Epically long chapter (for me anyway) but even though there's probably loads of places I could, I have no idea where to cut it.

Disclaimer: Is there anyone else I could seduce with power over the show? Just want to keep my options open in case things don't work out with Daphne... So far she's been pretty unresponsive...

Chapter Eighteen

Once I got back to my dorm room I started to feel a little stupid. Not only had I stormed out on him for revealing that he hadn't ever knowingly hurt me, but I'd also argued with him about how we shouldn't argue. But there was no way I was admitting how foolish I'd been even to myself; I was sure I was just forgetting some crucial part of the conversation that justified it all.

I lay down on my bed and reviewed the conversation in my mind, trying to remember what had set me off. We'd been talking about the conversation at the party, then about going home, then... Then that's where it all started to go wrong. We'd argued, we'd both actually enjoyed arguing, then I stopped it and suddenly we were both properly angry. Somewhere along the line our natural bickering had turned into a real fight and I couldn't help that admit that it was my fault. There'd been no danger in the argument we'd been having; it was about superstition for pete's sake, hardly one that would end up in us wrestling on the floor; but I'd stopped it anyway and I couldn't now remember why. Oh, yes, because I couldn't think of anything to argue back. So I'd done what we always did and said something I knew would irritate him.

Except, it hadn't just irritated him. It had made him angry. Worse, it had upset him.

I sighed. It wasn't like I'd thought that was where we'd end up. I'd thought he'd try and provoke me some more, I'd have fun resisting but giving back subtle insults and then we'd be back to talking about going home.

Home. I hadn't called my mom to let her know what Derek had said about going home.

I leaped up and grabbed my phone. I'd call her right away and that would keep my mind off the fight long enough for me to figure it out. I fished a crumb out from behind my tooth and dropped the phone like it had burned me. I hadn't brushed my teeth since yesterday morning! They felt like they had a rug growing on them. I shuddered and grabbed my toiletry bag, dashing down the hall to the bathroom. I couldn't believe I'd forgotten about brushing my teeth! Stupid Derek asking me to stay the night and... I paused mid thought at how that sounded. I had a sudden image appear in my mind of Derek asking me to stay over, actually stay over stay over. I shrugged it off, not bothering to wonder where it came from in my rush to cleanse my mouth, though not quite managing to suppress my curiosity as to whether he'd really use the sheepish and sexy (on anyone else) grin he'd used in my imagination.

Damn it, Cher! I cursed in my head. If she hadn't put those ideas in my head then I would have never imagined that! Or at least not without laughing; I'd often imagined Derek being turned down for a change, and I'll admit that sometimes the one turning him down was me. Only because I couldn't think of anyone else that would of course. All the same, it was her fault! And Derek's of course for doing something so stupid as to ask me to stay the night and for never letting go on this no arguing thing so I could just get him out of my head.

As I noticed my toothbrush timer stop beeping I took the brush out of my mouth. It was looking a little squashed, the way any toothbrush Marti ever used looked. I hadn't noticed the timer start beeping in the first place, and I certainly hadn't been aware that I was destroying the bristles through over zealous scrubbing. I was surprised my gums were still intact.

Stupid Derek messing with my stupid mind. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd somehow roped Cher in to put those stupid thoughts in my head and it was all just some stupid prank...

I slammed the door as I re entered my room, thankful that I was alone and let out a frustrated noise.

I took a deep breath and looked at my phone lying there on my bed with the McDonald/Venturi house number already up on the screen. Back to forgetting about stupid Derek and phoning my mother.

The phone rang straight through to voicemail and I tried again. No one ever seemed able to get to the phone before that thing kicked in. A clicking, crackling noise on the other end let me know that someone had picked up.

"Hello?" George's distracted voice came through the reciever.

"Hi George, it's Casey. Is Mom around?" I listened to the noise filtering through from my siblings and felt a pang of homesickness.

"Sure, I'll just go get her."

I waited, trying to keep my thoughts on what to say to my Mom and failing completely. At long last she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mom." I said, dragging my thoughts back to the phone.

"Hi Casey." She paused and yelled something indistinct to someone on the other end. "So, did you talk to Derek about coming home?"

"Yeah..." I trailed distractedly.

"Casey? You okay?" Another indistinct yell.

"What? Why?"

"You sound distracted." Said the woman having a shouting match at the other end of the line.

"Yeah, just didn't get much sleep last night," I lied smoothly. And then ruined it by saying, "We didn't leave Cher's until late and Derek has the heat turned up way too high in his room so I couldn't sleep..." I winced at my inability to lie properly and waited for her answer.

