A/N im so sorry its been so long. I was at a writing workshop for the past 11 days, im sorry i never told you guys. I don't own anything but i wish i did.

Waking up in your stepbrother's bed is one of the most awkward things ever. Casey rolled over to find herself face to face with Derek. She shrieked before remembering what happened last night. Her loud scream woke him up.

"Morning Princess." He smirked. "Sleep well?"

"We will never speak of this again." She hissed and sprinted from the room. She stared at herself in the mirror in the guest bedroom. Her hair was mussed from sleep and her eyes were wide. She had a pink blush on her face and the imprint of the seam of Derek's t-shirt on her cheek. She was humiliated to have woken up in such a position. And with her step-brother no less. Even though they weren't really related he was still her... brother. Even if she didn't think of him that way. And even if she had the most comfortable sleep of her life in the crook of his arm. And even if his smile gave her butterflies. He was still her brother.

She glared at herself fiercely and tried to pound that message into her brain. He. Was. Her. Brother. She sighed and got dressed. Casey avoided looking directly into Derek's eyes all morning. She managed to eat breakfast and help get Marti and Joey ready for school without glancing in her step-brother's direction. What do you say to someone after you wake up in their bed?

She spent another day stuck in the house. Marti had rehearsal for her play and Joey was at a friend's house. She was bored and alone and a little grumpy. Nora and George were still on their business trip and she didn't have anyone to talk to. Marti ended up staying late at the school and they just ordered a pizza. Joey came home for dinner and was completely oblivious to his older sibling's discomfort. Casey was reading on the couch and Joey was playing upstairs when Derek said he was going out.

"Where are you going?" Casey asked him.

"To the rink. I want to get some extra practice time in. We have a game coming up soon." He said, grabbing his hockey bag.

"Oh." She said. "Well... can I come with you?"

"You want to come with me?" He repeated.

She nodded, slowly.

"You ignore me all day and expect me to drag you along with my plans?" He said incredulously.

She just looked at him. Was this a no? It was foolish of her to ask anyways. She was very rude all day and shouldn't expect Derek's whole world to revolve around her.

"Just like high school." He said, smirking. She grinned back. She knew that was a yes. She borrowed Marti's ice skates and told her to take diligent care of her younger brother.

They drove out to the rink which was thankfully empty. It was still open and she and Derek had the place to themselves. She tied her skates and met Derek in the middle of the rink.

"Race ya!" He shouted and took off for the other end of the rink. She skated as fast as she could and could almost keep up with him. They did a couple of laps around the ice and were both panting and gasping at the end.

"I won." Derek said with his usual smirk.

"You did not!" Casey cried. "I did!"

"I don't think so, Space Case. You're Klutzilla."

"I am not! Watch this!"

She skated a bit away from him and raised her arms. She stuck her tongue out at him and skated a loop around him.

"You may not know this, hockey player, but before I moved in with you guys, I was a figure skater. It hasn't been that long since I've done it, I can probably still do a routine." She exclaimed.

"Casey, wait-" He said worriedly but she ignored him.

Casey laughed and skated forward. She twirled and skated backwards and things were going okay until she tried to do a jump. Her skates came up like normal but instead of landing gracefully, she tumbled to the hard ice with a shriek of pain. She landed hard on her knee and felt tears rolling down her face.

"Casey, Casey, are you okay?" Derek asked, slightly panicked.

"No!" She wailed.

"I should have told you before, but you haven't figure skated in over ten years. Your body can't remember how to do the moves even if your mind does. But I thought I was wrong. And you were doing really well before you fell!" Derek said, his voice getting slightly louder and more panicked with every word he said.

Casey couldn't even stand on her hurt knee. She found herself sobbing like a child. It wasn't fair. She couldn't even do a simple jump like she used to. She didn't like this life; she wanted her old one back.

"Casey, I'm sorry! I'll buy you chocolate! I'll let you pick the music on the drive home! Just please stop crying!" Derek was shouting at her now and holding her shoulders. She allowed herself to cry against him and let him comfort her.

"You don't know what it's like." She said finally.

"I – what?" He said confusedly.

"You don't know what it's like to forget everything! My life is missing, Derek! I feel like a fifteen year old but when I look at you, you aren't the Derek I remember! And I'm going out with this total creep and even though I have my dream job and my apartment is gorgeous, I'm still alone! I hate this life! I just wish to go back in time and stay there!" She cried.

"Casey, even though I can't understand everything you're going through, you have to know that I'm here for you. I really... care about you, I always have, and I really want you to have the life you desire." Derek said softly.

Casey was silent for a second. Derek was being really kind to her. It was making those stupid butterflies in her stomach act up again.

She took one more brave little sniffle and tried to stand on her wobbly leg. "Thanks for everything Derek. You're actually a good guy."

"But don't tell anyone that. Let's just keep this 'sensitive and kind' moment to ourselves. I have a rep to protect you know." He said wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her. As they were leaving the rink, he said, "I have a surprise for you."

"Oh, not another joke photo album." She groaned.

"No." He said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Something better."

They drove back to the house in silence. It was all quiet except for Casey's occasional sniffles. When they pulled into the driveway, there was already another car there.

"Whose car is that?" Casey asked.

"Bean's." Derek growled.

He burst into the house with Casey following him.

"What the hell is going on here?" He shouted.

Casey gasped. Marti was lying on the couch with her boyfriend kissing.

"Marti!" Casey exclaimed.

Marti scowled and blushed. "What?"

"Get out!" Derek yelled at Bean and dragged him up by his arm.

"Let go of me, dude!" Bean shouted back.

