Chapter 12

"My baby," Sam said. He had just entered the backyard when he heard Derek ask Casey about the baby.

Derek's eyes whisked back to Casey who chose to stare at the ground. She didn't know what to say. If she told Derek the truth now, everything would be ruined. She decided not to say anything. Derek took to the silence as Casey's agreement of Sam's words. Feeling betrayed, he wanted to nothing to do with either of them and walked angrily out of the backyard. He had reached the gate before he spun around on his heels and started to head back towards Casey and Sam. Casey's heart filled with hope and she wondered if he was coming back to forgive her.

All of her hope was gone the minute she realized that he was headed in Sam's direction. When Sam finally realized what was going on he threw up his hands to stop Derek, but he was not quick enough. Derek swung his fist hard into Sam's face and Casey heard a nasty crunch. Casey was mortified. She threw herself between Sam and Derek and said, "Der-ek! Stop!"

In that moment, Lizzie and Edwin came into the backyard to call Derek and Casey in because Simon was getting ready to blow out the birthday candles. But, when she saw the blood rushing down Sam's face and her pregnant sister trying to stop a fight, she rushed to help.

"What is going on out here?" Lizzie asked as she ran to Sam. She told Edwin to get some paper towels and ice ready as she helped Sam back into the house.

"Casey, Derek! Come and help me," Lizzie called.

"One second, Liz. I want to have a word with Derek," Casey shouted back.

Derek stepped away from her and said coldly, "I don't want to hear anything from you."

Casey lowered her voice and retorted, "I don't care. How could you be so stupid?"

Derek furrowed his eyebrows and said, "I could I be so stupid. I'm not the one pregnant after a drunken one night stand."

That quip hurt Casey and Derek noticed, but he knew there was nothing he could do to take it back.

"You're right, Derek. How could I have been so stupid? I did get pregnant after a one night stand, but it wasn't with Sam. And I never slept with Max so, what do you think that means? Hmmm... do you need a minute to work it out?" Casey challenged boldly.

After a few seconds, the realization hit. Derek whispered slowly, "Wait. I'm the father?"

He lowered his eyes to Casey's which were focused back on him. "Oh my God! I'm the father. You're having my baby. How is this even possible?" He ran a hand through his hair and started to pace.

Casey was now the surprised one. She had expected Derek to react differently. She grabbed Derek's shirt and asked, "How do you feel about this baby?"

Derek put his hands on her shoulder and asked almost frantically, "How do I feel? Is that a serious question?" Then, he resumed pacing.

Casey's feeling were now officially hurt.

"I thought you loved me," she said with a small voice.

Derek stopped pacing again and turned his full attention to her. He took her hand and said, "I do love you, Case. But, a baby. What are we going to do with a baby? I mean our lives are just starting. No one knows about us. I have hockey and you have school."

Casey's worst fears were coming to life. Derek didn't want the baby. He just wanted to live his life. But then again, she was prepared for that.

She started to back away from Derek and she said icily, "Well, now we have a baby. And you're right since no one knows you're the father, you don't have to worry. Live your life, Derek. I will take care of the baby. And Sam, the guy you just punched in the face, thinks that the baby's father is Max. He is just telling everyone that he is the father so, they won't ask me about it. He is literally just being a good friend. Maybe, if you took your head out of your ass for five seconds, I could have explained everything to you."

Derek was flabbergasted. He did not know what to say to that. He really had been an idiot and it may have cost him his best friend. Casey walked away silently, leaving Derek alone in the backyard as he had been before everything started.

The next day Casey and Sam were driving back to Kingston in complete silence. Sam had a bandage over his nose and seemed focused intently on the road ahead of him. Casey went with him to hospital the night before and was there when the doctor told them that he had a broken nose. Casey hadn't known what to say then and she didn't know what to say now.

As they continued to drive, Casey's mind drifted back to the argument she had with Derek. Part of her didn't want to believe it was real. She couldn't understand how Derek could love her so much that he would break his best friend's nose, but was able to choose his career over being with her and their baby. This was part of the reason she never wanted to tell him about the baby. She figured that if she never told him, he could never reject her. But the fact that he did, infuriated her.

Casey knew that if she kept thinking about Derek, she would become depressed, so she turned to Sam and said meekly, "So, is your nose feeling better?"

Sam shrugged and replied, "It's okay. How are you feeling?"

Casey smiled at his concern for her and said, "I'm fine."

The silence resumed for a few more minutes and then, Casey broke it again by saying, "Sam, I am really sorry about what happened last night."

