Chapter 6- Heroes and Villains

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, my only profit is the fun of writing about "Life with Derek" and Beach Boys songs.

Derek and Casey pulled into Sam's driveway and parked the car. They'd decided to stop here and get what was sure to be a difficult experience behind them before going home and celebrating with their family. Sam was an old friend to both of them, and they hoped that all would be resolved, that Sam would accept that they were together, and move on with his life. Derek reached out for Casey's left hand and fingered the ring that he had placed on her finger just a couple of hours before.

"Does it make sense that I'm happier than I've ever been but dreading telling this one person WHY I'm so happy?"

"Of course it does. I know you don't want Sam to be hurt."

"But last night, I didn't care. I was jealous, Casey. He wanted you too, and I was on him like a …well…I guess I was afraid he'd take you away from me. I've felt that before, you know, when we were kids, I didn't realize that my affection for you was not brotherly until I knew he wanted to date you…and I couldn't tell him why I didn't want him to. But last night, I shouldn't have stirred up an argument with him."

"Maybe not, but it's done now. And I really do understand. Let's just try to keep our tempers in check right now, okay?"

Derek smiled and squeezed her hand. "And squeeze if we sense ourselves losing it?"

"Sounds good." Casey squeezed his hand back, looked at him, and smiled. "I love you."

Derek leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "I love you, too." He looked at Sam's house, and sighed. "Well, let's get this over with."

They rang the doorbell and waited a few moments before Sam came to the door, telephone nestled on his shoulder. He didn't greet them, just looked at them a moment, clearly unhappy to see them. He spoke into the phone: "Hey, I've got company, I'll have to let you go. But you understand me, right? Very well, then." Sam clicked off the phone and moved out of the doorway. "Won't you come in?"

Derek and Casey entered the living room and Sam motioned for them to have a seat. "Anybody need a drink? I know I do." He reached over to the bar and poured himself a whiskey, then looked inquisitively at Derek and Casey, who declined. "No? Well, bottom's up!" he scowled as he downed his drink in one gulp, then sat down across from the couple. "So, Casey, want to tell me about that ring you're sporting on your left hand?"

"Sam, we came to tell you…"

"I don't think you have to, Casey. It sure wasn't there last night. I know, I checked. So I can think of only one person who could have put it there." He looked at Derek sadly. "Guess I should have believed you last night. You were telling the truth."

"I was, man. But I'm sorry I pounced on you the way I did. You didn't deserve it."

Sam smiled, but it was a sad smile. "Well, we both acted like cavemen last night, and I was more than a little drunk. So let's just forget it ever happened, okay?"

Derek sighed with relief. "Agreed. Sam, you have no idea how glad I am to have you say that."

Sam grimaced. "Well, I have to admit I was still mad at you when I woke up this morning, but things have changed somewhat. That phone call I was on when you got here kind of put things in proportion." He looked over at Casey. "Casey, can you tell me about your relationship with Ben?"

Casey shifted uncomfortably. "That really doesn't concern you, Sam. That's between Ben and myself."

"Casey, I have reasons for asking. Would Ben ever had reason to suspect that you were hiding feelings for Derek while you two were dating?"

"I can't answer that, Sam. I suppose it's possible, it IS why I broke up with him, but I don't know if he ever guessed the truth."

Sam frowned, but it wasn't an angry frown, it had some fear in it. "So you DID use him, Casey?"

Casey had tears in her eyes. "No, Sam! At least, not intentionally. As soon as I realized I had feelings for Derek, I broke up with Ben. I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't want to hurt you, either. Please believe me, Sam." She broke down into tears, and Derek put his arms around her.

"Don't cry, Case." Derek whispered, and looked at Sam. "Come on, Sam. We were best friends. You know Casey- she never would have hurt you deliberately. You know how she and I both fought our feelings for each other. We couldn't help it, buddy. Now we can finally be happy. Please, Sam."

Sam was quiet for a few minutes, watching Casey sobbing and Derek comforting her. He had seen this coming before they had seen it themselves…that they were not only perfect for each other, they were meant to be. They balanced each other's excesses, and after months of bickering, started bringing out the best in each other. Sam had known they were on a collision course, even when he himself was dating Casey. So really, how could he blame them now, all of these years later, for finally doing what they should have done years ago?

