AN: Well, here comes the next Chapter... This time I'll try to be more thorough while I'm writing, seeing as I am drowning out every other noise near me because I have new headphones. I hope you enjoy this Chapter.
Chapter 10 „Nice night In"
Casey's POV
After we've bought my cats to Derek's place, or well...our place for the time being we can finally unwind a little. But instead of being lazy and just doing nothing we sit down together with my Laptop and a Notepad and Pen set on the table in front of us.
„So what's the deal with the notepad and paper?" Derek asks, popping a crisp into his mouth while he's reclining back on the sofa. „I want us to write down what we know about the „Arrow" seeing as nothing on any technical device is safe I'll write it down on paper." I explain. Derek nods at me appreciatively. „Okay... so we know Steven is involved and Andrew was too." I say writing that down on the notepad. „We don't know yet which one of the two was the first one involved with the Organization yet, do we?" I ask and Derek shakes his head.
Derek's POV
I once again silently marvel at the way Casey is assessing the Situation. She could certainly be a leader if she wanted to be one. „Steven thought that I didn't already suspect him, when he came to kill you at hospital... He knew who you were tough and he came with the purpose of killing you. So we need the reason he wants to kill you... We also know how his brother died... At least we think we do... He allegedly killed himself and with the new context we have now, we also finally know why he would do such a thing." Casey says. „The guilt. I knew Andrew pretty well, at least I thought I did... Back when we were still Partners he would sometimes complain how badly we were paid..." I say. Casey raised her eyebrows at that.
„Bad payments? What's with the car and this posh place here?" She asks pointedly looking around my living room and the flat screen mounted on the wall. „I got this house due to the good work I do, Spacey. I couldn't afford it with the paycheck I had when I still worked with Andrew... Those were entirely different times..." My mind wanders off to the times when I still lived in a tiny apartment which was very very different to this house I live in now.
Casey's POV
„Okay, so money could have been an issue..." I say. „But that still doesn't tell us which of the brothers was the first one to start working with the Organization behind the 'Arrow'." I start biting on the end of my pencil. „Duh, Andrew of course. Because I doubt a wimp like Steven could go find such assholes on his own... No, I'll tell you how I think things went down: Andrew decided that he couldn't earn enough to feed his family working for the force, so he found someone who paid him better... Which would be the dubious Organization which is behind the 'Arrow Bullet'. That's where everything started and we know the outcome." Derek explains in a matter of fact voice.
I write the time-line down on my sheet of paper:
-Andrew is paid badly/ Decides to work for the bad guys
-Andrew get's Steven into the loop
-Andrew kills himself because of the guilt -Not confirmed!
-Steven joins the Arrow Organization in earnest
-Derek is discovered
-Steven tries to kill Derek
-We end up where we are at right now
I re-read what I've written down right now and hand the sheet over to Derek.
Derek's POV
As I read Casey's neat handwriting the case is clear in front of my eyes. „That's exactly how things went down. What we don't know as of yet is how big this whole organization actually is and where and how much influence these people have." I say. „I mean they could have snitches everywhere and I think they must surely have a few people up high in the Police-ranks who ensure that they stay secret the way they're supposed to be. Andrew was just a small fish in the big ocean of corruption. Damn it.." I say right now realizing how delicate this whole situation actually is. I can't trust anyone on the force any more. Everyone could be a snitch...
Casey's POV
I can almost watch the gears in Derek's brain working. He surely must have come to the same conclusion I did. We can't trust anyone with this matter. Everyone could be a threat. We have no idea how big this whole thing actually is... I look at him and he smiles at me sadly. „Seems like you're stay here is going to be a bit more extended then we originally thought." He says. Subtly telling em he isn't going to let me out of his sights as long as this whole matter isn't resolved. „What about you're Hockey career? What about our family?" I ask watching him worried.
„No one knows that we're on to something yet and I'd like to keep it that way..." Derek says. He doesn't seem to have heard me. „Derek...what will we tell our family? I was scheduled to go over for a visit in a few weeks..." I explain. „We can still go together... Give you're mom a seizure." He laughs out. I roll my eyes. „Edwin is bound to pop the Question to Lizzy soon and as soon as he does we'll be expected there..." I say pointedly giving him a look.
Derek's POV
I knew it was coming up as soon as she mentioned our family. Lizzy, Edwin and then...there's us... It's not like I don't have feelings for her. I sure as hell do, but doing what I do I can't risk putting her in any more danger than I already have... „I know we will..." I say evasively trying to put the subject off for now. „We can figure something out when the time comes, okay? Why don't we deal with one catastrophe at a time?" I give her a re-assuring look. She nods and puts the notebook down.
„Well... I'd like to know a little more about this Derek. You have changed so much since college. Okay...we weren't all that close back then, but we both had enough going on in our lives at the time." She's smiling at me and I can see the curiosity behind those big blue eyes and I swallow, trying to tell myself that she's merely curious and not asking because she has some kind of interest in me...
„What do you wanna know?" I ask scratching the back of my head awkwardly, while running a hand through my still unruly hair. „Well I know all about you're work, now I'd like to get to know this Derek better. What kind of person have you become? How does Hockey fit into all of this? Isn't it tough trying to balance both career-paths?" She's shooting questions while she's leaning towards me with big curios blue eyes. I shiver inwardly. These eyes are still deep enough to drown in. They are the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. I take a moment to answer, while I watch her.
