Ok, this is something I've been working on for about two years, and I've only just got round to typing it up. Plot: Derek and Casey had a relationship in high school that ended when they went to college. Now, a year later, they're thrown together again. I took my inspiration from, among other things, The Black Parade, by My Chemical Romance. This is a seriously angsty fic, so be warned.
Disclaimer: I own neither LWD or anything by My Chemical Romance.
Please R&R, let me know any suggestions you may have, and enjoy.
Casey McDonald sat on the bed in her new room at college, holding a photo album in her hands. Her mother had just left, leaving her there. As she was going, she'd put the box on Casey's bed & told her not to open it until she was alone.
Well, she was alone now, which meant she was free to see what was in the album. The front was white, with "Casey McDonald" written in big, wobbly letters across the top. Clearly the work of Marti Venturi. Casey could imagine the young brunette sitting at the kitchen table, forehead furrowed and tongue sticking out in concentration. The image made Casey's heart ache – she was already missing her family – minus one – like crazy.
Flicking through the album, Casey saw that each member of her family had contributed to it. There were informal snapshots alongside various professional family portraits, all with comments beside them. Casey smiled as she looked at the family photo she'd used - and abused – for her sociology project, all cut up and stuck back together. Underneath the photo there was a caption in Lizzie's writing: "Don't worry, all the pieces are there. I checked."
Turning the page, she came across Derek's page. Casey's stomach started doing somersaults as she wondered what he'd have contributed. After all, how well the pair got along was NOT what they were famous for. Looking at what he'd written, however, she knew she needn't have worried. There were two photos, taken maybe 2 minutes apart. The day they'd both started work at Smelly Nellie's, George and Nora had insisted on photos. They'd been told to play nice and look like family, or else. They were both smiling, and Derek had an arm casually slung around her waist. The next snapshot made Casey laugh. Taken just after the first photo, Derek had gotten bored with 'playing nice'. In the picture, Casey had her mouth wide open as though she'd just heard something scandalous, and she was leaning on Derek, who was supporting her with an arm protectively round her waist. The expression on his face was one of perfect innocence. Next to the photos, Derek had simply written "No regrets".
Despite the ambiguous caption, the picture itself still lifted Casey's heart when she remembered what had caused her to look like that. Derek had dug her in the ribs, causing her to double over, almost falling into his arms, and he'd simultaneously whispered "You look so hot right now" in her ear, causing her to squeal and blush.
They'd been a fledgling couple by then, just trying to figure out if they could get along enough to date, because since they'd first met they both knew that's where things had been heading. They'd just tried to cover it up with fighting. They'd been so worried about the reactions from friends and family that they'd managed to keep it a secret for the last month – ever since the first time they confronted each other.
Their parents, however, hadn't been blind to the occasional lingering gaze into each other's eyes, the absence of new 'people' after Kendra and Max had left the scene, or the fact that although they did still fight, it wasn't with the same venom as before. One day, George had gone into Casey's room to talk to her.
"Hey Casey, any chance you could go with your mother on her business trip this weekend? I'd go, but I've got a big trial starting Monday and there's too much to do over the weekend, and it's really too far for her to go alone. Even if she was comfortable with it, I'm not keen on the idea of my wife going 200 miles away on her own for the weekend." What George was asking seemed innocuous, but he had an idea that Casey and Derek were planning to 'accidentally' meet up at the movies that weekend.
"I'm really sorry George, normally I would, but I'm going to the cinema with D-Emily this weekend" Casey stuttered, trying not to blush at her near miss.
George looked quizzically at Casey. "That's funny, I thought Emily was out of town this weekend?" he asked in an innocent tone.
"Oh, yeah she is. I meant to say Kendra."
"Really? I didn't think you two hung out all that much." George said, watching his stepdaughter squirm (like a worm), and wishing that she'd just say it already. "Of course, if you've got a date planned, that would be different"
Casey blushed furiously and just nodded.
"So, you have got a date this weekend?" George clarified.
Casey said nothing, just nodded, too embarrassed at lying to George to speak.
"Ok, that's no problem. I'll get Derek to go with Nora. Oh, but apparently he's got a date with a girl this weekend as well. It's strange, for almost the first time ever, he's not bragging to me about who she is. The only thing he did say was that she was too good for him and seriously hot. Funny, two teens both have a date this weekend, and neither will say anything about it." George was musing out loud, trying to get Casey to confess.
"You already know, don't you?" Casey asked wearily. George considered making her sweat a bit more, but decided she'd suffered enough. Casey sighed, picturing Derek's face when he heard that she couldn't even fool George.
"Both your mother and I know, and we have done since the first time we caught you smile a proper smile at him."
"But...you don't seem mad. We thought you'd go nuts" Casey said.
