Derek took her to his tiny apartment in his loaned BMW. She made like she was impressed, but she nodded when he pointed out that it was all on loan from the team and if he got dropped from the squad it would all go back to where it came from.

"It's here now though." He said cheerily and Casey smiled back. She wondered when she and her step-brother had turned into pod people.

The little apartment was so small Derek was going to have to sleep on the couch so that Casey could take his room. He pretended briefly that he was going to make Casey sleep there, but in reality he had no intention of making her do any such thing.

She watched him fuss about the place, showing her things he had acquired in the short space of time they had been apart, and she saw before her a different Derek, a more open and honest Derek. Not that she thought he was dishonest, but it was like the difference between the Derek she saw every day and that Derek that she saw briefly on occasions like the night of their never-to-be-forgotten first party.

And when he'd finished fussing they stared at each other as though they had nothing to say.

"The guys want me to bring you out with us tonight…for food and dancing. You interested?" Derek was still reluctant and not just because of the possibility of a Casey disaster. He had spent some time with his team mates but he had yet to feel comfortable with them. Taking Casey out with them felt like entering the lion's den knowing that the big cat was only tranquilised and could wake at any moment.

"What do you want to do?"

He sighed. "I probably should go."

"Then we'll go."

He pulled a face.

"Or not." She amended. "Derek. Are you embarrassed that I'm here?"

"Oh god yeah! I think I'll die from the shame!" He chuckled at the look on her face.

"Strangely enough, Case, no I'm not embarrassed. It's just…I'm coasting along here, trying to settle into a life I've never lived before; into a life no one I know has ever lived before. I have no reference point. I just have to do. And then just when I think I've got it sussed, you arrive and I'm reminded of who I am in reality."

Casey sat down on the couch. "Maybe I shouldn't have come."

Derek sat down beside her. "I didn't say that. If you look hard enough Casey I said the complete opposite. You're my reality check."

"Gee thanks!"

He smirked. "You know what? I think all I want to do tonight is kick back with a take out and a DVD."

Casey recognised good Derek when she saw it. "That's fine by me." She agreed.

Derek chuckled. "Of course, I get to choose the film – and the take out."

She rolled her eyes, but said nothing. Derek frowned.

"Come on…" He prompted.

"Come on what?" Casey asked.

"I think that warranted your usual…"

"My usual what?"

"You know."

"No I don't."
"Case-y" he moaned.

"Der-ek!" She grinned and they both laughed.

The quiet movie night never happened. Just as they were about to leave to pick up the DVD and the food there was a knock at the door. Casey frowned at Derek who shrugged because he wasn't expecting anyone. Casey was closest to the door.

"You want me to get it?" She asked. He shrugged again.

Casey rolled her eyes and crossed to the door and Derek moved protectively behind the door out of sight.

It was John…and half of the team and they weren't expecting Casey to open the door.

For a moment, they stood there and gaped. Derek could totally understand why. Casey was wearing a typical student uniform of black skinny jeans and a t-shirt, but there was nothing typical about the figure underneath. Derek had already had several awkward heart-stopping moments when she moved around his apartment.

Casey waited for them to speak and John opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"Can I help you?" Casey asked eventually, tired of being stared at.

"Definitely." Smirked one of the other guys and behind the door, Derek closed his eyes. Nice. He thought sarcastically.

"Oh?" Casey pushed.

"You must be Derek's…um…friend." John found his voice and as he turned away she thought she heard him say "Sister, my ass."

"No." Casey replied firmly.

"No?" John queried. "But this is definitely Derek's apartment."

Casey raised an eyebrow. "That as maybe, but I'm not his friend. Derek doesn't have any friends."

Derek snorted in the background. Casey glanced at him with a smirk.

"Really? Then what are you?" John asked.

Derek stepped out from behind the door. "She's my cleaning lady, and I pay her by the minute, so would you hurry it on up?"

Casey stepped back onto his foot deliberately and he caught her by the waist.

"I owed you for the "friend" comment." He murmured in her ear, leaving his arm in place and inwardly cursing Casey for bringing out the territorial jerk in him.

"You're supposed to be bringing your "friend" out with us tonight."

"She's jet-lagged. We're having a quiet one."
One of the other guys snorted. "I bet you are!"

Casey fixed him with fiery blue eyes. The smile disappeared from his face. Derek grinned.

"She doesn't look jet-lagged to me. Come out with us, honey. If you get tired you can sleep on me."

John flicked the guy a look. "Why not? Every other female in the district has."

"Pot meet Kettle." A third guy said.

There was a sigh from the back of the group and a petite female pushed her way through the crowd.

"Jesus you're a bunch of morons!" She exclaimed and held out her hand to Casey. "Ignore them, sweetheart. They think with their dicks but their hearts are in the right place. I'm Kerry. That lump over there is called Stu." She indicated one of the as yet silent team. "I'm his wife and for my sins I get to spend all my down time with this lot. I'm desperate for some decent conversation – of the evolved kind. Come join us."

Casey grinned and flicked a questioning glance at Derek who sighed.

"Why not?" he said. "They'll only keep on pestering us until we give in anyway."

"Then we'll come." Casey said still smiling at Kerry.

"Tell me something Kerry." Casey said over the Caesar salad she had ordered. "If you like evolved conversation. Why did you marry a hockey player?"

Derek narrowed his eyes at her as Kerry chuckled.

"Well unlike most of the WAGS I'm not with him for his money or his awesome bod because I married him before he had either. And he can't divorce me because I have too many secrets of his." Casey raised an eyebrow. "I was around when he was in diapers…" Kerry explained. Casey laughed and her eyes met Derek's.

"I have a few stories myself." Casey said. Neither of them pointed out she wasn't a WAG.

