a/n: sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, school sucks sometimes.

disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 7: So Close but Yet, so Far

Two o'clock in the morning,
Something's on my mind,
Can't get no rest,
Keep walking around.

The Macdonald/Venturi clan had to wait for hours before they got an update for Nora and George conditions. They stayed mostly in Lizzie's hospital room, trying to cheer her up. Derek took Marti and Edwin to the cafeteria to get some food while Casey stayed in the room with Lizzie.

They barely got back to the room with food for Lizzie and Casey when Dr. Sheppard walked in. He was once again holding files in his hand, cursing himself in his head, wishing for this day to be over.

Casey stood up immediately, wanting to know about her mother and George. Derek went to her side, worried that she might faint. She kept a smile on her face but Derek could tell how stressed she was. She looked many years older than she actually was, having bags under her eyes and wrinkles on her face. Not that he looked much better himself but he was used to hiding his emotions, Casey wasn't.

"Hello again," Dr. Sheppard said, nodding his head to each of them. He didn't wait for them to reply, knowing that they just wanted to find out what happened with their family. "The surgeries were successful for both Nora Macdonald-Venturi and George Venturi."

Casey relaxed a bit, letting out the gush of air that she was holding. "So they're okay, right?" she asked. Dr. Sheppard grew tense, looking down at his file, afraid to look at any of the family members.

"It seems that in their conditions, they both entered into a coma, there is a slight possibility that they will most likely never wake up," he said as he heard the cry coming from Casey. He saw her drop to the ground as Derek caught her, holding her as she sobbed in his chest.

"Derek what do we do? What do we do?" she asked over and over. Derek gently rocked her back and forth as he spoke.

"We fight Casey, we fight against this situation and we conquer it," he whispered, which was all Casey needed to hear to get the strength to fight.

Derek came back the next day, right at five exactly to spend time with his family. He wanted to make everything right since he was leaving tomorrow. This time though he did not plan to take them out anywhere. Holding bags of Chinese food in one hand and a rented movie in the other, he rang the doorbell with his index finger. He heard feet banging on the floor, running to the door, knowing that it had to be Zachie rushing to greet him. Zachie opened the door and shouting Derek's name but quickly stepped aside instead of jumping on him, seeing Derek's arms full of bags.

Derek stepped inside the house, seeing his younger siblings standing their, welcoming him in. When they saw that food, they quickly grabbed it, allowing Derek to take off his jacket. As he did, he saw Casey come out of the kitchen with a puzzled look on her face.

"What's in the bags?" she asked as her siblings ran past her and placed the bags on the dinning room table. After they placed the food on the table, they watched the scene in front of them, turning their heads to whoever was talking.

"Food," Derek said, walking into the living room and placing the rented movie on the coffee table.

"And what's that?" Casey asked, referring to the rented movie.

"A DVD," he replied bluntly.

"I know what it is but why did you bring food over and a movie?" she questioned.

"Well the food is to eat, and the movie is to watch," Derek explained.

"I thought you were going to take them out to eat, not bring food over," Casey said.

"Well you said that I can choose what activity I want to do with my family and I decided take-out and a movie. Is that okay with you?" Derek waited for the answer as the rest of the family did.

Casey didn't respond because she was trying to process everything, she wanted to avoid Derek this evening. She expected him to take the family out somewhere. Not only that but he referred to Marti, Lizzie, Edwin, and Zachie as his family, something that he hadn't said in a while.

"Uh, that's fine, make yourself at home," Casey said as she started to walk upstairs.

"You know Casey, there is enough food for you too," Derek called, making Casey stop halfway up the stairs. Please Derek no, Casey thought as she turned around, seeing him smirk, knowing that he planned this all along. Casey matched his smirk with a smile of her own.

"That's alright, I already ate," she declared.

"No you haven't," Marti butted in. Casey turned to her, wondering what her family had up their sleeve.

"Yes, well, I have work to do," Casey replied, hoping that everyone would buy her lame lie.

