Ok, sorry for the ridiculous time it's taken me to update, I've had various things going on, but I will try not to leave it so long again. Warning: This chapter is a bit angsty. Please read and review.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"Mom, they're at it again" Lizzie moaned to Nora while they were cooking dinner together.

"I know kiddo, and I know it upsets you, but can you just bear with it a bit more...please? They're both really stressed, and very upset as well. They're not arguing for any real reason, other than that this thing with Sam is getting to them. They're dealing with an awful thing, and so they've been taking it out on each other. Just, hang in there Lizard...for me?" Nora said calmly. She knew Lizzie hated hearing her siblings fighting, but there wasn't much any of them could do about it for the time being. Nora hoped that the pair would reach a ceasefire soon. At the moment, they were almost unbearable, because they were hurting so much.

The argument had started when Derek came home from the hospital, sat in his chair and grabbed the remote from Casey, changing the channel. When she yelled at him, he lost it and screamed at her to get out of his space. Casey screamed back that he was in her space because she'd been there first, and things had gone downhill from there. After 20 minutes of screaming, and yelling at each other, and hurling vicious insults back and forth, George had intervened to give the rest of that family some peace. Recognising that they had to fight each other, otherwise they'd kill each other; he dragged them both upstairs and shut them in Edwin's room, telling them not to come downstairs until they'd sorted things out. That had been 30 minutes ago and Lizzie could still hear their arguing, even though she was two stories below them, in the kitchen.

"Derek, how dare you try to blame me? You chose to cut him loose, back when it seemed important. I never forced you to 'turn your back on your best friend', as you put it" Casey said heatedly.

By now the argument had progressed (or regressed) to re-hashing their failed relationship, and who was at fault.

"Well if you hadn't moved here, I'd never have fallen in lust with you, Sam wouldn't have gotten weird and I'd have been there for him through it all, as I should have been" Derek snapped back in angry retort. He noticed how Casey's face flashed with pain, anger and humiliation at hearing their relationship described as based on lust and base desire, not true feelings. He noticed the hurts crossing her face, but he didn't feel guilt or shame. He felt glad to wound the person who had wounded him.

Casey grew angry at Derek's harsh words. "Well if your Mom hadn't cheated on your Dad, then he never would have married my Mom, we'd never have met and you wouldn't have RUINED my life" Casey screamed at a visibly furious Derek, then immediately regretted it.

"Derek...I didn't...I shouldn't have said..."Casey stammered, tumbling over her words as she tried to apologize. One look at Derek's face and she knew that she'd crossed the line and now it was no holds barred.

Derek's face, already streaked with anger, had now paled. His eyes were black and sparkling with fury, a muscle in his cheek twitched as he worked his jaw and his fists were clenched so tight, his knuckles were white. Casey started edging backwards, not wanting to be in reach when the storm of his anger broke.

For every step that Casey took back, Derek matched it with a forward step of his own. With every step that he took, Casey grew more and more afraid.

"Casey, I would never, EVER, throw your father's infidelity in your face. What gives you the right to throw my mother's in mine? You are so fortunate to be female, because if ANY of my guy friends, including Sam, had said that, I wouldn't have held my fists back." Derek stopped to draw breath. He was shaking with anger and it was taking all his strength to control the rage he currently felt at his ex. The two were now mere inches apart, and Casey, who had her back to the wall with no place to go, felt trapped. She doubted whether she could trust Derek's twisted assurance that he wouldn't hurt her.

"I told you that in confidence, because we were both having a bad day, and I needed to explain why I'd been putting you through hell for no reason. Edwin doesn't know about it and as for Marti...if they'd heard what you just said..." Derek's voice trailed off once again.

"Derek, I'm...I'm sorry" Casey said in a small voice. She tried to move sideways past him, but Derek had other ideas. He put his hands on the wall, one on either side of her, effectively penning her in. She tried to bodily move past him, but for once Derek used his superior height, weight and strength to stop Casey from moving. He wasn't letting her off easy.

Casey, by this point terrified, tried to duck under Derek's arms, but he was too quick for her and lowered them as she ducked. "I don't think you're going anywhere, Missy"

"Derek, let me pass". Casey tried to sound authoritative, but to no avail. The two were so wrapped up in their battle that they didn't hear the door opening, or Lizzie coming into the room.

"Hey, would you two just quit it already" Lizzie said, but neither Casey nor Derek acknowledged, or noticed the interruption.

"Derek, I shouldn't have said what I did. Please let me go" Casey resorted to pleading, though she knew it rarely worked with Derek. This time was no different; Derek remained standing there, glaring at Casey, trapped as she was between him and the wall, barely a few inches separating them.

"Derek, please move aside and let Casey pass" Lizzie said. Something in her tone seemed to touch Derek. Still simmering with rage, he looked Casey deep in the eyes, allowing her to see the full extent of his pain and rage, before dropping his arms to let Casey move away.

"For the last time, stay out of my way, you torturous whore" Derek spat. Before he could change his mind, Casey slid past him and ran, pushing past Lizzie in her quest to get out of the door. In her wake, Lizzie, shocked and horrified, was staring at a seething but guilty looking Derek. While she was watching him, he turned his back on her, let out a noise of pain and anguish, almost animal in its sound, punched the wall and then slowly sank to his knees, putting his head in his hands.

Thanks for reading. I hope I managed to keep everyone in character, but I'm not sure. If anyone has any ideas for improvements, please tell me in review.