The safehouse was actually a one bedroom apartment. Timothy shrugged apologetically when he had unlocked the door and let them in, "It's the best we could do, considering." Considering they didn't know who could be trusted, Derek finished in his head. It was modest and not too cramped, the kitchen was stocked with the cookware and Anne had promised to get some groceries for a few days. Casey and Derek were not to leave the house.

Casey had brought the smallest of her two bags with her and in it, he learned, was all of her stuff for a temporary stay like such. Apparently this bag stayed packed and ready to go so she could be ready to leave at a moment's notice. He was supposed to create a list of things he would need from his apartment because it looked like Timothy was going to be the one getting it all for him. Derek had taken a peek inside Casey's Ready Bag for some ideas. Socks, underwear, toothbrush, deodorant, travel size shampoo and conditioner, a few books, hair brush, mascara (her luxury item, she had explained when he had raised his brow at it). There were other items that were practical, a Swiss army knife, colored contacts which she admitted were probably unnecessary but, as usual, she wanted to err on the side of caution. She also had two boxes of different colored hair dye in there.

Derek delighted in the fact that there was a box for blonde hiding in the bag as well.

While Derek worked on his list (most of the items being copied from things he found in Casey's bag) she had disappeared in the bathroom. It only occurred to him to be worried when she had been in there for nearly thirty minutes. He was debating whether or not to go on and bug her when he heard the water turn on. He figured she was okay but mostly secure in the knowledge that she wasn't having gastrointestinal issues, he passed by the door, hand poised to knock.

She was sobbing.

The sarcastic comment on the tip of his tongue fell away. Somehow this cut him deeper than if she'd freaked out right after the thing with the gangster had occurred. He realized how alone she must have been for it to be in her nature now to hide the tears and panic until she was alone, in the shower. How alone she must have been to feel like she needed to hide whatever pain she was feeling until she was secluded. He knocked, "Case," he tried.

The choking sobs faltered and he listened, ear to the door, while she tried to stop crying long enough to breathe so that she could speak, "Goodness knows you need a shower, Der, but you're going to have to wait." It was playful and their usual banter but there was no bite, no energy. She didn't want him knowing that she was crying.

"No one needs a shower more than you, Spacey," he volleyed back. He had never been really good at the comforting thing, but this was normal for them and maybe, well maybe that's what she needed right then. "Just making sure you hadn't fallen," he continued.

She laughed, a shuddering laugh but it was genuine, he was sure. She called him a name that he was certain he'd never heard come from his mouth before and then headed into living room to see if he could find some hockey on the tiny television provided. By the time Casey had finished in the bathroom he had, somehow, been sucked into something along the lines of some cheesy Hallmark movie and glanced up at her, briefly.

Then he had to do a double take. Her hair, which had been down past her shoulder blades, was cropped short just above the shoulders. The black dye had been redone and she'd added streaks of dark blue throughout it all. It wasn't until she started fiddling nervously that he realized he'd been staring, "No good, huh?" She smiled, "Didn't think I could pull it off." She shook out her still wait hair.

"It's different," he managed, "Not very Casey at all." There was the beginning of a pout forming on her face, "But you pull it off," he added quickly. "I like it."

She eyed him suspiciously but he wasn't lying so none of the tells were there, "Well, it's temporary." She stood there for another second before coming to sit beside him on the loveseat. The blanket that had been draped on the back of the couch soon ended up around her shoulders and she sat, chin resting on her knee, staring at the TV. She wasn't actually watching the movie, he could tell, because there was not any kind of reaction from her. He became too busy watching her to focus on the movie.

When it was over, he clicked the remote turning it off. They sat in the dark, he'd forgotten how late it was and hadn't had the forethought to turn on the light before turning off the screen. "Derek," he'd just started to move to find the light switch when she spoke.

"Yeah?"

"I would have shot him," her voice was void of all emotion.

"I know, Case."

"Probably in the leg or something, but I would have done it."

"I know."

"I would have hated myself for it, a little bit."

"I know," and that had been why he had decided to hit the guy upside the head instead of letting her shoot the guy when it wasn't absolutely necessary. They sat quietly for another minute before a small hand slipped into his and he gave it a squeeze.

He's not sure how long they ended up staying like that but eventually she yawned and he followed suit not long after, "bedtime," he said decisively. He felt, rather than saw, her head nodding beside him. They got up and together, still hand in hand, stumbled to the bedroom. "I'll just grab a pillow," he explained, "and sleep on the couch."

He could practically hear her rolling her eyes when she responded, "Don't be silly. You can sleep in the bed. You're an adult, I'm an adult. Don't make it weird." So he kicked off his socks and crawled into bed beside her, focusing everything he had not to roll over and wrap an arm around her and pull her close.

Still, one cannot control themselves in their sleep... which is how he woke up with his face buried in her hair, one arm tucked under her neck and the other holding her flush against him.


A/N: I feel like this chapter is short and not a lot to it, but there's fluff! And it just felt like a good place to end. Transitional chapter, I guess. Enjoy, or not.