away recently..."
And so, as Shaggy was retelling the story of how he met actual real ghosts and got involved in a scavenger hunt mystery, Daphne hung to his every word as she listened and looked at him in interest, as the bond between them showed to be unbreakable...
Sadie-Mae growled in anger as she reached the edge of the forest and kicked a tree down, bending it slightly. "UGH! Ah can't believe this girl! She buttered him up... stole my Beauregard beau away from me and turned him against me, when he KNEW exactly we were destined to be..."
The country woman yelled out in anger before grabbing a bench and bending it into a pretzel before breaking it in pieces. "And after coming all this way! Well, Ah'll show that little prostitute who the boss is! Nobody steals from Sadie-Mae and gets away with it!"
Sadie-Mae then looked up at the night sky as the stars twinkled and the moon started to shine bright. "It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow... but soon, Shaggy mah love... you'll come to me..."
All right, chapter completed! How did you guys like it? It seems things are starting to get a little tense now, with Sadie-Mae being the first of many antagonists for Shaggy and Daphne! How will this affect their lives? Let's just say, things are about to get interesting!
Fun fact, for those who don't know, Sadie-Mae is from 'Scooby-Doo Meets The Boo Brothers', and interestingly, her plotline was the only thing in the movie that was never resolved in any fashion. Well, I decided to take it upon myself to try to expand on her character best I can... so we'll see what happens with her!
Next time... we'll be meeting the other antagonists of the story, and their role is going to be interesting! How that is, you'll have to find out for yourselves next time! Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, everyone!
