Like the rest of you, I do not own LWD. I'm the happy owner of my story, though. Thank you so much reviewers - as they say reader are good, reviewers better. I hope the ending of the last chapter did not mislead – as it was meant as a cliff-hanger; read on and see!

Previously: 'Casey.' Derek sounded hoarse. 'Tell me in words all the things I don't know.'

Relieved of months of pain and tension, Casey, who was not quite the girl she used to be, but more of a woman, replied, 'I could never leave you. That's the only thing you don't know, my stupid, beautiful, amazing sweetheart. Not unless I died. Now, you tell me all the things I don't know.'

She put a finger against Derek's lips as he opened them to speak his happiness.

'Uh huh. Not in words. With your body, tell me.'

Chapter Nine - Dreaming with Open Eyes

It was Monday, an expectant late spring day, the air still and fresh, the light slanted in through the windows at such an angle that the clarity of each object in the near-distance seemed unreal, too sharp and precise, like something in a computer game. If you'd seen those mundane things on screen, the kitchen tap - blasting sunbeams across the wall, a copper pan, almost translucent on its nail, you would have said that some graphic designer had gone crazy and made the game more like life than was possible. And yet, here they were, and this was reality. Although it was past noon, Casey (albeit with an open notebook in front of her), Edwin (surrounded by comics and his cereal bowl), Derek (leaning back on his stool, observing everyone quizzically) and Lizzie (neatly dressed, tapping her foot, full of energy) were still sitting around the breakfast table.

George and Nora were helping Marti and Dimi to set up a bird feeder in the garden. By the sounds of it, George was not having much luck. At his scrambled yelp as the hammer hit his knuckle for the third time in an hour, the four teenagers laughed in unison. A languid ease seemed to have unfurled over the house in the wake of the guests' departure that morning in a specially chauffeured company vehicle, and no one was questioning it.

Edwin was clearly better; having suffered nausea for the better part of two days, he was now ravenously hungry and the only one of the four still actually eating. Lizzie was sitting at his elbow making annoying comments about his manner of stuffing his mouth, then trying to clear up the mess he made; the two of them appeared oddly unaware of the change which had overtaken their respective siblings.

'Ugh! I just can not do this!' Pretending she was revising for her finals, Casey was trying to scribble down notes for her letter to the University of Toronto. Why she was doing this complicated and dreaded task in public, open to potential interruption or discovery, she had no idea; except that she knew by now that no one in the family was usually remotely interested in anything she was getting stressed about; and so had decided that the apparently boring task of revision was good enough to disguise her true purpose. Also, all the rooms were still knee-deep in the chaos caused by the Richardson's visit and no one was keen to set everything to rights just as yet. So, technically, she told herself, she felt better out in the places that looked the most normal: the ones which had the furniture as it should be.

'Maybe I can help?' Derek's voice was curious and teasing. He knew he was asking for trouble.

'Oh what? Since when did you graduate out of ape school? I didn't think they taught animals how to write in sentences!' Casey met his eyes, smiling, equally warm.

'Ouch!' He stuck out his tongue at her, unconsciously echoing his usual way of irking her. Except that everything today was different. Today, he felt as if someone had painted a silken screen around them or dusted their whole world with Marti's shining glitter-dust.

Once their eyes met, it seemed simply too much effort to look away. Without intending to, Derek had reached across the table and started to curl his fingers around the slim hand that held the pen. Their hearts began a casual race. One. Two. His thumb brushed her wrist. Casey mock-frowned at him, indicating their younger brother and sister.

He withdrew his hand and she pouted, immediately wanting it back and stepping on his ankle to emphasise her feeling.

'What! What the heck'd you do that for? So contrary!' Derek's words were sharp, but he couldn't keep the laughter from his voice, so sure was he that Casey was beating him up for giving in to her scruples and dropping her hand.

Finally Edwin and Lizzie looked up at them, made suspicious by the lack of rancour in their banter.

Edwin was most bemused, for he had missed two days of their company; days which had been particularly unusual. Lizzie too was puzzled, but not as much. When she had woken that morning at nine, she'd found herself and Marti alone in the room; Marti was awake and reading a book, upside down, beside her. Sheets and blankets were tangled everywhere on the bed next to them, but there was no sign of Derek or of Casey.

She didn't know where they were. She had slept soundly all night. Except that at one point she had woken to push Marti's arm off her and had thought she'd heard low voices. But, never one to interfere, she'd gone right back to sleep. So, what had happened to bring about this startling rapport between her older sister and Derek?

Casey tore her page of notes into shreds and flung them at the bin, narrowly missing it and causing a mess of confetti. She then had to get up and put them all in the trash one by one, realising as she did so that since this was paper it should be going into the paper recycling tray. She didn't look too amused. Edwin on the other hand joined in Derek's laughter. Girls! And their rotten aim… Oops – did one of them say that aloud?

As if she knew what they were thinking, Casey turned, about to let them feel her sharp tongue. But the new universe that she now inhabited meant that a single glance from Derek was enough to make her lose her rational train of thought. Standing somewhat inelegantly in bare feet, a shirt of Derek's and denim shorts, with a crumpled fist full of paper in one hand and her notebook in the other, she was inexplicably and idiotically grinning at him, all annoyed retorts dissolved into memories of the night before.