"Oh, that's nice." She stopped and yelled again and I silently thanked whoever was distracting her. "So when will we see you again?"

"About that..."

"Oh no," Mom's exasperated voice said, "I thought you weren't going to fight anymore?"

"Well, we weren't but then we got into this fight about not fighting, and then we were fighting about our fights and-"

"You fought about not fighting." Mom interrupted tiredly but amusedly. "Tell me why that doesn't surprise me. So now you have no ride home, right?"

"Uhuh." I said meekly.

She sighed heavily. "Is there anyone else you could ask?" Four and a half years ago she would have asked me to make up with Derek and get him to drive me, but that was four and a half years ago, nowadays she knew better.

"Not that I know of." I racked my brains, trying to think of anyone I'd met who lived in London. Apart from Derek and Sam.

"Can't you just pretend to apologize?"

I took back everything I thought about her knowing better. "Mom! Why should I apologize when I'm not the one at fault?"

"So you can come see your mother who misses you?"

"No way! Maybe you should call Derek and ask him to apologize for a change." I pouted.

"Casey..." She sounded like she was going to say more, but then she yelled again and when she spoke again she sounded rushed. "Look, you guys really should learn to sort this stuff out between you. Like it or not, you're part of the same family and you're pretty much stuck with each other, so just make the best of it okay? Anyway, I really gotta go. Love you sweetie, let me know when everything's sorted." And she hung up.

"Love you too, Mom." I said to the empty room.

I huffed and stared at the ceiling. Family. That word grated on me so much. Nothing matters to me more than family, and I'm a firm believer in loving them no matter what. Which was why I so desperately wanted Derek not to be family.

My hand was still clutching my phone and I brought it up to my face so I could see the screen, before looking for Emily's number, trying to ignore that it came just after Derek's.

She picked up on the third ring. "Hello? Casey?"

"Yes, who else would it be?"

"I don't know, I didn't check the number before answering. Could have been some incredibly hot guy calling to declare his undying love to me." She said with a humorous sigh.

I laughed. "Sorry to disappoint you Em, but I haven't had a sex change and though I love you, I think we should stay just friends."

"Darn, you would make one hot guy, too." She laughed back. "So what are calling about?"

"I need a reason to want to talk to my best friend?"

"You had another fight, huh?"

"No! I mean yes, but that's not why I called." So it was a little lie, it wasn't the only reason I called.

"So why did you call?"

"Do you still have your old Derek file?" I asked her.

"Sure; you want me to scan it in and email it to you?"

"No thanks. I just wondered if you put Sally in the girlfriends section?" I asked nochalantly.

"Of course. I even put in Roxy for old time's sake."

I smiled. "Do you have any new info on her? Sally I mean."

"Why? Is she back?" Emily's voice grew alarmed.

"No. Were you worried she'd come back and Derek wouldn't be madly in love with me any more?" I asked jokingly, though also not so jokingly as that actually seemed to be what she was worried about.

"As if! No competition." She teased.

"Ha ha." I paused just long enough for her to get antsy.

"So why'd you want to talk about Sally."

Satisfied, I answered her question. "Have you heard about her new love interest?"

"No, not really interested in her love life after Derek." Emily replied.

"Oh, ok. So what do you want to talk about?"

"Casey." She said warningly.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you!" I giggled at her nosiness. "Her new partner isn't the... Type we would have anticipated."

"What do you mean?"

I broke. "She's a lesbian!" I squealed and waited for the shocked gasp at the other end of the line, but I didn't hear it. "You already knew?" I asked, disappointed.

"Not exactly." She said slowly.

"Huh?"

"I always was a little suspicious of her. She always seemed to be trying to start fights with Derek. Emotional stuff isn't a big deal, he needed to slow down, they should just be friends, he needed to speed up, he should tell her loves her, he needs to write her a song right away." Emily droned. "No one could be that flakey. Not even you."

"Hey!" I was a little offended by that.

"Sorry." She replied, in a tone that said she wasn't sorry at all.

I was silent, trying to think how to bring up Derek without sounding obsessed.

"So, what did Derek do now?" Emily saved me.

"Apparently he doesn't know how to talk to me when we're not fighting." I pounced on the opportunity.

"He said that?" She said, in an adoring tone that didn't seem to go with what I'd just told her.

"Yeah, he said that." I answered, a little confused by her reaction. "Right before he made out he was completely innocent and never once did anything to hurt me."

"Wow." Emily said.

