Ok, I don't own LWD or Carry You Home by James Blunt. This sparked in my head and wouldn't leave me alone. Please R&R

It had all started when Casey was dumped by Max. She couldn't cope with the pain and so she'd turned to the one thing no one could have guessed – alcohol. It had started with an illicit drink at night to numb the pain and put her to sleep, but it had rapidly progressed to not being able to get through the day without alcohol. At age 16, Casey McDonald was becoming an alcoholic. Of course, being Casey, she managed to hide it from all her family – apart from Derek. Derek had walked in the bathroom one morning when she was throwing up after a bad night. He hadn't said anything, just harboured his suspicions.

Over the next three months, Derek had tried to subtly monitor Casey's drinking. He'd lost count of the number of times he'd sat by her bed all night, making sure she didn't choke on her own vomit. He'd cleaned up after her, and helped her to hide her numerous hangovers. They had a tacit truce – Derek knew the days he could tease her and coax her into a response, and when he had to leave her alone. Casey, for her part, knew she could trust Derek to keep her secret, and although at first she hated anyone – especially her hated stepbrother – knowing her weakness, eventually she came to acknowledge that she couldn't survive without him.

One day, however, Casey changed. She came to Derek's room one Friday night, her eyes full of tears.

"What is it, Case?" Derek kept his distance at first, not sure which mood she was in.

"I can't do it anymore. I don't want to keep losing myself. I need help, but I'm so scared of anyone knowing." Casey was weeping bitterly. She hated admitting her weakness, even to one her saw her fight her demons, day in and day out.

Derek had known what to do. He shut Casey in his room, telling her to just trust him. At first, she'd tried to fight him, telling him not to treat her like a child, but he'd sat with her and comforted her until she was ready to be left alone. After leaving Casey, he'd gone into her room and cleared all the alcohol from the many hiding places. Derek was shocked at the sheer amount of liquor Casey had – and how many empty bottles there were. He knew she'd had a problem, just not how bad that problem was. When he'd finished taking all the temptation from Casey's room, he made a bonfire in the backyard and burnt everything, telling George and Nora that it was a school chemistry project. They'd believed him credulously, not doubting him for a second.

After this, things had started to improve. Casey began to take an interest in her school work once more. And Derek became her best friend. After all, he shared her secret, and he'd taken care of her when she could barely take care of herself. The only difference that the rest of the family noticed as that the regular fights that had been ongoing for the previous 18 months had ceased. Sure, they still teased each other, bickered and bantered, but they never had out and out hatred and disgust for each other. For this, everyone was glad.

Casey had started going out with Sam again, and was more relaxed this time. Derek stopped holding his breath every time she drank anything. He no longer suspected anything sinister was going on, just because she didn't want to get out of bed on a Saturday morning. He knew she didn't drown herself in drink anymore, and he was so proud of her.

Then things went wrong again. Casey and Sam broke up, but Casey didn't turn to drinking. Instead, she spent most of her time finding sanctuary in Derek's room, knowing that he would never let her destroy herself. Never mind that she spent most of her time crying on his bed, scared to be alone. It was this need that Casey, this need to be with someone who knew, that led to Derek discovering that Casey was the only girl whose tears didn't annoy him.

One day Casey went into Derek's room, and he wasn't there. On the desk was a vase full of black roses, with a note attached.

Casey

These are for you. I hope they put the smile back on your face, sis.

Love, Derek.

Casey was so touched, happy tears started falling down her face unchecked. Happiness and warmth swiftly turned to sorrow, however, and she felt the waves threatening to overpower her once again, and drown her once again. In her panic, she went into autopilot and went downstairs to raid the liquor cabinet, without even thinking about what she was doing.

Derek came home 2 hours later to find his room empty, and Casey's bedroom door firmly shut. No matter how much he knocked, he couldn't get an answer.

This time, Casey lost 4 months to the drink, and Derek had to watch her slowly destroying herself. He reasoned with himself that it wasn't EVERY night that she was getting wasted, but more like once or twice a week. He told himself that surely it was better for her to drink away her sorrows than to leave it to fester, or to carve herself up, like some of the teens at school did, trying to release a tension that she couldn't explain to anyone, not even herself. However much he lied to himself, however, he knew that one day, something would happen that would force him to do something, before another member of the family noticed.

And one day it did. Casey stumbled into a door while she was drunk. It had happened once or twice before, admittedly, but Casey had always managed to cover it up with make up or long sleeves. This time, Derek had seen what happened, and though she tried to pass off her black eye as just her own clumsiness, Derek saw through her. She knew then, looking into his eyes, that if she didn't get help soon, he'd force her to. She saw herself through his eyes, and she didn't like it.

So she sobered up, again. This time, she told Paul about her problems, and he helped her deal with it. He gave her a refuge while she was at school, and he had worked with Derek to ensure that Casey would always have a support system in place, whether she was at home or at school.

