The next day was one of those rarities – a public holiday which dawned brilliantly sunny with a forecast which said it would remain all day. The plan was to go back to their parents' house for the day, with talk of a barbeque in the afternoon. For now, however, Casey's dad had invited them to share his breakfast on the terrace which both their accommodations bordered.
Before any of that, Derek had to get out of bed, a process which he was finding very difficult because when he woke up, Casey was sprawled across his chest. He tried to move out from under her, which caused her to stir and the resulting friction between them turned into a semi-conscious make-out session and finally something else entirely.
"You do realise we just had sex in your dad's house, don't you?"
"Technically not. It's the annex." Casey replied looking up at him.
"You say potato…"
"Hey! If I don't think of it like that, I'll be too freaked out to let it happen again." She explained.
"Okay. It's the annex. You want the bathroom first? We're due for breakfast in half an hour."
"I'm comfortable."
"Yeah. So am I but I think your dad would rather we didn't stand him up for a morning of sex."
Casey grinned. "You go first. I'm worn out."
Derek snorted but he got out of bed and went for his shower, his wife watching the view as he walked. "Peeping tom." He complained under his breath.
"Like you weren't planning on doing the same." She laughed stretching in the now vacant bed.
.
The morning was warm and sunny, and Dennis had laid quite a selection of food out for them, including fruit and bacon sandwiches, catering to the tastes of both his daughter and her husband.
"This is nice, Dad. Thank you. Are you sure we can eat it all?"
Dennis laughed. "Of course not. I've got a friend joining us." He looked slightly bashful as he admitted, "She's in the shower."
Derek chuckled and Casey's eyes bugged.
"Her name's Ruth and we've been dating for about three months. She's looking forward to meeting you."
"Oh."
Derek put his hand over Casey's and leaned close as her father went back into the main house for the coffee.
"Evidently we weren't the only ones enjoying wake-up sex."
"Ew! Derek!" Casey looked uncomfortable. "I don't want to think about my dad like that."
"I'm sure he doesn't want to think of you like that either." Derek pointed out. Casey tilted her head to one side as she thought about what he was saying and then her expression changed. "I guess you are right. You know it's funny how your inhibitions about sex change the moment you start being sexually active."
Derek smirked. "I never had any inhibitions." He said.
"No, darling. I never thought you did." She grinned back.
Dennis came back out of the house with the coffee pot and Ruth who turned out to be a rather attractive grey-blonde lady of her father's own age. She seemed really nice and friendly, and completely smitten with Dennis. Fortunately, that was mutual and Casey was visited by a sense that Ruth was around for the longer term and so made an effort to get to know her.
Derek watched his wife as she talked and ate, and he was immeasurably grateful to her father. Casey was the most relaxed he had ever seen her. More relaxed even than she had been in the coffee shop the day she had flown to New York before the whole sorry business took place. He thought she had never been more attractive than she was now because she was less awkward and more laid back. At one point he caught Dennis' eyes and realised his father-in-law was watching his daughter in the same way. The unspoken comment between them made both men smile.
Later, when Derek and Casey left to make their way to the Venturi house, Dennis took Derek to one side.
"You're off to a good start, Derek." He said, nodding his head to where Ruth and Casey were talking. "Don't screw it up."
.
While they were dressing before the breakfast, Casey had asked Derek when he planned to visit Sam. It had been six months since the two best friends had seen each other and Casey knew that Derek didn't want Sam to hear about his marriage from anyone other than him. So now as they left Dennis' home, to walk the half a mile to Nora's, Derek was planning on leaving Casey with their family and continuing on to Sam's family home.
"How are you going to tell him?" Casey asked as they walked hand in hand.
"Carefully." Derek said. "He's still quite protective of you."
That surprised her.
"It's one of the things I like about Sam." Derek explained. "He's very loyal. You know I've never heard him bad-mouth an ex-girlfriend even if they dumped him."
"I know what you mean." Casey said, squeezing Derek's hand. "I hope this doesn't change anything."
"Me too."
Derek went into the house long enough to say hello and to explain that he would be back later, and when Casey looked like she was about to be swallowed up by the younger Venturis, he pecked her on the lips and left.
The walk through the familiar streets was interesting. He saw landmarks he recognised so well he could follow them in his sleep, interspersed with new items and sights which showed him just how long he had been away. Everything was the same but different. It was reassuring and confusing at the same time.
.
Sam's mom opened the door and squealed yanking Derek into the house and a warm hug. This was the woman who had been opening the door to Derek since elementary school and the past six months was probably the longest she had ever gone without seeing him. She explained that it was like losing one of her own children when the Venturis disappeared. Derek apologised, but when he found out that Sam was currently at the rink he was forced to apologise again and to explain that she would have to wait until she saw Sam to get the explanation.
He needed to tell Sam first.
The rink was also within walking distance which was one of the reasons why Derek was so good at ice hockey: too much effort and he would never have bothered. Normally, had he been blessed with a car he would have resented the short walk, but as his mind was still adjusting to being back in London, the re-discovering of his neighbourhood was pleasant.
As he walked, his mind wandered to the task at hand. How was he going to tell his best friend that, at the tender age of 21, he was married?
Happily.
To a very un-pregnant wife.
To his best friend's ex-girlfriend.
To Derek's own step-sister.
Sam was going to be shocked. Derek laughed. Sam was not going to believe him. He would think it was a prank.
