A/N: I know. I know. I should get an award for the worst updater in the world. Sorry for the wait. Now that summer break has started and finals are over, I can finally update every millennium or so. Here's the next installment…. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Life With Derek, no matter how much I wish I did.

8:30… 8:31… 8:32… 8:33

Casey glanced at her watch again. It read 8: 34. She had now been sitting in her car, in front of Noel's apartment, for a total of 37 minutes.

Casey sighed. "Come on, Casey," she coached herself. "You can do it. What are you afraid of? Its just Noel. It's not like you're asking the big, life-changing question- you're answering it. What are you afraid of? If anything, you should be afraid for your sanity, since you're out here alone, talking to yourself!" Casey groaned as she banged her head on the steering wheel.

She took a deep breath. "Pull yourself together, Case. You can do this! You had the guts to stand up against Ryan, 'The Fridge'! Talking to your sweet boyfriend is not that hard! Get out there and do what you came here to do!" With her newfound confidence, Casey unbuckled her seatbelt and walked into Noel's apartment building with total determination. She walked up a flight of stairs and strode down his hall. But once his door started getting closer, her determination started to wane and she started to slow down. By the time she was in front of his door, her confidence had totally vanished.

She bit her lip and started fidgeting with her ring finger. At the moment, it was bare, but would it soon bear a ring? The answer to that question depended on what Casey would tell Noel. That is, if Casey ever got the nerve to actually deliver the answer.

Casey brought her hand up to knock on the door, but she couldn't bring herself to actually make contact with the door, she brought her hand down, defeated. She looked at her watch yet again. It was 8:40.

"It's getting late, maybe…maybe I'll tell him tomorrow… or the next day." Casey turned around quickly, a little too quick, because she tangled up her feet and fell to the ground with a big "thump".

Casey let out a loud groan, but once she heard some muffled movement coming from the other side of the door, she covered her mouth and jumped up onto her feet. She turned her back to the door and was about the run down the hall, when the door creaked open.

"Casey?"

Casey cringed. She slowly turned around to face her boyfriend.

"Noel! Hey."

Noel smiled, "I wasn't expecting you!" He pulled Casey into a hug. Noel awkwardly placed one arm behind her head and the other behind her back. As Casey was smothered between Noel's arm and shoulder, she grimaced. Even though they'd been going out for years now, hugging Noel was always an awkward thing for Casey. It was odd because she didn't have a problem kissing Noel, but the mere act of hugging him always threw her off. It was as it they were two pieces of a puzzle that just didn't quite fit.

Noel pulled back and gave Casey a baffled expression. "I thought I heard something out here… did you fall?"

Casey's eyes got wide. "Me? Fall? Pssh, as if. You know me, Miss Graceful," she said, as she forced a smile.

Noel laughed, "Um, yeah. Totally. Come in." He opened the door wider for her and Casey slowly stepped into the room. As soon as she walked in, she saw a big, yellow banner hanging from the wall that read "Welcome home!"

Casey gasped. "Noel! What's this?"

Noel smiled sheepishly. "Well, I wanted to welcome you home."

"That's so sweet, Noel!"

Noel blushed slightly. "Not really, it's just a banner."

Casey laughed, "Yeah, but still. Sure it looks lonely, out of place, and like it was put up in a hurry." Casey's eyes widened, a she realized she was insulting Noel. "I'm still totally grateful for it!"

Noel snorted. "There's a reason it looks out of place. There was going to be more to it."

"Meaning?" Casey asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Well…you see… I was going to have a party here the day after tomorrow."

Casey's mouth dropped. "What? A party?"

" Well, a little get together. I thought you were coming home tomorrow, not today, and I thought you might want to unpack and get things in order. So, I thought the next day, I'd invite you over for a surprise party."

"You were going to throw me a party? Welcoming me back from a vacation that I was on for only 2 weeks?"

"Well, 2 weeks away from you is a long time in my book."

" Noel! You are so incredibly sweet." Casey gushed, as she walked up to him and pecked him on the cheek.

Noel grinned, "I know."

"But, you know how much I hate surprises. Especially surprise parties."

"I know, but I thought I'd risk it. I wanted to do something for you."

"Aww, Noel… ", Casey murmured. "So who was invited to this party?"

