Okay, sorry about the delay. My parents are out of town, so I have to cook, wash, clean up after my brothers (who are complete slobs) this weekend. Then I finally got to see my friends, and then I had a minor case of, 'oh shit, there's no way I can live up to expectations.' But I'm sure you don't want a full itinerary, so I'll just stick to saying hopefully that's over and done with, and I can write a good chapter for ya'll. It did end up longer than usual, so hopefully that makes up for the short chapter for the last update.
RAWR-IKICKBUTT: Thanks. No worries. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
jannikajade: Yeah, that sucks. And now the alerts aren't working again. Sigh. Glad you liked it. All the things you liked were the stuff I had lots of fun doing, lol.
Oasis Blackmore: FF Net has been down a lot recently. Or so it seems to me. But at least the doucment manager still works. Anti-social? Me? looks around nervously Says who? There's nothing wrong with holing yourself up in your room and only coming down for meals at one am. Just kidding. Sort of. Lol. I'm glad the pacing is okay, just continue to let me know. I guess I feel like with only a few chapters left, everything's getting wrapped up. It feels sudden, but maybe that's just cause I'm the one writing it. No outside perspective. Pasey? Never read that one. Sounds a little . . .disturbing. I mean, I can deal with Demily in small quantities (usually if it leads up to Dasey) but anything else is not cool. Personally, I think Derek/Sam is one of the most disturbing, but that may be because I haven't read the Pasey fic. I love the Derek/Casey chemistry, even if it is because of Mike and Ashley (wow, I always feel weird referring to actors in casual terms, lol). The secret scheme was a spur of the moment occurrence, but I think it will work better than what I had planned. I love snarky Derek. And the parents are just too much fun to torment. Wow, another long reply, lol. Oh, btw, I don't mind Happy Holidays in the common sense, it's when people do it to be politically correct. Like, where stores don't mention specific celebrations anymore and people say it to avoid overly sensitive people. Ah well. One of those pet peeve things.
zannessa101: Yay! Happiness. Kind reviews give me fuzzy feelings, lol.
Ghostwriter: Ah those parents. Even when they know what's going on they're clueless. Thanks a bunch!
Classless: I love stuff with Marti; any lack thereof has been completely unintentional. This really is my first major fic, so I'm not completely experienced with getting the right degree of teen drama with family drama. Marti's in this chapter, though. Hopefully she's prevalent enough. One problem with focusing a ton on Marti is it is kind of Casey's POV, so I'm not showing such things as the parents visit. But, hopefully this chapter is okay!
Xtremefaller8705: Glad you liked it enough to want to keep reading! One of my goals with this story was to write something a little different, but keep the classic Dasey we all know and love. Hopefully it worked okay. The slow pace is something more of my writing style and the way my brain works with fiction. I know it can be annoying to read, but I'm glad you worked through it and like the story anyway.
Ledagirl321: Thanks. That's a major goal of mine. I'll do my best, and hopefully finish the story pretty soon!
ninjamonkey: Glad you liked it and it seemed realistic to the characters. Hopefully this chapter lives up to that.
TragicMiko: Okay, you reviewed my other story, but I just wanted to say thanks and when you change your penname, let me know the new one.
Disclaimer: How many executives do you know who work for minimum wage?
Casey awoke with a feeling of nervous apprehension, but her determination grew as she thought about the visit later that day. They would succeed, and Miss Ackart would see the true nature of Abby. She carefully picked out an outfit, slightly riskier than usual, but still obviously Casey. Peeking out the door, she was slightly surprised that Derek wasn't waiting to steal the shower; then again, he would likely sleep as long as possible. With a half-bitter sigh, Casey padded across the hall and into the bathroom, shutting the door quickly and switching on the water. She reveled in the feeling, soothing and cleansing, for as long as possible before stepping out and dressing, towel drying her hair as she moved to her room and plugged in her blow-dryer. When she finally descended the stairs, Casey was feeling much calmer than when she awoke.
