Flashback!
"Derek, if you don't stop, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet."
Derek looked up and Casey could tell he didn't realize what he was doing. He gave her an apologetic grin, "Sorry," he muttered.
"Hey, come over hear and sit down by me. All the pacing in the world isn't going to make Anna come in here any quicker. And please, can I remind you one more time…"
"Derek, you must be on your best behavior," he said finishing her sentence for her. "I know Case, you told me a million times."
Casey rolled her eyes and shifted Jase in her arms. "Well, I know how angry you still are about the whole picture ordeal and may I emphasize one more time, now is not the time for 'smart ass' Derek to rear his ugly head. Anna still has total control over Kristen and no matter how bad we want to do otherwise; we are going to play nice. Understood?"
"Yes mam!" he exclaimed teasingly, as he sat down beside her.
Just then they heard the door open and Anna came around and took a seat at her desk. "Mr. and Mrs. Venturi, I'm sure you're coming here looking for answers."
Casey looked over at Derek with a pointed look before returning her gaze to Anna. "Actually, we just came here to check on the progress of our adoption of Kristen and to see if we could see her. We'll be leaving in two days and we want to spend as much time as possible with her. Plus I still need to get my actual interview with you on tape and I'd like to get some footage of the orphanage and of Kristen with us."
"I'm not sure that we can do that. Just because the two of you are famous doesn't mean that I can just bend the rules for you."
Casey glanced over at Derek and she could see the color rising in his face. He was getting angry and he was about to blow. But really after everything they had been through she couldn't blame him.
He glanced over at her for a sign and she silently shook her head in understanding.
That was all he needed and he was off with a vengeance. "Listen here Anna, my family has just gone through a great amount of emotional trauma not to mention possible irrevocable damage to our character because one of your little workers saw dollar signs. We have donated tens of thousands of dollars to you, not because we expected something in return but because we are very sincere about your cause here."
Casey glanced at Anna whose eyes had widened as she looked on at Derek. "But I assure you Mr. Venturi I…"
"I know you fired her, but so what, big deal. She knew that she would lose her job when she did it. What she made here was literally pennies compared to what she was rewarded with from the media. I can promise you that if you try to back out on us, if you try to take Kristen away from us, you will know what it's like to experience the wrath of Derek Venturi. In fact, I believe you might want to try and push this through as fast as possible. The sooner this is over with the better for everyone. Wouldn't you agree Anna," he asked pointedly.
Anna was speechless and Casey was terrified. All she had wanted was for Derek to tell her how hurt and shocked they were by what had transpired at the orphanage. Never in a million years did she expect him to go off on a tirade like that. She remembered the first time they had went through something like this.
Casey awoke to the feeling of strong arms wrapped around her and soft kisses being placed at the nape of her neck. She rolled over and looked at her husband. Husband…the thought of that gave her chills, but at the same time made her want to shake her head in disbelief.
Two nights ago they had flown to Las Vegas and been married quietly, just the two of them. Then they had caught a flight home yesterday and had appeared at the fundraiser last night just as Derek had promised his agent he would. It had been nerve-wracking to say the least. Cameras and reporters had been everywhere and all they had wanted to know was who the girl on Derek Venturi's arm was. But that wasn't the most interesting part. No that had come courtesy of the observation of their wedding rings. As soon as they were noticed a firestorm had hit that had forced them to make an early exit. She still shuddered at the thought.
Derek pulled her tightly to him. "Good morning, baby," he murmured in her hair. "Are you hungry?"
She pulled back and looked at him; he never ceased to amaze her with things. "Good morning, baby. Are you hungry? Wow, I didn't know the romance died so quickly after marriage."
He rolled his eyes and placed a light kiss on her lips. "Well, while you were asleep for the last hour I've been laying here watching you and it took a lot of energy for me to not wake you up. I need some food and then we can come back here and work it off."
"Come back here? Can't we just order in?"
"No way! The diner down the street has the absolute best chocolate chip pancakes in New York and I'm dyeing for some. What do you say," he asked as he gave her his best puppy dog face.
"I say, no. Derek after last night I don't want to go anywhere."
"Case, it'll be okay. There's no way they've figured it all out yet. They'll still be trying to find out about the mystery girl and we're going to film our interview at the station today. We'll have our story out there before anything really happens. Now come on, find those big sunglasses you love so much. Heck, put one of my caps on but we are going out to eat."
