"A Glock 19? You're kidding me?" Sam sounded a little surprised at Casey's "choice" of weapon.

"I know. She doesn't look the type, does she?" Jazz was enjoying relating the story. He liked Sam. Since they had been introduced a couple of hours ago they had realised they had a lot of life-attitudes in common.

Marti snorted. "I don't know why you both sound so surprised. Casey's bust Sam's ass at Babe Raider so many times I've lost count and Jazz you know that Derek's had her practising at the range as often as possible."
"Yeah…but Casey?" Sam said in awe. "I remember the days when Derek tried to give her plastic knives and forks with her food in case she cut herself."
"That was Derek being mean after the Klutzilla saga. He's learnt his lesson since then. They both have. These days when he says something is to protect her he means it."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Sam said quietly. Marti was sure he wasn't just talking the sight of Casey with a gun.

"He's awake." A tired-looking Casey in a white coat announced then from the door way. "You can have five minutes."

It was a shaky Sam that stood up to follow her. Like the others in the small waiting area, he wasn't sure what he was going to find the other side of the door. Unlike the others, however, he hadn't seen his best friend alive for eight years. He had no reference point for how Derek should look right now.

The three of them followed Casey into the room and the door swung closed behind them.

Derek was lying down in bed, looking mostly pale, and although parts of his face were clearly bruised, to Sam he was most definitely Derek. This was despite his head being bandaged. There was also a square dressing just visible at his temple where the metal stair had caught it, the shock of the impact on his already fragile skull causing his body to go into shock and his heart into arrest.

It was down to a miracle that he was alive: a miracle, the fact that his girlfriend was an experienced trauma specialist, and that his partner not only managed to get word to the surface that an EMT was needed urgently, but also managed to find a defibrillator in a first aid corner of one of the well-stocked labs.

Casey had shocked him back to life, monitored him until help arrived, and then flown with him to the nearest hospital…Steven's.

It had been strange for her, dealing with the absence of her friend, especially because it was still the day of his funeral. She had seen many of the people who greeted the helicopter just a couple of hours previously as they trailed Steven's coffin. There had been looks of surprise when they saw who was coming in on the helicopter, but no words were exchanged. Professionalism once again won the day.

She wondered what the reaction of people would be when word got out as to the other death in Steven's family…and its cause.

On the plus side knowing Steven's former colleagues meant that she was given free access to accompany Derek's unconscious form into the Re-sus area.

The parallels to a day eight years previously were too much for her to comprehend.

"Is he going to be okay?" Marti asked with a timid voice pulling Casey away from old memories.

"Okay enough to kick your boyfriend's ass next time I see him." The weak voice came from the bed. "I found an empty condom wrapper in the kitchen garbage."

Casey rolled her eyes unable to suppress a grin at Derek's protectiveness even when he was flat on his back.

"Hey, Dude. If you don't want to wait to kick the guy's butt, I'm sure Jazz and I can oblige for you." Sam said shakily as he walked forward to identify himself to Derek.

"Sam?" Derek gasped in surprise and tried to sit up. Casey put a hand on his shoulder, whispering softly.

"He's coming over. Stay where you are."

And then Derek blinked and when he re-opened his eyes it was to see his first best friend looking down at him.

"Now what have I told you about Aerials and Grinds without a skateboard, Dude?" Sam quipped as if there had been no eight year gap – as if they were both still fifteen, as if he wasn't looking at someone whose funeral he had already attended.

"'Don't grind, unless you mind a sore behind.'" Derek quoted.

They grinned at each other and Sam took his friend's hand in the complicated handshake they had invented aged twelve.

"It's been too long, Sam." Derek said. "I'm sorry you couldn't know."

"I'll bust your ass for that later: when the bruises from this little adventure have healed, of course." Sam promised, although they both knew it would be only words they exchanged when Derek was back on his feet.

"There's much to be said. Explanations…" Derek also promised. "…and many many thanks…for the things you did…the things you said. For looking after what meant most to me when I couldn't." He turned his head awkwardly to look at his girlfriend and then back to Sam.