She was slightly disappointed to find Derek absent, but masked the feeling with an internal reprimand. Just because she had gotten used to the offhanded jokes and awkward silences didn't mean it was a necessary part of her day. Surprisingly, she hadn't thought much about the kiss that morning; she was far too focused on Derek's behavior the night before and the scheme for later that evening to obsess over the occurrence. Grabbing a bowl of cereal, she greeted her sister and youngest stepbrother.
"So, you think you've got it down?" Lizzie asked for the hundredth time. Everyone was a little worried despite their excitement; there was no guarantee it would work.
"It's not that complicated," Casey assured. "It really runs more on chance than anything."
"Don't worry," Edwin assured, though his tone suggested he was slightly apprehensive himself. "This plan is based of off solid research," he reminded, holding up his behavioral patterns notebook for emphasis. Casey wasn't completely sure the data was reliable enough, but neglected to say anything. Despite all her arguments the night before, neither Edwin nor Lizzie could be persuaded of the chanciness of their research.
"Besides," Casey said in an effort to lift the mood. "It's not until this evening anyway. We can always talk about it later." The middle children nodded in agreement and Casey began eating her breakfast, hoping all the while that her acting was better than her lying. She ate slowly, contemplating her role in the project, and finished her breakfast later than usual. She looked at the clock as she washed out her dish, briefly wondering if George had awoken Derek or if she should.
She was saved the trouble of deciding when footsteps carried down the stairs; Casey turned to watch Derek as he entered the kitchen. He glanced at her, did a double take, and swallowed some emotion before continuing mockingly, "Is this another feminist movement?"
Looking down at her outfit, Casey understood what he meant, though this was in no way as revealing as the Babe Raider outfit. Her skirt did come rather high up her leg, but not indecently so, and her sweater may have been fitted, but it she had worn it before. The hint of a smug smile crossed her features. The outfit was supposed to throw Abby off balance, but if it did the same with Derek, she wasn't complaining. "Actually," she responded flippantly, "I decided to branch out a little. You know, show a different side of myself."
"Does that side have to be half your thigh?" Derek asked in repulsed tones, but Casey could tell he was slightly uncomfortable.
She shrugged rather than responding, drying her dish and replacing it in the cupboard. Derek grunted at her indifference, grabbing himself something to eat and sitting with his back towards Casey. Catching Edwin and Lizzie smiling amusedly, he glared at them, eyebrows darting upward in a silent question before he returned to his meal without waiting for a response.
"I'm leaving," Casey announced, moving toward the door to grab her things.
"Make sure they're paying before you get in the car!" Derek shouted after her, unable to let her leave without one last quip. Casey grew slightly annoyed and vaguely defensive as she slipped on her coat and grabbed her bag, heading out the door without a response. She had seen Derek's dates dressed way more immodestly, and he never seemed to have a problem with that. For him to debate her outfit's integrity was both peculiar and hypocritical. Then again, Casey reminded herself, the point in wearing this was to seem less respectable, if only a little. Still, Derek had no right to make such comments.
As Casey approached the bus stop, she noted Emily waiting by the curb. Her friend raised an eyebrow, observing, "Well, someone's all dressed up today."
Tired of the topic, Casey shrugged, and Emily didn't push the subject. Instead, she regaled Casey with an anecdote about how Dimi had wreaked havoc the night before during dinner. Casey couldn't help but give a wistful smile, even as she cringed at the mess described. Dimi could be a little crazy, but the Davises loved him nonetheless. Hopefully, the MacDonald/Venturis would have their own little monster home soon.
The bus pulled up, and Derek fell in behind them. "Emily," he interjected, gesturing to Casey's outfit, "you did tell her that outfit is indecent, didn't you?" There was no trace of concern in his voice, but Emily glanced at Casey with a conspiring look and raised an eyebrow. Then she turned back to Derek, giving him a sympathetic look and shrugging her shoulders before climbing the steps to the bus; Derek rolled annoyed eyes in response, but apparently decided to drop the topic.
