Here is the next chapter. It's slightly longer than normal! Enjoy. - Madmusicfreak

Chapter 9

Edwin

"Nora and I were never actually married Derek."

The words rang out in the silence of Derek's dorm. Not married. Not married. They were never married. What?

Edwin tilted his head to the side in contemplation. If they were never married then what was this all about. When he and Liz used to do all of their research this would have been much easier to figure out. He was out of practice; being separated from Lizzie had made him give up on sleuthing. It wasn't as fun without his partner there.

"What do you mean never married?" Derek asked. Edwin could see Casey biting her tongue to keep from talking and remembering her, he stifled a chuckle, that was not an easy feat

George sighed, "We were never married Derek. The priest wasn't real and the vows are just words when there is no marriage licence. Simple. Actually that is probably the simplest part."

"I don't understand though. If it was just about a licence and as simple as going to the courthouse, why didn't you guys just go and actually seal the deal?" It was almost comical, Edwin mused to see how Derek was acting now. It was so different to how he acted before the McDonalds were brought into their lives, and even different now since he had admitted to falling in love with Casey.

Though love really did change people, it tends to bring out the best in them. Glancing over at Lizzie and seeing the sweet smile she had to offer him, he couldn't help but agree. There was just something about finally finding that person who makes your heart beat faster and your breath catch in your throat. And it wasn't just Derek that was different. Casey had more sparkle in her eyes than he ever remembered and she certainly blushed a lot more. Hell, even Edwin himself was different. He was more confident, happier.

A better version of himself; they all were he mused.

"Because Derek, you can't marry someone who was never divorced."

Edwin watched as Lizzie jumped up just in time to slap her hand over Casey's mouth, silencing the shriek that was bubbling out. But he could also see the anger on his girlfriend's face which led to him covering her mouth before she could make a sound. Her eyes burned at him from above his hand with a deathly stare, but he just shook his head slightly and looked to his older brother.

Then he almost started guffawing when he saw Marti with her hand across Derek's mouth and Derek's across hers. The sharp slap of Marti's other hand coming down on his mouth made him wince in pain instead.

"All I can tell you is that no matter what happened or what we went through, I loved her Derek. There won't ever be anything that can change that. Nora is a very special woman. And those girls, Derek, I loved those girls like they were my own daughters and I loved Nora. I still do love them. Very much."

Both of the girls had tears in their eyes. Edwin could see why. He thought of Nora as his mum too and he missed her something terrible, it must be the same for them with his dad. George was certainly more of a father to them then Dennis ever was. Lizzie had once told him so.

"Dad, you were divorced right?"

"Yes Derek, I was divorced. Nora was the one still married. She didn't know that she was though until she overheard a conversation between me and a colleague of mine, James. He was an old friend of Dennis McDonald. He was Casey and Lizzie's father if you remember; came over to the house for dinner that time, tried to convince Nora that the girls would be better off spending the summer with him in New York! Like I'd let my daughters go and trek around New York without me. Especially knowing what a workaholic he was at the time. Probably hasn't changed." George chuckled.

Derek glanced towards the girls on the sofa, "Yeah Dad, I remember him."

George let out a raspy sound between a chuckle and a groan. "Derek you will never believe what I am going to tell you. Anyways, um, Dennis. He had the divorce papers ruined after they were signed by both he and Nora. James, one of my colleagues, was one of the lawyers working with him at the time. Apparently Dennis drank frequently and had a very loose lip. That's how he knew all of this which is why he told me when he found out I was married to Nora. James and I had come to be friends in the past years what with working side by side on many cases and all."

"Okay, so far I'm still following you."

"Right. Well, he had the papers ruined, shredded actually, so he and Nora were actually still married. Abbey and I have been divorced for years though so please don't worry about that. Your mother and I are very much apart. I haven't spoken to her since she left just before Marti's third birthday."

