Casey could not believe who she was standing next to. At first she wanted to yell at him, or even slap him, but she really needed to talk to him. She toughed up and continued to talk, though her mind kept wondering off.

Derek could hear her rambling about God knows what, but he couldn't help notice how beautiful she looked. She really hadn't changed at all, her blue eyes continued to stare in to him. Her lanky brunette hair was still silky and smooth. As always he fell back into reality when people called out his name.

"...the Ontario Community Center. It's the heart of Ontario. It has adult education, basketball...for children; it's a home away from home. I mean, we practically grew up there." Casey said retorting at him.

Derek rolled his eyes, not really giving a damn. He noticed many reporters coming his way and took hold of Casey's arm holding a firm grip on her. Derek saw a man coming his way with a clipboard.

"Mr.V?" He said. Derek turned his head to the man. The man continued, "You're supposed to be taping The View in half an hour...and Public Policy magazine needs a quote on the challenges of urban planning."

Derek's faced turned blank. He was never good with public speaking at all. The time he tried to run as student body president turned out to be a disaster, stealing ideas from others or sabotaging someone else's work was mostly his thing. The man looked at him ready to take notes.

"Right, Yes. Quote, quote, quote, quote..." He said trying to think. He heard Casey still speaking about the stupid community and began to copy her ideas and turned out efficiently.

"What I love about architecture is its ability to shape a community" Derek began seizing his chance.

"This center has shaped the community! It turns strangers into neighbors," Casey emotionally and expressively said trying to prove her point.

Derek nodded and smirked at her. "Its ability to change strangers into neighbors," Derek of course had no attention in giving Casey the credit.

"Wait, you're just copying my ideas, you can twist my words around!" Casey yelled, outraged at him for not having speck of consideration for the center.

"I know it's all very good. Thanks." He said giving his signature smirk at her.

Casey rolled her eyes at him. "So do we have a deal?"

Derek tilted his head in thought making the situation much more dramatic. He looked at Casey one more time and snickered a bit. The perfect idea came into his head and he knew this was just 

the start of making her life a living hell. He grabbed her by the arm once more and headed into his limousine.

It all happen so fast she was suddenly being pulled by him. She had forgotten that his grip was almost impossible to break. She sighed as she sat in the cushioned limousine. She gazed at Derek.

"No. I want something else from you." Derek said pouting and looking at her up and down. Casey took hold of her jacket and began covering herself.

"No. I am fully aware of your reputation and there's no way you're getting that. No." Casey said disgusted. It was funny she was an older women, but yet she felt uncomfortable talking about the human anatomy.

"Getting what?" Derek said playing along. He had not changed from his high school or college years. He was still the arrogant bastard who tried to hit on every woman he saw.

Casey rolled her eyes and let out a huff. "You know. The sex, that's not going to happen, I can't believe you would even mention that to your own step-sister!"

"No, that would be nice, just not with you, maybe a blonde, well anyways. I promise to save your community center. Which means, you…work...for…me," Derek said annunciating every word.

Casey looked at him in disbelief. She got close to his face inches away from him. "I've spent my entire teenage life working against people like you, no actually just you. I never listen to you then. What's going to change now? I may not have won yet-" Casey said in an angered tone.

Derek cut her off, "Well, maybe if you work for me, you'll win occasionally." Derek looked outside. "I need an answer, I'm afraid, immediately. Here is my number at the Grand Hotel." Derek said stepping out.

Casey followed beside him and stared at the hotel right in front of her. It was beautiful, but knew he must have torn down an important building just so he could have his fun. "You live at a hotel?"

Derek smirked. "Well, I own the hotel and I live there. You can say my life is very much like Monopoly. And I know you wouldn't care, but I'LL start you at 1000 and there is always a nice Christmas bonus."

Casey was back in her apartment and was going over what Derek had told her. There was something different about him a different aura that she could not recall. Casey didn't know if it was because she hadn't just seen him in over two years or it was something else. The crazy ideas had escaped her and she began thinking about Derek's offer. Why would he want to hire her? 

Derek always refused to work with her in high school and college, but why now? If it was the only way to save the community center she had to do it.

She opened her eyes that had been closed for so long to reveal Emily. She had forgotten that she had invited her to come over. Emily kept questioning her if she was going to do it, though Emily knew the answer would be yes. They began to talk and talk about Casey's decision and finally came up with an answer.

Casey walked the in the lobby in probably one of the biggest industries in Canada. She began to walk toward the elevators. She pressed the button signaling the light to go on. The doors opened. There stood tall and proud Derek Venturi. He smirked at her and signaled her to come in.

"So you knew I would come?" Casey asked stepping inside.

"Yeah pretty much," Derek said still looking forward.

