Hey! Sorry it took so long! I'm so busy with school!! Anyways, here is chapter 10! Enjoy!! Please let me know what you think!!!!

DISCLAIMER: Nothing is mine :(

AT DEREK'S APARTMENT

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" Casey cried loudly in Derek's ear as he tightened his grasp on her upper arm and pushed her into his apartment. Once inside, Derek flipped on the lights and loosened his grip on Casey's arm.

"What don't you understand about me repeatedly saying 'ow'?" Casey asked, seizing the opportunity of Derek's loosened grasp to jerk her arm away; however, she jerked too hard and stumbled back, sprawling on the couch.

Derek scoffed. "I don't know, Casey. Maybe if you weren't screaming it into my ear at a frequency only dogs can hear, I would have understood."

"Whatever, Der. If I were speaking at dog frequency, you would have understood. You are a dog." Casey said, trying to hold her head up straight and get up off the couch.

Derek shook his head and gently pushed her back on the couch. "That's how we know you're drunk. Your insults suck."

Casey stuck her tongue out and began to rummage through her purse. "Just because you're smart enough to not understand me when I speak at you, doesn't mean I'm trashed…" Casey looked up at Derek's confused look she sighed.

"Look, whatever. I'm leaving. See you at the next major holiday or family event." Casey pulled her keys out and stood up again. She tried to walk to the door, but couldn't move due to the fact Derek held the back of her shirt in his grasp.

"Casey. You're not going home. You're drunk. Besides, your car isn't here. It's still at the bar. We can get it later. Right now, we're going to talk, or you're going to go to sleep." Derek said calmly.

Casey smacked at his hand and pulled away. "I don't want to talk to you, Derek. I want to leave."

Derek sat impassively. Casey screamed threw her purse at his head; she began to cry. Derek stood up and went to wrap his arms around her. Casey shoved herself away from him and fled into the first open door she saw. She slammed the door behind her and Derek heard the distinct sound of a lock turn into place.

Sighing, Derek sat down on the couch and rubbed his hands over his face and in his hair before leaning back. Suddenly, he bolted up.

"Crap! She locked herself in my room!"

Derek bounded to his door and twisted the knob, hoping Casey didn't lock it correctly. She didn't. Casey had turned the lock, but not all the way. All Derek had to do was rattle the handle a few times and the tumbler fell out of place. Opening his door, he noticed Casey had passed out on his bed. He shook his head and walked over. Pulling the blanket over her, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. Pulling away he ran a hand softly over her hair.

"We'll talk tomorrow morning." Derek whispered. Derek turned to walk away when he felt Casey weakly grab his hand. Obviously, more than half asleep, Casey whispered a soft "Love you."

Derek felt his heart soar as a big smile settled on his face. Stroking her cheek, he whispered again. "I love you to, Casey. I always have."

Derek walked confidently out of the room. He wanted to crawl in bed with her, but he knew she would not be very receptive to sharing a bed with him when she woke up the next day. Derek walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. Glancing at the clock, he noticed it was 2 AM.

"It's a good thing I don't have plans later today. Thank god for lazy Saturdays." Derek said to himself as he walked into the living room, turned off the light and flopped onto the couch to go to sleep.

NOON ON SATURDAY

Casey groggily woke up with an insistent pounding in her head. She opened her eyes slightly and winced at the bright light that assaulted her. Groaning, she tried to pull herself up into a sitting position; she got about half way before giving up and putting her head back down.

"There's a glass of water and some aspirin on the table to your right," a voice seemed to scream at her.

Clasping her hands over her ears, she groaned even more. "Not so loud!" Casey cried in agony.

Derek rolled his eyes and walked over and propped her up against the headboard. After handing her the medicine and the water, he sat down at the end of the bed.

Casey gulped down the water and quickly swallowed the pills. She was fully aware of Derek's gaze firmly set upon her. Placing the empty glass on the bedside table, she looked at Derek.

"Do you need something?" Casey asked haughtily.

Derek shook his head. "No. We need something. And that something is to talk."

Casey's eyes widened in fear as she quickly responded. "Um, no. We don't. There is nothing to talk about. The only thing I can think of saying to you is to thank you for letting me sleep here, even though I wish you had just let me be at the bar."