As Casey and Emily walked toward Casey's locker, Casey received a few odd glances and several catcalls, which she pointedly ignored. Katy, who passed them on the way to her first period, stopped them to ask, "What's with the ensemble, Casey?" Apparently, her clothing was riskier than she had thought. She shrugged in response, and Katy accepted the answer easily. "Oh, come find me at lunch to talk about the interview," she called out as she walked backwards down the hall. Casey waved assent and Katy began walking normally again, soon mingling with the crowd.
Emily refrained from asking about the clothing change despite her obvious desire to know. Surprisingly, by the time the girls made their way to first period, most of the talking had stopped. Casey still caught a few odd glances, but the comments from raucous boys had ceased rather abruptly. Shrugging it off with a rush of gratitude, Casey followed Emily to their usual seats.
By the time lunch rolled around, Casey felt like it was just another normal day. She found Katy at the Senior table, and the older students slid over to allow Casey and Emily to sit. They did so, Casey uncomfortably and Emily with an excited smile.
"Here you go," Casey told Katy, handing the girl the organized sheets, as well as the coach's messy folder.
"You're a lifesaver," Katy said, laughing in gratitude. "Did you make sure he answered the questions?" she wondered, more for professionalism than because she doubted Casey's integrity.
Casey almost replied 'yes,' but a stab of moral conscious darted through her, and she said truthfully, "Well, he answered the last few on his own. But I supervised most of it."
"That's okay," Katy dismissed. Smiling, she lowered her voice. "We'll just assume he answered the rest." Casey smiled back, glad Katy understood. The older girl turned to Emily, wondering with a conspiring look, "You wanted to help review the second sheet, right?"
"Definitely," Emily replied, a knowing smile decorating her lips. Emily couldn't seem to pass up gossip, and Casey wasn't sure if it was good or bad that Katy was fueling the habit.
Katy nodded, then asked, "Do you girls want to stay for lunch?" Emily glanced down the table, turning back to Katy and agreeing with false casualness, but Casey felt no need to sit with a group of students she didn't know.
"Actually," she declined, "I'm going to eat in the library. I'll be busy later today, so I should finish my homework." Emily gave her a look of amused exasperation and Katy nodded understandingly as Casey stood and grabbed her lunch. The library would be a nice place to think in peace, even if she didn't finish her homework, though she suspected she would.
As Casey descended the dirty metals stairs at her bus stop, she couldn't help but feel relieved that she had finished her homework during lunch and her free period. Usually, homework could serve as a stress reliever, but today Casey didn't have the time or the effort. She walked towards her house and entered nervously, wondering when Miss Ackart would show up. Derek hadn't specified the time, she remembered, slightly annoyed at his irresponsibility. Of course, he might have just done it to annoy her, but more than likely he hadn't bothered to set a time.
Edwin and Lizzie entered the room, eyes darting around the empty space before pulling her into the kitchen.
"Where's Derek?" Lizzie asked sharply, gesturing the empty room.
"Hockey, I think," Casey replied, rolling her eyes slightly.
"But he's supposed to be here and visit Marti with you," her little sister hissed. It was obvious Lizzie was nervous about the upcoming meeting, no matter that she wasn't going.
Casey shrugged and guessed, "Maybe we're going later."
"Don't worry," Edwin broke in, surprisingly calmer than his stepsisters though he had more stake in the matter. Maybe he really did have accurate knowledge of how everyone would react. "It's a short practice. I talked to him last night. They just have to do a few drills and skate some suicides. He'll be back by four." The girls relaxed slightly, and Edwin continued, "Okay, you know my mom is a neat freak. She's also fairly strict," he added, nodding approvingly to her attire, if somewhat disturbed. "And she doesn't get along at all with Derek, so anything you can do to-."
"Edwin, I know," Casey interjected impatiently. "I can handle it."
"Okay," Edwin agreed unsurely. "Just, don't think of this as lying. You aren't telling any actual lies here."
"Yeah Casey," Lizzie added, "You really are a horrible liar."
"Guys," Casey objected, though she knew her lying skills left something to be desired. "I'm not that bad of a-"
"Casey," Lizzie interrupted warningly, and she relented.