"Casey, you're a very attractive young woman, and Derek's a raging mass of hormones wrapped up in a seemingly irresistible package. We knew when we put you two under the same roof that this might happen. But it might be a good idea for you to let us explain it to the younger kids. They might find it weird or gross at first" George smiled at his step-daughter, who just blushed and impulsively hugged George. Overcome, George returned the hug, thinking how far they'd come since the awkward 'hugs' when the families had first merged.
"By the way, your mum's trying to get Derek to talk. Do you want to go and help her out?" George asked, thinking that he'd definitely got the easier teen to tackle.
"Sure thing. Oh, and George – thanks". Casey turned and smiled, before leaving the room.
After that, everything had been different. George and Nora had spoken to Lizzie, Edwin and Marti about their elder siblings' new relationship, and how it would affect the family. Much to George and Nora's surprise, they'd all taken it in their stride. Edwin and Lizzie had half guessed something was going on, and Marti was too young to understand why it might be weird. So Derek and Casey had gone public with their relationship. At first, their friends had been slightly grossed out, but after a few weeks, 99.9% of their peers accepted that the former 'step-sibs' were a couple. Although the two didn't spend all their time together at school, people knew that if they missed with Casey, they'd have an angry Derek after them, and if they messed with Derek, an indignant Casey would be on their case.
The only person who couldn't get used to their new relationship was Sam. He and Derek argued about it constantly – whether it was right or wrong, whether they were right for each other – and eventually Sam stopped hanging out at the Venturi-MacDonald house. They were still civil to each other at school and on the hockey rink, but they weren't best friends anymore. Derek's best friend was Casey, now.
Everything had been going fine, until the time had come for the two to apply to college. The closer they got to the deadline, the more they argued once again. They argued about where to attend, and what they should study. Derek wanted to do film studies, and Casey wanted to do pre-med. Of course, although neither admitted it, they both knew that their relationship would never work long distance, or survive the pressures of college.
Eventually, after weeks of fighting about anything and everything, weeks of making up and breaking up again, Casey suggested a compromise. Derek could attend the local college, and do film studies and she'd commute to the nearest college to run her course.
"Casey, it's not that I don't think this is a good idea. And trust me; I love the idea of us being near each other, maybe even staying in the same house. You know that I do NOT want us to break up, especially over something like this, when we've overcome so much else." Derek needed Casey to know how he felt, because sometimes, even now, his temper got the better of him. He crossed to his girlfriend and took her in his arms. She relaxed into his embrace, then pulled away slightly to look at him.
"You never finished that sentence...?" This was part of Casey's personality that Derek recognised in himself – or maybe he'd picked it up from Casey – her inability to let things go.
"It's not that I don't like the idea...I just..." Derek's voice trailed off.
"Just WHAT, Derek? I'm trying to think of a solution here, and all you're thinking about is all those college girls you won't be able to hit on" Casey snapped. She knew she was pushing him, but she couldn't help it.
"Look, babe, we've been exclusive for two and a half years. Do you not trust me by now? What more is it that you want?" Derek had lost his temper, and his naturally dark eyes grew even stormier.
"Proof that this meant something to you, not just to me." Casey said heatedly, knowing where this would end. After all, even despite all they'd shared, Derek could only be pushed so far. And he'd been pushed beyond his limit. He'd finally tired of this game, and could see only one end. He knew it fell on him to do the deed.
"Sorry SIS, no can do. I'm Derek Venturi, remember. I don't do commitment." Derek said viciously, before storming out of the kitchen, where they'd been fighting.
Back in her college dorm room, tears ran down Casey's face, as she remembered their last, bitter argument. A month had gone by since then, and things hadn't improved. By calling Casey "Sis", Derek had ended their relationship, referring to her once more as his annoying step-sister who bugged the hell out of him and wouldn't leave him alone. Even when they'd been battling for weeks on end, neither teen had called attention to their family ties – it was 'below the belt' - for both of them.
Derek had given Casey a cursory hug when she'd left, that morning, but it was nothing compared to the bone-crushing squeezes she used to get as his girlfriend. His eyes had been stormy as she said her goodbye...clearly he hadn't forgiven her for trying to force him into an emotional commitment.
One year later
As Casey settled into her dorm for the second year of college, she looked sadly at the pictures by her bed. One, of her and Derek, had been faded by the sun – truly a testament to how their relationship had broken down. During their freshman year, Casey had seen Derek only once, when she'd been leaving the family during winter break to go to Europe. He'd literally been arriving as she left, and though she gave him a shy smile, she may as well not have bothered. He'd completely blanked her.
With a start, Casey realised that she couldn't spend all her time dwelling on Derek Venturi, and decided to join her roommate at a welcome back party that evening. Just as she was about to leave, however, her mobile phone rang.