One reason God created time was so that there would be a place to bury the failures of the past.


"You know I don't agree with you showing your face around here all of a sudden." Casey said sternly

"I know you don't." Derek replied back with a sigh. He stretched out in his old, familiar bed and took mental note of how little his room had changed. Not even the posters had been taken down, though in all the room was much cleaner.

Casey stood in the doorway, arms crossed, just as she would back when they were in high school and he'd done something to annoy her.

"You Can't treat people like that Derek, and then wake up one day and pretend it never happened. I can't believe you expect them to take you back." them meaning his family.

"I don't expect that Case! They are doing it on their own. I think Dad or Nora talked to them."

"If you don't expect anything, then why are you here?"

"I'm here because I have no where else to be."

"What about collage?"

Derek shook his head, "It's too soon."

"Well, why here? You shouldn't have come back,"

"Because Casey. I know I messed it up with everyone last year, but I'm trying to make it better."

Casey unfolded her arms from her chest.

"I guess need this for me two though. Just because its over for me doesn't mean Edwin wont have a shot. Plus with my experience, I can train him. I can get him ready for what's coming." Derek sighed. "And maybe get over it myself in the process."

"Of coarse. It would be about you." She rolled her eyes and began to leave.

"Casey wait! You don't get it. Hockey, it was my everything, and now its gone." Derek sucked in a breath. "It was all I had. My one shot. You don't understand what its like to have you everything be ripped away form you like this!"

"You are so insulting Derek Venturi!" Casey spat, her words stone cold.

"Casey! How am I possible insulting you!"

"Because Derek. Hockey was not your everything. You had us. You had your family! But you pushed them away, into the dark, and now you've come crawling back for them to pick up the pieces."

Derek sighed as Casey left. He knew, more or less, that she was right.


Derek Venturi lay sound asleep in his bed, but behind his closed eyelids was another one of his nightmares.

They used to be a daily thing in the early days following his accident, but after seeing a recommended therapist, the had stopped. Until now that was.

Every one was the same, but made no since.

He was always eighteen again and in the high school on a Saturday after graduation. But he was the only one there. He'd run the hallways as fast as he could, looking for an exit, but when he finally saw one, all he had time to see was a tired old janitor locking the door and walking away.

Locked in the high school.

See, it really didn't make since. At least not to Derek.


Even though it was still early, Derek's knee felt good today. It felt a little weak, but there was no pain after shoving three Tylenols down his through.

"Keep your head up!" He called to Edwin as he skated around the empty ice rink at 6:30 am. "You Don't want to be caught getting checked with your head down!"

Derek was impressed. He'd never expected his brother to become so good at Hockey. He was always more of a book kink of guy. Like Casey. But Edwin was turning out to be just like him.

"Why don't you practice some shots?" Derek offered.

Edwin rounded up some bucks and set them up in front of the goal, firing them one by one into he net.

"Nice!"

Edwin had wonder skating form and a surprising amount of speed. His skating with his head down was a problem though, as it made Derek think back to when he had that habit and spent two separate nights in the hospital due to concussions before learning to keep it raised.

On the one hand, watching his only brother out there on the ice, doing what we loved, filled Derek with envy. He wanted so badly to be the one the skates. But on the other hand, if we couldn't be the one out there, it was nice to be have some part in Edwin's hockey.

"Why don't we call it a day."

"Okay." Edwin agreed. Gathering up his and skating over to Derek's side to take off his skates and pads breathing heavily.

"You've really improved since last year!"

"Thanks." Edwin smiled, enjoying the compliments form his brother he wasn't used to receiving.

"Just work out a few kinks here and there and I wouldn't be surprised if you were starting Varsity by the end of the season."

"You really think so?"

"No doubt. You're a Venturi. Coach Campbell will take that as a plus."

"Campbell's not coaching anymore."

"Really?"

"Yeah, got a job somewhere else."

"Always knew he'd movie on." Derek shook his head, "He was good. Who's coaching now?"

"Richards."

Derek shifted his weight, "Richards?"

"Yeah." Edwin nodded, "Sam."

Derek clenched his teeth. Samuel Richards was Derek's best friend back in high school. They went to the same collage as well, both on hockey scholarships. What could go wrong? But soon, things began to go south. After dorming together, majoring in the same career, and pretty much not leaving accouters sides for week after week, tension builds and tempers run short.

Derek's feelings hadn't changed about his friend since they last spoke, and he doubted Sam felt any different.

"That might be a different story then." Derek sighed.

"Well, no actually." Edwin replied slowly, watching his brothers reaction closely, "He, umm, already talked to me about that."

"About what?"

Edwin put his hands up in defense, "Look I don't know what happened between you guys, but he said it wasn't going make a difference in my chances."

Derek, though full of both anger and envy of his old friend, allowed his face to relax. "Lets go."

"Okay."


"So how have you been Derek?" Jim Nelson, Derek's knee specialist, asked walking into the check-up room.

"Fine." Derek replied trivially.

"Mmm"

Doctor Nelson pulled a stool up to the table Derek sat on and began removing his brace. Derek bit his tong. He knew it was wrong to feel these pains, but going back on the crutches, or worse, another surgery, was not an option.

"Any changes. good or bad, since being taken off the crutches?" Asked the doctor as he put his hands gently on both sides of Derek's sore knee.

Derek shook his head, "Not really."

The doctor shot Derek a look, but Derek turned his head away.

"Nothing Derek? Nothing at all?"

Again Derek shoot his head.

Doctor Nelson let out a deep sigh. "Okay. Tell me if this hurts."

Placing one hand on the top of Derek's knee and the other around his shin, Dr. Nelson began to extend Derek's knee.

Derek sucked in a jagged breath through clenched teeth against his will and Doctor Nelson stopped immediately.

"Ill see you next week Derek." He said, reapplying the hinge brace, "Go home and elevate it. Stay off it the rest of the week. In you go out, use the crutches."

Derek didn't hide the anger in his face.

"Hey, its for your own health Derek."

"Whatever."

"Have a nice night."


"Casey go home." Derek said in monotone, attempting to slam his apartment door in his step-sisters face. Just before it latched, though, she stick her foot out and made her way in.

"Ill call the cops of you come in here." He lied, still without emotion in his voice.

"Oh Derek, get over yourself."

"What do you want?" He asked, dropping his crutches next to the couch he was sitting on and propping his legs up on the coffee table.

She followed him and took a seat next to him. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"About?"

Casey didn't reply.

"Okay Case, either get to it or get out."
He really didn't mean anything bad by his rude comebacks, he was just in a bad mood is all.

"Fine. What happened to you and Sam after your left for collage." she asked bluntly

Now he meant to be rude as he replied, "None of your business. Goodbye." and then limped over to the couch and turned on the TV.

"Derek, Come one." she wined, standing in his way.

"Seriously, I don't understand why you would need to know that."

"Derek, Sam has always been a good friend to you."

"Ha, yeah right."

"Well, I don't know what happened, but in my memory he was. If you don't smooth things over between you and him, don't plan on coming to any of Edwin's games."

Derek sighed. "It cant be smoothed out Casey. Its to far gone for that."

Casey shot Derek a look, "Well, then you better be pretty damn civil if front of Edwin."

And with that, she stood and left.


A/N: Thanks guys for reading.