"It could have been worse, you know. She could have insisted we drive all the way like she did last time she came to London." Jazz told Derek as they waited to board. "At least this time the journey is quicker."
"And potentially a waste of time." Derek sniped. "I mean the guy might have nothing new to tell us."

Something was eating at Derek and it wasn't just the thought of a wasted journey. Jazz wasn't sure what it was but he was keeping an eye on his friend.

"Or I maybe right and there is something else we've missed." Casey said putting her phone away and rejoining them. She looked at Jazz. "Bea says to remind you that she's expecting a phone call at eleven tonight."

Jazz rolled his eyes. "Damn woman can't get enough of me." He said but it was with affection and Derek smirked.

"Don't say a word." Jazz warned him playing it up a bit because he was relieved Derek had stopped moping.

"I told you all the ribbing you gave me about Casey would come back to bite you." Derek said, gloating more than a little.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with your girlfriend wanting to check in with you at the end of the day." Casey pointed out.

"More like checking up on me." Jazz commented.

Derek snorted. "And why the hell do you think that is? You do have one hell of a rep."

Jazz sighed. "Yeah. Before my second chance with her. Because she dumped me. Jeez! When will she stop being so insecure? Like I'm going to make that mistake again!"

"I think it's really sweet how protective you are of each other." Casey said. Derek chuckled.

"Casey you think anything's sweet. I caught you crying over the wrapping on the toilet paper yesterday!"

"You did not!" She protested.

Derek looked at her pointedly.

"It had a cute little duck on it." She said reluctantly. "It reminded me of a little stuffed toy I had when I was five."

Jazz snickered. "How do you live with it?" He asked Derek.

Derek shrugged. "She's not like this all the time." He mouthed PMS at his friend. "Besides, you think it's going to be any better when you move in with Bea?"

"Whoa there! We aren't at that stage yet!" Jazz sounded appalled.
Casey arched an eyebrow. "That's funny. I could have sworn she told me you've been looking at apartments."

Derek turned to his friend in amusement.

"Looking." Jazz said pointedly. "Just looking."
Derek laughed. "Dude. When it comes to apartment-shopping with a chick there's no such things as just looking. It's a slippery slope. Next thing you'll be required to put a ring on it."

The gate for boarding was announced and Derek turned to pick up his carry on. The action involved him turning back towards Casey who now had her arms folded and was regarding him with an interested expression.

"Really Venturi?" Shit! He'd forgotten she was listening.

Derek coughed. "Or so I've heard." He said and quickly joined the queue forming to board the plane.

"Smerek!"

A purple and lime green blur threw itself at Derek. He caught the small figure in a big bear hug while Casey and Jazz looked on amused. Then Casey noticed the figure standing off to one side.

"Hello Simon. Nice to see you again…with your clothes on." Casey grinned.

Derek, who had seemed completely wrapped up in his little sister, jerked his head up suddenly to look at the new arrival.

Sensing the tension, Jazz leaned close to Casey. "Who's Simon?"
"Marti's boyfriend." She informed him. "Marti's first serious boyfriend. This could be interesting."

Derek released a suddenly nervous Marti and stepped towards the sheepish-looking guy.

"So you're Simon." He said with a deadpan face.

Marti followed closely beside him, hanging onto his clothes.

"Derek…" She warned.

Derek held out his hand in the traditional greeting. Simon took it cautiously.

"I gather you're the guy who swept my baby sister off her feet." Derek said ominously. He squeezed the guy's hand tightly.

"Ung!" Simon tried. Part of Derek's work-out routine clearly included his grip.

"Derek Venturi." Marti hissed. "You behave right now. Dad and Ed have already made their thoughts known."

Derek smiled sweetly at his sister. "Yeah, but they don't carry a loaded gun for a living."

Simon gasped in a breath as his hand was released.

Casey rolled her eyes and stepped forward. "Relax Marti, he's messing with you." Her eyes were fixed on Derek's. "We've already discussed this at length. Your brother is well aware of certain consequences of him interfering."

Derek raised both his hands defensively. "I'm not interfering. I'm just introducing myself."

Jazz laughed. "Yeah D. Why don't you just say "Hi I'm Derek. You fuck with my sister I'll blow your balls off!"?"

Casey scowled at Jazz. "Don't go giving him ideas."

Derek and Jazz chuckled.

