Title: Cuffed into Love
Rated T
Summary: Edwin's new magic phase ends up getting Derek and Casey handcuffed together until Edwin can "find" the key. .:Dasey:.
A/N: I really didn'tput much in this chapter because I guess I consider it a filler of sorts.This is the chapter where the question most reviewers wondered about will be answered. I had lots fun writing the scene so I hope it's enjoyed. Again, thanks so much for your reviews and support for this story, you have no idea how much I appreciate them all! I guess all that's left to say now is enjoy!
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Chapter 3
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Catastrophe had finally settled itself upon the McDonald-Venturi household. Of course, and this was well known to those acquainted, said catastrophe had been taking its' sweet time to make itself at home since Nora and George married. It teetered and tottered on the border line that was sanity. One action, such as an action causing a single domino to topple many, could cause it to fall over this borderline. One cause could provoke this catastrophe to erupt as soon as it familiarized itself with its new and insane surroundings.
That cause was none other than . . .
"Casey, just give it here!"
Casey tried not to giggle at Derek's protests as she threw the roll of toilet paper up and caught it with her hand. On the other side of the door frame, which led to the backyard, Derek pouted and pleaded for he was currently in an . . . . interesting situation.
"It's not my fault you didn't grab the toilet paper when you had a chance," Casey chided at him. Even though she was completely disgusted that Derek had decided to stoop as low as going outside ("There is no way I'm going to go while you're in the room. Eyes closed or not!") She still found pleasure as she taunted him, keeping him from the only thing he would currently fight for now.
"Case, you can't just leave me out here like this!"
"Get over it and drip dry!"
She was still surprised that Emily and Sam were willing to take them both home after all the arguing in the car, even if they were on her side:
"Derek, this is the lowest thing you've ever done!"
"Dude, not cool at all."
Still, even though she wanted the whole thing to be a bad dream, even though the chances of her and Max getting together again were slim, she milked every ounce of the revenge at hand . . . and boy was it sweet.
"Look, I'm sorry about you and Max-!"
"You're not getting the toilet paper Derek, even if you did mean the apology."
"Come on Case; I'll do anything!"
"So, do you want to bet on how long it'll take until Casey and Derek finally drive each other insane?" Lizzie jumped as Edwin made his way down the stairs next to her. She grinned sheepishly. "I don't think we'd have to wait that long." She said quietly, peering around the stair rail as Nora made her way from her bedroom to see what all the commotion was.
"Casey won't give me the toilet paper!"
"Derek caused Max to break up with me tonight!"
"Only because I felt he wasn't the "right one" for you anymore! I try to stick up for you and look at how she repays me!"
Casey glared at his obvious sarcasm. "Oh right, like you really care about who I date and why I date them-!"
"You guys!" Nora shouted over the argument. She sighed in irritation and brought a hand up to her head for a headache just formed. "Marti just got to sleep; Lizzie and Edwin are getting ready for bed as are me and George. At the moment I don't care what happened tonight. All I want is for you two to get up stairs and get to bed so you don't disturb anyone else."
"Nora, I'd love to go upstairs and go to bet but there's one problem: Casey won't give me the toilet paper!"
She opened her mouth to state her argument but her mother's look silenced her.
"Casey would you please, for my sake, give your step-brother the toilet paper now?" Nora pleaded, too tired to scold Derek for going out in her backyard in the first place. Reluctantly, Casey passed the toilet paper from her hand to her handcuffed hand where Derek took it from around the door frame with his free hand. Nora flashed Casey a worn out yet thankful smile.
"Okay you two, get up to bed, it's after eleven. Tomorrow's another day."
"Emily was right Derek, this has to be the lowest thing you've ever done!"
Derek simply shrugged so Casey continued, unaware that he stopped listening to her a while ago. "I mean, you didn't only completely lie, you ruined one of the best relationships I have ever been in and you don't even care-!"
"Please, whatever you and Max had going was going to end soon anyway." Derek interjected. "I was just helping it along."
Casey opened her mouth so she could yell at him for being an insensitive jerk but even as she did so a foul taste entered her mouth.
"How can you live in a room that smells like this?" She gagged, reaching for the Fabreeze bottle she had set on Derek's desk earlier. Derek coughed and grimaced as she started spraying the mixture in a frantic motion.
"I told you not to spray that girl junk in my room- what are you doing?"
His protests were cut off as Casey angrily pointed the nozzle towards him, her index finger patiently waiting to pull the trigger.
"Say another thing and you're done for" She challenged, her voice leaning strong against her threat. Derek narrowed his eyes, wondering if she was bluffing. Casey noticed this and raised the nozzle a tinsy bit higher.
"You don't want to do this," Derek assured her after gulping down the lump in his throat.
