Disclaimer: I don't own Life With Derek. Sorry.

Author's Note: For the 50ficlets community over at LJ.

#27 – Fast Forward

"'Where I'm Going To Be In Ten Years'," Derek read on Casey's laptop over her shoulder.

"Derek!" she said, turning around and shoving the unpleasant interruption.

"Your paper's blank," he noted. "So, what, you're not planning on living that long?"

"If you want to live until next year, you'd better stop sneaking up on me."

"No, wait, I can do this," Derek said. He fell comfortably on her bed, earning him a disdainful look. "Casey McDonald will be married, of course, to an incredibly wealthy, good-looking freak, since that's the type you seem to go for. You'll have pumped out a few kids, and you'll already have their names signed up at the most prestigious private schools in the area. You've got the impeccably neat mansion with a white picket fence, and you're the youngest person to go so far in your career. And – oh, yeah. You'll still be making my life hell."

"Oh, come on, Derek," she said, turning back to her computer. "That's ridiculous."

"A white picket fence with a mansion is a little tacky."

"No, you don't really think we'll be talking in ten years, do you?"

Derek was immediately grateful that she was looking at her computer so she couldn't see the look of hurt on his face, but when he couldn't come up with a scathing reply, she continued, "I mean, we'll see each other on holidays, but we're not going to be living together anymore. What are you expecting, for us to call each other every night just to see how our days went?"

He flinched at the uncharacteristically harsh statement. "Well, there you go," he said, unable to keep the bite out of his voice. "There's an essay right there. Talk about how glad you're going to be to get rid of your evil brother Derek."

"Step," she said automatically, turning to look at him with a confused expression on her face. "Derek, I --"

"Better get writing, Casey," he said, and stormed out of her room.

Later that night, as he was mindlessly playing 'Babe Raider' downstairs, he heard the staircase creaking. Casey carefully sat next to him, clad in her pajamas.

"It's two in the morning," he said as a greeting.

"Couldn't sleep," she said. She hesitated. "Can I play?"

He paused, then smirked. "Only if you want me to beat you."

He turned to look at her just as a relieved smile grew on her face, and it struck him how much he wanted her to be there in ten years. In fifty years. Whenever.