Author's Note What's the password?

Disclaimer I don't own it. xx

Casey threw her books and bag down on her bed and sat on the computer chair with a loud thunk. Sweat glistened on her forehead and beneath her eyelids. The sweat gave her some sort of accomplishment. She had surprised herself that she ran all the way home in jeans, and beat the bus.

The computer screen flicked on with a touch of the button and someone left a message, or rather a letter, to her in an opened document.

"Casey,

I tried to get into your online journal to figure some things out. I'm sorry I tried to trespass, but thankfully (for you) I couldn't get into it. You must have a very clever password, though that doesn't surprise me. You don't believe me, and I don't expect you to, hopefully maybe you will one day when I figure out what's going on with me, but I didn't know what 'I' had done to you.

I did just find out, from that horrible fear and sadness across your face and in your eyes. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen. I swear. I may pick on you, tease you, and I know that I've done some pretty mean pranks at your expense. I did it to…hide the way I felt about you. I couldn't be friends with you before the wedding because seeing how absolutely beautiful and outspoken you were and knowing I couldn't even flirt with you and get away with it…I just couldn't be your friend and get to know you in a positive way. If it would've changed how we are now I might have decided to go with being your friend.

I'm sorry I didn't.

I know this isn't something you want to do, if I were you…dealing with what has happened and how confusing this is for you…actually frightening and confusing…, but would you please talk to me? About what exactly happened? I came to you the other night, trying to figure out what has been going on with me…I keep…forgetting things and I…came to you only to discover…well you know...

And I don't mind if you downright reject me and my need to speak with you. And I can't believe how open and raw I am being with everything that is going on with me and you, but I can't keep it in anymore. No more. If you decide to, I will be in the backyard around eleven at night. I will be there for a half hour. Even if you don't come down I need to have clear air to think about things.

Derek."

Casey's hand twitched on the mouse. The tears that were welling in her eyes spilled over and came crashing on the keyboards. They made tiny splatter noises and almost cried with her. She began to sob, in fright, thankful fright. The last thing she wanted was to have him gain access to her online journal. It was the very last thing. She made a mental note to thank the website for it's amazing security, or laugh at Derek's idiocy to not be able to break the password.

After saving the document into a private folder, she exited the document and got onto her online journal.

Before typing she got up and locked her door.

"Dear Journal,

Derek left me a letter after he tried to gain access to your secrets that actually hold my secrets. He doesn't know the password. Thank god he wasn't smart enough to figure it out. He says I'm clever, but he must not comprehend that he's just dim-witted. I think if I don't come down at eleven tonight that he will try to gain access to you after some time. He sounds desperate to figure it out, and for me to believe that he didn't mean for it to happen. I don't know what I should believe. I blamed myself, he blamed himself, then didn't, and didn't see it, but was the same person but was somebody else and everything is so…lost. Where does the truth lie? Am I wrong to be confused? Should I not go down to him tonight?

Maybe he'd think that I was weak to his call if I came down at night and this is actually a test to see if he has me under his 'control'. Saying I'm right and giving me some power to lure me down to do another one of his evil deeds, only to tell me how I really want him because I want to believe he's a good person at heart again, even though he isn't.

I hate myself. I make no sense. Why would anyone want me when I don't even know what I want anymore?

Oh, did I tell you? Noel Covington wants to be my boyfriend. I bet all he wants is sex. I won't deny that I'm not hopeless looking…but why would he avoid me constantly if he wanted my mind? Am I just intimidating? Oh well. Angie, his sister, she was mighty intriguing. I was right about Max talking behind my back after we broke up. I didn't think I was wrong, but confirmation is all I needed to set it in stone.

What if Derek started talking about me. Calling me a slut. Talking about my devilish 'desires'.

And he could team up with Emily, because she hates me and he wants me, or at least wants me in a place where he can get to me the easiest. I know it.

I feel it.

But enough. I have from now till eleven pm to decide if I want to talk to him. Well, if I will. There's no way I will really want to.

If I decide so, I'll let you know how it went.

Casey."

Casey logged out and turned off the computer. She got into a jog suit and went for a run around town, with naught but the thoughts of a paranoid girl.