"Okay, okay. So, where's this present?" Lizzie opened a bottom cabinet and pulled out a brightly wrapped box. "What did you decide to put in it?" Casey wondered. They hadn't figured that out as of the night before.
"Finger paints and a bag of cookies," Edwin answered with a grin. "So if this doesn't work, we always have that as a backup."
Casey raised her eyebrow at her stepbrother's ingenuity and accepted the package. Edwin looked as if he wanted to go over the instructions for Casey once more, but he was cut off as Nora entered the room, looking through a file of papers.
"Hey guys," she greeted, setting her things on the island. "How was school today?"
She was answered by a chorus of, "fine"s before Edwin and Lizzie stood, making their way into the front room and settling in front of the television.
"How are you doing, Mom?" Casey asked, slightly guilty for the manner in which Nora had been ditched.
"I'm alright, Casey," she replied conversationally. This was obviously not the time to discuss one's problems. "How have you been lately?" Glancing up suddenly, she lowered her voice and asked, "How are you doing with the 'situation?'"
The way her mother asked told Casey she didn't expect a complicated answer. Still, Casey couldn't help a small blush as she thought of the particular situation. Sure, Derek had been hurtful in his disregard of the past week, but her mother's tone sent her mind darting to the pleasanter aspects of the night before. Shaking her head to rid herself of the memory of Derek's lips and the warm hand supporting her hip as he held her against the wall, Casey forced steadiness into her voice. "It's okay. I'll get through it."
"Ah, Case," her mother said sympathetically. "I'm sorry you have to deal with that. I know you didn't want to feel this way." She gave her mom a tight smile and Nora pulled her in for a quick hug before gathering her things. "I'm going to work on this. You'll be okay until Miss Ackart shows up, right?' Casey nodded and Nora exited the room. Plopping onto a stool, Casey rested her chin in her palm and sighed over the mess of confusion that was her life.
Casey had found her way to the couch by the time the doorbell rang, sitting sandwiched between her sister and her youngest stepbrother and watching a show she cared nothing about.
"I'll get it," she volunteered, more to leave the couch than anything. Glancing at the VCR clock, she noted it was almost four, and Derek still wasn't home. "Miss Ackart," she greeted, glancing nervously back into the Derek-less room. This was no way to start the visit. "Would you like to come in?" she offered. The woman accepted with a smile, stepping into the foyer and allowing Casey to close the door behind her before turning to the teenager expectantly.
"Actually," Casey began, trying to explain her stepbrother's absence. Her speech was cut short by the door swinging open and subsequently slamming shut. Derek strode in, dropping his bag carelessly by the door before taking note of Miss Ackart.
"Practice ran late," he said in lieu of an apology, walking backwards toward the stairs as he spoke. "I'll be down in five minutes." Casey watched him jog up the stairs with mild disgust and irritation for both his state and his tardiness before turning apologetically back to the caseworker.
Surprisingly, the woman had a wry smile on her lips. "Men," she said with a slight laugh in her tone. Casey couldn't help but agree, and the woman nodded understandingly before returning to her professional stance. Maybe this wouldn't be so difficult after all.
The car ride passed fairly quickly, filled with argumentative banter between the two teenagers, which the woman driving chose to ignore. At first Casey had been annoyed by the mocking quips Derek felt obligated to subject her to, but she soon found it an entertaining and stimulating diversion. At least when she searched for a comeback or some way to make him uncomfortable, she couldn't focus on their destination. As much as she wanted to see Marti, most of her anticipation had ebbed in the face of her task, so arguing with Derek was a welcome interruption to her thoughts, even if he knew how to get under her skin like no one else.
By the time they pulled up to the driveway, Casey was so nervous she couldn't help but smooth her skirt repeatedly as she climbed out of the car. Derek climbed out behind her, and the hand he placed firmly on her shoulder made her jump.
