A/N: So, I think that this is the longest chapter of the story, and it was so much fun to write. Big things are about to start happening! I'm so sorry for the long wait. I've been finishing up school, and getting ready for a gala, so I've been pretty busy. I hope this makes up for all the waiting I put you though!

R&R, please!

-Jacki 3

Chapter Eight: I'd Die to Know You Love Me

Casey sat on the couch, the rest of her family was still asleep; it was Sunday morning, they all slept in. Derek was sitting next to her, but his eyes were closed. She knew the only reason he had waken up at all was because she had come down, or else he would still be asleep. She smiled, and took his hand in hers. His eyes remained closed, but a smile spread across his face. The night before, the family had eaten dinner together, and then went out for ice cream. Casey had gotten a cone of chocolate ice cream, but Derek had gotten a bowl of the same. So when Casey's ice cream slipped off the cone, he grabbed another spoon and had shared his with her. The family had smiled at how sweet the gesture was, and Casey couldn't help but think that if Derek, their step-son, had done that, they would have been suspicious. But Derek, their house-guest, was perfectly fine to do things like that; in fact, it made him look like an even better guest.

"Morning, Case." He said, quietly, not fully awake yet.

She smiled, "Morning." She scooted closer to him, and snuggled between the crook of his arm and his torso. He wrapped his arm around her, and held her close.

Now her eyes were closed as well, it was hard not to be comfortable in his arms. It was as if the space in his arms was made for her. She had never felt this comfortable in anyone else's arms. Not Sam's. Not Max's. Only Derek's. She smiled and snuggled in closer to him.

"They're gonna wake up soon, you know." Derek whispered, his hand finding her hair, and playing with the ends.

"I know. But I just wanted to enjoy the moment." She looked up and saw him grinning, "This is nice. Just me and you. Sitting here, quietly. It's almost as nice as fighting with you."

His chest bounced her head a bit as he chuckled, "I couldn't agree more."

They heard a movement above them and Casey immediately jumped out of his arms and over to the other side of the couch.

He laughed again, "This is good practice for how it's gonna be when things go back."

She smiled and nodded, looking behind her to see if anyone was coming down the stairs. He stood up and stretched, then headed over to the kitchen. Casey turned around so she could see what he was doing. She watched as he got himself a glass of juice and then drank the whole thing in one gulp. Just as she was about to say something, Lizzie came down the stairs, fully dressed and looking wide awake.

"Good morning, Liz." Casey said, smiling at her sister.

"Morning. What are you doing down here so early?" she asked, raising her eyebrows and looking around for Derek.

"I could ask you the same thing." Casey said, also raising her eyebrows.

Derek sauntered out of the kitchen, hands running through his messy bed-head hair. Lizzie's eyes at once went to him, and a large smile spread across her face.

"Good morning Derek!" she said happily and kept her eyes on him longer than normal.

Casey watched her sister, and was reminded of when Lizzie had had a crush on Scott. She had to bite back a giggle as she wondered if Lizzie had a crush on Derek.

"Morning, Lizzie." Derek said, looking utterly confused, and a bit uncomfortable. He shot a glance over to Casey, who was smiling and wearing a face that clearly showed him he was on his own, "How's it going?"

"Great! Just great! And you?"

"Well, it's going alright…"

"What are you up to today?"

"Uh… I don't know. I think Casey and I were going to go work on our project some more." A tiny smile crept up on his lips.

"You guys worked on it all day yesterday, don't you want to do something fun?"

"Um, working on the project can be fun…" Casey snorted, but Lizzie ignored her, and Derek shot her a grin.

"Seriously. Projects aren't fun. Besides it's Sunday, you should relax and have fun!" Lizzie said with that large smile still on her face.

Casey watched all this very amused. Derek looked real uncomfortable, and his face made her want to burst out laughing. He shot her another helpless look and she sighed. She had left him there long enough.

"Liz, Derek and I really do need to get more work done on this project. And, who knows, we might go see a movie or something else 'fun'."

Lizzie's face fell, "Well, could I go with you to the movie?" the question was directed at Casey, but her eyes never left Derek.

"I don't know. Probably not."

"Why not?"

"Because, it's just me and Derek."

"So are you two going out, or something?" she looked as if she were thinking about something revolting.

