Three days.

Derek wasn't exactly sure how long he thought was an appropriate time for someone to give you the silent treatment over the involuntary actions of your body but he felt three days was long enough.

On their wedding night, Casey had emerged, glaring from the bathroom. She then proceeded to slam the doors of every thing she could – bathroom, wardrobes, minibar – and then she climbed into her bed, threw the pillow over her head and didn't re-emerge until the morning. Derek knew her well enough to know that he needed to give her some space. Besides, he needed to calm down. She wasn't kidding about his "lap".

Ronald and Angelo had appeared at their room the following morning to plan the long journey from Las Vegas to New York and Derek wasn't exactly sure what state they had expected to find their charges in, but he doubted that the tension they met was it. No sooner did they enter the room, than Casey was grabbing her bag and leaving, taking Ronald with her. Angelo and Derek were left staring at each other.

"PMS?" The normally reticent G-man asked.

Derek shook his head. "Just normal Casey." He replied with a resigned manner.

"What the fuck did you do? Sleep hump her or something?" Angelo cocked an eyebrow.

There was a quiet pause.

"Tell me you didn't sleep hump her…" Angelo pleaded.

"I didn't sleep hump her. She fell asleep on my lap and I got…erm…morning wood."

Angelo laughed. "Casey wasn't impressed?"

"It was 1am. Casey's…" Derek wasn't about to rat her virgin status out. "less comfortable with the physical parts of the opposite sex than most women."

Angelo sighed, becoming serious for a moment. "How long till she calms down?"
"I don't know. I've never had a hard on in front of her before." Derek shrugged. "Probably several hours."

"I'm not leaving you two alone in the car if she's homicidal."
Derek chuckled. "Like I said, that's just Casey. I'll deal with it when she gets back."

"I was hoping to leave today. Maybe tomorrow would be better."
"Yeah. Probably. She needs to shop and have girl company."
"Good thing Ronald's gone with her then."

The two guys smirked at each other.

"Coffee?" Derek offered his bodyguard.

"Please." Angelo threw the pile of maps he was carrying down and perched on Casey's bed. "Why are you doing this Derek?"
"Doing what?"

"Why did you marry your step-sister if the two of you can't stand each other?"

"Because she's Casey. And I don't trust any other fucker to look after her."

He had a plan. It involved copious amounts of Thrash metal and extreme volumes. He had spent his "day off" cruising the music stores of Las Vegas buying Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer CDs. Derek figured if the 'Big Four' didn't break Casey's silent treatment she was destined to die a virgin, because no one could withstand the gods of thrash without breaking unless they were controlled by a higher power.

Knowing Casey, he actually wouldn't put it past her.

For three days now, all communication between them had been via a third party, although Angelo had objected quite vocally to the 3am phone-call which started,

"Angelo. Would you kindly tell Derek to stop snoring please?"

Derek wondered how much the bullet hole in the ceiling was going to cost Uncle Sam. It did the trick though. Who knew that Derek and Casey's room was directly above Ronald and Angelo's room?

They had been on the road for two days now and the silence in the car was excruciating. Derek was biding his time, but he had nearly caved on several occasions. The thought of another eight days of this was depressing. However, he waited until Casey was driving before sliding in one of his new purchases and cranking up the volume.

It was Metallica, 'Enter Sandman'; a great track in Derek's opinion, one of his favourites. It was the sort of track you turn up, wind down your windows and say screw other road users. Derek did exactly that.

Casey's knuckles on the steering wheel turned white but she said nothing.

Derek let the CD pass through its repertoire and then moved on to Megadeth.

Casey said nothing.

Another day and the 'Big Four' exhausted, Derek gave up.

At the next possible rest stop, he confronted her.

"Casey…" he started. Casey ignored him. "Casey…" She still ignored him. Derek had had enough. He stepped in front of her and waved his hands in her face.

"What?" Casey asked.

