Disclaimer: I do not own LWD
"Uh…Case? Can I…talk to you?"
Casey turned around and faced her step-brother. "Talk? Well isn't this a historic moment, eh Der?"
"Yeah…see….uh…I sort of need a ride to hockey practice."
"Why?" Casey asked.
"Cause…you see…me and Sammy thought it would be fun to take a little spin around the neighborhood at…hmm…2:30 ish in the morning? Yeah…the Highenbothams caught us and called the police thinking we were some crazy drunk maniacs, and I sort of kinda got my license suspended."
"Derek! How irresponsible can you be?? Past curfew?? With SAM?? You had another person in the car…and you went out past curfew! Der-ek!"
"Can you stop with the melodrama Case, and just give me a ride??"
"No! You don't deserve it!"
"Casey!! Please! I really need to! This game is important! If we win, we win the championship! And I have to be there! I'm the captain!! Please, Case, Please!!!"
"Fine." She spat. "But no pranking me for a month, got it?"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's go." He said, pushing on her back, motioning her out the door as he picked up his stick and bag. "Come on, Casey! Move it!!"
"Derek? Do you not want a ride to hockey practice?"
"Yeah, I do…fine." Casey started up the car and backed out of the garage, into the street. "Come on, Casey! You can make the light! Step on it!" Derek shouted at her as she slowed at the yellow light. "Move it!" He commanded, shoving his foot against hers, and driving her through the red light.
"DER-EK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screeched. "You could have gotten us KILLED! What is WRONG with you??????"
"Sorry, Case! But I gotta be there!!"
"Then you should have told me about your little driver license dilemma sooner, shouldn't you?"
"You're not my mom."
"I know, and after living with you, I feel bad for you mother."
"Aw, come on, Case….you don't really mean that, do you?"
She just glared at him as they turned into the skating rink. "Thanks, Sis!" Derek said as he got out of the car. They both stopped and stared at each other.
"STEP-SIS!" They both yelled at each other as they got out of the car. Derek grabbed his stuff and ran into the locker room, dropping a sock on the way.
"Derek!" Casey yelled after him. "Derek!!!" She screamed again, but he was too far away for him to hear her. She ran after him as he stepped into the locker room. "Ew." Casey said as she breathed in and then walked into the locker room where the rest of Derek's teammates stood, half-dressed, standing only in their boxers.
"Woo!" One guy said, checking Casey out as she walked into the room.
Derek turned around, a huge smirk on his face, but then it fell when he saw Casey. "Casey? What are you doing here? You shouldn't be in here."
"You dropped your sock." She said, holding it out to him.
"Thanks." He said, and then grabbed it.
"Bye." She smiled back, and then left the locker room, leaving all the guys whistling.
"Damn, Triple D. You got one smoking girlfriend there." One teammate said, shaking his shoulder. Derek just gave him an uneasy smile before turning back to his gear. Do I really treat her like she's my girlfriend? So that's what people see us as? Girlfriend and boyfriend? Derek sighed and then started to pull on his gear.
Casey leaned up against the glass, watching the zamboni clear the ice. One of Derek's teammates walked up to her. "Hey. I'm Jon. You?"
"I'm Casey." She smiled at him, looking down at his hockey gloves, noticing that she couldn't shake his hand in those.
"Oh, yeah, Venturi's girlfriend." He smirked.
"Excuse me?" Casey asked. "Hold on…Derek?"
"Yeah, you're his girlfriend, right?"
"Uh…" Casey started, but the rest of the team started walking out of the locker room.
"Jon! Let's go! Come on, man! Game starts in ten!"
"Nice meeting you." Jon smiled at her, and she smiled back.
"Nice meeting you too."
Derek walked up to her. "Don't fall for him." He said. Casey furrowed her eyebrows at him.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't fall for Jon."
"Why not?" Casey asked. "He seems like a nice enough guy."
"That's what he wants people to think. Remember Scott?"
"How could I forget?" She asked, rolling her eyes.
"He's worse."
"What?" She asked, her eyes wide. "How can he be worse?"
"He doesn't just see how many guys he can go out with, he has a list in the hockey room that must have at least thirty names of girls he's screwed."
"Derek…" Casey said, not buying it. He gripped her arm.
"Casey. I'm not joking."
