Hi!

I announce to all and sundry that I'm still alive, I'm doing fine and I'm going to publish another story. :) It's set in "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo" universe with only minor modifications. For example – I changed the age difference between Shaggy and his younger sister. In case you were bothered by the question "why", I'll just say it will be useful to me in the future. ;)

Enjoy!

VerMa

It was June 4, 1985. Samuel Rogers, a twenty-five-year-old police officer with light brown, short hair and honest, hazel eyes, walked out of the hospital, carrying his three-year-old son, Norville, in his arms. At work, he was irreplaceable because of his strength and courage, but he wasn't one of the super humans who could do almost everything – cook great, know how to carry out even quite big renovations only by themselves, plus: work both normally and as a volunteer and somehow always find time for their hobbies and family... In short, he needed help. His wife, Jessica, who was awaiting the birth of their daughter, Maggie, had just been taken to hospital and he had to take care of their son. The problem was that he wasn't able to care for him, work and visit his wife all in one day. That's why he'd decided to leave the boy for a few days in the house of his high school friend, Skip Jones, and his wife, Peggy. However, the little Shaggy, nicknamed so by his parents because of his ever-messy, light brown hair, wasn't happy with being separated from his mom.

"I want my mommy!" he complained.

"I told you that you can't go to mommy now. The doctor didn't allow it" said Mr. Rogers, placing the boy in his car seat and fastening the seatbelt, then he sat behind the wheel, started the engine and drove out of the hospital parking lot. "He said that mommy must rest because later, your little sister won't let her sleep."

"I not want a wittwe sistew! I want my mommy!" (Translation to the standard English: I don't want a little sister! I want my mommy!)

"Wait a few days and you'll have both mommy and a little sister. And you'll be a big, strong, elder brother. What do you say?"

"I want my mommy!" the toddler cried.

"But you do like Aunt Peggy" the father was close to despairing now.

"I not want Aunt Peggy! I want my mommy!"

"Listen now, son" Mr. Rogers stopped the car in front of a small house, covered with white plaster "we're already there anyway, so stop whining. And you know what? If you behave well, I'll buy you your favorite candy. Okay?" of course, Samuel was aware that Jessie wouldn't be pleased with bribing the little Norville. But, well, Jessie was in hospital, and he was already out of other ideas.

Shaggy closely looked at his dad.

"Yes" he said finally, smiling at the thought of sweets.

"Good boy" Mr. Rogers sighed with relief. Luckily, his son's favorite candies weren't the most expensive ones.

The door, to which a plate with the inscription "Skip and Peggy Jones" was bolted, opened after the second pressing of the doorbell. A blond-haired man of medium height stood in the doorway. Compared to Samuel, who was almost two meters tall, he appeared to be short and petit, however.

"Hi, Sam" the host grinned upon seeing his guests.

"Hello, Skip" Mr. Rogers greeted him. "Where's Peggy?"

"In the bathroom. She's bathing Freddy. And this must be your little Norville, right?"

"Yes, though we call him Shaggy more often."

"It's not hard to guess why" Mr. Jones glanced at the messy hair of his friend's son and suddenly slapped his own forehead. "Oh, goodness, where are my manners!" he exclaimed, stepping aside. "Come in, boys."

"Skip, my dear, who are you talking to?" a slim, blond-haired woman appeared in the corridor, holding a small but extremely frisky bundle, formed by a blue towel, in her arms. Upon seeing this weird thing, the little Norville clung to his father's left leg.

"We have guests" Skip said, pointing to Samuel and Shaggy.

"Norville, dear, you're finally here!" the woman handed the bundle to her husband, took Shaggy in her arms and kissed his forehead.

"Hi, Aunt Peggy" the boy trustingly clung to the woman.

"Thanks that you agreed to take care of him" said Sam.

"It's nothing" Skip smiled, lightly rubbing the bundle given to him by his wife. "I haven't forgotten that Peggy and I met thanks to you and Jessie. By the way, how is she?"

"Pretty good, but isn't allowed to get up until the delivery."

"What is it?" the little Norville asked suddenly.

"You'll know it when you go to school" Mrs. Jones assured him.

"Okay, I must go now" Mr. Rogers kissed his son's cheek and stroked his unruly hair. "Bye, Shaggy. Remember what I promised you if you're good."

After that, he went out, closing the door behind him.

"Daddy, let go" there was a small voice suddenly.

Shaggy clung to Mrs. Jones a bit harder and wove his tiny fingers in her blond hair.

"It is ghost!" he squeaked, scared.

You must know that the little Norville was terribly afraid of all ghosts and monsters, since one night he'd climbed out of his crib and toddled to his parents' bedroom. Unluckily for him, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers had just been watching a horror movie. When the toddler, unaware of anything, had entered the room, the first thing he'd seen was a monster on the TV screen. Jessica and Samuel until the morning had had a problem with calming down their frightened, crying son.

"Calm down, dear, it's only Freddy" Aunt Peggy laughed.

"Fweddy?" Shaggy repeated.

Uncle Skip unfolded the towel a bit. It turned out there was a little, blond-haired boy, still a bit wet after the bath, in it.

"This is Freddy" the man said.

"Who this boy?" Freddy asked hesitantly, pointing to Shaggy.

"This is Norville, your new friend" his mom explained. "He'll stay with us for a few days."

"I am Saggy, Aunt Peggy" the little Norville announced.

x

A week later, Peggy, while cleaning after lunch, heard the doorbell. She calmly wiped her hands clean and went to open it. On the porch stood Samuel, smiling from ear to ear.

"It's over" he said cheerfully. "There were no complications. The baby is healthy, she's 55 centimeters long and she weighs 3 kilograms."

"Congratulations" Peggy smiled. "How is Jessie?"

"Just fine. She told me to bring Shaggy. Where is he?"

"A moment ago, Skip took him and Freddy to the garden. He said he was going to teach them play football. Wait a minute, I'll call them right away..."

"No need to do it, I'll go there myself and take Norville. Once again, thanks that you took care of him. I hope he behaved well."

"Well? Why, he's a little angel. Drop by to visit us as often as possible."

PS – Reviews are welcome.

VM