"Em, he worked for years with no other goal than ruining my life, how can he have not meant to hurt me?" My exasperation coloured my voice. "Anyway, we had this fight because he says there's nothing wrong with us fighting which is ridiculous and now I have no way of getting home to visit the family."

"Can't you just suck it up?" She politely overlooked the fighting about not fighting and I mentally hugged her.

"Em!" My voice was pained.

"Well, what are you going to do then?" She asked.

"I was hoping a certain mutual and amazingly wonderful friend might convince him to apologize to me so he can drive me." I sweet talked.

She laughed and didn't stop laughing for twenty seven seconds. I counted.

"You can't be serious?" She said at last.

I sighed. "I guess not."

"Case, just go talk to him. Maybe you can reach a compromise."

"Derek? Compromise? I don't think he knows the meaning of the word." I moaned.

"Then don't see your family. Miss Simon's first laughs, and let yourself be a stranger to him as he grows out of this precious stage in his life."

The girl knew my buttons almost as well as Derek.

"Fine! I'll talk to him. But you're going to be the one I complain to for hours when he refuses to compromise and acts like a jerk!" I surrendered.

"Bye Casey." Emily laughed.

"Em I wasn't done-"

She hung up on me. My best friend hung up on me. I pouted. Why was no one on my side?

After a moment I redialled Emily's number. She didn't even have time to be annoyed before I blurted out, "What would happen if we did?"

"Did what?"

"If Derek and I... You know." I couldn't bring myself to say it. "What about all of our friends?" I mostly meant her and Sam, but others were included in it too.

"What about us?"

"Well, it would be weird. Everyone thinks we're like siblings; how would they act when they saw us together? And well, we've dated some of our mutual friends. Both of our best friends in fact." I added pointedly.

She laughed. "I think what would happen is nothing. Me and Sam-"

"Sam and I..." I muttered under my breath.

"We're long over it; we're your friends now. And quite frankly, everyone at Thompson thought you went out before graduation."

"What?!" This was news to me.

"You didn't think everyone was staring at you guys just 'cause Derek was in pyjamas did you? When you two became study buddies and walked into school without a second glance at anyone but each other it was kinda a natural assumption. Truman didn't help matters when he went around telling everyone about what happened at the party. In his own words of course." She said, her tone voicing her distaste. She always knew Truman was an asshole.

I made a noise to display my disgust at Truman. "That's a point if ever I saw one. I'll have to remember to tell Cher."

"About everyone thinking you were-"

I cut off her confused voice, "No, about Derek convincing me to take Truman back."

"I don't think it was like that, Casey. You were moping and obviously wanted to go to the dance. Derek made sure you did. He didn't know you'd go insane and fall for that bull that Truman fed you." Emily argued. "Besides, you broke up with him again pretty soon after."

I paused. "Everyone really thought we were..." Nope, still couldn't say it.

"Pretty much. There was only really me and Sam who knew the truth. We filled in Ralph and Kendra after."

For some reason this pleased me. Maybe it was that the whole of Thompson High thought I'd managed to land Derek Venturi, most popular guy in school. He even beat Max hands down and hello, captain of the football team. I wasn't even going to compare him to Truman; it was offensive to Derek. "And what did they think? Did they think it was gross? Were they shocked?"

"Not really. I mean, some people were, but not many. To be honest a lot of people had thought it was coming from the start. Mostly they were surprised you'd gone public." She explained. "Why do want to know? I thought you and Derek are never going to happen?"

"We're not." I said quickly, relieved that she couldn't see my red face. "I was just... Curious."

"Uhuh." She said, unconvinced. "Case, I really gotta go now. I was kinda in the middle of something. But seriously, stop procas... pocrast..."

"Procrastinating?" I finished for her.

"Yeah, stop doing that and go get your ride home."

"Yeah, yeah. Bye Em."

"Bye Case."

I hung up and sighed for the umpteenth time that day. It was getting to be a real habit.

I tried my hardest to do the opposite of what Emily had said by procrastinating. I did what little tidying there was to do in the room (until that moment I'd thanked my lucky stars every day that I didn't end up with a room mate who did the pig sty thing) and decided to shower. Though I put Derek's shirt back on after. I had no idea why. Apart from that it smelled nice.

After that I dug out some work to do, but couldn't concentrate properly and gave up.

"Alright, time to go visit my darling step-brother." I told myself, willing my body out of the door. I didn't budge. "Or I could just stay here..." I sat back down, before standing up again. "No, I will do this. It's not like I haven't talked to him before." I took a breath and walked to the door.