Edwin walked down from the attic and knocked on Lizzie's door. It quickly opened and her hand yanked him into the room. She quietly shut the door and turned to glare at him.

"What's wrong?" He asked defensively. Lizzie got threateningly closer.

"What's wrong?" She gave a short laugh, "What's wrong?" Edwin scooted back from her with wide eyes. "Why did you tell Derek that we slept in the same bed together? Why did you feel the need to tell him you liked me, let alone me liking you? I thought we were going to keep this secret?" Edwin became red in the face. He was furious with Derek. Derek had NO right to say anything to anyone, especially Lizzie.

"I thought I could tell him because he told me how he felt about Casey. I had found someone that I thought I could trust. And he'd never spread a secret of mine before now…though it's no secret to you how I feel is it. I never outright told you I love you, but-"

"You love me?" Edwin stared blankly.

"Uh, well, I thought, Derek, you said, I-"

"Edwin! You love me!" She said lightheartedly. Her arms wrapped around him and she breathed softly into his neck. His arms reluctantly wrapped around her. After a few moments they separated themselves from each other.

"So, uh, what did Derek say to you?" Lizzie flung up an arm and sat down onto the bed.

"Well," She sighed out, "He came to me and asked if I cared about you as more than a step-brother. I denied it diligently, but he kept pursuing. He sounded quite girly and it was all I could do not to laugh at the way he was talking, but after a while he told me that you had come to him talking about how I slept in your bed and how you had a crush on me and I had a crush on you." Edwin scratched the back of his head and sat next to her on the bed.

"You know, he's been acting funny lately." Lizzie scooted closer to him.

"How so?"

"Well, he's been forgetting what I said, like not even two seconds after I say it. He acts compassionate and listens to my problems and then turns around and says that he doesn't want to hear about it. He always gets this glazed over look before he switches his attitudes around." Lizzie looked down in contemplation.

"That's sounds really strange. Do you think we should tell someone?" Edwin laughed.

"No, he'd deny it anyway and get mad that we said something. I don't know if it's a big problem or anything. It's not like anyone's getting hurt." Lizzie looked at him.

"You don't know that." Her thought's swam with the warning that Casey had recently given her about Derek.

"Well, wouldn't it be obvious? I mean, if he really hurt someone?" She looked at him, wondering if she should say anything about Casey and what she had said to her. "Do you know something I don't?" That was the opening; she had to tell him.

"Yes, um, yesterday Casey told me to make sure I took care of myself by not letting myself be alone with Derek. She said that something was bothering her, bad, but for the first time she didn't tell me what it was. Casey's always confided her problems in me because I'd never tell anyone. I'm only telling now because technically she didn't tell me anything."

"That's strange." Edwin looked in contemplation. "Do you think we should investigate?" Lizzie shook her head.

"No. I don't. But I do think that we should pay more attention to the small details."

Casey entered the house just before dinner, with two fingers on her wrist checking her pulse.

"Normal." She muttered to herself. Nora came out of the kitchen and waved a hand for her to come.

"Hey, Case, why don't you help me set up the dinner table." Casey obliged and put the dinner plates on the table. Nora walked in with the entrée and sides, and placed them in the center.

"Marti," Nora called to the kitchen, "Could you be a dear and go get your brothers and Lizzie to come down for dinner?"

"Sure Nora!" She exclaimed, happy to have something to do, and trotted upstairs to get the kids upstairs.

"Are you okay Casey?" Nora questioned in a low voice when Marti had gotten up the stairs.

"Yeah why do you ask?" Casey said without looking at her.

"Because you've been acting distant and demanded out of nowhere to go out to eat. I thought you had something to say so I didn't ask what it was and I found out from Emily's mom that you guys had a fight today." Nora paused. "Not to mention that hickey-bite-mark on your neck that I had seen while we were out to eat." Casey's eyes flashed up at her mom. Neither of them moved. Casey could feel her mother peering into the darkest reaches of her mind through the pupils of her eyes.

The four kids came barreling down the stairs and the connection between Nora and Casey broke. George came up the stairs.

Everyone seated themselves for a "nice family dinner".