"Casey, I'm sorry. It's okay. I'm not saying these things to you because of me…I…well, I guess I should tell you before I go on…"

Casey's tear-blotched face looked up at Sam, who shrugged. "I can't very well accuse you of being in denial when I let myself believe last night that I might still have a chance with you. I knew better. I've always known better. It's my own fault, not yours."

Casey smiled through her tears. "Thank you, Sam."

Derek stood up and shook his friend's hand. "Thanks, Sam."

Casey stood up, walked over and hugged him. "You've always been a special friend, Sam. You always will be."

Sam kissed her cheek. "Just be happy, Casey."

She smiled at him. "I am, Sam. You be happy too."

Sam changed the subject. "We need to get back to Ben. Sit down, guys, there's some things you need to know."

"What's going on, Sam?" Derek asked.

"The plain and simple truth is that he never got over Casey. In fact, he still has an intense, unhealthy attachment to her."

Casey stared. "That's not possible. Ben's married to Emily. I was her maid of honor. He has no reason to…"

"Casey, don't you know? Ben and Emily are getting a divorce. She's claiming mental cruelty."

"My God! What did he do to her?"

"Apparently Ben spent the entire five years of their marriage comparing her unfavorably to you, the love of his life."

"What? That's not possible. I NEVER told Ben that I loved him, in fact I only ever kissed him a couple of times. I broke up with him because I realized that I was just using him to try to forget Derek."

Derek interrupted. "Case, you know that these obsessions are rarely based on reality. Remember the stalker case you handled last year? But Sam, how serious do you really think this is? Is it really something to be that concerned about? After all, we'll be leaving tomorrow."

Sam nodded. "I think it could be extremely serious. I'd be a bit worried about either of you going home by yourselves right now. I meant it when I said the man's obsessed with Casey. He could be dangerous."

Derek looked worried. "Casey, maybe you should call Dad and Nora and tell them we'll be late coming home. Sam, why don't we take you to lunch so we can talk about this right now?"

Sam nodded. "I must admit, I'll feel better about it myself."

Casey made the call home, and they all walked out to Derek's car to ride to the restaurant. But as they approached the car, Derek gasped.

"What the hell happened to my car? It's been keyed down the side, and the tires are slashed!" He walked around the car. "My God, keyed on BOTH sides? What the hell is going on?"

Sam paled. "Back in the house, guys. Lock the door and don't open it for anyone but me."

"Sam? You don't think…"

"Just get in the house. I'll be right back. Derek, keep that door locked, man."

Derek sensed his friend's urgency and nodded. "Come on, Case," and pulled her back in the house, locking the door behind them. He sat her down on the sofa, then walked about, checking all the doors and windows. After assuring himself that they were secure, he joined her in the living room.

"Derek, Sam thinks its Ben."

Derek squeezed her hand. "I can't think of anyone else, Case. But…oh my God!" he broke off, hearing a gunshot out in the yard.

Casey screamed, and Derek grabbed his cell phone, dialed emergency, and gave Sam's address. After telling the dispatcher about the gunshots, they heard a frantic knock on the door. "Go hide in the closet, Casey. I'm looking out the window. If it's Sam, I can't leave him out there."

Casey nodded and ran. Derek ran to the window and saw Sam holding his arm. "Let me in Derek! He's gone."

Derek opened the door, let Sam in, and locked the door back behind him. "Yes, emergency?" he said into the phone. "My friend has been shot in the arm. Send paramedics immediately. The gunman may still be in the area." Sam grabbed the phone from Derek. "Dispatcher, he ran away on foot. His name is Ben Striker and he's 6'2, muscular build, dark brown hair and green eyes. He's wearing a blue jogging suit. He ran towards Pebble Hill Road. I don't know his address, but I know he lives in that area. Yes, I'm fine. I think it's just a flesh wound. Yes, I'll be fine until the paramedics get here. Oh, and make sure to send forensics, he slashed Derek's tires and keyed his car. Yes, Derek Venturi, he's the gentleman who initiated the call. Thank you."

Sam cut off the call as Derek led him to the sofa. "Casey?" Derek yelled. "Come on out, Sam's hurt."

Casey opened the door and gasped when she saw Sam's wound. "Sam, your arm!"