Sam watched as Casey stroked Derek's face and he kissed her fingers in return. The actions confused him. In the time since Sam and Marti had left Casey's apartment and made the journey to the hospital, explanations had been given about Derek's existence in the world, but Marti had run out of time and decided to leave certain stories for another day. Sam did not know the most important fact about Derek and Casey…although in view of the incident in the grocery store parking lot, and the way they were looking at each other now, he was beginning to have his suspicions.

Jazz cut across his thoughts.

"Hey D. I spoke to Spike. He's still clearing up at the mansion so he'll pop in and speak to you later if he gets chance, but he wanted you to know that they think they've rounded up everyone important."

"Smythe?"

"Confirmed dead on arrival. The big guy who was guarding him is singing like a one-man band and a couple of other henchmen came forward voluntarily as soon as they knew the boss had gone."

"He told me some stuff. There are some things we'll want to look into. And you need to get a techie into that computer room: the underground one, not the mock ones in the mansion." Derek said, struggling again to sit up. Casey restrained him…again.

"Uh uh!" She prohibited. "You're staying exactly where you are until I say so."

"I'm fine, princess. Back off."
"No." She said firmly. "I'm the doctor in the room. I say you stay where you are. You look awful."
"I want a second opinion." Derek grouched.

"…You're ugly too." Jazz said with a grin. Sam laughed.

Derek grimaced. "Fuck off! Both of you."

"You okay?" Derek asked Casey when the others had gone. She glanced up from the clipboard at the side of the bed. Her face was pale and she looked worn out.

"It's been a dramatic few days." She said by way of explanation.

"It's been a dramatic few months." Derek agreed. "Years, even."

"Yes. It has." She tried a weak smile.

Derek held out a hand.

"I'm still here." He pointed out. "Or is that why you're in a pit of despair?"

She smiled. "It still hasn't sunk in. What do you think will happen now?"
"Well when I get out of here, I'm going to start raking through what's left of his fucking empire."
"Der-ek! I meant outside of work…our family…us?"

He frowned. "We pick up the pieces and we put the jigsaw back together again." He said cryptically.

"There are more pieces than before." Casey pointed out.

"I'll make the bastards fit some how." He promised.

Then he did what he had been threatening to do since he first opened his eyes. He made himself sit up.

"You should…"

"I should hug my girlfriend." He said quietly. "If she still wants me…"

"Of course I still want you." Casey protested.

"Stop looking like I'm pulling your teeth then." Derek instructed.

He held out a hand and Casey took it, letting him draw her close so that she was forced to perch on the bed beside him.

"I love you." Derek said kissing the top of her head.

"I love you too." Casey whispered back. It was hesitant and cautious, and Derek frowned but didn't push it.

"We'll get all of this straight." He promised her. "We'll find a way to bring our old lives and our new life together again. It went well with Sam, didn't it?"
"Only because he's going easy on you because he knew your heart stopped this afternoon." She looked up at him. "My heart stopped too, you know."

They were silent for a moment and then Derek kissed her hand again.

"It's over, sweetheart. The bad man's gone. I don't need to be dead anymore. Now we just need to learn how to live again."

Casey discharged Derek from hospital a few days later and they returned to Ottawa, both of them deciding that they needed some time to think things through before they made decisions about telling the family that Derek was alive.

The apartment was just as they left it, although Casey decided that she needed to clean the entire place from top to bottom because there was so much dust.

Her boyfriend just rolled his eyes and let her clean without commenting on the fact that they had barely been away three weeks.

Despite their resuming their usual off-duty routine, Derek found that he wasn't as settled in their apartment as he had been in recent months. He felt jittery, nervous and for several hours after they arrived home he wondered to himself why that was.

And then he realised.

It was Casey's air of distraction. It was contagious.

She wasn't settled, or at least she wasn't relaxed – so neither was Derek.

For a while he worried that he was losing her, that he had done something wrong or that she had just got sick of the drama that his life entailed. But after spending more emo-time than he was comfortable admitting to himself, he knew that it was unlikely. Casey had been "faithful" to him through the worst of his life – when she thought he was dead, and when he had subsequently pushed her away. He wasn't arrogant about her love for him, but he was fairly sure that they were on the same page when it came to their feelings for each other.

