A/N: Sorry it took such a long time for me to update... A really long time. But, sadly, real life gets in the way. School is a real downer, and finals suck the big one. Seriously. However, I am back now...I'm a bit rusty, but I will try to shake it out and grease up the creative crevices of my brain and pull out something worth reading.

Please review!

Summary: Back from her third year of college, Casey MacDonald is facing a summer of dealing with a decision she made (along with her mother and George) long ago. But as things get harder to handle, someone else returns home to make it that much harder.

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. I own nothing.

Chapter 9: Bets and Dreams

Derek awoke to the sun's rays streaming in through his window and burning red through his clenched eyelids. He groaned as he rubbed his eyes, the sun was one of the main reasons why he hated mornings. That, and he always woke up just when his dreams were getting good. Surrendering to his consciousness, he rolled over, settling his feet on the cold wood of his floor, he pushed himself up to a standing position.

Derek made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen, where two dark heads met him. Derek's heart skipped a beat as his gaze met Casey's shining blue orbs, "Good morning, Sleepyhead." Derek was speechless when he saw the love shining through her eyes.

At her mother's words, the other, tiny brown-haired person looked up, "Daddy!!" The little voice screamed, and his smile widened as he heard Ryan call out to him while struggling to get out of her chair to come to him.

The sweet, angelic chiming of Casey's laugh filtered into his ears as she stood up to help her daughter down, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!!" She screamed, finally free from the bindings of the booster seat and darting towards him. Derek bent down, stretching his arms out to catch the little, brunette fireball, but as she got to him, she continued running by. His arms and smile immediately dropped and he turned around just in time to see Ryan jump into the arms of, none other than, Sam.

Derek felt his hands ball into tight fists, "Hey, Munchkin!" He heard Sam say, and Derek rolled his eyes.

"Daddy, we made breakfast!" Ryan exclaimed, proudly.

"You did, huh?" Sam asked, and Ryan nodded vigorously. "I bet it's delicious, I can't wait to eat it." Derek felt like gagging as he watched the interaction.

"Come on, then! Let's eat!" The little one said, impatiently as she shimmied from his grasp and tugged on his hand.

Sam laughed, and Derek realized just how annoying his laugh was, "Okay, but I have to do something first." He told Ryan before making his way over to Casey.

Casey raised an eyebrow as he stood in front of her, "I thought you had to do something?"

He smirked, well, what he thought was a smirk. Derek laughed sardonically at his pathetic attempt to pull of a Derek Venturi original. "I do." Sam said, before capturing her lips with his own.

Derek's jaw clenched tightly, and steam could almost be seen coming out of his ears as he watched the kiss. His anger continued to mount as the kiss went on, he decided that he was going to pull them apart, but his legs were glued to the ground. "What the fuck?" He asked himself, as he struggled to move.

The kiss finally broke, and Derek could do nothing but watch and listen, "That's all." Sam said, shrugging.

Casey laughed, "That it, huh?"

Sam paused, pretending to think it over, "Nope," he said, leaning in to peck her lips, "I also wanted to say, I love you."

Casey grinned as Derek groaned, "Don't listen to him, Casey. If he loves you so much, why haven't I seen him around? Huh? Why hasn't he been around to take care of Ryan? Why does he never mention you when we hung out in the last four years? Huh?? He doesn't love you. I DO! I love you! Casey? Casey!!" His words fell on deaf ears, and he watched in horror as Casey leaned in to peck Sam's lips with her own.

"I love you, too."

Derek sprung up in his bed, anger seeping out of his pores with his sweat. He didn't even feel the sun's rays burning his eyes, he was so consumed with thought of his dream, his hatred for all things morning was lost. In its place, a new hatred raged in his soul. It was a hatred like one he's never felt before and it was directed to his, now former, best friend.