"Chill out, Case," he instructed casually. "It's just Marti." Marti wasn't what Casey was worried about, but she sighed in irritation nonetheless and shrugged off his hand, no matter how much she liked it on her shoulder. He rolled his eyes and strode up the path, muttering something about drama queens. They joined Miss Ackart on the porch, and when the door swung open Casey felt her nervousness simultaneously evaporate and strengthen in an odd combination that delayed her response as she stepped inside the doorway. Marti refrained from attacking her brother, walking across the room with a sullen expression before Derek grew annoyed and met her in her path. Swinging her up to his chest, he held her in a mock bridal style as he greeted her, and she regained a bit of fervor.
Casey smiled, moving over to set her face in front of her stepsister's with an enthusiastic but soft, "Hi, Marti!"
"Casey!" the girl squealed, lifting and arm to pull Casey into the pseudo hug. Casey found herself pressed rather awkwardly against Derek's chest and quickly popped a kiss onto Marti's forehead before drawing back.
"Hello, Casey," Abby greeted with a pointed look to her skirt. "Going somewhere?" she asked politely, but a hint of disapproval laced her words.
"No, why?" Casey responded sweetly, playing innocent.
"I think Casey looks pretty," Marti interjected from her perch, swinging her head to glance their way. Abby frowned at her daughter. "Sme-" Marti continued, only to interrupt herself with a shriek when Derek pretended to drop her, catching her and swinging her in a circle. "Smerek," she giggled through her delighted shrieks.
"Let's not play rough in the house, please," Abby admonished, sufficiently distracted. Casey smiled discreetly, secretly thinking the outfit had a better result than intended. "Would you care to adjourn outside?" Abby asked, directing the question to Miss Ackart rather than the children. The woman nodded in agreement, glancing questioningly at the three others. "Kids?" Abby was prompted to ask. "Outside?" They teens shrugged agreement, and Marti nodded emphatically as they moved in that direction. "I must ask that you keep Marti's clothing clean," Abby interjected with false helpfulness. "She should be spotless for our dinner tonight." They manner of her speech told them pointedly that they must leave before then.
As they arrived outside, the two women moved to stand against the fence with varying degrees of rigidity. Derek set Marti down, tickling her when she seemed unresponsive to the open space before her. "Come on, Smarti," he admonished. "Don't you want to play?"
"Play what?" she asked, slightly wary, when her laughter died down.
"How about tag?" Casey interjected enticingly. Derek glanced up at her, surprised, before leaning down to see his sister's response. Casey didn't usually suggest such games.
Marti looked around, then glanced down at her pale pink dress. "I don't want to play tag," she announced.
"Then how about chase?" Derek asked deviously, glancing at Casey with a predatory gleam that both excited and worried her.
Sensing Marti's hesitation, Derek took control of the situation and quickly swung his sister onto his shoulders before she could form an objection, during which time Casey surreptitiously sneaked across the yard. Derek looked up, whispering something to Marti, who giggled and nodded in response, leaning down to speak in her brother's ear; it was obvious Marti's doubts had been eradicated by her enjoyment of the actual activity. Then Derek was darting across the lawn, Marti secured by his grip on her legs and her hands clinging to his neck. As she took flight, Casey briefly realized that a skirt, especially one so short as hers, wasn't suitable for this type of activity, but the thought vanished as she focused on evading the looming capture. They darted about the yard happily, Marti occasionally yelling out directions to her older brother when Casey managed to slip behind him. Casey knew Derek would have caught her ten times over if not for the little girl on his shoulders, and she chose to exploit that fact in her maneuverings, taunting his slowness. He bantered back, and Marti laughed delightedly throughout the witty exchanges.
Finally, they came to a stalemate, standing off ten feet from each other and waiting for the other to make the first move.
"I think you should attack her," Marti whispered, loudly enough for it to reach Casey's ears. Derek looked contemplative, but knew he couldn't reach Casey before she escaped with Marti weighing him down.