Marti however was not impressed. "Don't ruin this for me." She hissed. Casey put an arm around her step-sister's shoulders.

"He really is only messing with you, Marti. Derek knows a lot about Simon. I've told him about how you met and everything."

She had, however, left out what she knew about Marti's "deflowering" and also the fact that Derek had requested a high level investigation into Simon's background.

Because, not all his motivation had been to do with being an over-protective brother.

Derek relaxed.

"Much as I hate to admit it Smarts, Casey's right. I'm messing with you." He glanced towards the cowering man in front of him. "…although the sentiment is accurate enough."

"Der-ek!" Casey groaned.

"How are everyone?" Derek asked over Chinese take out at "Casey's" later.

"How is everyone?" Casey corrected. Jazz sniggered.

"You say potato…" Derek said spearing the last pork ball and pointing it at Casey. "I say French fries."

Fearing an argument, Marti quickly stepped in. "They are all fine. Ed and Lizzie are enjoying sharing an apartment and Dad and Nora seem fine with that. Life's sweet for them – although it may have something to do with the fact that Lizzie seems to be showering a little more these days…"
"Ew!" Casey said. The others laughed.

"Mind you Ed appeared at Dad and Nora's with a composting bin last weekend so I guess the reform act is a two-way street." Marti completed thoughtfully.

Derek and Casey chuckled.

Their (step) sister continued. "Robbie is upholding tradition and was hauled up in front of his Principal last month."
"Oh?" Derek asked.

"Yeah. Apparently he was running a book on how long it would take the Phys Ed coach to ask out the new English teacher. Rumour has it the only reason why the Principal was ticked was because Robbie wouldn't give him favourable odds on two weeks."
"Atta- boy!" Derek said proudly.

"Derek… That's gambling!" Casey protested.

Marti shook her head. "Nah. It's only gambling if you don't calculate the risks. I've met the Phy Ed coach and I've seen a picture of the new English teacher. It was a dead cert – and frankly the Principal was a moron for going for as long as that. Robbie was only protecting the guy's money."
Jazz laughed. "Are your whole family like this?" He asked Derek.

Casey sighed. "The Venturis are. The McDonalds less so."

"And Nora?" Derek prompted with a special smirk, just for Casey.

"Is a swing voter…" Casey nodded.

Eventually, Marti finished her plate of food and pushed it away.

"What's the story then? About why you're really here? I mean nice as it is to see you again – and to meet you, Jazz - I'm curious."

Casey shrugged. "We're looking into the original information behind Derek's case."

"You've got a new lead?" None of them missed the hopefulness in Marti's voice.

Casey continued talking. "Not exactly. But I've realised that I know someone who was involved at an early stage. We're here so that I can go and hopefully meet with them to see if I can dig out more information."
Marti nodded. "When are you meeting with them?"

Derek groaned. "We're not yet. Casey's planning on surprising them. It's a friend of a friend and she's hoping to use the connection to our advantage."

His sister frowned. "So if it's Casey who is going to talk to the guy, why are you two here?"
"That's a really good question." Casey agreed looking at the two guys who had travelled with her. "I'm still waiting for a satisfactory answer."
Jazz grinned. "You know perfectly well why. Derek won't let you out of his sight for a moment; something about not being able to sleep in a cold bed."
"Jason…" Derek warned as his sister's eyes widened. Marti was ignorant of the degree to which his relationship with Casey had changed.

Marti and Casey exchanged a look.

"Last I heard, you two weren't talking to each other." Marti pointed out.

Casey shook her head. "That's not true. I told you over the phone that we were okay again."
Jazz looked confused. "You mean she doesn't…?"

Derek kicked him.

"What?" Marti asked. "Tell me. I'm a big girl. I'm sure I can handle it."

"There's nothing to tell." Derek lied.

Casey glared at him. Knowing it would irk her he smirked and then faced Marti again.

"Seriously sis. Casey and I are talking again that's all."
"She's gonna work it out…" Jazz sing-songed.

This time it was Casey who kicked him.

"You two are mean." Jazz moaned like a five year old as he rubbed his ankle. "I think I'm off to bed." He looked deliberately at Derek. "Where shall I sleep?"

"The couch!" Casey and Derek chorused.

"Really?" Jazz said looking thoughtful. "So where's Derek going to sleep then?"

