Okay I know that I am juggling the old story too. But I couldn't connect with it at the moment so I am starting this one. Which I kind of story based on moments from episodes, scenes between Derek and Karen and how I would have liked them to go. I may go a little out of order because I want to hit each of them as they come to me.

The first is a scene that we didn't see on screen, but I think the writers missed an opportunity with this one big time.

Episode: The producers.

Setting: Jimmy shows up to the MTW 3 hours late for New York Magazine with the party girls. And After the show.

Derek walks over to then window, annoyed even further by Jimmy's apparent cry for help from his drug abuse and Karen abandonment. Of course Jimmy would show up three hours late. Making them miss yet another opportunity to put Hit List on the map. Blowing off a rehearsal was one thing, but a cover shoot, that was just pushing Derek over the edge. How could he possibly get worse?

"Can somebody help us" The blonde, clearly drunk, escort yelled outside of the Taxi as Jimmy holds her over his shoulder.

Derek wanted to chuckle at how horrible this kid was getting, but it was so beyond laughing it off. That's when he noticed Karen behind him.

"Nice" Karen huffed he could hear the hurt in her voice. He didn't want to talk about it with her. He was over her behavior, and her big batting Jimmy love eyes. But he couldn't just sit there and watch her get hurt. There was something about her, which he couldn't resist.

Derek strolled into the theater behind him.

"You okay?" Derek said in his signature velvety smooth tone, trying to convey as much concern as possible.

His friendship with Karen had been off kilter since the blow up. He tried to ignore her, but he couldn't. He had witnessed everything she'd been going through with Jimmy.

"Fine" She said walking towards the stage.

"No you're not." Derek called her bluff. "Do you want to talk about?" He said touching her on the arm.

"Ha. I thought it didn't really matter. Art isn't therapy remember. Or at least that is what you told me when I was dealing with Dev."

"I'd almost forgotten about that. Seems like so long ago." He smiled at her.

"Seems like just yesterday to me" Karen quipped.

"Look, apparently everything I said to, about and around Dev was wrong. I think you said I was 'trying to control you' if I recall correctly" He laughed. He couldn't help but feel sting, and it showed in his eyes. "I just want you to know that I'm here for you, whatever you need." Derek rubbed her arm; her skin was so smooth and soft.

He turned to walk away.

"Derek wait….." Karen called out to him. Her voice was sweet and longing.

It caught him off guard. He wanted to smile, he wanted to turn back and hug her but instead he smirked a little and straightened his face.

"Yeah," He asked nonchalantly, turning around slowly, afraid to meet her eyes.

"I …..um….I just wanted to say sorry…you were right... and I should've listen to you." Karen spoke low, almost inaudible. "I miss you Derek, I miss working with you." She smiled a bit.

"I miss….." He was caught off guard by his phone vibrating in his coat on the theater seat. The screen read Ivy across it. "…..ed an important phone call" he changed mid sentence. Can you tell the audition crew I'll be right back?" He barely waited for her answer before he was in the hall.

He dialed Ivy back, he couldn't shake the thought of Karen. He knew that Karen wasn't coming on to him, but he wished she was. He wished she felt the same he did. He looked back at the theater, and then turned his attention back to his phone. What he had with Ivy was good. He walked outside.

"Hello Stranger…"

Derek carried on his day as planned. The opening of the show was not what he hoped for, but it wasn't anything that he could change. He went and sat in Karen's dressing room and waited for her to come.

Marissa, the stage manager checked on her arm. Derek sat patiently waiting to talk to Karen. Just as Marissa left and he opened his mouth to speak Kyle came rushing in.

"Karen I am so sorry. He's totally out of control." Kyle said pleading with her.

"What you just saw is Jimmy's last performance. I don't want him around here if he can't get himself together. And I very much doubt that's possible." Derek said beyond livid about the performance of lack of that Jimmy displayed and the producer show. His anger was low and mumbled.

"What about the show?" Karen asked.

"Will shut down for a couple of days give Sam a chance to get ready" Derek said almost forgetting Kyle was there. Felt like an intimate conversation with Karen.

"Just let me be the one to tell him." Kyle said protectively.

"Okay, go one then." Derek agreed trying to get rid of him.

"You were great tonight." Derek said softly.

"Thanks," Karen said unbuttoning the sheer shirt. She has on a black tank top underneath, but that didn't stop his heart from speeding up.

"I really don't even know if I love this show anymore. It's just not what I thought it was when I left Bombshell." Karen said plopping back down into the chair.

"Tell me about it" Derek smiled slyly looking at her from the corner of his eyes.

"I meant it. I thought that this show was going to be something amazing, and it's great….but then there was all the drama." Karen smiled back at Derek.

"There is drama in ever show love." He retorted.

"Not like this I mean I don't want to talk to Jimmy and Anna barely wants to talk to me." Karen admitted.

"I thought there was something going on there." Derek leaned forward a bit. "You don't want to lose loyalty over a stupid boy; especially not Jimmy."

"It's not that. It's just when you gave her Broadway Here I Come, I may have took it out on here. I implied that you only gave here the song because you were mad at me." Karen said seemingly trying to retract the entire situation.

"Oh darling," Derek paused and chuckled. "I know that it may seem a little shady albeit with the timing, but I wouldn't do that to you. I didn't do it in bombshell, and I wouldn't do it now. Truth is Anna had to be beefed up to make the show great. You told me to audition her for diva." Derek never really took the time to think about what his actions looked like to outsiders. "admittedly I do tend to act out when things don't go my way." He added in with a soft sarcasm.

"Yeah, like you did at the Bombshell opening." Karen nudged him with her foot.

"What do you mean?" He inquired trying to recall any out of control behavior.

"You know what I mean. You howling and cheering for Ivy in the finale. You knew I was right next to you, and you had to know have known how I felt. Yet there you were clapping away." Karen's smile began to fade.

"That had nothing to do with you. I was proud of the show, seeing it all come together. And Ivy was good. But I if that offended…yeah…..sorry bout that" Derek tried to get off the subject quickly. "Speaking of Broadway openings…I had a few producers here that might be able to take this thing to Broadway….if not the production, Maybe you and I" he smiled at her.

"Derek" Karen opened her mouth, but words didn't come out.

"Oh that's right you don't want to work together anymore." He said laughing and strolled out of the room.

So what do you think?