Sorry to the people looking for Get In, but the latest chapter is turning out to be more of a problem than I had thought and I had promised to update in two weeks. So this is how I figured the pair would have gotten together if none of my stories happened. Hope you enjoy and as always be honest but polite in your reviews.
"The pressure's really on Venturi tonight."
"No kidding, he's leading a team of benchwarmers against the toughest team in the College Hockey League with scouts watching his every move."
"They're not the only ones. Anyone with even a passing interest in hockey is watching tonight's game.
"Oh, and Venturi is down."
"Derek, are you nuts? You heard the doctor. If you don't let that leg heal, you might never play hockey again."
"Even better, McDonald. Even better."
"If I wasn't seeing this, I wouldn't believe it. Derek Venturi is back on the ice and he's not letting anything stop him."
"People, I am not exaggerating when I say that most professional players couldn't make a comeback like this."
"And Venturi takes out another one of their heavyweights. He's playing like there's no tomorrow. I honestly don't know how much more he can give or take from this game."
"Venturi scores. Venturi scores. After getting injured early into the game, Derek Venturi has led Kingston into an unbelievable come from behind victory. After a night like tonight, is anything impossible for him? What can he do to top this?"
"I'm sorry guys but I got a better offer." The crowd just looks on in confusion as Derek turns down scout after scout, sponsor after sponsor, until no one's left in the locker room but him and Casey.
"Okay Venturi, what's your game this time? Who's this better offer from or are you just trying to con everyone into giving you a better deal? Make even more girls go crazy over your hockey godliness?"
Derek gave her a small smirk as he continued to empty his locker, "No game Princess, just an offer." And with that he tosses something at Casey. After a moment she realizes it is a small black box. Looking up Casey finds that Derek is kneeling in front of her. She doesn't say anything as he takes her hand in his and continues, "How would you like to be married to a jerk that's blown all his hockey dreams and will have to take a job as a cameraman?"
Casey opens the box to find a small silver ring; she tries to hold back the tears as she reads the inscription, You Make Me Better. After a second, a small smile crosses her lips. Reaching into her pocket she pulls out a similar black box and hands it to Derek.
Confused, Derek stands up and opens it to find a gold ring with the inscription, You Drive Me Crazy. Looking up, he finds Casey kneeling before him. Taking his hand into hands into hers and said, "You're a jerk for proposing first." Derek stuck his tongue out at her, Casey ignored him and continued, "But you are also a caring man that I have spent the last seven years growing to love. You have been the bane of my existence, later you became my annoying roommate and my best friend. How would you like to never stop being my roommate and become my annoying husband?"
Derek took Casey's hand and raised her to her feet. Cradling her face in his hand, he leaned in and kissed her. The kiss was simple, lasting mere moments, their lips barely touching. Finally parting, they eyed each other, both waiting for the other's move.
Derek moves first, crossing his arms and leaning back against the lockers, he slips back into his normal cockiness, "I take that as a yes McDonald."
Casey gives him an angry glare, "I never said that."
Stepping away from the locker and matching her stare, he countered, "You proposed, we kissed, that seems like a yes to me."
Closing the little gap that was between them, Casey snaps a finger into his chest, "I could say the same thing about you."
Pushing her hand away, Derek rebukes with, "You're saying either way we're engaged?"
Casey shots right back, "Yes."
Throwing up his hands, "Then why are we fighting?"
"Because you're putting words in my mouth."
"You just said yes."
"Yes to us being engaged not to your poor proposal."
"Poor proposal? I just throw away any chance I had at going pro for you."
"Some of your airhead fangirls might like the macho act, but I need some more thought put into it. Maybe, maybe do something that I like to show how much you care."
"Some more thought? Princess, I've be planning this since we moved to Kingston."
"Seriously? Four years, and the best that Derek 'The Master Prankster' Venturi can think of is winning a game to get me to say yes?"
"I just turned down a 7 million dollar deal with the Oilers for you. The Oilers, McDonald. Do you have any idea how long I've been dreaming of getting a deal with them?"
"What the hell is going on here?"
Casey and Derek turn to see the coach standing in the doorway. In unison they both shout, "Arguing with my fiancée."
The coach stares at them for a moment before throwing his hands in the air, "Took you long enough. Now get out of here so I can go home."
Sharing a look, the pair shrugs and leave, fingers intertwined. Barely out of his sight he could hear them starting to argue about who the older man had been talking to, causing him to roll his eyes. Giving a sigh of relief as he closes and locks the door, he speaks up, "You were right, kid."
Walking around the corner Derek's and Casey's closest friends and family followed their unofficial leader. They had heard the proposals; all of them knowing it were going to happen because either they had been told by the one or another of the stubborn pair or because the mastermind among them had planned it long ago.
Stuffing his keys into his pocket the coach eyed the architect of this strange romance with a skeptical look, "Okay, how did you know that was going to happen?"
Flashing her own style of a smirk, the barely teenaged girl answers with, "Oh please, everyone knows Smerek loves Casey and Casey loves Smerek." Her smirk growing a little, she continues, "It just took a while for them to realize it."
For most of her life, Marti had schemed, threated, coerced, and/or convinced the young lovers' friends and family to guide the couple together. From the first second she had seen them fight, she had known they were meant for each other. The looks they gave each other, the things they did for and to each other was hard for even a six year old to miss. She had slowly worked everything out so the headstrong pair would figure that out for themselves. From breaking the bathroom door to subtle hinting for Truman and Vicki to kiss, she had made it so painfully obvious what they were refusing not to admit that it had to sink into their thick skulls.
What? Did you really thing Derek and Casey would get together without some kind of outside influence? They're just lucky that she's giving them some downtime before she starts Operation: Aunty.