"Okay. I cave. What the fuck is it going to take to get you to at least talk to me again? You think I'm a pervert or something? It was 1am - I was asleep. I was probably dreaming about some blonde with big assets or something. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Casey, I'm not going to be the sad guy whose wife divorces him for sleep humping her, okay? Believe me, babe, I'm far more grossed out about the idea of you inspiring…erm…that sort of reaction than you are. I mean, hell, you may be my wife, but that doesn't mean I find you attractive or anything." Derek rambled on and on, until he suddenly realised that Casey hadn't said anything. He frowned.

"Casey?"

Casey smiled sweetly, raising her hand to her ear and removing what looked like a wax ear plug.

"Did you say something Derek?"

Derek closed his eyes and gave in.

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

Casey's smile broadened. "Just so you understand buster." She said, leaning forward. "You come within two feet of me and I will ask Ronald to install drainage holes in your manhood."

"My what?"

"You heard me, moron."

And with that, she turned on her tail and walked back to the car.

After that, she did at least talk to him, or rather when they argued she did it directly rather than through their two intermediaries. Occasionally she said something non-confrontational while they were driving, but it wasn't often.

This time they were driving with less haste. The previous road trip had been hurried to get Casey married as soon as possible. Now they had the leisure to take the long journey to New York a bit slower. They were averaging about three hundred miles a day, and the motels they were staying in were less impressive. They had been told that their apartment would be ready in a week so there was no hurry.

Each night, they stayed in a twin-bedded room of the sort where you would let your grandma stay, but only just. Ronald and Angelo shared the twin room next door. Casey never saw inside so she had no idea whether they actually shared the same bed or not. On the brief occasion she pondered the question, she came to the conclusion they probably didn't. Angelo had looked at Casey's wedding outfit in a completely different way to Ronald. The latter waxed lyrical about the stylish cuteness of it; the former liked the way it enhanced her breasts.

Evenings in the motel were the hardest, especially as her relationship with Derek was fairly near rock bottom. She missed the closeness they usually had in their fights. Now they were distant from each other, even in conflict. In the past, Derek had not been afraid to get up close and personal. Now he rarely came within four feet of her. It wasn't surprising because she had threatened him, but even though his distance was what she wanted, she still missed him.

They had been on the road for five days when the email came through.

Hi Sweetheart, it's mom.

[Casey was glad she had begun like that because she didn't recognise the email address at all.]

Just to let you know I'm still in New York and there is little change. The staff tell me that this is a good thing, a positive thing and that it will take time, but it doesn't feel good right now.

It's especially bad because I'm away from home and I miss everyone. Somehow, I guess you understand that because you aren't there either. I hear that D is with you. G said something about you travelling as newlyweds…oh dear! Shall I warn the authorities?

Tell D I'm proud of him – I'm proud of you both. If this is the case, you've put your differences aside for the greater good, and that is definitely something to be proud of. Besides, I think you two exaggerate the hatred a little too much.

Look after each other and remember, even if it is just the two of you at the moment, you are part of a much bigger family who love you both.

I'm not sure when I'll have anything more to tell you. But just because I'm quiet doesn't mean I'm not thinking of you.

Love always,

Mom.

X

Casey cried when she read her mom's words. Derek looked up.

"Jesus Casey! Waterworks again?!"

Casey stood up calmly crossed the room and performed a perfect right hook to his jaw.

Then she let Derek read the email.

The next email, two days later was from Marti. She told them that she had moved but wasn't allowed to say where they were. She told them about her new school and house – in very general terms - and it was full of her trying to get used to not having Nora or Lizzie in the house. It was obvious with George trying to cope with everything, Edwin wallowing in his depressed state, and the only other person in the house still under the age of five, Marti was very lonely.

Casey ached for her little sister and wished she could be there. She wondered how Robbie was coping without his mom, the little boy far too young to understand. And she thought about George, trying to cope once again with three children who all missed their mother.