Casey looked up into her step-brothers eyes. "I believe you."
"Don't fall for him."
"Derek! Yo! Scrappy!!" They both turned to see Sam getting off of the ice and walking towards the two. "Let's go man! They drop the puck in five!"
"Later, Case."
"Bye." Casey responded as she watched Derek skate onto the ice, towards the bench where their coach was holding a meeting.
"BREAK!" The team screamed, and Derek, Sam, Jon, and five other guys skated out onto the ice. Derek was in the middle. The referee dropped the puck, and Derek passed it back to Sam who passed it to Jon who skated up the ice. He passed it to Derek who cross-checked a defensive guy into the boards. He crumpled down onto the ground and Derek lifted the puck past the goalie and into the goal. He gave Sam the knuckle, and Casey watched the guy that Derek shoved get up and skate towards Derek, grabbing his head and throwing him down onto the ground. Derek's helmet cracked, and his brown hair showed through. The guy then started kicking him with his skate, and Casey could see red come out of Derek's body. He lay on the ice, motionless.
"DEREK!" Casey cried, running towards the door that led onto the ice. She started banging on it, and Sam skated over and opened up the door. He helped her onto the ice, and she slid towards Derek, kneeling over him as the refs took the guy that had hurt her step-brother away and off of the ice. "Derek…" She whispered, turning him over and taking off him helmet, placing it by her side. "Oh god…Derek wake up." She commanded, running her shaking fingers over his face. "Derek! WAKE UP!" She said, hot tears streaming down her face. She moved his head side to side, and pulled his head close to her. "Derek…" Blood from his back started to ooze out and under his body.
"Move! Move!" The paramedics demanded as they quickly crossed the ice, a large, yellow stretcher behind him. Sam pulled on Casey's arm, and she turned to him. His helmet was off, and he stared into Casey's sad eyes.
"Casey…"
"Where is that guy?"
"What guy?"
"The guy that beat up Derek!"
"Over there…why?" Casey didn't answer and started to storm towards him, but Sam caught her arm.
"No, Casey….no."
"But he hurt Derek, Sam!!" She protested, tears rolling down her face. "He hurt him!!"
"Casey!" Sam said, pulling her close to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and cried into his pads. "It's okay, It's okay."
"No, it's not." The ambulance left, and Casey took off.
At the hospital…
"Mr. Venturi is awake now, ma'am." The nurse said, motioning her towards his room. She cautiously walked in, and her heart stuttered a beat as she watched Derek open up his eyes and smile at her.
"Casey."
"Derek." She stood in front of his bed.
"What are you doing here? Where's Nora? Where's Dad?"
"Still in Vancouver."
"You didn't tell them?"
She shook her head negatively.
"Come 'ere." He said, making a small movement of his hands towards her. She meekly made her way towards him. "What's wrong?"
"You care?"
Derek thought a moment before answering. "Yeah, I do. I've always cared."
"Really?"
"Yeah…I have. You may not know it…but I have."
Casey uncomfortably shifted her weight on her feet. "Well…ever since the moment you got injured….I've been feeling a little differently about you."
"How so?"
"I…" Think I love you. Casey thought, staring at Derek's wounded face. Even with the scars, he was still strong. She sighed. "I think I may…"
"What? Sit. Sit down." He said, patting the side of his bed.
She cautiously sat down next to him, her butt touching his leg. "I can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"Because…I just can't!"
"Casey…you can tell me anything…you know that, right?"
"Okay…" She sighed. "I think…that I may…"
"Love me?" Derek asked, looking up at her.
She paused and stared at him. How did he know? She slowly nodded her head, and he smirked.
"I knew it."
"Do you…do you love me?"
Derek looked down and then looked back up at her. She looked as if she hadn't slept in days. "How long have I been out?"
"About two days."
"Have you been thinking of me?" Derek asked, trying to hide his smirk.
"Yes…" She mumbled. "But! You ignored my question! Do you love me too? Do you?"
"Yes." He said, smirking and patting her leg.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I've loved you since day one. I guess it's love at first sight, eh Case?"
"Yeah…" She smiled. "I guess it is." She leaned down and gave him a peck on the lips.
"So…how did the game end?"
"You won. Sam scored the winning goal. Just for you." She winked.