"Why don't you confuse her, Smarti?" Derek suggested. "You can be The Distracter." He made the title sound important, and Casey couldn't help an impressed laugh. Still, Marti's thought needled into her mind; it could very well work. Glancing briefly at the two women, particularly the one with a guarded, pinched expression, Casey made her decision. Derek watched her, guessing her plan and giving her a disbelieving look. He didn't think she had the guts, she realized, setting herself determinedly. Glancing devilishly at Abby, Casey tackled Derek, secure in the knowledge that he cradled Marti in the fall before worrying about her own problems, like keeping her skirt down. The heap on the ground finally settled, amidst aggravated and dismayed shouts from the back porch.
"Casey's feeling daring today," Derek observed with a smug grin, staring at her amusedly as he sat up.
"That was fun!" Marti decided, ignoring the streaks of grass marring her clothes. "Let's do that again!"
"I don't think so, Smarti," Derek replied, glancing at the quickly approaching Abby before ruffling his sister's hair.
"I told you to keep clean," Abby hissed before containing her anger with a deep breath. "I think we've had quite enough of outdoors," she announced as Miss Ackart arrived to see what the problem was. "Why don't we have a snack?"
The troupe moved into the kitchen where they sat at the table, folding their legs beneath the lace tablecloth. Casey noted as she slid her legs under the table that she had a rather large grass stain on her left calf; she tried to rub it away surreptitiously as Abby sifted through the pantry. Derek noticed with a grin, raising a mocking but amused eyebrow before she abandoned her efforts with a blush and a pointed stare.
"Here we are," Abby declared, setting a tray onto the table before seating herself beside Marti. "Napkin," she reminded her daughter, who obliged unwillingly before grabbing a handful of crackers and cheese squares. Casey briefly wondered what kind of person had such foods in their pantry for quick use.
"Marti, have any new favorite foods?" Casey asked casually, studying the little girl. Marti's typical meals consisted of odd concoctions, which she highly doubted Abby would approve of.
"No, we eat yucky food here," Marti replied, crunching on a cracker.
"Marti!" Abby reprimanded. "We eat healthy food here."
"Yeah, but it's no fun," Marti explained.
"What kind of foods do you eat in that house?" Abby asked, irritated, and Derek grinned at his mother's repulsed look as Marti answered.
"Well, I like jelly sandwiches, and chicken in milkshakes, and ketchup on grilled cheese, and-."
"That's enough," Abby interjected, obviously searching for a new topic.
"What do you like to do, Marti?" Miss Ackart interjected kindly when Abby didn't find a subject.
"I like to play dress up," Marti announced.
"Yeah, with Derek," Casey added, half to annoy Abby, half for the look on Derek's face.
"Yeah, Smerek is the prettiest princess ever!" Marti agreed, missing her brother's slightly embarrassed expression, and Miss Ackart had to contain her laughter. "And sometimes, I get to be Smerek's good luck charm," she continued happily. "He won first place," she announced, "And he said I was the best good luck charm ever. Then Daddy bought us all pizza, and we had a party, cause Casey won something, too." She was obviously content to keep talking, no longer paying attention to her mother, or really anyone else, as she entertained—or consequently annoyed—them with stories from home. Casey felt a wave of nostalgia as Marti replayed the Bob incident, though she obviously didn't understand half of it—most of her retelling had to do with a dog that was made up, but really wasn't, and a teacher lying. The last time I let Derek talk me into something, Casey thought ruefully.
"Well, it sounds like you've been busy," Abby finally interjected, tightness evident in her tone.
"She's my little monster," Derek said affectionately, glaring at his mother.
"Do you remember the time Marti made potions out of my make-up?" Casey asked, glancing at Abby from the corner of her eye. "The bathroom was a wreck."
"I remember the look on your face," Derek laughed; Casey pointedly ignored the comment.
"It's a good thing Marti can't get to your lipstick," she told Abby in pseudo helpful tones. "Otherwise those beautiful white walls might have a new pattern." Casey glanced meaningfully at Marti, as if coaxing out her rebellious spirit.
