A/N: I don't own Life with Derek. Please, please REVIEW, that is the best part of writing for me. Sorry for the long wait, but without further ado, here is the Dasey filled finale to I Know You.

Chapter 9: Resolutions

Derek was in such a daze after his breakup with Sally that he scarcely remembered driving home. He walked in the front door and found Edwin sitting on the couch with Lizzie watching television. Nodding in their general direction as a form of hello he flopped down into his chair and then remembered that he hadn't seen them for a day.

"Oh yeah, how was your umm…little party things," he said disinterested.

"Fine, but you're home early. Everything go ok with Sally?" Edwin asked.

"Yeah, it went fine," he said and then as an afterthought, "Oh, well, we broke up though."

"She dumped you?" Lizzie asked incredulously and he narrowed his eyes at his younger stepsister.

"No, she did not dump me. It was a mutual thing," he said, regretting the decision to not go up to his room straightaway.

"Please bro, I have never heard you say 'mutual thing' before. She totally dumped you," Edwin laughed but his smile faded as Derek glared daggers at him.

Just then Casey strutted (alright, well maybe she just walked but it seemed like strutting to Derek) down the stairs. Derek froze, he was not ready to see her yet as he hadn't even decided what to do yet.

"What's going on?" Casey asked, confused as to why Derek was deliberately not looking at her.

"Sally dumped Smerek, but it's ok because Smerek already likes someone else!" Marti said, triumphantly jumping out from behind the couch.

"Really? Who?" Edwin asked, turning to humor his little sister. But Marti just ran out of the room singing 'I've got a secret.'

Casey came all the way into the room and sat next to her sister, annoyingly in the seat closest to Derek.

"Sally broke up with you?" Casey said in a concerned voice and Derek felt a little hurt that she didn't sound happier about it.

"No she did not break up with me, it was mutual and if you don't believe why don't you call and ask her yourself!" he snapped a little too harshly. Casey's hurt expression felt like a blow to Derek's chest so he stormed out of the room and up the stairs.

Once in his room he all but collapsed on his bed. What the hell was he going to do? Despite what Sally had said he had no idea how he was going to just 'get the girl,' especially since the 'girl' was his polar-opposite, not to mention the one girl who saw through him completely, and oh yeah, that little matter of her being his stepsister!

The more he thought about it the less likely it seemed that she could even like him back. After all that she could have lost that list a long time ago and what if it was just one of those passing crushes and she was already over it?

Derek sat up sharply on his bed. He was not the kind of guy to be insecure over a girl. But somehow he knew that Casey wasn't just any girl to him and that he had never felt this way before. Still, he was fed up with all of his wallowing. It was bad enough that his own girlfriend had to point out to him that he liked someone else, now he was too afraid to talk to her? Not Derek Venturi, he told himself strongly, although he couldn't banish the slight nervous flutter in his stomach.

Marching downstairs he sat down right next to Casey on the couch, almost too close. She immediately stiffened but didn't move away although it was obvious she was uncomfortable. He didn't know where their respective siblings had gone but was very conscious that he was now alone with Casey for the first time since he had realized how he felt.

Just as suddenly as he had sat down he stood up again and walked into the kitchen, trying to still his heavily beating heart. God, he was acting like a woman, he thought with disgust.


Casey tried to simultaneously slow her rapid heart rate and figure out what the heck was up with Derek. He had come home saying he had broken up with Sally then stormed out of the room, then returned and sat practically on top of her before running off again. She thought he was either really upset about whatever happened with him and Sally or he was messing with her.

But the thought of him hurting was too much to ignore even if he was messing with her, so she sighed and followed him into the kitchen.

"Derek, are you ok?" she asked and he jumped at the sound of her voice. "Sorry, did I startle you? I was just wondering if you were alright, I mean with Sally and all…"

"Yes I am fine, I break up with girls all the time," he said testily.

"Well, yeah, but Sally seemed really special to you and I just thought"

"You know what Casey, yet again you have no idea what you are talking about ok? Sally was just another girl, just the wrong girl," he didn't mean to snap at her and was upset by her expression.

"I am sorry for making the mistake of thinking you had a heart, but as always you have proven that you are nothing but an insensitive jerk," she said and instantly regretted it as the hurt look in his eyes sent a pain through her own heart.

A new look of determination came into Derek's eyes as he looked into Casey's. She instantly froze as he came closer to her but realized that once again she was in front of the fridge. Not wanting to make a fool of herself she jumped out of his way and walked from the room.