I was rescued by my ringing phone, which was getting more action that it had had in a whole week.

I looked at the screen and frowned. Laurel. "Casey McDonald speaking." I said coldly.

"Hey Casey. We're going to do that movie night we talked about. You coming over? We'll be at Derek's at eight."

I groaned inwardly. Why did they have to do this tonight? "Thanks, but I think I'll pass."

"I thought we already agreed-"

"No, we agreed that Derek would be a jerk if I didn't go, but since when does that make a difference?" I cut her off sharply. I didn't know what I had against the poor girl, I was friends with Emily all through her Derek worshipping and she didn't even have the bookish side I'd been witness to in Laurel.

"Well if you're sure."

"I am. But thanks for asking." I tried to sound more friendly as we said goodbye. Any urge I'd had to go and speak to Derek had disappeared the moment Laurel had started talking, so I had another go at my school work. It took me until three to finish one small assignment I'd already done most of.

The first call came at seven and I made the mistake of answering it without checking the caller ID. "Hello?"

"It's rude to cancel plans at the last minute." A familiar voice said, coldly and mockingly.

"I didn't cancel any plans. I didn't have any to cancel." I put as much ice in my voice as possible. Probably not a good move if I wanted to get back on his good side and get him to take me home, but rational thought pretty much went out of the window when it came to him.

"You had plans with friends. Friends who wanted you to turn up tonight and just called me upset because you said you weren't going to make it."

I snorted. "Laurel couldn't care less whether I come or not. She only asked me so she'd look good in front of you."

"Oh yeah? Is that why she insisted I follow through on my threat to keep calling you until you changed your mind?" His tone was accusatory, making me feel guilty for doubting her friendship.

"She probably just thought it would be funny." I said weakly. If there was one thing that got to me then it was being guilt tripped. Or disorganized. Take your pick.

"She even talked me into renting Ghost." He said sceptically.

I was taken aback. How did she know I adored Patrick Swayze? "She chose Ghost?"

"No, she just told me to pick one you'd like," I could see him roll his eyes in my mind's eye. "But the thought was still there. As was the nagging."

"Well, maybe you two can snuggle up and watch it together, but I have better things to do. Bye Derek." I hung up before he could answer.

He rang back five times and each time I hung up, after the fifth I turned off my phone. Then I turned it back on again in case someone else called, and just turned it on silent, leaving it where I could see the caller ID come up on the screen.

True to his word, he kept ringing for another hour. Then the texts started. All they said was 'give up' but he must have set his phone to send them continually as by the end of five minutes, there were over fifty of them crowding up my inbox.

I sent a still more simple reply. No.

In fairness my reply may well have been longer had it not been so difficult to text on a phone that was constantly receiving messages.

The spam texts cluttering my inbox had reached one-hundred-and-thirty-two when I was startled from my half reading of Night's Master. I'd always wanted to read it after I saw it at the library, but until Cher and Emily had talked me into reading Fifty Shades I'd been too wary of the sexual content. There was a lot of it. I blinked, slowly coming back to reality and trying to figure out what had snatched me from the fantasy world in my book.

It didn't take long as it was still going on; there was a persistent tapping coming from the door. I frowned. Cher was having a cozy night in with Josh and she was the only one who visited my dorm.

"Who is it?" I called out timidly. Ridiculously I was worried in case it was murderer or a rapist or something. But hey, it wasn't so far fetched that they'd knock, easier access and all that.

"A psychopath come to chop you up into mouth sized pieces, now open up."

I didn't have to open the door to know who that was. "Go away Derek."

"Not going to happen."

I was silent.

"I can keep this up for as long as I need to, now give up already." He was still tapping on the door. "I'll start tapping randomly."

I clenched my jaw as the tapping became irregular and out of sequence.

"Or how about I remind you how much you wanna watch Ghost by imitating the hero until you open the door?" The irregular tapping was now joined by Derek's loud rendition of 'I'm Henery the eighth'. Seriously, as a guy who claimed never to have watched Ghost how did he know this stuff? "Come on Case, open up. I'm Henery the eighth, I am, Henery the eighth I am, I am, I'm getting married to the widow next door, she's been married seven times before. I'm her eighth old man called Henery, Henery the eight I am... Neither Demi or Whoopi managed to withstand the 'dreamy' Patrick doing this, what chance do you have?" He paused, "And seriously, where did Whoopi Goldberg get her name? I mean, Whoopi? What kind of name is that?"

"Derek, if you don't go away I'll call campus security." I threatened.

