Disclaimer: Blah Blah Blah I own nothing Blah Blah Blah.

AN: I don't know how the Queen's Memorial Centre where the rinks are housed is like. I tried to find out but alas I get to play around and make it up. And in here Sam is on the hockey team at the University of Toronto. In this story, Vacation with Derek happened and actually helps this story. So if you haven't seen it, sorry. Hope you like this. Grammar mistakes are all mine. So if I missed something, sorry.

Chapter 4:

Derek swings the car into the lot and turns the wheel sharp into a space. He realizes where he is with a start. He doesn't mean to end up at the rink but with the apartment out as an option, his subconscious must know this is where he needs to be. He is a confident person by nature but deep down the only times he has felt like himself since coming to college has been at the ice rink, behind his camera, and when he is with certain people.

There are not many people here as it is a Thursday night and both the men and women's hockey teams play on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The both hockey teams' practices were done for the day. The rink is open to students and the public for another couple hours.

Derek turns off the Prince and sighing he climbs out. He reaches a crossed the seat and picks up his guitar and sets it in its case in the back seat. Even with as bad as he is feelings, he can't bear to risk harm to one of his most prized possessions. Slamming the door, he zips up his leather jacket and shoves his hands in to pockets. Quickly he walks straight to the men's locker room inside and throws his jacket in his locker. He flattens the collar on his sea blue button up shirt and lies down on a bench. Staring at the ceiling, Derek pulls his phone and presses one of his speed dials.

"Make it quick."

"Sam? Listen, you got a minute?

"Hey Derek, how did that open mic thing go? What did you pick to play?"

"Well that is where it all crashed and burned."

"I played a song I wrote for someone and they heard it. And I didn't want them to hear it yet. I only wanted practice playing it for an audience first."

"That's not so bad. Or was it for a girl?"

"Yeah, it was."

"Well, did she like it?" Sam pauses, "oh, hey Derek I gotta go. My date is back from the bathroom. But good luck with that and next week when we play each other I think I have to hang out that weekend."

"Have fun Sammy. And loser buys winner the first round."

"You're on. Laters" Sam hangs up.

(That is my problem. She probably hated it. This is one of the reasons I don't play my own stuff.)

Derek closes his eyes and tries to calm himself and doze.

He opens his eyes with a jolt when he realizes he hears foot steps outside and the door opening.

"Derek? Are you in here?" He hears Casey call out.

Groaning he sits up and raises his hand and yells "Hey Case, I'm back here."

Casey's boots click on the tile floor as she passes a couple rows of lockers and turning a corner she sees him and slumping her shoulders she sits next to him.

"Derek, I have so many questions. Is the song the reason you acted funny today? When you got that phone call at lunch yesterday in the cafeteria, you got real quiet and got up and left. Who is the song about? "

Derek runs his hands through his hair and gets up to pace. "Did you like the song?"

Casey looks at him and smiles. "It was beautiful."

"Ok. That helps I guess. The song it's, damn it, it's for you, ok." He says in rush stopping to glare at her.

"Why did you leave the coffeeshop so fast if it's for me? Is it really so bad that I hear it?"

Her question causes him to start to pace in front of her again. "No, it's not bad but I had this great approach all planned out on how I was going to let you know I felt. And that was not it. I have had many ways that this would play out in my head for a long time but I never thought of this one."

"How long have you been feeling this way?"

"I don't want to scare you away but since that vacation on the lake I realized I liked spending time with you and we really see each other. Every girl, even Sally and Roxy, I don't know. I knew it weren't last past either high school or the summer. When it seemed like you weren't coming here with me anymore, coming here didn't look that amazing anymore. There was something missing. I couldn't figure it out until we came here together. At that party, it all came together what was missing. I was looking in all the wrong places. But I understand if you just want to be friends. We can forget this ever happened." He says this facing away from her.

Casey shakes her head and says "You remember how when we first moved here we weren't sure what to do? We both didn't know anyone and we had to start all over. Sure we both had classes and teams to join. I had all these spreadsheets and diagrams made out that first week of class determined college was going start of the rest of my life. Sharing an apartment reminded me of home. I am lucky enough to have found a couple more friends here than I did in high school but I always thought of our relationships as special. You are the one who challenged me to go out for the Dance Team in the first place. I would not have met those girls without you."

Zeroing in on the word "home", Derek concludes she meant he was family, which killed him. Derek says "Okay, I get it. We needed each other. Is that it? Because if that is all this is, then I want to be alone ok?"

"God, Derek! Knock it off! You aren't listening to me."

Smirking Derek turns his head towards her and says "how is this different than usual? You ramble on and on."

Casey, growing too frustrated to sit down anymore, moves to stand in front of him and puts her hands on both sides of his face and stands on her tiptoes, closes her eyes, and presses her lips against his in a kiss so soft and quick he wasn't sure for a second it actually happened. He opens his eyes to see her in front of him smiling tentatively up at him on her feet again fearing it is all a crazy way too life like dream or hallucination.

"Casey? Does this mean what I think it does?"

Throwing her hands in the air, Casey glares at him and says poking him in the chest with every word, "imbecile! That song and speech was the sweetest thing I have ever heard. I LOVE YOU, YOU MORON!"

Hearing her say the words he never thought she would say, Derek snatches the hand that is poking him and pulls her to him. Crushing her to him, he kisses her hard.

(End of Chapter 4)

Yay review response time:

Anyone who read this story: thank you so much. Reviews = happy dances and me typing faster. Ha ha ha hope you all liked this one too.

Kmr04: Thanks, I didn't think Derek would be Derek if he wasn't freaked out. The night didn't go how he expected did it? Ha ha ha

Razgriz24: I never liked the stories were it is so easy for them to come together so Thanks.

Dark-Supernatural-Angel: I felt like Casey needed some great friends in college and this a chance for both of them to start new.

Leanaplumz: I had meant for her to find him in the parking lot but that seemed too easy and the words spilled out unexpectedly different.

Featherfam: I imagined the ice rink would be one of the places Derek truly feels comfortable and confident.