A/N: This turned out to be longer than expected. But I like it, and hope you all do too!

Whoever decides to review, I need some help. Can you suggest romantic movies? I need one (for a later chapter) and am leaning towards 'Romeo and Juliet', but I really don't want it to be a cliché. This is in no attempt to get more reviews than I already am, I'm not a review grubber. Just if you decide to review please think of movies.

Enjoy and review (not begging, just what I write – but I LOVE all the ones I get. Thanks!)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 9: Thanks

Derek paced his room for hours after his hockey game. He was so surprised that Casey came to support him, he never thought that she would ever go to one of his games again. Why would she go? I made her feel like shit all those years ago. But despite whatever her reasoning was, he was glad that she went. She brightened his day, made his game. He felt a rush of energy when he saw her standing there, being his fan. He felt himself play differently, like her eyes watching him gave him power and confidence that he never had before.

He wanted to do something special for her, wanting to show his appreciation. Maybe I will just let it slip, just a little. I'll let it slip how amazing she is and how I am so lucky to be around her. Maybe I'll let it slip how much I love her. It finally dawned on him, he knew what to do to surprise her. Derek reached over and set his alarm for 7:30, laying down to sleep with a smile across his face.

Derek woke up the next morning, knowing that Casey would be up by 9, even though it was a Saturday. She had asked him if he wanted to go with her to the library because she had to start her first article for the school paper and her creative writing assignment. He had initially agreed to go with her, since he had to hand in a drawing by Tuesday, which he did not start it yet. However, he now knew he couldn't go, he had to carry out his surprise.

Making his way to the bathroom, Derek opened the door and a frown formed on his face. I guess no coconuts this morning. After getting dressed, Derek made his way into the kitchen. Keeping his eyes on the hallway to make sure that Casey wouldn't hear him, he took out his cell phone. Although it was still rather earlier for a Saturday, he knew that Nora would be up.

"Hey Nora, you busy?"

"Not at all Derek, how are you and Casey doing?" Nora asked, hoping everything was fine between the two, maybe a little bit more than just fine.

"Everything is good, but I was wondering if you could help me out with something." Derek said trying to make sure his voice was not too loud. After a short response from Nora, Derek continued, trying to rush before Casey would wake up. "Well, I was wondering if you can tell me how to make your chicken parmesan. I wanted to make it tonight as a surprise."

Who is he cooking for? Is it for a girl? I can't believe that he has liked Casey for so long and now that he is living with her he decides to date someone else. "Sure, but who may I ask is this for?" Nora asked, definitely wanting answers.

"Well . . . it's for Casey. See, last night was my first hockey game and I was feeling bad because I didn't have any fans and then she showed up and was really sweet and made me this sign and helped me play my best and I really want to thank her by making her favorite meal and . . ." SHUT UP! You are rambling and Nora is definitely going to suspect something. Before Derek could continue and try to explain why he spit everything out in one breath, Nora interrupted him.

"Derek, it's ok. Calm down. Do you have a pen and piece of paper so that you can write down the list?" Nora sighed with relief. I can't believe he knows her favorite meal. She was rooting for Derek and Casey for so long, she was glad that one of them was at least making an effort.

Derek grabbed a pad and pen that was on the counter, jotting down everything that Nora told him he needed. He had told her that he really wanted to try and make the sauce from scratch, not wanting to feed her something from a jar. After writing down the ingredients needed, Nora told him that she would email him the recipe for the sauce in a little while, along with the directions to prepare everything.

"Thanks so much Nora. Talk to you soon."

"No problem, and good luck." With everything she thought.

After hanging up the phone with his stepmother, Derek ripped the top sheet of the pad and put it in his pocket. He quickly wrote a note for Casey, dropping his car keys on the pad. He grabbed his jacket and walked out the front door on his way to the supermarket.

As he entered the supermarket Derek glanced down at his watch, noticing it was 8:30am. He knew had about an hour before he could head home, knowing that she would be gone by about 9:30. That was the reason why he was letting her take his car, so he would know if she left yet.

