A/N: This chapter was kind of forced, but I hope you enjoy it. It's not my favourite, but had to get over that "hump", because good things are coming in the coming chapters... ;)

This will probably be my only update this week. I've got a busy schedule, but I might be able to get something out on Friday (?)

I do not own Life with Derek, nor any of the characters affiliated.

When Derek came down the stairs and went to the kitchen to grab some breakfast, he tried to ignore his dad, who was reading the newspaper. When Derek entered, George put the paper down on the counter. Sliding a bowl onto the counter, Derek took a seat and poured some cereal into it, and filled it with milk.

"Derek," George started, folding up the morning paper.

And here it is, Derek thought, preparing himself for the conversation to ensue. He didn't say anything, but took a big bite of his Cheerios, an excuse for not answering.

Putting both his hands on the counter, George leaned forward and stared at his son. "Derek, let's talk about your date last night," he continued, and Derek sighed, swallowing, and put down his spoon.

"What's to talk about?" he answered sarcastically. "It's not like you were there."

"That's exactly it. I wasn't there." George's tone was serious. "I know you went out with Casey. I have a problem with - "

Derek smirked with rebellion. "And what would be the problem with that, Dad?" he challenged. "Because last time I checked, the McDonalds weren't a part of this family anymore." Derek knew that statement was dead wrong, but if he was going to still try and bring the family together, he had to push the boundaries.

George sighed loudly. "Casey isn't just some girl, Derek. I don't know what game you are playing at, but it's not funny. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't date her. And I'm sure Nora would appreciate it, too."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Derek took the defensive, sitting up on his stool.

Derek noticed George's finger tapping on the counter. "I just don't want Casey getting hurt."

That really bugged Derek. "You really think I'd hurt her?" he said, resentful.

"Well you don't have the greatest track record. You go from girl to girl all the time, sometimes more than one at a time. All you look for is fun, and once that wears off you move on. Casey isn't like that. She's careful in her relationships, and they last a whole lot longer than yours do."

Derek stood up and leaned against the counter, too. "Maybe I'm not looking for 'fun', Dad. I know what Casey's like, believe me. I've been jammed in this house with her for the past three years, and you really get to know someone who's always in your space. And I'll be damned if you stop me from seeing her because you don't trust me. If Casey trusts me, then that's all that matters." He began to turn to leave, but George started his rebuttal.

"Derek, you and Casey are these two opposing forces who never let down. You'll be miserable."

"Maybe you should let us decide that. And why should I listen to you? It's not like you've been very reliable."

"Hey, I'm very reliable," George said, trying to vindicate himself.

"Oh, so that's why mom left when I was twelve, and now Nora walked out on you." Derek maintained eye contact with his father, not letting down. This was a fight he was determined to win. He could tell his father was struggling with his next words, and Derek smirked in victory. "So maybe you should check your own life before you tell me how to live mine." He walked away and went up the stairs, where Edwin was crouching on the floor, obviously eavesdropping on the loud conversation that had just finished.

"Nice one," he said to Derek when he noticed him on the top stair.

"Shut up," Derek grumbled, and then went in his room to get ready for school. As he pulled off his shirt and threw it on the floor, he was still upset at his father. How could he have the audacity to insult him like that when his own life was such a mess?

But as Derek pulled on a clean shirt, it hit him that that was the exact reaction he had been trying to get. This whole dating thing, after all, was supposed to bug his Dad. That was the whole point.

He was just really invested in it, and for a good reason. Casey was special to him, and not just because she was part of his scheme. Derek really didn't want to hurt Casey, and he was going to do his best to make her happy. He realized that part of that would be to stop pursuing her romantically, and just focus on making their family happy again.

It would be hard, but it's what she wanted. She made that plainly obvious the night before.

"Whoa, you look terrible."

"Thanks, Sam," Derek responded to his friend as he approached Sam and Ralph, who were getting ready for class.

"I just mean, you look a little beaten up. Something happen?" Sam shouldered his backpack and stared at Derek.

Derek ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. "I was up all night."

Ralph's eyes widened. "Wait. Did we have an assignment due today?"

Derek laughed, and then shoved him a little bit. "No. I was just up thinking."

Nodding, Ralph said, "O-oh," and went back to being blissfully ignorant. Derek wished he could be as stupid as his friend sometimes - like now - but he had too much on his mind to worry about.

