Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. With the exception of Jon, Kathy and Gary.

Derek shut the door to his apartment and lay down the bag with this camera in it. He had returned to work three weeks ago, the day after Casey and Sam's non-wedding. He had had to do some pretty smooth talking not to lose his job but he was lucky to have such a great boss. But he knew if he didn't have the talent he would have been out on his ass years ago.

As he headed to the fridge for some water he heard the water turn off in the bathroom. He was almost finished his bottle of water when Sam entered the room fully dressed towel drying his hair.

"So we decided that the stink was too much for us did we?" Derek teased. Sam had been staying here since he arrived on his doorstep looking for Casey. He hadn't wanted to go back and face everyone and he had time off for the honeymoon anyway so he decided to stay put. However despite the close confines of the apartment they weren't really buddy, buddy. Derek was gone to Germany for a week and the remainder of the time he would work all day and then return home to eat, work out and then sleep.

"Shut up Derek." Sam had set up shop in Derek's living room. He would sit there all day watching the sports network and eating. Derek had to force him to change a few times into his old workout wear, as he hadn't brought anything with him.

"Come on you've got to admit that you've been neglecting the showers as of late."

"Whatever."

Derek threw the bottle into the recycling and planted his butt in his chair, taking the remote and channel surfing.

Sam left the room for a minute to get rid of the towel and then sat down on the couch next to him. "Nora called again."

Nora had made a routine out of calling his house. The first call was simply to tell him about the wedding and ask if he knew anything about where Casey might have gone but then when she found out Sam was there she began to call regularly. She would ask about Sam, make sure he was ok and then ask if Casey had called or come by. Sam never came to the phone and as for Casey the answer to all the questions were no.

"Did you let the machine get it?"

"No I picked up."

That got his attention. Derek turned so he could see the profile of Sam's face as he spoke. "What did you guys talk about?"

"Well we talked about the weather and the issues with the space shuttle. What do you think we talked about, Derek. She asked if I was ok and when I was coming home and if I had heard anything from Casey."

"What did you say?"

"That one day I will be fine, that I haven't heard even a peep from Casey and that I was coming home soon."

"Is that what the shower is about?"

"Yeah, I have to get back to work. I already took a few extra days and it's not like I'm on top of the food chain in that company as it is. Besides it's time."

"Time to move on."

"Time to let my life start again. I don't want to move on but what am I suppose to do. Casey's gone and it doesn't seem like she's coming back any time soon."

"I get it."

Then there was silence again as they watched some reality show that saw how far people would go for money.

The next morning Derek woke up to find his couch empty and a piece of paper on the table with the word 'thanks' sprawled across it. Sam was gone.

4 months later

Sam clapped Edwin on the back as he entered the living room. "All done?"

"Yeah this is the last box." Edwin taped over the top of the box and wrote living room on it.

Nora and Marti entered the room with their coats on. "George just called and he said that Lizzie and Jon just got to the house. We were gonna head over there, are you guys coming?"

"Yeah I just finished, just let me get my hoody." Edwin moved into the other room and quickly returned pulling his sweater over his head.

"Sam, are you coming?" Nora asked as she touched his arm.

"Nah…I figured I would spend my last night here among the boxes. I'm just gonna order some food and watch the TV. I haven't got the cable disconnected yet so. Besides the moving truck is coming early so I wanna be here."

"Well I'll be back in the morning to help clean the place after the boxes are loaded."

"You don't have to. I mean I can handle it."

Nora just smiled and hugged him quickly. "Don't be foolish you can't do everything your self. We will all be here in the morning and now with Lizzie bringing Jon home there will be an extra pair of hands for the loading."

"Thanks Nora. I really appreciate all the help. A few of my buddies are gonna meet me at the new apartment when I get back in Toronto and help me unload."

"Good. Now call if you need anything." She waved as she went outside.

"Bye Sam, see you in the morning." Marti smiled as she chased after her mother.

"Yeah see you tomorrow, man." With that Edwin followed the others and he was alone.

Sam just stood there and looked at the mountains of boxes and shook his head. It will take them a while to get this all loaded and unloaded tomorrow.

He wandered from room to room and stopped in the spare room. The room was cram packed with boxes, along with a dresser set and a green chair. He ran his finger along the letters on the box, Casey.

He hadn't really known what to do with all it when he got back to London after his stay with Derek. He had gradually been moving stuff in the spare room and keeping the door closed. Nora and Marti had been nice enough to pack all the stuff up for him. They would take it tomorrow and store it in the basement for Casey, when and if she ever got back.

He hadn't heard word one from her but she had written a few emails to her parents and her sisters telling them she was ok and she loved them.

Sam sat in the chair and ran his hand over the velvet armrest. He had hated this chair when Casey bought it but she had been so proud of her find. It was the first piece of furniture that she had bought completely on her own and she loved it. Therefore he put up with it. It was the first thing to go in the spare room when he got back.

Sitting here in this room with all the other things she had left behind he wanted very much to hate her but he couldn't. He had tried over and over again to tell himself that she was a hurtful person but he just couldn't seem to believe it.

He sighed and stood up again running his fingers over the words. Then he turned off the light and closed the door.

A few hours later he had just been sitting down eating his second spring roll when a knock came at the door. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was just after 10. But knowing Nora she forgot something or brought him food. He turned off the tv and opened the door smiling. But it wasn't Nora that stood in front of him. It was a very nervous looking Casey.