"So how did you meet Derek?" Kerry explained, and Casey realised she was under a misapprehension.

"He's my step-brother." She announced loudly. The background noise on their table stopped.

John stared at Derek. "I thought you were joking."

Casey frowned.

"I told him you were like a sister to me." Derek explained. Casey's eyes widened and she shivered.

"Step-sister." She corrected.

Derek smirked. "Same difference."

Casey stuck her tongue out at him and Derek laughed.

Kerry watched them in amusement.

"How long have your parents been married?" She asked.

"Nearly seven years." Casey explained. "We were fifteen."

"Ouch." Kerry said. Derek grinned but his eyes never left Casey's.

"You could say that."

"How did it work out?"

Derek and Casey broke the trance.

"I'll let you know." Casey said quietly.

.

The evening passed pleasantly. The food was nice, and once they realised that Casey was only going to be a sister to them, Derek's teammates started the teasing. She didn't mind because she was used to teasing. She could handle that.

Derek found himself getting more comfortable around the older guys and started to relax. By the time the evening came to an end, both he and Casey were firmly accepted as part of their group.

They left the bar with Kerry and Stu because the others were going on to the topless bar. Kerry winked as she hugged Casey goodbye at the kerbside, urging her to join her to watch the game from the rink-side.

Derek and Casey walked to find a cab, his arm slung across her shoulders.

"You're quiet." He said.

"Are you complaining?" She asked.

"Of course not. It's just I get used to the background whine."

Casey stopped and looked at him. "Don't worry. I'm sure the Tinnitus will stop now your sister lives the other side of the country."

He grinned. "You know why I said that." He pointed out.

Casey frowned and then her eyes widened. "Male Code Blue!" She exclaimed and he didn't miss the relief in her voice. Then she frowned again. "What makes you think I don't want to date one of your team mates?"

"You like evolved conversation, remember?"

"Yes." She said thoughtfully, pulling herself away from him. "Begs the question what the hell am I doing anywhere near you!" She said, and then giggled.

"Right! That does it!" Derek announced pouncing towards her. Casey squealed and ran away. Derek chased after her causing a few heads to turn, and by the time her caught up with her, they were by the rank of cabs.

.

They poked fun at each other all the way home in the cab and Casey continued to tease Derek when he immediately took himself into the kitchen to make himself a sandwich.

"You never change." She said, leaning on the kitchen door post.

"Nah. What's the point?" He said, biting into one of his usual monster concoctions. He finished the mouthful. "Let's see what the late movie is on TV." He suggested.

"Sounds great, but I warn you I'll probably fall asleep. All that travelling…"

He smiled. "We'll pull all the cushions onto the floor, get pillows and blankets, and camp in the living room. Then if you fall asleep I don't have to haul your ass to bed."

"Okay." Casey said.

They did exactly that, getting changed before crawling into the two makeshift beds. Derek had turned the light off to watch the film, and in the dark it felt more intimate.

After a while, Casey propped herself up on her elbow.

"Are you happy?" She asked him quietly. Derek didn't look at her.

"Ecstatic." He said wryly. "About what exactly?"
She shrugged. "Your career choice, the team…"

Derek still didn't look. "You met them. They're cool."

"Yes but, are you happy?"
He sighed and rolled onto his side, looking across the short distance towards her.

"I'm happy I've got the chance to make a go of this." He said. "I'm happy that I can do something I love and get paid for it." He combed his hair with his fingers. "Is it hard? Hell yes! Do I regret it? Sometimes. Do I want to walk away from it?" No."

"What's the hardest thing?" Casey asked still softly.

"The socialising. Trying to balance making friends without making stupid life choices."

"Like what?"

"Like the club tonight."

"Oh."

"It's difficult to say no to them when you aren't here. They think I'm gay because I don't want to join them on their pussy-finding trips." He glanced at her. "I'm not talking cats there by the way."

Casey sighed. "Stay true to yourself Derek. There will be temptations but you've never been a follower, you've always led the herd. Don't do what they expect of you cut your own path."

He nodded. "When are you coming back, Casey?"

"I don't know. This isn't like college, grad school is more important. I can't take lots of time off."

They were quiet for a moment pondering their situations.

"Case, when I email I don't mean to piss you off…well not most of the time anyway."

"I know." Casey said in a sad tone.

"I guess it will be Christmas then…at home. Before I…see you again." Derek tried to be cheery.

"Yeah. Derek…be careful. And before you do anything stupid ask yourself - " Casey start to say, but he interrupted.

"I know I know, would Casey approve?"

"Actually, I was going to say ask yourself would I want Marti to know about this. You're going to be living your life in the spot light now. Everything you do will get back to the fam." Casey explained. And he saw her point.

"And to you." He interjected.

"Yeah but I don't count. Most of the stuff you do annoys me. That's why you do it. Just don't…"

"What?"

"There will be girls, and drink and maybe other stuff…just don't, Derek."

"You think I'm going to turn into an alcoholic dope head?"

"No, of course not, even you're not that stupid. But the girls…"

His eyes grew big "…I know. You should see some of them Casey!" He said with exaggerated eagerness.

Casey looked appalled.

"I'm joking, Spacey. No girls."

She looked disbelievingly at him this time.

"What?" He tried to look innocent. "I mean of course there will be girls, just not those girls."

"Promise me you'll be more discerning?"

"You sound like Abby." He smirked. "Or jealous. Which is it Casey?"

She went quiet and even in the half light he could tell she had blushed. And it unnerved both of them.

Derek coughed.

Maybe they needed a little space from each other.

AN: For the uninitiated W.A.G = Wives and Girlfriends. In England, it is normally applied to football (i.e. soccer).

Next chapter jumps forwards in time slightly.

Meant to say this in yesterday's update...ONE YEAR on FanFiction!