Edwin could remember that day far better than he wanted to. He remembered his dad had picked him up from a friend's house at the time and when they got home, there were empty shelves. Everywhere he looked something was missing; Edwin had thought they had been robbed.

Later that night George had told them all that Abby packed up her things and left; She wanted the freedom of living by herself. She wanted the ability to go wherever she wanted at a moment's notice without a husband and kids to worry about. She didn't want them.

That was nine days before Marti's birthday. Edwin hadn't seen his birth mother since then. Sometime he almost felt that he would rather never have known his mother at all than to have his only memories of her be telling him she needed quiet time, or that he was a bother. It would have been much nicer not to feel unwanted.

Derek interrupted George before he could continue his tale, "Abbey is not my mother Dad. She may be my birth mother but even if you guys weren't married, Nora is my mum. She was there for me when I needed one. Abbey never was."

"All right fair enough. To be honest, Nora was a good mother for you wasn't she?"

"She still is my mum. Always will be. Just like Lizzie will always be my little sister."

"What about Casey? You guys were pretty close towards the end there right?"

Edwin shook his head. Of course George would ask that; the one topic that they were hoping to avoid.

"Casey was never a sister Dad, you know that. Remember that talk we had shortly before the uh," Derek glanced at Casey guiltily and dropped his eyes to the floor. "the separation I guess now."

Edwin shot his eyes suspiciously between Derek and Casey.

What talk? Why didn't he know about this? Did George know that Derek was in love with Casey before the divorce happened?

"What I told you is still true. Probably more true now than back then actually." Edwin couldn't help but stifle a chuckle at the crimson stain across his older brother's cheeks. Seeing the 'D man' blush was awesome!

He would have to talk to Derek later regarding that conversation with George; he couldn't be out of the loop. That just wasn't cool.

Casey

Watching her boyfriend blush was very entertaining. Especially the way that his ears turned pink and he acted like a shy three year old boy.

Hearing that he had a conversation regarding her with George made her very curious. What was it all about? Did George know that they had feelings for each other? If he did than did that mean that Derek had feelings for her when they were all together back then? Did Nora know?

"You don't say. Huh. Anyways, is that all you needed Derek? I have to get back to work." Once again, Casey noted, there was an impatient tone to George's voice now. This conversation was defiantly over.

"Yeah that's it. If I think of something else I'll call you." She stood beside Derek and ran her hand through his hair scratching his scalp softly as he hung up the phone.

He turned and enveloped her in a warm hug. A strong arm wrapped around her waist and the other cupping the back of her neck.

"Man I love you," he whispered into her neck. His warm breath against her skin made her shiver; if only they were alone and she could just stand there and kiss him forever.

"I love you too" she murmured quietly still caught in her, Derek coma, state.

"Mom and George were never actually married?" they turned towards a puzzled Lizzie, astonishment strong in her features.

"And apparently Mum was never divorced. Why would Dennis destroy the divorce papers? "Casey looked between them all, cocking her eyebrow "What was the purpose of staying married to her but pretending to be divorced? What could he get out of that?"

It didn't make any sense. For Dennis to make Nora and everyone else think that the divorce went through and keep it a secret there had to be a reason. Some way that he would benefit from staying married to Nora maybe? Some sort of connection or contact to someone that he would lose if they were separated? Something to do with money? No, Nora didn't have much and her family wasn't wealthy. The pieces just didn't fit together yet; maybe they didn't have enough to even start the connecting process.

Casey snorted at herself. She was starting to sound like some TV detective and this whole thing was turning into a daytime soap opera. The only way that they would get their answers would be to talk to the other people involved. That meant two things.

One, she would have to call her mum and find out anything that she could. That could mean Nora finding out that they had found each other again; Worse that they were dating each other. Even though none of them were related and George and Nora were never legally married, they were seen as siblings. Thinking about the look of horror or worse disgust that Casey may see on her mother's face was a heart breaking. Her and Derek's love was amazing and magical and she didn't want anything to taint that.

