Sleepless Nights

Summary:With their high school days behind them, Derek and Casey are off to start their lives without their crazy family. Better yet, Nora and George had set them up with a wonderful apartment in Toronto! When Casey's previous living arrangements fall through, the reluctant step-siblings will have to cope with sharing a home again. Rated M for language and mature content in later chapters. R&R!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"She said, I dont know if Ive ever been good enough,
I'm a little bit rusty,
and I think my head is caving in.
And I dont know if Ive ever really been loved
by the hand that's touched me,
well I feel like something's gonna give.
And Im a little bit angry"
~ "Push", Matchbox 20

Chapter One
Conflict

A crowd clambered into the Venturi-McDonald residence, all chattering excitedly amongst themselves. Derek Venturi and Casey McDonald lead the crowd, both still in their cap and gown, their arms linked. Each of them held tightly to a little rolled up piece of paper, tied with a string of red ribbon. Derek held his little sister, Marti, on his free arm, her arms wrapped around his neck and legs on his waist to stay upright. Following the graduates was George, who was holding his wife's hand and positively beaming. Nora was constantly sliding glances down at her belly, her cheeks flushed with excitement and pride. Edwin and Lizzie, both looking reluctant to be in formal attire, clambered up the stairs the moment they entered the house, Edwin's tie fluttering down behind them. Emily, Sam, and Ralph were behind the siblings, also in their cap and gown, even Ralph, much to everyone's surprise.

Derek let Marti jump down when the rest of their family sat around the living room, where she promptly jumped into her father's arms, grinning broadly at her "Smerek". Lizzie and Edwin descended from the stairs, joining their parents on the couch. The five graduates stood holding hands in front of the family, bowing low and snapping back up so fast that their hats flew off of each of their heads. Laughing loudly, the friends released each other. Casey immediately connected with Emily, the two hugging eachother tightly and squealing about finally finishing. Derek and his friends, on the other hand, were already stripping off their graduation gowns and tossing them into a pile in the middle of the living room. With a quick jerk of his head, Derek lead Sam and Ralph to the door, only to be interrupted by Nora.

"Aren't you three going to stay?" his step-mother asked, frowning softly at the smirking Derek. He and the boys shrugged in unison. Derek opened the door, one foot already out before he said a word.

"We're just running over Sam's for a bit," he explained. "Don't worry, Nora," he added when he saw her raise a brow at him. "I'll be back to go out to dinner with the rest of you. Promise." Shooting them his trademark grin, he slipped out the door, but before he could slam it shut and escape, George called him back. Now looking very annoyed, Derek frowned at his father, letting out an exasperated "What?".
"Your mother was going to call," George reminded him, casting a glance at the phone. He was obviously not keen on recieving a phone call from his ex-wife, just to tell her that her son had already run off.
"Just tell her to call my cell. She knows the number," Derek said quickly. "Now, goodbye!"

The door slammed, leaving the living rom in silence. Finally, Emily and Casey exploded into a fit of giggles, shaking their heads. "C'mon, Case. Let's go get ready," Emily giggled, taking her friend by the hand. She began to drag Casey towards the stairs, the two of them whispering things between them, dissolving into giggles every now and then until the door to Casey's bedroom closed, leaving the rest of the Venturis and McDonalds alone in the living room.

George and Nora exchanged a look, the latter of which merely shook her head. "We'll tell them at dinner," she sighed. George grumbled under his breath.

"Tell us what?" Lizzie asked, already standing with Edwin at her side. Edwin nodded in agreement, sizing up his father and step-mother skeptically.
"Yeah, what's so important that you have to tell us together?"

Marti scowled at her older brother and step-sister, holding a finger to her lips and shushing them. "It's a secret!" she said quietly, as if merely saying the word loudly would give it away.