Casey smiled sweetly. "In my room with me. Marti already knows that we share a room at home." She just doesn't know that we…crossed the line.

"Is her room next to yours? Only you should warn her about the banging."

"Jason." Derek warned again. "Shut the fuck up or I'll make you sleep in the car."

Casey looked at her watch. "Isn't it time for you to phone Bea anyway? Why don't you do that now while we're all getting ready for bed?"

Jazz grinned and headed off into the kitchen for some privacy.

"Okay if I grab the bathroom first?" Marti asked.

There was only the four of them in the apartment, Simon having left to visit with his parents, but Marti knew the capacity of the hot water tank. She was grabbing her hot water while she could.

"Sure." Casey said. "I'll go next." She wasn't stupid either.

As soon as Marti was out of sight, Casey rounded on Derek.

"What are we going to tell her?" She asked in a mild panic.

"I don't know, maybe…the truth?" Derek said with frustration at her panic. "Sweetheart, don't freak. We'll deal with it, okay. Personally, I don't think it's an issue."

"I'm not the only one freaking out. You didn't want Jazz to mention it either." Casey pointed out.

Derek, meanwhile, had decided distraction was a better approach than discussion. Casey let him pull her close and start to kiss her. And she didn't object when he slipped his hand into the back of Casey's pants, his thumb rubbing against the round of her backside as he turned his attention to her neck. Casey groaned softly as he began to push buttons only he knew she had.

"I didn't want Jazz to blurt it out because you and I hadn't had chance to talk about it so I knew you'd freak." Derek murmured against her skin. She kissed the parts of his head that she could reach. "I didn't stop him because I didn't want her to know. I stopped him because I didn't think you were ready for her to know." Derek went on. "I trust Marti. She's not going to over-react." He rubbed his pelvis against Casey's, stopping any backward movement away from him she might have made by restraining her backside with his hands. The resulting grinding action was almost explicit and much as Casey rolled her eyes, she also knew that if they weren't sharing an apartment with two bloodhounds they would be sheding clothes very soon.

"Princess, Marti will be fine with it. I promise." Derek said and his hand started to move around her hip in search of other distracting locations.

"Oh definitely! I'll be fine…so long as you stop doing that in front of me!" A voice said from the doorway.

Derek and Casey broke apart in surprise.

Casey checked her sister's face for signs of disgust or disappointment but found none. In fact, Marti looked very amused at the sight of her brother and step-sister "starting" something.

"I forgot my purse." Marti explained as her reason for re-entering the room instead of going for her night-time shower. But neither of them believed her.

"A golf course?" Jazz said leaning forward from the back of the rental car. "I thought that was just a cliché." Casey frowned at him in confusion. "The idea that doctors spend all their time on the golf course." He clarified.

Casey smiled. "In Steven's family yes they believe it's the norm. They are all for their appearances and social climbing. Well, all of them except Steven. He hates it. Unfortunately, his mother is a tyrant and he has no choice but to do her bidding. His fourteenth birthday present was a golf membership and he tells some really tall tales about how much he acted up on the course as a kid but golf is actually something he's good at. It's unsurprising when you consider how much money his mother threw at his lessons. Failure is not an option with her."

"Poor guy." Jazz said.

Casey launched into some of the choicer tales of her friendship with Steven and the relationship he had with his mother. Jazz laughed as Casey told of a time where they had sneaked away from a charity ball through the kitchens because Steven's mother had hinted she might announce their engagement; an event which horrified both of them equally.

Derek was uncharacteristically quiet.

It didn't matter to him that Casey had told him repeatedly this morning that she loved him. It didn't matter that it was Derek that she lived with in Ottawa. It didn't matter that their lives were so intricately woven together it would take death to separate them – and even then Mr Reaper had tried once and failed.

None of that mattered. Derek was still nervous about meeting Casey's "best friend from college". He didn't want to see a spark between them. He didn't want to see anything between them, except space.

She looked amazing again this morning in a plain but very feminine shift dress and expensive-looking heels (Bea's influence). The dress was really flattering to her breasts and her hair had a slightly mussed look to it, as though she'd risen hastily from their bed this morning after an extended round of sex. (She had, but she had also been in the shower and her hair had been combed thoroughly and then placed in this style). A memory of Casey, pink-cheeked under him re-surfaced and a small smile passed over Derek's lips. Casey spotted it from the corner of her eye and correctly guessed the origin. This morning had been good, although it had also had to be silent. She wasn't a big fan of sex when there were ears to hear. She was, however, a big fan of Derek's.