"He shot me, Casey. Ben shot me. But I'm okay."

"Where's your first aid kit, Sam?" Casey asked.

"In the cabinet, under the kitchen sink."

Casey brought the kit and tried to stop the bleeding with a tourniquet, and began to clean the wound.

Derek had remained silent and contemplative while all of ths was going on, but now asked a question.

"Sam, why would he shoot you?"

"Because…" Sam faultered.

Derek paled. "Sam? Tell us the rest, right now!"

Sam grimaced. "Emily didn't want me to tell anyone this, but the truth is, Ben didn't just mentally abuse her. He beat her up, all the time."

"No way! Emily would NEVER have put up with that!"

Sam sighed. "Well, she did try to get away. She tried to run away several times, but he always caught up with her and beat her more. Except the last time. Thank God, she came here. I hid her until I could get her checked in to a battered women's shelter. She's been there ever since."

Casey flopped down on the sofa, stunned. "So he did have a grievance against you, if he learned that you helped her get away from him."

Sam sat up and looked at her intently. "Derek, you'd better get over here." Derek came and sat down by Casey. "What, Sam?"

"Yeah, Ben shot me because he learned I'd helped Emily. Guys, it was Ben whom I was speaking to on the phone when you got here. He'd called trying to find out if I knew where Emily was. But I think he already knew that I'd helped her. Anyway, I got off the phone quickly because I didn't want him to recognize your voices. But…"

Derek was afraid now. "Sam?"

"He was staking out my house, man. He must have been. Just before he shot me, he said that I'd made a bad habit of harboring his women. It was plural, Derek. He must have seen you arrive and trashed your car because of it. Tell me, if he saw you arrive, would he have been able to tell that you two are a couple?"

Derek and Casey looked at each other and nodded. "Yes, he would. We kissed right before we got out of the car."

Sam nodded grimly. "Then we're all in danger, guys. He's after all of us. So what do we do now?"

Just then the police and the ambulance pulled up, and conversation ceased until Sam was on his way to the hospital. Derek briefly explained the situation to the officers, and they assured him that they would assign someone to guard Sam. The officers asked their plans, and Derek shrugged helplessly.

"I'm honestly not sure at this time, officer. I live in Vancouver and my fiancé lives in Montreal. But I can't let her fly home tomorrow alone if Ben is still at large. I'm also concerned about Emily, Ben's wife. She's hiding in a local battered women's shelter. How safe would she be there?"

"The shelters are fairly safe but there have been instances where they have been found. I can't blame you for being concerned, this Ben character seems to be psychopathic. We've put out an APB on him, and hopefully we'll capture him soon. But if he escapes us, you may want to consider going into hiding, son. Tell me, what do you want to do right now?"

"Can we stay here with an armed guard for now?"

"I think that will work. I think your friend Sam will be treated and released. So perhaps staying here with an armed guard is your best option, at least for now."

Derek nodded. "We'll do it. Keep me posted."

"Will do."

Derek turned and walked back into the house, where he found Casey crying. He sat down beside her and held her. "Baby, it's going to be all right."

Casey looked up at him questioningly. "Derek, how can you possibly know that?"

He kissed her forehead gently. "It has to be, Casey. We've all been through too much already. Besides," he cupped her chin and made direct eye contact with her. "I will NEVER let anything happen to you, Case. NEVER."

Casey smiled tremulously. "You've been a lot of things to me in my life, Derek. But "Knight in Shining Armor" never entered my mind."

Derek chuckled. "That's why you've never been able to forget me, Casey. I've always kept you guessing."

Casey sighed and put her head on his shoulder. "I do love a challenge."

Derek held her as she fell asleep, then covered her with a blanket and laid her head in his lap. "I can't let anything happen to us," he thought. "but I'm no hero. So what do I do now?" He gently, absently ran his fingers through Casey's hair, hoping that Ben would be captured before he had to make a decision. But right now, the best thing he could do was to hold Casey as she slept. And when Sam arrived home from the emergency room, it was to find them both cuddled up on the sofa, both fast asleep.

AN: I know, I threw you quite a curveball! Now you know why I put in "Ben, the Unknown". But I couldn't write a story that was pure fluff, without a bit of angst thrown in! Don't forget to review!