AN: So, you might have noticed that Casey is OOC in this story...I will be explaining what happened in later chapters tough. I hope you like the Chapter.

Chapter 2

So it's a day after the fatefull phone-call to her mother and Casey is sitting in a cab with as much stuff as would fit in the tiny cab. She still hasn't washed her hair but she's had a shower and is wearing clean clothes, which consist of a baggy sweatshirt one of her exes had left behind and a pair of thights along with her beloved chucks. She doesn't like wearing heels or whatever anylonger. She's nervous as the car drives through an impressive gate and on towards a equally impressive house.

She takes a deep breath before getting out of the taxi whilst the driver unloads her stuff waiting for her to pay him. Casey is nervous and thinks about asking the driver to wait for her here, she might change her mind and come back out of there screaming... But she doesn't instead she pushes the last of the money she has into his hand and turns towards the impressive wooden doors.

Timidly she rings the doorbell, listening to the melodic ring going through the house. It's Derek himself who opens the door for her and simply stands there staring. She can feel the waves of pity waving off him and immidiatly takes a stance of defence. She can't stand the way he's looking at her.

„Hello, Derek." She says softly and looks up into his chocolate brown orbs. He's standing in the doorway wearing a pair of jogging pants and a white t-shirt. „Hello Casey, it's been a while..." His voice has gotten deeper and she can see shock and pity in his eyes and she can feel the anger bubbling up inside her. „Stop looking at me like that!" This time her voice isn't as soft anylonger and she's irritated, her blue eyes are icy as she looks at him.

„Pardon me, please come in, Casey." He opens the door further to let her in and goes outside to grab the rest of her bags. „Let's go to my office first." He's trying hard not to step on her toes but he's shocked to see her like this. This sure wasn't the same Casey he'd gone to college with...What had happened to her to turn her into this?

Casey is following Derek meekly through his house and looking at the pictures on the walls mostly they consist of Pictures of Derek with his daughter. She smiles, she'd known back in their High-school days he'd be a great father but it seemed like he'd spoiled his daughter rotten. The little Venturi girl was staring at her from a lot of these pictures and Casey could see that she was undoubtedly Dereks flesh and blood. The same reddish brown hair and the same smirk were staring back at her, the only weird thing about her were her icy blue eyes. Undoubtedly those came from the mother of the child.

Casey was a bit taken back by the resemblence to her own eyes. But she didn't think much of it. Many people had blue eyes like her, so what? She continued to walk after Derek towards his office. It was impressive with a large book-case covering a whole wall and as far as Casey could tell most of these books were about law. But Casey spied a few of her own favourite works mixed underneath the other books, such as „Pride and Prejudice" Casey was suprised.

„So, Nora told me you need a job to get back on your feet." Derek says as he stares at his stepsister. He couldn't believe this was the same Casey he'd gone to highschool with. She didn't look anything like the over-archieving keener he'd met back when their parents had deceided to marry each other. What in the world had happenedto make her give up on herself like that? He knew he needed to help her get her back to her old form.

„Yeah...I'm a bit short on the money-front..." Caseys voice is still soft and she's looking uncomfortable. „I know...you're mom filled me in on that..." Derek says. He's looking at her attentively. Derek can't get how the keener he'd come to know and lo...like had turned into this pathethic woman sitting infront of him now. What had turned her into this?

Sure, he had known about her drop-out of college seeing as both of them went to Queens together. But Casey and him really hadn't been close. They had each had their seperate lives of campus, both living in their respective dorms. Derek had tried talking to her once, but then his life started to go haywire with him meeting his Ex-wife and the birth of their daughter...

With a dreamy fondness Derek remembered the day his little angel was born. Casey had been there too. He remembered how shocked she had seemed to see him there. But he hadn't been able to fathom why she'd reacted the way she'd had. She had been verry quick to make a retreat. She seemed to be embaressed...no, downright shocked that he'd discovered her there.

„So, mom told me you need a housekeeper...?" Casey spoke up as Derek was silent staring off into space. „Excuse me, I just spaced out on you.." Derek admitted a bit sheepishly. He scratched the back of his neck and smiled at Casey. „Yes, seeing as my old house-keeper quit on me suddenly I need someone I can trust enough to take care of Ann" At his words Casey looks up. „Ann?" She asks.

„Yes, my daughter. Melissa Ann Venturi." He answers in a „duh" Voice. That Casey is suprised is an understatement. She hadn't known his daughter's name and was shocked to find that Derek had given his daughter her name. Well, her second name but stil...

„Her name is Ann?" Casey asks still a bit shocked. „Yes it is...now can we move past that fact?" Derek asks a bit annoyed. „She's a verry, verry smart 3 year old. She owns every ounce of the Venturi-charm we Venturis are blessed with." Derek answers affectionatedly. Casey can feel how much he adores her. If the way he'd treated his own youngest sister as a Princess back in their teenage-days Casey could only imagine how much he must've spoiled his own daughter.

„She is my whole world, Casey.." Derek says seriously. „I need someone I can trust enough to take care of her, that's why I was immidiatly ready to let you move in when I heard that you've had troubles. Nora didn't elaborate on that but I know you Casey and I think I can trust you to be able to take care of my little girl." He's looking at her sharply now trying to gauge what has happened to her and whether if she is up for the challange.

„I didn't expect to be a baby-sitter, too." Is the first thing she says after he's finished talking. „Well it comes with the territory, Case. I need someone who is able to do the job and who'll be able to keep things clean and running around the house too. With law and Hockey I don't have enough time to handle things at home, too. That's where you'd come in. I don't just need a house-keeper or a Baby-sitter Casey. Tough I do know that you'd be perfectly qualified for both jobs when I keep in mind how you handled babysitting Marti back when we were teenagers. I need someone I can trust wo handle my life." Derek explains.

He doesn't want her to feel small, because he knows fully well that Cassandra Ann McDonald is anything but small or weak. She just needs to be reminded of that fact. He doesn't know what happened back in their college-days to make her want to throw everything she could have achieved out of the window...But it wasn't like her...And this pathethic woman sitting infront of him wasn't the Casey McDonald he knew either. He had to bring her back...no matter what it cost him. She needed to be challanged and that...well that he could do.

AN: So...what do you guys say to this? Don't worry you'll get to meet sweet Melissa Ann Venturi soon enough... I will explain what happened to Casey and what made her give up on herself like that in later Chapters too. Of course I'll be digging deeper into her relationship with the rest of their family too, because as you've noticed no one seems to be on good terms with Casey...All will get explained gradually if you deceide to stick with me through her journey ;) -Keisha