A/N: Sorry I didn't get to update yesterday. I hope that this makes up for it. It's mostly Derek, since I haven't really written him into the story yet. I know that I promised a flashback chapter, but it's taking a long time to write, there are many points I have to hit, and so I decided that I would add this one in... It's another filler chapter. Sorry again for the long wait and thanks so much for the reviews!

Summary: Back from her second year of college, Casey MacDonald is facing a summer of dealing with a decision she made (along with her mother and George) long ago. But as things get harder to handle, someone else returns home to make it that much harder.

Disclaimer: I do not own Life with Derek or any of the characters from the show. Ryan Grace, however, is the creation of my having too much time on my hands. My sister just pointed out to me that this kinda resembles a movie on Lifetime starring Danielle Panabaker... I just want to say that, no; I do not own that either.

Chapter 2: Smarti-pants and Monkey Girl

Derek Venturi stared up at his house as he stepped out of his car and stretched. That was definitely the last time he drove home from school. Whose bright idea was it to drive from Minneapolis to London, anyway? Oh, that's right, his stupid best friend Josh. "It won't be that long of a drive, Minnesota borders Canada." He had said, "It shouldn't take more than eight hours... Ten tops!" Yeah, Derek wished it only took ten hours. Instead, it took close to fifteen! He left at eight in the morning and ended up staying overnight in a small rinky-dink hotel just inside the border. His back was killing him from the hard bed he had to sleep on and his butt was sore from sitting in the car for so long. Feeling his legs cramping, he made a mental note to kill Josh when he returned to campus at the end of the summer.

Tossing the thoughts of murder and his aching body aside, Derek reached into the backseat of his car to pull out his luggage. Throwing the large, over-stuffed duffel over his shoulder, he let out a sigh at the sight of his childhood home. It was the place he grew up, took his first steps, and said his first words. It was the place where his mother had told him that she was leaving, and where his father told him he was marrying someone else. It was the place where he got his first kiss, got to second base for the first time, and where he received his first hickey. It was also the place where he first fell in love. Derek frowned at the last part, shaking his head to erase it from his thoughts. He didn't want to think of that, it was over.

Deciding to take his thoughts to another place, his mind went to the smiling faces, which were sure to greet him. Two in particular. A grin spread on his face as he thought of the little girls who thought the world of him and vice versa. The idea of seeing them propelled his feet forward, leading him towards the house.

"Hey, Family!" He called out after he opened the door and dropped his stuff.

Immediately he heard excited squeals and the scraping of chairs on the floor, before he heard quick little footsteps coming towards him from the kitchen. "Derek!!" He smiled widely as two of his favorite girls rounded the corner and screamed.

"Smarti-pants!" He called out, wrapping his arms around her as Marti reached him first. "How're you? Miss me?" He asked with an arrogant smile.

Marti pulled back with an arrogant smile of her own, "Not as much as you missed me." She said with a giggle.

Derek shook his head with a laugh, "I wouldn't doubt it." He agreed before turning to the smaller girl as she pulled his sleeves and signaled for him to lift her up. His breath caught in his throat as he peered into the large blue eyes, which were so similar to the ones he used to get lost in so easily. He bent down, trying to compose himself, as he picked the little girl up in his arms. "Ryan! Wow! Is that really you?" He asked, jokingly as he held her out in front of him.

She nodded her head vigorously, sending her curly dark hair to fly all over the place. "Yeah, I'm getting big aren't I?" She said proudly.

He laughed, "You really are. You're getting old, too!"

She nodded her head again, "I know!!" She said excitedly, "My birthday is gonna be really soon and I'm gonna be this many!" She stated, hold up four fingers, "Then, I'm gonna be big like you!"

"I think that's going to be in a while," Derek said affectionately, "Besides, I don't think I want you to be big."

She scrunched her eyebrows, and he grudgingly noted, once again, how much she looked like Casey. He then wanted to kick himself as he thought that maybe her resemblance to the older McDonald was part of the reason why he loved her so much. "Why?" She asked, drawing him out of his unwanted thoughts.

"Because then you wouldn't be my Little Monkey Girl anymore." He stated simply, trying to hold in the smile that came to his lips as her face fell in horror.

She shook her head, "I don't wanna get big anymore."

Derek laughed, "Good." He said, leading them into the living room and sitting in his chair, settling Ryan on his lap and signaling for Marti to do the same. "So, where are Edwin, Lizzie, Dad, and Nora?" He asked once Marti found a comfortable spot on his thigh.

"Dad had to go to work, and Lizzie and Edwin just left for the amusement park, and Mommy is upstairs." Mari answered, not revealing the fact that Casey was upstairs with her mother, as well. She shrugged. 'He didn't ask,' she justified to herself.

