Thank you for your continued interest! Please share your thoughts if you can :)

Trigger warning: There is talk of sexual/physical abuse. Please be advised if you are sensitive.

I do not own Life with Derek.

Derek knew he was speeding and it was dangerous but all he could think of is what horrible thing happened to Casey that would put her in the middle of nowhere and make her that upset. Luckily it was late enough at night that there weren't too many people on the road so he managed to get their in fifteen minutes flat.

He raced up to the Tim Horton's she described and he parked the car roughly, scanning the lot desperately for any sign of Casey.

Finally he spotted her and she wasn't alone.

She saw her trying to escape the grasp of Truman, who was being forceful and looked angry. Casey was obviously crying and more scared than he had ever seen her. Derek let out a yell of fury when he saw Truman slap her hard in the face, causing Casey to recoil and slump to the ground.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Derek screamed, storming over. Casey looked up at him with a tear-stained face as Truman gaped in surprise. It hadn't occurred to him that she could have called him.

"Well Derek, this IS a surprise. Come to see-" he didn't finish his sentence because Derek had punched him in the face, hard. Casey gasped. He tossed his keys to her.

"Go. Get in the car." he spat out, ready to continue his fight with Truman.

"Who knew it would be Derek Venturi who came to rescue Casey MacDonald?" Truman said with a laugh.

"Stay the hell away from her, Truman. Don't you ever, ever hit her again." Derek growled.

To his surprise, Truman laughed. "You think all I did was beat her tonight? My, my, you're losing your touch. It's not like she didn't ask for it. You of all people should know how much of a fight Casey likes. I always knew she'd be feisty in bed, I just didn't expect her body to be so-" he tried to say.

Derek had clued in to what he was implying happened and before he knew it, he had tackled Truman and was punching the living daylights out of him without even processing what he was doing.

"Der-ek!" came Casey's cry of despair. If she hadn't made his name two separate words, like only she could, he wouldn't have stopped his hand from colliding with Truman's face.

"Don't you ever EVER fucking come near her again or there is much more and much worse to come." Derek snarled.

"Please Derek, can we just go?" Casey whimpered, rushing into his arms when he finally turned around to leave the bleeding Truman on the ground. He held her tightly, walking her to the car.

"I'll take care of you." was all Derek said before he seated her, wrapping the blanket from the backseat around her to stop her shaking.

Casey cried pretty much the entire way home. He knew she was trying to stop for his benefit but she couldn't. Derek was fighting back tears of his own hearing her so upset. He never cried, he wasn't a pansy. But she was so hurt and had been through so much shit that night. He slipped his hand into hers and squeezed it gently. She looked up at him, seeing his strained face, and let her tears fall.

"Derek…" she began but he shook his head.

"Wait until we're home, please." he begged, not turning to look at her. He couldn't watch her cry. He couldn't talk about what happened. He needed to be safely inside their house, where he could concentrate on taking care of her not on how bad he wanted to turn around in the car and beat Truman into a pathetic pulp.

She quieted and looked out the window. When she squeezed his hand back, he inhaled shakily and she glanced over in fear again. She had never, ever seen Derek cry. He wasn't about to let her.

Finally they arrived at their empty house. He was even more glad that everyone was out of the house. He didn't want to have to make excuses or let them see Casey this way. It would be hard enough for her to face them when they didn't know, let alone if they did.

"Case, can I ask you to do something for me?" he asked softly when they got in the door. She looked at him in surprise. He held up the keys. "Please hide these from me. I don't know what I'll do if I'm given the opportunity." His eyes were pleading.

She nodded, taking them from him and heading up the stairs.

As he hung up his jacket, he suddenly felt stupid. Why did he let her go off by herself? She would lock herself up alone and refuse to talk to him. At least if he remained with her she would feel obligated to speak right then about what was going on. He moved to the kitchen to start making her tea.

As he put the kettle on and dug through the cupboards, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw Casey standing in the doorway, eyeing him in surprise. Her eyes were still red-rimmed and glassy but it was her shaking that scared him. She hadn't stopped shaking yet.

Quickly, he rushed over and pulled her into his arms. That was when she broke down into sobs, crying into his shoulder and gripping his shirt as she bawled her eyes out. All her fear and pain came out and they sunk to the floor, Derek holding her protectively.

The kettle was whistling loudly but he ignored it. He didn't care if the house burned down, all that mattered was for her to know she was safe and he was there to protect her.

"Do you want tea?" he asked softly, brushing away her tears when her crying slowed. She nodded, smiling at his thoughtfulness. He knew her well. She always had tea when she was really upset about something.

He pulled her to her feet and settled her down on the couch, then, changing his mind, cuddled her up in a blanket in his chair. She looked at him in surprise. She knew that he let no one, absolutely no one, sit in that chair. Not Edwin, George or heck even Marti. She smiled gratefully at him, surprised again when he kissed her lightly on the forehead before leaving to fix her tea.