Nothing, she thought, was ever going to make her forget. Even if they ended up tearing each other apart, even if he left her, betrayed her, destroyed her, even if she despised him, tormented him, abandoned him – the undertow of respect and trust they'd experienced would pull them back together. They'd been pressed tight in each other's arms, on his bed, more intimate than either of them had ever imagined, and in response to Derek's honesty she had just put her limitless affection for him into words. Now, Casey's smile faltered as she remembered how she had wanted to abandon all her former life for something unexpected and long anticipated in the dark.

It was if she could no longer see the straight lines of the road along which she'd walked quietly since she was a small girl, and Derek had simply understood this, accepted responsibility for her, and guided them across something that might have hurt them both.

'You think I don't know another way of telling you what I feel about you?' He'd whispered against her hair. 'You don't think the great Venturi is interested in anything but physical stuff?' Stroking her back, slow and rhythmic, as you would a child in pain. Because when she'd realised he was stalling, refusing her request, Casey had allowed the suppressed tears to fall, the high crest of her confession and her delight in his touch suddenly making her feel unbearably humiliated.

But Derek had kept hold of her, brought his thumbs up and pushed the tears off her cheeks, then kissed the saltiness they'd left behind.

'Crying? Who's being foolish one now, Space Case?' Silence, then, more seriously, 'Did I really upset you?'

Hearing the tenderness and impatience warring in his voice, she'd forced herself to respond, 'It's okay. I'm okay.'

'But you're clearly not okay, Case. So just tell me why you're this upset.' A gust of rainy breeze from the open window had flung itself over their feet; involuntarily they intertwined, despite the fact that the protagonists were tense.

'You…you...' She was trying not to sob; trying to be quiet and not wake her sisters. 'You are willing to do anything and everything, with anyone else, but not with me?' She sounded like such a grief-stricken child that Derek felt little of the usual sting her words might have carried and had time to think about their cause. And, of course, the fact that he was holding her and that her hands were against his chest, gave him a patience that he did not normally possess.

'You think I would just sleep with anyone? That it's just something Derek Venturi does?' She didn't respond. 'Okay, so it might come as a surprise to you, Case, and I admit I may date loads of girls, and even have made out with them, but I don't – I'm not actually – I'm neither as experienced nor as casual about taking things further – as you seem to think.' Why was he stammering? It was the truth, whatever people said, whatever he'd allowed them to suspect, and she had to believe him.

'You're not kidding me the way you did with Edwin on his birthday, remember, when you wanted him to come out of the cupboard?' He stifled a laugh at the genuine uncertainty in her voice.

'Not kidding.' He risked pulling back from her slightly and looking at her in the dimness. She had certainly stopped crying. She was studying his face just as he studied hers, biting her lower lip.

'But you do like me? You didn't refuse because you don't like me?' Casey had sounded more confident again, suddenly buoyed by the thought that Derek was more like her than she'd thought, that maybe – was it even possible? – he'd been waiting for her as she had waited so silently and impatiently for him.

'You have no idea how much I like you, okay, Princess?' Delight sizzled through her, from her toes to her scalp. She'd buried her face against his shoulder. He'd given her a squeeze to reassure her. Then, deliberately allowing the emotions flowing between them to simmer, they'd snuggled against each other, ignoring the sparks, relaxed but not sleepy, and Derek had murmured, 'Heck, Case, you caught me in my one moment of weakness! If you ask me again now I swear I won't refuse…' and she'd laughed. Really laughed, wanting him, and knowing he wanted her, but accepting of the fact that there was really no need for haste. No need at all.

The front door slammed open and Marti came barrelling into the room, followed closely by a laughing Nora. Casey was catapulted out of her reverie only to realise that both Edwin and Lizzie were casting weird glances at Derek and her. How long had they been grinning at each other? This was absurd, standing here dreaming with their eyes open so that anyone could guess their thoughts. Casey blushed and turned to her mother.

'Come and see our magic bird feeder! Come now!' Marti grabbed hold of Derek but was looking at Casey as she screeched. The whole family trooped out to where Dimi and George were surveying a swaying pole and a wormy looking contraption mounted on it.

'Dad – that's not just a birdfeeder, it's a work of art.' Derek sounded so serious that Marti was completely delighted. George groaned, but didn't disillusion his little daughter.

'Just glad there's no wind today.' Derek muttered to Casey, making her giggle. Her laugher in turn brought his eyes to her radiant face. There was no wind. She was still barefoot, and her braid swung charmingly over her shoulder, accentuating the curve of her cheekbones. There was nothing and no one else in the entire world he'd rather look at.

Catching his mood, Casey said softly, 'Go help George put the house to rights, and then make an excuse so we can go for a walk together.' She was half expecting him to refuse, to tell her to go do it herself, as he would have done had she asked him a month ago, but instead he just said to Nora,

'Okay if Case and I sort out the upstairs before we head to the mall? Be nice to get all the stinky girl stuff out of my room…' and Nora's cheerful gratitude, the absence of any anxiety about the two of them actually doing something fun together, had been just one of the satisfactions of that shimmering, still, sensual afternoon.

Want to know more of their adventures in life and love...