"So, it's just us?" Derek asked, content with just hanging out with just the two for a couple of hours.

Marti saw Ryan open her mouth, but stopped her as she answered first, "Yep. You're all ours." She said with a smile, before adding, "So, you can give us our gifts now."

Ryan's face brightened, "Yeah! Gifts!!"

Derek laughed, "What makes you think I brought you guys anything?"

Marti just smirked in response, "Because you always do." She stated, and Ryan just nodded her agreement.

Derek lifted the two off his lap as he stood, "Gosh, well maybe next time I won't." He joked with mock seriousness.

Ryan laughed, "Yes you will," She said knowingly, earning a chuckle from Derek as he dug through his bag.

Finding what he was looking for, he went back into the living room and stood before the eager children. He handed Marti an envelope and chuckled when she looked at him with confusion. "Just open it, Smarti."

As curiosity took over, Marti did what she was told and ripped open the white paper biding. She pulled out two tickets. "Tickets?" She asked, intrigued as she began to skim the tickets. "Oh my Gosh!" She exclaimed with excitement!! "Seriously?!"

Derek nodded, "Well, I know how much you love theater now, and I know that with your whole cat obsession, The Lion King was your favorite movie. So when I saw that the Broadway production of The Lion King was coming to Minneapolis, I had to get a ticket for you." He said with a smile.

Marti jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms around him tightly, "Thank you!! This is great!! You're coming with me, right?" She asked, still hugging him.

He nodded, "Yep, I have the other ticket in my wallet."

She nodded, "Good. What's with the plane ticket? Didn't you drive here?" She asked, gesturing to the other ticket that she got in the envelope.

"Yeah, I did. So I bought you a plane ticket, because, trust me. You do not want to drive down there." He said with a grimace, rubbing a hand over his butt.

Marti laughed, "So when are we going?"

"August 1st." He answered, "It'll be before we both go back to school. We could spend the weekend there. I might even let you go to the Mall."

"THE mall?!" She squealed with excitement. "The Mall of America?! The one with the park inside?!" He nodded, and she squealed again, "Did I tell you that you are the BEST big brother EVER?!"

He shook his head, "No you didn't, but I know I am." He laughed as Marti just shook her head in good humor.

"What 'bout me?" Ryan whined from her spot on the floor. "Where's my present?" She asked, sticking out her bottom lip in a pout.

'Damn it, why does she have to look so much like her?' He asked himself. "Don't worry, Monkey Girl, I didn't forget about you." He assured her, pulling out a stuffed monkey from his bag.

"A monkey!" She screamed, hurriedly grabbing it from Derek and squeezing it in a hug, "Thank you!!"

Derek smiled, "I saw it and I thought of you. I knew I had to get it for you." He said, remembering how he saw it in a display in the Mall on his way to Hooters with the guys from his team.

"I love it!" She said, hugging him.

He pulled her up into his arms, "Does that mean I did good?" She nodded, "Good enough for a hug and a kiss?" He asked, and smiled when she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"You are the bestest big brother in the whole world," She told him with a smile.

"The whole universe," Marti chimed in, hugging torso.

He smiled, "Aww... Shucks." They laughed, "It helps when you have the best little sisters ever."

"We are pretty great, aren't we?" Mari said, cocking her head to the side in wonder.

He laughed.

"This is the best summer ever," Ryan said, pulling back from his embrace with a smile that could outshine the sun place perfectly on her lips.

"Is it?" Derek asked, affection lacing his words and shining in his eyes.

She nodded, "Yeah. You and Tasey are here!"

Derek wrinkled his eyebrows, "Tasey?"

"Yeah!" She answered, "She's my sister."

Marti watched with concern as her brother's face drained of all color and emotion. "Derek?" She asked.

He looked at her blankly, not being able to register anything but the fact that Casey was there. In his house. In their house. In the house. He didn't even realize that Ryan had wriggled from his arms and began to pull him up the stairs, leading him to come face to face with the one person he was not ready to see.

"Mommy, Tasey look who's here!" He heard Ryan say, and he snapped out of his daze.

He blinked his eyes, searching his surroundings until his gaze connected with hers. Brown met blue in an electrifying, soul-penetrating gaze for a brief second before he heard her voice in an almost inaudible whisper, "Oh, my God." Her eyes closed instantly and her body fell to the ground.

Pandemonium broke out as everyone rushed to her aid, but nothing registered in his brain. The only thought he had was one word, which he voiced, in a husky whisper, "Casey."

A/N: I know, it wasn't that good. But I wanted to show how Derek interacts with the newest Venturi.