Disclaimer: Don't own it. I wish I did though…

A/N: Thanks for your reviews guys! I know it's taken me FOREVER to update and I'm sorry, but I'm not getting the feedback I hoped for. Anyways…on with the story!! The song Marti listens to is in my profile, WARNING that song makes me cry every time I hear it!

Chapter 14: Talking

"What exactly did you do to him?" Casey whispered as Derek ran his fingers through her hair. He was lost in her eyes as he peered into her soul.

"Who?" He whispered back. She giggled at his lost mind.

"Sam, Derek, what did you do to Sam?" She asked and his eyes clouded over with anger.

"He got what he deserved." He mumbled. Casey exhaled deeply.

"For once Derek…can you give me a straight answer? What did you do?" She asked and Derek sighed.

"He was bad mouthing you…me…us. I…I basically jumped the kid. He was sent to the floor and he hit his head. He's in a coma now." Derek said softly and Casey's brows furrowed.

"You sent a kid into a coma?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because…he was talking shit?" She asked, stopping the amused smirk from playing at her lips.

"That whole school basically turned on you." He said and she looked at him confusedly.

"Me?" She asked and he nodded. "Why?"

"I don't know…the girls all hate your guts, which I get," He said, motioning to his body and she rolled her eyes while smiling. "…but, everyone else…they just listened to rumours started by…" He stopped himself before saying more. But her scrunched eyebrows and look of confusion pleaded with him to continue.

"By…?" She asked, motioning for him to continue. He breathed deeply and locked his eyes with hers.

"Emily and Sam." Sadness overcame her features and he held her waist tightly. She leaned her head against his chest and just stood there. "I'm sorry, Baby." He whispered.

"It isn't your fault." She whispered back. "I should've known, actually. It's just, as much as I don't trust Emily anymore…it still hurts that she would do something like that. The girl was my best friend." She explained and he nodded his head in understanding.

"I get it." He whispered before kissing her temple affectionately.

"We'd better get going." Casey said and looked over at Lizzie who sitting on a bench and talking to Edwin. Lizzie looked up and nodded, she looked back at Edwin apologetically and kissed him softly.

"Bye, Ed." She said before standing beside Casey.

"Bye." He said softly before hugging her tightly and taking his spot beside Derek. Derek enveloped Casey in a tight hug.

"I'm gonna miss you." He whispered and she felt the tears sting her eyes as the thought of him leaving entered her mind.

"Me too. I love you." She whispered back before pulling away. He kissed her softly and he and Edwin drove off to get Marti and go home. Casey looked down at Lizzie. She needed her big sister at a time like this. Casey had been pretty oblivious to that up until now. Her mother wasn't helping much with the matter. Casey was most of what she had and she was also struggling. Casey felt the pang of guilt hit her as she put her arm around Lizzie's shoulders and walked with her back to the motel.

XOXO

It was getting late and dark out. Lizzie and Casey had already eaten dinner and Lizzie had fallen asleep not long ago. Casey was sitting on the deck, looking out at the small lake across the street from the motel. She couldn't fall asleep; her mother hadn't returned from a long day of work and had left Casey in charge. As though there was anyone else. Casey had thought bitterly.

"Well, it's not the time to breakdown. It's not the time to breakdown. It's not the time to break up this love, Keep it together now. Well, it's not the time to break." Casey sang softly to herself as a light breeze wisped by her. She sighed. It was almost time for summer break, meaning she and Lizzie wouldn't be enrolled in any school until a new semester began. Lizzie would be in high school the year after this.

Lizzie would have to meet new people just in time to move away from them. Perfect timing. Casey wasn't one to disrespect her mother, but when she was wrong, and then Casey had every right to do so, so she thought. She was slowly, as much as she neglected the fact, beginning to hate her mother. Both girls were. Casey was just more forward about it, someone had to be.

Lizzie was too young. Yes, she understood it all, understood that her mother was being reckless and careless, but she didn't understand that the two of them didn't have to deal with fending for themselves during the day. Make their own food. Buy their own groceries, clothes…everything.

When they lived in Toronto, Casey didn't mind. She'd do it every so often. She was always glad to help. But now, now she wasn't helping. She was doing. Doing all of it. She was grateful for the money her mother brought in, but it was still no excuse. She worked weekends, early hours, late hours…they never saw her again.

