disclaimer : I OWN NOTHING LWD!!

A.N. sorry for taking so long...ive been busy working and everything...that and my son has just learned how to crawl...ill update more often now that my scedual has gotten more routine...anyways this is where it starts to get interesting so i hope you like.

words/talking thinking

Surprise Move

It had been almost a year since Casey got married. Casey and Jack had moved across the state just 2 months after the wedding, and the family hadn't seen much of them since. Derek was doing well, at least as well as can be expected for Derek. He was working as assistant manager for the same club he hated, Club Xizzle. He only worked there because it had been a parting request of Casey. It was near the end of his work shift and Derek was finishing up the paper work that had piled up all day. It seemed as though he was the only one who ever did the paperwork in the first place. There was a knock at his door as one of the bouncers stuck his head in.

"Hey D-man, there's some chic here to see you."

"Who is it?" Derek paused in his writing.

"I don't man. She says you know each other from years ago. Do you want me to get rid of her?"

"Naw, I'll just finish these papers tomorrow if I have to. Go ahead and send her in." Derek went back to his paperwork. Derek didn't look up as the lady was brought into the room. He didn't even look up when he said "Take a seat. I'll be with you in a minute." But when she said, "Whoa, Derek actually working, impossible." his heart stopped right along with his pen.

"Casey!!" Derek wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not. He was praying to every god possible that he wasn't dreaming. "Yeah, it's me Derek. Long time no see, I know."

"But how….why…..WHEN did you get here. Does anyone else know you're here? In town I mean." Derek could barely get his words out from the shock of seeing Casey. "How is a taxi, then a plane and then a rental car. Why is because Jack and I are moving back. When was at about 4:30, and no, you're the first person I wanted to see once we landed." Casey couldn't help but reply with the type of answer Derek would have given her.

"We? Oh you mean Jack is here too. Where is he? Don't tell me he is knocking another fool's drinks out of his hands." Derek chuckled, remembering how they had met. "No, he just went down to his partner's office to check up on him. So tell me about yourself. What exciting and new things are going on in your life? At the very least tell me you moved out of George and Nora's place."

"Oh, I'll up-date you in a minute. And yes I have moved out of there. But where are you guys staying until you get a place? Or do you already have one?" Derek couldn't believe that she was finally coming home. And for as much as he tried not to he couldn't help but think she was moving back to him, and that thought made him smile more. "Well we were going to find a hotel for a while until we found a place. But we were…"Casey didn't even finish her thought before Derek cut in with, "Nonsense. I have a three-bedroom apartment. Don't ask me why I have three, I just do. You guys are more then welcome to stay with me for a few weeks, or months, or forever, or however long it takes for you two to find a place that fits." "Thank you Derek. That's very sweet of you." "Yes it is." came a voice from the doorway. Both of them jumped not realizing that Jack had come into the room.

Casey got up and gave her husband a kiss. Derek cringed inwardly. He couldn't understand how even after a year of being away from her, he could still feel about Casey as strongly as he had. His mind raced back over all the memories they had shared. It stuck on the one where he first realized how much he cared for her, back when Casey had been dating Lizzie's coach, Scott. Not only had he called Scott out on his two-, or as was the case, four-timing way because it was his job as a brother, but because he had realized he was in love with Casey and she deserved to be treated right.

flashback

Casey, Edwin, and Derek were sitting on the couch soon after Scott had left the house. "I can't believe that Scott apologized, and promised to keep coaching the soccer team, AND promised to keep all this, a secret from Lizzie." Edwin exclaimed. "I can't believe that Marti was the only one who know Scott was a scum-bag right off the bat" Derek said, somewhat surprised that he hadn't seen it himself. "I can't believe you didn't tell me the truth about Scott as soon as you knew" Casey sighed. "I thought I was doing you a favor, Casey but I was wrong." Derek thought. "And I can't believe all the trouble you went through to bust him. It was very…sweet." Casey continued raising her hands for a hug. Both Derek and Edwin backed off in mocked fear. "Uh-oh, I sense a feel good family moment coming on." cried Edwin. "How bout no." expressed Derek. "Fine. But someday, somewhere we will have our feel good family moment. Because deep down you are a good person Derek Venturi." Casey relented. "If only you knew my real feelings, space-case."

end flashback

"Well I'm sure that you two have plans for dinner so how we all go to my apartment." Derek said, trying to speed things up to get away from her and get his mind back to where it belonged. "That would be great. And I promise that we won't stay long Derek. Just long enough that I can find a mansion for the princess in my life." Jack said, making a lovey-dovey face at Casey. "Well then, let me finish this last paper and I'll meet you guys in 5 minutes outside." Derek said, turning to his desk so that they couldn't see the expression on his face.

Twenty minutes later Derek was unlocking the door to his place. Casey and Jack were bringing up their luggage. Derek did a quick run though to make sure that it wasn't too much of a mess. He knew that any mess would mean that Casey would be cleaning it first thing in the morning. "You picked a good place Derek. Not to far from your work. How often do you bring girls home huh?" Jack commented walking through the door. Right behind him, and carrying over half of the luggage, came Casey. Derek quickly dropped his coat and briefcase on the couch and rushed to help relieve Casey of her load.

"Here let me help you." Derek said. "Please." He whispered when she hesitated, gently grabbing some of the luggage from her. "Your guy's room is down at the end of the hall, this way." Derek said louder, leading the way down the hall. "I have to get sheets for the bed and the bathroom is right across the hall. My room is upstairs if you need anything. And the kitchen is, well, free range." Derek joked, turning around to find that just Casey had followed and not Jack as well. Setting the luggage next to the closet Derek went to find Jack. Jack was sitting on the couch mid-phone call, ignoring everything around him.

"So when do you two plan on telling the rest of the family your in town?" Derek asked. His only response was Jack holding a finger up to silence him then moving to the kitchen to finish the call. "Or not." Derek said to nobody. After about a half hour Casey finally reappeared from the bedroom. Seeing Jack on the phone she grabbed a paper and a pencil, wrote that the clothes had been put away and slipped it to him. All she got in response was a nod of his head. "Friendly lil guy, isn't he." Derek said coming up from behind. Casey gave a slight smile. "You get use to his quirks after a while." "How long is awhile, because I don't want to get so annoyed that I want to kick you two out before you find a place." came the smart-ass response.

"Well I've got us a reservation at Bristone's. Derek you are more then welcome to join us. I had told them two with the possibility of three." Jack said coming out of the kitchen, finally off the phone. "It only took me a half hour to get us on the list." "Thanks anyways Jack but I brought work home with me so I think I'll work on that. I have a spare key under the potted plant to the right of the door. Feel free to take it with you so you can get in whenever needed." "Thanks Derek. That means a lot that you trust me finally with such valuable information." Casey joked. "Well Casey we better get ready because our reservation is a lil over an hour." Jack said ending any chance that Derek had to retort.

Derek was in his home office when he heard the car pull up. He checked the time and realized it was almost 2 in the morning. Switching off the desk lamp he decided it was time for bed. As he passed the upstairs window he glanced out and saw Jack and Casey pressed up against the car door. Clinching his fists he walked into his room slipped out of his clothes into his boxers and into bed.

Outside Casey was praying that nobody would see how drunk Jack was, much less how bad he was hurting her in his grip. She had been through this before and come morning she would be treated as though nothing had happened. She just hoped that the marks wouldn't be there in the morning, no marks until they were in their own place.