Summary: Alright, so usually I stick to Harry Potter fanfiction because that tends to be my strong point, but, I just HAD to write one, even if it sucks, to test and expand my fanfiction writing abilities :)

Aright kiddos, this one is a Dasey fic. I've always wondered what happened between the party and when Derek and Casey got home on "Truman's Last Chance" and well, here's what I think happened, or what would have happened if I had any say so. Sorry if this sucks, but it's my first tv show fanfic. Whether I write more tv fanfics is up to how many reviews I get. This is a one-shot, but I'm a Dasey kinda girl and I'm not opposed to writing others. Review and tell me if I should continue or should just stick with my Harry Potter fanfic bubble :)

Disclaimer: Nope, last time I checked, I was just a person sitting at a computer, typing up and reading fanfics for sole entertainment only. I'm unfortunately just not clever enough to come up with Life With Derek haha.

"GET ON WITH IT!" geize, alright already. No tomato throwing!

Derek's POV:

"You're home now, Vicki. Get out," I say, annoyed. I don't know why I'm allowing myself to show anger in Casey's defense, but, can't help it. It's too late. Vicki gets out of the car and slams the door on Prince and I grimace, clutching my hands on the wheel tighter so as to keep my mouth shut. Suprisingly, I didn't have to say anything. Casey did for me.

"Vicki, stop slamming the car doors! It's not yours to destroy. Not that it would be the first time you destroyed something that wasn't yours, but still!" Vicki rolled her eyes, but said nothing, stomping up the driveway to her house. We watched her to make sure she went inside, then I put the car in reverse and back out into the street. I glance over to Casey, who's biting her lip, trying not to cry because she knows I don't do tears. For some reason, though, I don't think I'd mind too much. What that piece of shit did? Inexcusable. What her slutty cousin did? Just as bad, if not worse.

As I drive down the road, I steal one more glance at her and I notice a single tear roll down her cheek. Still biting her lip, she turns her head and quickly wipes away her tear to try to hide it from me, but another just took it's place. When she tried to repeat the process, I grabbed her hand to stop her. I pulled off the road into a gas station and parked. When I turned to face her, she had a guilty look on her face and I couldn't figure out why.

"Casey-"

"I'm sorry! I'm really trying not to cry!" She quivers, just barely choking down her tears.

"Casey, why? That scumbag may not be worth crying over, but you're obviously hurting," I try to sooth her.

"B-but you don't do tears, re-remember?"

I make a shooshing noise and pull her closer to me, awkwardly at first, but then she breaks. I rub her back soothingly like I used to do with Marti when she would cry over Abby not being there or when she got hurt. Hey, just because I don't do tears doesn't mean I don't know how to handle it. This goes on for another ten minutes and she pulls away, not quite calmed down, but enough to try to control herself, hastily wiping the tears away from her face.

"Thanks. I really am sorry. You shouldn't have had to deal with that. He was a loser and I'm stupid to be crying over him," She looks down at her hands in her lap, not looking at me, ashamed.

"No need, Princess. He cheated on you with your cousin. That's twice the reason to cry. I'm just lucky you're not crying so much," I try to lighten the mood, but I notice yet another tear escape her eye, so I reach over, unthinkingly and brush it away. She's shocked, but doesn't move.

"I'd hug you for being so nice to me, but that'd probably be pushing the issue, huh?" she lamely tries to joke, so I smile and pull her in a hug, kissing the top of her head.

"You know if you tell anyone about my being nice to you, I will put the tape of you singing in the shower on the intercom at school," I pull back and she half smiles while making an 'X' over her heart to show that the secret is safe.

"Hey, Der? Can I go into the gas station to see if they have a bathroom? I want to try to clean up. I'm sure I look like a mess!"

"You sure do, Princess!" I joke, but I add a moment later, "Go on ahead. I need to fill the Prince's tank anyway."