She let Derek read the email since it had come from Marti. Their eyes met when he had finished and he tried to pull her to him for a hug, but Casey wasn't ready for sympathetic Derek, and pulled away.

Later that night, as he lay in bed listening to her soft sobbing, Derek cursed his inability to get it right with Casey. He had tried to be normal for her and got smacked for his trouble. He had tried to be comforting and she had pushed him away. He needed to find a way to get through to her that they were in this together.

But this was him and Casey, and two wedding rings don't make a smooth relationship.

He did what he always did these days when he had to sleep just a few feet from his wife. He buried his head under the pillow and tried to go to sleep.

The four of them, in their two cars had now developed something of a routine. Derek and Casey took the lead for most of the journey and then a few miles short of their intended motel, Angelo would normally overtake them and roar off up the road to "check out" rooms and the general the lie of the land and make sure he and Ronald knew what lay ahead.

They did the same for rest stops too; which is why they weren't nearby when Derek crashed the car.

Casey and Derek were arguing. Derek couldn't even remember what had triggered today's sparring match but now they were on to her criticisms of his taste in music. (He was still playing Metallica, although not as loudly). Casey was also complaining that she was cold, which was hardly surprising as the temperature was minus six Celsius and the roads were icy to say the least.

Derek, Casey and driving don't go very well together. Derek, who was driving leaned across to switch on the heating and switch off the CD when he hit a large patch of black ice.

The car immediately spun out of control and Casey screamed. Derek managed to remain calm, easing off the gas and loosening his grip on the steering wheel, letting the car go where it wanted to. They both waited for the bang.

When it came, it hurt and it was immediately obvious that it was a very solid something. Casey opened her eyes to see the tree in front of them, but the nose of the car looked far less damaged than she would have thought.

"Thank you." Derek said quietly.

"For what?" She managed to gasp.

"Those two defensive driving lessons you gave me for my birthday."

Casey gave a small smile and made to nod her head.

"Ow!" She cried out and clutched at her neck.

"Careful, you've got whiplash. We should call 911."

"We should call Angelo."

Their bodyguard said they would turn around and join them and Derek could hear Ronald talking to someone on his own cell in the background, making arrangements. In fact, by the time Ronald and Angelo arrived, the local sheriff was already there and arranging for the car to be towed. The group of lawmen stood around looking at the wrecked car, discussing what had caused the crash.

"It was ice." Derek said. "I got distracted and I hit ice."

Casey stood to one side, holding her neck and shivering even in her large coat. A paramedic gave her the once over and announced the whiplash was nothing that a painkiller and an early night wouldn't fix.

Angelo approached Derek and handed him his car keys.

"Don't wreck this one." He said with a wry smile also handing over a scrap of paper with the name of a hotel in the next town. "You've got a reservation there. We'll sort this out and meet you there. Leave our bags in the boot when you get there. I have a spare key so I won't need to disturb you. Just keep your eyes open for trouble and if in doubt call 911."
Derek nodded.

"Is Casey okay?" Angelo asked.

Derek frowned. "I'm not sure. She's hurt her neck and she isn't talking. She's either pissed with…again, or she's in a lot of pain."

"Or both." Angelo grinned.

"Or both."

AN: Okay and now for the bad news. I'm off on my jollies, so there may not be any more updates for a WEEK! I'm not taking my laptop and I won't have an internet connection so I guess it will be a real vacation!

I will however be taking the lovely notebook that my friend Kim gave me so that I can keep writing while I'm away, and it will give me time to plan a bit more plot – and work on my other two stories too.

The good news is I'm off to the playground of the rich (and us mere mortals), The French Riviera! (Monaco, Monte Carlo, Nice…and for the first time since my honeymoon…Italy!) I'll let you know if it is all as glam / James Bond in real life as it looks!

Anyway, sorry to leave you all for a while. The children go back to school almost immediately, so I should have chance to churn some new chapters out as soon as I get back.

Au Revoir / Ciao!

Sarah