Steven Venturi was now more than six weeks old. It was time Casey talked to Derek about moving out.

Derek, however, was tired. He was back at work, covering long shifts, and when he came home all he wanted to do was sleep.

Casey had had the baby all day, and very little rest. All she wanted to do was sleep.

Steven was growing up, becoming a little more aware. He wanted to stay awake.

It was not a winning combination.

"You're not the only one working hard here, Derek!" Casey screamed above the sound of Steven crying. Her stomach felt bruised whenever she was tired, and she felt particularly tired today. Steven had worked his way through three sets of clothes and Derek's horrible old washing machine was struggling to cope. She had counted on Derek being home early enough that she could have an hour or two of decent sleep before the eleven o'clock feed. Now Derek was on the phone to her, telling her he was going to be late…again.

Casey hung up, sat down and cried.

The novelty had definitely worn off.

She loved her son, and she had known it would be hard work. But this much hard work?

Casey sobbed her way through the evening, despairing. In the end, having checked everything she could check, changed everything she could change, and sure he was as comfortable as he could ever be, she put Steven in his cot, still crying and lay on her bed, a box of tissues beside her.

Casey cried herself to sleep.

And because Steven was trying to teach himself to go to sleep, by crying, eventually he went to sleep too.

A very tired Derek came home half an hour later. At first he was concerned when he couldn't find Casey and Steven. He hated fighting with her because it scared him to death that she would leave and he would never get her back. It was always a relief when he opened the door and she was there.

Except tonight, she wasn't there.

Then he realised she was in her room with Steven and they were both asleep. He watched them from the door, a weary smile on his lips.

Being careful not to wake them, he pulled the comforter out from under her, and covered Casey up. Then he saw the bin full of sodden tissues by the bed. He sighed.

He left her room to change for bed and switch everything thing off. Finally, he went back to Casey's room and slipped into bed beside her.

Derek moved close to her back, circling her waist with his arm.

"I'm sorry I'm so late." He murmured. Casey turned in his arms, and snuggled into his chest.

"I'm sorry I shouted." She whispered but her eyes were still closed. "Stay. Sleep here."

He tightened his arms around her. And soon the whole family was asleep.

Of course, it only lasted three hours, and then Steven got hungry. Not that Casey was complaining. Her chest hurt so much because he had missed a feed she was desperate to feed him. She sort of expected Derek to go back to his own room; but he lay beside her, turned towards her, dozing. When she finished the feed and put a sleepy Steven back in his cot she turned back round to find Derek was looking at her.

"I want you to stay." He said quietly. "I want this to be Steven's home, not London."

She climbed back into bed.

"Okay. But just for the short term? Until I can find another apartment near by." Casey asked. "If we get in your way, you can tell me, without me thinking badly of you." She hesitated. "You can date, you know."

He brushed hair from her face. "I don't have the energy." He smiled sleepily.

Casey chuckled and whispered in his ear so as not to wake their son. "Derek Venturi doesn't have the energy. What happened to the hockey god?"

"Life."

"And his step-sister."

"Yeah." His fingers played with her hair and she was transported back to the night she spent in his arms, and the way they had lain together after the sex. They had more clothes on now, but his eyes were still soft.

They gazed at each other for a few moments. Then Derek broke the moment.

"Can we go to sleep now? I'm dead."

Casey pressed a kiss on his cheek. "Night, Roomie."


Derek slept through the next feed, and Casey slept through him getting up to get ready for work. Steven woke with his father, so Derek took him into the living room and placed him on his playmat. He was holding his head up well now when he was on his front. He let him kick like that for a while and then turned him onto his back. The baby kicked and gurgled, while Derek tied his tie.

"Be good for Mommy. She gets enough bull from me." he said seriously to the little bundle of kicking legs. Steven kicked vigorously and filled his diaper noisily.

"Hey! Less of the attitude, hotshot." Derek said, pulling the changing mat out to deal with the mess.

A while later, clean and still wriggling, Steven found himself placed on the bed beside his mother. His father leaned across to kiss her forehead.

"Case. I gotta go. Here's Steven. I've changed his diaper."

She groaned and looked up at him.

"What time is it?"

"Seven. I should have left half an hour ago, but you looked peaceful."

She smiled. "Thanks."

"I'll try and be home earlier tonight."

Casey heard the front door shut after him and sat up in bed. Steven was routing and she needed to feed him.

"May be your daddy isn't so bad after all." She said as she pulled a pillow from Derek's side of the bed to lay Steve on while he fed.


"Hi Angela! How's Oz?" Derek asked the following Saturday morning at 8am. Casey was in the kitchen and wasn't sure that she was supposed to be listening.

"That's cool. When are you getting back? Aw! Why so long? Yeah. I know the feeling. Did you get the pictures? Cool. Yeah the ones of Rose were fantastic. I can't wait for you to meet Steven…and Casey. Yeah. She's still here. No! I'm not. It was a mutual decision, okay. Butt out. It makes sense. My mind is not perverse. Yeah right! Thanks, bro. Ange, you could warn me when you put the phone on loudspeaker. So after Christmas then? Of course. Maybe next week? Take Care, Hun."

Casey grabbed a dirty plate and washed it so hard the pattern almost faded.


"Let's take Steven out." Derek said a while later. It was late November and Christmas was just around the corner. "We could do with getting some Christmas presents before we go home to see the fam."