The worst part was, Nora was oblivious to Casey's reluctance towards her. She rarely spoke to her. She gave short answers to any questions. Any thoughts of Nora slowly were slipping from Casey's mind completely. It wouldn't be long, at this pace, before she was officially erased from Casey's mind. She wouldn't care about her, couldn't care about her anymore, Casey would forget Nora existed completely.

Casey was shaken from her deep thoughts by her phone's vibration from inside her pocket. She took it out and read the text message.

D: I miss you already.

Casey smiled at the message and her fingers flew across the numbers immediately.

C: Me too. Liz just fell asleep.

D: Marti jumped me as soon as she saw me. She really misses you too.

C: Not that I should care…but…how's George?

D: You're right, you shouldn't care. But, to be honest, I don't really know. I don't talk to him much anymore.

C: I understand. I've grown far from my mom too.

D: Okay, well, I hope I see you soon. Love you.

C: Love you too.

Casey sighed and leaned back against the bench.

XOXO

"Smerek?" Marti asked from his doorframe. Derek's head snapped up from the magazine in his hands and he motioned for Marti to sit on the bed. She had tears on her cheeks.

"Hey Smarti, what's wrong?" He asked and Marti shrugged.

"Nothing." She said and he scrunched his eyebrows together.

"Then why are you crying?" He asked and Marti made an 'o' shape with her mouth.

"I heard this song. You know that one that Smasey really, really liked?" Marti said and Derek nodded.

"Heaven?" He asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, that one. Well, it was on the radio, but it was slow and there was a little girl and she said her daddy went away and she asked if it was true if he wasn't coming back home and it was really sad. I cried because her daddy's gone, but then I realized, so is Smasey. Does that mean she's never gonna come back home?" Marti asked, looking up at Derek with her big, sad, doe eyes. Derek swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Smarti…" More tears fell from her eyes as Derek searched his mind for something to tell her. "Look, I don't know if Sm-Smasey is ever gonna come back here. Okay? I know you really miss her, I do too, but we'll see her. Like we did yesterday. It was fun, right?" Derek asked and Marti nodded. "So…no more tears?" He asked and she shrugged. He smiled sadly and kissed the top of her head.

She stood up and walked to the door then stopped and turned back to Derek.

"Is that why you were crying, though?" She asked innocently and Derek's head snapped back up. He looked at her in confusion and she motioned to the corner of the picture frame that was poking out from under his pillow. Derek let out a long breath before nodding.

"Yeah, Smarti, it was." He said and she nodded before turning around and back to him again.

"Smerek?" She asked again and looked back up at her. "Can I sleep here?" She asked and he nodded. He moved over and she slipped under the covers with her teddy bear held tightly against her chest. "Goodnight Smerek." She said.

"Night Smarti." He whispered before the two of them fell asleep.

XOXO

She saw Nora's car pull up to the parking lot and the headlights shut off with the car. Nora climbed out and stopped on the deck beside the bench.

"Casey? Why are you still outside? It's late." She said and Casey shrugged. "Well, what are you doing out here?"

"Just thinking." Casey answered.

"About what?" Casey shrugged again.

"Everything. Like the Venturis." She said and Nora sighed before taking a seat beside Casey.

"I know I made a hasty decision in leaving. Maybe...well, I should have talked to you and Lizzie about it first before even contemplating it. But I didn't. Actually, I had been thinking about it for a while at that point. It wasn't fair of me to take you away from a life I forced you into. I know it seems like I don't notice, like I'm too busy to realize the life you guys have.

"But that's not true. I notice and I care. I know I've been working more and neglecting my home life. Lizzie has become dependant on you. Maybe that's more than you can handle." Nora said and Casey's eyes remained fixated on the water.

"I will always be here for Lizzie. She will never be a bear I won't hold up. Never. She's my sister. I love her, and right now, she's my family. As far as I'm concerned she's the only one I've got who's around and I'm the only one around for her. And I'll always be here. She can put her life in my hands and I will never let her down. If I'm her life line than that's exactly what I'll be.

"I won't give up because she's 'too much too bear'. It may be hard sometimes because you're never around but that's what I'm here for. I'm her older sister and if she's dependant on me…well, I've gotta say it's a hell of a lot better than her depending on you. At least she knows, and I mean really knows, that I won't let her down. I won't let anything happen to her. I'll protect her from anything she needs protecting from." Casey said before she stood and walked into her room.

A/N: I know, again, it's taken me FOREVER! I apologize. Well…I don't have much to say except: Please review. I'm not getting much feedback here…