He angrily threw his legs over the side of the bed and stormed out of his room. As he marched down the hall like a crazed soldier, Derek stopped abruptly and turned to the slightly opened door that led to Ryan's room. Taking tentative steps, he gently pushed the door opened wider, only to gaze upon Ryan curled up in the arms of Casey. His body began to shake with his anger as he watched them sleep like angels. He didn't know exactly the source of his anger. Was it because Casey didn't tell him that she had a baby? Was it because, with Casey's normally holier-than-thou attitude, she's lying to everyone, including her own daughter? Or was it because, Casey had a daughter, and she wasn't his? He didn't know, but he stomped away angrily, pounded down the steps, and slapped the front door closed behind him.

At the end of the hallway, Edwin and Lizzie stepped out of the game's closet, "That'll be twenty bucks." Edwin said, holding out his hand.

Lizzie groaned, handing over the twenty just as Marti came out into the hallway, "What are you guys doing?" She asked, gesturing to the money that was being swapped.

Edwin turned to his little sister, "Liz and I made a bet, and she lost."

Lizzie rolled her eyes, "How do we even know that I lost? Derek could've been upset about anything!"

Edwin just smirked back, "What was the bet about?" Marti asked.

"We made a bet that, with Casey being home at the same time Derek is, Derek would realize that Ryan was actually Casey's daughter. She said that he wouldn't, and I said that he would." Edwin said, turning back to smirk at Lizzie, "And I won."

"I still don't think that he knows, he could be mad about anything!" Lizzie argued.

Edwin shook his head, "Why would he be mad when he saw Casey and Ryan together if not for the fact that he just realized that everyone, especially Casey, has been keeping a secret from him as big as this?" Edwin asked, and Lizzie opened her mouth to speak, but he cut in, "Plus, he's in love with her, it just adds salt in the wound."

Lizzie's mouth snapped shut, she knew when to admit defeat, and really, they both knew that that would be the only reason why he would be as upset as he is, "Fine."

Marti watched with interest throughout their whole little debate, "I want in." She said, and the other two turned to her with looks of confusion and slight annoyance.

"Marti," Lizzie started, "the bet's over. Derek knows."

Marti shook her head, "Nope, I have a new one."

Edwin's ears perked, "What is it?"

"I bet you forty big ones that Derek won't figure out that he's Ryan's dad until someone tells him," She said.

Edwin laughed, "Marti, I think you should leave the gambling to the big dogs."

Marti rolled her eyes, "Whatever," she said, "I'm good for the money, if I happen to lose, but I won't."

"But everyone knows that Sam is Ryan's dad, Casey even said so! So no one could possibly win." Edwin argued.

Marti showcased her own version of the Venturi smirk, "Okay, if it comes out that I'm wrong, and Derek isn't, then I'll give you fifty dollars. If it comes out that I'm right and Derek doesn't find out 'til someone tells him, then you only have to give me forty. And if Derek finds out on his own, then I'll give you forty." She said, sticking out her hand, "Do we have a deal?"

Edwin, never one to turn down a chance to earn some cash, especially with the odds so in his favor, took her hand in a shake, "Deal. But when it's over, and I win, you might want to rethink your summer TV entertainment. Those soaps aren't doing too well for you. You're too young for them, anyway."

Marti just smiled, "What about you, Lizzie?"

Lizzie shook her head, "I think I'll sit this one out." Mart nodded in understanding, and Edwin just looked at her with a questioning brow. "I just don't want to waste any money," She said, and Edwin just laughed as they all made their way to the kitchen for breakfast.

Walking down the stairs, Lizzie replayed what Marti said, Derek was Ryan's father. She wracked her brain trying to come up with a way that this couldn't be true, but she came up with nothing. They were closer before Derek left, and she was extremely upset with not knowing the exact time of conception. She thought about Edwin's argument, "Everyone knows that Sam is Ryan's dad, Casey even said so." Had she? Lizzie went through every crevice of her memory, but couldn't remember a time when Casey had actually said that Sam was Ryan's dad. Is it because he's not? As she crossed the living room, she saw a picture of Ryan on the wall. She glanced over it, trying to see anything that would scream out Sam, but everything was Casey... Except for the smile. It was so familiar, but was it Derek's smile? Was it Sam's? Derek rarely ever smiled a real smile, so it was hard to tell... If she smirked, though. Lizzie's eyes widened with realization, and she knew, Edwin was out of forty bucks.