It has been 6 years since Derek and Casey's graduation. Nora and George have divorced, and Nora has custody of the baby boy, Aidan. Casey is back at Queens to get her Masters' Degree in teaching.

"Hi. I'm here to see Dr. Frasier," Casey cheerfully tells the young man at the desk.

"Hey. You're Derek Venturi's friend, right?"

Casey nods.

"I'm Andrew. I met you yesterday, with your boyfriend."

"Ex-boyfriend," Casey corrects quickly.

"Is that your way of telling me you're available?"

"No. I plan on stopping to see Derek after I talk to Dr. Frasier," she says, using Derek as her scapegoat.

"So, you still have a thing for him? Is that why Christopher broke up with you?"

"Okay, buster," Casey pokes the dark-skinned intern in the chest, "let's get something straight. I broke up with him, because he is a lousy, no-good jerk!"

"Yes, ma'am. Well, you need an appointment."

"She just told me to come in today."

"You need an appointment," he says, crossing his arms.

"Andrew," the doctor steps into the waiting room. "Come on into my office, Ms. Venturi."

"Venturi?" the grad student whips his head toward her. "You're his wife?"

"Not so much," Casey dismisses the thought and follows the woman. "Actually, I've always gone by my mom's maiden name, MacDonald."

"Pardon me. Now, about your stepbrother, Derek."

Casey sits down and stares at the doctor in anxiety.

"I'm afraid that the shock of having a daughter will be too much. In his mind," the doctor pauses, "he's still a high school-er. He's mentally 'all there,' but…"

"He won't want to stay here, but he can't stay with Alexi," Casey nods.

"Exactly. He'll have to stay here for a week, but unless he miraculously regains his memory, there is nothing we can do medically. And, Mr. Venturi doesn't' seem the type that would choose hypnotic therapy to attempt to get his memory back."

Casey laughs. "You're right about that. I bought donuts. Is it okay if I eat with him?"

"Sure."

"Thanks."

Casey heads towards room 409. The door is closed. She tightens her grip on the bag form the bakery and knocks on the door.

"You his girl, honey?" a nurse asks, coming down the hall. "Talked about a girl all night, in his sleep of course. He was calling her Casey. Is that you?"

"Yeah," Casey says, only then realizing that it would seem she had said that she and Derek were… romantically involved.

"Go on in, honey. It's about time he woke up. He was swearing at the nurse who came in to check his vitals at six."

"You woke him up at six? I'm not surprised he was grumpy."

"He's always like that, huh?"

"Oh, yeah," Casey grins. "Thanks."

She inhales and lifts a hand to knock on the door. After a quick, single rap, she opens the door and slips inside the room.

"Derek?" she whispers.

"It's early. Go away," he mutters sleepily.

Casey bites her lip, a good, albeit evil, idea coming to her. Well, Derek did always bring out her evil side… "De-REK!"

"What?" he asks, jumping from the bed, getting caught on the IV and other wires. "Case?"

"Good morning, Derek," she says cheerfully, setting the bag on the bedside table.

"Casey," his dark eyes somehow get even darker, narrowing in anger. "I. Want. To. Sleep!"

"Well, I thought you might be hungry. It's 10:30."

"It's still early," he pouts, sitting back on the hospital bed.

"Nice outfit."

The tips of his ears turn red as he looks at the ugly, and slightly breezy, hospital gown. "Shut it, Klutzilla."

"Be nice. I brought you food."

"Really?" his eyes light up. "What?"

"Donuts from a bakery downtown," Casey says, gesturing to the paper bag. "Take your pick. One's mine."

"I call the chocolate," he says, happily taking a large bite of his favorite kind.

"Deal. Mine's a muffin anyway," she slowly unwraps her breakfast.

"Some fruity-bran thing, no doubt," he snorts.

"De-rek!" Casey exclaims, swatting him lightly. "I'm healthy. Besides, it's Banana Chocolate -chip!"

"Ooh! A rebel. Does Nora know?"

"What?" Casey giggles, enjoying the teasing. For some (crazy) reason, she had missed it.

"That you're eventually going to turn your back on the whole healthy, vegetarian thing?"

"Funny," she rolls her eyes. "So, do you remember what Ed and I told you yesterday?"

"Yeah. Thing is… I still can't remember anything past our step-sibling/sibling/same difference conversation."

"Oh," she clears her throat uncomfortably.

"Yeah. Oh. So, apparently, we're okay now. What happened, Space Case?" Derek asks.

"I don't think I should tell you. I mean, I'm not the best one to tell you," she rambles. "After all…"

He puts a finger to her lips, reveling in the feeling he gets from touching the soft skin. Shaking his head slightly, as if ridding himself of the thoughts, he says, "Casey. I want to hear it from you. What happened, between you and me?" Slowly, he lowers his hand.

"George and my mom got a divorce," Casey blurts out.

His brow-line wrinkles. "What? But, they were so happy…"

"Aidan, the baby, is autistic. I don't know if that had anything to do with it, but…"

"Nora had the baby?" Derek interrupts when she trails off. "What's he like?"

"He looks like George. He's blonde and has hair like yours."

"Does he have your eyes?"

"Yeah. He's five now. He's just starting to talk."

"Isn't that kinda late?" He remembers Marti's first words… after the babbling… were 'Smerek' and 'Daddy.'

"Yeah, but being autistic set him back. He's learning actual words."

"Translation: you're turning our little brother into a keener."

Casey smiles uncomfortably at the mention of their shared blood.

"I missed you, Case."

"You remember missing me?" she asks. "In college?"

"No. I missed the real you. Geez, I sound like a sap. You weren't yourself when you were going out with Max and Truman."

"Oh. Thank then, I guess," she shrugs, folding the muffin wrapper neatly.

"So, we're friends now?"

"I haven't even seen you since the divorce announcement during Christmas, when we were home, sophomore year."

"Where is home to you, Casey? And, where's home to me?" he mutters the last sentence.

"London. That's my home, complete with a smelly little brother, his sporty assistant, a little sister thinks she's a cat, and a step-brother who drives me up a wall," Casey smirks at him. "What else do you want to talk about?"