Sam turned to her with a surprised look on his face that quickly transformed to anger.

"Why are you sorry, Case? You did nothing wrong. It's Derek that should be sorry. I mean, what the hell is his problem? Is he trying to be your protector or something? Because he really isn't doing a good job. I mean it was weird that he didn't want us to be together when we were teenagers, but this is fucking ridiculous. I mean I understand that he would be angry that you're pregnant, but I'm not a stranger or some creep like Max, I was his best friend," Sam ranted.

Casey felt as though she unleashed a can of worms. It seemed like Sam had given the entire situation a lot of thought and Casey could understand how Sam could view Derek's behavior as irrational since he did not know the true nature of Derek and Casey's relationship. Casey felt guilty for everything that happened to Sam because deep down she knew that she was the source of all his pain, emotionally and physically.

When they finally arrived at Casey's apartment, she felt exhausted. She just wanted to spend the entire day resting before facing the world again. She hugged Sam goodbye and walked into her apartment.

She sighed to herself, let her eyes roam around the apartment, and said to herself, "Home sweet home."

Then, she heard her toilet flush and the sound of someone washing their hands. Casey was stunned by what was happening that she did not think to call the police until the person was starting to exit the bathroom. She whipped open her bag and searched frantically for her cell phone.

"Casey, stop trying to call the police. It's just me."

Casey would that voice anywhere and she braced herself.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you at your own place?"

Derek folded his arms in front of him and replied, "I got here last night. I wanted to be here when you got back, so I could apologize to you as soon as possible."

Casey retained her composure, even though she was overflowing with emotion underneath the surface. She folded her arms as well and retorted, "You know I am not the only one you need to apologize to. You broke Sam's nose. He doesn't understand why you hit him, Derek."

Derek was clearly upset by Casey's words. He wanted nothing more than to apologize to Sam and just go back to being friends. But, Casey was right. How could he explain the rage and jealousy that flowed through his veins that night? The truth was that he couldn't and it killed him.

After a few moments of reflection, Derek said softly, "I am sorry about what happened with Sam."

Casey's icy glare softened after what seemed to be a sincere apology. Derek noticed her change in composure and reached out to her as he said, "Casey, I know that if anyone can raise a baby on their own, it's you. But, I just cannot run the risk of having my child turn out to be a keener like his mother so, I guess I'm going to have to stick around."

Casey was stunned, but instead of letting herself get too excited, she asked reluctantly, "Are you sure that this is what you want? There is a good chance that we will have to tell everyone that this is our baby someday. I don't even know if I'm ready to deal with all of that. My mother couldn't even bear to be in the same room with me after she found out I was pregnant."

Casey was starting to panic now and her anxiety levels climbed to an all time high.

Derek immediately reacted to Casey's freak out mode by rubbing her back as he whispered, "Relax, Casey. We'll take things one step at a time. I'll re-enroll at school and move back into my apartment so I can be around without really being around."

His method worked, she started to feel better the second his hand was on her back. She looked up at him and asked softly, "And what about us?"

Derek let out a deep breath and hung his head low. He held one of her hands in his and said quietly, "Casey, I love you. But, I can't seem to shake the stuff that happened between you and Sam."

Casey gasped. She didn't expect that. She believed that Derek would forgive her for the sake of the baby. The tears brimmed her eyes immediately and her voice was raspy as she pleaded, "Please, Derek. I know I messed up, but I want to us to be a family. I love you and I want our baby to have two loving parents."

Derek looked at her solemnly and said, "It will, Case."

Casey couldn't take it anymore. She kept in mind that she was taking back control of her life and right now she wanted Derek to be a part of it. In a burst of impulse, she grabbed Derek by the neck and kissed him with every ounce of power she could gather. He was completely caught off guard and he asked her hoarsely with heat in his eyes, "Casey, what are you doing?"

Casey smirked and said, "Whatever I want. And, tonight I want you."

Derek was confused by Casey's new antics, but he liked it way too much to say no. He shrugged and said, "Well, how could a guy say no to that?"

She giggled and then, whispered seductively, "He doesn't."

Derek kissed her and she gently guided him to the couch. He laid her down softly and continued kissing her as he rested his body gently on top of hers, making sure not to put too much pressure on her stomach.

Casey broke the kiss and jokingly asked, "Hey, do you have a condom?"

Derek made a motion to check his pockets and then, said with a laugh, "Sorry, I don't think I do. Do you mind if we do a pull and pray?"

