A/N: You guys are such amazing readers--thanks for all the great feedback! I'm a few chapters ahead, but I think I'm going to go ahead and wrap this one up within the next 3-5 chapters. I'm planning one more fic in this particular series, so there's at least 20 more chapters of this strain of Dasey to come! You know, eventually.
Casey sat alone in her room, simultaneously feeling anxious, abandoned, and angry. She was worried about her mother and the entire labor process—she knew that Nora had short labors. She felt a little deserted when Derek never came back into the house, and even more so when she realized that he must have taken her mom to the hospital. But mostly, she was just angry that her George and Nora had read her most personal, innermost thoughts.
I mean, how dare they? Casey thought. I keep that journal for myself. It's for me and for me only. Unless, of course, I publish it as a memoir, but that's years in the future! That's not now, in the heat of the moment … oh, the heat! I'm never going to get that again, am I? No more going off on fabulous dates, ever. No more seeing him first thing in the morning, ever. No more sneaking off to make out with him, ever. UGH! Casey threw herself down on the bed and pulled a pillow over her face.
"Casey?" a small voice asked.
"What do you want, Marti?"
"I had a bad dream and I can't find Daddy. Can I come in?"
"Sure, Marti, whatever."
Marti opened the door and walked into Casey's room. "May I please get in the bed with you?"
"Fine," Casey muttered darkly.
"Casey, what's wrong? Was it not fun going out with Derek?"
"No, Marti, that's not the problem. Going out with Derek was fun."
"That's so weird, you guys never have fun together. Or, you didn't have fun together. Now it's like you only want to hang out with each other. Is that what happens when you go to university?"
Casey sighed and thought, I better just tell her, since everyone else knows now. "No, not really, Marti. See, Derek and I started dating right before university started, and George and my mom just found out. They're really mad at us, and I'm really mad at them, but we can't really do anything about it because Mom went into labor."
"What does that mean?" Marti asked.
"It means she's going to have the baby."
"Really? Oh, that's so cool! But what about you and Derek? Why are they so mad?"
"You know, Marti, I don't really know," Casey answered. "I guess it's because we're stepsiblings and we've lived together for so long. That, and we live together now. I guess they think it's inappropriate." No need to tell her HOW inappropriate …
"What's that mean?"
"It means 'not appropriate or not acceptable,' sweetie," Casey said.
"But what's inaproptet about you and Derek dating?"
"Inappropriate. And really, Marti, nothing. We're not related by blood, only through marriage, and really, we can't help who our parents marry, right?"
"Well, yeah, but now we have a brother or sister for all of us."
Casey sighed again, more heftily this time. "I know, Marti, but even if the baby is related to both Derek and me by blood, we're still not related. Do you get it?"
"I think so. But it is weird, Casey."
"It is?"
"Well, yeah? Why start dating now when you should have dated him four years ago?"
Casey looked at Marti in shock. "What do you mean?"
"Um … nothing …" Marti said, looking down at the quilt.
"Marti! Come on, tell me!"
"But I promised Derek I wouldn't."
"Marti, honey, I'm sure that he wouldn't mind now. And he's not here, so you can tell me now and ask him later."
"Um … OK … but if he gets mad at me, I'm telling him you made me do it."
"That's fine. So what did you mean by that?" Casey leaned forward expectantly.
"Well"—Marti hesitated—"it's just that Derek came home from school that day that he met you and was really happy. When I asked him why, he said it was because he met a really pretty girl at school. I asked him if he was going to ask her on a date, but he said no because the time wasn't right. And then when Daddy and Nora got married, he pointed to you and told me that you were the really pretty girl and that he was really sad because he couldn't ask you out now. But he told me never to tell anyone, especially you, so …" Marti took a deep breath and returned her gaze to Casey's quilt.
Casey sat back in astonishment. "But … but we fought all the time!"
"Yeah, I know, but don't you fight now?"
"Well, yeah …" Casey trailed off.
"Then it's not really different, except that you're dating now, right?"
"I guess …"
"Then you should have started dating four years ago. Hey, Casey?"
"Yes, Marti?"
"Do you and Derek kiss?"
"Um …" Casey blushed and looked down. If only she knew … "Yes, Marti, we do."
"Do you love him?"
"Yes, I do."
"Are you going to have a baby with him?"
"No! And I apparently never will."
"Do you want to have a baby with him?"
Casey thought for a moment, and then answered, "You know, Marti, I never really thought about it, but yeah, I think I do. Or I did. Or I still do but know it won't happen. Or … something." Casey sighed.
"Well, if you do have babies, I want to be the favorite aunt. OK?" Marti hopped off the bed and went to the door. "And I think I'm better now. Good night!"
"Um, 'night, Marti," Casey said, still reeling from Marti's information.
Wow, so Derek's been in love with me all along, huh? I can't believe he's never told me! Ha, like he would—he's still not great at telling me his feelings. He's more of a show-er … in more ways than one. Casey grinned to herself at her little joke. But still. None of this is going to matter if Mom and George really disapprove of us.
Casey jumped at the sound of her phone beeping. She saw who is was and flipped her phone open to read the text message.
From: Derek
Had to drive Dad and Nora to hospital. Shes checked in, everythings fine. Will come home when Dad lets me. Love you.
Casey texted him back:
OK. Come home soon. I love you too.
She flipped her phone shut, turned out the light, and laid in the darkness waiting for sleep.
A/N: So Marti ships Dasey. As we all know, Marti's opinion counts for a lot in the McDonald-Venturi family, so this could be good for the couple!