Walking through the aisles, he got everything that Nora told him to get. He grabbed some fresh tomatoes, chicken, seasonings, everything that was needed for Casey's favorite meal. He couldn't wait to show his appreciation for Casey. Maybe she'll think it's romantic.

Derek made his way throughout the store, picking up all the supplies needed and some other items needed for the apartment. As he was making his way up to the front, he found his way back to the produce section. He decided he also wanted to make Casey desert. He grabbed bananas, strawberries and dipping chocolate.

As he was about to make his way to the register, he stopped in front of the flowers. Looking over them, he began to laugh. He looked past the roses and grabbed a bunch of tulips, the ones that are two-toned, white as the main part of the petal, with red tips.

Derek knew that Sam liked Casey from the first time they met, but something inside him told him to not let them date. At the time, Derek had no idea why he would care so much. So, he began to try to talk Sam out of dating Casey, making up male codes and unwritten rules. Within 3 months of the MacDonalds moving into the Venturi household, Casey and Sam started dating.

It drove Derek completely insane. He wanted to attack Sam every time he saw him with Casey. At first, Derek told himself that he was being overly protective of Casey, as if she was a sister. About three months of trying to convince himself of this, six months into the MacDonalds and Venturis becoming one big happy family, he knew he was only lying to himself. He didn't consider Casey a sister, and he didn't think he ever would. What the hell is wrong with me then?

Derek was frustrated all the time, which made him angrier with Casey. He couldn't comprehend why he was so jealous of their relationship. Derek always thought he was not one for relationships, they were for those in love. And Derek was not in love, he usually was not in like either. Casey was just an easy target to get his aggravation out. He could yell and scream and insult and no one would think anything was new.

The day Derek realized that he actually grew a heart and began to like someone, was the day that Casey broke up with Sam. Derek came home from school that Friday around 3:30 and saw a note on the counter saying that his father and Nora took the kids to dinner and a movie. He didn't see anything in the note about Casey, and he didn't hear her in the house, so he assumed she was out with Sam. He went to the living room to watch some tv before his date would show up at around 7pm.

At about 4:30, someone rang the doorbell. Derek saw Sam standing there, with a dozen red roses in his hand. He looked like he had been crying, but Derek dismissed it.

"Hey Sammy, you shouldn't have, but I love roses! What's up?"

Sam looked a little upset, but he hesitated, not wanting to go into it. "Nothing man, is Casey here?"

Derek's eyebrow raised, a little confused because he had been home for about an hour and didn't hear anything in the house. Not that he had really been paying any attention though, there was a hockey game on tv. "I don't think so, I haven't heard or seen her since I got home. I thought she would be with you. But maybe she's with Emily."

"Umm, well when you see her, can you give her these for me?" Sam said, holding the flowers in front of him. Derek grabbed the flowers and Sam just turned around and left, no reply. Shrugging it off, Derek went back to watching tv, placing the flowers down on the couch.

A little while later he heard a big bang from the upstairs bathroom. Rushing up the stairs, Derek opened the bathroom door. His first instinct was that Marti was playing around and got hurt, he completely forgot about the note he read a little over an hour ago.

Walking into the bathroom, he noticed Casey on the floor leaning against the side of the tub. His eyes trailed up her legs, across the towel wrapped around her body, over the top of her chest not covered by the towel . . . Damn she's . . . but all thought left his mind when his eyes stopped on her eyes. He had never seen them like that before. He always knew they were blue, but now it seemed like they were jewels, large orbs of sapphire.

Derek almost had to smack himself so that he could stop looking into her eyes. He didn't know what to do, how to think, it was like he was lost in them. He hadn't noticed the same look in her own eyes, the same feeling of completely losing yourself in someone else's gaze. Finally coming to his senses, Derek noticed that Casey began to rub her back and that her ankle was swelling.