Derek watched Casey leave feeling more frustrated than ever. He was just about to make his move when she walked from the kitchen. Sighing to himself he opened the fridge and looked inside but for once wasn't at all hungry so he just followed Casey out of the room and up the stairs. He went to his own room and grabbed something off of his desk and then stormed into Casey's room without knocking.

She was lying on her bed but sat up startled when he slammed through the door, he looked furious and frustrated and something else she couldn't identify.

"Derek, what is your problem?" she asked.

"YOU! You are my problem!" he yelled, not meaning to sound so forceful but unable to control himself.

Casey's eyes grew wide as she saw the notebook in his hand. She made a grab for it but he held it just out of her reach. She sat back on the bed and put her head in her hands, too embarrassed to even fight.

"You found it," she whispered.

"No, actually Sally found it days ago and waited until now to tell me about it. Listen Casey" he began but she cut him off.

"You can't seriously be blaming me for Sally dumping you? I'm sorry, I never should have written that stuff, I never should have fallen for you in the first place! But if she was stupid enough to break up with you just because of me then she didn't deserve you in the first place!" Casey looked completely mortified and Derek was alarmed to see that she was about to cry. This was not how it was supposed to go, he thought angrily. His frustration with himself must have shown in his expression which only made things worse.

"Casey, you don't" he began but she cut him off again.

"No, Derek, just stop, I said I was sorry and stupid, what else do you want? You don't have to worry about me bothering you. I know you better than anyone else so I know that you will never feel the same way about me so can we just forget about this? Please just get out," she looked so upset and desperate for him to leave that he did without argument.

He made it all the way back to his own room before he had time to wonder why he was leaving. Ok, so he screwed up on his first try, but he was going in there and he was going to find a way to make her listen. But as Derek neared her door for the second time he could hear her sobbing. He couldn't stand tears anyway and he just couldn't bear to see her crying when he knew he was the cause.

So he slunk back to his own bedroom feeling like a coward and a failure. But being Derek Venturi he didn't wallow in defeat for long before formulating a new plan. Since the direct approach had been a massive failure he had two choices: he could try to be subtle or he could attempt something he liked to call the super direct approach. And Derek was anything but subtle, so he was going to have to make her listen.

That night at dinner Casey was puffy-eyed and silent. The rest of the family sent her worried glances but didn't want to say anything to upset her further. She took a tiny amount of food and ate it at warp speed while going out of her way to not look at Derek. But he tried not to notice, confident in his plan that would take effect later that night. After barely eating anything she excused herself much earlier than the rest of the family, but still Derek did nothing.

Derek waited patiently until the rest of the family went to bed later that night. It was around midnight when he was sure that everyone else in the house was fast asleep. Running his fingers through his hair he went over what he planned to say one last time. Finally he squared his shoulders and walked across the hall. Remembering what happened earlier he opted to knock this time. After a long while he heard her walk across the floor and open it.

Without waiting for her to admit him he pushed past her into her room. Before she could say anything he grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her into a sitting position onto her bed. Standing in front of her he looked down straight into her eyes.

"You, Casey McDonald, are a liar." He said strongly and her mouth fell open in surprise.

"Derek, what" she started but Derek put his hand over her mouth.

"Nope, no talking, just listen. You are a liar because you said you know me better than anything. But if you did you would never have needed to make this list," he held up the notebook again and tossed it onto the bed next to her. She looked up at him in confusion, silenced now by her puzzlement even though he had removed his hand.

"Because if you knew me," he continued, "you would know that the only reason I dated blondes was because I was trying not to think about you and brunettes just make me think of you more. And the only reason I hate the guys you date is because I wanted to be that guy. See, if you knew me you would know that the only reason I watched Moulin Rouge was because I knew you loved it and it made me think of you. In fact if you knew me at all you would know that the only reason I fight with you is to have an excuse to talk to you, the only reason I wrestle with you is to have an excuse to touch you and the only reason I have never told you how I feel is because I was too stupid to realize it myself and deep down I never thought a girl like you would ever feel anything for an insensitive jerk like me," he paused for a moment to take a deep breath. There was no turning back now.

"So maybe you don't know me as well as you thought, but I know you. I know where you go when you want to be alone. Your favorite food is ketchup but you don't tell people that because you don't want to seem strange. You are passionate and prideful but also sweet and compassionate and absolutely perfect even with all of your flaws. When you're nervous you chew your bottom lip but I don't think you notice. You look the prettiest when you aren't even trying and you smell like flowers all the time. I know what you want to say just by your expression and right now you want to tell me to shut up but you can't find your voice. But more than any of that I know," he paused again, trying to work up the courage to finish what he was saying.

"More than anything else I know that I have never loved anyone as much as I love you Casey McDonald," he said with a final sigh, surprised at himself for actually being able to say it.

