Getting There

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my plot, poems and lyrics!! (Song is Listen, Beyonce Knowles I don't own that either ;)

A/N: Okay…at first I didn't really like YTM but you guys changed my mind, and I've decided to continue it. Here it is, R&R please!!

Chapter 1: How Many Days?

Getting.There.

Listen

To the song here in my heart
A melody I start

But can't complete

"So…did you send it out?" Casey was startled out of her thoughts as Derek came behind her and spoke.

"What- Oh, yeah; I sent it." Her eyes averted back to her computer screen.

"Hey, hey, hey…what's wrong?" He spun her chair around and leaned over so he was looking straight into her eyes.

"I just don't get him. I mean he said he loved my, Derek…why'd he lie?" A stray tear slowly ran down her cheek and Derek's heart broke for her.

"I thought you said it was over, no more crying; I thought you were over it, over him and his issues." He wiped away the tear but more began to fall.

"He's my father, Derek; I can't just get over the fact he doesn't care about me! I can't just forget that I don't even exist in his eyes; I can't do that. I've looked up to him for so long and to find out he hates me…it just, it really…" She broke down completely and he gathered her in his arms, her hands were pressed up against his chest as she cried on his shoulder.

"Sh…it's okay." He held her and rocked her slightly, trying to calm her down; her breathing was becoming erratic and Derek was becoming angrier.

"It just hurts, Derek, it really hurts…" That was the last thing she said in a while, she cried in his arms, he rocked her and she fell asleep eventually; however, Derek was awake. For a long time. It was only in the early hours of the morning that he finally fell asleep.

Getting.There.

Listen

To the sound from deep within
It's only beginning

To find release

"Why would he do something like that?" Lizzie and Edwin were sitting in the attic, Lizzie sitting cross legged on the foot of the bed and Edwin sitting at his computer desk.

"I don't know; if you ask me, it doesn't really make sense. You'd think he'd be more proud of Casey-not that he shouldn't be proud of you!" Edwin added in quickly before she got the wrong idea.

"No, I know…it really would make more sense. I mean, Casey's intelligent, neat, pretty, organized, kind, and, well, she's basically perfect. Me…I'm just a sporty little tomboy." She said plainly.

"No you aren't! Liz, why do you put yourself down like that? You're more than a sporty tomboy. You're smart, competitive, athletic, inspirational, warmhearted and the list goes on and on." He explained to her, taking a seat beside her on the foot of his bed.

"You really think so?" She asked, looking away. He tilted her chin to she was looking at him and nodded.

"Yeah, I really think so." His eyes flickered to her lips from her eyes and she noticed; planting a hand firmly on the back of his neck she pulled him in for a soft, long kiss.

Their first kiss and they shared it together.

Getting.There.

Oh the time has come

For my dreams to be heard
They will not be pushed aside and turned
Into your own,

All 'cause you won't

Listen

Belittled. That's what she appeared to be. He fell asleep early in the morning and woke up few hours later. He looked and found her still sound asleep in his arms; but as far as he knew, which was a lot, it was far from a peaceful slumber. The thing that woke him up was actually a sound that escaped her mouth;

A whimper.

She was sleeping and when he opened his eyes he saw a tear roll off her cheek and burst onto her pillow. He watched intently as her face stilled in an expression of being lost. He hated Dennis McDonald, absolutely loathed and despised the man. He watched Casey, hoping her expression would change to one of hope, of love, of safety. But it remained as being lost and hopeless. He could imagine only one place where she was lost;

Her soul.

How could one man cause such sorrow? And how could this one man be her father? What kind of father could do that without any concerns? Or regrets? Or thoughts? How could he turn around, leaving his daughter to break and fall, to crumble, and to shatter before everyone's eyes? How could anyone do something so reckless? Who the hell had a heart made of pure ice? At the moment Derek thought of one person;

Dennis McDonald.

He moved slightly and another whimper escaped her lips as she clutched onto him. She was asleep, that he was absolutely positive of, but maybe that's why he'd awoken the first time. He'd probably stirred in his sleep and she feared being let go of; even in her sleep. He continued to just watch her, his heart breaking for her. He truly felt her pain; but he wanted to cause someone else so much more pain than that.

And it wouldn't be emotional.

Getting.There.

Listen
I am alone at a crossroads
I'm not at home in my own home
And I've tried and tried
To say what's on my mind

"Casey was really torn up about that wedding announcement." Nora said quietly.