Nora laughed, ruffling the little girl's hair. "That's right, Marti," she chuckled. Returning her gaze to Edwin and Lizzie, she motioned for them to leave. "You two should go get cleaned up for dinner. We're leaving in two hours." The two started towards the stairs, followed by reminders to Edwin to use soap when he showered. Lizzie snickered, earning her a dirty look from her step-brother and close friend.
"Not funny," he grumbled. Lizzie thought differently, and continued to laugh until they made their way to their separate rooms.

"You go too, Marti. I want you to look like a princess for when we go out tonight," George chuckled, giving his youngest child an encouraging nudge. Marti crossed her arms, pursing her lips as she had seen Casey do a million times.
"Cats do not dress up as princesses," the child argued.
"Ah, but you're no normal cat!" her father said, jumping up from the couch to pull his daughter into a tight hug. "When she's kissed by a handsome lawyer, she turns into a princess!" With that, he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, which Marti tried to avoid by pushing away and squealing. When he pulled away, she frowned.
"Oh darn! Now I can't wear my tail!" she complained, pouting.
"Don't worry, dear. You'll be a cat again when the clock strikes midnight," Nora explained, laughing lightly.
"Oh. Okay, then!" Without anymore protest, she raced up the stairs and into her room, meowing at every second step.

"How d'you think Derek and Casey will take it?" Nora asked softly, now looking strained. George snorted, draping his arm around his wife's shoulders.
"We'll be lucky if Derek doesn't have the same news," he said under his breath.

"So, do you think he's interested?" Emily asked for what seemed like the billionth time that day. Exhaling deeply, Casey looked up from her vanity and put on her best game face for her best friend.
"Of course he's interested, Em! He did break up with Sally, and it's not like Kendra will be a problem," Casey repeated. "She has Max now," she added under her breath, scowling slightly. She returned her attention to her mirror, where she continued to apply mascara.
"Yeah but, I don't know, Casey..." Emily sighed, toying with her fingers as she stared at Casey's bedroom floor. "I don't think I can really compare to those two, y'know?" This was new. Casey stopped what she was doing immediately, spinning around on her chair to stare at Emily, a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"What do you mean?" she asked slowly.

Emily groaned, falling back so she was flat on Casey's bed and staring at the ceiling. "I'm just not as pretty or interesting as Sally or Kendra," she said, her voice so low that Casey wasn't sure if she had actually heard it or simply imagined it. "And, plus, he's used to like..." she let her voice trail off, sitting up and making a weird hand motion. "Y'know..."

Casey rolled her eyes. Yes, she knew. Oh God, did she know. How many nights had she been kept awake by Kendra's squeals of "OH DEREK", or the soft creak that the springs made on his bed. But of course, being the good friend that she was, Casey faked ignorance and simply had to say, "No, Em, I'm afraid I don't know."

Emily groaned again, returning to staring at the ceiling. "Yes you do, Casey. Don't play dumb," she said pathetically, glaring at the top of Casey's room, seeming overly pissed off with it's very existence. "I'm not ready for that kind of thing yet. And well, I don't know if Derek would respect that. And besides, he's probably not even interested in me anyway. I don't even know why I'm trying to get dressed up for this party tonight." She sighed again, sitting up to scuff her feet. She slumped over, appearing defeated. "He's just going to run off with some other girl, and then you two are moving to Toronto." Emily made a choked sound in the back of her throat that resembled a dry sob, but when she turned to Casey, she only looked depressed. "Can't you guys stay for the summer?" she whispered.

Thankful for the change of subject, Casey closed the space between she had her best friend, wrapping her arms around Emily and sighing. "I'm afraid I can't, Em. I'm really sorry, I am!" she said, holding back the tears that pricked at the corners of her eyes. "Since I'm moving in with my dad again, I'm going to spend the summer with him to seal the deal. And well, Derek... he's going so he can get a hang of the city." By this point, she could feel Emily's tears soaking her shoulder, and simply couldn't hold back anymore. She let loose, crying quietly into her best friend's hair. "I wish I could bring you with me," she choked out.