"Who are we seeing today?" Jazz checked as Derek turned the car through the impressive gates of the country club.

"Steven. He's the nephew of the guy we really want to see."

"And this guy doesn't know we're coming either?"

"No he doesn't but it won't be a problem. He's a friend and this is his regular slot. He tees off at 7am so he should be just finishing up."

"You know a lot about his schedule." Derek said quietly.

Casey glanced at him quizzically and then answered matter-of-fact.

"He always runs his shifts around the tee-off time when he can. I checked with the hospital."

Derek snorted softly making Casey pull a face.

"He's a nice guy Derek. Someone who did his best to hold me together in a bad time."

"That's what I'm worried about." He muttered.

"You have nothing to be jealous about, you know." She said quietly.

"I'm not jealous." Derek protested.

In the back of the car, Jazz snorted.

"I'm not!" Derek protested. "I'm just…cautious. I'm cautious about everyone these days."
Jazz leaned forward again. "Especially good-looking guys who sniffed around your girlfriend for a while."

"Fuck off."

Casey decided to leave them in the car.

It had been six months since Casey had last seen Steven, but he was still every bit as good-looking as she remembered: tall, blond and handsome. He was also attractive in other, less physical ways: he was intelligent and had a wicked sense of humour.

What had drawn her to him in the early days of med school was the way he didn't pander to her moods the way that everyone else did. He knew about Derek but he didn't avoid the subject – partly because one of the few negatives to his personality was his lack of filter.

As far as Casey went though, that lack of filter, the ability to talk about taboo subjects was part of what she loved about the guy.

She did love him. Like a moronic old brother.

In the traditional sense of the word.

She had missed him. There were times, particularly at work in Ottawa when she thought about him often. She thought about Derek more, though and when she thought about Steven, it was to relive memories that had a child-friendly rating – unlike the more recent ones of Derek.

For example, she missed Steven on the truly weird occasion that a clown had coded in a trauma side room whilst presenting with a sprained pinkie finger. She had been surrounded with a skilled staff which understood her shouted instructions and reacted as quickly as her London staff. They had supported her with their professionalism and showed their humanity when the case had a sad conclusion.

Even Rosita, however, couldn't manage the kind of crass, levelling joke she knew would have been uttered by Steven.

Casey left the car and strolled towards the steps of the club. It was warm so she didn't need a coat meaning the close fit of her dress was pretty obvious as she walked.

"I'll give you this much, D. She's got one hell of an ass on her!" Jazz said, watching as she walked.

"Remind me to mention Bea's tits next time she decides to show them off." Derek said shaking his head at his friend. Somehow he didn't feel the need to get riled up about Jazz's comments – probably because he knew the bond between Bea and Jazz was similar to the bond he felt with Casey.

If it had been Steven of course…

When she reached the steps though, Casey didn't go in. Instead, she leaned casually against the lowest pillar, clearly watching someone emerge from the depths of the club. Derek could see her hair moving slightly in a gentle breeze and the warm smile of recognition as she watched her quarry approach.

"Fuck Dude!" Jazz said as the guy emerged from building. "He's hot!"

He suddenly registered what he had said and added quickly, "…speaking as a happily-attached straight guy of course!"

Derek wasn't paying any attention. He was watching the meeting intently.

Steven clearly hadn't seen Casey yet. He strolled from the darkness into the light, his golf clubs slung across his back and a set of car keys swinging in his hands.

"Hi handsome!" A familiar feminine voice called. Steven looked up and his eyes widened.

"Casey!" he said making a dash for her, forgetting the golf clubs on his back. They clunked and clanged and got in the way.

"One sec." he said, pulling them from his shoulders and dumping them unceremoniously on the ground. Once unencumbered, he approached Casey and swept her into his arms.

She giggled and flung her own arms around him even as he lifted her into the air.

"How the fuck are you?" He demanded the delight at seeing her clear in his voice.

"I'm good." She said as he lowered her to the ground again. (Causing Derek to let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.)

Steven held her at arms length. "I can see that. Wow babe! You look…completely and utterly fuckable!"

Casey surreptitiously glanced towards the car and hoped Derek had been exaggerating the one time he claimed he could lip-read. There was no sign of an irate cop getting out of the car.