"No. We're just friends, and friends like to go to the movies without little sisters tagging along." Casey quickly came up with, trying to get Lizzie to drop it.

"Well, it you're just friends, I don't see why I can't come…"

"Liz, just leave it alone. Maybe some other time."

Lizzie didn't look happy, "Maybe Mom and George would be interested to know that you and Derek are going to a movie alone."

Casey narrowed her eyes at her sister, "Are you blackmailing me?"

"Maybe."

Derek watched the two sisters, this time it was his turn to watch and be amused.

Casey sighed, "Fine. We'll think about it. But if it's a movie we think you shouldn't go see, absolutely not."

"Don't purposely pick a movie I can't see, then."

"Why would I do that?"

"So I can't go."

"Lizzie."

"I'm serious, Casey."

"Fine, Liz, you can come."

"Cool! When are we going?"

"After Derek and I do some work on the project."

"Oh, come on, let's go now!"

"Now? We haven't even eaten breakfast!"

"We can grab something on the way!"

Derek was still watching amused, but was very put down by the fact that Casey looked ready to give in to going now. He wanted to 'work on their project' a little bit before they went to the movie with tag-a-long Lizzie.

Casey sighed, "Fine. I'll go get dressed, and Derek, you get ready, and I'll tell Mom and George, and then we can go." She sent an apologetic look at Derek, telling him that she didn't enjoy this anymore than he did.

He shrugged in return, and went over to the couch, having no other clothes to change into, just fixed his hair as he sat down. Lizzie hurried over and sat right next to him. His eyes widened and he suddenly wanted to stand back up again. She was staring at him, and he felt extremely uncomfortable. He cleared his throat, and mentally screamed at Casey to hurry up.

"So, Derek, do you like sports?"

"Um, hockey…"

"That is so cool. Hockey is so cool."

Derek raised his eyebrows; he had never heard Lizzie talk like this. It was as if her voice was one on-going giggle, "Yeah, I guess it is."

"Do you play on a team?"

"I used to."

"Aw, I would have liked to come see you play."

Derek's eyes went wide again, "Oh. Too bad…"

Lizzie giggled, "Yeah…"

Derek wished Casey would hurry. He was getting more and more uncomfortable as the seconds passed. Lizzie had stopped speaking and contented herself with staring at him again.

"Sorry, guys!" Casey said as she hurried down the stairs.

Derek jumped off the couch and turned to her, "Casey! Hey!" he said, looking very relieved.

She smiled at him, and then motioned for him and Lizzie to follow her, "Mom and George said it all sounded good, just for us to come home after lunch. So come on."

The two followed her out to the car, and Lizzie turned to Derek, "You want to sit in the back?"

Casey bit back a laugh, as Derek's eyes went wide once more, "Um… no, I think I'm good with the front." He laughed nervously, and quickly got in his seat. Lizzie's face fell a bit, but she got in hers as well.

Casey laughed a little and shook her head as she slid into the driver's seat. She started the car and backed out of the driveway. No one said a word during the drive there, or as they got food from a drive-thru, but as soon as they were at the theater, Lizzie immediately started talking to Derek, walking right beside him as if she were glued to his hip. Casey stood on the other side of Derek, thoroughly enjoying his awkwardness.

"So, Derek, want to come with me to get the popcorn and drinks while Casey buys the tickets?" Lizzie asked, pointing over to the concession stand.

"Uh, how about you get the tickets, and Casey and I get the refreshments?"

Lizzie's face fell once more, "But Casey's better at that stuff. Come on!"

Derek sighed, "Alright." He turned to Casey, "Can I have some money to buy the food and crap?"

Casey smiled at him and pulled some money from her pocket, "Don't buy too much." She warned, and then hurried over to the ticket line.

Lizzie grabbed Derek's hand, and he thought, as his eyes went wide for a fourth time, that if she kept this up, his eyes would stay wide permanently. She dragged him over to the line, and dropped his hand as they stopped. He took a breath of relief and stepped away about a half-step. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, a smile on her lips. They got closer to the front of the line, and Derek eyed the menu, looking for what to buy.

