Life with Derek

Coming Home

Chapter 3

Casey woke up the next morning after a horrible sleepless night, everything that had happened the pervious day kept repeating over and over in her head like a bad song. She didn't know how to handle it. "You are Casey McDonald, this is what you do! You take charge and handle life as it comes." She said out loud trying to convince herself. "But this is not an average situation! I mean think of everything that's happened… Wow, this has to be real healthy, Casey, having arguments with yourself!" She sighed and flapped backwards onto her pillow. "You're having a mental breakdown. Great." Deciding that she needed more sleep she pulled the blanket over her head. "You're only two weeks late, so nothing is final yet…" What am I thinking, I am never late, it's basically written in stone! "Oh god, what am I going to do?!"

"About what, Case?" Derek asked from the doorway. "Did you fail a test? Nope, that can't be it. Hmm… Oh, I know, you didn't turn in that extra credit paper yet! What a tragedy."

"Derek!" Casey said surprised, and glad that he had no idea what she was talking about.

Derek was shocked that she hadn't flipped out on him for coming in her room, well her old room without knocking. When Edwin and Lizzie had told him that Casey was there and that they had a feeling Casey would be staying for awhile, he knew he had to make sure she was okay. But being the Derek Venturi, he couldn't let her know he was worried about her, so they had to do the old song and dance. The whole fighting and hating each other routine was how they have been interacting for years now, and as much as Derek wanted it to change, he didn't know how to change it. And even if he knew how to change it, he wouldn't know how everyone would react. So instead he got his Casey fix by making fun of her and getting her angry.

Casey saw her purse on the end of the bed, wide open, giving everyone a perfect view of her possible future, so she quickly uncovered and flopped the blankets over her purse. As she slid out of bed and quickly grabbed her old bathrobe from the closet, Derek noticed something…

"Casey?"

"Yes Derek?" She said taking her time tying the robe, thinking of an excuse to have a pregnancy test, incase he did see it.

"Why are you wearing my clothes?" He asked slowly, trying to hide the smirk on his face.

Mentally cursing herself for ever putting on Derek's clothes, Casey replied, "Oh, these are yours? I didn't realize that."

"Who else would they belong to?" He asked as he walked into the room a little more.

Getting nervous Casey mumbled, "Oh, well Edwin is getting closer to your size, so I figure since he actually lives here that they are his, why would your clothes be in the dryer?" she said still pretending she thought they were Edwin's clothes. "How do you know they are yours?"

"Well Case, the fact that it has my jersey number one it was a big clue, but other then that, I know that they are mine because Nora does my laundry on Tuesdays and I pick them up on Wednesdays." He said smirking.

Casey looked down for the jersey number, which she hadn't even realized was there, but before she could find it, Derek walked up to her and brushed her hair off her shoulder and on to her back. "Right… here, Case" He said in a light whisper.

"Ohhh…" Casey said, swallowing hard and taking a step back, trying to get control of her body and feelings. After a minute she replied "Well, umm, I am sorry about that and I will wash them right-"

"Don't worry about it, Case." He said cutting her off. "So how's Mr. Big Shot?" Derek said not hiding his hatred for Alex at all.

"Alex is…" Unconsciously Casey glanced towards where her purse had been wide open. "Honestly, I don't know how he is doing, and right now, I don't care." She said as she straightened up the stuff on the desk, trying to keep busy.

Derek didn't know what to do or say. What he really wanted was to grab her and kiss her. He wanted her to know she wasn't alone and if he had it his way she would never be alone again in her life. But he knew that he couldn't, at least not yet. He had to let her feel what she had to feel, and he knew by the look in her eyes that it was not going to be easy for her, but he also knew his Casey could get through anything.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed Derek decided something… Even though he wasn't going to tell her he was in love with her, he could tell her that he was there for her, anytime. "Casey?"

"Yeah Derek?" She replied softly.

"I know that we have had our ups and downs…" He begun "And I know you hate me. But-"

"I don't hate you Derek…" She whispered as she looked Derek right in the eyes. "We may always fight, but I don't really know why, because I don't hate you."

"I don't hate you either Case." He said never breaking the eye contact they had going.

Hearing a distant horn outside, Casey broke the eye contact and rearranged in her chair. Derek sat up straighter and cleared his throat. "Well anyway, if you want to talk… you have my number, and I want you to use it, it doesn't matter what time it is. Okay?"

"Thanks Derek, it really means a lot to me." Casey said trying to hold back tears. He was being so nice to her, and she could see in his eyes that he really cared, and she knew from a few fights that got a little out of hand that it wasn't a brotherly care, it was more then that, but they could never be more then a few passionate kisses during a fight for the remote, or times when their hands would touch accidentally and they wouldn't pull away. They could never be real, and that is what Casey had always wanted.

Derek wished they had talked about the stuff that had happened between them. They never said what the kisses met, and they never talked about how they would always come up with reason to touch each other, even if it was a fight. Not only did they not talk about it, but they pretended that it had never happened. And Derek regretted that more then he ever regretted anything in his whole life.