"And you haven't changed one bit. You're still incorrigible." She berated Steven. He laughed.

"Clearly you have changed, girl. Wow! What happened? Are you back for good? What happened with that Mikey guy? Is he still on the scene? If not and you've come back for me you'll make ma's year."

And whilst he'd never tell her, a part of him wished for it too.

Oblivious, Casey shrugged. "It's complicated." She said. "I have so much to tell you."

"Well I'm free until 2pm. You wanna go grab an early lunch?" He asked.

She glanced towards the car where Derek was sitting.

"Erm…I'm with some friends."

Steven frowned. "And they can't come too?"

His generosity was another thing she truly loved about him.

"Erm…yes sure. That's why I came. It's just, Steven, I need to explain something to you before I introduce you to them."

"Oh? Look, let me go put these clubs in my trunk. You can tell me on the way."
He grabbed her hand and swung the clubs onto his shoulder again as they started to make for the car.

"Come on, spill Calam." He said cheerily. "Who've you brought for me to meet? Some nice blonde with big assets I can take home to mom?"

Casey laughed and pushed against him. "As if!"

He chuckled too. "God it's good to hear you laugh! I don't think I've ever heard you laugh so freely. Whatever happened to you in Ottawa…it needs to keep happening."

She smiled. "Yes. It does." She murmured.

"Oh god, I know that look. I've seen it in the eyes of my lameass cousin when she walks past a jewellery store. You're in love! Fuck me!"

"Your language has deteriorated." Casey said, watching him put his clubs into the car and lock it again. He turned to face her.

"Nah! It's the sight of you looking so…argh! Casey, you just look so…different!"

She blushed.

"Is this Mikey?" he asked softly running a finger down her cheek.

"Sort of." She replied honestly and with a sigh. He didn't miss the slight wistfulness to her voice either.

"You were a mess when you left here." He commented. "The guy must be a miracle-worker to turn you around. God knows I tried."

Casey smiled at her old friend. "I know you did."

"I'm glad, angel." He said. "It was grotesque watching you mourning Derek everyday."

Casey closed her eyes at a sudden remembered pain. "I know."

"Does it still hurt, honey?" he asked with an uncharacteristic tenderness.

Casey was hit with a sudden realisation. She had been wrong about Steven. All the years she thought he had no filter and no understanding of emotions she had misjudged him. He understood emotions perfectly. He also understood that emotions were not what she needed. He did have a filter – of sorts, he let everything through, but it was deliberate rather than accidental.

"Sometimes." She said in answer to his question. "But, it's different now…because…well…"

Casey didn't know where to start.

How do you explain that the death over which you grieved for so long had never in fact occurred? How do you tell someone that?

You don't. Casey decided. You show them.

Aware that Steven might never have met Derek but had at least seen the many many pictures Casey had surrounded herself with, she decided to show Derek to Steven.

"Come with me." She said, taking Steven's hand and leading him towards the rental car.

Derek got out of the car, partly because he had seen her coming, but also because he could see her holding hands with Steven. Casey noticed the irritation on Derek's face and rolled her eyes at him. He pulled a face that said I'm still not happy.

I love YOU! She mouthed.

And Derek smirked.

Casey was so pre-occupied with Derek's reaction to Steven that she missed Steven's reaction to Derek.

After the requisite jaw-drop as he recognised Derek from the pictures in Casey's apartment came…

Steven wasn't sure how to categorise it: Anger? Horror? Rage?

He had watched one of his closest friends grieve for so many years over the step-brother she had lost. She had wept, screamed, shouted and he had seen that. He had also seen her work herself into the ground to try and right a wrong – to stop someone else's family suffering.

Casey had put her life on a permanent hold because of Derek's death. She had ruined career chances and personal life options for him.

And now it appeared he wasn't really dead! Was all her suffering for nothing? What was the guy playing at?

Steven couldn't think of any reason why Derek would be alive that would justify Casey not knowing about it. Did Derek not know the pain he had (in)directly caused?

Of course he did. He had to know. What did he think of it? What had he done to try and stop it?

When Derek smirked at Casey in answer to her unseen (by Steven) whispered message, Steven saw the smirk as an answer to his own question – and lost it.

He walked straight up to the rental car, swung back his arm and right-hooked Derek on the chin.