AN: I am soooooo sorry i haven't been able to update in such a long time! i've been going all over the map here! i've had about seven story ideas pop inot my head just this week and i haven't really been able to focus on anything. plus, midterms aer killer! but, hopefully this is the awaited chapter and i hope it was worth the wait! pleae read and review! i fear i may be a little rusty on the writng skills.

Chapter 12

It was a tad bit quieter in Brooklyn than in Manhattan. They liked just walking around the streets and looking at all the activity going on around them. They found a park and walked around a bit. Then they took a cab back to the city asking to head to little Italy. There they shared a pizza and a cheesecake, the two other things they had to have when going to New York. They also both had water, one of the other things they had to have when going to New York. The Cheesecake was huge, but they somehow finished it by splitting it between them. It seemed like it was getting close to dark, so they decided to go back towards town square to their hotel. When Casey proposed this idea, Derek looked at her like she was crazy.

"what if we walk in and everyone has already gotten there?"

"I don't care! I'll come up with a lie like I did this morning," she said. Derek raised his eyebrows at her.

"What?" she said, a little uncomfortable at the way he was looking at her.

"First sneaking out to go to a party, a college party at that, then lying your butt off to cover up the hangover that I had this morning, and now you're willing to tell another lie? Since when were you so reckless Miss MacDonald?"

"Oh tush," she said waving the topic away with her hand, "let's go."

"Well, I guess you haven't gotten so reckless to cuss yet," he muttered under his breath with a smirk. She glared at him. "Cut it out jackass," she said glaring but with a smile playing across her face all the same.

"There we go. You're getting there," he said smiling. She grabbed his hand and hailed a cab.

They walked into the hotel lobby and ran into the elevator right before it closed. They went to their room and quietly opened the door. To their greatest fortune no one was there. They walked in relieved. Derek flopped down on the bed and closed his eyes, but he could not keep them closed. He opened his eyes to see what the whole racket Casey was making was for. He watched her dash about the room going this way and that, a smirk playing across his face.

"What?" she said indignantly when she caught him watching her.

"You're still same old Casey, even when reckless," he said, still smirking.

"Well Mr. All- knowing that just shows how little you know," she said.

"Really?" he said, his smile widening.

"Really," Casey responded, "this is your suit." She tossed it to him.

"Tossing nicely ironed clothes? Are you sure you're Casey MacDonald?" Derek said keeping his smirk plastered on his face.

"Yes Derek Venturi, I am," she said playfully, "now hurry up."

"Alright alright," He went to the restroom to get changed. When he came out, Casey was rushing around again. When she saw Derek come out she beamed.

"Very nice!" she said as Derek took a turn. "I've got to get ready now if we're going to make it on time."

"Make it where?" Derek asked.

"You'll see," she said as she dashed into the bathroom. He sat on the edge of the bed staring blankly at the wall waiting for her to hurry up with what ever she was doing. He heard the bathroom door open.

"So, what do you think?" said an excited Casey. Derek looked up to find Casey in a striking red dress that went to about her knee. It had black embroidery and bead work along the collar, waist, and hem of the dress. Her hair was down and resting on her shoulders shaping her face perfectly. She wore the black necklace Derek had given her for Christmas that past year. He remembered Sally helping him pick it out. He expected the thought of Sally to bring a twinge of pain to him, but to his surprise it didn't. All he could really think of was how beautiful Casey looked.

"Well?" she said, bringing him back to reality long enough to answer.

"You look," he paused and cleared his throat, "Stunning."

"Thanks," she said blushing, "you look quite handsome yourself." She said looking at her black shoes. She collected herself.

"ready to go?" she asked.

"Right," he said, recovering himself, "if I knew where we were going."

"let's get out the door, then I'll tell you," she said smiling at him with what seemed to be softness. He smiled back with the same kind of smile, but neither of them really knew why they did, or why it felt so natural.