With his hands filled with refreshments, Derek and Lizzie met Casey at the entrance to the theatre. He handed Lizzie her drink and small popcorn, then handed Casey her drink. Casey handed the other two their tickets, and they went into the theatre to watch the movie. Derek was hoping that Lizzie would sit beside Casey, so he could sit on the other side of Casey, but, to his dismay, he was sitting in between the McDonald girls. He tried scooting closer to Casey, but it only did about a centimeter of difference. He sighed, and just relaxed into his seat, trying to focus on the movie.

Casey's hand found his under the armrest, and he thankfully held onto it, smiling and feeling better, knowing she was still there. Then Lizzie's arm brushed his and he realized that his other arm was resting next to hers on the other armrest. He swallowed hard, and slowly moved his arm over, trying to make it seem like he was making her more room. It was very awkward to have your girlfriend's little sister, who you thought of as a little sister, to like you. Derek didn't like it. Casey obviously sensed his discomfort, and squeezed his hand gently, and softly rubbed his hand with her thumb. She gave her a thankful smile, and then they returned their attention back to the movie.

After many more arm movements, and many more hand squeezes, the movie was over, and Derek stood up as soon as the screen went to black, and distanced himself from Lizzie. Casey stood up and put her hand on his shoulder leading him out of the theatre. Lizzie followed close behind, her face looking like she had tasted something sour. Casey was chatting happily about the movie, and Derek was listening and adding in his two cents every now and then, but Lizzie stayed silently, watching the two teenagers before her.

Casey had said they weren't dating, but they sure did act like it. She was determined to get Derek to notice her, but she didn't want to make Casey mad in the process. But, if they weren't dating, like Casey had told her, then there would be no reason for her to get mad. Lizzie smiled once more, and quickened her pace so she was standing beside Derek. She smiled up at him.

"So, how did you like the movie, Derek?"

"It was good… I guess."

"I thought the lead character was a lot like you."

"Really?" his voice went a little high-pitched, but then he cleared his throat.

"Yeah, he was brave, funny, sweet, and handsome." Casey cleared her throat loudly, and Derek turned to her, a look on his face torn between laughter and confusion.

"Um, Liz, can I talk to you for a second?" Casey asked, "Derek, we'll meet you at the car, if that's alright?"

He nodded, and sauntered off. Casey looked down at her sister, "Alright, Liz. Liz. Lizzie!" she had to turn her younger sister's head away from Derek so she would focus.

"What!?" she sounded impatient.

"Do you like Derek?"

"He's a pretty cool guy."

"I mean, do you have a crush on him?"

Lizzie looked up at her sister, trying to play it cool, but when Casey got that knowing look in her eye, she sighed, "Yes."

This time it was Casey's turn to sigh, "He's a bit old for you, don't you think?"

"Just three years. It's not that big of a difference."

"Yes it is. Especially since you're not even in high school yet."

"I will be in a few months."

"Yeah, and then he'll be in his last year. I just don't think it's a very smart idea."

"Well, I think it is."

"Do you really think he'll like you back?"

"Way to be supportive."

"I'm just trying to be real."

"Well, I really like him."

"Well, I think you should lay off."

"Why?"

"You don't need a guy who's three years older than you."

"I think it bothers you."

"Why would it bother me?"

"Cuz you like him."

"No, I don't!"

"Good, because I don't think he likes you back anyway."

Casey bit back a snappy comment, "Whatever. I just don't think you should like him is all."

"Well, I appreciate your input, but I still like him."

Casey sighed again, "Why your sudden interest in him, anyway?"

"I don't know. He's really cute. And he's funny."

"You've barely talked to him!"

"So?"

"Liz, seriously, this isn't like you to have spontaneous crushes."

"Yeah, well, this is different."

"Different?"

"Yeah."

"He's staying at our house, even if he was closer to your age, Mom and George would never let you have any sort of relationship with him."

"So? We can work around that."

"Lizzie!"

"Hey, he's worth breaking the rules for."

"This is getting us no where. I think I'm making you like him more!"

Lizzie smirked and turned on her heel, heading for the car. Casey stared, dumbfounded after her, but then hurried to catch up to her, so Lizzie would have no alone time with Derek. She rolled her eyes when Lizzie waved at Derek when they got closer. This was going to be a long ride home.

