Disclaimer: I don't own.
I woke up to Derek whispering God knows how many hours later. It must have been past midnight and he was still up.
"I'll get her back. I swear if it's the last thing I do I'll get her back." He started whimpering. "I love her. She's so wonderful. The day I let anything happen to her is the day I die…"
I looked up at him. He seemed a little surprise that I was awake. "Oh. I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"
"Yeah. But that's okay." I snuggled closer to him and stared out into the darkness.
We were quiet for a short time before Derek broke it. "Casey?"
"Huh?"
"I know we're not going out. Not really in a relationship either. But I've loved you for years. Casey…" he said and reached into his pocket. "Be my wife?" he opened the ring box. I saw the diamond shine in the moonlight that streamed through the window.
Shock filled every fiber of my being. Electricity flew over my skin. My heart pounded wildly in my chest. Adrenaline cracked through my muscles. I looked up at him.
"Derek? Are you serious?"
"Yes."
I looked down and sighed. I placed my hand over his and closed the box. "Not now Derek. I'm sorry. It's-it's this thing with Bella."
I felt him nod. "Okay." His voice cracked though he was trying to sound strong. I laid my head down on his chest and he tightened his grip on my shoulder.
A court date was set for a week after Mr. Kahne took Bella. Derek and I spent most of our time planning our defense. Derek was pretty sure we would win but there was a lingering doubt.
The night before the trial, my stomach twisted in a million knots that I couldn't get out. I was lying in bed staring at the ceiling when I heard someone sneak into my room. The light click of a door closing caused me to glance at who ever it was.
Derek slid under the covers next to me. His body was warm against mine. His lips were soft against the hollow of my neck.
"Derek?" I whispered.
"Yes."
"How long?"
"How long what?"
I snuggled into his chest. "How long have you loved me?"
He sighed. "I don't know. High school."
"Then are you in love with me or a figment of love."
"You. I'm in love with you."
"How do you know?" I asked.
"Because I have no reason to love a 'figment of love'."
"Oh yes you do." I said and yawned. "You may be in love with being in love."
Without hearing what Derek said, I drifted off to sleep.
"I rule in favor of Caleb Rowel. He is granted full custody of Isabella Rowel. Casey McDonald is restrained from seeing Isabella Rowel until Isabella is the age of eighteen. Only when she is an adult."
"No!" I screamed. "Bella! My baby!" I fell to my knees. Tears streamed down my face. Suddenly I jumped to my feet and raced toward Caleb who was holding a crying Bella. She was reaching for me. Derek caught me around the middle holding me back. "Let me go! I need my baby!"
"Just forget about her." he said to me. I struggled even harder against him. He was too strong. Caleb took Bella farther and father away.
"Isabella!" I screamed. "My baby!" Caleb disappeared through the courtroom door with her. I turned to Derek. "You promised!" I started hitting him. He grabbed my arms roughly.
"It was your fault." He growled. "You let him take her." he shoved me back and I hit a wall. "Bella would still be happy if it wasn't for you." He pulled an arm back and contorted his hand into a fist. "It's all your fault!" he yelled and his fist suddenly flew toward me. I screamed.
I shot up straight in my bed. Sweat poured down my face and my breath came in short sharp gasps. Derek was stirring beside me.
"Mmm…baby? Wassa matter?" he put his hand on my back.
"N-nothing. Go back to sleep." I said and laid down. He pulled himself up on one arm and looked down at me. I could see the outline of his face in the dark.
"What was it about?" he pressed.
"Nothing to worry about." I insisted.
He was silent. Gently he leaned down and pressed his lips to my neck. I let my eyes close. "You know you wanna tell me." He mumbled into my skin.
"We were in court." I found myself saying. "Caleb got Bella. I yelled at you and you started saying it was my fault. Then you-you punched me." He stopped kissing me and pulled back to look at me.
"I would never hurt you." Derek whispered.
"You already have," I muttered.
"Whe-," he started but cut himself off. His eyes widened. "Oh…"
"I know you didn't really have sex with her but…it still hurt."
"Casey I'm sorry." He put a hand on my shoulder.
"I know."
"Do you forgive me?"
"The moment I left the apartment I forgave you."
We were quiet until Derek broke it. "The offer." He whispered. "Still stands." His lips brushed the soft flesh behind my ear.
"Not tonight Derek." I told him hoping he would appreciate it.
He sighed. "Okay honey. Whatever you want." He then laid down and wrapped his arms around me from behind. I was almost shocked that he didn't push for it. Mr. Robinson didn't care if I wanted it or not. Caleb pressured me into it. But Derek respected my decision. I found my love growing for him every day.