She's grown up over the years, too. She's become a mighty fine woman, like my old man would say. She's still as beautiful as ever and those words spoken almost a decade ago come back to haunt me as I hear her repeat them in my head. „Same difference". I shake my head, remembering this Casey is a different woman than the one who uttered those words at me almost a lifetime ago. I clear my throat as I realize she's still waiting for me to answer her. „Well, I have surely matured over the years." I begin carefully.
Casey's POV
I watch Derek and realize just how much he's changed since we were teenagers. This Derek is really a different man. He's grown not only that he's grown a bit taller and stronger, no he's grown mentally as well. I can see that he must have seen a fair share of the worst the world can produce. He seems to have grown up and I don't just mean according his age. He seems older on a whole different level...Like he's seen and knows the worst life can produce and hasn't gotten discouraged by it. He's still the same old Derek in a few ways, but he's grown and that shows.
„Where should I start..." He mutters more to himself than to me but I get comfortable and listen to every word he tells me. „Well I told you how I came to work for the police at all. I won't say that I loved the work back when I started off... I started at the lowest point and had to work my way up the ladder which wasn't all that easy while still juggling along my Ice-Hockey Career. Back when I started getting more serious about Police-work I just thought of it as an alternative if anything might ever happen to me physically and I might no longer be able to work on the ice." He takes a break looking into my eyes, checking if I got everything he's told me so far.
I nod my assent and he continues. „Well, once I started moving up higher and higher on the ranks I knew that I wouldn't need Hockey as a Career any longer, but I enjoy what I do on the Ice immensely. It get's a lot pent-up tension outta my systems." He grins slightly. „And it sure does have it's perks. I mean I have my own Hockey card!" He points at a Holo-Frame resting on the wall across from us right above the TV on the console. I shake my head with a smile and urge him to continue with his story and he does.
„Well, I knew that my Career in Hockey was safe, but I just wanted to keep the Police work as my back up plan, but I hadn't expected to love what I do as much as I do. Today I still love Hockey as much as I did back in High School, but I also love what I do as a Police Officer." He explains. „What about people? Don't you get recognized when you go out investigating things?" I ask curiously. „Sure happens sometimes, but people don't believe it's me they are actually dealing with, they just say something along the lines of 'Whoa dude, do you know that you look exactly like that Hockey Player...what's his name again?" Derek smirks and pulls his wallet from his pants and holds out another ID for me to check. 'Michael Seater, Staff-Sargeant Ontario P.D" I marvel as I read it. „Smart move." I say and he smirks.
„Comes with the territory. I gotta keep changing colors to mix in wherever I get thrown in. By the way as we're talking about throwing in...how about dinner and a movie?" He asks while getting up and moving to grab the phone. „Pizza?" I ask and he grins. „You know me too well. Salad and noodles for you? Veg or with Chicken?" He answers with a Question himself. „Uhm...a Ceasers with Chicken and yoghurt sauce, tell them to hold the garlic on the bread they send with the salad and maybe a few fries." I say. He nods and picks up the Phone dialing a number and smiling.
„Yo, Alex. Mikey, here I need my usual and a Ceasers Salad, hold the fish tough, and no eggs on this one either. Yepp, a bread to go with it, nope no garlic. And a few french fries, can you be a darling and make them fresh for me? Aww you're a star Alex. Yepp I got company. None of you're business." I watch him place our order and he turns to me. „Case, you want anything for dessert?" I think for a minute and nod. „Yea the lady would like dessert. How about a tub of Ben and Jerrys? You got the one? Yea right. That's my man. See ya in half an hour man." He hangs up and turns to me. „Everything alright?" He asks. „How did you know what I wanted to order, so well?" I ask while I turn to walk towards the Room Derek now claims is mine.
„Because I know you, Case." He says matter-of-factly. „But we haven't even seen each other in years...so how can you..." I don't finish my sentence tough I think the end of that question in my head. 'How can you know what I like to eat, even better than most of my boyfriends?' „Duh, because I know you, Case and I was honest when I told you that I kept an eye out for you for all this time." He says while moving out to give me privacy to get changed and get settled in.
Derek's POV
'Damn it, I shouldn't have placed her order like I did. I'd known it was stupid as soon as I'd started talking, but I just couldn't help myself. I wanted her to know that I kept an eye out for her and that I was always there if anything had happened to her and I will probably always be.' I move towards my room which is conveniently right next to hers and I change out of my day-to-day clothes and don a pair of jogging pants and an old Guns N' Roses T shirt. I move back downstairs and turn on the TV and turn on my Amazon-Prime waiting for her to come down and decide what we'll watch tonight.
Casey's POV
After I've taken a quick shower and changed into my Pyjamas which consist of a Disney T shirt with matching pants I walk back downstairs to sit on the couch with Derek. But he's at the door and getting the food and sets it up for us on the Table.
We move to eat dinner in a relative silence while a movie plays out on the screen in front of us.
AN: So, what do you guys say? This Chapter was meant to show a glimpse into their heads and it was meant to answer a few Questions they had about each other. And they have made a list of how they think things went with Andrew and the whole Bullet-Organization. But more on that in the on-coming Chapters and don't worry things will get explained gradually. I will only teaser as much now: These two have only scratched the very surface of the whole ordeal right now. I hope you guys enjoyed this Chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Leave me a piece of you're mind as you go- Love as always Keisha