NOTES: Futurefic. Again, I'm still pretty new to LWD, so all comments and criticisms would be gratefully received
DISCLAIMER: LWD? Still not mine.
It happened way too soon. They hadn't even finished dinner when the phone rang.
"But I can't just leave you alone with Derek," Casey protested. "You're not ready!"
"Okay, then stay," Christian said.
"I can't stay! The drama festival begins tomorrow night, and there are still major issues with the first set! Your dad is counting on me!"
"Then go," he shrugged his shoulders.
"You're not taking this seriously!"
"Casey – what's the worst he could do?"
"That question just shows how unprepared you are!" She sighed. "Okay – let's start with the basics..."
Casey was still coaching him as she slid on her coat.
"And if he gets a look on his face like..." Casey rearranged her features into a thoughtful expression.
"It means he's planning something," Christian said confidently.
"What about this one?" Casey pasted on a look of disgusted boredom.
"Still planning something."
"And if he says he's hungry?"
"He's hungry. And possibly planning something."
"Good! Now – most importantly, if he mentions the words 'Let's' 'surprise' and 'Casey' in any combination you...?"
"Are entitled to use force in order to stop him," Christian repeated obediently.
Casey looked at him. "Okay," she said, with visible reluctance. "I guess that's as much as I can do..."
"Relax. I'm sure everything will be fine."
"Yeah," she said, smiling a rather sickly smile. She turned and opened the door, only to turn back and throw herself into Christian's arms.
"Be careful!" she said.
It was over two and a half hours later when Casey got back.
"I take it you solved the problem?" Christian asked.
"Finally," she said, eyes darting around the room. She frowned and made her way to the kitchen.
"No wonder you're my dad's favourite person," he called, twisting around on the couch so that she could hear.
Casey ignored this as she wandered back into the living room. "Where's Derek, and what did you do to him?" As if she couldn't help herself, she added, "And did you video it?"
He smiled. "Relax – D felt like an early night. And you'll be happy to hear that we actually had a good time. Well, I did, anyway."
"D?" Casey asked, a dread suspicion taking hold.
"Yeah. We had a few drinks, we talked...he seems like a pretty okay guy, actually."
"An okay guy," she repeated slowly.
"Yeah...what's wrong, Casey?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing," she repeated, hollowly. "I mean, yes, you broke one of the unbreakable rules" –
"I did?"
"'Never fraternise with the enemy'?" she reminded him.
"I'm sorry – there were just so many rules. It was hard to keep track," he defended.
"It's...okay," she said, trying to make the best of things. "Maybe it was just a normal conversation. Well, as normal as a conversation with Derek can be." She fidgeted. "So...what did Derek talk about?"
"Um..."
"Um?" she asked suspiciously.
"Well...he didn't really say much. To be honest, I guess I was the one doing most of the talking."
"Okay," Casey said, in a markedly higher voice. "That's still okay. Really. I mean, I'm sure you didn't discuss anything really personal or anyth"- she trailed off at the guilty look on his face. "What did you tell him?" she demanded.
"Nothing," he said, too quickly. "I – can't remember."
Casey flopped down onto the couch with a groan.
"I'm sorry?" he offered. "But seriously, Casey, I think you're making a big deal over nothing. D seems like a good guy" –
Casey directed a look of mingled pity and disbelief his way, but he continued –
"Seriously though – what's the worst he could do?"
"I'm sure we'll find out," she said darkly.
Casey watched Derek narrowly over the breakfast table, but it seemed Christian's faith was being rewarded. Derek seemed completely uninterested in mocking her for the incident with Christian's mother. Or the incident with the tickets and the small child. Or the incident with the ice-cream. Or any number of incidents Christian could have told him about, and that made Casey's blood run cold.
The only time Derek looked up from his cereal bowl was when Casey placed a ticket and a programme that screamed 'Soul Dance! Love! Hate! Square Dancing!' on the table in front of him.
"What's this?" he asked, looking at it suspiciously.
"Your complimentary ticket to 'Soul Dance', an original production making its debut at my drama festival."
Derek dropped the ticket onto the table. "Yeah, about that," he said. "I'm thinking...not."
"You're not going?" Casey asked.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Why? Do you want me to go?"
"No," she said very quickly. "Of...course not."
"So – what's the problem? You don't want me to go, I don't want to go – seems like 'not going' works for everyone."