--

Derek kissed Casey's forehead and smiled down at her, "Relax. We're all alone now. No little sisters, no parents. No more wrinkling that forehead." He said, as they sat in the grass under a tree in the park they had visited the day before.

"Lizzie's not giving up this crush. The more I talked to her about it, the more adamant she seemed about it. I have a feeling this isn't the end. We're never going to have even a second alone at the house now." Casey said, leaning against the base of the tree and closing her eyes.

He leaned back beside her, and held her hand, "It'll be alright. We have school mostly during the day. And we can be boyfriend and girlfriend there. No worries. Come on. I'll be the new kid, and you'll be my girlfriend. No one knows that I used to be your step-brother. It'll all be fine."

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, "I hope you're right. I can't take another day like today. That was torture. To not be able to say yes, I like him, or yes we're dating. She would have backed off then. But then she would have told someone in the house, and you would be out of the house."

"Yeah, despite how awkward today was, I'm glad you didn't tell her. I wouldn't know where to go. No one knows me here."

"Let's just hope tomorrow is uneventful. Just a regular day."

He laughed a bit, "I think you're asking for a bit much. I mean, it's you and me in an alternate reality. I don't think it's ever going to be just a regular day for us."

"Well, as normal of a day as we can get. That's all I want."

He kissed the top of her head, "Me too. Me too."

"It's going to be weird. With Sam not there."

"Yeah. And Ralph doesn't even know who I am. I'm going to have no friends."

"You'll have me."

"Oh yeah."

She laughed, "Maybe you can make friends with Ralph, how did you become friends with him in the first place?"

"Sam. He had met Ralph in their math class, and was asked to tutor him for a bit, and Sam introduced us. When we found out he could play the drums, we decided to form a band. It was all because of Sam that we met."

"Well, that idea is out of the bag. Maybe I could stay your only friend until things go back to normal and you have Ralph and Sam again."

"Casey?"

"Yes?"

"I've been thinking…"

"Oh, shocking…"

He laughed, but then grew serious, "What if things don't go back to normal? What if this is the new reality?"

"Well, for starters, we'd have to find you a permanent place to stay. Second, you'd have to make friends. Third, we would get through it together. Me and you."

"Me and you. As long as I got you, I think this reality will be bearable."

"Aww, you sound like a weird Hallmark card."

"Shut up! I was just trying to be honest."

"I feel the same way. I could have never made it through this long without you. I would have gone insane. You're the only thing that's keeping me alright."

"I'm glad I'm here, then."

"You're not the only one."

"What I want to know is how your wish started this. I've wished for things all the time. Stupid things and real things. Why have they never come true like this?"

"I have no clue. It's just so weird. But I can't think of anything else that would explain it. I mean, I wished you were never born, the next morning, I wake up, and you never were. Nothing else seems likely."

"I guess you're right. It just doesn't make any sense."

"No, it doesn't. But, I have a question now."

"Alright."

"When you're asleep. Does it feel like you're really here? Or does it feel like you're somewhere else?"

"That's an odd question…"

"Well, last night I was sleeping, and when I woke up, I wasn't expecting to wake up in my bed. Though I couldn't tell you where I expected to wake up, but I just feel as if I'm not here when I'm sleeping."

"Now that you mention it, I do remember feeling like that this morning. Maybe we're really not here. Maybe when we're asleep, we're in our normal reality. And when we're awake we're here."

"That's so weird!"

"Yeah, it is. But in an odd way it makes sense. Well, as much sense as any of this does."

"Mmm-hmm. I know what you mean. I just can't help but think that there's something bigger happening here. I just want to know what it is."

"We can solve the mystery later, Case. Right now, it's just you and me, and we're going to enjoy this. Alright?"

She nodded, and reached up to kiss his cheek. He smiled, and then leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. She hadn't been expecting it, but she immediately sank into it, and he wrapped his arms around her, as she slipped her arms around his neck. It wasn't Derek's first kiss, and it wasn't Casey's either. But as they sat there, under the tree, in the park, in their alternate reality, they would tell you it was their first kiss that felt like heaven on earth.

It was the first kiss that told them they were finally with the right person.

The first kiss that told them that this was love; the real deal.

The first kiss that meant everything to both of them.

The first kiss of many.