SHOUTOUTS\ANSWERS

Abster1: They're heading during dance hours. I think you'll be pleased with this chapter.

KileaRaven23: Thanks.

Your21: Thanks. So do you.

PaceynJoey4Eva: Thanks. You'll see.

Chicas: Thanks.

DISCLAIMER

Owned by Disney, not me. I would imagine that Casey would keep in contact with her friends and would probably complain about her stepbrother to them. So, that's how they know all about Derek and the Venturis'.

Hours later, they reached Kentworth Prep Academy. Derek whistled.

"Dang. Nice place," he stated.

"It sure is," Edwin agreed.

"Wow. It's pretty busy," Marti said.

"There must be a dance," Lizzie commented.

"I'll go see if I can find Casey," Derek stated.

"Are you crazy? You're gonna stick out like a sore thumb," Lizzie protested.

"Yeah, right, Lizzie. You're forgetting: I'm Derek Venturi," Derek bragged. Lizzie rolled her eyes, but wasn't quick enough to stop him.

"Casey! Hey, Casey!" he called. Hearing him cry out, everyone turned their heads and watched as the dark-haired boy moved through the crowd.

"Who is that?" Terry asked in disdain.

"My stepbrother, Derek," Casey responded.

"The slacker?" Sarah queried. Casey nodded.

"Hey, Casey!" Derek shouted.

"Slacker alert! Slacker alert!" Casey cried.

"All grade points down!" Terry, Kent, and Sarah chorused with her. They laughed and slapped five. Derek stopped momentarily, but continued until he reached them.

"Casey, we need to talk," Derek stated.

"Kind of on a date here, Derek," Casey replied.

"It'll only take a minute," Derek cajoled. Casey sighed.

"Excuse me, guys. Pity convo time. Duty calls," she stated. She gave Kent a kiss, then followed Derek out into the halls.

"Okay, what do you want?" Casey snapped.

"For you to come home," Derek said.

"I am home," Casey responded. "I'm happy and I'm popular. I don't need you to ruin it for me," she continued.

"We miss you," Derek said, looking at her and hoping she'd understand.

"Well, Edwin's probably gotten used it to by now, and Lizzie and Marti will too," Casey dismissed. Derek's hopes dashed. She hadn't realized what he had meant.

"No," he said, taking her hand. "I miss you," he said seriously. For a moment, Casey stared.

"What?" she asked.

"Fighting with you, I mean," Derek quickly corrected himself, yanking his hand away. "You keep me interested, on my toes," he continued.

"Yeah, you too," Casey admitted. Just then, a short boy with glasses and combed down hair walked up to them.

"What?" Casey snapped.

"I---uh---uh---" he stammered. Casey made shooing motions with a hand and he scurried off. "Loser," Casey muttered. Derek stared in surprise.

"Hey! Way to go, Queen C!" a voice called.

"Thanks!" Casey acknowleged. Derek realized he had to move fast.

"Casey, look. Please, come home," he implored.

"Derek---" she started to protest.

"There's nobody I'd rather fight more with than you," Derek interrupted. She bit her lip and stared at the floor.

"Ditto," Casey said after a while, looking back up. "But what about this? I love being Queen C. It's like you. At your school, you're King D. If you had to move away, you'd miss it," she continued.

"Well, look. Your dad has visitation, right?" Derek questioned.

"Yeah. Lizzie and I visit him," Casey answered.

"So, anytime you wanna be Queen C, you just jet back," Derek told her. Casey blew out a breath.

"Okay. Okay, let's go," she agreed. Derek slung an arm around Casey's shoulders. To Casey's surprise, his touch didn't annoy her. Together, they walked back through the dance.

"Casey?" Terry asked.

"What's going on?" Sarah wondered.

"I'm going back," Casey replied.

"How are we going to get through the school year without Queen C?" Terry wondered.

"Yeah, I'll need you at all the social events," Kent added.

"Hey, I'll still be Queen C. Just from a distance," Casey assured. "And remember, tell me who's wearing and doing what," she continued.

"Right," her friends agreed.

"Come on, King D. Let's blow this joint," Casey declared, slinging her arm around Derek's shoulders.

"Lead the way, Queen C," Derek agreed. Together, they walked back to their family.

"Casey, Casey, Casey, Casey, Casey, Casey!" Marti exclaimed happily.

"Hey, Marti!" Casey grinned. She knelt out of Derek's embrace and held out her arms, into which the younger girl ran.

"Mmmmmmm. I missed you," Marti stated.

"Ditto, kid," Casey murmured.

"I take it I did good, Smarti?" Derek queried.

"You did real good, Smerek," Marti replied.

"Come on. Let's go home," Nora stated. With that, they all went to the car and headed for her father's. At his house, Steve reacted in surprise as the door opened.

"Casey, what's wrong? Why are you back so soon?" he asked.

"Daddy, don't take this the wrong way, but..." Casey's voice trailed off.

"You miss your mother and your stepfamily," Steve finished. Casey nodded.

"It's okay, honey. I'll make the arrangements," her father stated. With that, everyone helped Casey get packed. When they were done, they got into the car and headed home.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

"Convo" is shorthand for conversation. I got it from this short-lived Dennis Farina series. Can't remember the name of it though. And I am totally aware that Casey's bouncing around from her mom's, then dad's, then back to her mom's house is very unrealistic, and I apologize. It's just the way my fic ended up. P.S. I was thinking, after I get a break of course, of making a series that was crossover between Supernatural and Life With Derek. For those of you who don't know what Supernatural is, it's about these two brothers who hunt creatures of urban legends: Bloody Mary, the Hookman, etc, among other things. The premis would be this: Nora is John Winchester's sister and her first husband died like Mary Winchester did. This happened a little after Lizzie was born. Casey joins John, Sam, and Dean on their hunts during the summers and has two nicknames, "J.H." which stands for "junior hunter" because she's younger than Sam and Dean, and Sam calls her "Cay" because when acknowleding an order she says, "Kay" instead of "Okay". Sam doesn't like Dean calling him "Sammy" because it's what Casey calls him and he feels it makes it less special. Casey's first boyfriend Ricky was also killed this way shortly before Nora met George. Sam and Dean often keep her updated on what they're up to, so she knows about Jess.