"I can make art," the little girl announced; she obviously wanted to have some fun, but her smile hinted she knew how upset her mother was becoming. Grabbing another handful of crackers, she set about building a house, using the cheese cubes as windows. Abby seemed to sense she was being ganged up on, but pointed her accusing stare at Derek, who for once was not at fault. Casey smiled internally.
"Oh," She said suddenly, as if she had just remembered. "I forgot. Lizzie and Edwin got you a present."
"Present?" Marti asked, excitement working into her voice as she abandoned her task.
"Yeah," Casey replied encouragingly, ignoring the raised eyebrow Derek shot her. He always knew when she was up to something, and on top of her odd behavior earlier, a scheme was evident. "It's in the car. I'll go get it."
"I lock my car," Miss Ackart reminded, though Casey was well aware of the fact. "I'll have to unlock it for you. Will you be alright?" she asked Abby, motioning to Marti and Derek.
"Of course," Abby promised. "You'll only be a moment, and they are my children, after all." She smiled brilliantly, and Miss Ackart returned it slightly before leading Casey out to her car. Casey took her time finding the small package, but soon she was standing outside the car, trying to think of something to delay the woman. Just as she opened her mouth, Miss Ackart's phone rang; Casey sighed in relief.
"Sorry, just a minute," Miss Ackart promised, pulling the device from her purse.
"Take as long as you need," Casey reassured, unable to hide a small smile. The longer the stayed outside the higher chance of the plan succeeding.
The phone call only took a few minutes, and Casey found them walking up the path sooner than she would like. "Wait," she called, hopping slightly. "There's a rock in my shoe." The lie was weak, but Miss Ackart stopped and waited for Casey to remove her shoe, slowly searching for a rock and shaking her shoe upside-down multiple times before replacing it on her foot. She walked slowly up the stone steps leading to the porch. They had probably been outside less than ten minutes. Miss Ackart moved to open the door, but stopped suddenly when a crash sounded from just inside the entrance. Casey felt a stab of both fear and hope as Miss Ackart hurriedly threw the wooden door open and stepped into the scene.
"What-?" she began, then stopped, observing the room. Derek was glaring defiantly at his mother, who stared hatefully back as the words froze on her tongue. Marti standing in the corner behind Derek, looking much smaller than Casey could ever remember seeing her. All trace of anger seemed to melt off both feuding faces; Derek looked surprised and—as he glanced at Miss Ackart—vaguely hopeful, while Abby immediately assessed the situation and attempted damage control.
"We were just having a little disagreement," she said delicately.
"A little disagreement," Miss Ackart retorted wryly, glancing at the water stain on the wall behind Derek's head and the mess of flowers and broken glass at his feet.
"Well, you see-" Abby began, before trailing off at the look on Miss Ackart's face.
"I don't believe you are a suitable guardian for Marti," Miss Ackart announced grimly, and Casey couldn't stop herself from beaming, even as Abby tried to object. Miss Ackart cut off her protests and turned to Marti, who drifted slowly from the corner of the room.
"Miss Nasha?" she asked softly. "Can I go home now?" Miss Ackart smiled consolingly and nodded. Marti's face transformed instantly, and she smiled brightly as she ran excitedly towards her brother. Casey watched as he lifted her happily into a fierce hug. The elated and triumphant look on Derek's almost disbelieving face had been worth the whole thing, but the knowing and grateful look he sent Casey made her breath catch in her throat. Ignoring the feeling, Casey approached the pair to give Marti a joyful hug; relief and delight filled her as she thought of Marti coming home. It was clear than any discomfort between herself and Derek had disappeared in their celebration.
"But," Abby began, helplessness and anger mingling in her tone as she tried to persuade Miss Ackart of her case. "They can't raise a young girl properly. They don't know what she needs, how to teach her, how to provide good influences . . .."
"They seem to have done fine with this young lady," Miss Ackart countered, motioning to Casey. "Now I don't want to hear another word," she warned, almost as if Abby were a petulant child. Turning toward the other three, she suggested, "Why don't you wait in my car while I gather Marti's belongings?" Digging her keys from her purse, she handed them pointedly to Casey rather than Derek, who was too engrossed by his little sister to make a rude comment.
