Author's Note: Sorry I disappeared! Things have been crazy here, with all the snow... I also have to apologize for this chapter. Not only is it way short, it's also... unsatisfactory, lol. As in, it's really not that much change from the actual scene in the show. I just really wanted to flesh out this moment that I stumbled upon, but the characters hadn't really gotten to the point where the scene could feasibly end differently... You'll see what I mean once you read it. Thanks! I'll work on the float scene soon, I've just been being lazy... enjoy! This chapter is from the episode "Our Fathers."


"Uh, hey, may I have a pitcher – of, uh, beer, thanks."

Cappie looked up at the familiar voice, and then quickly looked back down to his book, determined not to have another awkward moment.

He'd been thinking about Case a lot, and it kept messing everything up. I mean, c'mon, he'd managed to get clingy with that Catholic girl and he couldn't even remember her name.

She just kept messing with his head, even when she wasn't around.

Casey smiled, just happy her and Ashleigh weren't fighting anymore – in fact, the pitcher was for the two of them.

But then she glanced down the bar and recognized the scruffy face hiding behind the obviously new book and her smile disappeared. She knew it was gonna be awkward, but she wanted to talk to him, and he would at least be civil – right?

"What are you doing? You're not a ZBZ dad."

Cappie had hoped she'd just pretend she hadn't seen him – but a little part of him was happy to talk to her.

"Well, not that I know of."

Casey grunted a laugh. It was classic Cappie humor, but she knew him well enough to know it was also a defense mechanism.

Cappie returned to his book, trying to act disinterested, but he couldn't resist keeping her talking.

"Who won the game?"

"It was called on account of a medical emergency."

Cappie looked up, surprised out of his little apathetic act, and asked his question with his face.

"Which, fortunately, was just a pulled muscle. Jordan's dad is resting comfortably, attended to by his daughter."

Cappie nodded, obviously waiting for more explanation.

"Rusty tackled him."

Casey smiled, and Cappie chuckled lightly.

"I warned him."

He went back to his book, trying to give a subtle hint that he didn't want to talk anymore, but Casey wasn't having it – since when did Cappie become an avid reader?

"Hemmingway? At Dobblers?"

"New book club selection. I'm behind, I keep finding myself preoccupied."

There was an awkward pause as the two of them flashed through completely different mental pictures.

Casey immediately, and against her will, imagined Cappie with a series of hot Tri Pis, each one grabbing the book from his hand as he tried to read it and pushing him down onto the bed and… she quickly stopped her imagination from running away with her.

Cappie flashed back to the previous night – taking the Catholic girl (God, what was her name!) back to Kappa Tau, kissing her in his doorway, shutting the door behind them… then her leaving in a huff a few minutes later after he had accidently called her the wrong name.

He remembered picking up the book and trying to read it, and each time ending up calling her to apologize; after he'd done that enough times to be embarrassing, he kept pulling out his phone, and staring at the screen with Casey's name highlighted, never getting the guts to call her.

Casey tried to distract herself from her gut-wrenching visions, and tried to restart the conversation.

"We read that in my, my freshman lit class."

Cappie looked up at her, still thinking about his pathetic failure the night before. She misread his expression and explained her comment more.

"Tragic love story. Some would say."

She smiled, feeling extremely awkward.

"Yea, they just, they couldn't seem to get the timing right."

He hadn't meant for that to be especially meaningful or anything. But once he'd said it, he realized it was exactly what he'd been feeling. He wanted to be with Casey.

But every time he'd figured that out and knew what he wanted, she was with someone. And then she'd finally seen it too, and Evan had gotten in the way, once again.

And now he was worried it was too late, that she had moved on from his rejection and didn't want him anymore.

He looked up at her significantly, trying to say everything without saying anything, and trying to judge her reaction.


Casey realized what he was getting at. But then she second-guessed herself. Was this for real? Or was she reading too much into his little comment about the book he was reading?

She refused to get her hopes again. She wasn't going to let herself think that the look he was giving her had anything to do with what she'd said at the End of the World Party. No matter how much she wished it did.

So she just nodded.

"Yea, they couldn't, could they?"

Cappie was frustrated. That wasn't very helpful. Her eyes weren't giving anything away, but she was pressing her lips together like she always did when she felt uncomfortable. Maybe, just maybe…

"Well, see ya, Cap."

And just like that she walked away. Both of them, no matter how much they didn't want to be, were hopeful again. Maybe, just maybe, things would work out.


Author's Note: Again, sorry about the ending! I just don't think it made sense for anything big to happen there, but I wanted to add my ideas of their thoughts during this scene. It was really well acted in the show, and I think this gives some deeper explanations for their expressions. Anyways. Thanks for all you who are reading! Reviews are awesome, Sorry for the delay on this, and I'll be writing a longer, more altered chapter soon!