SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Windyfontaine: Yep. Guess you'll have to read and see. Thanks, you too.

Lildevil0644: Thanks. Here you go.

OokamisFang: Thanks, glad you think so. Well, keep reading. Bye!

Laura Ferrari: Thanks. Thanks. Sorry this isn't soon enough.

XxBiTTeRxxSWeeT: Nope, thanks. Okey-doke.

Princetongirl: Thanks, sorry this isn't soon enough.

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Wes Craven and Canadian Television. I only own the plot. I figured since Casey and Derek ride the bus in this fic, they'd most likely have keys for the house in case their parents were working late and I believe the front door had a small see-through window, but I'm not positive. For this fic, it does though.

Rod put his arms around Casey as she buried her face into his chest. He frowned as he felt the trembling of her body. That wasn't like her.

"Hey, what is it?" he asked.

"I had never been so scared. I was so sure I wasn't gonna make it out of there," she said, her voice muffled

"Hey, whoa. Come on. You're a Dream Master," Rod reminded, pulling away to look at her.

"I'm out of practice," Casey said. "I---I used to be able to take him longer," she continued.

"Is that what this is about? That you had to call us in?" Rod questioned as Joey came out to join them.

"You know we're stronger together. That's how we became Dream Masters so fast," Nancy reminded her.

"Yeah, we're a team," Joey added, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"But I don't want to get you guys hurt---or worse," Casey said.

"Hey, you don't think we can take this guy down?" Rod asked.

"After all we've been through?" Nancy added.

"And so you're a little rusty. We all are. It's been quiet for two years," Joey reminded her. "But we'll get him. Just like last time," he continued. Inside the classroom, Sam, Max, and Derek looked at each other.

"What's going on?" Derek wondered.

"Beats me. Maybe it has something to do with that story Casey told us about," Max answered.

"What story?" Emily questioned.

"Um---" the boys looked at each other uncertainly. Should they tell her? Emily looked at them in confusion. What was going on?

"It's---it's Casey story. She'd have to tell you," Derek said, opting for the easy way out. Emily raised her eyebrows, but didn't say anything. Since when did Derek not take a chance butt into Casey's business? Derek ignored Emily's look of confusion and concentrated on his stepsister, who was talking to her friends. Suddenly, as if they had all come to a simultaneous conclusion, they started down the hall.

"What the---" Derek questioned.

"She is not ditching!" Emily gasped.

"Looks like she is," Derek commented. Now even more curious, the class walked out of the room, ignoring the teacher who unsuccessfully tried to regain control of the class. Casey looked over her shoulder.

"We're being followed," she reported.

"Why?" Rod wondered.

"Because I'm a super-keener and I'm ditching," Casey replied.

"She's got a point," Nancy said.

"Well, too bad for them. We gotta up our practice," Joey stated. They broke into a run. They got into Rod's car; Rod started the engine, and then took off. Minutes later, they were at Casey's house, where Casey used her key to get in.

"I need to get something from my room," Casey said, heading up stairs. In her room, she looked through her room, pulled some stuff out of her secret compartment, looked until she found the c.d. she wanted, and then went back downstairs.

"Got everything?" Nancy questioned.

"Yep," Casey responded, handing her friends the supplies. Then, she put on the c.d. and went to work. Meanwhile, Derek, Sam, Max, and Emily had grown even more curious than their classmates and had followed Casey and her friends. The other kids, though just as confused, had been too afraid of repercussions to leave school grounds.

"I cannot believe Casey ditched," Emily hissed.

"Yeah, dude. That's more of your scene," Sam agreed. A few miles later, Derek realized where the others were headed.

"Why are they going home?" he wondered.

"None of this is making any sense," Max stated.

"Can't argue with that," Derek mumbled. He was beginning to feel like he was in an old Twilight Zone episode. When they got to Venturi house, they heard muffled music.

"What the heck?" Max asked. The kids peeked through see-through window that let a person know who was at the door.

"What's going on?" Emily questioned. Derek shook his head, but could only stare. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Casey and her friends were in the living room, moving in time with the music, and performing what seemed to be intense Martial Arts.