Before he could come to a decision about how to approach the issue, Derek arrived at the rink. He couldn't hang around outside thinking it through because the moment he drew near to the building he started seeing people he knew very well: the staff at the rink, other junior and senior hockey players, a few amateur figure skaters who used to use the rink for practice before Derek and his team. He met a couple of people outside of the entrance, and as he went inside, came across more and more old friends and acquaintances.
Some people he just waved to, some he stopped and spoke to. It was nice. Familiar. But he was in a hurry to see Sam and he quickly excused himself to move further into the building.
He found Sam on the ice, circling and cutting patterns as he practised offensive and defensive manoeuvres by himself. Like Derek, Sam was no longer on a hockey programme, but the need to stay fit and active hadn't left. Derek knew that now that the danger was past, he too would be going back into regular training sessions. It was true what they said about newly weds putting on weight.
"Jesus! Look what the cat dragged in!" Sam exclaimed when he caught sight of Derek. He was beaming from ear to ear and all but flew across the ice. He stopped at the gap in the boarding and grabbed Derek in a bear hug. "Where the fuck have you been?" he demanded, and Derek laughed at the straight talking.
"Long story. You wanna go grab a soda or something?"
"You going to fill me in on the Disappearing Venturi Mystery?" Sam asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Of course."
"Then lead on MacDuff."
Derek chuckled. "Do you even know who MacDuff was?"
Sam frowned. "Some Scottish dude, why? Do you?"
"You just quoted Macbeth and challenged me to a fight."
Sam stared at him. "Since when did you become a keener?"
Derek gave him a dirty look and Sam laughed. "You scared me then, man."
They went to Smelly Nelly's. Or whatever incarnation it currently was. Derek didn't notice. It had changed interior colour and the staff were people he recognised from Edwin's year group but other than that he paid it little attention.
They ordered coke and a large slice of chocolate cake, Derek completely forgetting about the large breakfast he had put away at Dennis', and sat down to talk.
"So…" Derek looked at Sam. "How's life?"
"Seriously? You want to start with me?" Sam laughed.
Derek shrugged. "We're going to be talking about me all morning, I thought I'd be polite."
"Why?" Sam said and then they both laughed.
"Life's good." Sam continued. "Away from your influence, I appear to be pulling decent grades."
"Me too. Funny that!" They grinned. Derek looked at Sam. "Woman?"
Sam shrugged. "There's one." He said shyly.
"Now why doesn't that surprise me?" Derek teased gently.
"I know. I'm supposed to be sowing my wild college oats and everything, but I've just never been able to be as light-hearted about girls like you. I always seem to fall hook line and sinker." He sighed. "So go on. Tell me about the Venturi Vixens."
Derek choked on his coke. "What?"
"The harem you have stacked up, ripe for the plucking. Come on Derek I live through your stories."
Derek shrugged. "No vixens, no harem."
"On a break?" Sam asked.
Derek shook his head.
"Monogamy?" Sam looked shocked. "I thought you weren't doing serious relationships again."
"It's complicated. I'll tell you about it later. Tell me about Vancouver."
Sam launched into a long tale about life the other side of Canada, including a small anecdote about bumping into Sally. He told the story cautiously, uncertain how Derek was going to take it and was relieved when it didn't even seem to register with his old friend that they were talking about his ex.
"Enough about me." Sam announced. "Give, Dude before I beat it out of you."
Derek sipped his drink thoughtfully. "We've been in hiding." He said. "Casey's dad screwed up and got us on some wacko mobster's hitlist."
"Derek. Be serious." Sam pleaded.
"I am Sam. As serious as it gets. The guy put Lizzie in a coma for nearly two months."
"Fuck!"
"Yeah. Dennis, Casey's dad, invited Casey and Lizzie to New York for a visit. While they were there, Lizzie was attacked. It forced all of us into hiding. The rest of the family got moved to Toronto, Casey and I were relocated to NYU so that our studies didn't suffer."
"You and Casey." Derek nodded. "Together?" Sam queried. Derek nodded again. "And how was that?" Sam asked pointedly.
Derek chuckled. "Explosive for a while. We were supposed to be hiding as siblings, but then we found out that my family have mob connections and that anyone with the Venturi surname was untouchable."
Sam's jaw dropped. Derek grinned. "I know. Mario Puzo – eat your heart out! They changed our cover to that of young newly weds and planned to fake a wedding."
Sam snorted. "Like that would work! How long did it take for them to realise?"
Derek looked impressed. "Now! You see, that was my point exactly. I knew it would never work."
"What happened? When did they cotton on?"
"They didn't." Derek stated. "I wouldn't risk it. I told Casey I didn't trust the cover."
"And…"
"I took her to Vegas and married her for real."
There was silence: a long extended silence. Then Sam started laughing.
"What?" Derek asked.
"The whole idea of you persuading Casey to marry you, in Vegas! Shit! The whole school knows that girl has a wedding scrapbook under her bed."
Derek frowned. "Yeah well. Someone almost killing her made her realise I'm not such a bad catch after all."
After a moment, Sam realised Derek was serious.
"You married Casey?"
Derek nodded, holding up his left hand to show the wedding ring. "Five months ago. We've been living in an apartment in New York."
"Is it still in one piece?"
Derek smirked. "It was when we left it yesterday morning."
"You're still married to her?"
"Yes." Derek leaned forward. "Sam. Suspend your disbelief for a moment. Casey's my wife. And. It's. Working."
"What do you mean, "And it's working."?"
Derek sighed. "I mean, against the odds, I fell in love with my wife. And for some ridiculous reason, she's in love with me."