The next morning I woke up with Derek's arms still around me and his breath tickling my neck. I looked at the clock on my nightstand. Nine oh three. We had to be at the courthouse by noon. I stretched and swung my feet over the side of the bed. I lifted my arms over my head and arched my back. A shock ran through me when a hand slithered across my stomach.
"Good morning beautiful." He whispered into my ear. "Today is going to be a good day."
"How do you know?" I asked and leaned back in his arms.
"Because I woke up with a beautiful woman lying next to me." He said and kissed my neck.
I smiled then stood up. "Come on. We need to get ready for court. Remember your promise to Bella?"
"Yeah." He stood and pecked my lips before leaving my room. I grabbed a towel and my dress suit before heading to the bathroom. Half way through my shower, I heard the door open then close. I paid no mind until I heard them pull back the curtain.
"Derek!" I shrieked. Laughter filled the room. "Ugh…you're such an ass!" I glared at him as I wrapped a towel around myself and stepped out of the shower.
He continued to snicker. "I just wanted to tell you I found something of yours."
"What?" I demanded angrily.
"This." He held up a wooden box. A deep blush warmed my cheeks.
"Where did you get that?"
"Your bed side table." He stated. I lunged forward to grab it from him. He held it high above my head. I could hear its contents hitting against the side of the box.
"You know." he said with a smile on his face. "I swear on multiple occasions I heard you moaning 'Derek'."
My blush deepened if that was possible. "Just give it to me." I jumped for it and in the process, my towel unwrapped itself and fell down.
He put the box on the sink behind him and wrapped his arms around my bare waist.
"Do you know how amazing you are?" he whispered. I was still blushing like mad. My arms slowly moved up around his neck. His lips moved toward mine when a sharp knock came at the door.
"Hey." George yelled. "I thought you guys were over this teenage bickering." We jumped apart and I pulled the towel on around me. Derek and I had decided to hide our 'relationship' for the time being.
Quickly I grabbed the wooden box and slipped out of the bathroom. George had gone back down stairs. I shoved the box back in my bedside table and walked over to the dresser. I slipped on a bra and underwear and looked around for my dress suit then remembered it was still in the bathroom.
The shower was already running when I slipped back in and grabbed the hanger when my clothes. As I stood in my room dressing, I thought about my behavior over the past week. It was like I was a teenager again. I fought with Derek. I slept in till noon. I sat back and watched TV. Life was so carefree. And I hated it. Bella was my life. My world. She was the reason I worked so hard. She was the reason I woke up in the morning. I felt lost, empty, without her. She's my child. My baby. Everything.
Derek wanted to drive his Jeep. But my car had the car seat in it. So I ended up driving us. The whole hour and half drive were silent. A dark shadow had settled over us. Nothing could have gotten our minds off this travel.
"All rise for the honorable Judge Kormak."
A man in a black robe walked up to his desk and took a seat. Everyone followed suit. He shuffled papers for a second then turned to everyone.
"Mr. Caleb Rowel." The judge started. "You are suing your ex-wife for custody of your daughter?"
"Yes sir." Caleb said.
Derek stood. "Your honor?"
"Yes."
"The child is not the plaintiff's daughter. Isabella Venturi is the daughter of my client Miss Casey McDonald."
The judge looked over the upper rim of his glasses. "So why, Mr. Rowel, are you suing for custody?"
"Because I love Isabella your honor." He said.
"Miss McDonald has full right to the child. Since you aren't her father you don't."
"I am her father sir. I'm the only father she has ever known." He said confidently.
I finally found my voice. "No you're not. You weren't even at her birth."
"No one was." He snarled back. "But I helped raise her."
"I was there." Derek said. "And you didn't raise her. She just lived in a house under your name for two years.
"Mr. Venturi." The judge addressed then stopped in surprise and looked back down at the paper. "Venturi?"
"Yes. Bella and I have the same last name. Casey is my stepsister. Her mother married my father. She gave her daughter her mother's last name." Derek explained.
"Okay. Well Mr. Venturi I would appreciate you keeping those outbursts to a minimum."
"Yes your honor."
"Now Mr. Rowel, Miss McDonald is the birth mother and you are not Isabella's father. How do you think you can win?"
"I have a statement." Caleb's lawyer spoke up. The bailiff took the piece of paper up to the judge. He read it over.
"So Miss McDonald attacked you?" the judge questioned.
"Yes sir."
"Miss McDonald? Did you?" the judge turned to me.
"No your honor. He attacked me." I insisted.
"It says here that he could smell liquor on your breath. Were you drinking?"
"No. I haven't had an alcoholic drink in my life."
"And it says that you were yelling at Isabella."
"I have never raised my voice to my daughter."
"Your honor." Caleb's lawyer cut in. "this is the word of a woman who got pregnant at the age of sixteen against the word of a respected part of the community."