He just looked at her for a minute. Her hair was a few inches longer and her skin had more of a tan than the last time he saw her but she looked pretty much the same as when he left her at her shower 5 months ago.

"Hi." She spoke softly and fidgeted with her hands.

"Hi."

"Umm…can I come in?"

Sam shook his head as though he was breaking out of a daze and moved aside so she could enter the apartment that they had picked out together.

He shut the door and moved toward the living room almost running into Casey. She turned and looked at him. "Your moving?" She seemed a little shocked but she still spoke in a soft voice.

He moved around her and put a little distance between them. "Yeah I got a great job opportunity in Toronto. I had to take it."

"Oh...that's great. Congratulations." She moved around the room looking at all the boxes.

"Thanks. It's better money and a better title." He shoved his hands in his pocket and leaned against the wall.

She glanced back at him and gave him a half smile. "You deserve it."

Enough of this Sam sighed. "Casey, why are you here?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"About what and why now?"

"Can we sit and talk." She indicated the couch.

"No, come sit in the kitchen." He moved that way before she responded.

He opened the fridge, which was basically empty. "Water?"

"Yes please."

He grabbed two bottles of water and closed the fridge. When he looked she was sitting at the table waiting for him. He took the seat next to her and opened his water drinking a little and then looking at her. "So?"

She fidgeted with the water bottle label as she looked down. "I'm sorry."

"About which part. The part where you left me the day before our wedding, the part where you didn't have the guts to say it to my face or the part where you haven't so much as sent me an email with hello in it since then." Sam was really surprised that he kept his cool through that.

"I'm sorry for all of it. I just thought that if I left and wasn't around it would be easier."

"Easier for who Casey?"

"For you. I didn't want to hurt you anymore then I already was and I thought if I was around everyday then it would be worse."

"You didn't do this just for me. You ran away because you didn't want to face the repercussions of what you did."

"Maybe it was partly that. Maybe it was also the fact that if I saw you that day or even the next day than I would chicken out. I would go ahead with the marriage and I knew that that wasn't the right thing."

"Why?"

"Because you deserved more."

"That's just cold feet."

"No it wasn't. It was the truth."

"That's bullshit Casey. You were everything to me. All I wanted was you. You were enough."

"But I wasn't sure if all I wanted was you." She looked up at him then and tears were gathering in her eyes.

Sam swore and leaned his head back and then after a few minutes he looked at her as a tear slide down her cheek.

"It's because Derek came back right. You saw him and thought maybe I wasn't enough. You wanted to trade up right."

"No…" She reached over for his hand but he moved it from her. "…that wasn't it at all. It wasn't about trading in any way, shape or form. It was about the fact that I was attracted to someone else and you deserved someone who only thought about you."

"Couple's are attracted to other people sometime Casey it doesn't mean they aren't meant for each other, it just means that they are human. As long as they vowed to always be faithful then that was all that mattered."

"It's not as simple as that. I love you Sam but I don't think that marriage would have been a good path for us. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too." He reached out and wiped her tears with his sleeve.

Sam wasn't really sure how to broach the next topic but he just had to know. "Have you talked to Derek?"

"Not sense before the…before the…well before that day that didn't happen." She reached out and took his hand and this time he didn't pull away. "Nothing is going on between me and Derek."

He gave her a weak smile and looked at her. They sat in silence for a few minutes and then he sighed. "What now?"

"I'm not sure what to do exactly. I mean I know I want to stay friends with you, you have been my best friend for so long but if it's too hard on you then I understand."

He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "We can try it. I can't really promise anything especially once you move on. If you haven't already."

"I haven't." She smiled softly at him. "I'm glad I came and talked to you."

"Yeah I think I needed it. I kinda needed to leave this behind when I move and you being here made that easier somehow."

She smiled and touched his face softly and then let her hand fall. "I'm glad."

"I only really have one more question. What happened to you since you left town?"

"Well I left my job so I was unemployed and I had just enough in my savings for travel and sleeping arrangements for a few weeks. I drove around Canada and the states for about a week and a half and then I settled in Boston. Do you remember my friend Kathy? Well I met up with her there and she set me up with her husbands publishing firm. It was smaller then my office here and therefore I wasn't really at the bottom anymore. I started working there. I hung out with Kathy and worked. That was about it. The company is expanding and one of the companies it's joining with is located in London and the other is in New York City. Gary, that's Kathy's husband he wanted me to head up one of the firms. I already choose New York but it really got me thinking and I knew I had to come back and see you." She looked up at Sam and smiled. "That's about it."

Sam ran his fingers through his hair. "Well then. I'm glad you got a better job."

"Thanks."

Sam got up from his chair and put his bottle back in the fridge. When he turned back she was already up and leaning on the doorway. "You leaving?"

"Yeah I'm gonna head over to the house and finally face the music. It's time." She moved forward to hug him and then stopped as though she realized what she was doing.

He moved forward and pulled her into his arms and held her there. Closing his eyes for a minute and then letting her go.

She smiled and moved to leave then turned back. "So, how will this work? Should I call you or email you or…"

"We'll figure it out."

"Bye Sam." With that she was gone and moments later the front door closed behind her.

He leaned back on the counter and sighed. "Bye Case."

There you go. I hope you enjoyed.

But don't think that just because Sam is moving on that Derek and Casey can just fall into each other's arms. Things arn't really that simple.

Review and tell me what you think and give me any suggestions you have. I love to hear from you.