"She just ran out; didn't even wait for us to come out or come in to tell us they took a cab home." George replied, also being quiet. They really had no reason to speak in hushed tones; but the situation was delicate, and for fear a loud noise might deflate it like a soufflé, they spoke quietly.

"I haven't seen her since I saw her back ran to the parking lot; Derek was right behind her; I haven't even heard anything yet." Nora said, becoming heartbroken for her distraught daughter. "I've never seen her so depressed. I really want to help her."

"I know you do, Nora, I know…but you've taken the reigns for fourteen years, it's time you let someone else step in for you. She'll still need you, time and time again, but right now…she's got something that gives her confidence that maybe she really is loved. You're her mother…you're known to love her, but now it's a whole new page. It's a different love. She never thought she's trust a man or love a man again…but look. You could have never given her that."

"Do you really think that he can make a difference in her life? I know he's been amazing so far…he's been her rock. But how much longer with that last? She needs fourteen years of reassuring that he loves her…is he willing to go through that wait for longer than a week or two?" Nora asked.

"I've never seen Derek so…concerned to the point where it feels as though it's his own life; this is something out of the world for him. Nora, if he could last this long I have to believe that he'll be able to last until she can fully believe that he loves her."

Getting.There.

You should have known
Now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling

"Um…what was that for?" Edwin asked, completely dazed as he and Lizzie pulled apart.

"I…just, well…thank you." She said quietly. He smiled.

"You're welcome…I think I may…uh-I actually…just…" Before he could stumble on any more words she kissed him again.

"Mute." She said smiling before kissing him again.

Getting.There.

I'm more than what
You've made of me
I followed the voice, you gave to me

But now I've gotta find my own
You should have listened

She was scrunched up beside him, looking smaller than ever. He couldn't believe this was her; that her outer shell had been completely demolished and all that was left was the little girl whose heart was completely broken. A little girl whose father walked away from her, whose father hated her and she had no idea to why that was.

He didn't know what made him so protective, he hadn't learned of this issue until a couple of days ago. The first time he met Dennis McDonald he bonded with the guy…but now? He didn't want to bond with him, he wanted to kill him. Looking at Casey like this, the same Casey who was strong and stubborn, he didn't even recognize her.

She looked weak. He never knew Casey to be weak, or lost, or helpless. This wasn't the girl he fell for…his Casey was under all the hurt, somewhere. He sometimes saw her shine through, once in a while, but he'd only really cared lately. Now, thinking back, it had always been this way….not so severe, but she always had a look of some sorts swimming in her eyes.

Now, thinking back, that look scared the hell out of him.

Getting.There.

There was someone here inside
Someone I thought had died
So long ago

Oh I'm screaming out

"What are you reading?" Her bubbly voice filled the room. Casey looked on through a window, she heard what was going on but they didn't seem to notice her at the window.

"Something that wretched daughter of mine sent me." Dennis replied in a hateful tone.

"The oldest one?" Tiffany asked, he nodded, still reading.

"That must be my poem…" Casey whispered to herself.

"You taught Me…But You taught Me wrong." Dennis read aloud under his breath before folding the paper and putting it back in the envelope. "I don't care." He said his voice low and head down. "I don't care." He said louder, Tiffany jumped at the bellow and fled the room; he lifted his head, his eyes filled with rage. "I don't care!" He yelled, his voice deep, sending chills down Casey's spine.

"I don't care…I don't care…I don't care." The words echoed and taunted as everything around her spun.

Getting.There.

And my dreams will be heard
They will not be pushed Aside or turned
Into your own

All 'cause you won't listen

"Is she okay?" Lizzie asked from the doorway, quietly, looking over her sister's sleeping form with worry.

"She's freaking me out." He said, once again he tried to get up, but she clutched onto him and whimpered. "She's been like this for a while." He whispered.

"Have you tried waking her up?" Edwin asked. He shook his head.

"It can be damaging to wake someone up where they're in this state of mind. It's better she sleeps." Lizzie explained.

"Exactly." Derek agreed.

"Why are you in her bed, anyways?" Edwin asked, not really wanting to know the answer. "Feel free to keep details to yourself."

