Dreaming

Chapter 4

Previously…

Blair's eyes narrowed, then relaxed as she decided to let Casey off the hook - tonight. "Okay, don't wait up."

The following week the game was on Wednesday and Blair discovered Casey didn't require much encouragement to go to the game. Number 18 came in the second period again and Blair watched as Casey transformed from barely watching to transfixed by the action on the ice. Venturi scored and Blair thought Casey was going to run out on the ice. That's it. I'm gonna force her to go down to the locker room tonight determined Blair.

After the game, Blair dragged a protesting Casey to wait outside the locker room. It was obvious that Casey was nervous as she hopped from foot to foot and wrung her hands. She was also talking to herself, "Just keep breathing."

As they filed out of the smelly locker room, various girlfriends smothered the guys who looked rather happy to be jumped. Blair tackled Rob from sociology, but quickly pulled back as she saw Derek Venturi, the freshman wonder, come out of the locker room, a swagger in his step and cocky smirk on his face. Several girls flocked to his side and he seemed to soak in the swooning, but Blair noticed Casey hung back, distress in her eyes. Derek didn't notice Casey at first, then he heard his name. It was spoken so softly he thought he had misheard, but how could he ever mistake that voice. His head swiveled around looking for Casey and saw her backed against the wall and looking at him. She was biting her lip and had wide eyes. Blair watched as Derek's brown eyes met Casey's and suddenly he parted the girls around him and walked determinedly toward her.

The hallway outside the locker room and all the players and fans vanished as he strode toward her, their eyes locked. He stopped just inches in front of her, hands at his sides, and she could hear the electricity between them crackle.

"You came." His expression unreadable.

"I came." Her expression equally unreadable to Derek.

They stood there staring at each other for what seemed to Casey like an eternity and then Rob was clapping Derek on the back. Derek turned.

"I see you've met Blair's roommate, Casey."

Derek, back to his old self, smirked. "Oh I've met her alright. The stories I could tell."

This snapped Casey back to reality. "Der-ek."

Derek's eyes rolled. "Princess."

Blair couldn't keep quiet any longer. "How do you know each other?"

Simultaneously they answered looking anywhere but at each other. "She's my step-sister." He's my step-brother."

Blair and Rob were taken aback but quickly recovered. "Let's get some pizza and get to know each other better."

Casey's grin was evil and she said in a sing-song voice as she headed for the doors, "Great idea, then I can tell you all about Dereka."

"Ca-sey." growled Derek narrowing his eyes. "Just remember payback's a bitch."

Casey's mouth opened in an O. "Language Der-Bear."

"That's it Klutzilla. You're going down."

Fortunately Rob broke them apart before they could wrestle each other to the ground. "Pizza. Remember?"

"Right" they said simultaneously and followed Rob and Blair into the night.

After that, gravity kicked in and pulled Casey into Derek's orbit. Their friends became mutual and they saw each other every day. Derek's pranks on Casey, and Casey's subsequent screeches of "Der-ek" became notorious. At the end of four years they both still lived on campus because their friends were afraid to live with either one of them for fear the neighbors would call the police.

Derek majored in hockey, dumb blondes that made Casey's blood pressure rise, and communications (in that order.) Derek also found he had a knack for work in front of and behind the camera. Casey doubled majored in pre-law and performing arts (acting, dancing, singing) and jocks with bad reputations that pressured her in the bedroom causing Derek to be in more fights in four years than he was in the previous eighteen.

The last month of senior year, Casey entered a local singing contest and to her surprise (and Derek's un-surprise) won. This qualified her for a regional contest that she won. Next was a province-wide competition and then a national. Casey came in second at the national contest but was still offered a recording contract that relocated her to New York City. The whole competition process took eighteen months and moved Casey physically far away from her family and friends, making calls irregular due to rehearsal schedules. Casey and Derek continued to text but he was busy too with practices.

Derek had entered the NHL draft and was offered a contract with the New Jersey Devils. He started on their farm team in Albany, NY. Derek was glad when Casey relocated to NYC as they were close enough to visit on the odd day off. Derek was constantly reminded that his life had revolved around Casey for the last eight years, and as a result her physical and gradual emotional distance left a gaping hole in his life and heart. Of course he could never admit this to anyone and so continued his reputation for a 'love-em and leave-em' guy, only now Casey wasn't around to keep him in line. Meanwhile, Casey was so caught up in competition and then recording that she didn't notice the growing distance except when she had a few brief moments to her self and her thoughts flitted to Derek. He was making sports headlines and would probably soon be moved up to the New Jersey Devils. He was so close and yet so far away.

Casey was popular and three years after she started recording she was offered a part in a movie. She moved to Los Angeles and thus began a movie career. Derek was popular too and when he became a free agent orchestrated a move to the Los Angeles Kings. Communication however between the two was almost non-existent by this time.

Three movies and two years later Casey went on a year long world tour leaving Derek stuck in the US wondering if she was ever coming back. Will I ever get the girl? Derek brooded.

As he had done since that first year after college graduation, Derek sent Casey flowers on her birthday.

In the hospital…

The doctor was back. Derek was bored and antsy. He had been awake for three days and after several tests it was determined he had no permanent brain damage. Casey's voice flit through his mind "Are you sure about that?"

"Well Mr. Venturi how are you today?"

"Bored" growled Derek. "When can I go home?"

"Well I was thinking tomorrow, but you'll need supervision for a while just in case. I'm also ordering physical and occupational therapy. If you do well in your therapy you will be able to return to hockey next season I think. You're a very lucky young man."

Derek's brain stuck on 'supervision.' "What do you mean by supervision?"

"You can't live alone for awhile Derek. Do you think your family or your girlfriend would take care of you?"

"Uh, my girlfriend?" Derek asked with confusion, his eyebrows knitted together. He had lots of dates but he didn't recall any girlfriend.

The doctor's eyes were curious. "Ms. McDonald, your emergency contact? She's been to visit several times. I assumed she was your emergency contact because you had a relationship with her."

Oh, I have a relationship with her all right. "She came here to visit when I was in a coma?"

"Yes, Derek, several times. I'm surprised you don't remember. Most of my coma patients tell me they can hear their loved ones." Dumbfounded, Derek laid back in the bed his eyes glazing over. Dr. Johnson watched as Derek zoned out and decided to continue the conversation later. She wasn't the only one on staff curious about his relationship with Ms. McDonald but it appeared answers would have to wait.

AN: Thanks for reading and reviewing. Best reviewers/alerters EVER: rumoredreader, kmr04, Dimples08, Dark Supernatural Angel, not complaining, leanaplumz, Danicadea, dbwce, countryfan4life, Dark-Angel11121, Stormy Stormcloud, wiswinagirl. Hope to hear from all those silent readers. I'd love to know what you think.