Two, she was going to have to talk to the man that she had only seen once in the past seven years. The one that had lied and tricked them all for reasons they still didn't know. The same man that had somehow deceived her mother into thinking that they were separated, divorced.

She was going to have to talk to her father.

-Don't Know- Don't Know-

Later that night they were standing side by side, cleaning the dishes from dinner, when Casey decided to broach the subject of Derek and George's talk. She just hoped that he wouldn't tell her it was none of her business.

"Der," she fluttered her eyelashes at him, "What conversation did you have about me with George?"

Derek propped his hip against the counter, pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh.

"I'll have to tell you eventually won't I?" he asked peeking at her from the corner of his eye.

Casey rinsed the last of the dishes and propped them in the drying rack. Turning to him with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "I could always just kiss it out of you".

Derek sputtered out a laugh, head tilted back and shoulders shaking. "Then I'm not telling you! Bring the lips, I need my fix!"

Casey smiled a secret smile to herself. Comments like that, funny, goofy, adorable, and totally Derek made her love him more all the time.

She pushed up onto her toes and pressed a soft kiss to his bottom lip.

"Tell me," she breathed. Derek shook his head just slightly, gazing down at her form.

"No," his answer caught in his throat when she made a trail up his neck, licking, nipping, and kissing at the soft skin. A pleasant shiver ran up his spine.

Derek slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him snugly, not an inch of space between them. The tension in the air was suddenly stifling leaving them both panting as if they had run a marathon.

"Tell me you love me", he demanded in a pleading tone. Derek was looking down into her eyes as if she was the only and most important thing in the world to him. The look in his eyes was downright dangerous; filled with love and desire. At this moment Casey wanted nothing more than to club him over the head and chain him to her bed. Make sure that he could never get away from her.

"I love you, more than anything in the world Derek" she took delight in his pleasure from those simple words. It was wonderful to know that she affected him as much as he affected her.

Derek bent his head to her, leaning his forehead against hers. Brushing his nose against hers softly and then making his way to her lips. A faint brush at first, followed by a slightly firmer peck. The two lost themselves in the pleasure that a simple love filled kiss can bring you.

Touching, tasting, and exploring one another softly at the kitchen counter. Chaste but so much more intense than either one had ever experienced.

Sometime later, it could have been minutes or hours, Derek stepped back from her slightly and kissed the corner of her mouth.

"Every time Princess. Every time." the words were whispered across her lips. She blinked her eyes open and tilted her head.

"You just make me forget everything I'm doing. Wipe my mind clear of everything but your taste, your smell, how I feel when you touch me. All I want to do is keep you," he sounded slightly embarrassed at his words but kept his eyes on hers.

"It's the same thing for me you know. Every time I'm near you I'm about thirty seconds to swoon!" they chuckled together, the serious mood fading away.

Derek directed her over to the table to sit down and grabbed her hand. If he had to go through the embarrassment of letting this out, then he may as well be comfortable.

"Okay, so this was about a year before the separation I guess. Maybe slightly longer than that. Anyways, George came home from work and said that he wanted to talk to me..."

"Derek! There you are. I'm glad I found you, can we talk?" George walked into the living room of the McDonald- Venturi home and sat on the sofa closest to his eldest sons' recliner.

"Sup Dad?" Derek sat forward in his chair and turned to his father, hockey taking a backseat for the moment.

"I wanted to talk to you about your siblings." Derek raised an eyebrow at his father. That was a weird topic of conversation. He had always gotten along with his sibling; teasing them and making fun of them was a way to show them his affection. Not mushy, not totally mean, it was pure Derek.

"What about Dad? I haven't killed any of them. Can't you tell by the noise upstairs?" Derek grinned at his father who was chuckling and looking up at the stairs. Marti, Lizzie and Casey were having a tea party in Marti's room. They had decided to add a dance party to that and employ Edwin as their DJ. The music had been loud and the thumping from their dancing even louder. It was a miracle that the light fixtures were still intact.