"I wish you could, too," Emily sobbed, her words muffled by Casey's sleeve. "But I'm staying here! I didn't even get accepted to UT, and my application to Ryerson was rejected, too." She stopped to allow a fresh lot of tears stream from her eyes, sniffling despite the fact that Casey's crying had almost stopped. "I should have applied to the community colleges, or any other school in the city. God, I'm so stupid!" she wailed.

Casey lifted one hand to wipe the tears from her face. She pulled away from Emily, holding her at arm's length. "You're not stupid," she said firmly. The mascara that she had only finished applying minutes prior had already streaked her face, making her look like a very red-eyed raccoon. "And Ryerson and UT are idiots for not accepting you," she added, trying to cheer up her best friend. Surprisingly, it worked. Emily smiled faintly, despite the tears that stained her cheeks and the fact that she was still sniffling.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she said, wiping her eyes. She took a deep breath, then stood up from the bed. "I think I'll run over to my place to clean up," she announced, turning to give Casey a weak smile. "I'll be over to pick you up before the party. How about, nine-ish?" Already she seemed to be in a better mood.

"Sounds good," Casey said absently, turning back to her mirror, the mascara wand already at her lashes. "See you then, Emily."

"Right. See ya, Casey."

With the click of the door shutting and the distant thud of Emily running down the stairs, Casey was left with only the sound of the shower running in the next room to fill her ears. She had finally done it. She had graduated, and with honors, at that! She smiled in spite of herself, letting a giddy laugh bubble up from her chest. She couldn't believe that in less than twenty-four hours, she would be on her way to Toronto to live with her father. And as if that wasn't good enough, there was always the reminder that she would be going to the same university as Derek, and didn't even have to acknowledge his existence! She almost giggled at the very thought, but instead contained herself and put the finishing touches on her make up. She stood up, giving herself a quick glance over of her black pencil skirt and pink blouse. Satisfied, Casey left her room. She still had about an hour before they went out to dinner, which meant that by the time they got back, she would have thirty minutes to change into her party clothes and brush her teeth and re-apply her make up. No problem.

For probably the first time since Casey moved in with the Venturi's, she felt as if everything in the world was going perfectly.

Derek rummaged through the pantry in Sam's house, kneeling down so he could search the bottom shelf. After completely searching every shelf multiple times, he finally gave up. "Sam!" he called out, answered quickly by a distant "What?". Looking back at the pantry, Derek began to dig through the packages of KD and cans of ravioli, still without any luck. "Dude, I can't find those chips you wanted for the party!"

Sam strolled into the room, his blonde hair sticking out in untidy tufts from beneath his black cap. "Dude, they're right there," Sam said, obviously holding back laughter as he pointed to the counter. Derek turned around, only to see the six bags of chips sitting only six feet away from him.

"I checked the pantry like, a dozen times," Derek complained, shaking his head. "I can't believe I missed them."

"Ralph put them there like, an hour ago," Sam laughed. At the look on Derek's face, he only laughed harder, patting his best friend on the back. "Are you sure you're all here today?"

Derek shrugged, smirking. Without any more of an answer, he stepped away from Sam, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I've gotta meet the family pretty soon. They're leaving for some celebration dinner or something, and since I actually graduated," - Sam snorted at this - "I have to go." He sighed, heading out the front door. "I'll be over for the party around nine, okay, dude?"

"Yeah, should be good, man. The rest of the team's gonna be here, too," Sam added. "Make sure you show up before everyone else is too wasted to walk." The two exchanged broad grins, laughing to themselves.

"Oh yeah, I'd hate to miss the before and after pictures."

"That's right! Now go before your step-mom goes all parental on your ass."

"See ya, dude."

"Later, dude."

