A/N: So. This chapter kind of ran way from me. I feel only parts of it are TRULY necessary, but I started writing and it just poured out. Most of this was finished within three days of starting it, I've been adding and taking away some, but its very close to what I originally had. Originally I had a plan it was layed out before me in the beginning of the chapter and I was going to refer back to it. But this is what happened and I liked it so much, though like I said, some of it felt unecessary, that I decided to keep it. So a lot of the planned stuff will happen in the next chapter. All that to say, if this feels like a runaway chapter to you, well, it was.

Disclaimer: I suddenly got rich and bought the rights to the show. Oh, didn't you know? Penguins can survive in the desert now.

Edwin's POV

Tonight's the big night. It's the rehearsal dinner, the bachelor party, and as Derek calls it, "my last night as a free man". I say that's just how the rest of the world recognizes us now. I haven't felt like a "free man" since I went on that date with Tanya in seventh grade. Wait, that came out wrong. I meant that in the best way possible. But you got my point, right? Derek's going into this marriage thing all thumbs. I'm completely self-assured that this is going to be the best thing for everyone involved.

Lizzie's finally gotten over her fears, which we're all thankful for. Ever since she stopped being scared, she's stopped having the morning sickness. Which makes me think that in part at least, it was a nervous thing, and had nothing to do with pregnancy. I think we were all a little worried that she would throw up on her big day and I don't think she could've handled that.

Now she's happy and excited and glowing. I like to think there's a little of that thanks to me still, after all this time, and it's not all the baby. She's at four months now, that stage when she's pretty moody. Last time I made a crack about her pregnancy cooking, she holed up in our room crying, and I ended up spending sixty dollars trying to let her know I was just joking.

Gena, who is Lizzie's other bridesmaid, Emily, Casey, Nora, Marti, and Lizzie are all getting things organized down at the hotel for tomorrow. That didn't mean there weren't entirely too many people traipsing around our new house. Besides the fact that most of our furniture, some old, some new, hasn't arrived yet, there's tons of boxes and stuff sitting around. But our dining room set is here. Thanks to Nora, who works at a design firm and gets new stuff at a discount, Lizzie and I got the hand-me-down eight piece dining set we used to eat at every night for ourselves, and the piano. Nora was completely overhauling the whole downstairs. Now that the family had been through so many changes, she wanted to rework the house a little more.

Sam, Dad and Trevor were helping me move our new king sized bed in, and I had friends painting. Derek was on the phone with the man from the hotel restaurant we were having our rehearsal dinner at. He'd attempted to cancel our reservations, so I put Derek on it, knowing if anyone could sweet talk our way back in, it'd be Derek, and Lizzie would kill me if I lost them.

Right now I'd wager there are twenty people in this three-bedroom house, and there could be more. All of my close friends, and some of Derek's were pitching in so things are ready when we get back.

Honestly, I'd say the bachelor party is more of a thank you for them than anything else. The bars were picked by my brother, due to the fact that I so infrequently go to bars, I'm not entirely sure I remember how to get to any outside the neighborhood my old apartment was in. My preference for tonight would be to curl up on the couch with Lizzie and talk. But I will go and be the life of the party and probably the designated driver, because I'm sure Lizzie would send me away at midnight like a male Cinderella; so why not have some fun with the guys instead?

"Edwin, we've got to talk." Derek bellows from beneath me somewhere.

I look at Dad for confirmation that he, Sam, and Trevor don't need me.

"Go." I expected that, since we were already in the bedroom, and they knew where it was going.

"Derek, if you didn't talk that guy into keeping those reservations, Lizzie will kill me, and then I'll kill you."

"First of all, it's not my fault. Second of all, we managed to keep them, but everyone has to be ready an hour earlier. So, get on the phone with everyone, or call Lizzie and get her on it, because they won't hold them for us."

"Right. How about no."

Derek gave me a look like 'what else can you do?'