Derek sighed. "You're wrong and welcome. I wasn't going to leave you at the bar. You were completely trashed, Casey. And we do have stuff to talk about."

"Like what?" Casey asked, playing dumb.

"Like how I ended our relationship and what is going to happen now that you know the truth."

Casey stared blankly at Derek. "What do you mean 'what is going to happen now?' You ended things and you ended things badly. It hurt me, Derek, more than I think you will ever know; but I got over it. I moved on. I'm not in love with you anymore; I don't think I ever really was."

"Bullshit."

Casey sat up straighter. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I know you loved me when we were together. You loved me almost as much as I loved you. Nothing you say or do will convince me otherwise; that issue is not up for debate. What I will allow you to contest is whether or not you still love me; however, since I know you do that topic won't be available to debate very long. In fact, I know what I want out of this conversation…and I think you remember what I told you long ago. What Derek wants, Derek gets." Derek said assuredly, smirk firmly in place.

Casey gaped at him. "I cannot believe your audacity! Do you honestly think you have the ability to inform me of my feelings, or lack thereof, for you? Of all the asinine, obstinate, illogical conclusions you've-"

Derek cut Casey off by grabbing her flailing arms. "Casey, stop hiding behind your big words. It didn't work then, it won't now. The only difference is I actually understand what you're saying now. Just tell me how you feel and I'll tell you how you really feel. If you want to save us both some time, just admit to still loving me and we can move on to the fun part of making up, making out."

Casey ignored the pounding in her head and the nausea as she pushed herself out from under the covers and stood up.

"I can't believe you. One would think that you would have matured by now, but you clearly haven't. I don't want anything to do with you anymore, Derek."

Casey began walking towards the door when she felt Derek's hand grasp her arm gently. He pulled her around to face him.

"That would be believable if you hadn't admitted to me that you loved me last night." Casey's eyes widened in fear and Derek led her to the bed; they both sat.

"I'm going to be serious now, you know I hate that, but I am. Casey, I know I hurt you so much when I broke up with you. I know I made it hurt even more by telling you that it was all a prank. Not only that, I rubbed it in your face by flaunting other girls around-"

"I don't need a recap, Derek. I was there." Casey interrupted.

Derek nodded. "I know. I'm sorry, Casey. I had no idea what to do. He was threatening you and our family; I couldn't let that slide. If Max had just threatened to out us, then I would have told you. You know that I loved you, Casey. I know you know that. What I don't know is if you know how much I still love you."

Casey scoffed. "Derek, you don't even know me anymore. How can you still love me?"

Derek grabbed both of her hands. "Casey, do you really think I know nothing about you? Do you really think I don't love you enough to keep tabs on you?"

At Casey's look of confusion, Derek sighed. "I love how you still haven't gotten below an 'A' in university. I love how when you were supposed to give a 15 minute speech in your psychology class, the only reason why you stopped was because the class ended 50 minutes later. I love how you still take dance lessons and how you teach other little girls how to dance. I love how you work hard at your job. I love how you are best friends with Kendra and Emily. I love how Lizzie and Marti come to you for advice, although, I do wish you wouldn't tell Smarti that it's ok for her to like Dimi. I love how despite everything that happened, I still see your eyes light up when I walk in the room. I love how when I walked down Main Avenue a few months ago, I saw you standing in front of a group of street performers with a soft smile on your face."

Casey's released a breath she had been holding as tears quickly slid down her face. Casey pulled her hands away. She gently placed one hand on Derek's cheek and looked deep into his eyes.

"You're right." Casey said softly. "I do still love you. I did then and I do now. I think I always will. No matter who I am with, my thoughts always drift back to you. I love you, Derek Venturi."

Casey paused and broke their gaze, removing her hand from his face.

"I just don't trust you."

Derek's heart dropped as he watched her walk to the door. Casey pulled the door opened and turned around briefly.

"If it helps…I wish things were different." Casey bit her lip and looked down.

Derek didn't say anything as she left the room and shut the door. He sat there, heartbroken, as he heard her greet Sam and ask him for a ride home. Only when he heard the front door slam did he allow himself to cry.

A.N. So you all know how much I love my cliffies! lol! I think I'm realizing, I love writing these big speeches like the one Derek did here. I wrote one like it in Eleven Minutes, lol! Anyways! Review!! Please!