Common sense prevailed further when he noted that whilst her mind might be distant right now she was in almost constant skin-to-skin contact with him: her hands always touching him somewhere, even if it was just the line of her thigh against his own as they sat on the couch.

That first night, she didn't push him away when they went to bed either. Instead, she was the one cuddling close as if desperately needing his warmth.

Casey didn't respond to his attempts to remove her clothes though…or at least not in the way Derek had hoped. She mumbled that he needed to rest and that it would delay his recovery if he engaged in "sexual relations" too soon after the trauma his body had been through.

"You know words like that, spoken in your "doctor" voice really don't do anything to dampen my libido?" Derek informed her, nuzzling her ear. "It's all too much like one of my secret fantasies to make me behave myself."

Casey rolled her eyes at his cheek.

"I'm serious, Derek."
"I know. And I won't push it. I just want you to know that just as soon as you give me the all clear, you'd better start running for the hills because I'm horny as hell."

Casey groaned. "We'll see." She said.

"You know my hands aren't injured…and this is the longest you've gone without sex."

Casey closed her eyes against the thoughts his words provoked. She pushed away and turned in bed to face him.

"Not now Derek." She said trying to hold back the giggle that threatened to break.

"Okay, okay…I'll let you off tonight…but tomorrow…" he promised.

She leaned forward and kissed him on the nose. He was relieved to see some of the old sparkle back in her eyes.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow." She promised.

The next day, just as they were finishing a leisurely lunch, Spike arrived unannounced.

Derek's absence and the massive inquiry now under way across the eastern side of Canada and the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. meant that although they had both been in Toronto until the previous day, Spike and Derek had not yet had chance to discuss the conclusion of the case.

Casey opened the door to Derek's boss with a smile and the offer of food; something which Spike knew not to turn down. Casey's cooking was legend in Derek's office.

He followed Casey through into the open plan kitchen and took the offered seat as Casey laid a third place in front of him and ladled a large bowl of vegetable soup.

The centre of the table had salad and French bread and cheeses. To the older man who had been running around frantically since the events at the mansion, the entire spread was like manna.

"Don't tell me," Derek said grinning at his boss. "You've changed your mind and you are here to arrest Casey."

Spike laughed and shook his head. "After this meal? Besides, there's no one to press charges over your little stunt." Derek's boss told Casey. "You were lucky, it was foolish but at the same time most of us understand why you did it."

"No one?" Casey queried. "Not even his family?"
Spike looked uncomfortable. "Well there was some unhappiness over the unauthorised raid, but someone might have let slip to them that Smythe was responsible for Steven's death and that you were the avenging angel."

"Oh." Casey didn't know what else to say.

"How is the investigation going?" Derek asked before biting into a large sandwich dripping with melted cheese. Spike too spooned soup into his mouth and gave Casey an appreciative look before answering.

"We've searched the entire complex and sealed the site. The staff has been laid off for the short term because parts of the labs were working on legitimate research and are under contract. They'll be needed in the future. The irony is the government is a silent partner in that legitimate side of things so the powers-that-be are running around like a headless chicken trying to keep the circumstances of the plant's closure under wraps and make sure that they can come out of this without looking bad."

"What about the computers?" Derek asked watching as his boss demolished the soup.
"We've got some forensic analysts in there looking."

"You got my message about the underground rooms being more important?"
"Yeah. They've started down there. At first they were going to move everything out back to base, but when they saw the size of the computer set-up they moved their team into the tunnels instead. Their "data centre manager" has volunteered to help prioritise everything. It turned out he used to be with the FBI."

"What the hell's a data centre manager?" Derek asked.

"Sorry. I'm showing my age. The guy in charge of their computer department."

Casey cleared Spike's now-empty bowl and smiled as he reached for a sandwich.

"Cake?" She asked.

"Cake?" Spike asked.

"I made the mistake of telling Derek he could have whatever he wanted for lunch. He requested chocolate cake."

"I don't know. A knock on the head and you get everything laid out at your feet." Spike commented.