She looked up into his eyes looking absolutely stunned. But as blue met brown everything seemed to fall into place. Casey rose slowly from the bed so that she was merely inches away from Derek. He waited for a moment and she angled her head up just slightly. That was all the invitation he needed.

Their lips met, passionate and eager. Casey's every nerve was on fire and she pressed herself closer to him desperately. Derek responded by wrapping his arms around her and lowering her onto her bed, never taking his lips off hers. He tangled his hands in her hair as she moved her lips down to the hollow of his throat, causing him to moan.

Pressing his lips to hers once again he kissed her more slowly and deliberately driving her wild. She happily discovered that his famous reputation was correct; he really was an excellent kisser. He was surprised and thrilled at the ferocity with which she kissed him back and how expertly her tongue moved against his.

His hands began to travel down her body appreciating her curves and sending an electric current running through her. She ran her own hands up his shirt and across his bare chest making him shiver. He lifted her blouse slightly and slid his hands along the smooth skin of her stomach, stopping just short of her chest. They kissed for a long time more and more passionately until Casey pushed Derek back a bit so she could look into his eyes.

"Just in case I didn't make it clear, I love you too Derek," she said with a smile and he smirked back, pulling her out from under him so she could rest her head on his chest. He held her close and kissed her softly on the lips once more. They lay in each other's arms for a long time until Casey yawned.

"Do you want me to go?" Derek asked.

Casey snuggled closer to his side. "Actually I don't ever want to let you out of my sight again in case you decide to come to your senses and remember that I am that annoying keener you despise," she joked and he laughed, "but I think it may be a little awkward if my mom comes to wake me up in the morning and finds us sleeping in the same bed."

"Not to mention that she would probably have a heart attack," Derek joked but it probably wasn't too far off.

Sighing he got off of her bed but pulled her with him since he still didn't want to let go of her.

"Derek, I will still be here in the morning. We do live in the same house," Casey said with a smile.

"Fine, but don't disappear on me," he said and let her go. "Goodnight Casey."

"Goodnight Derek, I love you," she said, wondering why it was so hard to say before.

Derek rolled his eyes playfully. "You know Case, don't think I am going to get in the habit of spouting my feelings just because I said all that stuff tonight. I am still me, and Derek Venturi doesn't do feelings."

"Don't worry, I know exactly who you are and I wouldn't have it any other way," she said.

"You sound like a greeting card," he said and she shoved him in mock annoyance.

"Just go to bed, Derek," she said and then looked worried, "wait, what are we going to do about the family? How are we going to break it to the rents?"

He got a devilish glint in his eye and smirked. "Don't worry, I have a plan."

"Derek…" she said warily but he just winked and left her room.


The next morning Casey was in the kitchen eating breakfast with the George, Nora, Edwin and Lizzie. Derek slept in late as usual and George was about to leave for work when he finally came into the kitchen looking sleepy. He strode confidently up to Casey and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. The rest of the family was silent for a moment as Derek put his arm around her. Everyone froze including Casey.

"I thought you hated public displays of affection," she hissed in his ear.

"I made an exception, but don't get in the habit," he whispered back.

Edwin was the first in the family to unfreeze.

"Dude, what the heck?" he said in a very confused tone.

"Oh come on Ed, don't tell me you didn't see this coming," Lizzie said with a knowing smile.

Marti came into the room in her pajamas and smiled when she saw Derek's arm around Casey.

"See, I told you Smerek already liked someone else!" she said proudly.

Finally Nora snapped out of it. "George, call the office and tell them you are going to be late. Edwin, Lizzie, take Marti and go…somewhere else. Derek, Casey, living room, now. Apparently we have a lot to talk about."

She strode authoritatively into the next room; George followed her while dialing the phone. Derek moved to follow but Casey grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
"That was your plan?" she asked incredulously.

He shrugged. "Got the point across didn't it? Come on, it could've been worse, she didn't have a heart attack after all."

"You are so not taking this seriously. What are they going to say? I don't think I can go in there!"

"Sure you can, I know you. And I'll be right beside you."

Derek was standing right there, looking at her like she always thought he never would. At that moment Casey felt she could face a nuclear attack. Still, it was another matter entirely facing her mother. She twined her fingers with Derek's and together they walked in to face the future.

A/N: I am going to leave it at that unless I get the urge to write an epilogue or if people are desperate for a more concrete ending. As always I want to thank you for reading and beg you without an ounce of shame to please REVIEW!! Thank you for sticking with my story until the end, I hope I delivered what you were looking for and didn't leave anyone unsatisfied. All the support has been great, keep the Dasey ship alive!