She was sober for 4 months, and Derek had the old Casey back. He enjoyed their bickering, and he loved the spark in Casey's eyes when he managed to find just the right tease to provoke her into action. He loved the sound of her laughter, when she chased him round the house, threatening terrible things that would happen when she caught him. Of course, because she was laughing so hard, she never managed to catch him, and Derek always managed to evade her.

Then one day, Casey and Lizzie's dad cancelled a visit, saying he was tied up with work. To make up for the disappointment, Derek took Casey to the mall for a shopping trip. As they were walking towards Casey's new favourite shop, Hot Topic, Derek saw something he didn't want to see: Dennis McDonald walking through the mall, hand in hand with another woman. That alone would have been bad enough, but the pair were accompanied by two teenagers, a boy and a girl. Clearly, Dennis had got himself a new family now. Derek had tried to shield Casey from it, but she'd spotted her dad at the same time as he'd spotted her. Derek had waited for the bluster, and for the excuses, but they hadn't come. Dennis had turned away without acknowledging his own daughter.

Derek had known things would be bad that evening, but nothing could have prepared him for how bad. When they arrived home, he'd tried to talk to Casey, but she'd ignored him, and gone straight to her room, locking the door behind her.

Trouble is her only friend, and he's back again.

Makes her body older than it really is.

As he sat in his chair, flicking through the channels but not watching anything, he heard her come downstairs, and head for the door. Derek could smell IT on her breath. He was in disbelief that George and Nora could ignore it. As she moved pass him, he reached for her, but she moved out of his grasp. Her eyes had a wild look that terrified him to his core.

She says it's high time she went away; no one's got much to say in this town, anymore.

"I've just got to get out Derek. I'll see you later, and we can talk then." Casey had smiled sheepishly as she turned to look at him before she walked out the door, knowing he'd give her hell when she came home.

"Casey, wait..."Derek yelled, but to no avail. She was gone.

Trouble is the only way is down, down down.

5 minutes later, Derek realised what had been bugging him. As Casey had walked out, she'd been holding her car keys. Grabbing his own keys, he called out to the family that he was going for a drive.

Hoping he still knew her mind, Derek set off for the interstate. He thought Casey would be flying to New York, to see her dad. She wouldn't realise that he was still in Canada.

As he drove, Derek was so intent on catching her in time that he didn't notice his mobile beeping a txt message, but as he was the cars ahead suddenly slowing down, he checked to see if Casey had called, and saw he had a message. He rolled his eyes as he read the txt – just another girl asking him out. He didn't even bother replying – after all, he was trying to save the girl he loved, why would he bother with anyone else? Switching his attention back to the road, he saw the reason for the delay. A car was in a ditch, another had rolled. Casey's car.

Derek had never moved so fast in his life, not even on the hockey rink. He was out of the car and running towards the wreckage before he knew what was happening. The accident had only just happened – the police weren't even there yet.

As he approached Casey's car, his fears became reality. She'd been thrown from the car and was lying a little way away, away from the traffic.

As strong as you were, tender you go

I'm watching you breathing, for the last time

Derek cradled her in his arms, and she opened her eyes, deep pools of blue that started up at him in pain.

"I'm sorry. I failed, Derek." She said in a weak voice.

"Don't try to talk baby. We'll get help, you just rest now, ok?" Derek said, cradling her closer to him, trying to keep her warm.

If she had wings she would fly away, and another day God will give her some

Trouble is the only way is down.

"I'm so cold, Derek." Casey suddenly said.

"It's ok, Case. I'm here. I'll keep you warm" Casey's eyes filled with tears and realisation, but the pain had gone, slowly ebbing away. She smiled up at Derek, a watery smile that was nothing like her usual cheery grins.

"I love you Derek. Please, forgive me, and give me a good funeral" Casey said.

Derek watched in a

nguish as her body shuddered with pain. She stared at him, her breathing becoming more ragged.

"Casey, you can't leave me yet. Not yet, please don't" he pleaded.

"Goodbye, my sweet Derek" Casey's last words died on her pale and cracked lips as her eyes fluttered shut, and she took one last gulp of air.

A song for your heart, but when it is quiet

I'll know what it means and I'll carry you home

Derek felt her heart stop, and saw the life go from her beautiful face.

Derek pushed the door open, and saw his family waiting, he knew they'd been informed, and he was thankful that he didn't have to tell them himself. Covered in Casey's blood, he wanted to curl up and die as well.

Nora screamed when she saw her step-son, unable to ignore the fact that her eldest daughter was no more.

George dissolved into tears at his wife's reaction.

Edwin, who'd been loath to believe that Casey was gone, turned and put his fist through the wall.

Lizzie stared at Derek uncomprehendingly, then collapsed into a faint, turning pale as a sheet.

Marti cried herself to sleep that night, while Derek, sleeping in his room that still reminded him of Casey, couldn't sleep.

If the ending felt a little...rushed, I'm sorry. I originally had a longer ending planned, but it didn't fit, so I left it here. I hope you enjoyed, and please review. I even like flames