She blinked. "I – yeah. Okay."
He smiled insincerely. "Great." He deposited his cereal bowl in the sink and wandered out of the kitchen. A moment later, the television clicked on.
Casey frowned, and picked up the ticket. "Something is wrong," she said, almost to herself.
"Why? Because your stepbrother doesn't want to see a play? You know, D doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to appreciate a play about square dancing."
Casey turned to face him. "Yeah, but does 'D' seem like the kind of guy who would pass up an opportunity to mock a play about square dancing? Something is wrong," she repeated. "He's not being very...Derek."
"Well, his girlfriend did just dump him. Of course it's going to affect his behaviour," Christian offered.
"That's not it," she dismissed immediately. "There's no way Derek is pining for some girl." She snorted at the idea, before becoming serious again. "I just wish I knew what he was planning."
"Why don't you just relax and enjoy the peace," he offered.
"Enjoy this?" Casey asked, as if the idea was ridiculous.
"Yeah. I mean, he's not going to spend all of his time bugging you. Isn't that what you wanted?"
"Yeah. I mean, I guess," Casey said.
After a long day of preparation for the opening night of the drama festival, Casey really needed an hour or two to unwind. The last thing she needed to see when she walked into the kitchen was yet another indication that –
"Something is very very wrong."
"What?"Christian called. "Has he broken the plates? Is the dishwasher overflowing? Did he empty the fridge?"
"No," she said, still staring.
"Then what"- Christian began, only to tail off as he entered the room. "This is exactly how we left the kitchen this morning," he pointed out.
"I know!" Casey said.
He just looked at her, awaiting an explanation.
"It should be different. Messy! It's Derek!"
He shrugged. "People can change?" he offered.
"Not Derek," she said firmly. She stalked to the sink. It was as she'd feared. "He even put away his cereal bowl!" She stopped. "Whatever he's planning, it must be big."
Derek's odd behaviour kept Casey from fully enjoying the first show – yet another thing to hold against him, she thought – since it was, according to all reports –
"A great success!" Mr Tremblay beamed. He turned to Christian. "Hold on to this girl!" he said.
"I'll try, dad," Christian said.
"You should feel proud of yourself," Mr Tremblay said to Casey.
She managed a smile. He was so enthusiastic – just as enthusiastic as Casey was about drama. She knew she should be as thrilled as he was – bookings had been good, and everything had gone so smoothly. But there was that niggling sense of something wrong. She was surprised to realise that, quite apart from the mingled dread and annoyance she felt about whatever Derek was plotting, she also felt...hurt, that Derek hadn't come.
Though it was mostly annoyance, she hastily reassured herself.
When she figured it out, it came as a complete shock.
"It'll be good for you," she said, waving the ticket in front of him.
"Yeah – that'll bring the crowds in," Derek said.
"You haven't been to any of my plays!"
"First of all, unless I'm way off base here, 'Hamlet' isn't exactly 'your' play, is it? Second of all, why do you care?"
"Because" –
"Because...?" Derek repeated, making a speed it up gesture with his hands.
"It's really rude," she said, glaring.
"Shakespeare's dead. I don't think he cares whether I come to his play or not."
"You're being rude to me," she said.
"Glad you noticed," he said absently.
"I mean, I'm the person who coordinated all this" –
"And I'm the person who really doesn't care." He tried to move past, but Casey blocked the way.
"And my boss, Christian's dad, is wondering why someone from my family – who is right here – won't even make the effort to come to one of the productions."
"Yeah, well, we're not really family, are we? You're just an accident by marriage. Now, if you don't mind...?"
"You've called me that before," Casey said, not budging. Her eyes widened. "Are you recycling insults for me?" she asked, insulted beyond measure.
There was a slight pause before Derek managed, "What can I say – you just don't inspire me anymore."
But it was too late – the look on his face, the weird behaviour...it all suddenly made sense – and it hit Casey like a punch to the stomach.
"It's true, isn't it?" she said softly. "That girl really did break your heart."
They stared at each other for a moment before Derek sniffed loudly. "I can't hide it anymore," he said, in a voice thick with fake sincerity. "You've seen through my facade to the pain beneath. Can we go out for lattes now?"
Casey didn't respond, just kept looking at him with a stunned expression. He quickly looked away from her eyes. With an exasperated shake of his head, he strode out of the kitchen, leaving Casey alone with her sudden, terrible realization.