"They are having a lot of fun" George's statement was emphasized by a bunch of loud laughter and shrieking giggles that rung throughout the house.

"I actually wanted to tell you that I am very proud of you." Derek laughed at his father, shaking his head.

"Seriously, what did you want to talk about?"

George chuckled at the look on his son's face. He didn't believe him.

"I am serious Derek. Nora and I were worried that when we joined our two families together there would be a bunch of problems. You know sibling rivalries and fighting all of the time. I figured you would be resentful and try to make a bunch of problems, you know make your new 'sisters' lives hell." George ran his hand through his hair, a laugh escaping his lips.

"I wouldn't say I want to make their live hell exactly.." he trailed off and grinned sheepishly at his dad. "I just really like teasing them, that's all."

George nodded his head. "I know. I also wanted to know how you are adjusting to having new sisters."

Derek rubbed his chest, "I love Lizzie dad. She's one of the greatest little sisters I could have asked for."

"What about Casey?" Derek looked at George with an eyebrow raised.

"What about Casey?" he asked. George must be insane, coming to him and trying to talk about his feelings. This kind of thing just won't do; feelings are had, not discussed.

"How are you two getting along? Besides the petty arguments and nonstop teasing of course. Is she a decent sister for you too?" Derek looked at him like he was crazy and started laughing.

"Casey isn't my sister!" he gasped out sounding appalled. "She could never be my sister Dad that's disgusting!"

George shook his head at his sons' laughter, now thoroughly confused. "Well then what is she to you exactly?"

"Dad, Casey has the potential to be a great friend. Not my sister. Never my sister. Eww!" he cringed and stuck out his tongue in disgust. If Casey was his sister than he would have to worry, because there is no way that he should have developed a little 'crush' like he has on a sister.

"Okay, so if Nora and I hadn't gotten together and you guys met than you would have been what?"

"She would be a friend. I have no doubt that if we had met some other way Casey would have been like my best friend or my girlfriend." he shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal.

George sat there with his mouth open for a moment. "Girlfriend!" he sputtered.

"Yeah, you have seen her right?" At his father's nod in agreement Derek continued, "She is gorgeous! There is no way that we would have met and I would have left her alone."

George was still in a fog. His son was telling him that his step sister would probably have been a girlfriend if he and his wife hadn't married. That was just strange.

"Okay so say then that she was your girlfriend. What type of relationship would that have been? A week? Couple months?"

This was getting weirder by the minute to George. He may just need to talk to Nora after this.

Derek shook his head at his Dad and turned more towards him in his chair. "Let's just say this. Knowing Casey now, the type of person that she is, her habits, her quirks," he glanced towards his father, "Casey probably would have been your daughter in law. Provided that she put up with me that is."

"What!?" Derek laughed at the look on his father's face. Though he guessed that this was probably strange news to his dad. Knowing that your kid and step kid probably would have ended up together.

"Don't worry Dad. You and Nora are married; Casey and I will remain best friends with the intent to piss each other off regularly. I promise."

George was just staring at him with a strange look on his face, still stuck on the fact that his step daughter could have been a daughter in law!

"Okay Derek. As long as you adhere to that promise." he sounded stern, trying to make a point.

"You got it dad. I won't make you and Nora married in laws any time soon. Or ever. Don't worry!" Derek laughed and George had to join him at how funny the whole thing sounded.

He got up to leave the room pausing beside Derek and resting his hand on his shoulder.

"I am very proud of you Derek."

Derek looked up at George and quirked his lip in a small smirk, "Thanks dad. I'm kinda proud of you too."

George laughed, exiting the room and went to find his wife. She was not going to believe this story at all!

"He went to find Nora and make kissy face and I finished my hockey game." Derek shrugged and looked up at Casey again. She still looked completely enthralled with everything he was saying just as she had throughout the story.

"You told your Dad that I would have ended up being your wife!" she was sitting there staring at him with her mouth gaping open and eyes wide as saucers.

Derek gulped.

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