"Well, um… Mr. Robertson from across the hall, Peggy from downstairs, and Sebastian."

Casey looked at Noel, shocked, "What? Mr. Robertson? The 80 something year old man that hits on me every time he sees me?"

"The very one," Noel grinned.

"And Peggy, that ditz that can't remember my name? The one who calls me something different every time she sees me?"

"She doesn't know your name?" Noel asked incredulously.

"No! She gets my name wrong AND insults me. I remember once I walked past her and she said 'Hey Stacey, I like your outfit. Did you borrow it from your grandma?'"

"Wow… that's a pretty lame insult. Bet that took her all week to come up with. But don't take her comments too seriously, as her IQ isn't much higher than an arrogant chicken," Noel said with a smirk.

Casey completely ignored Noel's comment and continued. "Sebastian? The guy that's been in jail three times? The one I saw pulling a rather large garbage bag, that looked like a body, to the dumpster?"

Noel nodded.

"That's who you invited to my welcome back party? What's wrong with you?" Casey cried as she lightly punched Noel in the shoulder.

Noel looked at Casey with a serious expression. "I'm throwing you a party, and you're complaining?"

Casey opened her mouth to speak, but Noel put up a hand to silence her. "I thought you'd be a little more appreciative," Noel said, getting louder with each word.

"Well-"

"So, you don't like my guest list?"

Casey, not intimidated at all, said, "Psh, no. It sucks."

Noel looked at Casey with an angry expression, while Casey looked right back at him, with an irritated face. Then, all of a sudden, Noel broke out into a grin.

"You look so cute when you're annoyed."

"Thank you." Casey said, pouting her lips.

"Look Casey-"

"No, Noel, I'm sorry if I came across ungrateful. But I want to know what possessed you to think I'd want those… people…. at my party! Again, I know you didn't have to do this-"

"Which is exactly why I didn't."

"I know but- wait," Casey stopped mid sentenced and backtracked. "What?"

Noel chuckled. "I was just kidding."

"About the guest list or the party?"

"Hmm… both kind of. As if I'd let those people in my house, especially Sebastian. My T.V. would be gone within seconds!" Noel joked. "But there isn't really a party. I was going to add more decorations, but the only people invited were you and me."

Casey smiled. " Really?"

"Mhmm."

"Oh, well good," Casey put her arm around Noel's back and he placed his arm over her shoulder. As they stood together, staring at the "random, lonely banner, that looked like it was put up in a hurry", Casey continued with a sly grin, "But you know, inviting some people wouldn't have been a bad idea…"

Noel smirked. "You wanted me to invite tons of people for your welcome back partyfrom a vacation that you were on for only 2 weeks?"

"Jerk," Casey smiled. Noel merely kissed her on her head. Casey pulled away from Noel and sat down on the couch.

"You want anything to eat? Drink?"

"Oh, no thanks. I just had dinner," she lied. Noel then joined her on the couch.

"Good, because I don't have anything," Noel laughed. Casey laughed.

"So Casey how was it? Did you have a good time? Any good memories to look back on and laugh?"

Casey chuckled, "Oh, there was plenty of those moments. It's hard to not have those moments with my family."

"That's great. See, that's the problem of being an only child. There's a lot less chaos, and therefore, a lot less fun," Noel said.

Casey nodded her head in agreement, "I suppose you're right…"

"That's why," Noel continued, "I'm gonna have a lot of kids when I get married. At least 3 or 4."

The moment after Noel spoke, the atmosphere in the room changed. It was more tense, with an edge of anxiety. There was clearly a topic that neither wanted to address.

Noel cleared his throat, "So, uh, anyway…"

Casey interrupted, "Noel, I came here for a reason. To give you an answer."

Noel quickly replied, "There's no hurry. You don't have to answer right now. I mean, did you even figure out what needed to? Did you get your answer?"

Casey looked down at the floor. "Yes," she said quietly. "I got my answer. So now I can answer your question."

Noel looked at her expectantly.

Casey bit her lip and grabbed Noel's hands. "Noel, we've been together for… so many years now. I'm really content with my life when I'm with you."

"So am I. I love you more than anything, Casey." Noel said, looking into her eyes.