"I was just going to get picture frames and put a new picture of Steven in them." Casey said. "I can't really afford anything else."

"Then we'll go and get some picture frames, although money isn't that tight, princess. We can get the family a few things."

"I'm not spending your money, Derek. You work hard for it."

He sighed. "Casey, will you quit sounding like a stuck record. You aren't taking advantage of me. What else am I going to spend my money on?"

"Good point. You have no life. Just a millstone of an ex-lover and a love-child round your neck."

He groaned. "Casey. Come on. You need to get out of the house. Let's wrap Stig up and take him out."

"Stig?" Casey queried. "As in 'Stig of the Dump'?"

Derek frowned. "Stig of the who?"

She shook her head. "Never-mind, it was a literary reference. Who did you mean?"

"The Stig. You know that helmet guy on that car programme you like."

"What car programme I like? I don't like car programmes."

"Okay. That car programme you tolerate. The one on BBC Canada."

"You are nicknaming our son after a speed-freak with an unhealthy obsession with motorbike helmets?"

"You want to name him after a Neanderthal creature who lives on a refuse dump."

Casey hid a smile. "You're more educated than I thought, Venturi."

He turned away to avoid her gaze. "Anyway Steven / Stig fits. Now are you coming out with me or not?"

"Well when you put it like that…"

An hour later (no such thing as a quick turnaround with a young baby), they left the house. Derek grinned to himself as he watched Casey strapping Stig into the car seat. She had made an effort to put on nice clothes and even a little make-up. She looked like the old Casey.


"I thought we were supposed to be buying Christmas presents, Casey said in Derek's ear."

"I am. Christmas presents for Sti- Steven."

Casey rolled her eyes. "Honestly, a 'Leafs' sleep suit?"

"He needs something for when we're watching the hockey together." He protested.

She picked the outfit up. "It is rather cute. How much is it?" Turning the hanger round, she gasped at the price. Derek snatched it from her.

"My son, my money, I can buy him what I want."

Her face fell. Derek kicked himself.

"Casey. I'm sorry. I meant our money."

"Why would you? We're not married. We're not engaged. We're not even in a relationship!"

He folded his arms. "Only because you turned me down."

"What else was I supposed to do? You and me together is a disaster."

"Our son says otherwise."

Their eyes fell to the baby in the buggy. Steven smiled up at them both and Casey bent down to pick him up.

"He's beautiful. Like his mother. And you gave him to me." Derek murmured into her hair before pressing a kiss on the baby's head. Casey leant into him.

"We're too complicated." She said, enjoying the warmth of his body.

"For now." Derek said. Casey looked up at him, wondering what the hell he was on about. She was just about to ask, when a voice behind her shouted.

"Casey?"

Derek looked up and swore.

"Truman!" Casey called back, a smile unwittingly on her lips. Derek was still swearing under his breath. Casey's ex-boyfriend moved closer. She shifted her baby on her shoulder so that she was more comfortable.

"Wow!" Truman said, as he reached them. "Is that what I think it is?"

Derek smiled winningly. "Yeah. A Gucci handbag. Have you not seen one before? They are all the rage."

Casey frowned at Derek. "Don't mind him. It's just PMS."

"Isn't that a female condition?" Truman asked. Casey shook her head.

"Perpetual Moron Syndrome."

Derek chuckled. "I'm rubbing off on you princess. Your wit has definitely improved. Must be impregnation that does it." The entire statement was too low for Truman to hear, but Casey still hissed "Der-ek!"

"Is it yours?" Truman asked Casey.

"It?" Derek was offended on his son's behalf. "He's wearing blue for godsake, even you should be able to work out he's a boy." Casey ignored him.

"This is Steven." She said with a smile. "And, yes. He's mine."

"Ours." Derek coughed to hide his interjection.

"He's lovely." Derek watched Truman's eyes drop to Casey's left hand. The gold band was still on her finger. Derek found himself putting his left hand prominently on Casey's shoulder, the matching gold band on display on Derek's ring finger.

Truman's eyes widened as they met Derek's.

Derek smirked.

I win.

Of course it was all a lie, but Truman didn't need to know that.

Derek rubbed the shoulder of his oblivious ex.

"What's his name?" Truman asked Casey.

"Steven." She answered.

"Steven Venturi." Derek added. Casey elbowed him.

"He's lovely. He must take after you, Casey." Truman smirked. It didn't look as good as Derek's smirk. "I'd better be off. I'm late for an appointment."

"It was nice seeing you again." Casey said, smiling.

"And you, Casey. We should catch up some time." Truman turned slightly. "Derek." He nodded. And then he was gone.

Casey gently placed Steven back in the buggy.

"Nice Derek."

"What?" he looked at her with an innocent expression.

"Territorial, much." She said. But she was grinning and he threw an arm around her as she started pushing the buggy along the street.


Derek treated her to a large hot chocolate in a little café, and let her sit close to him to hide the fact she was feeding Steven.

"I love that you do that." He said quietly, his lips close to her ear out of necessity.

"Do what?"

"Feed him yourself rather than make up bottles."

"It's cheaper." She said bluntly. Derek tilted his head to one side and regarded her with amusement. Casey sighed, "and nutritionally better for him, he will have a stronger immune system as a result. The cost aspect is a bonus."

"It's fascinating."

"That's because there are breasts involved Derek. You're always fascinated by breasts."

"Hey. At least it's your breasts I'm fascinated by."