"Please Auntie Casey, it'll be fun," Zachie pleaded. Who was she kidding, her family, even the smallest member saw right through her.

"Fine," she said walking back down the stairs. She sat down at her seat as Lizzie and Marti rushed to the kitchen to get the plates and utensils. Derek sat right across from her, he whispered that he was sorry about yesterday. Casey nodded whispering back that she was sorry too and he sent her his trademark smirk that made Casey fall in love with him all over again.

Little did the family know that as they sat down to dinner, all of them laughing and joking around, feeling that they were going to get their family back, that there was someone outside the house, trying to stop this from happening. Faith stood outside, staring through the window at the happy family, knowing that Derek would never consider her family if he had this family.

She thought at first that if she was the one that brought Derek and his family together that he would be so grateful that he would want to marry her and that his family would love her. Her plan failed miserably when she found out what role Casey had in Derek's past. Not only did she know that Casey stilled loved Derek but Faith could see it in Derek's eyes that he loved her back. He never did look at her the way he looked at Casey.

Faith walked back to her car, stomping her feet in frustration. There was no way that she was going to lose Derek, especially to his stepsister. She was going to fight using everything that she got. She knew exactly what she was going to do, all she had to do was pick the right time to pursue it.

---

"What do you mean you don't have popcorn?" Derek asked Casey.

"I mean that I don't have popcorn," Casey replied.

"Chips? Gummy bears? Marshmallows?" he asked her as she shook her head.

"I don't like them eating too much junk food, obesity kills you know," Casey stated, causing Derek to roll his eyes. He left the kitchen, calling his family members, telling them to get their shoes and coats on.

"What are you doing?" Casey questioned.

"I'm going to take my family out to the store and let them buy whatever candy they want. How can you have a movie night without the snacks?" he said.

"Fine," Casey replied, "but I'm not going and watch you corrupt them."

"Fine, we'll be back soon with good food," Derek said walking outside, followed by the rest of the family.

Casey closed the door behind them and couldn't stop smiling. She just had her first bickering match with Derek that didn't lead to them being mad at each other. She enjoyed Derek's company, and wished that he wasn't going to leave town tomorrow. She was barely halfway across the living room when she heard the doorbell ring.

"What did you forget?" she called, rolling her eyes and walking to the door but when she opened it, she didn't see one of her family members standing on the porch but Faith. "Oh hello," Casey said, a bit shocked, seeing Derek's girlfriend since at dinner he admitted that he didn't tell Faith where he was tonight.

"Hello," Faith said, stepping inside the house. She closed the door and both girls stared at each other.

"Um, would you like some coffee?" Casey asked, trying to be polite.

"No, this won't take long," Faith said. She continued without letting Casey speak. "I know what you're doing and I want you to stop," she accused.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Casey said, completely confused.

Faith took a step towards her, getting right up in her face. "Oh don't act all innocent, you fooled me once but you will not do it again. You have been trying to steal Derek away from me, I thought you had a little more class Casey Macdonald. Boy was I wrong, you're just a slut with pathetic unfashionable clothes. Where did you get that shirt anyways? The dumpster?"

"Now wait just a second!-" Casey tried to say, feeling the anger raise inside her.

"Did I say speak, I don't think so. Now where was I, oh ya, stay the hell away from Derek, he's mine and if you try to take him away from me, I will hunt you down and make sure that whatever you hold dear will suffer." Faith tried to act intimidating but being a foot smaller than Casey, made her laugh at the threat.

"What are you going to do? Make my hair turn green?" Casey asked, she wasn't scared at all. She knew Faith's type since high school, always getting what they want and when they didn't they went insane, placing empty threats everywhere.

Instead of Faith getting even angrier, she just smiled. "Your mother is on life support isn't she?" Faith asked but more like stated it as if she already knew the answer.

"Yes," Casey said slowly, not seeing where she was getting at.

"Oh, well, my friend works at a hospital here in London and it would be a shame if that plug that kept your mother alive just happens to fall out," she said. Casey's anger grew even more inside her.

