Too less Dasey on, I decided and wrote this in less than an hour. I haven't seen the show in years, but there is this world of endless possibilities called Internet and so I'm watching them in my super-lame loading time…in the meantime enjoy this story, before I throw my laptop out the window…which would ruin my car along with it…I'll let you know, what I did in the end of the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own "Life with Derek" or any related films.

Claimer: The way the characters are composed (aka "the storyline") is my intellectual property. (this really gets boring- If you try to sue me, you'll have to deal with my would-have-been-sister-in-law and her team, so don't waste your time. Read my stories instead!-)

There was only one woman he had loved, loved and will ever love.

"Tiffany..." It was not more than a sigh.

"I know." Named woman stood in front of him with her eyes closed.

"You'll better go." His voice seemed to break.

"Why did you even invite me, if there's only one woman in the world you love?"

Wordlessly he opened the door for Tiffany. She turned one last time. Tears welled in her eyes.

"I really thought you weren't playing games this time." She slapped him in the face and ran out and away.

He sighed heavily.

Then he slammed the door, brushed his hands on his jeans and smirked. "One for the gone."

"Der-ek!"

"And one that stays." The smirk still plastered on his face he turned and hopped up the stairs.

"What is it Space-Case?"

"Can you please tell Marti, that she should get dressed and washed for bed?"

"Obviously Little Miss Perfect didn't take the babysitting course for real life." It was just too much fun showing her that she was not as perfect as she claimed to be.

She scoffed but stepped aside.

"Smarti? Come out, the monster's gone!" Indeed the door opened and Marti stepped out. Dressed and washed. All the glitter from playing princesses was gone along with the pink fluffy dress.

Derek didn't take a look at the mess his sister left behind, he scooped her up and carried her to her room.

Casey rolled her eyes and went to get the mob.

u-_-u

"...and that's how the handsome prince Derek married the princess," Derek ended his story.

"No! He can't marry the ugly princess," Marti screamed.

"Not ugly-"

"Yes, ugly! She married the prince although he loved the witch."

"And he will love the witch forever, but that doesn't count. His country expects him to marry a princess and so he has to."

"Prince Derek never does what his people expect him to do." She crossed her little arms over the comforter and pouted.

"Okay," he leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. "What if the princess goes on holiday and Prince Derek throws away the key to the kingdom while she's gone so she'll never get in again to see Derek and the witch kissing on the balcony?"

"That's good." With a smile she yawned.

"And the pretty little fairy watched over them and their family, who all had to accept that all they ever wanted was to live happily ever after." He kissed her on the forehead and turned off the light. As her breath became deep and steady, he slowly got off her bed and walked out, closing the door silently not to wake his little fairy.

Deciding to have his fun snatching the remote from Casey and enjoy the following fight -it had to be a fight, she wouldn't shout at him, when they have to babysit Marti- he went downstairs. Casey was in the kitchen, making herself a sandwich.

"Thank you." Derek snatched the bread out of her hand.

"Der-ek!"

"Did I ever tell you that I love the way you rip my name apart?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

First he thought she blushed. He was astonished.

Then he saw her jaw clenching, her brows knitting together and her lips converting to a thin line. He ran.

"Did I ever tell you, that you are most annoying, when you snatch away my food?" She hissed and ran after him. Around the kitchen island, into the living room, around the couch. Over the couch. Casey jumped onto it and tried to tackle Derek.

She failed as she slipped on one of the cushions. For a second she had a deja-vu. She was falling off the couch because of Derek -again.

Surprised she looked up, as she didn't feel the hard floor hurting her. She had to blink a few times, before she realized that he caught her.

"You okay?" Then he had to blink a few times. What was that? Why did he care? Klutzilla would get over it. He dropped her instantly.

"What was that for?!" She looked at him furiously as she picked herself up from the floor.

Without saying anything, he turned around and ran up the stairs.

Casey just shook her head. The sandwich was forgotten.

u-_-u

A few hours later was Derek still throwing a baseball in the air and catching it again.

And again.

And again.
Why did he catch Casey? Why did he care if she was alright? Why did he feel the need to run away after he had dropped her?
These questions rotated in his head since he came to his room and locked it. He could tell himself that he only caught her and asked if she was alright because last time she nearly used him as a slave so she wouldn't tell George and Nora that he made her fall and didn't catch her. It didn't end well for neither of them. And this time it wasn't even the truth. There was something else. Something that made him enjoy this fights when she managed to tackle him and he felt her warmth. Her triumphant whisper in his ear. Something that makes him laugh at her in the rare mornings where he got up early enough to see her with her hair a mess and her face with the imprint of the pillow on her cheek.
Growling he put the ball away and got up from his bed. The clock on his nightstand showed nearly 9pm. He had to do something. And there was only one thing he could think of. Okay, two things, but the other was not an option for him.

u-_-u

Next Chap. up tomorrow. Feedback?