Derek glanced at Casey and remembering last night's conversation in bed, pulled a face.

"I wouldn't say everything." He noted.

Above Spike's head, Casey stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend.

"There were other sites, you know." Spike went on informing them of the new information they had received. "When we spoke to the head of security he told us all about two more complexes that Smythe owned. They are on a much smaller scale but impressive all the same. We've shut those down too."

"He told me that he had everything he needed to get started again on those disks he was carrying."
"They were interesting. Obviously we are still going through the information but, there are details on there of people who were being paid off, new ideas for other schemes."

"What about the steroids?" Casey asked, depositing large slabs of chocolate cake in front of both men. Derek frowned, noting that her own plate was still in her place, untouched. He frowned pointedly and jerked his head to make her sit down. Casey did so slowly.

"Well the discovery that there are probably athletes out there who are using steroids on a regular basis without detection has caused a major headache for sports governing bodies. Fortunately, they think they might be able to develop a test for the companion drug so that people who have taken it can be disciplined even if they can't prove they have the steroid in their system."

Casey nodded. "That sounds a reasonable approach. They should look at detecting the family of drugs rather than the individual drug though. Otherwise someone else will just come along and develop a similar drug."
Spike nodded. "It's made people sit up and take note."

"You've managed to keep most of it out of the news." Derek noted. Spike nodded again.

"Some of it we'll never release because we don't want to give people ideas and what we do release will be watered down. Derek, erm…you need to know that eventually your involvement in this is going to come to light."

"Why?" Derek sat up straight.

"Because one of the people we caught was the guy who pulled the trigger on you eight years ago."

Derek stared at him. "You found him?"

Casey had gone pale. "He's alive?"

"Oh yeah. And like so many of them, he wants to plea bargain."
"For what? What's he requesting?"
"He wants us to do a deal over three murders we can pin on him…including the girl's murder."

"Will he get it?"

"Probably. What he doesn't know is that we have evidence of another four murders against him." Spike smile weakly. "Not to mention the attempted murder of one Derek Venturi. When that case goes to court, every one will know that you're alive."

"Oh."
"Have you thought about how you are going to tell your parents?" Spike looked between the two of them. "That Derek's alive, I mean."

"We were planning on it." Casey confirmed. "It's just…it's all going to be a bit of a shock for them, so we have to be really careful how we do it."

Spike nodded.

"And some things will be even more of a shock for them." Derek pointed out, taking Casey's hand.

"You aren't kidding." Casey murmured under her breath.

"Well if you need any help with it, just let me know." Spike said, picking up his fork to attack the slice of cake. "The department owes you a lot."

He placed a lump of chocolate sponge in his mouth and chewed carefully before he spoke again.

"I heard about the doctors' verdict." Spike said looking carefully at Derek. Casey glanced up quickly. This was still a sore subject with Derek.

"I know, I know. They are going to recommend that I'm taken off active duty with immediate effect which will restrict me to desk work." Derek said the words with distaste.

"It's important, Derek." Casey interjected. "Another bang on the head like that and you might not be so lucky."

"I could slip falling down the stairs." Derek protested.

"We'll buy a one-storey house." She retorted. "It's not about there being no risk. It's about reducing the risk. If you are running around chasing criminals every day you stand a very big chance of doing yourself permanent damage."

"Casey…"

But Spike interrupted. "Derek, it's not as though we're making you retire…and of course this is all subject to a medical by the department's own doctors. But, your doctors think active police-work might kill you, and I have to agree."

Derek glared at Casey, and Spike noticed.

"Don't get cross with Casey. She was the one trying to persuade them to let you keep your active status."

"I know how much it means to you." Casey said quietly. "I think they are right that it will get you killed though."

"Besides, we're not talking about just desk work. I want you to consider something." Spike said, ignoring the angry glare from his sub-ordinate.

"What?" Derek muttered.

"The events of the past few months have shown me something I had previously missed. This case wouldn't have been solved without Casey and her knowledge and contacts. And Casey's own case wouldn't have been solved without help and support from Bea. When it comes to true expertise and knowledge we are lacking in this department, we've had to rely on our girlfriends' desire to help us when the cases become personal. We don't make enough use of our contacts on the other cases: the ones that are personal to someone else."

