Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. I'll tell you if I add any new ones.

This chapter is a bit longer but I wanted to get everyone in. Hope you enjoy.

The constant beeping of the alarm woke Casey at 7:00 the next morning. She stretched and switched it off. She looked at Sam who's face was now hidden under his pillow to prevent the noise from fully waking him.

Truthfully she would like nothing better then to just cuddle back down and fall into a deep sleep. She hadn't really been sleeping well lately and with Derek's sudden appearance last night it just seemed so much worse. She wasn't even sure she had gotten her brain to turn off for her to get even 3 hours.

He was the last person she expected to run into when she went for her glass of water the night before. He looked pretty much the same as she remembered him. Well that wasn't really true was it, there was just something about him, something in his eyes that told her this may look like Derek and act like Derek but it wasn't quite the same boy who tortured her all through high school.

When he helped her up and looked into her eyes there was this moment that she didn't think she would breathe again.

No that's silly right. She just got the wind knocked out of her. She could over think things far to much.

With that she got out of bed and grabbed her things for the shower and make quick work of heading to the bathroom before the whole house bet her there.

Sam woke up soon after Casey left and stretched out on her bed. It really wasn't the kinda bed he was used to. From the time he was 13 on he had at least a double bed and Casey and him had a queen. Now he was in a twin bed, in Casey's old room, under George and Nora's roof. But as long at Casey was there a small bed wasn't so bad.

He sat up and stretched knowing Casey would be in the shower by then. He grabbed a shirt and threw it on with his pajama pants and headed downstairs for coffee. If Casey insisted they get up this early caffeine was a must.

The house was still quite as it was summer and everyone was glad to sleep in. If only Casey thought the same thing. He moved down the stairs and saw someone sleeping on the couch figuring Edwin must have fell asleep watching tv again. Just as he finished starting the coffee he heard a noise behind him. Casey must be finished with the shower. But when he turned he saw a sleepy Derek rubbing his eyes and yawning.

What was Derek doing here? He hadn't even heard from him since...when was that right before him and Casey got back together. Derek would send him emails every once in a while after high school ended but they continued to get shorter and shorter until they were reduced to "Hey Sam. How's life treating you? I'm good. Talk to you later." Then they just stopped.

Derek yawn and curse whoever woke him so early in the morning. He looked up expecting to see one of the kids or Nora running around but instead he looked right at Sam.

"What...? What are you...? This isn't...? What are you doing in my kitchen at..." He looked at the clock and curse the early rise. "...7:15 in the morning?" This was one he really couldn't figure out.

Sam smiled at his obvious confusion and poured out three cups of coffee. Handing one over to Derek knowing he liked it black. Then adding cream and sugar to his own before he sat down on the kitchen stool. Gesturing Derek to take the one opposite him.

"Well right now I'm getting some much needed caffeine in my system. But I'm guessing you mean in general in which cause my answer would be my new apartment isn't ready yet and so here I am." Sam took a large sip of his coffee and thanked the coffee maker for being so fast and efficient.

Derek looked at Sam strangely and then took a sip of the hot coffee and smiled as it went down. He really did need this. "So the rents just let you crash. Are you in my old room because I know I didn't see you on the couch last night."

Sam smiled. "No I'm staying in C..." Just then Casey entered the kitchen with a big smile on her face and everything else was lost to him. He was a really lucky guy and he knew it. She returned his smile and he looked at Derek who had turned to see what had caught his attention.

Derek had seen Casey the night before but the woman that stood before him freshly showered and dressed casually in a light skirt and t-shirt didn't seem like the same person. This woman took his breathe away.

Casey saw Derek's intense gaze and it ran though her causing her breathe to catch for just a minute when she caught Sam's eye again. Sam her loving fianc? who thought the world of her. She took the cup he offered and sipped it, finding he had gotten the sugar just right.

"Morning. What are you two chatting about?" She smiled and looked at them both.

"Umm..." Derek shook the earlier thoughts from his head and smiled. "Just chatting about why Sam was in the kitchen this early in a house that's not his and where he slept last night."

Casey almost spit out her coffee at that and turned so no one would notice to take a few cookies from the jar. Her and Sam had been sleeping in the same bed for 3 years now and her mom and George didn't mind it and yet for some reason telling Derek that she was sleeping with Sam under there parents roof seemed wrong.

However Sam didn't seem to have a problem just blurting it out. "I slept in Casey's bed with her." He grinned and grabbed one of the cookies from her hand and took a big bite.
Now it was Derek's turn to be shocked. He luckily wasn't drinking coffee at that moment or it would have been all over Sammy's t-shirt.

"You what...you guys are...in this house you mean?" This was definitely one shock he wasn't expecting. Not that he didn't think that Casey would have a boyfriend or Sam a girlfriend but he didn't expect them to be together after all this time and he certainly didn't expect Sammy to be sleeping in her bed. She was an adult but this was their parents house and...this is weird.

Sam smiled at Derek's obvious confusion and pulled Casey onto his knee as she ate her cookie. She seemed mildly surprised but quickly settled in to lean on the counter and pick her cookie apart.

