SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Thugalet: Yeah, I guess they do, huh? That's not happening in this story, but if you wanna give it a go, go ahead.

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. Some concepts belong to Mark Schwahn and the CW. I only own the plot. I skipped to the next morning to get the chapter flowing and will be skipping forward several weeks for that exact reason. I know things are rushed, but I wanted to finish this fic before I leave for school in a few days.

Derek moaned as his alarm went off. What time is it? he wondered. He cracked open an eyelid.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me," he said.

"Derek, come on. Get up," a voice urged.

"Casey, in case you haven't noticed, it's six in the morning. I'm going back to sleep," he stated.

"Get up. You've got training," his stepsister insisted. With a groan and grumble, he did what he was told. She's crazy, he thought to himself as he got into his gear. When he finally looked at his stepsister, he was surprised to see her in her own hockey uniform.

"Come on. I'll take you to the rink," she said.

"What about Dad and Nora?"

"I've already left a note on the fridge." They left. Once at the rink, Casey led Derek into a set of drills, being careful not to overexert herself. After drills, she led him through different game plans and different ways to play defensively and offensively. When they were finally finished, it was several hours later and they had been joined by other people.

"Man, you're a bear," Derek panted, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"That's part of the reason they called me 'the Hammer', Derek," Casey chuckled.

"Yeah?" Derek asked.

"Yeah," Casey nodded. Then, "Okay, we'll grab something to eat and then get back to it." Derek rolled his eyes, but silently agreed. They took off and after a quick meal, headed for the school's ice rink, where Casey took her place in front of one of the nets. Derek made a shot and Casey quickly blocked it. This routine continued for several weeks. Casey would wake Derek up at six and they would go train.

"So, why are you doing this?" Derek wondered during one of their breaks.

"If I can't play on the team, the least I can do is get you ready," Casey responded.

"You really wanted to play, didn't you?" Derek questioned.

"Yeah. I did. I still do," Casey answered. "But this is better than nothing," she added.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," he told her sincerely.

"Thanks," she responded. Then, "All right. Enough of this mushy stuff. Let's get back to work." Derek groaned, but did as he was told. Along with the private training sessions, Derek also worked along with the team that Adam and Charlie had gathered.

"So, when's our first game?" Derek asked Lucas as they practiced.

"In a few weeks," Lucas responded. "And let me guess: Casey hasn't let up one bit," he added.

"Nope," came the answer.

"That's my girl," he chuckled.

"Speaking of, guess who's watching us?" Holly asked. They turned to see the girl. Lucas grinned and waved.

"Hey, Roe! Get your head out of the clouds and back in the game!" Charlie shouted playfully. Lucas and Casey shared an eye roll as the practice continued. When the first game day finally arrived, it was hard to tell who was more excited: Derek or Casey.

"Come on, come on, come! Let's go! Let's go!" Casey exclaimed. George laughed as they all continued to get ready. When their preparations were complete, they all went to the school where a bus was waiting. Once at the destination, the team went to the part of the rink where the players sat when they weren't on the ice. Soon the game got underway. The MacDonald/Venturi household clapped and cheered.

"Come on, Derek!" Edwin called.

"Let's go, you guys!" Casey added. Within minutes, the game had intensified and Casey found herself tuning out the crowd and just focusing on the players. Come on, you guys, she thought anxiously. The periods went by quickly and Casey began acting more and more nervous.

"Will you relax?" Lizzie asked.

"Yeah, you're acting as if you're the one playing," Edwin added. Casey didn't answer, just motioned for them to be quiet. By the last period, the Cougars were in the lead by five points. After making a successful shot, Lucas looked at Casey and gave her a nod. She looked at him and smirked, while raising an eyebrow. Seeing this, Holly and Greg looked at each other.

"Oooh, la-la," they chorused.

"Grow up," a boy said. Minutes later, the Cougars made the winning shot. The rink exploded in cheers.

"Cougars win! Cougars win! Cougars win! Cougars win!" As family and friends rushed to the players, Casey and Lucas made their way to each other.

"Way to go, Boyfriend!" Casey told him.

"Thanks, Pretty Girl," Lucas grinned. They kissed. Lucas looped his fingers into Casey's hair as she pressed against him and moaned.

"Hey Hot Boy, what do you say we go somewhere a bit more private?" she whispered seductively.

"Sounds good to me, Girlfriend," he agreed. They stumbled off, and ducked into a secluded corner. Casey pushed Lucas against the wall, and he pulled her close. Her fingers caressed the back collar of his jersey. He moaned.

"Best…game…ever."

"Oh, yeah."

THE END