"I was thinking maybe you could call her. She's been so moody lately. She's much more rational about stuff when you approach it. And I really don't want any residual upset about this left over tomorrow. Know what I'm saying?"

He rolled his eyes skyward. "What am I getting myself into, proposing? Those MacDonald women, I swear! Okay, I'll call her."

"Edwin? Are you done down there?" Dad calls.

I head back up to see them finished. "What did you need me for, looks like you got it done."

"We just wanted to make sure this is how you wanted it." Sam said.

"It's not going to matter what I think, Lizzie will probably make me move it again when she sees it."

"Like Nora?" Dad grinned.

"She never asked."

"No but she guilted me into it with that 'bad guy coming in through the window' stuff. What I'll never understand is that Marti, Casey, and Lizzie were all alone in their rooms with a window and she never thought to have issues with that."

"Well, to be fair, none of them had basement bedrooms. Hopefully if someone were to come in their window, someone would have heard them scaling the side of the house first."

"Touché. I still threw my back out moving our bed."

"Well, I'm young. I won't throw my back out." I ducked as a shoe came flying at my face.

Derek came into the room. "So, apparently, Lizzie wasn't more rational around me like you say. She started yelling at me, for what I have no idea. Like I said, it wasn't my fault. Anyway, I made her put Casey on the phone, then I explained it to her, and she's on it."

"Good. At least it was only an hour."

"At least there's only about ten people who need to know and most of them already do."

"You realize don't you, that this means we only have about an hour before we leave, right?"

A little while later, our friends had left, and Sam, Derek, Dad and I were on our way to the hotel. Trevor stayed back to meet some delivery people for me. The first indication that tonight could turn out less than happy was Lizzie's phone call to me from the bathroom at the hotel.

"Ed, oh I needed to vent."

"Why?"

"Casey just threw a fit. Over the dumbest thing ever."

"Wait, what would she be throwing a fit for? It's not even her wedding, and she actually likes the dress she's wearing, so where's bad for her?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. It's probably got to do with stress over Derek not proposing yet, and you know, here she is helping me prepare for my wedding. I don't know. Something set her off, and she just loudly expressed her opinion over how we got the dining room table, even though she knows they're getting the living room stuff, and then stalked off in tears."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope. I don't get it either. Mom went off to talk to her, and Marti said Casey's outbursts were probably signs of an inner breakdown. Figures she'd be a psychology nut."

"Take her on a walk. She's only got a week left, surely she can stay calm for a week."

"Well maybe, if she actually knew it was only a week. She has got to be having some scene stealing issues. I mean really, you know, you're the one who plays the piano, and regardless of whether we were ready for it right now, we've always expressed an interest in having a large family. The dining room furniture was a better fit for us anyway."

"She's just jealous because our stuff looks better."

"Edwin!"

"Well, its true. But anyway. Emily's there, she can help. We're on our way. You know she hates being upset in front of Derek when he didn't start something. It leaves no room for further upset."

"Ha! Sadly, you're right. I'd forgotten how useful your observant nature can be."

So, Casey is in a mood. Already, before it even gets started. Straight out of the starting blocks and things are already in a less than cheery vein. We get to the hotel and apparently she's been consoled enough to chill out. Her eyes are a little red, but she's mostly acting like the big sister of the bride ought to.

The practice ceremony (which, honestly, is a lot about staging, much like that of a play. At least, that's what Lizzie tells me), begins and ends, and then we make our way to the restaurant. Derek is nagging me to stay behind; he wants to talk to Sam and I. But as I let the girls get ahead of me so he can say his piece I see Casey heading toward the bathroom. I make an excuse and follow her. After knocking on the door with no answer, Marti appears out of nowhere. She is amazingly good at that, too good. She once walked in on a half naked Lizzie and I. Guess that games closet wasn't as off limits to the rest of the family as we thought it was. She says, "there's a lounge in there, before the bathroom. You should go in. Someone should corner her."