Derek slipped out through the door, exhaling heavily. Only one more day in London, and then he was off to Toronto. He smiled as he headed to his car, sliding into the driver's seat and closing the door, which groaned and slammed. He backed out of Sam's driveway, hardly watching where he was going, having done this a million times before. It wasn't long before he was headed back to his house, driving noticeably slower than usual. There wasn't much left for Derek in London anymore. He had graduated now, and it wasn't like he had a girlfriend to keep him coming back. The only thing he had in the town was his family, which, to be blunt, he had had enough of over the past few years.

George, Marti, and Edwin he could handle. Even when his mother had first left and everything was pretty hectic, he hadn't minded being home. But then there was that whole situation with Nora when he first had to meet her, and ended up meeting Casey first instead. Grimacing at the thought, Derek remembered exactly how much he had disliked her at the time. The grimace slowly curled into a half-smile, brightening his face considerably. They had really gone a long way. From fighting over a bedroom, countless arguments, even more pranks, slamming doors and bathroom battles, Derek had found himself thinking of Casey as his real sister. She could certainly grow on someone, that was for sure. Not to say that he didn't still love annoying the hell out of her on a daily basis, that is. Of course, he had grown very protective of his step-sister. Just a few weeks ago in Toronto, at the party with Truman and Vicky, he remembered exactly how he had felt more anger than ever before at the mere sight of Casey's tears. Nobody got to pick on Casey, with the exception of himself.

Derek was snapped back to reality when he missed the turn to pull into his street. Sighing irritably, he checked the street; Empty. A quick U-turn and sloppy parking job later, he stalked into his house, hands stuffed in the pockets of his baggy blue jeans. He came in through the back door, walking very loudly until he was staring into the living room. As expected, it was empty. Everything was terribly quiet, a sure sign that chaos was on its way. Sure enough, there was a crash upstairs, then Nora's cry of "Marti! What are you doing?!", then Marti's innocent reply. "I'm making potions!"

Fighting back a laugh, he headed up the stairs, scooping Marti into his arms before Nora could lecture her on potion making again. "Give Smarti Potter a break, Nora," he chuckled, much to his sister's delight. Even Nora cracked a smile, even though her eyes kept on shooting back to bubbles and broken perfume bottle that were scattered around the bathtub.

Sighing, Nora ran her fingers through her hair. "I need to clean this up before we leave," she said, reaching for a towel. Figuring that he should get out before the job was pawned off on him, Derek scooted out of the bathroom, Marti in tow. When he was in his room, he knelt down so he was level with his sister, and sized up her outfit. She was wearing a pink dress with sequined straps and a pair of black shoes. Her hair was tied back into a braid, and her little plastic tiara was settled on top of her head. As much as Derek hated to admit it, it was becoming clear that his little Smarti was growing up.

"Okay, cutie. We should go wait in the car for the rest of the family. You can drive with me," he said, pulling her back into his arms.

"Really?!" Marti squealed, eyes wide. "Do you mean that, Smerek?"

"Sure do, Smarti. Now c'mon!"

He went into the hall, stopping long enough to knock on Casey's door. It opened almost immediately. Casey peeked out, not opening it fully until she realised it was Derek. "What?" she asked coolly.

"Just wondering if you were driving with Dad or me," Derek replied, his tone not nearly as icy, but not entirely kind.

Casey raised a brow, staring at Derek for a moment, as if she was deciding if it was worth the risk of being pranked. After a few moments, she merely nodded. "Only if I can drive," she said.

Derek snorted. "Yeah, keep dreaming," he laughed. "It's either shotgun of my car, or backseat of Dad's."

"Our car," Casey corrected, to which Derek only rolled his eyes. She thought it over again, then sighed. "Fine. I'll be ready in five minutes."

"I'm leaving in six."

Casey closed the door, leaving Derek there with Marti. He turned to leave, but stepped away just in time for Edwin and Lizzie to race each other down the stairs, their mildly formal clothes a blur. The only thing clear was Lizzie's hair and Edwin's cries of "I win! Oh, yeah! For a soccer player you're slow!" The taunts continued, ending with, "If I played I'd kick your butt in a heartbe- OW! What was that for?!"

