Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Fifteen: Frustration

"I'm sorry, miss, but we're not hiring at the moment," the woman said with an apologetic look on her face.

Casey nodded. "It doesn't hurt to ask, right?"

"Not at all," the woman said smiling. Casey turned to leave. "Good luck!" the woman called out and Casey waved before heading back out into the frigid weather.

Well, it was no dice at the dry cleaners, the Laundromat, the drug store and the corner grocery. Because Casey didn't have a car – hell, she never even learned to drive – she had to stick to places that she could walk to or were on the bus line. That limited her somewhat, but there were still a few more places to check out.

Casey blew out a breath before crossing the street toward the print shop.

Another bust, Casey thought later as she left the pizza place. There had to be someplace that could use a good worker like Casey. Not to toot her own horn, but Casey knew she was a good employee. She very rarely got sick and was never late. She was conscientious, honest and willing to learn. Someone had to need help like her.

"You know, there's no openings right now, but if you want, you can fill out an application and we'll keep it on file for future reference," the young man said.

Casey tried not to appear too disappointed. I guess that was better than nothing. "Sure, I can do that," she said before grabbing the piece of paper and filling it out.

By mid-afternoon Casey was losing hope. She had been at this for hours and so far, nothing. No one was hiring. She had encountered more boarded up businesses than ones that were open. Her toes were numb, her nose was running and she was starving. Sighing, she headed back home for a bite to eat. Maybe a brilliant idea would come to her then.

When Derek arrived home from work, he didn't expect to hear yelling. But that's exactly what he found when he walked in the back door. George and Edwin seemed to be having a stand-off of sorts, and that was the last thing Derek wanted to deal with at the moment.

Upon noticing that they were no longer alone, George nodded briskly at Derek before returning his attention back to his younger son. Edwin, however, seeing the opportunity to slip out, was already heading for the front door. "Edwin, we are not done talking about this!" George said to his son's back.

"Yes, we are!" Edwin yelled back before slamming the front door so hard the walls shook.

George cursed and ran his hand through his sandy blond hair.

Derek stood there hesitantly for a moment before dropping his briefcase and heading for the fridge. He didn't know what to say, so he decided to keep quiet. He could see out of the corner of his eye his father standing in the middle of the kitchen, no doubt trying to get himself under control.

Derek was almost out of the room before his father spoke. "I don't know what to do with him anymore," George said, sounding defeated.

This stopped Derek in his tracks. As much as he hated being involved in the bad situation that was Edwin and George's relationship, he knew his father needed him.

"Just give him time, dad," said Derek turning around to face George.

George met Derek's eyes. "He's had time, Derek. He needs to come home. Be with his family."

Derek nodded. "He's having a hard time. Harder than all of us, I think."

George scrubbed a hand over his face. He looked exhausted. "I wish…" he started before trailing off.

Derek waited for his father to finish, then, "Wish what?"

George shook his head. "Nothing, son. It's nothing," he said before turning to go downstairs to his room.

Derek stood there staring after his father for a moment before heading upstairs.

Casey walked in to find Steph on the phone in the living room, pacing back and forth. She shot Casey a look before turning her back. Casey slowly un-layered herself, removing her mittens, scarf, parka and boots before sitting on the couch and rubbing the feeling back into her toes. Damn Canadian winters!

"Yes, I know the payment is late, but if you could just…" Steph stopped speaking abruptly, apparently interrupted by whoever was on the other end of the line. "Sir, as I told you before, I'm calling on behalf of Rosemary Martin." Silence again. "My mother, yes." Another pause. "Because she can't do this for herself." Another beat. "No, I don't have power of attorney…" A sigh, and then. "OK, what do I have to do then?" A moment, then, "I'm afraid that's not possible. I'll have to come up with another way." Nodding into the phone, then, "Is there anyone else I can talk to about this?" (Pacing again) "OK, then. Yes, I understand. Goodbye," Steph said before hanging up.

Casey watched her roommate's back as her shoulders slumped and she leaned her head against the kitchen cabinets. Casey felt like she should say something. "Is everything OK?" she asked hesitantly.

Steph whirled around to look at Casey, her face registering surprise that Casey was still there. "No, it's not," she answered sharply before heading into the bathroom and slamming the door. Casey sat there for a moment before getting up and going to her bedroom.

One week later

"I'd like you to meet my family," Derek said as he and Casey sat across from each other at the coffee shop.

Casey's eyes widened but she tried not to show any signs of her true feelings – namely panic.

"Uh…"

"Now you don't have to freak out," Derek said with his hand out in a placating manner. "It's just an invitation to dinner."

Casey's throat suddenly felt thick and she thought she might be having a heart attack. Not a good idea! The voice in her head said loudly.

"Well, that's nice of you, Derek, but I don't think that's a good idea."

Derek frowned. "Why not?"

"I don't do well in situations like that," Casey hedged.

Derek refrained from rolling his eyes. He thought things between himself and Casey had been going well. They talked on the phone everyday and so far this week had seen each other twice. Casey was letting down her guard more and more everyday and she didn't have a problem with Derek wanting to touch her every minute of the time they spent together. He loved holding hands and being able to nuzzle his face into Casey's hair. He thought she enjoyed it too.

