"Casey

"Casey! It's great to see you." George enveloped Casey in a hug while Derek took his coat off and tossed in onto his chair.

"You too Gorge."

"Casey!"

"Casey!" two voices echoed tearing down the stairs. Casey bent down to pick up Marti while Edwin tackled her with a hug. Casey's eyes closed briefly before letting go of the two.

"Is Lizzie with you?" Edwin asked peeking around Casey.

"Yea she's just grabbing stuff out of the car." Edwin nodded before running out of the house with Marti behind him.

"So Casey what bring you here?" Casey smiled at him.

"Derek and I got partnered for a semester long assignment, and I missed you guys…" Casey admitted honestly. Derek took that chance to hand Gorge the permission slip. After reading it Gorge spoke.

"You two are partners?" Casey and Derek nodded. After that Gorge burst into laughter.

"What's so funny dad?" Edwin asked when the three youngest entered the room. Gorge couldn't speak so he held the paper. Once Edwin red the assignment aloud, they burst into laughter also.

"You two couldn't even survive being siblings you think you can be 'married'" Gorge exclaimed breathlessly.

"Oh come on, we weren't that bad." Derek defended Casey nodded but Edwin joined in the laughter.

"Are you kidding? You couldn't go one day without fighting. Need a list? Fighting over the bedroom, the party, that thing with Sam, you-" Derek cut him off with a hand over his mouth.

"Okay story time over Ed." Casey giggled pulling Edwin away from Derek.

"God I missed you Edwin."

"Okay… so I have wood, carpenter glue, plastic, and paint…" Casey nodded.

"Good cause I have tonnes of furniture and model paints and some material to make curtains…"

"So case what's our dream home going to look like?" Derek asked staring down at the material. Casey got up and walked over to the couch where her backpack was.

"We'll remember, you still have 100 input also… but I was just drawing, and this is what I came up with…" Casey rambled on as she walked back with paper's in hand.

"Shut up and just let me see will you?" Derek snatched the paper's out of her hands. Pulling a chair out from the table he sat down as he flipped through the pages. Casey sat down in a chair and studied Derek's face. His brows were furrowing slightly like he was disappointed, but his eyes were filled with something else.

"Case…"

"You hate it right?"

"No, no, no… it's not that… it's just…" Casey raised an eyebrow leaning in towards Derek waiting for an explanation.

Derek laid the pages and spread them out between them

"Casey, it bares a striking resemblance to our- I mean my house." Derek felt strange… not knowing if he should call it our home or his home. Casey grabbed for the pages and studied them for a moment.

"What are you talking about, it looks nothing…" Derek gave Casey a look which made her stop.

"Okay it looks similar…"

"Casey this is this house." He reached for Casey's bag of furniture. "You even have a recliner in here." Casey furrowed her eyebrows and leaned back in the chair…

"I didn't mean too." she whispered so quietly Derek almost didn't hear it. Derek sighed running a hand through his hair.

"Case, it's okay. You miss it here I get it." a silence spread between them as Casey gazed down at the floor. Derek bit his lip staring at Casey's sad expression before standing up abruptly. Casey looked up at him startled.

"Come with me."

"What? We have to do our project."

"Suck it up princess were not leaving the house." When Casey still didn't stand, Derek let out a large sigh and took Casey's hand from her lap. He started walking and pulled Casey out of her seat towards the stairs. He was ahead of her their arms full of tension as she hung back as far as she could staring at their hands. Casey's hand was limp in Derek's and his fingers were tightly wrapped around Casey's when they reached the games closet she walked a little faster so there hands dangled between them. Her hand applied slight pressure to Derek's causing him to loosen his hold on her hand.

Derek led Casey to her old room and opened the door. It was empty a few furniture pieces and such were left behind. Where her bed used to be was a queen-sized air mattress with a pillow, blankets and sheets. Random stuffed animals crowded around it and the sheets were tousled like some one had been sleeping on it.

"Marti sleeps in here a lot. She misses you a lot Casey. I would get up in the morning and find her sleeping on the floor where your bed used to be so we got an air mattress for her."

Casey walked over and sat on the mattress; picking up a stuffed animal. Derek leaned in the doorway with his arms crossed just watching her.

"I miss this room." Casey said as she lay back on the bed. Derek swayed on his feet before deciding to go sit on the bed next to her.