"What's up?" Sam asked, concerned for his friend.

Derek wanted to say something to Sam, but knew it would backfire on him, so he shrugged it off. He knew Sam had gotten over Casey ages ago, but he didn't want to risk it. Guys could be pretty possessive, even after a long break. "Nothing. Just…" He searched for something viable to say that sounded fairly believable, but nothing good came to mind. "...thinking about stuff."

It seemed to have been a good excuse, because Sam nodded it off and went back to his conversation with Ralph. Derek tuned them out and scanned the crowd around him, looking in the direction of Casey's locker, but couldn't see her anywhere. He could see Emily, though, who was alone at the base of the staircase.

Before he could chicken out, Derek went up to her and said, "Emily," getting her attention right away. He tried to look and sound nonchalant as he strode up to her.

When Emily looked up and saw Derek, she immediately smiled and gave him her full attention.

He tried dialing up the charm since he knew Em had had a crush on him since the womb (pretty much. It started some time soon afterwards). "You look good today," he offered, not really meaning it. She looked the same as she always did, but Derek needed information and wasn't about to give her a mediocre comment.

She giggled and held her books to her chest. "Thanks. You do, too." Blatant lie.

Before she could steer the conversation away from where Derek wanted it to go, Derek asked, "so have you seen Casey yet, today?"

Em looked disappointed he was asking about Casey, but nodded. "Yeah."

"Cool. Do you know where she might be? I need to talk to her." He expectantly clasped his hands together in front of his body.

Giving a confused expression, Emily said, "uh, she's talking to Paul, the guidance counsellor, right now… I don't know when she'll be done."

Great, Derek thought. I screwed up that badly that she needs an immediate counselling session. He clenched his jaw and nodded. "Oh." He meant to thank Emily for her help and walk away, but there was more he wanted to know. "Hey," he started, forcing the words out. "Did Casey talk to you about…"

She lifted an eyebrow. "About what?"

He swallowed. "About the separation, or about… getting our parents back together; something along those lines?" He didn't want to be too obvious just in case Casey hadn't told Emily anything about their plan or what he had done yesterday.

Shrugging, Em looked to the side, trying to recall. "I mean, nothing recently. But she really misses you guys. And she really misses her room, especially since she just re-did it a few months ago."

Derek's heart slowed, thankful Casey hadn't divulged anything to her best friend… at least, as far as he could tell. He didn't think Emily was lying, and he was a pretty good gauge when people were.

He nodded. "Okay," he said, definitively, and walked away without another word. It was better he left it like that.

The warning bell for class sounded, and instead of heading straight to class, he began walking over to the guidance counsellor's office and stood on the opposite side of the hall, leaning against the lockers. He got there just in time, because the door clicked open and he managed to hear the last few words come out of Casey.

"Thanks, Paul," she said, and exited into the hall. Derek stood up straight, and her eyes immediately found his.

"Hey," he said. There went his heart, again. Man, Derek berated. Keep it together.

Casey looked down quickly and turned. At least she didn't take off down the hall running. Derek walked beside her, even though his class was in the opposite direction. "About last night -"

"Derek, please. Let's not talk about it."

"Casey, we have to talk about it," he disagreed, grabbing hold of her arm. "If we start this whole awkward bull shi-"

She cocked an eyebrow at him.

He rolled his eyes. "Bull crap," he corrected. "Then our parents won't reconcile." He began to lower his voice and leaned in closer to her ear. "My dad actually exploded this morning because we went out."

She stopped and looked at Derek, surprised. "George blew up?"

He nodded. "He hates the idea of us together."

Finally, Casey kind of smiled. "That's great!" she declared, and then bit her lip. She looked at Derek, warily, like she was just realizing that Derek was struggling with that awful truth.

He hated that he had made things so awkward between them. But he had gotten caught up in the moment. It had seemed so perfect at the time to tell her how he felt, and was suffering the consequences.

The bell went again. They were officially late for class. Derek didn't care, but Casey's eyes bugged out of her skull. "Uh, let's talk at lunch," she said quickly. "Same place?" Her expression was muddled, and she ran off down the hall to her first class, not waiting for his reply.

Derek sighed heavily. "Not a good idea," he mumbled to himself. If he was going to successfully put his feelings for her aside, being forced into close proximity with her was going to be a problem.

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