A/N: So ... Derek's up to something, eh? I'm so glad to see the interest in his devious mind! It also worries me a little ... LOL. Enjoy this chapter, leave me a little note, and don't forget to wish your moms a Happy Mother's Day!

Derek went up the stairs and silently congratulated himself. THIS should teach Johnny not to mess with the Venturi men and their women. HA. Derek had enlisted Edwin a few days prior to help him prank John, and the plan was set in motion for that night. While Derek and John were over at Ralph's playing poker, Edwin was supposed to sneak into Casey's room, get all of John's stuff, and strategically arrange all of it on the roof. They were heavily banking on the fact that George and Nora were going to be out of the house, and luckily, they were right: George and Nora had a dinner party at George's boss's house that night. To further their luck, Lizzie had plans to go to a friend's house for a sleepover and Marti was at her mom's house for a few days. It was just John and the teenagers, a situation ripe for pranking.

Just before 8:00pm, Derek shut down his computer, went downstairs, and grabbed his jacket. John and Casey were sitting on the couch, snuggling, and he groaned internally. I hope that I didn't just waste my day … studying. Derek shuddered. John was expecting a real poker game, and since neither Sam, nor Ralph, nor Derek really played poker, Derek had spent the entire day learning about the game in order to fool John. He figured that he had learned enough to make the game last a few hours, maybe even take some of John's money.

"We're going," Derek said, shrugging his jacket onto his lean frame.

"OK, John, have fun with the guys tonight," Casey singsonged, kissing John on the cheek.

"Thanks, baby, I will." John turned to Derek. "Do you mind if we stop at a liquor store along the way? I want to pick up some bourbon for tonight."

"Uh, Johnny? No can drinky. We're only 18."

"No, YOU can't drink. I, on the other hand, am 24, and I'd like to get some bourbon for tonight. Can we stop or not?"

"Fine, whatevs. There's a Lick-Bo on the way." Derek made a move for the front door. Who is this guy trying to impress? Casey?! No way … the Casey I know swore she'd wait until she was 19 to have a drink, and I don't see that changing now. Unless … she DID change over the summer! What did this guy DO to her? I swear, I'll kill 'im with my bare hands if he so much as touched a single hair of hers … Derek grimaced.

"Don't wait up for us, Casey, I have a feeling it's going to be a long night." John planted a kiss on her cheek and got up from the couch.

"Don't worry, I won't. I'm just going to sit here and enjoy the relative quiet of the evening." Casey grabbed her book off the coffee table and snuggled into the couch. "G'night, boys!"

Derek opened the front door and was greeted by Sam and Ralph looking at him nervously. "Sam! Ralph! What are you guys doing here?"

"My grandma and her friends are playing bridge tonight at the house. I totally forgot," Ralph said. "Can we play here? I brought the poker chips."

"Uh … " Derek looked around. "Sure. Everyone's out tonight, so we have the place to ourselves. Oh, except for Casey. And Ed."

"Hi, Casey," Ralph said with a smile.

"Yeah, hi, Casey," Sam echoed. "How was New York?"

"Oh, it was wonderful," Casey said, "especially since I met John." Derek gagged a little as she oozed in John's general direction.

"Oh, right, you must be John. I'm Sam." Sam extended his hand past Derek and introduced himself to John.

"Hi, Sam, it's nice to meet you." John grabbed Sam's hand, giving it a firm shake. "And you are … ?" John asked Ralph.

"I'm Ralph. When are you going back to America?"

Derek laughed nervously. Why am I even friends with Ralph? he thought. He's such a screw-up sometimes! "RALPH. Come in. We'll get set up on the dining room table. Casey can go be lame somewhere else."

"I am not lame, Derek," Casey said, standing and putting her hands on her hips. "I am just … comfortable. Besides, you guys were supposed to be going out!"

"And now we're not," Derek said. "So you can either go upstairs and be Lamey McBookerson, or you can get out."

"You can't kick me out of my own house!" Casey spat.

"Uh, I think I just did." Derek's mind was in overdrive. Shoot, this wasn't supposed to happen! There's no way we're going to be able to prank Johnny while he's in the house. And Casey won't stay down here and listen to us just play. Unless … "Unless you want to get your $50 and buy-in."

"You know what? I will," Casey said, spinning on her heel towards the staircase.

"Uh, Casey, Derek?" John asked, "can one of you take me to the liquor store? I'm serious, I don't gamble unless I have my boys Jack or Johnny with me."

"I'll take you. Come on," Casey said.

Casey and John left the house, and Sam and Ralph descended on Derek.

"Derek," Sam said, "I'm so sorry, man, I know this wasn't the plan. What are we going to do now?"

"Sam, chills. We're just going to have to play some poker and completely humiliate Johnny by taking all his cash. Don't worry about Casey: she doesn't know how to play poker, and she can't lie to save her life. Just focus on completely destroying Johnny, and it's all good."

"Uh, Derek?" Ralph asked. "Why are you so focused on kicking this guy's ass?"

Derek sighed. Again, Ralph, with the dumb questions and statements. Something we really wouldn't be worried about if he remembered that his grandmother was playing bridge tonight. "Because he's on my turf, and I want him off."

"This has nothing to do with Casey?" Ralph persisted.

"No. Absolutely not. Casey. Pssh," Derek said, flushing slightly. Please let them either be dense enough to not notice or smart enough to leave this alone.

Either way, neither Sam nor Ralph pursued the issue. They just got the deck and the chips set up and waited somewhat impatiently for John and Casey to return.

They didn't have to wait long—Casey and John came skipping in about 20 minutes later, a brown paper bag in John's left hand and Casey's intertwined in his right. My God, man, is nothing sacred? You have my girl and liquor, two things I can't have. That's it, I'm taking ALL your money.

"Hurry up, guys, we want to get started." Derek grabbed the cards and started dealing.

"Uh uh, Derek, what do you think you're doing?" John asked.

"I'm dealing? It's what you do with cards?"

"I don't think so. Casey's warned me about you; those cards were probably rigged. Let me shuffle and deal this first hand." John took his seat at the table and unwrapped a bottle of Canadian Club. "Casey, honey, will you please grab me a tumbler with some ice?"

"Sure, John, be right back." Casey glided out of the dining room and into the kitchen. Did you see how he just spoke to her? Derek exclaimed silently. And she just took it? It's like … I don't know. She's so … accommodating. And feminine. And … she must really be in love with him to act like that. The Casey I know would have told him to go do it himself.. Out of the corner of his eye, Derek watched Casey come back into the dining room with a glass of ice and place it in front of John. What I wouldn't give for that.