"You know, if you ever want… I mean… Gorge wouldn't mind. I know this isn't a real bed, but it is your room…" Derek rambled on. Casey smiled reaching out and putting a hand on his arm causing him to stop abruptly and stare down at her hand.

"Thanks Derek. I might just take you up on that." Derek smiled back and nodded.

"Why couldn't we get along like this when I was living here?" Derek shrugged leaning back beside Casey and putting his hands behind his head.

"I don't know. Maybe the overdose of Polly do good-er preppy pants made me irritable." Casey gasped and turned towards Derek hitting him with her hands.

"Oh yea? And living with your egotistical sarcasm was so easy!"

"Now who's being sarcastic?" Derek laughed as he fought off Casey's hits. Casey scoffed as Derek laughed at her attempts to hit her. One hand encircled Casey's wrist and his fingers laced with her free hand as he pined her hands on the bed. They were still laughing for a few seconds before it dissipated into an awkward chuckle.

Derek's eyes got trapped for a moment, studying her face. Her giggling stopped and she found her eyes stuck in the same predicament. Both of their minds were blank as if the stare between them had turned the world's power switch off and everything but each other faded to black.

Derek's eyes fluttered around her face without his conscious decisions and Casey followed his eyes all the way until they rested on her lips.

"Um we should go finish the project…"

"Yea…" Derek mumbled as Casey pulled her hands free and rolled off the mattress with Derek following her from behind.

"No Derek. We don't have a dog!"

"Hey all I'm saying is I want a dog."

"Mr. Tanner! Can we have a dog?" Derek called across the classroom towards the teacher.

"We'll that's something you and your 'life partner' have to decide." Mr. Tanner said before turning back to the group he was working with.

Derek smirked at Casey who returned a smirk that mirrored his to a tee, which caused Derek's smirk to disappear.

"Right, and as you 'life partner' I said no. Alright sweetie?"

"alright sweetie?" Derek mocked getting another smack from Casey. he grunted upon impact and rubbed the spot on his chest.

"Okay so we have food, water and electricity bill's… we just need to figure out the price of the house."

"Easy. Dad bought it for 250 000. I don't know how much he pays for mortgage but I can find that out."

"So were done, with like a week to spare?" Derek asked unable to believe it himself. "Wow Case, I guess working with a keener is awesome." Casey nodded proud of her self. More over, she was proud of Derek who didn't resort to his 'slackadazicle' ways.

"I'm just as surprised as you are. What made you actually do school work, and efficiently? Are you failing again?" Casey asked glaring at him. Derek rolled his eyes.

"Don't read to much into it, I just didn't want you to get stuck with all the work. The divorce had been hard for you…" Derek's eyebrows pulled together. He didn't even know the real reason why he actually did his work. Whatever came out of his mouth just then wasn't the truth… or maybe it was. Derek was too confused to understand what had been going on with him lately.

"Derek?"

"Hmm?" Derek said grabbing the stapler and attaching their work together.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Derek, you've been so great to me, but we never talked about you, how are you dealing with all of this?"

"I'm fine Case." Casey narrowed her eyes.

"Derek you must have some sort of feeling about this." Casey made a motion with her hand that sort of looked like she was gesturing between the two of them. Derek's mind froze again like it did a few months ago in Casey's old room.

"Derek?" Casey said waving a hand in front of his face.

"Huh? Oh uh Case, you should know, I don't have feelings." Derek mumbled lamely taking the staple out of the papers and then stapling them again.

"Casey, you should know by now, I don't have feelings." Derek laughed as Casey rolled her eyes.

"I don't know Der. You've been doing a lot of stuff out of character lately." Derek looked her straight in the eye and replied.

"I'm. Fine. With. It." Casey didn't belive it but she let it go.

"So, I was talking to mom…" She said quietly. Derek turned his head towards her slightly tilting it in a small gesture to tell her to go on.

"I asked her if Liz and I could spend the 19th to the 24th in our old room's. I told her that if gorge agreed, her permission would be all I needed for Christmas."

"And what did she say?" Derek asked turning fully towards Casey with a slightly excited look on his face.

"She asked 'why couldn't you have gotten along with Derek this well when we were a family?" Derek laughed looking down for a moment before looking up at Casey from under his eyelashes.