"Derek, I'm not the mystery girl. I did an interview with you. I may not be famous but they'll figure out who I am."
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They had just left their apartment and were walking the short distance to the diner when suddenly a newsstand caught her eye and she stopped dead in her tracks. She was holding on to Derek's arm so he was drug back with her as she stood, mouth opened, eyes wide, totally shocked at the headline before them.
There was a picture of them from the night before with a headline that read, 'Sex-cest in the City' and another had the same picture with the heading 'Wedded Sis' which she could only imagine was a play off of the phrase 'wedded bliss'. She held on tightly to him for support as she felt her knees begin to buckle and pulling her close he kissed the top of her head. She buried her face in his chest and asked, "Can we please just go back home, Derek, please?"
He said nothing but turned them around and they hurriedly went back up to the apartment.
She had managed to hold it together until they were inside but then the flood gates opened and the tears wouldn't stop. She hated it. She hated appearing so weak and she knew that Derek couldn't stand to see her cry, but she couldn't help herself. She ran into their room and threw herself on the bed, sobbing uncontrollably.
She felt the bed dip and hesitant arms move to embrace her and pull her into his lap. He ran his fingers through her hair and rocked her back and forth as she cried. Not saying anything, but just being there for her. He knew her well enough to know that she had to get this out of her system before they could talk but it killed him to see her like this.
He would tell her later that it was the first time he realized that he wouldn't always be able to protect her and he had felt like a total failure. He had assured her that everything was going to be alright and it hadn't.
Finally, she had cried until there were no more tears but still he held her tightly to him. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked her gently.
She shook her head yes but didn't say anything.
"I'm really sorry Casey. I know you didn't sign up for all this when you married me. I wish I could make it all go away but I can't. Unfortunately, they didn't print anything that I can threaten legal matters with."
She pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes. She saw him visibly wince at her when he saw what this was doing to her. "Do you think it will always be like this?" she asked quietly.
"I don't think so, but I can't promise you that. But I can tell you what we're going to do about it. We're going to go down to the station today just like we planned. We're going to do the interview and we're going to tell everyone the real story."
She buried her face in his chest and began to cry again. "I can't Derek, I just can't," she sobbed.
Derek felt his heart clinch and his stomach drop. "What do you mean you can't? What are you saying Casey?" he asked in a trembling voice. "Are you sorry that we did this?" he asked with panic now evident in his voice.
She didn't say anything but just cried harder and Derek felt the tears begin to come to his eyes. Did she think this was a mistake? Did she not want to be with him anymore? He literally didn't know what he would do without her and he felt physically sick while thinking that this was the direction she wanted it to head.
Finally, he gathered enough courage to pull her away from him and he made her look him in the eyes. "Answer me Casey. Are you sorry we did this?"
She shook her head and threw her arms around him. "Oh no, Derek, I'd never regret marrying you. I love you more than anything."
He let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding and buried his face in her neck. "Thank God, I thought you meant you couldn't do us. Casey I promise, I'll make it better. Whatever it takes, I'll make it better."
"Derek, please don't promise things you can't keep. There is no way for you to make this better. Whether we like the way they're spinning it or not, what they're saying is true. And I have a feeling it won't be dyeing down for a long time."
"But I won't let them make us into some dirty little secret. Be prepared, because tonight in our interview the gloves are coming off and when I get finished there will definitely be the correct spin brought to light." He wanted to end it there but he couldn't. He had to gain assurance from her one more time. "Case, are you sure, absolutely positive, that you're okay with us. There's no doubt at all in that pretty little head of yours? I don't think I could take it if I knew you were ashamed of us."
"Derek I could never be ashamed of you. It's just hard. I never thought I'd have to live my life in such a public way and it's just going to take some getting used too. But I will never, never be ashamed of you."
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Later that night, true to his word he had told the world how things really were and for some reason most everyone had backed off. Sure the really trashy mags had kept it going for awhile but they had held their heads up high through it all and before long they had become "Dasey", America's darlings.
Evidently persuasive Derek still had a way with words because when she came out of her thoughts she heard Anna say, "Of course Mr. Venturi. If you'll just wait a moment, I'll have someone bring Kristen to you and I'll give you some privacy for some family bonding time."
She left the room and Derek turned to her with a wink and a smiled. "I knew she'd see it my way."
One more chapter!