Us... But not quite
Part 5
Summary: after falling thought a portal while they were being chased by their most horryfying monster yet, The Scooby Gang finds themselves in a place they have never been before. A place called Crystal Cove.
Making a herculean effort to not speed out of there like they were being chased by hellhounds again, Fred turned the van towards the direction of the town-that-should-not-be-feasible, putting as many miles as it was physically possible from the creepy vitamin-D deficient waitress nest.
When they no longer could see the restaurant on the rearview they collective let out a breath of relief.
“And here I was thinking that the creepiest thing that has ever happened to us was Shaggy’s British doppelganger” Daphne reclined against her seat, one hand over her eyes, one of her maps on her lap and a GPS on her other hand, trying to pin their location.
“Hey! Like, I will have you know that Tidy is no way as creepy as whatever the hell is going down on that dinner!” Shaggy opened one of his eyes to glare at the redhead right by his side. “Willian is many things but worse than omnipresent waitress is not one of them.”
Ah yes. Willian “Tidy” Rogers was not the creepiest event on their lives but he was by far the most surreal. After all, is not every day that one of your best friends goes to a summer camp and the person that comes back is his long-lost twin brother. But that is not here or there.
Shaggy was on the back of the van in a lotus position, a crystal ball on his lap and his book of spells floating close to his head. While Velma was using one of the computers on the van to search for information on their new location, Shaggy was trying to contact his coven with little success.
“Like, its not working! Man, this makes no sense, Grand always answers my calls. It’s not Tuesday so is not date night and even if they had one spontaneous date, Minerva would have let Neko in charge of the crystal ball!” Shaggy passed his hands through his hair in frustration.
“Rould rhe be on the rarden?” Scooby stopped making his sixth sandwich giving Shaggy one of the finished ones.
“Or the graveyard?” Fred looked sheepish from his place on behind the steering wheel.
Even after Shaggy embraced his wizard-ness back on their teenage years there were still things that the gang still haven't fully get used to. Like daily strolls to the graveyard to get ingredients or to pass through portals and such.
Not that they cared much. Being a wizard was as much a part of Shaggy now as was his culinary prowess and they did not love in fractions. It was just another facet of their lives.
So what that their lover went into the closest liminal space that he could find every Halloween to go into the Grim Reaper Railway to join his coven of witches and comes back with his spellbook magically bigger and his pockets full of magical cookies? It was jus a part of their new normal.
“No, if she was in the graveyard Broomy would have noticed the crystal ball flashing and had gone get her.” Shaggy shrugged, half of his sandwich long gone. Fred nodded his head. He remembers Broomy. The broom may cheat on poker like nobodies business, but he was a good friend and would never just let Shaggy calls go to whatever the version of magical voice message was.
Shaggy was middle bite when the GPS went flying dangerously close to his nose followed by an infuriated growl from their shotgun. Their eyes turned towards their resident redhead who was one pull away from taking full chunks from her hair in frustration.
“THERE IS NOTHING! THIS ENTIRE PLACE IS JUST A GREAT PILE OF NOTHING!” she threw her hands towards the ceiling just for them to fall graceless on her sides, her head hanging in defeat on the backrest.
“Oh, Love” Fred looked at Daphne then at Scooby, who quickly got what was being asked of him and made a move towards the front seats. Taking off his seatbelt, Fred changed places with their canine friend.
Gently cradling Daphne in his arms they seated snuggling one another.
“This place doesn’t exist, Freddie” Daphne hid even further on the blonde’s neck. “GPS is useless. It’s working on our home maps and no matter how much I try to upgrade it; the thing keeps showing me our world roads… or lack thereof”
Velma left her place in front of the computer. Approaching them she calmly took both in her arms and brought them to the back. Shaggy removed his crystal ball from his lap and crawled closer to his friends.
“What do you mean by ‘lack thereof’?” Velma was trailing her fingers thru Daphne’s red locks hopping a little closer to her girlfriend.
