Sorry, I didn't update sooner! However, I made this chapter nice and long to make up for my late updating. Hope you guys enjoy it!


That night around two a.m., Casey woke up to the sound of her alarm. "Stupid health class assignment," Casey griped tiredly as she got up, grabbed her sack of flour and headed downstairs.

After warming up a bottle of regular milk, Casey shook the bottle and tested it on her wrist as she had done with Lucas. "This is so unrealistic," Casey muttered to herself as she held the bottle to the sack of flour.

A moment later, the phone rang.

"Who would be calling at two in the morning?" Casey wondered as she answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Casey, how long are you supposed to heat the bottle for?" Emily asked on the other line.

"Why are you calling at this hour?" Casey asked.

"Well, I knew you'd be up cause of the assignment, so I figured I could call and ask how long to heat the bottle."

"And what makes you think I'd know?"

"Because you're the most organized person on the planet, who I know for a fact would never lose the assignment instruction sheet like her best friend."

"Fine," Casey grumbled, wanting to finish the conversation and get back to bed as quickly as possible. "You put the bottle in for about six seconds, shake it a few times and then test it on the inside of your wrist to see if it's too hot."

"Thanks, Case," Emily said. "You are a lifesaver."

"Whatever," Casey said tiredly. "I need to get to bed."

"Right. See you tomorrow!"

"Okay," Casey said, hanging up the phone. Turning back to the sack of flour, Casey said, "That should be enough milk for you right now."

After drinking the warm milk herself (since the sack of flour obviously couldn't), Casey tossed the bottle into the sink and headed back to bed.

"I cannot imagine what Derek is going through right now with Lucas," Casey said as she laid the sack of flour down in a doll crib that she borrowed from Marti. Casey crawled back into bed and shut her eyes, quickly falling back to sleep.


An hour later, Casey awoke to her ringing bedside phone.

"Hello?" Casey said groggily as she picked up the phone.

"Hey, Casey. How's my favourite stepsister?"

"Derek? Do you know what time it is?"

"Well, I just got Lucas to bed so I figured I'd give you guys a call. It's not too late, is it?"

Casey glanced over at her clock. "It's three in the morning."

"Oh, my bad. Sorry. I've lost all sense of time ever since I started taking care of Lucas."

"That's okay," Casey said, sitting up in bed and yawning. "So how's your mom's place working out?"

"It's all right, I guess. Lucas seems okay with the place and my mom seems okay with Lucas, except for the fact I don't know who his mother is."

"Why does that matter to her?"

"Because I told her Lucas was mine."

"Derek, for God's sake, quit trying to be a martyr and telling people Lucas is yours. Just tell them the truth."

"Boy, you're cranky in the middle of the night," Derek remarked.

"Look, I already told Emily Lucas wasn't yours."

"What'd you do that for?" Derek asked.

"Don't worry," Casey said. "I also told her I thought you were the hottest guy I knew, so I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm nuts."

"You think I'm the hottest guy you know?"

"Of course," Casey replied. "Not to mention, you're a pretty good kisser too."

"Okay, you have got to promise you'll come over tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Cause I am going crazy over here without you. I'm going through Casey-kissing withdrawal."

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Casey promised.

"I guess I should let you go," Derek said, preparing to hang up the phone.

"You could stay on the phone till I fall asleep, if you want," Casey suggested.

"Sure," Derek agreed. "I can count sheep for you."

"That'd be great," Casey said, putting the phone down and lying back down in her bed.

"One sheep," Derek said slowly. "Two sheep. Three sheep."

"Goodnight, Derek," Casey said as she shut her eyes.

"Goodnight, Casey," Derek softly. "Four sheep…"


"So how's your flour?" Emily asked as she and Casey walked to school the next morning.

"What?" Casey asked, quite confused by the question.

"Your baby flour," Emily said, gesturing to the sack of flour in Casey's backpack.

"Oh. He's good. Had to feed him last night."

"I know. I called you, remember?"