She laughed and said, "I don't know, it didn't really work for me the last time I tried it."

Derek continued to laugh as he pressed another kiss on her mouth with the smile still on his lips. Casey broke the kiss again to take off her shirt and Derek followed her lead. But, as she started to pull the shirt off, she started to cry out in pain.

Derek was suddenly overcome with fear. He pulled his shirt back down, helped her with hers and backed off of her.

"Casey, what's wrong? Did I hurt you?," he asked in a panic.

"No, you didn't hurt me. But, I just had some sharp pains in my pelvis," Casey answered.

She glanced up at Derek and nervously suggested, "Maybe, I should go to the hospital to make sure that everything is okay."

Derek's facial expression was like stone as he said, "I'll drive."

Derek helped Casey into the car and every time Casey cried out in pain, he pressed down on the gas pedal a little harder. This annoyed Casey and caused her to yell, "Derek, slow down or you'll kill all three of us."

Derek shot an angry expression at her and said, "Do you want to get there quickly or not?"

Casey rolled her eyes and retorted, "Fine. But, you're paying the ticket if we get pulled over because-"

Her words were cut off by another sharp pain and Derek accelerated her car once again.

When Casey arrived at the hospital, the receptionist told her that she had to wait ten minutes before seeing the doctor. Derek did not take that lightly.

He gestured to Casey and shouted angrily, "This woman is eight weeks pregnant. She is clearly in a lot of pain and you have the audacity to make her wait to see a doctor!"

The receptionist was taken aback by Derek's tone, but she too noticed the fear in his eyes and she said reassuringly, "Sir, I understand your impatience. Just have a seat, I'll see what I can do."

Derek shook his head and led Casey to a seat. He put a hand on her stomach and the other around her shoulders.

Casey rested her head on his shoulder and said quietly, "I hope nothing is wrong, Derek. I know this baby will cause problems for us down the road, but I love it so much. And if I lose-"

Casey couldn't bring herself to finish her thought, she just shook her head and stared down at her hands.

Derek shushed her and said, "Don't say things like that, Case. Nothing will happen to this baby. It's our kid after all, so it will be a fighter."

Casey smiled at the thought. But, it was soon interrupted by the receptionist telling her that she could see the doctor.

Derek held her hand as they walked in and the doctor greeted her with a smile. He was an older man with glasses, a speckled beard and a warm smile.

"Hello, Ms. McDonald. My name is Dr. Dave Reulerr. What seems to be the problem?," he asked with genuine concern.

"Well, I was just sitting in my living room when I started to feel sharp pains in my pelvic area. I am about 6 weeks pregnant and I was afraid that something happened to the baby," Casey explained worriedly.

Dr. Reuller nodded and said, "Okay. Well, you are in your first weeks of pregnancy and pains like that are to be expected as long as there is no bleeding. Has there been?"

Casey shook her head and replied, "No."

Dr. Reuller threw up his hands and said, "In that case, you and the baby are fine. Just relax and take things easy. I'm assuming that this is the father of the baby, am I correct?"

Casey nodded and took Derek's hand. "Yes, he is the father."

Dr. Reuller gave Derek a serious look and asked, "She will need you now, more than she has ever needed you before. Can you handle that?"

Derek returned the doctor's stoic expression and said with certainty, "Absolutely."

Dr. Reuller's crinkled smile returned and he said, "I wish the both of you the best of luck."

Derek helped Casey up from her seat, but before they left Casey turned back to Dr. Reuller and said with heartfelt gratitude, "Thank you for everything, Doctor."

When they arrived back to Casey's apartment, Derek took Casey in his arms and hugged her tightly. As he let her go, he said, "I have never been more worried in my entire life. Imagine if I wasn't around tonight and something did happen to the baby or you. I don't think I could take the stress of living at my apartment when you need me. Maybe, it would be better if I stayed with you?"

Casey pondered his suggestion for a while then, shook her head and said unsurely, "I don't know, Derek. Sam will pop in and out of here and you are the last person he would want to see right now."

Derek sighed and said in defeat, "Fine. I'll go back to my place. Tomorrow."

Then, he and Casey went to bed.

ONE MONTH LATER...

'Today's the day,' Casey thought to herself. She waited patiently in the sonogram chair for the results of her most recent exam. This appointment was more exciting than usual because today she was going to find out the baby's gender. She wished that Derek was there with her, but he couldn't make it because he was at work. He had gotten a job as a waiter at the local coffee shop about a week after they got back from visiting their family. She loved him even more for that. It showed how committed he was to making their little family work. Her thoughts were interrupted when the nurse returned and handed Casey a picture of her baby.