"Shut up, Ed. She cried herself to sleep in my arms." Derek whispered harshly. "She shakes and shivers, and she's always got this look on her face like she's lost or something." He explained, his eyes turning back to the girl in his arms, his expression softened considerably and he absent-mindedly played wit the tips of her hair as they all watched her with worry.

"How long have you been watching her?" Lizzie asked knowingly. Derek just sighed softly.

"A while…a long while." He replied softly. Her body made another shake and he held her tightly as she whispered softly in her sleep.

"I don't care…I don't care…" She repeated, almost incoherently. Derek's eyes widened slightly as she continued, more tears falling from her closed eyes.

"I think she's having a nightmare. She's whispering and crying." Derek whispered softly, watching every tear fall with worry. He felt his heart break all over again for her.

Getting.There.

Listen
I am alone at a crossroads
I'm not at home in my own home
And I've tried and tried
To say what's on my mind

"I don't care! It doesn't matter, nobody will ever love you!" Dennis voice boomed all around her. She couldn't see anybody or anything, all around was blurs of childhood memories.

"That's not true! It isn't! Derek! Derek loves me!" She screeched into nothingness through her sobbing. The spinning subsided slowly; leaving her watching the day she broke. The day it all began.

Getting.There.

You should have known
Now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling

"Wake her up; we need to wake her, do it now!" Derek said, not caring if his voice woke her up.

"But Derek…she could-" Lizzie began.

"I don't care! Wake her up!" He said, his voice wavering and becoming quieter.

"What's wrong?" Lizzie asked.

"She's fucking scaring me! That's what's wrong! She's shaking, and whispering…she's obviously going through something she doesn't need to!" His voice continued to waver on every note.

"I know, Derek. But…we can't." Lizzie said calmly.

Getting.There.

I'm more than what
You've made of me
I followed the voice, you gave to me

But now I've gotta find my own
You should have listened

"I'm not ready to let go of her; I know that Derek cares about her enough…but he doesn't understand what he's gotten himself into. He doesn't understand she can't just love him, she may say it…and I don't doubt it's not true…but she'll find it hard to really…I can't say mean it or believe it but…she won't be able to have…faith in it." Nora said softly.

"What do you mean…why won't she have faith in it?"

"She's got the past to deal with before she can trust the present situation…Derek, he doesn't know about half of her story…about half the pain…half the problem, the hurt, the betrayal…half.; not even half…of her life."

"Then explain to me."

Getting.There.

I don't know where I belong
But I'll be moving on
If you don't, if you won't

"What do you think she's dreaming about?" Edwin asked. Derek shrugged, and Lizzie remained silent.

"Liz? What is she dreaming about?" She said nothing, so Derek persisted. "Lizzie…we deserve to know…or at least I do." He stirred to look at her without straining is neck; but when he moved Casey's hand pressed against his neck, her other hand gripped his shirt and her head lay against his chest.

"It's not true…" She whispered and Lizzie's eyes went wide.

"What'd she say?" A smallest hint of a smile and hope flickered across her face as she looked at Derek, her eyes growing wider.

"It's not true…" He repeated, looking on in confusion.

"And the first time?"

"I don't care, but it was harsh…as though she were repeating it from someone else…" He said, still beyond confused.

"Exactly, she repeated my dad the first time…she's done that before…but that second one, I've never heard anything along the lines of it before from her. What did you say to her?" She said, growing excited.

"I love her…" He said quietly, looking away and blushing.

"Dude…" Edwin said slowly.

"Shut up, Ed." He said harshly.

"That's it! He told her he doesn't care, that nobody'll ever love her…and you said you love her…meaning what he said…" She trailed off.

"It's not true!" The three of them, whisper-cried out happily.

"We have to let her sleep." Lizzie said shaking her head, her smile now large. "Derek, you have to stay here." She demanded and he groaned quietly.

"I'm hungry!" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Cold pizza or Casey?" He pouted and wrapped his arms around Casey possessively.

"Meanie." Edwin rolled his eyes.

"I bring the baby some food." He said, and Derek smiled playfully as he left to the kitchen.

"Now; you." He pointed to Lizzie sternly. "Tell me why she's dreaming." She shook her head slowly, almost ashamed of Edwin's naïve belief.

"You said you were hungry just to get rid of him didn't you?" He nodded.

"Now; explain."

Getting.There.

