SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

S Girl: Okay. Here you go.

Someone: Thanks. I'm trying.

Trissacar (Ch 1-4, 11: Lol. Thank you. Yeah, sorry. Writer's block.

Vampiredoll88: Thanks. Sorry this isn't soon enough.

Crimson and Chrome 42: Thanks.

JENJEN87: Thank you. Sorry this isn't soon enough. Well, then, here you go.

Leaf26: Thank you. Sorry this isn't soon enough.

DISCLAIMER

Sorry it's taken so long. Work and writer's block got in the way. Finally got my muse back. Belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. I only own the plot.

"What?" Dennis and Nora gasped.

"Nicky, what are you talking about?" Nora continued.

"He was---when it first started, I didn't know---but then---" Nick's voice trailed off.

"Nick, just take a deep breath and start from the beginning," Nora interrupted. The boy did as he was requested.

"It started a few months after I joined the team. At first---I didn't understand what was going on, thought maybe I was imagining things, but…they started to progress until…" Again, Nick's voice trailed off and Casey squeezed his arm reassuringly.

"What happened?" Nora asked softly. The door to the locker room opened the coach walked in

"Coach Fairbanks," Nick said nervously. The man put a hand on the boy's shoulder. Nick's breathing hitched.

"Relax, Nick. I'm not gonna hurt you," Coach Fairbanks told him, placing a finger under the boy's chin and tilting it upward.

"Hey! Back off!" Nick shouted, pushing the man away. "Is this what you meant by making me your star?"

"Just relax, Nick. Trust me." The man grabbed Nick and tried to pull him close.

"I said 'Back off'!" Nick pushed his coach away. "Don't you touch me! Don't you ever touch me!" With that, he headed for the door.

"Mr. MacDonald, don't bother coming back." By the time Nick finished, tears were streaming down his face and Casey was rubbing his wrist in sympathy.

"Oh, Nicky," Nora said in a choked voice. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was so ashamed, Mom…and embarrassed. I mean, this was Dad's friend…how could I do that to him?"

"That's a nice story, Nick. How long did it take you to rehearse?" Dennis asked bitingly.

"Shut up!" Casey exclaimed, jumping up. Now it was Nick's turn to squeeze his twin's arm.

"Dude, are you serious?" Derek questioned at the same time, also jumping up. "Your son tells you something this major and you don't even believe him? What kind of a jerk are you?" he demanded.

"How can you act this way? Why do you think he was skipping practice? You know how much Nicky likes football! And it didn't even make you a bit suspicious? Do you hate him that much?" Casey wondered.

"Gary is my best friend. He would never do anything to hurt me," Dennis defended.

"And you should know that your son wouldn't lie!" Derek shot back.

"Yeah!" Lizzie agreed.

"I know my son---which is why I don't believe him. He's a screw up. He's always been the screw up," Dennis retorted. With a cry of rage, Casey lunged over the table.

"Man, I didn't think she could actually clear that," Derek commented.

"You shoulda seen her at her tenth birthday party," Lizzie told him.

"Uh, Casey---" George said, overcoming his own shock to stand up and quickly step in front of his stepdaughter.

"I want you out! We never should've let you come!" Casey screamed, trying to get past the man. Jeez. I've never seen her this mad, not even at Derek. Even though I can't blame her, George thought to himself.

"Casey, I know that you have some blind loyalty to Nick---" Dennis started to say.

"Shut up and get out of our house," Derek interrupted.

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Derek," Casey commented, still trying to get past her stepfather.

"Casey, I came here to visit you and Lizzie," Dennis told her.

"Well, I never wanted to see you," Casey retorted.

"I can't believe I was actually excited to see you," Lizzie commented. George managed to turn around, while still keeping Casey at bay.

"You can go now, Dennis," he told the other man.

"I came to see my family," he said.

"What family? You have no family here. Not anymore," his ex-wife told him. The man looked at them and then left.

"That was unbelievable. I mean---I may not always be truthful and I know I make mistakes, but I also know that if I ever had to tell you something like that, you would believe me," Derek said to his father.

"Dang right," the man agreed. Meanwhile, Casey had wrapped her twin into a hug.

"It's okay, GT. I'm okay," he assured, swiping at his eyes.

"I'm so sorry. He ruined everything," she apologized.

"No. No, he didn't. It---it was me," he said.

"That's bull. Pardon my language," Derek retorted. "Dude, what he did was so not cool. I mean, how do you not believe your own kid?"

"Derek, is there something you want to share?" Nora questioned in concern.

"Oh! No, no, no, no! Nothing like that has ever happened to me. But if it did, I know I could so tell you," Derek hastily assured.

"Okay. Fair enough," Nora agreed.

"Hey, man. Thanks. I---I know you don't really like me---" Nick started to say.

"Yeah, that---I was being a jerk. Me and change---not really friends. Plus, I had a misconception about you and---" Derek interrupted.

"Do you even know what that word means?" Casey tossed out playfully.

"Yes…I had Edwin look it up," Derek answered. Nick and Casey laughed. Man, I forgot how good he is at distracting people, Casey thought to herself. "Look, the point is, I'm sorry and I'd like to start over."

"Yeah, that sounds good to me." Derek held out his hand and Nick took it. Everyone grinned as they shook hands and then looked to Casey. What would she do? Casey looked at them for a moment, and then joined her hand with theirs.

"We're cool again?"

"We're cool."

"Yes, finally!" Edwin cheered. Derek, Casey, and Nick looked at him and rolled their eyes good-naturedly.

"Geek," the boys chorused together.

"Hey!" Edwin protested as everyone began to laugh.