"Smerek, I want to sleep in your room tonight," Marti was saying as Casey accepted the keys and they headed out to the car, Abby's continued tirade fading quickly. "And Casey can come, too," she said excitedly, causing Casey to stare pointedly at the turning of the key before Marti continued. "And Edwin, and Lizzie, and Daddy, and Nora. We can have a sleepover!" Marti didn't seem to care for any last bitterness towards her mother before leaving; she continued her happy proclamations even as Miss Ackart arrived and placed Marti's things in the trunk, accepting the keys from Casey and driving away.
Marti grew more and more excited as they finally reached the house and began walking up the driveway. She was squirming by the time Derek swung open the door and called, "Dad!" into the silent house.
He appeared from the kitchen, still reading a file as he wandered into the room. "Yes, son?" he asked distractedly, before Marti cut him off with a squealed, "Daddy!"
The surprised George caught an overjoyed Marti in his arms once she had wriggled free of her brother. "Marti?" he asked, too confused to give her more than a grateful hug.
"Mr. Venturi," Miss Ackart began professionally, moving to speak with him. "It seems your ex-wife cannot raise Marti in an environment conducive to her needs. All of Abby's custody rights have been revoked." George glanced up, stunned by the sudden turn of events.
Drawn by the noise of the returning people, Edwin and Lizzie rushed downstairs to ask how well the plan worked. They were slightly surprised to see Marti home, despite their hopes, and ran immediately to greet her. Nora entered the room moments later, also drawn by the noise. She stared in surprised silence at the gathering before moving in to hug Marti disbelievingly.
Casey couldn't help a shimmering of happy tears from catching on her eyelashes, though in their joy no one seemed to notice. Miss Ackart stood off to one side, pleased and slightly uncomfortable in the presence of the family reunion. Derek had moved closer from the door, but strayed from the throng until Marti ordered him over. He complied, and she latched onto him quickly, despite being sandwiched between a jumble of other family members.
"Casey, stop crying," Marti instructed firmly, glancing over at her stepsister. "You're supposed to be happy." Noting her daughter's face with an understanding smile, Nora pulled Casey over for a hug, which soon became a group occasion as George and Marti joined in, followed by the rest of the family. Even Derek took part, though more because Marti was clinging to his arm than for any other reason.
The chaos seemed to slow after a few moments, and Miss Ackart politely stepped back in. "There are still a few things that need to be dealt with, but I'll discuss them with you at another time, Mr. Venturi." Turning, she headed toward the door, stopping when Marti dropped from her father's grasp to hug the woman from behind.
"Thank you, Miss Nasha," she said gratefully. Miss Ackart turned and bent to give Marti a hug before rising. Marti danced back to her family and Miss Ackart smiled before heading out the door.
They all gathered around the sofa, collapsing into its soft cushions or finding a nearby chair to sit in. After a few minutes of being drilled by her family, Marti glanced up, apparently remembering something. Turning to Edwin and Lizzie, she asked, "Can I still have my present?"
George and Nora laughed as Edwin darted up to get it from where Casey set it by the door. Lizzie looked amused, as did Derek, though his amusement held more pride. Casey rolled her eyes, but affection was plain on her face. That little girl was too much like Derek.
EEEEEEEEEEEE
Hope that wasn't too cheesy. Marti's usually really fun for me, but for some reason I had trouble getting started this time. I guess I just love her so much I want her scenes to be cute and heart-wrenching and loving and Dasey-ish and Smarti/Smerek-y all at once, which doesn't always work. And I had to focus more on the plan than on fun Marti moments. Plus I kind of wrapped that whole thing up, which was both nerve-wracking and relieving. But anyway, hope it turned out all right; you know, believable, well-written, okay pace, all that jazz. I'm not always the best at joyful reunions, lol. One to two chapters left, I think. Maybe an epilogue, but I don't know. Comments, suggestions, accolades. All are welcome, lol. Or even flames if you really wanted to. Happy New Year, everybody!