"That's right. You called me right before…" Casey said, letting her sentence hang.

"Right before who?"

"No one. It doesn't matter. How's your flour?" Casey said, quickly trying to change the subject.

"She's good," Emily replied. "I named her Jessica after the pet gerbil I had when I was five. Does yours have a name?"

"I think I'll name him Phil," Casey said, thinking a name up on the spot.

"Why Phil?"

"Because I read it off that real estate ad on the bench over there," Casey said, pointing to the ad.

"You really put a lot of effort into that name, didn't you?"

"Okay, okay," Casey said, taking a moment to think up a new name. "I'll name him DJ."

"Like a disc jockey?"

Like Derek Jr., Casey thought.


After arriving at school, Casey and Emily split up to go to their lockers. As Casey headed towards her locker, she ran into Paul.

"Look, I know I wasn't much help yesterday, but—"

"That's okay, Paul," Casey said. "I was just cranky yesterday. Whatever I said to you, I didn't mean it."

"Oh," Paul said, slightly disappointed. "Okay."

"What's wrong?" Casey asked.

"Well, it's just that I actually came up with some advice for you yesterday after you left my office, but I guess you don't need it anymore."

"I can always use your advice."

"In that case," Paul said, fishing through his briefcase, "I have something for you."

"And what would that be?"

Paul pulled a journal out of his briefcase and handed it to Casey.

"A diary?" Casey said, examining the journal. "I hate to tell you, Paul, but I already have one of these."

"No, this is a journal."

"Journal, diary… same sort of thing."

"Not exactly. See with this journal whenever you're feeling angry or upset about something, I want you to write it down on the page, rip the page out and burn it."

"Isn't that a waste of paper?"

"Well... yes. But it's a great technique and you should really try it."

"What is burning paper going to do for me?"

"That way you're anger goes up in flames with the paper and you're no longer angry," Paul explained.

"Thank you, Paul," Casey said, slipping the journal into her backpack. "I'll make sure to try that."

"Be sure you do," Paul said before Casey headed over to her locker.

"What was that about?" Emily asked as she met Casey at her locker.

"Paul giving me weird advice again. He says I'm supposed to write in this journal when I'm angry, tear out the page and then burn it."

"Seriously?"

"Hey, I said it was weird advice," Casey said as she shut her locker and headed for class.


"So how did all of you do with your assignments yesterday?" Mr. Hackman asked.

"Fine," the class droned.

"You kids realize this is an important part of life, right?" Mr. Hackman pointed out. "That one day you'll end up having to take care of your own child and you had better know what you're doing."

"Sign me up for the convent," Emily whispered to Casey.

Casey sniggered at her friend's joke.

"Miss MacDonald, is there something you find funny about what I'm saying?"

"No," Casey said.

"Oh, but you seemed so amused. Why don't you tell the class all about it?"

"Why don't you quit picking on me?" Casey shot back.

Mr. Hackman quickly wrote a note down on a pink-coloured slip and handed it to Casey. "Why don't you take this to the principal's office?"

"I'm being sent to the principal's office?" Casey said in shock as she accepted the slip from her teacher.

"Yes, that would be what the slip says. Now do leave. I have students in this class that actually want to learn."

"No, you don't!" a boy piped up from the back of the classroom.

"I heard that," Mr. Hackman replied.

"I'm sorry," Emily apologized as Casey got out of her seat and headed for the door.

"I cannot believe I'm being sent to the principal's office," Casey said to herself as she left the classroom. "I must still be dreaming. Come on, Casey, wake up."

As Casey stood before the principal's office door, she glanced down the hallway and noticed the exit.

"Hmm…" Casey thought to herself. "Maybe I should just head over to Derek's early."


Casey stood at Derek's front door and rang the bell. "Maybe this is wrong," Casey thought to herself. "Maybe I should just go back to school and meet with the principal and go back to class—"

"Casey?" Derek said as he answered the door.

"Hey, Der—" Casey said a moment before Derek pulled her in for a passionate kiss.