Derek sighed and kept his voice even. "Casey, I know you have trust issues, but I'd like to think you trust me. Especially after all this time together," he added using his puppy dog eyes.

Casey caught his expression and smiled slightly. "Don't do that, Derek, you know I can't resist that face," she said leaning over the booth to cup his cheek in her hand.

"Does that mean you'll come for dinner?" he asked hopefully leaning into her touch.

Casey nodded. "Yes, I'll do it, but on one condition."

Derek smiled widely. "Anything."

"Lizzie comes with me."

Derek nodded. "Done."

The next afternoon…

The knock startled Casey out of the book she was reading. When she opened the door she almost slammed it shut again. "What do you want?"

Bob looked smug. "Hey, hey, that's no way to treat your landlord."

Casey scowled. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me of that horrid fact, now I ask again, what do you want?"

"Me," came the voice behind her. Casey turned to see Steph coming out of the bathroom.

"OK…" Casey said before sitting back on the couch.

Steph threw a look at Casey before addressing Bob. "Can we uh, move this to your place?" she asked not-so-subtly tilting her head toward Casey.

Bob smiled and winked. "Sure thing, Stephie."

He didn't see the grimace that flashed over Steph's face as she bent to put on her shoes. Neither of them said anything more to Casey before heading out the door.

"Chad, everything's fine, I mean it," Casey spoke into the phone later that same day.

"We might not see each other much anymore, but I know you, and you're not fine," Chad insisted in her ear.

Casey sighed into the phone. "Don't you have to get back to work?"

"Actually, no. As usual, it's deader than a doornail here. You know," he said with a smile in his voice. "I'm the only one here. I'm the hostess, waitress, bus boy and manager all rolled into one adorable package."

Casey laughed. "You're kidding, right?"

"About the adorable part, never."

"Not that! The other part!"

"Unfortunately, I'm not kidding about that part, either," Chad said solemnly. "It sucks. Do you know how creepy this place is at night when you're all by yourself? I nearly wet my pants the other night when I heard a strange noise outside. Turns out it was just a raccoon rooting through the back alley garbage."

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I wish I was there to protect you," Casey said in a baby voice.

"You're such a bitch, you know that?" Chad said with a laugh.

"I know, but you love me anyway."

"And you're lucky I do. So when am I gonna see you again? I'm going through Casey withdrawal over here!" Chad huffed.

"Um, how about tonight? I don't have any plans. Why don't you come over for dinner and then we can watch a movie. I'll even let you choose which one."

"You're on, sister. What time shall I be there?" Chad said, obviously excited.

"How about seven?"

"Great, I'll see ya then."

"OK, talk to you then. Bye."

"Bye, babe."

Casey smiled as she hung up. Chad was such a good friend. She wondered idly what Derek would think of him.

"Jesus, when are you gonna move out of this dump?" Chad said upon arrival.

"Nice to see you, too," Casey said wryly as she shut the door behind her friend.

"Chad!" Lizzie cried, running down the hall and practically jumping into Chad's arms.

"Hey, little girl," Chad said, trying not to fall down under Lizzie's weight. "How are you? Been raising hell, I bet," he said, giving Lizzie a wink.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lizzie said coyly, making Casey snort from the kitchen.

Chad laughed. "I brought The Way We Were," he said, clutching the movie excitedly. "I hope that's OK."

Casey groaned. "Again? How many times have we watched that, anyway?"

Chad pouted. "So? It's a classic! Come on, you know you love Barbra!"

"Liz, give me a hand setting the table," Casey said as she stirred the pasta. "It's OK," she continued to Chad, "But I was hoping for something more upbeat."

Chad frowned. "Oh, well, I can get something else…"

Casey shook her head. "Nah, that's fine. You're here now and dinner will be ready in a second."

"OK, if you're sure…" Chad said in a not-so-convincing way.

"Really, it's fine," Casey smiled before coming over and wrapping her arms around him. "I'm glad you're here," she said over his shoulder.

Chad closed his eyes and squeezed back. "Me too."

"Shit, hand me the tissues, will you?" Chad choked as he wiped tears from his eyes.

Lizzie snorted and handed him the box. "What's the big deal, anyway? It's so obvious that they were never meant to be in the first place."

"Bite your tongue, girl!" Chad gasped putting a hand over his heart.

Casey laughed. "Drama king much?" she said while trying to discreetly wipe her eyes.

"Ha! Don't even try to fool me. I know you're over there blubbering just as much as I am!" Chad said before stuffing his mouth full of popcorn.

Lizzie laughed. "I swear, you two are like an old married couple," she said while glancing between them.

That made them all crack up. "I'm sorry, but Casey doesn't have the right equipment to interest me," Chad said tongue-in-cheek.

Lizzie scowled. "Ew, and that's my cue to leave," she said before getting up and heading to the bedroom. "Chad, it was nice to see you again. You should come over more often."