Tears sprung unexpectedly to her eyes as she was overcome by a wave of emotion.

She kept her eyes on the picture and said, "My baby is wonderful." Then, she looked up at the nurse and asked, "So will you tell me? Am I having a boy or a girl?"

The nurse smiled and said, "Congratulations, Ms. McDonald! You are having a girl."

Casey went home and tried her best to focus on her schoolwork as she waited for Derek to get home from his job. But, no matter how much effort she put into her studying, she could not bottle up her excitement. She decided to call Sam to invite him over for dinner so, they could all celebrate the news together. She reflected on how much Sam did for her in the past few months and she wondered if would have been able to handle it all without his support. He had been there for her even in her darkest times and no one could replace the part he played in her life. The past month had been rough for everyone, but Derek and Sam were slowly rebuilding their friendship. About a week after the incident, Derek apologized to Sam personally, which brought their code of silence up to gestures of acknowledgement. Casey could see that they were both hurting and the fact that she knew she had something to do with their broken friendship deepened the pain she felt for them.

As she thought about friendships, her mind instantly went to Emily. She recalled Emily's reaction to her pregnancy with a smile. Her exact words were, "You hooked up with Sam and didn't tell me?!"

It was just like Emily to want to be a part of the gossip circle. Casey decided that she would tell Emily her big news first.

"Hey, Em! How are you?" Casey said when Emily answered.

"I'm fine. How are you and baby?" Emily asked.

"We're okay. I actually have some huge news and I want you to be the first to know," Casey said enthusiastically.

Emily jumped up in excitement and said, "OMG, what happened?"

Casey took a deep breath and said, "I'm having a girl."

Emily squealed and Casey held the phone away from her ear. When she replaced it, Emily said, "Awww, a girl. A cute little baby Casey. Congratulations!"

"Thank you! I can't wait to start picking out names and buying adorable baby clothes," Casey said wishfully.

Emily sighed and said sadly, "I wish I could do all of those things with you. When are you going to tell Sam?"

"Well, he's coming over for dinner soon. So, I'll tell him-"

Casey's words were cut off when she heard keys in the door. She quickly said, "Sorry, Em. I have to go someone's at the door."

Then, she raced over to the door and greeted Derek with a hug.

Derek was taken aback and said, "Woah, Case! You're in a good mood."

He rubbed his hand over her small bump and said, "I hope my baby is happy too."

Casey grinned widely and said, "She is."

Derek started taking off his shoes as he said, "She better be, I wouldn't want her-"

He paused for a second and then, looked up in surprise at Casey and said, "She?"

Casey nodded with excitement as a slow grin spread across Derek's face.

"Oh my God, we are having a girl!," he shouted.

He grabbed Casey and pulled her close to him. He kissed her all over her face and let his lips linger on hers.

"I love you, Casey McDonald. And I love our daughter," he whispered with a smile.

"We love you too, Derek Venturi," she promised.

Derek kissed her and led her to the couch. When they were both seated Casey pulled her shirt off and pulled his off as well. There was a hunger in their eyes as they looked at each other with a smirk. Derek ran his fingers through her hair as her kissed her deeply.

Casey broke their kiss and started to kiss his neck when they heard her apartment door swing open.

"Casey!" Sam called.

Derek and Casey both had equal looks of horror on their faces as they realized what would happen if Sam walked into the living room. They scrambled to put their shirts back on.

But it was a short walk, and they were too late.

Sam entered the room with a look of complete disgust written all over his face while Casey hurried to pull on her shirt and Derek was still nestled between her legs. There were even traces of Casey's lip gloss on Derek's face and neck. There was no way to deny what was going on. It was too obvious.

Sam blinked repeatedly as if he was trying to wake himself up from a horrible nightmare. Casey and Derek just stared back at him feeling ashamed and clearly worried.

After what seemed like years, Sam asked breathlessly as if not yet fully recovered from the shock, "Were you two just doing what I think you were doing, Casey?"

Derek smirked and said, "That depends on what you think we were doing."

Sam glared angrily at Derek and shouted, "Shut up, Derek! I asked Casey!"

Casey reached out nervously to touch Sam's hand, but he pulled it back like lightening. She let the rejection wash over her as she tried to explain calmly despite the anxiety and fear rushing through her veins.

"Sam, uhmm. I don't know how else to say this, so I'm just going to make everything perfectly clear with one sentence. I'm having Derek's baby."