Derek snickered, placing Marti on the floor. "C'mon, Smerek!" she complained, already halfway down the stairway by the time he fished his car keys from the pocket of his leather jacket.

"Coming," he called. He stopped at the bathroom, peering in to see Nora at the mirror working on her make up. "I'll meet you guys there, okay?" he said. His step-mother nodded, but seemed to not really be paying attention. "Great. See you there."

He went out to the car, watching as Marti strapped herself into the backseat. She sat with her hands on her knees, bobbing her head to a cheerful tune that she tried to whistle, cutting out at times so she was just half-dancing without the music. Five minutes of that went on, without any sign of Casey. Annoyed, Derek started the car. He said he was leaving, and he wasn't going to wait around just so Casey could get her hair perfect. He had just put the car in reverse when Casey swung into the passenger's seat, shooting him a dirty glare as she fastened her seat belt.

"You were going to leave without me!" she accused.

"I said six minutes. And, oh look," Derek sneered, pointing at the clock. "It was six minutes a full minute ago."

"I couldn't decide what shoes to wear!"

"I couldn't care less."

"You're a pig."

"Oink oink."

This continued for most of the drive, only managing to get worst at every red light. Marti sat unfazed in the back, still whistling even as a war waged in the front.

"Derek! You're going too fast!" Casey snapped, pointing an accusing finger at the speedometer, as if she needed proof.

"Maybe you just drive too slow," he grumbled.

"I drive the speed limit. But you just passed it by ten kilometers!"

"There's nobody out. It doesn't matter."

"What if someone was out? You could get us all killed!"

"Would that shut you up?"

"Der-EK!"

The Venturis and McDonalds sat at one of the larger booths in a very high-end restaurant, looking like a perfectly civilized family. Little did the rest of the diners know that, after the toast to the graduates and appetizers, that Casey's world was simply falling apart. It had all started while she was eating her fettuccine, for that was when Nora looked up, clearing her throat after dabbing at her lips. She placed her hands on her lap, demanding attention. Normally this would be nothing important, but even George was looking very serious next to her. This, of course, didn't seem to bother Derek, who continued to shovel chicken into his mouth, even as their parents started the announcement.

Putting down her fork, Casey set her undivided attention to her mother, her eyes slightly narrowed. She never liked when George was involved in the announcements... it never ended well.

"First of all," Nora said, her voice all business. Edwin and Lizzie looked up, though not seeming nearly as interested. In fact, the only one at the table that seemed to be listening fully was Casey herself. "I'd like to congratulate Casey and Derek on their graduation day," she continued. Derek nodded while Casey gave a tight smile. "And to wish them luck at UT next year." Nora paused, only to clear her throat for a second time, then began again. "Now, Derek and Casey, you both remembered that you'll be leaving to live in Toronto for the remainder of the summer, right?" They nodded. "Casey, you'll be staying at your father's, and you do know that Derek was supposed to be living in the guest bedroom until the semester begins."

Casey looked up from her plate at this, suddenly more interested. "Where's he staying?" she asked, the same time that Derek said, "Where am I staying?!"

George cut in here, placing one hand on Nora's. "Well, since we've decided that you're old enough and," he swallowed, obviously regretting this next part, "Responsible enough... Nora and I have found you an apartment to live in for the rest of the summer and the school year."

Everything was silent for a moment. Casey whipped around, staring wide-eyed at Derek, who's face immediately broke into a devious grin. "Are you serious?!" they asked together, Casey in disbelief, while her brother was excited.

Nora winced, the sound seeming to bother her. "Yes, we are," she said sternly, shooting Casey a look of warning. "You'll be living at your father's, as we agreed, and Derek will get the apartment to himself."

Before either of them could interrupt again, George continued. "But," he said, frowning at Derek, "We'll only be paying for the rent until October. By then, we want you to have your own means of making money, or else you'll be living at the campus dormitories."