Casey looked away from Noel and looked back to the floor. "And I- I really do love you, Noel. And that's why… that's why I decided to say yes. My answer…is yes. I'll marry you."

Noel looked at Casey with astonished eyes. "You- you're saying yes? You'll marry me?"

Casey, holding back tears, nodded her head.

Noel broke out into a huge smile and started laughing. "You said yes!" He stood up, pulling Casey with him. He then picked her up and twirled her around. He set her back down, gave her a big kiss, and ran over to his door, pulled it open and yelled, "she said yes!" down the hallway. He then ran to the window, opened it, and again shouted with pure glee, "she said yes!"

Casey stood there dumbly; looking at her boyfriend, no scratch that, her fiancée, literally jumping around with happiness. She looked at her ring finger, with sadness on her face. "I said yes," She whispered.

As soon as Noel calmed down, he sat back down with Casey on the couch.

"You know, I knew you'd get happy when I told you yes, but I had no idea you'd go insane." Casey said with a soft laugh.

Noel grinned, "Yeah, sorry about that. But honestly, I was expecting a 'no'."

Casey furrowed her brows, "Why's that?"

Noel shifted uncomfortably. "Well, when you said you had to think about it and that you had to figure some things out, it didn't look too good to me. I figured that was just a delayed 'no'." He looked around the room awkwardly. "Plus, I wasn't sure if you even wanted to be with me anymore. I felt like there was something in the way of you saying 'yes'. As if there was something, or someone stopping you. But I have no idea what it was. I was just being paranoid."

"Oh," Casey said, feeling guilty. "You thought there was someone else?"

"No!" Noel exclaimed. "I know you'd never cheat on me. You are way too good of a person to do that. But I don't know. I thought maybe there's someone in her life that's pulling her away from me. But as I said, I knew it wasn't an 'another man' type of deal."

"Oh," she said again.

"But to be honest, I always got a vibe that there was something between you and Mr. Robertson. I mean, the way you squirm every time he looks at you… pretty suspicious if you ask me…" Noel said playfully.

"Noel…" Casey said with a slight smile, as she lightly pushed him.

"Enough of that nonsense. Let's start planning! Want to set a date?"

"A date? Already?"

"I know how much you enjoy planning ahead! So let's narrow it down. What season?"

"Noel, I don't-"

"I was thinking late spring. There's less chance of rain and it won't be too hot."

"Noel, I don't want to set a date yet. It's uh… to soon."

"Oh," Noel said. Thankfully, he wasn't even disappointed. "That's ok. We have plenty of time."

"Exactly." Casey looked at her watch and pretended to be shocked by what time it was.

"Oh dear, it's really late. I should get going. I had a long day and I have work tomorrow. I better get some sleep."

"Right, right." Noel said, getting up to walk Casey to the door.

"You made me a very happy man tonight Casey McDonald. Or should I start calling you, Casey McDonald-Covington."

Casey forced a laugh, "Maybe."

"Alright, see you later, fiancée."

"Bye Noel." Casey gave Noel a quick kiss and left the apartment.

She walked back to her car with a heavy heart. Part of her was actually happy. She had made Noel's night, which pleased her, because she did love him. Another part of her was saddened beyond belief. She knew that saying yes to Noel brought her one, giant step further from Derek. But a big part of her was yearning to be happy. She always dreamed of being the happiest women on the face of the earth when she gets engaged. But instead, she was forcing herself not to cry. Casey wanted to be eager to plan her wedding instead of trying to push it off.

Casey didn't want to make any decisions about the wedding, especially the wedding date, because it'd feel too official. She knew nothing would happen with Derek – he had pretty much told her he had no feelings for her- she also knew that Noel was a great guy and that he really wanted to marry her. But she still couldn't shake off the feelings she had for Derek. No matter what.

A/N: SO? What did you think? Love it? Hate it? Well, hopefully you enjoyed it at least somewhat, but if you didn't like it, don't bother reviewing, because I'll just cry for 3 days. Just kidding ;)

So this chapter was somewhat of a filler. Sorry about the whole 'throwing a party' bit. It was random just kind of came out and I just went with it. I guess it shows how much Noel loves Casey :shrugs:

I promise that I'll try to be the SECOND worst updater in the world instead of being THE worst…

So review, review, review )