"Sibling rivalry?" Casey laughed

"So you think gorge would be okay with that?"

"Of course Case. It will always be your home too." He said pointing towards their model. Causing them both to laugh.

(Okay this part was a little hard to write, I hope you understand what's going on. It flashes between Casey and Emily, and Sam and Derek. Their conversations are pretty much the same so I was trying to make it look like they were finishing each other's sentences)

"Okay spill." Emily said as she pulled Casey to their usual table at lunch.

"Spill what?" Derek replied confused, to Sam's question.

"Come on Derek I'm talking about you and-"

"Derek being all Chummy since you got back." Casey's eyebrows pulled together as she frowned at her friend.

"There's nothing to talk about Em, Derek and I are-"

"Friends now, and trust me Sam I'm just as confused as you are. But I don't know, it's just easier to get along with her now that-"

"He seems to have matured Em. It's unexplainable but now that we don't live together, it's like-"

"She isn't as annoying as I once thought she was when-"

"We were getting on each other's nerves and now since were not with each other all the time I have no reason to not-"

"Maybe, like Casey, a little?" Sam asked timidly. Derek spewed his chocolate milk all over the lunch table missing Sam by just a little.

"Dude. She's my Step-"

"Not any more Casey, remember divorce? The thing that happens when parents can't stand each other anymore?"

"Ugh… Emily why are we even talking about this?"

"We are talking about this because you and-"

"Derek, your not blood related, and now your not even related by paper. If any one could have had the slightest problem with you and Casey hooking up before now there is absolutely no reason that you and Casey have-"

"Unrelieved sexual tension!" Emily exclaimed as Casey nearly jumped over the table smothering Emily's face with her hand.

"Emily watch what you say. Some one could here you and think…"

"Think what Case? That you and Derek could be together? Listen do you honestly think that if your mom hadn't married his dad, that when you came to this school Derek would have treated you the same? You're a hottie Case. Derek probably treated you bad when you were sibs because it covered up the-"

"Unrelieved sexual tension!" Sam exclaimed.

"Stop saying that!" Derek shuddered slightly.

"Derek, look in my eyes. Now tell me honestly, if Casey Came to this school as a regular student, not as your step sister, can you honestly say that you wouldn't have hit on her?"

"Dude you're her ex! Isn't it some rule that ex's cant set up their ex's?" Sam laughed then.

"Since when does Derek Venturi follow the rules?"

"Oh, right about the same time as you-"

"Stopped crushing on Derek?" Casey asked surprised in her lack of knowledge.

"Around the same time as I found a new knight in shining armour. Speaking of my prince…" Emily smiled past Casey's shoulder as Sheldon ran up to kiss Emily hard on the mouth.

"Thanks for letting us stay Gorge." Lizzie said dropping her bag down by the door

"No problem girl's, you're always welcome here. I just can't believe your mother let you stay here."

"Well, Casey is surprisingly awesome at milking the guilt machine." Casey blushed as Derek and Edwin came in with some of their bags.

"Jesus Case, you're not even here for a week why do you have six bags?"

"Some of those have Christmas presents for you guys. They aren't wrapped yet so… no peaking!" Casey shouted as Edwin went to undo a zipper. "Lizzie do you want to wrap them in your room or mine?"

"Let's go in mine." Casey nodded taking the bags with gifts in it dragging it up the stairs.

After a few long tedious hours of wrapping, and kicking Derek and Edwin out of the room; they were finally done.

"Are we keeping our presents in our rooms or under their tree?"

"Room's defiantly if we put them under the tree Derek and Edwin might sneak a peak." Lizzie nodded before yawning.

"What time is it?" Casey glanced at her cell phone.

"1:30 wow,"

"I'll see you tomorrow Case. I'm beat."

"Kay, night Liz." Casey said kissing the top of her sister's head before stacking up her gifts and trying to bring them to her room. It was pitch black in her room but her arms were too full.

"So, whatchya get me?" Casey let out a quick high-pitched yelp before tripping over her own feet and tumbling towards the floor. Before she could hit the ground, Derek reached out looping an arm around her waist and pulling her back up.

"Way to go Klutzilla." Derek whispered looking down at Casey who he held against his chest.

"Derek you scared me." Derek chuckled releasing her from his hold.

