Mac and Cheese
G
Casey, Derek, mentions of the rest of the family
Notes: Current season. Let's say George and Nora went to see a play in another town, cool?
Summary: Derek does a good deed that doesn't end well.
Complete
---
"Casey?" Derek said, walking into her darkened room without knocking. "Your mom wants to make sure you're alive, since you've slept longer than I have."
Casey rolled over and moaned.
"Okay, not dead. Awesome." Derek put the phone up to his ear and said, "She just rolled over. No, really, she didn't even yell at me." Derek moved the phone away from his mouth. "Your mom wants to talk to you." He stepped further into the room and held the phone next to the bed.
Casey's arm shot out from under her bedspread in the general direction of her door.
"Hmmlo?" Casey said, peaking her head out from under her pillow. "Migrmmne. Migrahme. MIGRANE, Mom!" Casey shrugged off her covers and rubbed her eyes with one hand. "Yeah. Okay, got it. See you tonight." Casey tossed the phone to Derek and the slipped back under her comforter.
"Nora? Yeah, I'll make sure she eats. Yes, I'll make sure they all eat. I've got it under control. Yes. Okay. I've got it. Promise. Tell Dad to stop worrying." Derek rolled his eyes and turned the phone off. He picked up the edge of Casey's comforter and she rolled over and gazed at him. "They can't get back yet, there's a huge thunderstorm headed straight for them." Derek said.
" 'Kay." Casey replied. "Uh, Lizzie has a math test tomorrow she needs to study for. Edwin – uhm, Edwin has a book report due Tuesday. I promised I would help them." Casey shook her head, remembering, then winced in pain.
"Lizzie has the flash cards you made her last night. Edwin – well, Edwin hasn't even read the book yet. Takes after his big brother." Derek replied, smirking. "Bu-ut, Dad said that id he wasn't finished with the book by the time they made it home, Edwin wasn't going to get his allowance for two weeks. " Derek assured Casey. "So shut up, lay down, and sleep it off."
---
"Hey, Sleeping Beauty." Edwin commented a few hours later as Casey made her way down the stairs a little slower than usual.
"How're you feeling?" Lizzie asked, moving her feet so Casey had a place to sit on the couch.
"I'm better. You know how it goes." Casey shrugged. "What're we watching and why isn't Edwin nose-deep in a book?"
"Some made-for-TV-movie with an abusive mother – surprise, surprise." Lizzie replied. "I'm taking a study break and Edwin is taking a reading break."
"One that was not approved by me!" Derek said, hitting Edwin on the back of the head to get him to move from the recliner.
"Sorry, slave driver, but my eyes are going to fall out if I have to read another line of Anne Frank." Edwin said, eyeing his brother.
"I'll let you get away with that, only because I don't have the energy to chase you upstairs and pummel you. I've been slaving away over a hot stove for – 30 minutes." Derek said, looking at his watch. "You kids better appreciate this – this thing Nora made me promise to do."
"You mean feed them?" Casey grinned. "Heaven forbid you make sure they eat! Hey, where's Marti?"
"The Davids. Emily's mom took pity on me when I showed up in drag two hours ago."
"Of course they did. You do make a pretty girl, Derek." Casey ducked, just barely missing getting hit by a pillow Derek launched in her direction. "Ohh, my head!" Casey moaned, grabbing her head.
"No sudden movements, you know the drill Case!" Lizzie said, wrapping her arm around her sister.
"Maybe she should try to eat?" Edwin suggested, trying to be helpful in a situation completely foreign to him. All he knew was that migraines were like really, really bad
headaches.
Lizzie and Casey nodded and the foursome made their way into the kitchen.
"Alright, we're doing this Derek-style. Paper plates, plastic utensils." Derek said, dropping a handful of flatware into the center of the counter and then tossing a few paper plates to Edwin. "Derek doesn't do dishes."
"Derek, you don't really do chores in general." Casey replied.
"I'm going to let that slide because you're sick. And it was lame." Derek said, putting a large pot of Mac and Cheese in between Lizzie and Casey. Casey leaned over to peer in the pot, closed her eyes, and hopped off her stool.
"Uhm, looks good, Derek." Casey said, gagging a bit and running through the living room.
---
"So, my specialty has never been vomit-inducing." Derek said as he entered Casey's room. Casey was laying on her bed with her eyes close, but her hands were tapping along with the music she had on quietly in the background.
"It wasn't the mac and cheese – it seemed surprisingly edible-looking, actually. Nausea is just a side effect of migraines."
"DEE-REEECK!" Edwin yelled from down the hall.
"Gotta go. Feel better?" Derek said, leaving Casey to rest in peace.
---
i Knock knock /i
"Come in." Derek said, looking up from his computer at the sound of a knock.
"So the parental censuses is that you're obviously responsible enough to leave in charge more often." Casey said as she walked over to his desk.
"Crap." Derek replied, looking at the small casserole dish Casey was holding. "I try to be the good guy once, and it just backfires. What's in there?" Derek gestured to the dish.
"My specialty." Casey replied, grinning as she lifted the lid off it. Derek immediately rolled closer to the dish as the steam rose. "Chicken cheese casserole."
"Don't tell Lizzie, but you're my favorite stepsister." Derek replied, grabbing the fork Casey produced. "For now, anyway." Derek said, spearing a huge piece of breaded chicken.
"That's cool. You're my favorite nurse. For now." Casey said, grinning as Derek glared at her. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about how you actually care for your siblings. Or that you know how to work a stove."