"I've thought of a new award you could win." Lizzie said, settling back in the car. They were on their way back to the hotel after a fantastic evening.
"Oh. What's that?"
"Sister of the year."
Casey smiled. "Aw! Liz! Thanks!"
"It was great to be with people of a similar mind set." Lizzie said, looking out of the window at the cityscape passing by.
"Who was the guy you were talking to?" Her sister asked softly, understanding that she was in a slight dream.
"Phil? Oh he works in advertising. I was picking his brains over something."
Casey narrowed her eyes, sensing that Lizzie was hiding something. "Come on…spill!"
Lizzie sighed, a sort of excited sigh; a sigh because it is tiring to explain your secret, but invigorating to finally share it.
"I've got a business idea. It's something I've been thinking about for a while."
Casey was stunned. "That's great Lizzie. Tell me."
Lizzie turned slightly. "I'm thinking of setting up as a green wedding planner."
There was a pause during which time Casey pushed aside the little Derek voice she carried around in her head that wanted her to ask if that job entailed wedding co-ordination for Martians.
"Green Wedding Planner?" Casey said, thoughtfully. Lizzie explained.
"Most people go completely overboard at weddings. They order too much food, drink too much, spend too much on clothes and travel. It's a waste. But I'm not completely unromantic. I can see how people should celebrate their marriage. So I thought it would be good if there was someone who could help them plan a big wedding with a small carbon footprint."
"Wow! That's a great idea! Have you talked to Edwin about it?"
Lizzie frowned. "Why would I talk to Ed about it?" Casey thought she heard a touch of defensiveness about the subject.
"Liz. His product ideas might be awful but his knowledge of the business world is fantastic. If anyone could help you get this off the ground, it's Edwin. You should talk to him."
Her sister looked thoughtful. "Maybe I will."
Casey was fidgeting with her clutch bag.
"Lizzie. I'm going to tell you something and I'm going to make you swear not to tell anyone else, okay?"
Elizabeth McDonald felt a tingle of curiosity creep up her spine.
"Does this have something to do with you and Derek wrestling half naked?" She heard her own mouth say. Casey looked stunned.
"What? No. It's about money. If you are going to start a business venture off you will need capital."
Lizzie shook her heard. "Casey…I don't want money."
"Yes you do. You need money. And the best bit is this is your money already."
"You lost me."
"When I realised that my music was going to sell and I was going to make money at this job, I put some money in trust for each of my brothers and sisters, including you. You can't touch the capital until you are 25 but until then I can arrange for you to have some money on a loan."
Lizzie frowned. "How much money did you put away?"
Casey told her.
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Derek was watching TV when the door to the apartment banged open. His youngest step-sister came charging in, obviously severely pissed off. Casey followed behind her.
"Lizzie. Wait! Come on please…"
Derek stood up and looked questioningly at Casey who shook her head and followed her sister into her room.
Being Derek he listened at the door.
Satisfied it was over the money issue rather than that she had been told about their affair, he knocked and then barged in.
"Lizard! Calm down." He said smoothly. "It's Casey's money. She can do what she wants with it."
"Derek stay out of this." Casey pleaded.
"No." He turned to his sister; the step-sister who was his sister. "Liz. She's done this for every one. It's equal."
"Has she done it for you?"
"No. I wouldn't let her. Besides she said 'brother'. I'm not her brother."
"You are." Lizzie said, not really meaning it but waiting to see what response it provoked.
"Step-brother!" The two lovers chorused.
Lizzie grinned triumphantly then her eye caught Casey's, she was looking guilty.
"Casey…Have you set up a trust fund for Derek?" Lizzie asked intuitively. Casey, the girl who found it so hard to lie didn't answer. Derek turned in astonishment to his girlfriend. "Casey?"
She started towards the door.
"You promised me, Case." He sounded disgusted.
Reaching the door, Casey stopped. "Derek, I wouldn't have any of this if it wasn't for you. It was your dismissal that pushed me to enter the talent contest, it was your anger that helped me decide to pursue it. It was your rejection that made me push myself to succeed." He looked sad and so did Casey as they remembered the three years apart. Casey put a hand on his arm.
"Everything I have is as much yours as it is mine. All I do is get on stage and sing. You work hard making sure there are people there to listen. It's only fair you get some of the money. The trust fund is a compromise. If I had truly had my way you'd have half of everything."
"That's stupid, Case." He said, but there was no anger in his voice. "Do you have any idea how difficult that would be to arrange?"
"Practical, Derek?" Lizzie laughed. "Not really the Derek we know now, is it?"
They all smiled.
"I could just marry you." Casey said. "And no prenup."
Derek's astonished eyes tore themselves from Casey and looked at Lizzie. Casey had just mentioned marriage as though there was something between them, something very un-brotherly.
In. Front. Of. Lizzie.
In front of a member of their family. He needed to watch her, to gauge her reaction.
Lizzie smirked.
Derek took that as a good sign, and flicked back into Derek mode.
"If that was a proposal, McDonald, it sucked."
And with that all three of them were aware that the mis-matched jigsaw of their lives had been thrown in the air and when the pieces fell to the floor, they were a completed puzzle where all the pieces fitted closely, snugly, correctly.
All the pieces except one.
Casey glanced at Lizzie, as if seeking permission from the rest of the family. Lizzie laughed and nodded. Casey turned back to Derek.
"Derek Venturi. I love you. Will you marry me?" She asked, defiantly…daring him to say no.
"Yes."