“Exactly what it sounds. Crystal Cove is not in none of my maps! The GPS is showing me what should be: a bunch of trees and rock formations. There should have nothing here. No road, no dinners, no town! All my maps are telling me that the road that we are on should be a patch of forest at best or a jagged cliff at worst”
Fred, Velma and Shaggy shared a look. As one they converted towards their purple-clad lover, cuddling together.
Scooby looked at them thru the rearview mirror with worried eyes. The day was going from weird to worst fast. The reality was starting to set in for the young historian and the overwhelming lack of concrete facts to anchor herself was getting to her.
Whoever was responsible for sending them here was going to get their ass bitten, that Scooby promised. He hated seeing his humans in such distress.
Fred kissed Daphne forehead “That’s ok, love. Tell you what, when we arrive at the town we are going to get you all the maps that they have available.”
Daphne sniffed softly “Even the geological maps?”
“Especially the geological maps” Velma gently arranged one of the red locks behind the other girl ear than kissed her temple.
Shaggy took one of the young historian hands giving it a small kiss. “If you want, I can try to magically upgrade the map”
Daphne perked up immediately, her eyes twinkling “Really?”
“Really” he squeezed her hands once more before moving towards the front seat.
Taking the advantage of his lanky body he perked half of it over the seat division. Opening the glove compartment, he removed one of the many purple-marked maps from its neat place under the nail polishes. While he was folding his body back to the back of the van (not after giving their driver a well-deserved pat), Fred had passed Daphne to Velma all the while the redhead giggled over the ease off with they passed her to each other like she weighed the same as a pillow.
Fred and Velma smiled over her head. They hated seeing her distressed in any way. The situation was going to get to them all eventually and Daphne being the first was no surprise to them. After all what was worst to a young amateur historian and archaeologist than removing all the information in where she thrives from under her feet?
Fully back, Shaggy approached one of the many compartments that Fred added over the years. Removing an assortment of colourful bottles from there, he quickly mixed them together with precision and efficiency. When he finished the resulting concoction was bright purple, emitting a soft glow.
“Purple potion for my purple lady” he offered the bottle and the map to the Daphne, a soft smile in his face “Like, just drop it into the map. It will mix with the air from this place and will update the missing roads and locations”
Daphne’s smile could outshine the sun. Like a blur, the redhead bear-hugged the lanky man hard enough to hear clear pops from his spine.
“Thank you thank you thank you!” holding his face in her hands she gave the young chef a long kiss. Shaggy melted, his fingers entangling themselves on the red mane. Slowly they untangled themselves from each other and, together, they started the process of magically upgrading the map.
Meanwhile, Fred and Velma had smiled at their artistic lovers letting a sigh of relief.
“Who do you think is going to be the next one to snap?” Velma said as quietly as she could, turning back to the computer.
“From the way things are going? Me, probably” Fred shrugged, “Found anything on the internet or is it not working as the GPS?”
“Ah no. no, no, no. You are not changing the subject on me now mister, what do you mean you are the next?” She turned to him, a disbelieving looks in her face.
“Can’t you feel it, Honey Bee?” He turned his head slowly towards her with a wide deranged smile, his eyes large “I’m on the limit.” Raising his hand, his thumb and forefinger dangerously close from touching “I’m this close to going absolutely ape”
She smiles at him “Oh, Love. We all are”
They giggled together. If it sounded slightly like it was going to soon turn into a crazy laugh they didn't dwell on it.
“Uh, Ruys…” Scooby turned his head slightly towards them, confusion lacing his voice.
“What is it, Scooby?” Fred moved slightly towards the front seats, Velma just behind.
The Great Dane didn’t remove his eyes front the road. Just ahead of them was a blob of movement, a car, coming in the opposite lane. It was a van. It looked an awful lot like…
“It’s that the mystery machine?” Daphne said with a voice laced in disbelief.
It was a fraction of a second. Just enough for both vans to align. Just enough for both drivers to get a good look at each other.
Scooby would have lied if he said that looking at the driver didn’t give him a small bound of nostalgia.
It has been years seen he saw Fred that young.