"You were running your hands all over my little sister!" And he sort of threw Bean in the direction in of the door.

"Derek, stop it!" Marti screamed.

Bean glared at Derek and said to Marti, "I'll see you later, babe."

"You will not!" Derek yelled back, but he was talking to a slammed shut door.

"Marti, you were supposed to be taking care of Joey." Casey reprimanded.

Marti scowled at her older step-sister, "He's fine. He's in bed now. It's not like I was neglecting him or something."

"Martha Ann, you are in so much trouble." Derek growled.

Casey winced. Marti's full name only got used when she was in big trouble.

"You're not the boss of me!" Marti screamed back.

"How could you be so reckless? He was just using you!" Derek shouted.

"Like how you used girls when you were his age?"

Casey gasped. It was just foolish of Marti to say that to Derek. Derek's face was quickly turning purple with rage. Casey stepped between them.

"Marti, go to bed." Casey gave her little step-sister a don't-argue-with-me face and Marti ran to her room and slammed her door hard enough to rattle the window panes.

"Casey!" Derek screamed at her.

Casey flinched. She wasn't used to people yelling at her this loudly or angrily.

"Derek, you need to calm down." She said softly.

"Did you see that guy feeling up my little sister? Did you hear what she said to me? How can you tell me too-"

Casey interrupted him by stepping closer to him and putting on of her hands on his chest and the other she caressed his face with.

"Derek." She whispered. "Take a deep breath."

He took a breath and looked into her eyes. He moved his hands to her waist and she fingered the hair at the back of his head.

"Casey." He whispered huskily. "I really-"

But Casey never heard what he was going to say, because they were interrupted by their little brother.

"Casey, Derek why was everyone yelling?" Joey asked sleepily.

"No reason, honey. I'll take you back to bed." Casey said kindly and ushered her brother upstairs all the while avoiding the gaze of Joey's oldest brother.

Casey got Joey all settled in his Star Wars sheets and hesitantly made her way back to the living room. Derek was sitting on the floor in front of the TV with a pile of DVDs around him.

"Hi, Derek." She said quietly.

He turned around and said "Hey."

"What's up?" She said as she sat down on the old faded couch.

"I still have a surprise for you remember?" He said, smirking.

"What is it?" She said eagerly.

"Watch this." He said and put one of the DVDs into the player.

"A home movie?" Casey squealed.

"On your sixteenth birthday, you had to have your appendix removed and you spent the night in the hospital. You missed the party I generously threw you so I taped it and you watched it in the hospital. I know. I'm a kind person." Derek said with a grin.

"You went to my party while I was in surgery? What kind of person does that? Derek Venturi, you are the rudest, most selfish, cruellest-"

"Oh shut up and watch the movie."

"Heeeey! Welcome to Casey MacDonald's surprise sixteenth birthday!" The Derek on the TV screen said.

Emily pushed Derek out of the view of the camera and said, "Casey, I am so, so sorry. Max and I let Derek talk us into turning your dinner party into a real party which was of course really wrong. But I gotta say it's incredibly fun. But I-I mean I'm so sorry you couldn't come! And I'm so lucky to have you as a best friend! Because-"

"Yeah, whatever." Derek said and walked away from her.

Derek filmed everyone at the party and they all wished her a happy birthday. People she didn't recognize but assumed were her friends said heartfelt birthday messages which Derek cut off half way through for being 'too mushy'.

Derek holding the camera walked out of the restaurant and stood outside around the side of the building. He turned the camera to face him and smiled awkwardly.

"So, Case..." He said quietly."Um, happy birthday I guess. Sorry for making your party into my party. But I did it for your own good! A fancy dinner for six at Smelly Nelly's would've been none to exciting. I saved you. You should be thanking me."

Casey turned to glare at the real Derek, who instead of smirking or glaring back, was looking strangely embarrassed and awkward. Casey, confused, turned to look back at the TV screen.

"And I just wanted to say... that I... well, even if you are a major pain in the ass, you're kind of... not cool exactly, but good in your own weird way. And if you were to leave... who would nag me about my homework? And so, even if I tease you constantly and am 'ruining your life', you're okay, Casey MacDonald. But if you tell anyone about what I said just now, I'll tell Max you have your wedding planned out." Derek said awkwardly but with a fierce note in his voice at the end.

"Hey, Derek!" Someone off the screen called. Derek moved the camera away from his face so it pointed to the ground.

"Yeah?" He called back.

"Are you coming back in? They're cutting the cake!" The random guy said.

"Awesome! I'll be right there!" Derek said to the boy and the boy left.

The camera was pointed back at Derek's face again and he said, "So don't ever change, Case, not for anybody. And even though I make fun of you, I like you the way you are. And I'm serious about telling Max about the wedding thing." He said quietly but sincerely and then the screen went dark.

Casey was left speechless. Derek actually said such kind words to her? She turned to look at her step-brother but found that he had evacuated his chair and was not anywhere in the room. He had left the pile of DVDs though. She put the next one in the player.

It was of her aunt's wedding. It had some shots of the ceremony but most of it was taken place at the Venturi residence where the reception was. The video included the behind the scenes footage which was basically a lot of shouting and chaos.

The next was a documentary style thing. The whole family was involved and Casey found it very odd to watch herself when she had no memory of doing these things. There was some chaos in this film as well, which seemed to be a pattern in this family.

Casey packed the movies up and went to bed. She got into her pajamas with thoughts of the home movies swimming through her brain. But the thought that kept repeating itself was Derek and what he had said to her on her sixteenth birthday.

A/N okay i am feeling very sick (i have a cold) but i think i would feel much better if everyone reviewed! : )