Listen

To the song here in my heart
A melody I start

But I will complete

They were at the park; Casey watched a younger self and her father playing by the swings. She was laughing, her big blue eyes shining with laughter and joy. She smiled but instantly frowned at the memory of what came next.

"Daddy, am I gonna get a baby sister?" A two year old Casey asked.

"Sure are, Sweetie." He said, smiling falsely.

"What's her name gonna be?" Casey asked, very excited.

"Lizzie." He said, flatly.

"I like that name!" Casey laughed as she ran to the swings and hopped onto one and her father pushed.

"Me too." He said, smiling genuinely.

"Do you like my name?" She asked, smiling gleefully.

"No. I wanted your name to be Julia." He said, his smile turning false once again.

"Icky! I don't like that name! I like Casey!"

"Well I hate Casey!" Her father's voice boomed and he walked away, frowning. A tear ran down Casey's cheek and she ran to catch up with her father.

"But…but you love me right?" He father laughed coldly.

"No."

"But…you can call me Julia! I don't care!" She cried out, tears running down her face as her father walked away, leaving her panting, no longer able to keep up with him. She sat at the edge of the sandbox and cried.

Casey looked away from her younger self and ran up to Dennis and looked him in the eye.

"I hate you; you lied to me. You told me nobody would ever love me, you said I was worthless; and I hate you." She said lowly, Dennis just walked around her form and continued walking.

"I don't know you." He muttered and continued. Once again, se went up his face, angrier this time.

"You don't know me?!" She screamed. "Of course you don't. Know why? Because you were never around, because you never cared about me! Because you never thought about how it felt, AND I HATE YOU!" She screamed as loud as she could, then slapped him before walking away, back to her younger form, hunched by the box, crying.

She'd had this dream before, but had never gone up to herself. She'd only cried until her mother came out to the park and found her…but this was different, really different. Casey stopped in her tracks as a little boy with sandy brown hair approached.

Her dream never had this…but thinking back…this happened.

"Awe you okay?" He said, having troubles with his 'R's. Casey nodded, still crying. "You'we a weally bad lyew." He said, chucking slightly. "You'we not sposed to cwy." He chuckled a little more and she joined him, the older Casey watched on, smiling.

"Hey, Cry Baby." A bully came up. "Your daddy doesn't love you." He laughed in her face and she continued to cry.

"Stop that!" She cried out.

"Why should I?" The bully asked.

"'Cuz then you'll have to deal wit me!" The little boy said.

"Ooh…two little babies…what am I gonna do?" The bully pretended to be scared.

"Daddy! Daddy!" The boy cried out and the bully took off running and he chuckled. "Chickwen!" He yelled out to the bully.

"Thank you." Casey smiled brightly.

"No pwoblem. Awe you suwe you okay?" He asked. She shook her head this time.

"No, my daddy left me here. I can't get home." The little boy smiled.

"My daddy will bwing you home! This way we can be fwiends!" She nodded. "But wait…you pwobably don't know youw stweet and stuff…how can we bwing you home!?" She smiled proudly.

"I know my address." The little boy looked at her.

"Wow…youw smawt!" He exclaimed.

Casey smiled and walked away from the park, from her memory, from her saviour. However, she wouldn't be walking away from him; she'd be walking away from the younger him, and awaking in the arms of the older him.

Derek Venturi.

Getting.There.

Now I am done believing you
You don't know not what I am feeling
I'm more than what you've made of me
I followed the voice you think you gave to me

"Wow…that sounds all too familiar." Derek said, slightly amazed.

"Why?" Lizzie asked, her eyebrows scrunched together.

"Because-" He began.

"Because he was there." A voice finished. He looked down to see Casey in his arms, smiling up at him. She craned her neck and kissed him deeply. "Thank you." She smiled. Derek smirked and Lizzie was still confused, but smiling nonetheless.

"Why's everyone smiling?" Edwin asked, coming through the door with a box of cold pizza in his hand. Everyone laughed at him and he looked around, completely lost. "What? What?!"

Getting.There.

But now I got to find my own - my own

George smirked.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll do just fine. He'll be intact with the situation in no time…literally." His smirk grew, as he remembered the day his eldest son got his first crush. Who knew his first crush would be the girl he fell in love with?

A/N: Okay…I'm not particularly happy with the ending here, and I think Derek's too OOC. Maybe even Casey…but, oh well. I tried. Please R&R and I'll update!! REVIEW PLEASE!!!