A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! They really make my day...and encourage me to update faster! I'm sorry for the length of this chapter; it's rather short, but I think the next chapter will make up for it!

Disclaimer: The person who was supposed to fly out and tell me that I had won the lottery, gotten discovered by a major Hollywood director, won the rights to LWD, became the queen of England and started to date Orlando Bloom all in the same way died in a tragic blimp accident over New York City. So I guess I'll never know, will I?

Tuesday

"Good morning, Casey," Nora said the next morning, pouring her eldest daughter a glass of orange juice. "Did you sleep well?" Casey opened her mouth, fully intending to make a demeaning remark about Derek, who was sitting next to her at the breakfast island. Then she closed her mouth, looking surprised.

"Actually…yes," she said.

"I know I did," Derek said, winking at her. She kicked his leg in a way she hoped was painfully hard. His answering yelp assured her that it was.

"I talked to the dry-cleaning people, and they said your mattress should be ready for pick-up by Friday," Nora told her. "So you only need to sleep in Derek's bed for three more nights."

"Joy," Derek muttered, looking up at the ceiling.

Emily was waiting by Casey's locker when Casey got to school half an hour later.

"Hey, Em," Casey said. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Emily said, stifling a yawn. "God, I'm so tired."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Casey said sympathetically, opening her locker and getting out her books. "Why?"

"I dunno," said Emily, slumping against the lockers. "I just haven't been sleeping well lately. I've been tossing and turning and when I wake up it feels like I've been sleeping all of five minutes. I don't know why, but it's exhausting." She half-closed her eyes. "And it doesn't help that you're looking so refreshed this morning, either," she went on, glancing sideways at Casey. "What gives?"

"Me? Nothing. I've just been sleeping really well lately, for some reason. Ever since I started sleeping with Derek."

Emily gaped at her.

"Um…I guess that came out wrong, didn't it?" Casey said, wringing her hands.

"Kinda," Emily said in a strangled voice.

"I didn't mean it like that, honestly," Casey said, closing her locker door. "And if I did, you think I'd be getting less sleep, not more." This weak attempt at humor fell flat as Emily continued to stare at her in disbelief. "No, really though, it's like this…"

It took the whole slow walk to English to explain the Maple Syrup Debacle and it's consequences over the last few nights.

"I don't know why," Casey continued, "but I do sleep really well in Derek's room. Maybe I just sleep better with other people there; I'd always sleep better when I was with Lizzie when we were younger or even when I have sleepovers. I guess there's just something comforting to me when I'm not alone, and I sleep better."

"Still," Emily said, shaking her head as they entered English. "There's just no other way to put it. You're sleeping with Derek."

"And his arm always ends up around me in the morning too! I know he doesn't mean to, but it's like he just needs to have something to hold on to while he sleeps. Like Edwin told me he slept cuddled up with a teddy bear every night until the day before Mom married George," Casey said, smiling.

"Sleeping with Derek," Emily muttered, shaking her head. "I never thought I'd see the day."

Derek didn't even try to make a pretense of sleeping on the floor that night. He was in bed when Casey walked in Tuesday night, the sleeping bag rolled up and shoved into a corner of the room.

"Derek," she said. "I've had enough. This isn't funny. Out."

"No," he said simply, continuing to read his magazine without looking up at her.

"Yes. Get out! You're not supposed to be doing this. I'm telling Mom and George."

"Oooh, calling in the authorities," Derek said sarcastically under his breath. "Scary. Tattle."

Casey paused in the doorway. "I won't have to tattle if you just get out," she said, not feeling much hope.

"Not happening," Derek sang, turning a page of his magazine.

"Smerek!" Marti ran in a flurry of purple nightgown past Casey and onto Derek's bed, jumping up and down. "Can I sleep with you and Casey tonight?"

"Sorry, Smarti," Derek said, pulling Marti onto his lap. "We've got full occupancy tonight. Plus, we have to get up loads earlier than you. And you wouldn't want to be woken up at six, would you?"

"No," Marti admitted, pouting.

"I didn't think so. So give me a hug and go to bed."

"Mmkay," Marti conceded, wrapping her arms around Derek's neck and giving him a hug. "Night!" she hopped off the bed and ran out, pausing to hug Casey around the middle before she left.

Casey sighed and closed the door, climbing into bed next to Derek.

"Change of heart?" he asked, smirking.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd have one and leave."

"Vain hope," he said, returning to Sports Illustrated. Casey laid her head down and closed her eyes, keeping close to the edge of the bed and trying to ignore his presence, imagining herself in her own bed in her own room. Three more nights…

She didn't say another word to him, and fairly soon he leaned across her and flipped off the lights.