"I'm Sorry?" he tried as he walked over to her desk turning on her lamp. "So what did you get me?" He tried again laying down on the mattress.

"Oh no, your just going to have to wait for Christmas." Casey said as she went to the vanity and took her hair out of her ponytail.

"Awe, well that's totally unfair seeing as I was kinda hoping to give you your present early." Casey whirled around with one eyebrow raised.

"You bought me, a present." Casey said aloud trying to make it sound real. Derek just nodded and then shrugged before getting up to leave her room.

"But I guess if you want to wait…" Casey ran up and closed the door so Derek couldn't leave.

"Well one early present couldn't hurt…" Derek rolled his eyes but couldn't stop the smirk from growing on his face. He placed his hands on Casey's shoulder spinning her around and sitting her on the bed.

"Eye's closed." Casey crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Derek.

"What? You can't expect a gift and wrapping paper. Jeez Casey don't know me at all?" Casey laughed and finally closed her eyes.

After 30 seconds the air in the mattress shifted and Casey giggled as she bounced. Derek was on his knees walking forward so he was behind Casey. Lifting both hands over her head he let his gift dangle in front of her face.

"Open." Casey opened her eyes and blinked a few times till the gift came into focus. It was a silver necklace. The pendant was the diameter of a dime and branched out in sticks of diamonds. The light caught in the crystal sparkling brilliantly.

"I know you love the snow so…" Derek mumbled pointing to the snowflake shape of the pendant. When Casey didn't answer Derek just fastened the necklace around her neck. Her eyes followed the necklace as her fingers traced the contours of the snowflake.

"Case?" Derek asked after the silence continued. Before he could ask again Casey turned around so she was on her knees and she threw her arms around Derek's neck.

"Uh… Your welcome?" Derek laughed as he slowly put his hands around her waist hugging her back. His eyes fell closed as he breathed in her scent. Vanilla clung to the air like a thick fog that seemed to be clouding Derek's judgment and his one hand reached up to hold Casey's head. He pulled back abruptly when he felt wetness on his neck. One of Casey's hands flew to her eyes shielding her eyes

"Casey… are you crying?"

"Nooooo!" her voice was three octaves higher with her choked tears as Derek laughed pulling Casey back too him. His hand smoothed her hair as she cried onto his shoulder.

"Girls are so weird…" Derek mumbled while he patted her back. Casey's tears subsided as she pulled away wiping her face and sniffling.

"Sorry…"

"Hey at least you like it."

"I love it. Thank you Derek." she said sincerely. The fog was around them both now. The only visible fogless spots were each other. They were staring at each other again; brain shutting down completely. No thoughts, no movement's just staring.

Derek's mouth was going dry as he licked his lips and gulped. As his brain started functioning his mind kept going back to the conversation he had with Sam.

"Uh hey how about my present's huh?" Derek asked jumping off the mattress. Casey shook her head from its daze before jumping up.

"Uh yea. Here is part one." Casey said grabbing a small box off the floor. Derek opened the box and lifted the gift out. It was a necklace. It was brown leather and it hung down into a sort of noose. Hanging from the noose was a silver circle.

"Last year I saw you looking at it; but you never got it because-"

"By the time I got the money it was bought up… Case… this is awesome." Derek exclaimed putting the necklace on.

"Very you…" Casey smiled before reaching on the floor to pick up a bag. "Now for part two."

"Case you didn't need too." Derek started but Casey told him to shut it. he opened the bag and took out the item wrapped in tissue paper. Pulling back the wrapping he found a leather coat identical to his old one, only this one wasn't tattered and torn.

"Casey…" Derek started smoothing his hands over the leather. Casey bit her lip.

"Thanks Casey really… this is…" Derek turned and pulled Casey in for a tight hug and before he could stop himself he placed a kiss on her cheek. Casey's face spread scarlet as Derek stepped away from her seemingly unaffected by what just happened, and pulled on the coat.

"How does it look?" He asked Turing slightly.

"Uh I- it… Um… look's great…" Casey choked out. Derek smirked widely as his eyes caught a glimpse of the clock.

"Wow it's late. I'll let you sleep. See you tomorrow Case. Derek said before leaving her room. Casey was left in a daze staring at the door which Derek just left one hand fingering the necklace while her other hand grazed across the skin his lips had just touched.

"Night…" She whispered before collapsing onto her bed.