Chapter 2: The morning after...

Casey found her self in a dark room. Unable to see or speak, she felt the wall for an exit.

Then a voice called out to her, "Casey..."

"Casey I need you..."

Casey started to panic and ran as fast as she could forward. She struk a wall and lost her balance. She was about to hit the floor when a hand grabbed her wrist. Casey was pulled up on her feet and into a person's arms. Her hands moved up along the figure's chest, Casey noticed it was male and he happened to be tall. She struggled to see his face but to no avail. Suddenly a foreign light came in between the two and the figure's face was lit.

"Derek?" she mouthed silently.

It was like he could read her thoughts and he put his index finger upon her lips, "Shh," he began, "Casey there is something you must know..."

"I ...SQUEAK!"

Casey's eyebrows twitched in confusion.

He opened his mouth once more, "SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" all that came from his voice was a series of squeaks...Casey was beginning to feel uncomfortable in this situation until suddenly...

She awoke. Something was tickling her nose.

"That little..."

Meanwhile Derek was up and about in the kitchen, trying to decide which he'd rather eat, waffles or eggs? He decided he'd eat both. Derek was after all, a growing young man. He placed the waffles in the toaster, then reached up and rummaged in the cabinets for a pot. Once he found one, he put water in it. Next he placed it on the stove and set the temperature on Hi. Once he was done with that Derek grabbed a few eggs from the fridge, placed them in the pot and leaned upon the countertop. While waiting he became lost in thought and his fingers unconsciously began to tap.

Suddenly there was the sound of a door slamming up stairs and two petite feet storming down the steps, He grinned, "Three…Two…One."

"DEREK!!!!" Casey marched into the kitchen armed with her pillow. She swung at his head and he ducked.

"You missed."

"Well then stay still so I can hit you!" She screamed. He shook his head.

"You're so violent." He added.

"And you are so immature." She moved a step closer to him.

"Look who's talking…" He moved a step back, "Trying to start a pillow fight in the kitchen…"

"ARGH!" She lunged forward and grabbed onto him. He lost his stability and they both fell with a thud. Derek of course took the full force of the fall and Casey sat on top of his waist, her hands pushing the pillow into his face.

"Where the hell did you get that stupid ass idea to put a rat in my freaking bed!?!" She yelled pressing harder into the pillow. Her effort to suffocate him was halted as Derek thrusted his hips upward and with one fluid motion he was able to grab onto her shoulders and flip her underneath his body.

"Where the hell did you get that stupid ass idea that you could win a fight against me?" He huffed.

"Get off!"

"No."

"I hate you." She barked and wriggled underneath him.

"The feeling's mutual." He snarled, "You have no sense of humor."

"I do too." She struggled to move her arms but they were tightly held under his strong hands.

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not"

"Do too!!!" She stated angrily and tried to strike his back with her knee.

Derek leaned down so that their faces were inches apart and whispered in her ear, "Do not"

His hot breath against her skin made her spine tingle and her whole body shivered involuntarily. Derek noticed this and lifted his head to look into her eyes. They were filled with anger and embarrassment.

Casey bit her lip, "What?"

"I uh…" he began but was cut of by the sound of overflowing water and the sizzle of the stove, "Shit!" he jumped off Casey, raised the pot from the stove and placed it in the sink.

"God, thanks a lot klutzilla!" he frowned, "You're gonna clean this up."

"Uh...I don't think so." She stood and brushed off dust from her pajamas, "It's just water, do it yourself."

"It's your fault this happened." Derek snapped.

"No its yours." She picked up her pillow and began to walk out the kitchen.

"And where the hell do you think your going?"

"To change."

"To go where?"

"Geeze you're so fucking nosey." She replied and soon she was gone from the kitchen.

Derek was left to clean up his mess alone.

Casey sighed pleasurably; the sensation of warm water hitting her shoulders pleased her. She lathered her hair with shampoo and the sweet scent of strawberries filled flooded her senses. This was the time she enjoyed most, being alone and in the shower. She was naked and free of stress. Casey let her thoughts wander and she began to think about her life.

She thought about how much she'd changed and how much had gone on in the two years she and her family been living here in the Venturi household. Lizzie had become the captain of her soccer team. Marti learned how to read. Edwin was growing up to be very much like his older brother.

She shuddered, "Derek…"

Casey frowned. He knew exactly how to push her buttons. He knew what annoyed her and what didn't. It seemed like he could just read her thoughts and with one action he could send her emotions into a whirlwind of anger and frustration. And when he wasn't busy physically tormenting her, thoughts of him flooded her mind. This was a war she definitely wasn't winning.

Casey shut off the shower and stepped out onto the carpet. She grabbed a towel, wrapped it around her body and with one last glance at the mirror she was out the door.

Derek was about to enter his room when he heard the bathroom door open and Casey walk out. She turned and headed to her room; she hadn't seen him in the hall way. Derek stared after her. His eyes studied her form; they traveled up and down her figure until she finally reached her room and shut the door.

Derek stood there for a moment his hand on the doorknob and his eyes gazed at Casey's door, "Damn she has a nice ass."

he sighed and opened his door.

He walked in and sat on his bed. Edwin was at mall, Lizzie at soccer practice, Marti at a play date and George and Nora shopping. Another Saturday he should be spending with Kendra but wasn't. He put his head in his hands and began to think. Boredom wasn't a thing he liked to deal with.

"Wonder what Casey's gonna do today," he began then stopped, "What the hell am I thinking?" he shook his head. He wondered why he was so interested in Casey suddenly. He wondered why the hell he stared at her ass. He wondered why she shook when he whispered in her ear. He scowled, clearly he was going insane. He needed something to preoccupy himself with. He had too much time on his hands, he needed to do something that would keep him busy and keep him from thinking…Thinking was a bad thing, a very bad thing. Cause when he thought, he thought of things, very bad things, very bad kinky things.

He needed to leave the house. Immediately. He put on his shoes, stood up and walked out the door.

"Case, I'm leaving!" he called while walking down the steps.

"Whatever!" Casey replied from the confinement of her room.

Derek grabbed his coat and strolled out the house.