Derek nodded enthusiastically, though Casey's glare had failed to falter. Her parents had finally quieted, an opportunity which Casey grabbed. "So, you're telling me that Derek gets an apartment, while I'm stuck living with Dad?" she asked, staring at Nora as if her mother had two heads.

Nora shrugged. "Well, the apartment has two bedrooms," she said, half-smiling. "You could always live with Derek if you'd rather."

Casey's eyes widened. "No!" she said, only to realize that Derek's voice accompanied her own. They exchanged glares before turning back to their parents.

"I'm not sharing my apartment with her-"

"I don't see why I can't have an apartment too! If Derek gets one then I-"

"Can't you just face the fact that I'm more important than-"

"I'm more responsible! And better with money! Where are you going to get a job-"

"It's a big city! I can figure something out!"

"You can't figure out how to eat milk and cookies, let alone manage bills and-"

"Just go live with you dad! I don't want to deal with you for another minute, let alone-"

"Deal with me?! Do I really look like I can handle another second of you and your bull-"

"At least I don't hog the bathroom!"

"Oh, please! You use all the hot water!"

"And you leave it smelling like girl!"

"At least I don't leave behind toxic fumes!"

"It's called cologne!"

"It's called disgusting!"

"STOP!" George bellowed, silencing the bickering teenagers, as well as most of the restaurant. Many heads turned towards them, including a very angry looking waiter. Edwin, Lizzie, and Marti turned their heads, looking from Derek, to Casey, to George, to Nora, then back to Derek again. When there was no more protest, George exhaled.

"Derek, if you screw this up, you're getting a dorm. Casey, you're living with your father. That's final," he said, using stern lawyer voice.

"Who gets the car, then?" Casey asked, smirking smugly at Derek. There was no way he could pay the bills for the apartment and the car.

"Derek," Nora answered, bracing herself for Casey's outburst.

Derek smirked, though it was obvious that his scooting slightly to the left was to avoid being attacked by the worst of Casey's shriek.

"Why?" she hissed, eyes wide.

"Derek is further from the university than you are," Nora explained simply. Before Casey could protest, she held up a finger, silencing her. "But, your father has agreed to let you drive his old Grand Prix."

Casey considered this for a moment, then sighed. "The silver one?" she asked. When Nora confirmed this, she relaxed. Finally satisfied, Casey went back to picking at her meal. Though she was no longer hungry, she assumed that there was to be no further discussion for the rest of dinner. Her mind had already wandered to the party when George's voice cut her off again.

"And, the last thing we've decided to tell you," he said, sounding far from the strict lawyer that he had been only minutes earlier. Even Nora began to fidget in her seat, playing with her hands and twirling the anniversary ring on her left hand.

Everything went completely silent. All the McDonald and Venturi children fixed their eyes on George and Nora, either chewing on their food or staring intensely, waiting for the words to come out.

After what seemed like an eternity, Nora let out a breath she had been holding in, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"I'm pregnant."

A/N:Yes, yes. I'm quite aware that this news was in the series finale, but I couldn't help but play it into this. I really hope that everyone's satisfied with the finished product that you now see above you as chapter one. I'd like to thank those of you who left me a review. I must say, you really did motivate me to finish this chapter sooner. I'm also extremely sorry for posting only bits and pieces of this chapter at a time, but I was far too anxious to just keep it hidden until it was done.

The next chapter will be a while, due to the fact that I'll be away from my computer for the next few weeks. Summer vacation and such, of course.

Well, I hope this was what you've been expecting. Thanks so much to all the reviewers and subscribers. I'm flattered, I really am. Especially considering this is my first published fan fic. Feel free to e-mail me or send me a message here if you have any questions or comments. Oh, and don't forget to rate and review! And make sure you add in some criticism. I won't get better until you help me out. :)

Thanks so much!

~ Taylor