Derek rushed over to her, which snapped Casey out of her daze. "Derek! Get out of here!" Casey tried to stand, but the pain in her ankle made her fall back down, hitting her back against the tub again.

"I was just trying to help! You can't even stand up!" Derek screamed at her. He was so infuriated that she was not accepting his help.

Trying once more to stand, but falling once again, Casey began to cry. At first, all Derek could do was stare. He saw her cry before, he even made her cry before. But there was something different now. He couldn't bare to tears fall from her perfect eyes.

Derek sat down on the floor next to her and began to rub her back. He noticed that she hit it hard and there was a small bump forming, which would definitely form a bruise. What am I doing? This is Casey. I don't care about Casey! Derek couldn't stop himself though. He sat there with her, on the wet floor, rubbing her back until she stopped crying.

Casey finally looked up at him and smiled. He felt his heart start to race a bit, but he wouldn't let himself acknowledge it. After a few moments of silence, Derek asked if Casey was ok.

"I'm fine. You really don't have to sit here with me. I'll get up when I'm able to." Casey kept twiddling her fingers, making Derek think there was something else wrong.

But, Derek could not help himself from becoming a jerk, he was still confused with the way he was acting lately. He snapped out of being helpful and reverted back to his character. "What happened? You and Sammy broke up?"

"Yeah, we did." Derek just stared at her. There was no emotion in her face or in her eyes. How can she be fine with this?

His trademark smirk crept onto his face, "Aww, Sam broke up with you?"

Casey looked up at Derek, he saw the anger in her face, but saw something completely different in her eyes. "No, I broke up with him." He had no idea what it was, but the look in her eyes didn't scare him. What scared him was that with her look his heart began to beat a little faster.

Derek immediately looked away from her. He couldn't look into her eyes anymore. Derek changed the subject, starting to talk about school. He noticed that Casey seemed to sigh in relief, but he ignored it. After a while, the two were chatting about anything and everything, not realizing how much time had passed, or realizing how much they were enjoying themselves without the constant bickering between them. Casey asked for Derek's help to get her to her room, and as he opened her bedroom door, the doorbell rang.

Telling Casey he'd be right back, Derek went to answer the door. There stood his date, barely clothed and twisting her hair around one of her fingers. Something about it made his stomach twist, as if it was the worst site he has ever seen. Derek immediately began to think of Casey. He was having so much fun just talking to her, he didn't want it to end.

"Oh, hey. I'm sorry that I forgot to call you. Something came up and I can't go out tonight." What the hell am I doing? Nothing came up. I don't even have any other plans. Derek couldn't believe he was breaking his date, but his mouth seemed to be moving out of his control. He promised that he would reschedule, and he watched her leave.

Derek headed into the kitchen to grab an ice pack for Casey. I blew off a date to spend time with Casey. CASEY! She hates me and I hate her. What am I doing? Derek made his way into the living room, heading for the stairs.

Glancing up, Derek stopped walking and stood still in shock. Standing before him was Casey. She was dressed in a pink tank top and black shorts, less than what his date was wearing, and she was twisting her hair around of one of her fingers. Oh no. It suddenly all clicked in Derek's mind. Why he hated Sam and Casey being together, why he picked on her so much, why he wasn't sick seeing her do exactly what his date was doing 5 minutes ago, why he enjoyed the conversation they had in the bathroom a few hours ago. Why did I have to grow a heart? And why is it for her?

"So, do you want to watch a movie?" What is this a date? What is wrong with me? I can't like her! This is Casey, my stepsister, grade grubbing, klutzilla. But the second Casey agreed, Derek seemed to forget everything he just thought. Handing her the ice pack, he went back into the kitchen to make popcorn.

"So Derek . . . someone deliver you some flowers?" Casey asked as Derek came back into the living room, holding up the roses.

"Sam brought them for you earlier today."

Casey began to laugh, making Derek's heart beat faster. I really need to get myself checked out. He stared at her until she finally stopped. He was really surprised with her reaction. He assumed that although she said that she broke up with him, she would still be upset when his name was brought up.