Derek internally was chastising himself. When did he become such a pansy? He was being all cute and thoughtful, and Derek Venturi did not do cute and thoughtful. But with Casey, he just acted differently. Whether it was more annoying and evil, or sweeter and more caring. He cared for her a lot, a lot more than he was ready to admit.

When he came back out, she was snuggling down in his chair looking quite comfortable. She smiled brightly when she saw him. He was surprised at how bright her smile was, considering the pain he knew she was in. She took the cup from him eagerly, sipping and allowing the warmth to spread through her body. She was still shaking a little but not as bad.

Derek came over and sat on the armrest of the chair. He placed the back of his hand against her skin. It was slightly clammy but not too bad. She was suffering from mild shock but nothing too serious. She looked at him in surprise.

"You're actually checking for shock? I didn't know you even knew what that meant." she exclaimed, giggling slightly.

He smirked. They hadn't spoken for a few minutes and the first thing they do is tease each other? Typical.

"I am smarter than they give me credit for. I'm just an underachiever." Derek explained.

Her face softened. "You didn't show it very well tonight. Derek, you really didn't need to do that. It wasn't a very smart idea, you could have seriously hurt him or gotten in huge trouble." she began.

"I wanted to seriously hurt him! He seriously hurt you! I couldn't stand by and do nothing." Derek exclaimed, louder than he meant to.

She smiled, touching his arm. "It's not up to you to fight my battles. I appreciate you defending my honour but what if you got caught and sent to jail or something? You're future would be in jeopardy all because of me." Casey reminded him.

He chuckled, lightening the mood. "I think we all know my future is not in jeopardy just because of you."

She giggled, just like he hoped. "That's not the point. Assault is a serious offence. I never knew you to get violent."

He sighed, shaking his head. "I don't normally but when I saw him…touch you…I lost control. But then, hearing what more he did, it pushed me over the edge. I couldn't think long enough to realize what I was doing."

Casey nodded, looking sad again. Derek took a deep breath. As much as he didn't want to know, he had to ask.

"Case, what really happened tonight?"

She looked away from his eyes as hers began to fill.

"Well…we were supposed to go to a movie. That's what he said. But when he picked me up, he said he had a new idea. He was staying at his uncle's for a few weeks but his uncle had a business trip this weekend so he wanted to hang out there since we never get full privacy. I thought he was referring to the constant interruptions that come with living in big families.

"We never really get alone time to be a couple except in the car and in public places, which again, doesn't really work. So I agreed, thinking…stupidly thinking…that it would be a good idea. We could really talk and hangout and…connect I guess as more of a couple. It had been awkward with the whole cheating-on-me-with-my-cousin thing hanging over our heads and as much as I wanted to trust him, I was still uneasy. There was something I always found to be a little dangerous about Truman. Tonight I realized exactly what."

She breathed deeply for a few moments, trying to grasp her emotions and keep them in check.

"So we got there and he suggested hanging out in his room. I found this kind of odd because it's not like we were worried about his uncle walking in on us since he would be gone the whole night but I followed him, thinking it would be more comfortable in there…and more intimate. I just hadn't clued into how intimate he wanted to be until later." she whispered.

"So he took me up there…and we started kissing right away…I felt weird about it but went with it…but then when he started pulling on my clothes I broke away, telling him I needed air. Then he started scaring me. He refused, told me he didn't want to wait for me anymore. He held me down and kissed me so hard it hurt. I broke from his grasp somehow then he started hitting me, throwing me to the wall and coming up to me and…and he started ripping at my clothes again…and I could feel him getting turned on by it all and I remember thinking how sick that was…then he took off his clothes and started trying to force me into giving him…g-giving him…" she couldn't finish. She was sobbing uncontrollably. Derek understood so she needn't bother. He had slipped into the chair with her now, holding her and shushing her and letting her cry into him.

"I bit down on him, hard, and it threw him off guard so I managed to escape. I ran out of that house as fast as I possibly could. I finally called you when I reached the Tim's, about a quarter mile away from him. I wanted to keep running but I was so tired out and there was no where else to go. I couldn't head down the highway. But while I was waiting for you, he came and found me. I ran outside to start running anywhere I could but he caught me and told me we were going to finish what we started. I told him off, calling him every curse word under the sun, and then he hit me. Next thing I know, he was on the ground and you were standing above him fuming." she said quietly, studying his face.

Derek petted her hair down, breathing slowly. He was glad he had the brains to get her to hide those keys. Because hearing that Truman was trying to force her to have sex was one thing but to actually physically make her give him a blowjob and come so close was boiling the blood in his veins. Hitting her and hurting her and making her feel bad was horrible enough but coupled with this and Derek could commit murder. No one should ever touch her in any way that she doesn't want.

"I'm sorry if I scared you." he murmured, reading her well. "Case, you have to tell someone. We should call Nora and-"

"No! Please Derek, at least not tonight. I just need some time." she pleaded helplessly.

