A Christmas Story

Disclaimer: I do not own Life with Derek or any of the characters in this story.

The more I see of the Derekus episode, the more I like it. It serves as the inspiration for this story but in this story they actually go on their respective trips. Of course it's a Dasey.

Casey sat on her bed watching the clock. Seven more minutes until she had to go downstairs and ten more minutes before the cab was set to arrive to take she and Lizzie to the airport. She had the next week with their dad planned out perfectly, from the restaurants they would visit and the shops they had to go to in order to get gifts for the rest of her family. And in case there was an unplanned for gap in her plans, she had the pocket size Lonely Planet guide to New York that fit in her purse. If all went according to plan, she would not have any time or reason to think of Max.

If Casey were honest with herself she would acknowledge that she never really expected that relationship to work. But he was so perfect: handsome, a football star, her parents liked him, no personality, self-absorbed and boring. Maybe she should just give up boys all together – no one could live up to her expectations anyway. That's why this trip was so important; going to New York was her chance to work on her independence. If New York wasn't the place to be free and independent, she was sure it couldn't be done.

Six minutes until she had to go downstairs.

A knock on the door interrupted her from her staring match with the clock. When she opened the door nobody was there but a book that had been propped against the doorknob fell to the ground. It wasn't a book that she'd ever seen before but seemed like something she would have picked out for herself. It had a pink cover with funky waves imbedded in the plastic and a fluffy pink feather pen poking out of the elastic band that surrounded it. The word 'JOURNAL' was printed near the middle of the front cover.

Slightly perplexed, Casey turned the book over searching for an explanation of its presence. Finally, she opened the cover and read the three short lines of text printed there in small, hardly legible handwriting.

'Thought you could use this

Seemed like you.

- Derek'

Unfortunately, this explanation made her more perplexed. Derek giving her a gift that she actually liked. Was that possible? Just last night the entire family had exchanged gifts knowing that the kids weren't going to be around for Christmas. Derek had given her a shirt that read 'Total Klutz.' Not to be outdone, she had given him a sports magazine from 2 months ago that she had picked up at the pharmacy. She thought it had been mutually understood that they express their inability to get along in their presents. Yet, she had actually put more thought than she had intended in deciding to get him the magazine. She had surprised herself in analyzing exactly the message she wanted to send to him. Wasn't part of their arguments and tantrums that they both enjoyed it and that it was funny? They didn't actually really hate each other.

"Obviously not" she replied out loud as she considered the journal again.

Five minutes until she had to go downstairs.

She knocked on Derek's door. He opened it with his shirt half on.

"What's up?"

She held up the journal as a means of response. When he didn't respond she tried words.

"Derek I love it! But I don't understand. I thought we already exchanged presents. What's this for?"

He ushered her inside with a wave of his hand and he closed the door.

"Look, Casey. I saw it in the store and it had your name written all over it. I figured with everything with Max that you could use something to express all those feelings you seem to have all the time. Consider it another Christmas present. Don't read too much into it and don't tell anyone that I did it – people would think I'd gone soft. Now if you'll excuse me I have to finish packing for Florida."

"Derek I don't get you. You act like a major asshole most of the time and then you go and do something really sweet like this or calling my dad that time I organized the dinner from hell. Maybe you are going soft."

She chuckles to herself as he gives her the look of death.

"I am not soft. And why don't you go discuss my split persona in that new journal of yours instead of boring me with this conversion. Florida is the only thing I want to talk about right now."

She turns to leave and he turns back to the backpack on his bed. Unknowingly to him she has not left his room but has approached the bed to give him a hug from behind. The feel of her arms encircling his waist causes him to turn around in surprise and she manages to catch him in a full, true hug.

"Thank-you, Derek. I love my present."

"CASE-Y! You know my no hugging policy."

Yet, he made no attempt to get away from her – until he reached for her sides and tickled her hard. She laughed and squirmed away from him and out the door breathless, closing the door behind her.

"You're welcome, Casey," he whispers to the closed door.

0 minutes until she had to go downstairs.

Grabbing her rolling suitcase from her room and stuffing the journal and pen in one of the front pockets, she heads downstairs to say goodbye to the rest of her family.

Her stepfather shouts for all his kids to come down to say goodbye before their rides come to take them away from him for the holiday.

She kisses George, her mom, Edwin and Marti goodbye and tells them to enjoy their Christmas. When she leaves in the cab with Lizzie, Derek still has not come down to say goodbye – not that she was looking for him or anything.

As Lizzie sleeps next to her on the flight to New York, she opens her journal and begins to write. After the date and the somewhat cliché introduction of 'Dear Journal,' Casey begins this record of her life with the short but loaded phrase 'I think that I might have fallen for Derek…'

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