"It's funny, you date someone for three months and they still don't know that you hate roses, especially red ones." Casey began to laugh again. "He's been in my room before, I only happen to have a picture of tulips hanging on my wall."

After the movie, Derek noticed that Casey fell asleep on the couch. Not wanting to wake her, he carefully picked her up and carried her to her room. After placing her in bed, he looked around at her walls. Hmm, white tulips with red trim. I guess I'll have to remember that. Derek could barely sleep that night. He didn't know what made him feel this way. He never thought he could like someone, especially not Casey. But there was something in her eyes, something that made him drift into a peaceful sleep, only seeing those big blue eyes.

While Derek was shopping, Casey woke up to her alarm. Getting herself out of bed, she made her way into the shower. After getting dressed, she entered the kitchen. Casey noticed a note sitting on the table.

Casey

Got invited to play hockey with the team. Didn't think you would mind me not going with you to the library. Got picked up so you can take the car. See you after your newspaper meeting.

Derek

But it's Saturday, our date night. Casey was upset. With classes and hockey and the newspaper, they didn't get to see each other as much as she would have liked. The only time they really spent together was when she tried to teach Derek how to cook, which was a miserable failure. She noticed that he always had a hard time concentrating on what she was saying, even though she had a hard time concentrating on what she was doing, due to their proximity.

After eating a quick breakfast and finding something to take with her for lunch, Casey grabbed her bag and jacket. She went back into the kitchen to grab Derek's car keys, when she noticed something else written underneath them.

P.S. – It's Saturday, so can you pick up a movie on your way home? Meet you here at 5 so we can go to dinner.

Casey couldn't help but smile. I guess he didn't forget. And maybe he is as excited about it as me. Casey left the apartment and headed for the library.

She had to work on her first article for the newspaper. It was supposed to be a 'How to play a sport', on any sport she wanted. After thinking for about 3 seconds she picked hockey. Somehow, it had become her favorite sport to watch. After doing some research, Casey was able to complete her article and review it within a few hours.

The next thing Casey had the work on was her first assignment for her creative writing class. She looked over the assignment, which was supposed to be any form of writing to be titled 'When your heart changed'. It could have been fiction, but she remembered her professor telling the class that the best work comes from truth of the heart.

Casey's mind went to the time she realized her feelings Derek. That was the day her heart changed. Without realizing it, her hand was moving. It was writing her story as it played in her head. And, just as that fateful night came to an end, so did her story.

I was crying, crying over my lost love, but I knew I didn't love him. I was the one to end it, I said it was over, and I had no idea why. Things were different, feelings changed, feelings were actually never there at all. I washing away the last three months spent with him. I had no idea why I felt dirty, as if I betrayed someone, I didn't do anything with him but kiss. My heart was always telling me something was wrong with each kiss, but I ignored it. The day we broke up something in me just snapped and I had to end it.

Crying in the shower made my head clear. I knew that I made the right decision and I was no longer upset for breaking his heart, because I could not deny my own, even if I had no idea what it was longing for. As I stepped from the shower, wrapped with a towel, I slipped and hit the floor. I closed my eyes in the pain that my back was enduring, but hearing the door open, I quickly opened them.

And there he was, what my heart was calling for all along. But it couldn't be, I thought I must have been going crazy. I didn't realize it the first time we met, I didn't realize all the times we fought, but I realized it then. It crashed over me, and I fell hard. It may not have been love at first, but it was something. It wasn't in his smug smirk that I now adore, or in his messy hair that I would love to run my hands through, it was in his eyes. There was something there and I still don't know what it was. His amazing chocolate brown eyes with a hint of honey near the iris.

The entire day I tried to deny it, I couldn't let it happen. I kept telling myself no, trying to stay away, but my body pulled me in. When I felt him tuck me into bed, after spending the afternoon talking and evening watching movies, I knew. And that was the day my heart changed, and it's still wishing his heart changes too.