"Don't you dare touch my mother," she said in a harsh whisper, afraid that if she said it too loud, Nora would die that very second.

"Oh I promise I won't but whose to say that someone who works there might not accidently unplug it, it could happen. Stay away from Derek and I promise everything to do with your mother will be fine. Okay, bye now," Faith said opening the door. She stopped though and turned to face Casey. "Oh and don't tell Derek, if you know what's best for your mother." And with that, she left the house, leaving Casey mortified at what Faith said. It was so easy to have the plug pulled, anyone could do it. So she decided, for the sake of her mother, she wouldn't say anything to anyone, especially Derek.

---

Casey knew that her family was home before they even entered the house, hearing the laughter. She opened the door, welcoming in her family in along with the huge bags full of junk food. From pop tarts to chocolate syrup, you name it, they bought it.

"We are never going to be healthy again. It's a good thing that there's no school tomorrow or else no one would make it there," Casey stated.

"Hey, we only live once," Derek said, putting in the movie as everyone crowded on the couch or right in front of it. They left Derek's chair for him and Derek smiled, some things never changed.

Halfway through the movie Casey noticed that Zachie fell asleep, which was surprising because of all the candy he ate. She picked him up slowly and carried him upstairs, bringing him into his room. She placed him under the covers and was walking away when she heard his small voice speak.

"Auntie Casey, are we going to see Uncle Derek again?" he asked her.

"Of course now go to sleep," she lied through her teeth as she shut off the light and walked back downstairs. The truth was she had no idea if they were going to see Derek again, if Faith had her way, it would be a no and she guessed Faith always got what she wanted.

Instead of going back to the movie, Casey went to the kitchen to get some water. She didn't notice that Derek watched her come down the stairs and followed her until he spoke.

"So I guess I tired him out," Derek said, reaching for a glass of his own. He then leaned over Casey to get to the tap, Casey quickly walked to the other side of the island. Derek stared at her, confused to why she was so jumpy since he got back from the store.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked her. Casey looked at him, surprised that he would ask something like that.

"No, why?"

"Well it just seems that you have been ignoring me since we got back from the store," Derek stated.

"I haven't," she denied.

"Uh, ya, you have. When I tried to talk to you during the movie you gave me the cold shoulder," Derek said, while walking around the island, moving closer to her.

"Well I was trying to watch the movie, I've never seen it before," Casey said, walking around the island to put some distance between herself and Derek.

"Lizzie said that you took her and Marti to see it in theatres." Derek replied.

"Well, I haven't seen it in a while," Casey said, trying to hide the embarrassment that she was in since Derek caught her in her lie.

"Come on Casey, you can tell me, what did I do?" he asked, walking around the island and before Casey could move, he grabbed her hands, holding them in his. "Please Casey, just tell me. I don't want to leave London tomorrow with you mad at me, I want to come back soon and see our family, and see you," he continued, talking steps closer to her. Casey didn't have the strength to pull away, wanting to be close to Derek.

"You didn't do anything," Casey said before Derek's lips crashed onto her own. She immediately kissed back, holding his neck as he held her waist. It seemed like an eternity when Casey finally pulled away. "I can't, sorry," she said, thinking about what Faith would do to her mother if she found out what just happened. She began to walk away but Derek grabbed her arm.

"Yes you can," he said, pulling her against him. He rested his forehead on hers, closing his eyes. "Just say the word and I'll stay, I'll do anything to make it work, just say the word."

Casey wanted to say 'stay.' She wanted to shout it from the rooftops so badly. She wanted to tell Derek that she loved him and hear him say it back. She had been waiting for this moment for six years, but she couldn't do it. She had to make sure Faith never touched her mother.

"No Derek I can't," she said, pulling away from him and running up to her room. She was lucky that her family didn't notice her and that she was able to make it up there and close her door before tears came pouring down her cheeks, feeling her sadness build up inside her.

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