Lizzie bent down to give Chad a hug. "I'll try not to be such a stranger anymore, deal?" he said before returning the hug.

"Deal," Lizzie said. "Goodnight you too!" She called from down the hall.

"Goodnight!" They both called in response.

Chad waited all of one minute before pelting Casey with questions. "So, spill. What's been happening with you?"

Casey laughed. "I told you the first ten times you asked me. Nothing's been going on except me trying to find a new job."

Chad snorted. "Yeah, right. I know when you're holding something back, and you're doing it right now!" he said in a whiny voice.

Casey decided to take pity on him. He could be so pathetic when he wanted to.

"OK," Casey said leaning forward. "I'll tell you. There's this guy…"

"Ha! I knew it!" Chad exclaimed triumphantly. "Who is he? Where did you meet him? Is he hot? Have you fucked him yet?"

Casey looked scandalized. "Stop! You sound like Lizzie. And 'have I fucked him yet?' What kind of girl do you think I am?" she said, hitting Chad on the arm.

Chad looked sheepish. "Hey, sorry! But you know it's been a long time since…"

Casey cut him off. "Alright! I get it! Yes, it's been a long time since I've dated anyone. There's nothing wrong with being picky, is there?'

"No, not at all. But even good girls like you need a good shag once in a while," Chad said in an awful English accent.

Casey scowled. "You know, relationships aren't all about sex, you know."

Chad laughed. He couldn't help goading his friend. They had had this discussion many times before, and it always went the same way. It was oddly comforting to know that Casey hadn't changed. "They're not? Well, that's disappointing," he added waiting for her reaction.

Casey shoved him back. "Oh, stop. Now you're just trying to bait me," she said before getting up and heading into the kitchen to clean up. Luckily Steph had been out all night, making it a relaxing visit with Chad. Besides, Chad and Steph hated each other and Casey wasn't in the mood to play referee.

"So, about this guy…" Chad added following Casey into the kitchen. "Seriously, where did you meet him?"

Casey sighed as she filled the sink with water. She had never told Chad about the night of the attack. Had been pretty successful in blocking it out altogether. She didn't relish bringing up painful memories in order to satiate her best friend's curiosity. "I met him at a coffee shop. He introduced himself and asked if he could buy me a cup of coffee," she lied, not meeting Chad's eyes.

"Uh, huh, and that worked? Because usually you shut guys like that down faster than the Hindenberg crashing to Earth."

"Well," Casey said thoughtfully, trying to maintain her lie, "there was just something different about him."

"Like what?" Chad pressed, watching Casey carefully now.

Casey huffed out a laugh. "I don't know, OK? Geez! It's not like it's serious or anything, so why do you want to know so much!"

Chad stepped back, a hurt look evident on his face. "Well excuse me for caring about my best friend! And I know it's serious because otherwise you wouldn't have mentioned him at all! I'm your best friend and getting you to spill information is like trying to pull teeth with a spoon!"

Casey dropped the dish she had been washing back in the sink and turned to her friend. "I'm sorry, Chaddie," she said stepping forward to wrap her arms around him. "You know me, I like to keep things close to the vest. It's just the way I am. I thought you knew that by now."

"I do know that, I just keep hoping that you'll change," Chad whined while sticking his bottom lip out.

Casey rolled her eyes. "Well suck it up, because that's all you're gonna get out of me now. But I promise I'll let you know if I get married."

Chad's eyes widened. "Let me know if you get married, you better not get married without me! I fully expect to be your maid of honor!"

Casey threw back her head and laughed.

The next day didn't go the way Casey was planning. A call from the school interrupted Casey's quiet afternoon. The principal himself told Casey in no uncertain terms that Lizzie was in trouble for fighting with another girl and if Casey didn't get there soon, he would be calling the police.

Casey hung up the phone and cursed loudly before beginning to pace the length of the living room. There was no way she could get there in the amount of time the principal ordered. She would have to walk to the bus station (in the current blizzard!), then take the number one bus to the number two bus pick-up, then walk another two miles (at least!) to Lizzie's school.

Casey sighed and ran a hand over her face. She thought that things were getting better at school for Lizzie as she hadn't mentioned anything bad happening in awhile. I guess I was wrong, thought Casey.

After wringing her hands for a few minutes, she bit the bullet and called Derek.

"Thank you so much, Derek," Casey said as she slid into the passenger seat. She surprised him by leaning over to give him a peck on the lips.

Derek smiled. "It's not a problem, really."

Casey looked skeptical. "Really? Are you sure your boss doesn't mind you leaving in the middle of the day?"

"It's fine, Case. I just took some personal time," Derek said his eyes on the road.

Casey nodded but said nothing. She hated depending on anyone for anything, and the decision to ask Derek to take her to Lizzie's school was not one that was made lightly. But she had no one else to call.

"Do you mind staying in the car?" asked Casey when they pulled into the school parking lot.

"Not at all," Derek said reaching over to squeeze Casey's hand. She gave him a weak smile before exiting the car and heading for the office.

This was not gonna be pleasant.

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