Casey put her assignment away in her notebook, praying that Derek won't come across it before she had to hand it in. Casey put her things away and left for her newspaper meeting. About an hour later, Casey started driving back to her apartment, stopping to rent a movie on her way.

As she was entering the building she smelt something good cooking. Casey figured it came from another apartment in her building. She opened the door to her apartment and the smell of sauce and melted cheese smacked her in the face. It smells so good in here. Derek couldn't have cooked though, I didn't teach him how to make sauce yet. Casey's eyes opened wide. What if he brought home a girl and she is cooking for him.

Placing her things down by the door, she quietly shut it and made her way into the kitchen. She wanted to catch whoever was there off guard. Casey saw Derek standing in front of the stove, with his back towards her. She could tell he was tasting the sauce, bringing the spoon to his mouth. Oh how I wish I was that spoon. She took in a deep breath, noticing how good everything smelt.

Derek turned around, hearing her inhale. I hope she likes my cooking. "Hey there. You hungry?"

"Starved, but I didn't teach you how to make sauce. Did you have some other hot girl come over and teach you how to cook?" Please say no, please say no.

Laughing, Derek gestured for Casey to sit down. You're the only hot girl that I would want to teach me how to cook. "Well, I wouldn't exactly call your mom hot. But she did give me the recipe." Derek placed some spaghetti on both of their plates, pouring sauce over them. He turned to the oven and took out the chicken.

A smile crossed Casey's lips. "So you asked my mom what my favorite meal was?"

"No, I just asked her for the recipe." Now she knows you know her favorite meal, she's smart, she can put two and two together.

"Why did you cook this for me? I thought we were going out." Not that I would mind eating your cooking.

Derek served the chicken and poured them both a drink. Sitting down he looked into her eyes, "I just wanted to show you how much I appreciate you. . ." End it there, let her know, don't continue. ". . . for being there for me last night." Derek sighed, he couldn't lose Casey's friendship, even if it was killing him not to tell her.

Casey was surprised at how good the food tasted. Even though she knew it probably tasted 100 times better to her because Derek was the one who cooked. Casey offered to clean the dishes, but Derek refused, telling her to go get the movie started.

When Derek was done with the dishes, he began to melt the chocolate and cut up the fruit he bought. Placing the chocolate in a bowl and the fruit on a plate, he made his way into the living room. Casey was waiting on the couch, remote in hand. Derek sat down and placed the warm bowl on the table to his left, since Casey was to his right, so that she just so happened to have to reach over him for some chocolate.

Throughout the movie, which was yet another romantic one, Casey kept leaning over Derek to dunk her fruit in the chocolate. After she was reaching for her last dunk of chocolate, she tried to pump herself up. Be bold Casey! He cooked you dinner, you are watching a romantic movie. Just do it. After placing the last piece of strawberry into her mouth, she turned so her back against Derek's side. She leaned into him and placed her head on his shoulder. He'll just think I'm tired.

Derek noticed Casey begin to lean into him. She's probably just tired. It's nothing, don't get your hopes up. Derek moved his arm so that Casey could get more comfortable, draping it around her body.

Being so close, neither of them could concentrate any longer on the movie. They listened to their own racing heart beats and the rhythm of the other's breathing. When the movie ended, Casey reluctantly got off of Derek.

"I'm going to bed." She headed towards her room, but turned around. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

Whatever you are. "Don't really know yet. I have to start on my assignment for my drawing class. What are you doing?"

"Nothing really, I got a lot of work done today. If you want, we can go to the park so you can be inspired to draw and I can bring my laptop and write." Casey felt herself blush, but she really wanted to spend time with Derek.

"Sounds great." I really don't need a park to inspire me, all I need is you. "Good night."

Casey went to the bathroom before she went to her room and heard Derek shut his bedroom door. She made her way into her room, tossing her bag on her bed and reached for the light switch. When the light illuminated her room, she noticed a dozen tulips in a vase on her desk. She smiled as she made her way over to smell them, noticing a simple note next to the vase.

Thanks