"He's right Miss McDonald. Your past doesn't help in your credibility." The judge said.
"But sir." I started with tears welling in my eyes. "I couldn't help-,"
"Couldn't help it?" Caleb's lawyer burst out. "You could have been more careful! You could've used protection! You could've waited until you were married but instead you gave into teenage hormones!"
The judge slammed down the gavel. Everything fell silent. He sighed and rubbed his temple. "I'm sorry Miss McDonald but unless you can get Isabella's father to help you fight I'm gong to have to rule in favor of the plaintiff." He slammed down the gavel again. "Court dismissed." My stomach sank and everything started to spin. I couldn't hear anything. I could barely see. Suddenly Bella's cries brought me back.
"No! No! I don't wanna go with Caleb!" she struggled against his grip.
"Mama! Daddy! Help me!" I turned and ran up to the judge who was putting papers away.
"Your honor I can't get the birth fathers help." I said with tears streaming freely down my face.
"I'm sorry Miss McDonald." He started to walk away.
"But he's in jail." I yelled.
"That was your choice of men." He was pasted the point that I couldn't get within ten feet of him.
So I screamed. "I was raped by my English teacher!"
The judge stopped dead in his place. Everyone was still in the room. He turned and walked back up to his desk. He slammed the gavel back down.
"Court back in session." Everyone stopped moving. "In light of this new evidence I would like to get a drug and alcohol test. Everyone take a seat." I smiled and walked back over to Derek. He smiled back at me. Caleb paled and the social worker took Bella from him. Slowly he walked back up the podium.
Not long after a man came for one of my hairs. I plucked one and put it in a little bag. Caleb gave one too. For thirty agonizing minutes, we waited. I held Derek's hand and no one spoke. Finally a man came in holding a folder. He handed it to the judge who looked it over.
"The test results are in. The statement I read said that a young mother attacked her ex-husband and verbally abused her daughter because she was under the influence. Caleb Rowel lied about his ex-wife drinking. That takes away any credibility of the rest of the story. I grant permanent custody of Isabella Venturi to Casey McDonald." He slammed down his gavel. A wave of relief filled me. I looked over at Derek then tackled him in a hug. He hugged me back tightly.
"Mama!" I let go of Derek and turned just in time to catch Bella. Her body fit so perfectly in my arms.
"Oh my baby." I said. Tears of happiness rolled down my face.
"I love you Mama." She muttered.
"I love you too baby."
Then she asked something that shook me to the core. "When's your wedding?"
I pulled back. "How did you know about that?"
"I was with Derek when he bought it."
Derek kneeled down next to us and pulled us into a hug. "Oh god. I love you both."
"Love you too." We said in unison. Bella giggled and Derek and I picked her up.
Twelve years. Derek and I had been married for twelve years. Our little Bella was a teenager caught in between ten and twenty. She went to the same high school Derek and I had gone to. Two o clock and I got a phone call. "Hello?"
"Hey Mom." Bella said.
"Bell what are you doing? School doesn't let out for another twenty minutes right?"
"Yeah but I needed to tell you something."
"Aren't you in class?"
"Study hall. Relax. Anyway." Bella said. "Today apparently we had an English test. I didn't study. Sorry." Her voice sounded regretful with a hint of indifference.
"Bella were not starting with this 'no studying' thing again."
"I know Mom sorry. Jesus. You know as well as I do that one English test is nothing. I could get Fs and colleges would still kill to get me into their schools." I rolled my eyes. Yup, Bella was genius. And wasn't just the average motherly 'Oh, yeah. My kids are smart' thing. She was literally a genius. "But Mr. Robinson said I can make it up after school then Edward's gonna give me a ride home. Kay?"
"So you'll come straight home after-," then I stopped dead. "Wait…what's your teacher's name?"
"Mr. Robinson. Why?"
"How-how old would you say he is?"
"Iunno. Old. Like…grandpa's age."
"How long's he been teaching there?"
"Well technically like over twenty…but there was this whole arrest or something a while ago. His brother-in-laws the principal so he got his job back. They never told us what it was. Why?"
"Don't go to his class after school." I said panic rising in my throat. "Wait till I get there."
"Um…okay Mom?" she said and I could clearly hear the confusion in her voice. We hung up and I ran toward the door, grabbed my keys and headed out. Now is the time to tell Bella about her father.
-Fin-
That's all there is. There isn't anymore. Well, how was the ending? Did you like it? Please tell me.
You know, I lost a couple readers with the whole 'Caleb' thing. Come on people! If you looked at my other stories you could easily tell I'm a Dasey fan for life!! They actually thought I would keep Casey with that-that-that ass hole.