Three months, nine days later

Casey spent the last week walking miles, eating spicy foods, and jumping up and down trying to kick start labor. She was a week over due and the stretching of her abdomen was becoming unbearable. According to the doctor, Amelia was only a little over 7 pounds. It felt like she was about to have a child double that weight.

Sitting on her bed, a place she found herself often in the past several months, she laid down and closed her eyes.

Maybe if I push, I'll start to dilate and my water will break.

Casey held her breath and bared down. After three more attempts, it was pointless. All the pushing seemed to do was agitate the baby, causing her to kick Casey's chest repeatedly.

"Owwww," she groaned.

It was impossible to get any rest. No matter what position she tried, it caused her severe discomfort and pain. She finally decided on a half and half; half on her back and half on her side.

DING DONG

The door bell rang. Casey needed sleep but didn't want to move and close her door. Nobody was home except for Derek and herself. George and Nora were at work. Lizzie was playing soccer at the park, Edwin went with her to 'coach' since he was a big know-it-all, and Marti was with Mrs. Higginbotham since Casey could go into labor any minute and they wanted her out of the way just in case.

Derek opened his door and peeked around the corner. Casey grinned at him. He never went more than ten minutes without looking in on her.

His steps retreated as he descended the stairs. She hoped it was a salesman so the house would once again go to being nearly silent. The silence was something she was trying to take advantage of. Soon it would be full of baby noises.

Relaxation was coming easy to her but the muffled sounds downstairs were interupting her peice. It was evident that Derek knew the person. Perhaps it was Sam.

And then she heard it. A women's voice. Casey shot up quicker than she had in months and pushed herself up to waddle slowly into the hallway and clutch the railing.

"I just thought we could talk, Derek."

Casey froze. There was no mistaking that voice. It was Sally. She was coming back to London and wanted Derek to take her back.

Casey began moving twords the stairs, a movement she couldn't seem to stop. It was like she was floating.

"I can't do this Sally."

"What? Are you busy?"

Why couldn't he talk to her? He wasn't doing anything of importance. Casey leaned down to hear what was being heard.

"I just came by to tell you that Vancouver isn't working out so I'm going to go to a nearby college closer to home. We can always pick up where we left off."

Casey was seeing red. Where did she get off coming in and stealing her baby's father like she had before? If it wasn't for her, Derek would still be Casey's.

"I told you we were over, Sally. Casey's due any time now and this is the last thing I want to deal with."

"So you're turning me away because you're busy preparing for the baby? I can come back in a week or two."

Derek got eerily silent. Casey crept down to the second set of stairs and leaned further forward to catch what he might say.

"No."

"No?" the blond seemed shocked.

"I was confused, Sally. I'm not anymore. All I need is right here with me and...that doesn't include you."

"But you said that Casey was pissed and I was the reason. That's the main reason we broke up, right?"

"I liked you...a lot. But I never wanted you in quite the same way. I just thought you were easier some how. I didn't have to hide you the way I did her."

"You went out with me because I could be a public girlfriend?" Sally asked offended.

Derek shrugged. "I went out with you because we got along, we never argued, we had so many things in common, you're beautiful, but...you're not Casey. I screwed up enough with her and I'm not going to repeat my mistakes."

Casey's smiled widened at what Derek was saying. He never told her any of this to her face. It was pure perfection the way he was talking about her to Sally. His words couldn't be more perfect.

"A mistake?"

"I'd still be with you if the baby and college hadn't happened," Derek continued honestly. "But only because I'm selfish and don't care to be single. Casey will never take me back with the way I treated her. But it will always be Casey."

Casey wiped a tear away from her eye. She had no idea this was how Derek felt. She figured that when Sally left, he had put on a brave face but in all actuality, he didn't want to be with her.

Retreating down the stairs, she came face to face with the girl who had ripped everything from her grasp; tore her world apart and cost her months of misery. But now Casey was on top.

Casey was coming out victorious because Derek loved her more than he did Sally, even if he had cheated. He was Derek, a natural heartbreaker. And right now it wasn't Casey's heart he was breaking.

"I understand," Sally said while glaring at Casey. Derek turned around and noticed her standing on the landing for the first time. "I guess I have no business being here anymore," she turned around to leave. "Bye, Derek," she turned to Casey. "Buy, Casey." And with that she left. Hopefully for good this time.

Derek walked over to her and pounded his fist against the railing. "How much you hear?"

"All of it."

He looked embarrassed but Casey wasn't sure why. He had expressed his love for her to the one women who had always put a bullet into Casey heart. Unless he simply told her all of that for show because he didn't want a girlfriend right now.

"Did you mean it?" Casey tried to stay nonchalant, but the anticipation of his answer was strong.

Derek raised just his eyes to look at her, keeping his head tilted down. "You know I did."

"Then why havn't you told me sooner?"

"Come on, Case," he began while shuffling up the three steps to where she stood. "I'll be honest...I was in deep 'like' with Sally but was never in love with her way I am with you. It's always been you and it always will be. My biggest problem is thinking with the wrong head...but not anymore."

"You love the baby more then me."

Derek looked taken aback by her statement. "Where did you get that idea?"

"Its always 'Amelia this' and 'the baby' that. You kiss my stomach but rarely me. Except for a few annoying pecks on the cheek."

Derek took Casey's face in his hands and made her look at him. "I love you and the baby equally. There is nothing I want more...there is nothing that I will ever have to satisfy me the same way you and Amelia will. Love you, Princess."

And with that she threw her arms around him...or atleast tried. Her belly kept them from getting too close.

"Wish you still would have said something sooner."

"I never dreamed you would take me back," he whispered. "I don't deserve you, baby."

"No you don't. But now you're stuck with me for good and if you cheat on me again, I'll chop you into little peices and burn your flesh" Casey used the same line that he had used at the lake when she had threatened him, saying she was going to sleep with Eric and he wanted to kill Kendra's cousin.

Derek chuckled. "If I'm that stupid twice, I'll chop myself up over an open fire. I love you."

"So you've told me," She used his own line against him once more.

"Ha, paybacks a bitch."

"That's right. Oh, and Der?"

"Hmmm?"

"My water just broke."