Author's Note: Hehe did everyone catch the new LWD episode tonight? I thought it was so funny... oh my gosh can you believe how old Marti, Lizzie, and Edwin all got? I couldn't believe it! I especially loved the blooper at the end of the episode during the credits with Ashley and Michael dancing and Ashley going "I'm sorry, but will you look at this kid!" lol that had my sister and I cracking up ;-p Ew to the Sam/Casey and Emily/Derek crap though. Blech. Of course it's because I'm hoping for some Dasey-ness ;-) Ah well, we can dream, right? Anyway, thanks for the reviews, please keep 'em coming, they encourage me to write faster!


"He has a girlfriend," Casey stated glumly as she wiped a tear off of her cheek as she cried in the bathroom. "Of course he does, Casey. What did you think, he was going to wait for you? It's been three years. You're pathetic." She glared at her reflection before splashing some cold water on her face.

She wasn't expecting him to be there. When she saw him, she felt all of the oxygen leave her. She couldn't believe he was really there. Just metres away from her. Granted, he was dressed up like some kind of elf or something, but still… it was him.

In the flesh.

He looked the same, only older. More mature. Taller and more muscular. His hair had darkened a little bit, but his face was the same. The intense look on his face made her shiver all the way down to her toes.

His girlfriend was beautiful. Blonde and flawless and perfect, just as she imagined her to be. Of course, she had secretly hoped that he didn't really have a girlfriend. Which was stupid, because it was quite clear that Derek was a hottie. In those three years he had only gotten cuter.

Casey tried to conceal her red eyes and leaking nose with the make-up she had in her purse. She wasn't going to let Derek—or his girlfriend, for that matter—get to her. It had been a long time ago. They never really had anything, anyway. She had to just get over it. Derek had his own life, just as Casey did. Two separate lives, miles and miles apart from each other.

Feeling better after her pep-talk with herself, Casey straightened herself up and confidently opened the door to exit the bathroom.

She didn't expect Derek to be there. She let out a gasp when she saw him standing there, waiting for her.

"Derek…" she breathed, surprised that he had come after her.

Derek visibly swallowed, and then gave a lop-sided grin. "I've missed ya, sis."

Casey let out a shaky breath at his teasing voice, glad that he was making this easy on her by lightening the mood. "I've missed you, too," she smiled gently. If only he knew how much…

Derek was good at making things seem less serious, so the two of them engaged in a very light and casual conversation. It was nice. Casey was glad and began to feel a bit more at ease.

"So, how's university?" Derek asked casually, and Casey's muscles instantly tightened.

"Fine," she let out slowly. She didn't want anybody to know she had dropped out when she found out that she was pregnant.

Derek gave her an odd look, somehow able to see that she wasn't being honest. But he let it go, to her relief.

"Derek! Casey! Are you upstairs!" Nora shouted up to them.

"Yeah, Mom!" Casey responded.

"Come down and have some 'Zombie Brains'!" Nora called back.

Derek looked over at Casey and they shared an amused smile.

"Shall we?" Derek asked.

"I guess so," Casey smiled back, and the two of them went downstairs together. Like stepbrother and stepsister.


Casey hated to admit it, but she actually kind of liked Amy. She was a nice girl, who was bright, unlike the girlfriends from Derek's high school years. She was double majoring in English and education, and hoped to one day be a teacher for grade six.

"You must love kids," Casey smiled.

"I do," Amy nodded enthusiastically. She then grinned over at Derek, who was by her side. "Derek and I hope to have a whole bunch of them, don't we sweetie?"

Derek just coughed in response awkwardly, but nobody felt as uncomfortable as Casey did at that exact moment.

"Uh, excuse me," Casey excused herself and quickly left so she could avoid anymore of the current discussion. About children. With Derek. Derek's children.

"If he only knew," Casey mumbled to herself as she walked over to go chat with Lizzie.

But he wasn't going to know. Not if she could help it.

Hopefully, nobody would find out.

"So, do you have a boyfriend, Casey?" Amy asked as they all sat around later that night after the kids went to bed.

"Uh, no," Casey said uneasily, a faint blush touching her cheeks. Sure, guys had asked her out. And tried to get her into their bed. She did work full-time at a diner. But she never accepted. They were usually creepy guys, anyway.

"Oh," Amy made an 'isn't that a shame' kind of sound. "But you're such a pretty girl, Casey."

"Thanks," Casey responded politely, her cheeks still heated. To draw attention off of her, she busied herself with taking a sip of the tea Nora had made them. She looked over at the clock, seeing how late it actually was. "I'll be right back," she excused herself and hurried upstairs into the bathroom.

She called Kylie and was surprised to learn that Brianna was still up, even with the few hours time difference.

"What are you still doing up, baby?" she asked.

"Don't want go bed," Brianna responded indignantly, and a smile touched Casey's lips. She missed her little girl.

"Okay, but I want you to go to bed soon, okay? Just stay up for a little while longer. And call me in the morning when you wake up, okay sweetie?"

"'Kay."

"Love you."

"Wuv you Mama."

She hung up feeling a tiny ache in her heart that her daughter was all the way across the country.

Suddenly overcome with exhaustion, and went back downstairs only to tell the others that she was going to bed.

"Alright, honey," Nora kissed her eldest daughter's forehead. "I'm glad to have you home with us," she whispered.

Casey looked over at Derek, who was talking quietly with Amy. She brushed her feelings away and half-heartedly replied, "Me too."