"I'm Henery the eighth..."

"Der-ek! Just leave!"

"Henery the eighth I am..."

I wrenched open the door, possibly wrenching a muscle in the process. "Der-ek!"

"Oh, hello there Miss ignoring-the-phone-my-devilishly-handsome-step-brother-kindly-bought-me," He smirked triumphantly (another reason I don't like the title 'miss'? Because Derek uses it in his stupid made up names that made him sound like a child), "I was just singing a little song? Wanna hear it? I'm Henery the-"

"Shut up! You're causing a scene!" I cut him off angrily.

"Hey, you're still wearing my shirt." He ignored my admonishment. "No time to change now. Let's go." He grabbed my wrist and pulled me forwards.

"Derek, let go!"

He kept pulling.

"I'm not wearing any shoes!" I informed him, hoping to go back to get them and slam the door in his face.

He stopped and turned, glancing down at my sheep printed bed-socks before throwing me over his shoulder in a fireman's lift.

"Der-ek!"

"That's right baby, say my name!" He taunted cheerily.

"De-" I cut myself off. "Let me go!"

We passed a few people in the hallway, who instead of coming to my aid just looked on amused. We reached the entrance and someone actually held open the door for him. By this point I was thumping on his back and ordering him to put me down despite his telling me to 'quit it', and I was getting angrier by the second.

When we reached the Prince, I took my chance, trying to dislodge myself from his grip as he bent to unlock the door. Good thing the car was older than central locking.

I moved violently to the side causing him to stumble, and kicked him in the shin. He dropped me, but the plan wasn't completely successful. My left foot landed on a stone and the pain set me off balance, making me fall painfully to my hands and knees.

"Shit!" Derek swore, rubbing his bruised leg. "What the hell did you do that for?"

I looked up at him from my knees, my tearing eyes taking in the hard, angry glint in his eyes. I swallowed hard. "You're the one who kidnapped me from my dorm and wouldn't let me go! What was I supposed to do?"

"I don't know, maybe come to the freakin' film night?!"

"I don't want to go to you stupid film night!" I raised my voice to him for the first time since I'd made my vow not to respond. I took a deep breath and pulled myself to my feet, wiping my grazed hands on my jeans. Before I could walk away, he grabbed my arm.

"Why not?"

"Let go of me!" I hissed.

"Not until you say you'll come with me." He insisted.

"Why? So you can provoke me into yelling again? So you can indulge you stupid obsession of making me crazy?" My palms and knees were stinging and I couldn't help my eyes watering a little.

He looked at my watery eyes and obviously got the wrong idea. "No, no crying! Come on, Case, you know I don't do crying!" He let go of my arm and held up his hands like he was asking me not to hit him, the expression on his face panicked and torn.

I had to laugh as my anger dissipated somewhat. He was adorable when he panicked.

"What?" He asked, confused and frustrated, his wide brown eyes narrowing a little in suspicion.

"You. Are you really that afraid of people crying?"

"I'm not afraid!" He protested indignantly.

"Then why are you so freaked?" I taunted.

"I just... Don't deal with tears well." He tried.

"Why not?"

"I don't know!" He yanked open the car door. "Now, are you coming or not?"

"Not." I folded my arms.

"Fine." He said shortly, walking around and getting in the drivers seat.

I waited until he turned the ignition before getting in the passenger side.

He looked over at me, a less than amused expression on his face. "What are you doing?"

"I thought you said you wanted me to go with you?" I said with forced calmness.

"I never said I wanted you to, I said Laurel wanted you to." He corrected. "And you said you weren't coming."

"I changed my mind."

"Why?"

"I figured if you were trying that hard you must really want me to go." I shrugged. I wasn't entirely sure why I'd got in the car. Maybe it was the look on his face when he gave up. Maybe it was because he gave up. Who knows.

He didn't say anything.

"Wow, Derek Venturi speechless. What did I do right?" I was oddly pleased by his silent affirmation, if a little surprised.

"Shut up." He muttered as he backed up the car and started to drive.

Couldn't resist trying to correct the whole Derek setting Casey and Truman up fiasco, though I couldn't find much of a reason. That whole episode is wrong on so many levels... I think even most Demily shippers would have hated it 'cause he only went out with Emily when there wasn't much option left. And there was no way in hell Derek would help Truman on that one, even if you go with the 'brotherly' motivations.

Also, I actually think Thompson High did think they went out; those stares were just way too OTT!

'Kay, I'm done ranting. Hope you liked. :)

P.S A lot more Dasey next chapter. :)