This story is based off of the movie, Just Like Heaven, with Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo, but you don't need to see the movie to follow this story. I really enjoyed the movie and putting it with Derek and Casey seemed perfect. It's a loose adaption but still stays relatively on point with the plot so there is a supernatural element for all those who enjoy that kind of thing.

Enjoy!

I do not own Life with Derek or Just Like Heaven.

"Der-ek! This dance recital tonight is important! Now: Where. Is. My. Costume!?" Casey McDonald's voice shrieked, echoing through the blended family house.

Her step-brother laughed arrogantly. "Where's the fun in that? Keep looking, you'll find it. I'm just helping you warm up."

Casey felt her blood boiling as she finally stood in front of The Great Derek Venturi, trying not to smack the cocky smirk off his attractive face. Yes, even though he was her step-brother, even she couldn't deny that he was an attractive individual. Though you'd never catch her admitting it to anyone. It was bad enough she told him he was charming and charismatic that time she convinced him to run for school president. He didn't need any more extra fuel for his ego.

"Tell me where it is or I am going to cut up all your hockey cards!" Casey invented wildly.

Derek however did have a flash of worry cross his face before he hid it behind his usual overconfident smirk. "You don't even know where they are."

"Oh so that secret safe behind the hockey picture in your closet in the box labelled 'hockey cards' isn't it?"

Derek's eyes widened. "How do you know about that?!"

Casey grinned, glad she had the one-up, forgetting momentarily her fury from a few moments ago. "I have my ways. Now. Costume. Or all your prized cards will be in pieces."

He sighed. "Fine. Go check in the games closet behind Scrabble. I was in a hurry. Don't know why I bothered rushing, your showers are so long lately. Wonder what could be taking up your time in there…" he added, suggesting something Casey was fairly sure brothers and sisters did not discuss. Or anyone really.

"Der-ek!" she hissed. "I was not…doing that! I don't do that!"

He rolled his eyes, chuckling at her freak-out. "Maybe you should, you'd be less uptight."

"Why, is that why you're so laidback?" she countered, leaning dangerously close to his face. They were clustered in the corner between their rooms, bodies almost touching. Often times their arguments led to being up in each others face.

"I'm so laidback, babe, because you are uptight enough for the entire planet."

"Derek, stop being so immature. Why do you always have to be such a jerk?"

"Hmm don't know, don't care. All I know is its terrible fun to rile you up."

"Rile me up, huh?" she teased, her voice, unbeknownst to her, lowering an octave.

Derek visibly swallowed but his eyes hardened. "Please Space-Case, the fact that you even are suggesting that, makes me sick to my stomach. I figured a keener like you would understand the word 'incest.'" he said coldly, changing completely from the light teasing atmosphere they had been in until then.

Casey felt herself redden, and quickly rushed away from him to the games closet. She had no idea how she was supposed to concentrate on her dance recital now.

It was more than embarrassment at her slip. She felt the pain of mortification, that tingling coursing through her veins that reminded her she took it too far, that he had every right to be disgusted. Was she really suggesting that he wanted to …ahem, well… with her?! On paper it wasn't wrong, but morally? Plus it was DEREK! He had no care in the world for her. He just liked pissing another person off, especially because she always reacted so much.

Why was that anyways? Why did she let him get under her skin so badly? No one had ever affected her as much as he did.

Casey moved the boxes around, finally pulling out the pale pink dress. She hesitated, trying to control the tears threatening to fall. She had lost herself too much in that fight. But sometimes she found their arguments left her mind blank, especially when they were so close together. She still didn't understand it.

"Casey! Time to go!" Nora called from the living room. Casey inhaled and finally turned around, only to see Derek regarding her strangely. She touched her face, feeling the traitorous tear resting on her cheekbone, before she stalked past him and descended hurriedly down the stairs.

Derek sighed, leaning against his door. He hadn't meant to be so cold. What she was suggesting…he had thought about too much. His anger towards himself for his fantasies spilled the words out of his mouth before he could stop them. But he didn't know why she was so upset. He made a mental note to ask her later.

Downstairs, Casey was now fully dressed and ready to go.

"Casey, sweetheart, George and I will take the family car. You and Lizzie and Marti can take the Prince. Derek is grounded from the car for failing his history test and Edwin will come with us."

"You expect me to drive myself to my dance recital? But I need to review, I can't even remember how I start, I should've practiced more. Why didn't I practice more? I shouldn't go. I should fake sick. No one would be the wiser!" she said hysterically, in typical Casey-freak-out fashion. She was always like this before any performance, even though she excelled every time.

"Casey, you can't practice in the car anyways whether you're driving or not. Plus you still have dress rehearsal and tons of time until you go on." Lizzie soothed.

Casey nodded quickly, needing the sisterly advice. "You're right, Lizzie. Thanks. You and Marti ready to go?"

Derek came down the stairs, seeing the whole family leaving.

"Smerek, hurry up, we're leaving!" Marti called to her favourite brother.

"Sorry Smarts, I'm not going. I have had enough time with Casey to last me a lifetime."

Watching the fire return to her eyes was somewhat satisfying. "Derek Venturi, I hate you!" she screeched, being held back by Lizzie from lunging at him.

"Right back at ya sis!" he called, laughing, as the family sent him cold glares before leaving out of the door.

"Consider that another week without the car." was George's final words before following the rest.

Derek rolled his eyes. Leave it to Casey not to get punished. She was Miss Perfect in their eyes. She could do no wrong.

Or so he thought. For that night, she found a way out of getting out of her recital that no one could have predicted.

One wrong decision mixed with blurry, tear-filled eyes, and Casey McDonald crashed The Prince into a guardrail, causing the McDonald-Venturi world to be turned upside down.