She nods and gets out of the car, careful not to slam the door and tries to smile at me before she walks away, though it looks to me more of a grimace. As soon as shes out of sight, I pick up my cell and call Nora to give her a heads up. I caught her just getting into bed and I could hear Dad already snoring in the backround. She thanked me and warned me not to irritate or tease Casey for a while even though I'd not even dreamed about messing with her tonight, and hung up saying she'd be waiting up. I got out to fill up the tank, and immediately started to wonder why I could allow myself to show how angry I was at the cheaters. I mean, I know why I got angry. I've known since we were 15 why. I was and still am in love with my stepsister. The true mystery is why am I letting myself show the emotions I feel? I've put a lot of effort into making everyone believe that I hate Casey, or at the very least, that I couldn't care less about her, but the way I acted tonight... My thoughts are interrupted by Casey exiting the gas station with a purchase bag.

"Hey Derek, gotcha some food and a soda. I know you'll probably need it. I paid 20 for the gas so if you go over, you pay the difference," she tries to joke. She looks better now than when she did walking in, but her eyes still show the pain. God I hated seeing pain in her eyes! I'd do nearly anything to make her smile right now, but instead, I smile at her.

"Thanks Space Case. Just don't expect me to pay you back for it," I say, trying to get her mind off of Cheat-man and Icky Vicki.

"Wouldn't dream of it," she rolls her eyes at me, a small smile playing on her lips. If I can keep her like this, she won't cry and we won't fight. I like it best when we can just banter and joke with each other. Don't get me wrong, the fights we have are fun, but I don't really like it when she gets truely mad at me.

When we left the gas station, she once again was quiet. She wasn't crying anymore, but I can tell she's thinking about something, and whatever it is, it's kind of painful, so I reach out and pat her hand. I was absolutely shocked that instead of pulling away, making some joke, or just ignoring it, she twisted her fingers in mine and pulled it to her face, pressing my hand to her cheek, which makes me smirk. Though I try to hide the smirk, I don't pull away either.

"Derek? Can I ask you a serious question?" she says, putting out entwined hands back down on the seat, still not releasing mine. She loosens her grip, knowing that I may want to pull away, but I don't yet.

"Sure, Princess, just don't ask me where baby's come from," I again attempt to joke around, earning me a roll of her eyes.

"No, Derek. What I want to know is what did you say to Truman and Vicki after I told you about them ki- about what I saw?" She is curious, and she flinches in anticpation that I'll pull my hand away and get defensive, or make another joke about it, but I figure I'll just say it.

"I told them that it was wrong. That nobody should ever treat you like that and for them to apologize to you and for Tru-jerk to never talk to you again," She's taken aback and I hear her barely audible gasp, but she smiles a smile a little broader then the last, squeezing my hand once. I should probably take my hand back, but it just feels too natural. I'm selfish and messed up to want to. I know that I'd be better for her than Tru-jerk, but even so. She deserves someone better than me too, "Seriously, Case, you can do so much better than him. And you will."

"Thanks Derek. You really are the best brother a girl could have," she smiles.

"Step. Step-brother," I quickly correct her.

"...same difference," She says. I detect a little bit of sadness in her voice, but I write that off as wishful thinking.

"Is it?" I wonder. I didn't even know I'd said it aloud until Casey answered.

"Does it matter?" she whispers.

At this point, I turn to look at her. We're at a red-light now and waiting behind several cars. She's staring at our entertwined hands with a look that I cannot seem to place. I open my mouth to answer her, only to close it again after realizing I had no answer for her. I had no clue how to answer her because that was the same question that I keep asking myself day after day, never being able to come up with a suitable answer. This isn't the first time that I have wondered if she feels the same way about me as I do her based soley off of slips of the toungue, but I always let it go, deciding that there would be no way that she could, and even if she did, she could do so much better than me anyway. People think I'm arrogant, and I typically am, but there's just something about sweet innocent Casey. I look back to the road just in time to see the light turn green again.

'Boy was this going to be a long drive home!' I think to myself. At that moment, however, I look back down to Casey's tiny delicate hand entertwined with my larger hand and smile. Maybe the drive home wasn't long enough.