Spike sat forward. "I want you to restructure the department, Derek. I want you to take on not only the hiring and firing of staff, but also the maintaining of an external set of sources: people we can trust to give us reliable information. I'm going to get Jazz to head up the operational side using the resources you give him. I want the two of you to put together a new department that is unlike anything the organisation has ever seen. I want it to be new, lean and I want it to work. I want it to get results. I'll get you the money. You deliver me the results."

Derek was quiet for a moment. He had long thought there was much that the department lacked. He hated the fact that some of the people who worked there were what was available rather than what was needed. He hated the dead wood.

Could he do it? Could he give up being part of the action for the chance to influence the action, to make sure that his team had the right man or woman for the job?

"I'll think about it." He said. And they all knew he'd do it.

Spike nodded and turned to Casey. "And have you had chance to think about my offer?" He asked.

Derek's eyes widened.

Casey nodded, ignoring Derek. "I think that if and when Derek accepts his new role I'd like to be part of that, at least in some part-time way. Maybe a civilian contractor? But, to go all the way and join the RCMP? I think to that I will have to say no."

Derek was stunned. "You offered her my job?" he spluttered.

Spike laughed. "Not exactly. I just pointed out to Casey that she had now carried out two police operations in a thoroughly professional manner and that there was a place for her within the department if she felt like a change."

"And you think I would have let her?"
Casey snorted. "Don't be a Neanderthal Derek it doesn't suit you…okay…maybe it does, but since when have I allowed you to dictate my career to me?"

Derek stared at her in amusement, all three of them aware that her entire career choice had come about because of Derek's "death".

All three of them laughed as the irony hit them. Including Casey.

It was strange how she could look back and see the humour now.

Now that he was alive, with her, and in love with her.

They'd overcome death. Let's hope the other hurdles chucked at them would be as easy.

Later when they were alone again, Derek pulled Casey down on the sofa and into his arms. They lay there for many moments in complete silence, her back to his front, the back of Casey's head on Derek's left shoulder, their fingers entwined.

Derek kissed the right side of her temple, the part of her that he could easily reach.

"Come on, admit it. You turned Spike down because you knew I wouldn't like you being a cop."

Casey snickered. "You have such a big head." She told him. His arms tightened around her middle.

"It's not about having a big head, it's just that you know I'd do the same in your position." He said virtuously.

"That's crap, Derek. The only reason you're giving in to desk duty is because you know they are going to tell you that you aren't fit for purpose. Giving in first is so that they don't put it down on your record that you are unfit. It has nothing to do with my desire for you to be safe. You didn't stop climbing on things like the scaffolding as I asked."

"I did."

She turned to look at him.

"Okay…how did you get into the mansion?"
Derek's eyes turned away from hers. "I went in through the fire escape. It was open."

"No it wasn't. I saw the CCTV, Derek. You know I had my heart in my mouth the whole time. It was reckless."

"Reckless? This from the woman who climbed a rock wall to prove a point."
"That wasn't reckless. I was harnessed and there were trained specialists there."

"Well I knew what I was doing with the fire escape." He muttered.

An uneasy silence fell over them. Derek tightened his arms around her.

"I'm glad you're going to take the new role." Casey said then.

"Will you be my first recruit?" Derek asked.

"I'll be your first consultant." She agreed. "Although I guess I already do that job for free as it is."

"Yeah. You do." He said with a smile. "It would be nice if you got paid for it."

Casey looked up at him and he kissed her gently before going on. "I'm really glad you didn't take the bigger job….whatever your reasons really are." His tone made it clear he still thought it was because he wouldn't have liked her doing it.

Casey sighed heavily, and Derek was alarmed at the sudden loss of her good humour.

"Derek, I love you more than my life but I didn't make the decision for you." Casey said seriously.
"Oh?"

"I think I'm pregnant."

The Middle.

AN: I've been dropping hints about this for several chapters…and no one said a word!

A little pause and then chapter 1 of The Final Legacy. I'm hoping to deliver that before I come Stateside next week…(!)