I walk in to what is possibly the pinkest room designed for females over the age of four, and suddenly I have a memory of our own bathroom when the girls tried to girl-ify the house. She is slumped on a chair in the corner. She's not crying, but she's close, and I wonder what it was I thought I should say to her. I knew she needed to talk, but what could I say?

"Casey?"

"Edwin, this is a ladies room."

"I know."

"So get out."

"I thought you might need to talk to someone."

"Edwin, no offense, but you just remind me of why I'm upset."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that I'm getting married tomorrow then, would it?"

"Maybe. Don't drag me out of here. I can't look at him anymore. I don't want to make a scene. If I'm forced to sit there and make pleasantries with Sam and Emily over dinner as Derek's girlfriend, just like old times, when I can't possibly deal with him, it'll only result in a scene. So leave me here. Tell them I ate some bad food at lunch."

After sitting on the chair next to hers and taking her hands to let her know I was paying attention, rather than on some ridiculous mission for Nora or Lizzie, I say "Casey, in not being there, it's still a scene. It's just not a loud one. Still obnoxious as hell, just like you and Derek always are."

"Just let me have a minute to put my game face on then."

"Lizzie tells me you don't think he loves you anymore."

"Maybe he never did."

"Casey, if he didn't love you why would he still be with you after ten years?"

"He's comfortable. It's convenient. I pay rent. I'm good in bed. I'm just not worth his love."

"But you're wrong." How did I convince her everything would be fine without telling her he was going to propose?

"Then why is he so afraid of committing to me?"

"Just out of curiosity, what makes you think he isn't committed? What makes you think you have to have a wedding ring to be committed?"

"Edwin, please. I know you're trying to get me to look at it from another view, but look at it from mine. Before Derek was with me he was the biggest player in town. He's a hockey player and he travels. For all I know he takes that hockey player advantage and picks up bar skanks all the time when he leaves. He's gone for three days at a time every week and a half. That leaves him plenty of time for that. No ring on his finger AND no tan line from taking off said ring? He can get all the play he wants and I'll never know. Not until some woman shows up on my doorstep claiming he fathered her child."

"God, woman, your life is not Jerry Springer. No wonder you're so upset! Listen to me. Worst case scenario is the fastest way to get depressed, so don't do it. Derek was a player before you because he was fifteen! Tell me, does every fifteen year old player stay a player when he's twenty six?"

"No."

"Does Derek ignore you when he comes home? Or do you pretty much jump straight into bed? And don't lie to me, because I've noticed the bedsprings and they are never quiet when he comes home. If he was out having sex with random women when he's traveling, do you really think he'd be so eager to have you again? Don't you notice him staring when you're doing the most mundane things like writing a paper, organizing your cd's, tying your shoelace? He still can't take his eyes off you. The man is still head over heels in love with you. I would know this stuff, he's my brother."

"Really?"

"Yeah. When did this really start to bother you?"

"Well, honestly, when you guys got engaged."

"Did it ever occur to you that once I beat him to the punch, maybe he wanted to let everything be about Liz and I until our wedding was over? Just to be a nice big brother?"

"No. Derek never lets the focus be about someone else but him."

"Trust me, Case, this time he is. For Liz and me. So, maybe you could just chill out for a little while more. It'll all work out in the end."

"Well, even if it doesn't, I'm sorry. I should have controlled my emotions. Thanks for talking to me, Edwin."

"Let's go. This room is too pink for me."

When we entered the restaurant, which had a small dance floor, I noticed Lizzie and Derek sharing a dance and engaging in an animated conversation. I wondered briefly what they were so passionately speaking about, and then turned my attention to those who sought it out.

Sam was sharing with Emily and me what Derek had spoken to him about earlier. The plan had been for Sam, Emily, Trevor, and Sam's girlfriend Delia to stay for the week after the wedding. Derek wanted Sam and I to let everyone know that once Liz and I were off to our honeymoon, all bets were off. Meaning, you really couldn't be sure when Casey was going to blow. And between the four houseguests, hopefully they could keep things calm and relaxed until the two of us got back, when Casey would have a spotlight moment.