A/N: This is the first chapter/prologue of my new story. It's obviously AU, because I know on the show Sam is like long gone. But because of my utter lack of cable TV, I am not up to date with any new characters/romantic interests. Anyway, this is the first chapter. I have one more chapter already written, but I will probably write more soon. It's basically just a prologue, so you won't get much of an idea of where this is going until the next couple chapters come out, so look out for those. Enjoy. R&R. Thanks. –Mac

Disclaimer: I don't own.

Chapter One

A Dream Is A Wish A Broken Heart Makes

It was just short of graduation when Sam broke up with Casey. He said that their relationship had gotten and old and somewhat boring. He said he cared about her and that's why he had carried it on for so long. But he wasn't going to carry it with him to college. He said he thought it would be better to cut ties before graduation so that they had time to accept it and possibly be friends before they left for college.

Casey had come home that day and immediately locked herself in her room. She didn't come down for dinner. She refused to answer anyone who came to her door—and everyone tried. She wouldn't answer to Nora who had spoken calmly and carefully. She wouldn't answer to Lizzie and Edwin, who logically explained why she should come out. And after those three failed, it was clear George and Derek were hopeless cases, though they tried anyway. She even refused Marti who banged on her door and sang her name for a good ten minutes straight. After they all gave it their best shot, they let her be and hoped that she would come out on her own.

As Casey sat in her room, tuning out the sounds of each and every Venturi and MacDonald trying to draw her out, she found it strange that the tears had not come. She felt the pain, the kind that normally accompanied tears. The clenching of the heart and lungs that makes it hard to breath, which usually came with the tears, was already there. She experienced all the harsh, turbulent emotion that the break up inspired, making her mind frantic. Yet still no tears, none at all. It was a peculiar feeling.

Casey realized her family must be worried when she heard Derek's voice resounding through her door. He didn't say much—she attributed it to the failed attempts prior (her mother, Lizzie, Edwin, George) and that he knew she wouldn't answer him. She wondered if they all knew what had occurred mere hours earlier in the day. She hadn't said anything, but it was likely that Derek might have let it slip. She supposed it might be better if he had told them. She knew she wouldn't be able to do it, she couldn't even draw an answer from her lips for any of her family members.

When Derek's voice faded from her doorway, Casey, still dressed in her clothes from her day at school, stood from her bed and changed into something more comfortable to sleep in. Derek's last request, before Casey heard his footsteps disappear down the hall, was for her to come get something to eat, even if she didn't want to sit down and eat with them. It was strangely compassionate of Derek and Casey noticed but frankly, when she thought about it she wasn't hungry at all. She was concentrated so completely on the tears-that-would-not-come, that she had lost all appetite.

Marti appeared at her door last. Something inside of Casey made her want to laugh at the enthusiasm her youngest stepsibling expressed in an attempt to bring her out, but she didn't. There were no emotions in her to support laughter. She couldn't even manage a smile for her own benefit. It wasn't until she heard Marti thundering away from her door and down the stairs that she crawled into her bed.

Casey hoped that sleep wouldn't elude her as the tears had. Alas, nothing was set to go her way that day. No, sleep evaded her. What did come as she lay in the darkness, her blankets pulled up to her chin, were the long awaited tears. They hit her suddenly and jarred her from her thoughts of sleep. Once they started, she couldn't make them stop. They streamed down her cheeks and soaked the linen of her pillowcase. Her head began to throb as her breathing grew strained. The sobs wrenched through her body, causing her to shake and tremble. She tried to remain quiet and hopefully not draw attention to herself.

In the quiet or the room, only the sound of her crying echoing into its every corner, Casey could only lose herself in her thoughts. She couldn't grasp what had happened so vastly to change her and Sam's relationship. He had said their relationship had gotten old and boring, she couldn't fathom how that had happened. She had been there; she hadn't felt it growing old and boring. She actually thought everything was fine, great even. The only thoughts that really registered were 'when did it change? What did I do wrong?'

Her relationship with Sam had seemed like it was going according to plan. They had been dating for just over a year. Over that time they hadn't had any major troubles. Of course they had their little problems; every relationship has its ups and downs. Generally, the only thing that had caused any strain on their relationship was Derek's disapproval—and they had mutually decided that his approval wasn't needed, which allowed them to ignore his interference. They had been accepted to the same college—though Casey had opportunities to go elsewhere. The only downfall of that plan was that Derek had been able to scrape together enough of a GPA to get accepted there as well. Casey thought everything was going to be perfect. She saw graduation as another step toward their happy ever after. When had that fallen apart?

Casey buried herself deeper under her covers, and hugged herself as she continued to cry. She didn't know what had gone wrong. She didn't know how she hadn't noticed they had hit a fork in the road and were traveling in different directions. She didn't know what to think, or say, or do—or even if she could do any of it. All she knew was that her whole body ached with the loss, and that she had no way to fix it.

She pulled her knees to her chest, curling into herself. Her eyes slowly closed against the unyielding tears. If only she could fix it, she knew all of it would stop. As she was finally lulled into slumber, she had a single wish, in a whisper on her lips.

Take me back.

Let me fix it.

Give us our happy ending.

Please…