"Yeah we've been together for a while and like I said George and Nora have been nice enough to let use stay until our place is ready." He finished his cookie in one bite and wrapped his arm around Casey's waist so she wouldn't fall.

To say he was shocked was an understatement at this point. Seeing Sam so comfortable with Casey, taking her in his arms and talking about their apartment. It was like he had stepped out of reality for a minute. But what did he expect that he would come back after 7 years and everything would be the same. He knew it wasn't logical but he had thought that.

Derek got up and downed the rest of his coffee. "Oh...well I have some things to do. See you two later." He placed his mug in the sink and headed for the shower.

When Casey was finished with her cookie it was pretty much crumbles. She had picked it apart and picked it apart until she was left with a mess basically. She felt Sam's arm tighten a little around her as he kissed the side of her head.

"Where did you go on me, Case? Off in your thoughts again." He grinned at her as she turned her head to look at him. "Hope they were thoughts of me." He childed.

She didn't really know what she had been thinking about it was like her body was here but her mind was off somewhere else. She shook her self of these thoughts and leaned in a kissed him softly. "Don't you know your all I think about." She smiled softly at him.

He returned her smile ten fold and pulled her closer. "That's definitely good to know." He kissed her lips softly and then her cheek, her eye and moved down to her neck. Just as he was about to go in for the lips again he was interrupted by a person loudly clearing their throat.

They both looked over to see Edwin and Lizzie standing in the entrance of the kitchen.

"We eat in here you know? And there are enough stools to go around." Edwin shot at them.

This little comment earned him a jab from Lizzie.

"Hey...watch it." Edwin wined.

"Well behave yourself and I won't have to hurt you." Lizzie smiled and took a seat opposite the couple. "Sorry about lame brain. He's just mad because he knows he can't get any even with drunk co-ed's running around campus." She grinned at him and watched his face turn from one of surprise to outrage.

"Hey I resent that." He poured himself some juice and sat next to her.

"If the shoe fits." Lizzie got up and grabbed some cereal and a bowl.

Casey smiled at their easy banter. As she move off Sam's lap and onto the next stool grabbing a bowl and the cereal from Lizzie.

"Anyway...are you guys helping with the decorations today?" She asked the two before her.

They both nodded and continued to eat as Nora entered the room.

"This is what I like to see. Everyone under one roof. Now if Marti was awake and..." She looked into the living room and found it empty. "I thought George said that Derek was home?"

"Derek's home?" Edwin and Lizzie said together as they looked up at Nora.

"Yeah apparently he got in late last night and by the luggage in the living room I say he's staying for a while." She smiled and went to get some coffee.

"Derek was just here...he went to get a shower." Casey replied to all those interested party's.

"Smerek's home?" A fifteen year old Marti came into the kitchen when a wide grin on her face.

Before anyone could answer however a freshly showered and shaven Derek came up behind her and tickled her as she almost fell over in a fit of laughs. "You bet Smarti." He smiled.

She turned to look at him and gave him a hug then when she leaned back he got a good look at his baby sister. She was definitely not the girl he had left behind. She had grown into a young woman in his absense. Her hair was long and half way down her back and she was almost as tall as him. She wasn't a little girl anymore and yet the excitement in her eyes over seeing him made him think of the younger Marti. The one that he had said goodbye to 7 years ago.

A sudden wave of quilt came over him as he thought about all that he had missed in her life. All he had missed in all their lives. He smiled at her and pulled her in again for a one armed hug.

As she cuddled into him he looked up to see grown versions of Edwin and Lizze sitting before him. They had been 14 when he left London and just starting to mature into who they were gonna be. Now they were adults.

Lizzie had her now blond hair to her shoulders in a cute little pixie cut and she wore her pink pjs.

Edwin was still himself and yet he had matured in face and body with hair that was just a little too long and morning stubble.

Derek grinned at the two. "So what's on the plate for today?"

George entered the now very crowded kitchen to find everyone he loved in one place. He smiled. "We are all going to the hall to set up the rest of the decorations for the anniversary party. Your welcome to come."

"I have a few things I have to do first but then I'm all yours." Derek smiled at his family. He really had missed him and then his eyes landed on Sam who's arm was around Casey's shoulder and his back stiffened. He felt Marti look up at him and he just smiled back in response.

Everyone finished there breakfast without anymore shocked announcements and went about getting ready for the day.

Casey being the only other person showered was the last to leave. She moved by him and he could smell the shampoo she used. It was like strawberries. He closed his eyes for a minute and then she was gone. He breathed in and swallowed. No woman should be allowed to smell that good.

With that thought he grabbed his jacket and head out to do his last minute shopping.

Casey watched him go from the top of the stairs and smiled softly. I really was nice to have Derek home. She moved the rest of the way up and waited for everyone to finish getting ready before they headed out.

Hope you enjoyed. More to come.


Review so I know what you think and if anyone has any suggestions I'll be glad to take them.