The next morning around 6am, Derek snuck back into Casey's room.

"Casey, wake up!" Derek said as she shook her.

"Hmm?" Casey said as she lifted her eyebrows with her eyes still closed.

"We need to take the puppies out again before the family wakes up!" Derek whispered.

"Ugh," Casey groaned, still tired from the time difference, "let's go."

They picked up the puppies and trekked out into the snow. After they did their business, they went back up to Casey's room.

Casey put the puppies in the pen and then she noticed that Derek had disappeared.

"Derek?" She whispered through his doorway.

He walked into the hall carrying a giant decorated box with air holes.

"Oh my gosh! This is adorable! Marti is going to love it." Casey squealed.

They put big bows around the puppies' necks, put them in their box, and hid them in Casey's walk-in closet.

"Derek, I'm going back to sleep for an hour...let's not bring the puppies down until everyone thinks there are no more presents." Casey yawned.

"Okay, good morning, Casey." Derek said, laughing to himself.

Casey was asleep within minutes, until she felt her bed moving.

"IT'S CHRISTMAS! IT'S CHRISTMAS! WAKE UP, CASEY!" Marti screamed as she jumped on Casey's bed.

Casey got up and led her little step sister down to the tree.

Everyone loved their presents...now it was Casey's turn to open her presents.

"Aww, thanks for the GPS, Mom and George." Casey said as she examined it.

"You're welcome! We thought you'd need it with those cross-country trips to visit us!" Nora exclaimed.

"You're right!"

Then she opened the present from Marti.

"Marti! This is amazing; did you make it?" Casey asked as she held up an ordament.

"I sure did! Do you like it?" Marti asked.

"I love it!"

Next she opened Liz and Edwin's combined gift.

"Oh my gosh! You guys got me new skis?!" Casey screamed.

"Mom told us about your trip awhile ago, so we thought you'd like them." Liz said.

"You guys are the best."

Personally, she didn't really expect a gift from Derek, so she was surprised when she saw a little box and bow still under the tree.

She carefully tore the paper and bow off, opened it up and was in awe.

"Derek. This. Is. Beautiful...it's the one from the store yesterday!" Casey exclaimed.

"I couldn't be in the bathroom that long." Derek smirked.

She ran over to the couch where he was sitting and gave him a huge hug...which neither one of them really expected. Derek froze and eventually gave into the hug.

She looked him in the eye and smiled, "There's one more gift left!" she said to the family.

"What is it?!" Marti squealed.

Derek and Casey ran upstairs to get the puppies. They each grabbed one side of the big box so that they wouldn't drop it.

They set it on the living room floor, "Open it up Marti, it's your present."

Marti opened it up and screamed, "PUPPIES!"

Nora and George exchanged glances.

"Derek, Casey, may we have a word with you two in the kitchen?" Nora asked.

Derek and Casey looked at each other, confused.

The three younger kids played with the puppies as the adults went into the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" Casey asked.

George put his hand on his forehead and sighed, "Marti is allergic to dogs."

"What?" Derek and Casey said at the same time.

"Then why was it on her list?" Casey asked.

"She doesn't know she is...dogs are her favorite animal and I never had the heart to tell her she could never own one. I have always made sure that her friends don't have dogs so she won't break out in hives or have an allergy attack. You guys are going to have to keep the dogs yourselves." George said.

Derek and Casey sat there dumbfounded, "I knew this was a bad idea." Casey said.

"This was your idea!" Derek said.

Nora and George slowly backed out of the kitchen to let the kids resolve their issues.

"It was a joke! I used a sarcastic tone!" Casey whined back.

"Bull shit, Casey!" Derek yelled as he left the room.

Casey heard a sneeze from the living room, "Dagger!" She said to herself.

She ran into the living room and told Liz and Ed to leave.

"Marti, I have some bad news." Casey said sadly.

"What is it, Casey?" Marti asked curiously.

"You're allergic to puppies...you can't keep them."

Marti started to cry.

"Don't worry, Marti, Derek and I are going to keep the puppies and you can visit us when you get allergy medicine!" Casey said trying to cheer her up, "Come here." She enveloped her into a hug on her lap.

Derek was watching from the stairs. No way am I keeping those dogs! Derek thought to himself, but he did feel bad for Marti.

He got up as soon as Casey did and went upstairs. Casey brought the puppies upstairs one at a time so that she wouldn't drop them.

She stopped by Derek's room, "So do you want one or two puppies...maybe even all three?" She asked.

"How about none." He said as he text messaged a friend.

"Derek, there is no way in hell I am taking all of the puppies...I'm going away for all of next week! What the hell am I supposed to do with them?"

"Well I'm going away, too. Can't you just take them with you?" Derek said obnoxiously.

She huffed out of the room and into her own to make a decision.

She took out her phone, "Hey, Winnie, merry Christmas."

"Casey! Merry Christmas to you!" She replied.

"Yeah, well it isn't that merry...we got Marti puppies and she's allergic."

"Bummer." Winnie said...she was obviously occupied with something else.

"And now my parents say that Derek and I need to keep them so Marti can still see them every now and then."

"Hmm." Winnie said.

"Winnie! You're not paying attention! I don't know what to do with these dogs while we're away!"

"Bring them with you." She said.

"Seriously?" Casey asked.

"Sure, I'm bringing Zsa Zsa." Winnie said, referring to her Havanese.

"Okay, I guess that will work then!"

"Okay, good, listen, since you're in London and I'm in Vancouver, I figure that I can fly from here to Toronto to pick you up, then we can head to Breckenridge! Sound good?"

"Yes, thank you so much! I'm so excited!"

"Mmk, be at the airport tomorrow around noon...have your phone on so I can tell you where to go."

"Okay, bye, Winnie!"

They hung up and Casey felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders...but she was still mad at Derek that he wouldn't take any responsibility.

She finished packing up, skipped dinner with the family, and went to bed.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day of flying.