Disclaimer: I don't own Life With Derek.

Misery Business

By: A Nonny Mouse23

Chapter 3

Casey woke the next morning to find herself tucked into her bed in her …jeans? Then it all started coming back: the restaurant, Derek defending her, lots of tears, Derek breaking up with Kendra, falling asleep on the ride home. Derek must have carried me inside and put me to bed. She suddenly realized that last night had changed a lot in the way of her and Derek's dynamic. Or had it? Maybe Derek was only doing what any normal brother or best friend would do. He had been having issues with Kendra for a while, maybe this was just the straw that broke the camel's back, or just the excuse he needed for an easy out.

Even as these thoughts entered her mind she immediately discounted them. The old Derek might have been like that, but he was only an act. That Derek was a carefully constructed mask that kept the real Derek from being hurt by any kind of ridicule or rejection. Casey knew all about this character and the real man underneath. She had made it her mission to peel back the layers bit by bit until she got to see the REAL Derek. He was a lovable prankster that had tea parties with his little sister just to make her smile. He taught his brother how to simultaneously take care of himself and be the quirky jokester he was. Derek somehow always brought out the best in those around him while taking all the bad on himself.

Casey had come to an epiphany about his personality early on in their new friendship. He had been so cruel to her at times about her "dancing" and "acting" and especially, her clumsiness, but she realized that it had only made her more confident in her abilities. She had learned to tune out and discredit all of those who ridiculed her and it was all thanks to the hours Derek put in making her realize that she was talented.

So their dynamic had most likely changed she decided. Now what do I do? Do I play it cool, pretend like none of it happened and it's just any ol' day going to school same old, same old? Should I try and have a serious conversation with him? …No definitely not, even New Derek didn't care much for the long talks and touchy feely stuff. Maybe I should just play it by ear and take my cues from him.

This turned out to be a wasted effort as far as decision-making went. Casey had completely spaced that today was Saturday, so no school. It also happened that according to Ed, Derek had left for Sam's and claimed he would probably be staying out late.

This only made Casey even more nervous. If Derek was going into avoidance mode, something was majorly wrong and he was doing everything he could to not think about it. This "something" Casey could only conclude to be their quasi-relationship. She knew Derek, he had driven around the block a few times, berating himself for being a coward and not just facing things. Then he had decided that he didn't need to face anything, nothing had changed, and he would indeed go to Sam's like he said he was going to. He would convince himself that it wasn't to distract himself and that he was going to Sam's for some male bonding time that he had been missing since being hitched to Kendra's crazy wagon.

It was scary how well Casey did know Derek, for that was exactly how the scenario had played out this morning with "coward" in Casey's version replaced with "idiot" in Derek's, but the sentiments were there. Just as Casey knew Derek so well, he also knew his Casey to a T.

She would wake up, find herself with a headache from her self-titled "big ugly cry" of last night. She'd realize she was still in her going on a date clothes and not in sleep attire (though Derek was sorely tempted to help her into a Jersey of his and maybe some boxer shorts). She would no doubt start her freak-out Casey-style, pacing around her room biting on the skin around her nails - because she refused to bite her hard-fought nail growth and ruin the progress of the habit breaking that had taken place last summer. She would assess the situation logically, while thinking she was crazy for even thinking that her step-brother might have feelings for her. She would, in the end, come to the conclusion that she should just act normal and play the situation by ear, because that was her favorite tactic to deal with any situation, really. Then she would summon all of her inner Casey strength and march down the stairs to greet the family (but mostly Derek, to prove that she could play it cool like "D") – only to find him not there.

A/N: Reviews are love.