AN: Special thanks to L.A. Lights for always sticking by me, even when I go for the gold in Lackus Updateus. And, woundedbutterfly, you're an evil one!

Chapter 2:

It was a little after eleven pm when Casey finally keyed the lock open and entered her home. It'd been such a trying day, and all she wanted to do was peel out of her clothes and slip into her bed. Forget her late night almond amaretto. Forget her evening bath. Sleep was a calm, caressing lover and he was calling to her, calling to her...

...Who the fuck turned that light on? Damn it. It better not have been her mother! Casey made sure every day before she left for work or went to sleep that she'd turned off all the power switches in the apartment. She wasn't going to make that $500 electric bill mistake again by leaving shit on and thinking Energy Star wouldn't put a dent in the bill. Her mother could be so careless sometimes and Casey was starting to regret giving her a key. Not that she'd expected it to be used much. Mommy Ella wasn't the matronly type to routinely check in on her baby.

Casey stomped into the kitchen to turn off the intruding light. Well, she stomped as well as she could in these tooth pick heels of hers. Why the hell am I still wearing these? Casey turned to kick them off into some unsuspecting corner when she saw it. The smiley patterned coffee mug affectionately known as her cuppy. Sitting there on the counter top. Shining in the spot light. Teasing her. Casey stood there a minute, unsure of whether she should make a grab for it or not. It was like a mirage; if she moved it might disappear. In her exhausted state, disappearing coffee would surely make her cry.

Okay, on the count of three. One– yoink! Three was just too far away for the addict within. Casey inhaled the deep aroma and took a long, quenching sip of liquid gold. It wasn't as hot as she normally drank, but it was still warm enough to soothe the agitation out of her mind and remind her that she was tired and there was a big, comfy bed waiting for her arrival. She rinsed the mug out and set it in the sink before finally bee lining for her bedroom, heels and various articles of clothing finding themselves abandoned along the way.

Casey stole into the quiet darkness, careful not to step on that sole, creaky floorboard or trip over yesterday's footwear. She really needed to do some straightening up but at the moment she couldn't be damned to care. Not even enough to put on some bed clothes. Tonight was a night when pieces from the Victoria's Secret Intimissimi Collection would have to suffice.

Sliding under the covers felt so good. Silky sheets, a thick blanket and a down pillow. Oh, yes! She couldn't hold back the sigh even if she wanted to. And, when two strong yet gentle arms snaked around her waist she couldn't stop her eyes so heavily laden with sleep from popping open and her body from recoiling. Damn it, she should have known. There was only one person in the world considerate enough of her to leave something as simple as coffee waiting for her when she got home late in the night, knowing it was a perfect thing to do.

"You're home late."

Casey sighed, this time out of exasperation. She turned her head to look into eyes so deep and mysteriously blue they were visible even in the darkness. She didn't even notice the lump under her blankets. So much for her lawyerly attention to detail.

"Mhm. What are you doing here, Dasch? Shouldn't you be out partying with the rest of Hollywood's golden children?"

"Shouldn't you already be asleep? And you know that's not my scene when I'm in New York. There's no place like your bed."

"Isn't that the truth?" Casey chuckled. She loved this bed. And the company wasn't so bad, either. Adam Daschlund, her best and oldest friend and current red carpet hottie, snuggled up here against a failed child star turned lawyer instead of shacking it up with some living Barbie doll. Gasp! What would the papers say? "How did the piece with BSTV go?"

Golden brown locks swayed a little as Adam shook his head.

"The usual. 'Oh, Adam you're fabulous. You were wonderful in your part! What role will you conquer next?' All that bull shit. You know how it is." Casey could only nod. "What kept you so late tonight? You're usually home by eight thirty. I was hoping we could have had a little dinner together."

There she went, sighing again. Adam could tell she wasn't up for Twenty Questions, so he just pulled her a little closer. Held her a little tighter. He knew she had a hard job, harder than the one she had before. There wasn't much to be done in the way of comforting Casey. He knew well she didn't get much of it when she was growing up; neither of them did. Pats on the heads and "Oh baby, it's gonna be alright's" were no longer enough. But holding on? That never got old.

That's why he always made a sharp point of staying with his Chase, the sweet red headed girl he'd known all his life. The only person in the world who could call him Dasch and live. Some parts of childhood, you just couldn't let go of.

Adam took hold of Casey's slender hand that was resting against her belly. Massaging her palm, he knew it'd put her to sleep in seconds. From the small bags forming under her eyes it looked like she really needed her rest.

Casey spared him one last look, smiled what he called her little sugar smile. Her breathing evened to a slow, steady pace. And just like that, she was over the hills and into dreams.

Adam watched her slumber for a few moments before he kissed her cheek and returned his head to his pillow. When Casey turned on her side and snuggled closer to spoon against his chest he let himself relax enough to let the dream horses from his younger days come and take him away once more.

That's how Casey found herself the next morning at a dark and ungodly 5:16am, sandwiched between a suffocating pillow and a dead weight body. A head of hair harassed her cheek, and the breathing on her neck was irking the fuck out of her. A hard, muscled plank held her sunken in place, anchored by long, pretzeled legs. Those were definitely not hers.

Some people slept with the enemy. Casey slept with an animal. Though she was by far a veteran catching kip with the human octopus that was her best friend Casey was still often surprised, and irritated on the many nights Adam attempted osmosis into her body at the most inconvenient of times.

Fucking hell, she had to pee.

No problem. All she needed to do was roll over, shove that lug off of her and she was home free to the bathroom. Be back in bed all cuddly and warm in sixty-nine seconds. Easy.

Alright, mustering up the strength to push him over? Not so easy.

When did he get so heavy?

She really needed a hit of coffee first.

Sigh. One, two three..

"Ouch! Whatefuah!" Adam jolted off of Casey's back and onto his own side of the bed, all sleepy eyed and confused.

A sugar smile a well placed pinch; the perfect failsafe for moving ass.

Adam glared at Casey for the whole few nano-seconds it took for her to flip out of bed and toddle to the bathroom. Damn, his ass hurt! Chase was so gonna pay for that right after.. right after he got just a little bit more sleep.

After completing her business Casey tip toed back into bed, reclaiming her warm spot sans spare male body that was currently face down on the other side of the bed. She even had a little extra space to scoot further away from the edge. Perfect.

Shala la la la!

One green eye snapped open.

Shala la la la, in the morning.

No. Fucking. Way.

Shala la la la, in the sunshine.

This was really happening.

Shala la la la, in the evening.

One more la and somebody was going to die.

Shala la la la, la la la la la just for you!

That's it, she was going to kill him with fire! Casey reached over across the bed and grabbed fingers full of cheek and shook. Hard.

"Answer your Goddamn phone!"

Adam, just as bleary eyed and confused as before jerked up to a pain in his face matching the one in his backside. Those green eyes across from him didn't look too thrilled either.

"Huh? Phone? Oh!" Rather than take the safe route of escaping from beneath the covers and skirting around the bed to his phone Adam figured to take a short cut by simply rolling east –never mind there was a body, one that was well primed to bite, in his path.

There were times when Casey really, really hated having company.

Fumbling fingers jabbed the talk button before the persistent caller gave in and hung up.

" 'Lo?"

"Are you sleeping with my daughter?"

Uh, oh.