"Quit sulking, Derek."

"I'm not sulking."

Casey smirked and looked at him across the car.

"D. The Prince would never have made the journey. We'd be stuck in some redneck town with only one horse and no gas station waiting for a tow truck. Your car (and your things) will be fine at my house. And this car at least smells better." She glanced out of the tinted windows at the scenery rushing past. "You should get rid of it anyway. It's a death trap."

That got his back up. "Yeah. Sure. Just as soon as my record deal comes through and I make my first million."

"Derek. I meant I'll buy you a new one."

Her step-brother sat up, his face livid. "Stop the car!"

Casey sat forward. "No. Don't!" she ordered the driver, who kept driving.

"No fucking way, Casey! You are not buying my friendship!"

She looked at him in astonishment. "Derek. I'm not buying you. Look. The whole deal with you having the Prince was that I would pay the insurance, yes? So I owe you four years worth of insurance. That should be enough for a down payment on a new car. If you got one on a monthly payment plan, you could pay it off a little at a time."

He shook his head. "Casey, no one would lend to me, I don't even have an address."

"I'll lend to you. You use the insurance money as a down payment. I pay the rest and you pay me back a bit each month. You can start with a little and build it up as you can afford it." She grinned at him. "I won't get the heavy mob in if you miss a payment."
"That's still buying me, Casey."

"Yeah. But surely it feels more palatable this way?"

He rolled his eyes. "Hmmm. I'll think about it."

"I don't want to be that person, Derek. The one that stuffs money up everyone's noses. But, surely I can give money to people when I want to? Mom and George let me help them with the new house. They chose it, and it's smaller than I had offered, but it's what they want, so we're all happy. It's like those." She waved a hand at a bag of presents visible in the back of the car. "Nothing cost more than $40, because I know the family would be uncomfortable. Of course, I put money in the kids' trust funds every month, but they won't know about those until they're twenty five. Mom and George thought it was best that way. Nice sensible presents when I visit, and putting something away for the future. We agreed the amount I would put away as well."

"Please tell me there isn't a trust fund for me as well." He said.

"No. I assumed you wouldn't accept it."
"You assumed right."

"I'll give you anything you want, though."

He shook his head. She sighed.

"Derek, please don't make assumptions about me. I'm still Casey."

He snorted. "I can't even call you keener and grade-grubber anymore since you ditched college."

"I'm still a klutz around guys."

"And around me."
"You're a guy Derek. Or you were the last time I looked."

Derek looked at her in amusement, and then she realised what she had said and coloured.

"I meant…"

He chuckled and interrupted. "I know what you meant. What you said was funnier though."

"Der-ek."

Later as he tried to go to sleep in the car, he wondered why he had agreed to this vacation.

But the answer was right there sitting beside him. Because Casey was going home and the idea of the two of them back under the same roof…too good an opportunity to miss. Her plan was to spend a week at home with their family and then go onto a quiet holiday elsewhere, and for the first week at least, he had agreed to go with her. And as a bonus, when he had suggested to Casey that the trip home should just be them and not any of her staff, she had agreed.

Milo was not happy. He was still seething over the whole hospital business anyway, but then to be told that he wasn't going with Casey to her family home…

Casey, however, had been insistent. She was taking the doctor's words to heart; she had neglected herself and her family. She really wanted to spend a month with them, but at least they would have her to themselves for a week. How could Derek not be a part of that?

When they weren't discussing money, they got on pretty well. They had managed to pick up their friendship again, and Casey knew it was only a matter of time before he started pranking her again. She couldn't wait!

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

It had been three years since Derek was last in London. But, little had changed. Casey pointed out a couple of new buildings and a new road, but otherwise it was just as though he had been on a two week vacation.

It had also been three years since he had seen his family. Lizzie and Edwin were about to go off to college, Marti had just become a teenager and Robbie, the brother they both shared was four. The nerves crept up on Derek as they grew closer to their destination, and so did the guilt.

Casey noticed he was quiet.

"Are you okay?"

He shook himself. "Yeah. Just a bit nervous about seeing the fam. I haven't been home in three years."

"I know." She took his hand. "They missed you. They'll be pleased to see you."

"How often have you been home?"

"A couple of times a year. It isn't easy. It takes so much planning for the security team. Everyone makes this lifestyle out to be so glamorous. It isn't. It's one long headache and time away from your family." She rubbed her temples.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, concerned. She was looking pale today.

"Tired. I'm always tired these days."

"It's because you are learning to relax. All your body wants you to do is sleep."

"I guess it will have its way then." She said, yawning.

The driver turned into a set of gates and down a curving drive towards a house which was modest in comparison to its grounds. Derek liked the new family house. It had character and it looked like a family home. The car pulled up outside and was immediately surrounded by Venturis and McDonalds.

When they had been away at college for that brief year, Derek and Casey had been surprised by the difference in their parents and siblings when they went home for the holidays. The change in them after three years was frightening. Marti had grown tall and gangly, awkward in her new teen status. Lizzie had shed her tom-boy image and was going to be an attractive young woman. Edwin was going for 'teenage Derek clone' and Robbie was a chatty pre-schooler.

Derek resolved never to be away from his family for as long again.

It was hard to say who the family wanted to see most, Casey because she had been ill and they had been so worried or Derek because it had been so long. In the end, they all came together in a massive bear hug and it wasn't only the girls who sniffed back tears. George held his son to him for a long time and Nora wouldn't let Casey out of her sight. Nora's reaction to Derek was strong too. She cried against his chest.

"Don't you ever freaking do that to us again, Derek." Nora said, uncharacteristically cursing. "We've been worried sick."

"I won't, Mom. I promise." He murmured into her hair – and meant every word. She looked up at him as she heard the M word and the tears began again.

Only one person avoided Derek. But it was the person who hurt the most.

Marti hugged Casey and then held her at arms length to inspect her seriously as only a thirteen year old can. Once she had pronounced her "pale" and "in need of fattening up", she let her go. But unlike the rest of the family, she didn't then turn her attention to Derek. She went back into the house and disappeared. Derek watched her go with a heavy heart. So did Casey who crossed to Derek and placed a hand on his back.

"You'll sort it out with her. She's just young and hurting. Just be honest with her and she'll understand."

Derek followed the rest of the family in to what was now his family home, with a sense of how much everything had changed.