You guys rock. I swear. Thank you guys for the tremendous feedback. All you feedback monkeys, which one of you will marry me?

HECK! I'll marry all of you! What do you say? (Insert Feedback Monkeys Saying 'I Do' Here)

Enjoy!

x—x

Casey sat in the hospital bed, staring at the bland walls with disgust.

"Twice in four days, Derek!" Casey cried, "How did we end up in the hospital twice in four days?"

Derek looked at her strangely.

"Hmm, I dunno," Derek said, tapping his chin with his fingers, "Maybe because first some psychopath tried to stab us to death, and now said psychopath has disconnected my breaks in another attempt at killing us."

Casey glared at him, "We were damn lucky."

"Tell me about it. Thanks to me." Derek said.

"If you wouldn't have insisted on us leaving school, we may not be here in this God forsaken place again." Casey said.

"Oh, yes, you're right, we wouldn't be here," Derek nodded, "We'd be in the morgue."

"What?" Casey faltered.

"If this had happened after school, there would have been more cars, and we probably would have gotten run over when we jumped out of the car." Derek said.

To make sure she got it he made a squishing noise.

Casey opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it, and nodded in defeat.

"They still won't tell you about the car?" Casey asked.

Derek shook his head, "No. I don't take that as a good sign."

Casey nodded in agreement.

"I'm really sorry." Casey said.

"For what?" Derek asked.

Casey stared at him like he was an idiot.

"What?" he asked, "Am I missing something?"

"Derek!" Casey cried, "I almost got you killed twice!"

"Aw, and I thought you didn't care about me." Derek said jokingly.

"Derek, this is serious!"

"I know it is, Casey. But we're both okay!" Derek said.

"But we might not have been." Casey said quietly, looking down.

"Hey," Derek said, looking at her, "Hey, don't."

"Don't what?" Casey asked.

"Don't cry, or get upset or feel guilty." Derek said.

"I thought you only couldn't handle crying girls." Casey murmured.

"I can't handle anything when it comes to you." Derek smirked.

Casey choked slightly, and began to sob.

"This is all my fault," Casey cried, "What's wrong with me? Why did this happen to me?"

"Hey, hey," Derek quickly walked over to where Casey was sitting and put an arm around her, "There's nothing wrong with you. Nothing."

Casey looked up at him and gave a weak smile, but it faltered when she saw that Derek was looking at her strangely. She could have sworn he was about to lean in like he was going to kiss her, but the sound of someone clearing their throat in a manner of getting attention broke their silence.

Derek sprang away from Casey as if he had been shot at, and Casey saw that she recognized the intruder. It was Officer Spencer.

"Hello, Casey. I didn't expect you to be back here so soon. Or at all, for that matter." Officer Spencer said.

Derek narrowed his eyes at him, "Who are you?"

"Derek, this is Officer Spencer. I told you about him, and you saw him leave my room the other day." Casey explained.

Derek's eyes remained narrowed, looking the Officer up and down.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Venturi." Officer Spencer said.

Derek grunted.

Officer Spencer cleared his throat again, "I'm sorry to ask, but can Ms. MacDonald and I have a word in private?"

Derek took a tentative step back toward Casey's bed.

"Um, that's okay, Officer Spencer. I mean, he's a part of this, too, so he should probably hear what you have to say."

"Not that I wouldn't find out anyway." Derek murmured quietly, but audibly.

Officer Spencer ignored him, "Very well." He nodded.

"I am sure you are not surprised to know that the perpetrator from the other day has still not been obtained."

"Really? No way." Derek said sarcastically.

Casey nudged him in his side.

"It is obvious that we suspect that todays incident was of his doing." Officer Spencer continued, "You both are very lucky to be alive."

"Wow, really? I had no idea jumping out of a moving vehicle could be dangerous." Derek murmured.

"Derek." Casey hissed.

"I expect that nobody has told you the outcome of the crash?"

Both Casey and Derek shook their heads.

"As I'm sure you know, the breaks were disabled. If you hadn't have jumped out of the car, you would have been hit by an oncoming semi." Officer Spencer said.

Derek's jaw dropped, "So-"

"Yes, I'm sorry Mr. Venturi, but your car is mangled. Hit straight on by the semi. There's no way either of you could have survived."

When neither teen spoke, Officer Spencer continued, "I don't think I need to tell you that we suspect that there is some kind of psychotic, sadistic plot of revenge toward you, Ms. MacDonald. Possibly as well as for you, Mr. Venturi."