"Okay let's get this straight I'm only doing to save the center, okay" Casey said biting back at him.

Derek didn't really seem to listen he was fidgeting with his pockets. He removed two pieces of stationary. "Okay let's get this straight, which one of these do you prefer?" Derek said.

"Wait, what do you mean and for what?"

"It's for my new personalized stationery. My boss gave me these to pick one, but they look exactly the same to me!" Derek said.

"No, the stationeries are completely different. That's a Linen finish and that's watermarked vellum finish." Casey said examining them.

"For God sakes Case, just choose one!" Derek said getting annoyed.

Casey looked at both of them and grabbed both of the papers. She licked both of them. Derek looked at her confusingly. She was still her weird self with no sense of what was normal or unusual.

"That one it tastes better," Casey said wiping her mouth.

Derek looked at her and brought the papers to his mouth licking both of them as well. He raised his eyebrows at surprise. Paper didn't taste that bad.

"Wow Casey you're really good with this sort of thing. I'm getting you a bigger office."

"Really?" Casey said following beside him to his office.

She was now officially his personal secretary and assistant. He went to his desk and grabbed the keys to his car and they headed outside. Casey kept looking at him confused at what was going on.

"So let's get to business." Derek said stepping out of the car.

"Umm...it's umm very firm." Casey said.

"But is it too firm?" Derek asked lying on the bed. "What are your thoughts?"

Derek had taken her to a mattress store so he could help her pick out new furniture for his room. Casey of course felt very uncomfortable to be doing this but it was for the sake of the community she kept reminding herself.

"If you really want to know, the more firm the mattress the more pressure on the vertebra." Casey said trying to be as professional as possible.

"Quite bouncy, though. Have a bounce." Derek said getting up. He began to jump up and down the mattress as if he was four years old. He hadn't really changed after all; he was still the same stupid boy who had no sense for the word maturity.

"Just buy this one Derek, it's really late and I would like to go home?' Casey said wining.

Casey was asleep in bed late at night. She had survived somehow her first day of working for Derek. She was really tired and didn't want to endure another day with him. Her wish was cut when she heard her cell phone ringing. She looked at the caller ID, she didn't recognize it.

"Hello," Casey said. Her voice sounded hoarse just from waking up.

"Cool, you're up. I didn't want to wake you. I just felt like having a chat." Derek said.

Casey groaned just from hearing his voice. "Derek it's four in the morning, and how did you get my number?"

"I have my resources," Derek responded simply.

"Derek, can't you talk to whatever blonde bimbo candidate you're mostly likely with?"

"Hey just because someone doesn't share the same QI with you it doesn't give you the right to call them a bimbo," Derek argued back.

Derek turned to see the woman he was flirting with. Casey was always right she was a blonde and she was a bimbo, but she forgot to mention sexy. He noticed she started taking out pills and swallowing them vigorously.

"Are you all right?" Derek asked her.

"I swallowed my Altoid." She said and started laughing.

Derek heard Casey on the phone. "Okay Derek two things. One it's not QI its IQ, second put her on the phone," Casey simply added.

"You mean, put her on the phone?" Derek asked trying to argue with her again.

"Put her on the phone!" Casey yelled. Derek got startled from her sudden outburst and quickly handed the phone.

Casey didn't even bother for introductions she quickly went into her conversation with the young woman. "The man you're dancing with is deeply troubled, okay? And even though he's rich you're too young to trade yourself like a stock for someone who won't remember your name...or his in the morning." Casey said rambling about Derek. The girl kept looking at Derek like she wasn't interested anymore, but Casey kept on going.

"He is still married...and has recently had a very suspicious rash. It is four in the morning Go home, finish high school and reach your potential!" Casey said finishing.

The blonde handed Derek's cell phone back. She was awfully confused and left without saying goodbye. Derek didn't bother to chase after her instead he went back to his conversation with Casey.

"What did you say to her? Nice chat?" Derek asked a bit outraged.

Casey rolled her eyes wishing he could see her annoyance right now. "You're pathetic. Good night," Casey uttered hanging up on him.

Casey was in the conference room with Derek's wife and her lawyer. Casey was getting aggravated that her step-brother wasn't showing up. They were in there to discuss the divorce agreements and Derek hadn't shown up yet. Casey had been reassuring them for the past half-hour that he would be coming soon.

"I'm sure he'll be here any minute," Casey unsurely answered.

The doors opened to reveal Derek. He took a seat without a care in the world. He looked at Casey and spoke in his usual manner. "Sorry, everybody, did I miss the blessed event?"

Casey huffed at Derek and whispered in his ear. "Check with me before you talk."

The lawyer sighed and began the arrangements. "Now that we're all here, I'd like to discuss the settlement terms...She wants double the alimony."