"Oh yes I do!" Following this was a bitter laugh as Casey pulled the trigger half way. Derek was too quick for her; he grabbed the bottle with his free hand and chucked it across the room. Casey made a move indicating she was about to strike, but forgot that Derek's hand was still on her wrist. He had her pinned to the bed in seconds.
"Der-ek! Get off!"
"No way Spacey. Not until you promise to throw out that junk." She tried to struggle out of Derek's hold but couldn't break his strong grip. Glaring up at him, a glare more powerful than the one she gave Edwin, she sighed reluctantly and stopped struggling. Derek smirked. "Good girl."
"Jerk," She spat the words at him as she got to her feet.
"What are they doing in there?" Lizzie asked, her voice amused as she and Edwin eavesdropped out in the hall. Edwin shrugged. "Who knows, but do you want to use this to our advantage?"
"I'm listening."
"Derek and Casey aren't going to be getting the key until I "get" it on Sunday. Let's just say I get the key but I don't give it to them . . ."
"Edwin, they're going to skin you alive if you try and pull that stunt!" Lizzie exclaimed, her eyes twinkling with excitement at Edwin's musings. "They'd be stuck together until-"
"Until we give in. We can call the shots; we can make them do whatever we want to do-"
"-And they can't really complain considering the position they're in." Lizzie finished, covering her mouth to keep from giggling. It was a nice thought; having your older sister and step-brother forced to wait on your hand and foot against their will.
"Now you're beginning to think like me!"
"If you never came up with these once in a lifetime brilliant schemes I'd resent that remark."
"Yeah, yeah, so are you in?"
"Definitely."
If Derek was asked to list the most awkward positions he had ever been in, this would definitely make the cut. Never in his life had he felt so claustrophobic. Next to him, he could hear Casey's soft breathing as she slept. They tried to sleep on opposite sides of the bed with Casey's head being at the foot but she complained too much about how his feet smelled ("Seriously, don't you ever take showers?"). After arguing that fact that she would tell Nora and George in the morning that her own step-brother tried to force her to sleep on the floor Derek finally scooted over to make room.
He wasn't sure what time it was; the digital clock was on Casey's side and Derek didn't feel like leaning over to look. All he was sure of was that he couldn't sleep.
'Great, another whole day like this to look forward too. Man, I'm going to strangle Edwin when I get out of this thing.'
Outside it was raining, not heavy rain but it wasn't light either. The noise of it pelting the window wasn't helping Derek's insomnia any.
"Nnmgh…"
At first, he wasn't sure if it was his imagination or not but when Casey made the straggled sound again he turned his head to look over at her. Her face was scrunched together, her soft breathing turned rigid. She was shaking.
'What now?' Derek tilted over on his side so he could wake her up, but stopped when he noticed tears running silently down her face.
'She cries in her sleep?'
"Casey? Case, wake up. Come on," He muttered nudging her slightly with his non handcuffed hand. He had a sudden urge to reach over and wipe the tears away from her face but decided against it.
"Please, no . . ." She muttered drowsily, her body shaking at her words. Derek didn't know what to do; sure Marti always had nightmares but his Dad was usually the one who'd deal with them. The thought of letting her sleep through it crossed his mind but he shook it clear, too curious to let this situation pass and disturbed at how much Casey was shaking next to him and how she was crying in her sleep.
"Casey," This time he nudged her a bit rougher, his face started to twist with concern. "Casey, wake up. Knock it off, you're freaking me out."
"Wha-?" Her eye lids opened slowly and she tried to focus her vision. Derek sighed inwardly with relief as she sat up in bed and felt her face.
"Why is my-?"
"You cry in your sleep." Derek said simply as she wiped away the tears with her free hand.
"I was crying? What time is it?"
"I don't know, what were you dreaming about anyway?" Even in the darkness of his room Derek could see Casey's frown; it was sharp against the shadows. "What do you care anyway?" She muttered, settling herself back down in the bed. Derek did the same and he turned his head towards her. "Must have been some awful nightmare for you to be crying like that."
"It's nothing, go back to sleep Derek"
Silence then engulfed the room as the two lay on the bed. After a few minutes Derek heard Casey's soft breathing again, this time undisturbed by any dreams. Curiosity nearly drowned him, keeping him awake as he tried to go back to sleep. Even though Casey hadn't told him what her nightmare was about and even though he knew that it wasn't exactly "nothing" sleep crept up on him uneasily and he felt his eyelids drop. Whatever her nightmare was, he'd get the answers out of her somehow. At least now she had stopped shaking.
-Fin-
A/N: Well, I don't know if this last scene would be considered a fluff-filled moment. I just consider it a moment. Casey's nightmare will be revealed in later chapters if anyone is interested. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for chapter 4! Until next time guys!
-Never let go of the one you truly love
-December'sRose