"Now what would make you say that?" Derek rolled his eyes.

"Mr. Venturi, this is no laughing matter. You are both in danger." Officer Spencer said.

"Well, then what do you propose we do?" Derek asked, crossing his arms.

Officer Spencer faltered, "Well, I don't exactly-"

"You can't help us." Derek said dryly.

"I didn't-"

"Are we finished?" Derek asked.

"I-" Officer Spencer began to protest, but stopped, straightened his suit, and nodded, "Yes, I believe we are."

"Fantastic." Derek said.

Officer Spencer nodded once more, "I hope not to have to visit you here again. Ms. MacDonald, Mr. Venturi."

After a moment, Officer Spencer left the room.

Derek sighed, and turned toward Casey, "Well, wasn't that a pain?"

Casey's lips were pursed.

"Why were you so rude?" Casey asked.

Derek shrugged, "I dunno. Just something about the guy rubs me the wrong way."

"I bet he can say the same about you, except that he actually has a reason." Casey said.

"I'm just following my gut." Derek said.

"Whatever."

Derek sighed, "I can't believe my car is totaled."

"I'm sorry!" Casey said loudly.

Derek looked at her like she was crazy.

"It's not your fault, it's the psychos." He said.

Casey shook her head, "I feel like this is all my fault."

"Well, it's not." Derek said bluntly.

After a moments hesitation, Casey nodded.

"We're in trouble, Derek." Casey said.

"I know, Case."

"I don't think this is the end of it."

Derek looked at her for a moment before speaking.

"Neither do I."

x—x

Derek watched as Casey fidgeted in her seat.

They were in Nora's car, Nora, George, Lizzie, Edwin, and Marti all having come to pick them up from the hospital. And now Casey was seated by the door, with Derek next to her, noticing how nervous she appeared to be.

"Are you okay?" Derek whispered quietly.

Casey quickly looked at him, and nodded before turning back toward the window.

Derek didn't buy it; something was obviously wrong. But he wasn't going to say anything more for the time being.

He continued to observe her until the car pulled up in their driveway, and everyone quickly filed out. Everyone except for Casey and Derek, who moved slowly, and quietly.

"Okay, so what's wrong?" Derek asked again.

"You know how I told you I felt like we were being watched when we were leaving the school?" Casey asked quietly.

Derek nodded hesitantly.

"That's how I've felt since we left the hospital," Casey said, "I feel like we're being watched, or followed, or something."

Derek sighed, "I'm guessing that's not good."

Casey shook her head, "No, it's not."

"Are you guys coming in?" Nora called from the porch.

"Uh, yeah, mom, we'll be right in." Casey called.

"Okay, well there's a note for you in the mailbox." Nora said, before going inside.

Casey sighed, "I hate this, Derek!"

"I know, Case, I know." Derek said quietly.

"What if I have more dreams? Have you thought of that? I don't know if I could handle that."

"Shh, come on. Let's just go in side." Derek said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Ignoring the tingling sensation his touch left, Casey nodded, and they headed toward the porch. Casey grabbed an envelope from the mailbox, and stopped when she looked at it.

"Derek," she said, "This is the same print that was on the envelope for the other note."

Derek looked at it, and said quickly, "Come on. Let's go inside, and go upstairs."

Trying not to shake, Casey followed Derek into the house, eying the envelope in her hand as though it were going to explode at any time.

They slipped upstairs, and Derek went into Casey's room. She followed, and quietly closed the door behind her.

Derek stood behind Casey, and they both stared at the envelope in Casey's hands.

"Go on, open it." Derek whispered.

Taking a deep breath, Casey broke the seal, and slowly pulled out the note inside. They stared at it, holding their breath.

The words, 'You got lucky. But luck runs out, eventually,' stared back at them.

x—x

Okay, so at the end of the last chapter I said that this chapter would be an "eh" okay in length, and then chapter 10 would probably be boring and short. But halfway through writing this chapter, I changed my mind and decided that my plan for chapter 10 was just way too short and filleresque, so I decided to just tack on what I had planned for that chapter onto this one. So I must say that I think you guys are going to like what I have planned for the next chapter. (:

Oh, and yes, I gave you that small hint of Dasey. I gotta say, if you want major Dasey action, you're gonna have to wait, because this is not a Dasey spotlight story, where the only thing discussed is Derek and Casey. Obviously, it has a plot away from that.

The Dasey is just like a bonus. (:

Review, loves.

-Tarryn