"No way!" Derek interrupted. "Not a cent, after you were having sex with another man in the house! Now I know why you didn't want to sit on the sofa!" Derek said making things a bit more complicated than they needed to be.

"How dare you come in here and say that! You should keep quiet don't think I didn't hear about what happened with your last secretary!" The wife yelled.

"Derek was being stupid he shouldn't have said that, sorry." Casey said covering up for Derek.

"Please. You son of a bitch! I bet you have slept with him too, you're just another one of his stupid bimbos!" the wife said to Casey.

"Now, wait! I am the only one in this world who can insult her-"Derek shouted and stood up.

Casey was definitely aware of her displacement at the moment, so she tried to cover it up. "Now Mrs. Wade try to be reasonable-"

"Fuck you! Don't ever call me that!" The wife yelled throwing the glass of water at Casey's face.

Casey gasped from the coldness of the water and regretted putting ice in the cups. She heard Derek screaming and then she realized it.

"Oh my God water went up my nose." Casey yelled unable to breathe.

Derek looked at her and laughed a bit. He quickly went to her side for some odd reason and looked at her trying to reassure her. "It's only water." He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and put it near her nose. "Okay, this hankie is probably, most likely unclean, but I'm going to dab you. You may blow."

Derek and Casey were walking along the streets of Ontario after the rowdy and unpleasant day. Casey looked at Derek; he had really helped her out. Well if you count dabbing her nose. Thought it probably one of the nicest things he had done for her in a long time. She felt bit awkward walking with him like this and she knew he probably did too.

Derek looked at his step sister. She was about a head-shorter than him, but he couldn't stop staring at her from the corner of his eye. He had no idea why he had helped her. In his former high school years he would have laughed and walked away, but why was this feeling different?

"Divorce is hassle huh?" Casey asked.

"Sort of, but divorce always makes me hungry, One Popsicle?" Derek asked the lady passing by in the cart.

"Why did you give her the money?" Casey said going back to his divorce.

"She'd never have stopped going crazy until she got what she wanted," Derek responded simply. "Aren't you the one who is always saying I have a responsibility towards those less fortunate."

"Derek, everybody is less fortunate than you," Casey responded. "So just give the money to someone who's not going to spend it on collagen."

"No, you only want me to be generous to those you approve of."

"No. I only want you to finally allow me to do my job." Casey argued back.

"You did your job. This morning I was married, now I'm not. You did it superbly." Derek said a bit sarcastically. "I guess I can get someone else to handle my divorces."

"That's too bad I was really enjoying them," Casey said sarcastically.

They continued walking when Casey spotted a man who looked a bit rundown. She took out change from her pocket and handed it to the man in his coffee cup which appeared to be empty.

"Hey, that's my coffee, you jerk!"

"Oh, sir, I'm so sorry. I thought you were needy," Casey said apologetically.

"It's all right. Come on, Mother Teresa." Derek said laughing his head off. They continued their walk as the man shouted to the heavens.

One week later

Casey was standing beside her best friend Emily Davis soon to be Emily Shlepper. Casey was Emily's maid of honor and the bride and groom were near in sharing vows. She looked at Emily and noticed she was about to cry. Casey was about to hand Emily's vows when her beeper went off.

Emily looked at her confused. "Casey, please don't tell me that's yours?"

Casey read the message and it read emergency. "I'm so sorry." Casey looked at Emily and everyone else and informed she would return quickly.

She arrived quickly at his hotel and rushed to his room. Everyone gazed at her from her appearance. She was still wearing her dress. She called out Derek's name.

"Help, I'm in my closet!" Derek yelled.

"What is it?" Casey asked a bit worried.

"Wow, Case, isn't that outfit too much just to come to my rescue?" Derek asked. "Well anyway, I'm judging a contest in under an hour. It's on television. So what do you think?" Derek asked pulling out a suit.

Casey scoffed at him. "Please don't tell me you called me out of a wedding to help you pick out a suit."

"Casey, oh my god you ran out of a wedding? That's horrible!" Derek said laughing.

"You said it was an emergency! Didn't I memo you as to what constitutes an emergency?"

"Yes. Large meteor, severe loss of blood and what's the third one again?" Derek said being his usual self.

"Death! And you're not dead! You weren't dead when you called me at two in the morning because you had a nightmare about becoming a member of KISS. Just like when you barged in on my woman's doctor appointment to ask me which picture to put on the cover of People!" Casey yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Why don't we just call it quits, okay? I can't take it anymore." Casey said. Derek looked at her she was dead serious.

"But Casey..." Derek started.

"Derek, please consider this my two weeks' notice." Casey said and with that she left the room.