"Okay, whatever you want." he acquiesced, pulling her closer. He brushed away her tears with his fingertips. When his hand squeezed her waist affectionately, she winced.

Derek closed his eyes to stop from screaming. He knew she was bruised and the fact that it was because of what Truman did, made Derek want to uproot the whole house for those keys, or just steal a car and hunt him down.

But he stopped himself because he knew that Casey needed him now more than ever before.

"Case, we need to tend to your…injuries. Let's go upstairs." he suggested. She nodded and he wrapped an arm around her waist gently to lead her upstairs. To think the last person he did this to was Sally, on the verge of losing his virginity to her earlier that night. It felt like years ago after everything that went down since then.

He sat her carefully on the edge of the tub as he pulled out the first aid kit. He realized that it might be better to let her do it herself but she was still shaking and he knew she was in no state to see how bad off she was. He inhaled, preparing for the awkwardness that would ensue, and squeezed her hand.

"Where does it hurt, Space-Case?" he asked tenderly. She smiled a little at the nickname. He seemed to be doing good by keeping it light and normal between them which meant constant teasing.

"Pretty much everywhere. But…mostly here." She hesitated as she went to lift her shirt.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked automatically.

She shook her head. "No…I need your help." she admitted before pulling her shirt up a bit. Seeing the damage, Derek continued for her and slid it off. He closed his eyes at the sight of her body.

Not only was it more beautiful than he had imagined, but her torso was coated in blackening bruises, in the shape of Truman's hands. He winced as he saw the painful-looking red marks that were left by his teeth.

"Oh Casey…" he muttered under his breath.

He tended to her injuries, applying ice and pressure where necessary. She jumped at the cool contact with her skin, so he wrapped a towel around it to ease the chill and chance of frostbite. He pulled out the peroxide for her 'love-bites' and she winced automatically. He sighed but she held her head high as he disinfected them. She shifted erratically as each one stung but remained in position.

"If he ever, ever…" he muttered to himself, but she still heard him.

"He won't." she reassured him. "Look Derek…"

He looked up. He prayed she wouldn't make a comment about how he was staring admiringly at her torso. Dancing certainly had kept her body in excellent shape. She had a fantastic body, something he only ever remembered when they were physically fighting and he was allowed to let his hands roam.

"I never really did thank you for tonight. You've been amazing. I really appreciate all you've done. Even if our parents were home, you would still be my first call. I can always depend on you when I need you most." she told him, her eyes glistening in the best way he'd seen it all night: from pure joy.

He smiled, a genuine smile for once. "I'll always be there for you, Case."

She beamed back at him and with slight hesitation, came over to sit on his lap and hug him. He cradled her weight, she wasn't that heavy after all plus hockey kept him in shape, and held her close. He didn't care that she was only in a bra; he rubbed her back soothingly and kissed the crook of her neck. She shivered at the touch.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you…" he began worriedly, thinking he was bringing back unwanted memories from the night from hell.

She smiled. "No it was sweet. I'm just still cold and rattled and feeling incredibly dirty. I think I'll take a shower."

She crawled out of his lap and went to reach for the medicine cupboard to return the first aid kit but cried out in pain and pulled her body back to regular height.

Derek was alarmed and jumped to his feet. "Casey, you're really hurt. Should we take you to the hospital?"

She shook her head. "No I really need to be home tonight and I don't want to answer all those questions." she pleaded. "I think it might be a better idea if I take a bath. You know, allow the warmth to soak into me."

Derek nodded vigorously. He started running the water as Casey left to change. When he put towels on the counter, he saw her come back in still dressed as much as when she left, minus her skirt being undone. He looked away automatically, not knowing how else to react.

"Derek, I hate putting you in this awkward situation, but I-I can't…do it alone." she whispered, her tears choking her voice.

He turned back around. "I'll be gentle, I promise."

Hesitantly, he put his hands on her hips. He closed his eyes momentarily as he slid her skirt down her toned legs and let her step out of it. She was avoiding his eyes, blushing a deeper red than he'd seen. Seeing her in only her underwear made him want to take a shower of his own, only purely cold water would be required.

Realizing that he had to continue to undress her, he paused. Reaching for a towel, he wrapped it around her lower half. She held it against her and Derek slowly let his hands slide up her leg underneath the towel until his fingers reached the top of her underwear. He tugged them down slowly, closing his eyes even though he couldn't see anything. Casey's breathing was quick and if he didn't know she was incredibly embarrassed and awkward, he would have thought he was turning her on.

Next he pulled the towel further up her body, wrapping it tight so it was covering her chest. He unclasped her bra and slid it off her arms. The towel was around her but the fact that his step-sister was completely naked in front of him was driving him crazy, especially a certain part of him. He helped her gingerly enter the bath and then he pulled the curtain across and she passed the towel to him as she lowered herself in. He heard her let out a small moan of pain and nearly ripped it back to help her but he stopped himself in time.

"Thanks." came a small voice and he smiled.

"I said I'd take care of you." he told her tenderly before leaving her alone.