Hey so i called the song in the fic Remind Yourself, i found a lot of different names for it. Okay two. It was "We Got To Get it Back" and "Remind Yourself" I like Remind Yourself so yeah. That's how that came to be. But honestly you should definitely check out the song, because it was amazing. Still is. Just made a few minor adjustments.

I'm having a little writer's block with my story "Be Not Afraid of Life" but I should have something up by the end of next week. So, sorry.

Laura.

Disclaimer: I don't own Life With Derek or "Remind Yourself" by Tyler Kyte from Instant Star

Remind Yourself

We're always on display
People question what we say
It seems like every move we make
There's someone watching
Don't wanna loose it to the crowd
So i turn the music loud
So we don't have to listen to them talking

They were the IT couple. Everyone knew them, talked about them, or envied them. Derek Venturi had become the famous Hockey player everyone always knew he would become for the Maple Leafs. He was MVP year after year for 4 years. Soon, he quit hockey. Although he loved the sport, it just wasn't for him. But don't worry, he was still on top, he got D-Roc back together and they had become huge. He'd done more guest appearances on shows than he could count on both hands and he had fallen in love. And not just with anyone; with the famous singer/dancer/actress Casey McDonald. She was a triple threat. All the guys loved her and all the girls hated her because of it.

They went to party after party, hosted award show after award show, but even with that there was always the group of people that hated them. They both chose to deal with this situation differently, Casey by simply ignoring the problem while trying to get Derek to forget it also, but obviously that plan failed with a huge bang. Derek chose to try to fix himself to make the people happy, which evidently never worked.

You're scaring me
Cause you'd do anything
And its tearing me apart
You hear your name in every song
Your happy when the spotlights on
You need so badly to belong
But don't forget to talk to me
Remind yourself to breathe

The fame had kind of taken over Derek's life. He was in deep, and hard. Derek did whatever he had to do to keep in the tabloids, to make sure people knew who he was, and didn't forget. It had turned him into a monster and that scared Casey.

"Derek." She grabbed her arm as he was on her way out the door.

"What!" He whirled around. "I gotta go. I have to shoot my music video, and I'm already late." He attempted to leave, but again his attempt failed.

"Derek, just give me a minute." Her eyes looked tired so he agreed. He closed the door and crossed his arms. "We live together."

"Yeah, thanks Case." He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek, but she stopped him.

"We live together, and I never get to see you. You're always gone doing something to get you on TV or in the paper."

"I'm sorry baby," He put a hand on her cheek. "But, I swear as soon as we're done shooting my movie, we'll have tons of time together."

"And as soon as you're done shooting you're music video you'll be right home. And as soon as you finish flying around the country for your tour we can have dinner together. Where does this sound familiar. " Casey whined as Derek rolled his eyes. "And I'm not trying to be a whiny girlfriend, Derek, I'm really not, but-"

"Then stop!"

"Derek, sometimes it feels like the spotlight is your life. When all this time I thought I was."

"Well, what do you want me to do, Case? Quit?"

"No! Just…God!" She spun around in frustration. "If I speak my mind you now, you have to promise to listen and not get mad. Derek thought about it. What were the odds of her saying something that wouldn't tick him off. The chance was very slim, but he nodded.

"Go ahead."

"You're scaring me."

"How'm I scaring you, Casey?" Derek asked very monotone.

Casey ignored his passion for the conversation and continued, "I feel like you'd do anything to feel accepted. Don't you know that you're already accepted?"

Derek breathed out. Don't get mad , don't get mad, don't get mad. He thought.

"Your name is in like every song I hear nowadays." He smirked at how true that was. "It just seems like to me you're happier when a spotlight's on you than when you're with me. I'm just so confused because I love you and this is making me insane. Do you even love me anymore?"

"Casey! How could you even think something like that? You know I'm in love with you." He looked at her very sternly his hands placed firmly on her cheeks.

"Are you? It feels like you just have this passion for belonging somewhere, when I thought you knew you belong here. Right here, with me." He looked down. Was she really going to call him on all his crap? He just had this thing where if people didn't like him it bothered him; he couldn't help it if this is who he was. Why was she going crazy, when she knew he was like this? "You know, you seem to forget that I'm here. You can always talk to me. Don't forget that instead of diving headfirst into crazy problems just do me a favor, okay?"

"What's that?"

"Remind yourself that no one gets to dictate who you are or how you act, just remind yourself to breathe."

"Breathe, got it."

"Derek, I'm being serious."

"I know you are babe." She had stuck a nerve. Something in him that he had been trying not to confront. He had to get out of here.

If it's all so bitter sweet

If your feeling incomplete
Put your trust in me
Cause i believe you need me
Loose the face to show the world
And just try to be my girl
All the crazy stuff that messed you up completely

When Derek got home from his video shoot it was way past midnight. He sat down and put his elbows on the table, resting his face in his hands. He sat there for a good fifteen minutes thinking about what Casey said. How dumb is breathing? He thought. It can't possibly work.

"Uhm," Casey coughed to get his attention. He looked up and noticed she was in her pajamas and looked like she had just woken up, with tears brimming her eyelids. "Dinner's in the fridge. I tried to wait, but it was getting really late."

"Casey,"

"I just don't get it!" He walked over to her and wrapped her in a huge hug. "I would give all this up for you, would you do that for me?"

He tore his head from her neck and looked up at her. She noticed he looked absolutely frustrated so she pulled them towards the couch and sat on his lap.

"Trust me Derek, just focus on being my Derek, because if you try to be anyone else," She trailed off.

"I need you to help me." Derek whispered.

"I know." He leaned in and kissed her to show how grateful he was that she was here and wasn't going anywhere, but his face still looked depressed. "Just breathe."

"I'm sorry." He breathed out.

She looked into his eyes. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. Moving her mouth against his, whispering, "Breathe."

Remind yourself….to breathe