Author's Note: This is like the fastest I've updated in a LONG WHILE haha. I hope you are all enjoying this! I wish I could make the chapters longer but... then it would take away from the story a bit. ANYWAYS. ENJOY AND ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING! I suck at replying... I am sorry.

Who Knew?

Chapter Three

He hadn't slept since she'd gone missing. Granted it had only been one night… but… he lived for sleep! The lack of it was obviously taking a toll on him. He spent every minute waiting for her to just show up at his door. Why his door? Because he was positive she would come to him. After all, he was the only one in the family that hadn't shunned her. Not that… she knew that.

Knock Knock Knock.

His heart jumped to his throat and he ran to his apartment door as fast as possible.

"Case?" He guessed, opening the door.

"Derek Venturi?"

Derek's smile faded as he took in the sight of a man, mid-thirties, wearing black, pressed pants and a suit coat. Derek nodded.

"Bruno Atkins, FBI." The man held his badge up for Derek to see, "May I come in?"

"Is this about Casey? She's alive, right? I know she's alive."

"Please sir, I'd rather talk in private." Bruno spoke as one of the other tenants on Derek's floor walked by them, throwing a prying glance.

"Oh, right... sorry." Derek said, letting the man inside and closing the door behind him.

"I read an article today that concerned me, Mr. Venturi." Derek sat down on his couch as Bruno browsed through various items in his apartment. "Do you know why it was interesting?"

"Um… no?"

"Well you see, I have this case… and the victim is unable to be identified."

Derek's heart was beating a mile a minute. 'Victim'… 'unidentified'… Casey couldn't be dead… He just knew she was alive.

"And then one of my men showed me this article about one 'Casey McDonald' and we did a background check. Seems as though she's your step-sister?" Bruno turned to face Derek who promptly looked down at his hands.

"That's true."

"You seemed to leave that out in the article." Bruno added.

"Yeah, well… Casey and I have a complicated relationship and 'siblings' does not describe it in any way. Most people don't know how to differentiate between siblings and step-siblings. We agreed to keep the… title… out of the media."

Bruno's eyebrows rose, "Were you romantically involved?"

Derek's face faltered and he closed his eyes."No."

Bruno noted the look (of… disappointment?) on his face.

"When was the last time you spoke to Casey McDonald."

"Listen, with all due respect, sir… I'm not telling you shit until you tell me that Casey McDonald is alive or… not."

As Bruno led him through the halls of the hospital, Derek's hope was at its highest. Hospital; that means she's okay, right? At the very least, she's not… dead. The thought made his heart descend into his stomach.

They reached the intensive care unit and Derek's patience was wearing thin. Bruno swiped a card in front of the sensor and the doors opened to reveal a nurses station conveniently located in the middle of ten patient rooms.

"Before you get your hopes up, "Bruno spoke seriously, "this woman may not be Casey McDonald." He paused and Derek nodded, "Also… she is in a coma and her injuries are quite severe. The doctors have assured me that for now, she is very stable, just not conscious."

Derek took a deep breath as he readied himself to enter the room.

"Derek." Bruno looked into Derek's eyes, "Do you promise me that even if it's not your stepsister in that room, you will submit your phone as evidence so we can analyze your voicemail?"

"Whatever you need." Derek answered before turning the doorknob to enter the room.

He walked in slowly and approached the figure that lay on the bed in front of him. Immediately, he felt his eyes stinging and his chest was heavy.

Bruno followed him into the room, but Derek would never have noticed. All he could concentrate on was the various cuts and bruises and bandages that were covering more serious wounds.

Bruno stayed back at the door and observed how Derek ran his fingers along the patient's; he could see the pain in the young man's face. There was no doubt that this woman was exactly who they had all assumed she was.

"What happened to you, Case?" Derek whispered, knowing he would be left without response. "I… I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I didn't stop you from leaving… I'm sorry I didn't speak up… I should have told them… I just… I was scared." He spoke softly to the girl beneath him. He chuckled, "You know me… always know what's right but too cool to say anything."

At that moment, a woman opened the door and it slammed into Bruno's back, "OOF!"

"Oh! I'm sor- oh, B… it's just you. Never mind; not sorry anymore." She winked.

Bruno chuckled before letting her pass into the room. Derek was startled by the sudden interruption.

"Derek, this is Dr. Windsor. She's the one who's been taking care of Casey; Allison, this is Derek Venturi."

Allison Windsor smiled as she pulled her gloves on, "Nice to meet you, hon."

Derek noted her smile was contagious and she was very personable. She pulled her stethoscope up to her ears and pressed the diaphragm against Casey's chest, slightly under her gown.

"Nice to meet you, too…" He paused, looking back at his step-sister, "Bruno tells me she's stable?"

Allison took the stethoscope out of her ears and let it hang from her neck. She smiled, "Yes, very. As of right now she is unconscious and being fed through this tube," She pointed to the equipment in question, "Everything seems to be going well, we're just not sure exactly when she will wake up."

Derek grimaced, "You don't have any idea?"

The doctor sighed, "Well, her brain activity fluctuates daily and…" She glanced at the monitor, "Oh my God."

Bruno perked up, "What is it, Allison?"

She advanced to the monitor and pressed a few buttons which made the printer next to it whir and dispense a long paper with markings on it.

"Al?" Bruno pressed on.

"What's going on?" Derek was confused and nervous that something had gone wrong.

"How long ago did you two get into the room?" Allison ignored their inquisitions.

Bruno looked at his watch, "Probably ten minutes ago, why?"

"Because according to this," she looked back and forth between the two men in the room, "she should have woken up nine minutes ago."

AN: I know you guys keep telling me you hate cliffhangers but they are just so FUN! haha ;)