The coffee machine whined. Nora sat at the table, her hair disheveled and worry hanging beneath her eyes. Her daughter wasn't home, as Nora had assumed. She knew where Casey was; it was simply the fact that her little girl had gone to the boy Nora didn't want her to be in love with.

It was selfish, she knew, to expect something of that magnitude from her daughter. After all, her marriage had put Casey in that situation, and even Nora had to admit their immediate chemistry was signifying a disaster. The woman sighed. She'd just hoped it had been after they were out of the house.

George shuffled into the kitchen, hair in disarray and his eyes barely open. "Where's Casey?" he asked hoarsely. Nora looked at her husband in surrender.

"With Derek, I assume."

"But she was supposed to stay here." George said dumbly, slumping beside her wearily.

"Oh, face it, Georgie. Our kids are stubborn, and they're going to do what they want. We're in way over our heads."

George sighed. "But we have to do something. What about Marti? Lizzie? Edwin? They don't need—can't—be around their intimacy. I'd really like to avoid any sexual relationships with the kids for a long, long time. Not to mention, Lizzie and Ed are close. What if they see their siblings, that they idolize, being in…in…"

"Love?" Nora supplied gently.

She got up, took two mugs out and filled them with coffee. She handed one to George and sat next to him. "They're in love. There's nothing we can do otherwise. But we can set rules about how public they are. If they've been this secretive for this long, then they'd have to agree on some of our points."

George sighed whiningly. "Why me? Dealing with Derek alone was hard enough. Now I have to put up with two hormonal teenagers in love in one house."

She patted his hand sympathetically. "We'll pull through. They can't hate us for trying to compromise. We aren't asking them to break up. You'll see, Georgie, you'll see." She kissed him on the forehead, and he pulled her close.

"What would I do without you, Nora?"

She laughed. "I'm scared to imagine," she said.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Sam, being the gentleman he was, offered to sneak down to the couch and sleep, and let Derek and Casey have the room to themselves. He had only one rule: No sex.

"I have to sleep in that bed tomorrow, you know," He reminded them, and Derek threw a puck at him. He ducked, and closed the door, laughing hysterically.

Mrs. Wallace regarded her laughing son with a raised eyebrow, and simply shook her head, taking the laundry down to the washing machine. Boys. She'd never figure them out.

Derek gave Casey his shirt to borrow for the night, and he slept in boxers. Her bare legs against his made him smile. He wanted to share a bed with her every night.

Casey turned to him, staying close. "Derek?" she asked sleepily.

He brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Yeah?"

She furrowed her brows in confusion. "Why do you think Mom and George were so surprised we were dating?"

"Case," he said, "They weren't surprised. They just didn't want to realize that they'd made a mistake. And they might be kind of mad that we lied. A lot."

"Do you think we were a mistake?"

He grabbed her, pulling her close. "Of course not."

"Good," she said softly, "'Cause I don't think so either."

He kissed her cheek. "Sleep, you silly girl."

"Likewise, you silly boy."

She nestled closer, and Derek wouldn't have admitted it out loud, but he thought, right then and there, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this girl.

Never had he thought that, even with Kendra.

So in the morning, as he heard Sam enter the room with an annoying "Knock, knock, lovebirds!" he simply pulled Casey closer and groaned at Sam.

Casey let out a grumble too, signifying she was siding with Derek on this issue.

"Guys," Sam whined, "I'm lucky my mom didn't check on 'me and Derek' this morning. She'll kill me if she knows Casey spent the night here."

Casey peered at him. "You're right, Sam. I'm sorry." She sat up. Derek wrapped his arm around her midriff and tried to pull her back down.

"Derek," Casey said patiently, ruffling his hair, "Get up."

"No." Derek said childishly.

"I'm getting up," She sang to him, slipping out from under the covers and putting her hand on her hip.

Sam swallowed, drinking in her bare legs and polka-dotted underwear, and then choking when he realized she was wearing Derek's shirt.

Derek, awake now, and sneering at Sam, who was checking out his girlfriend, scowled. "Sammy boy?" Sam jerked his head up, and a blush grew on his cheeks.

"Y-yeah?"

"Stop checking out my girlfriend. Even if she is wearing underwear and my shirt."

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Err…"

"Sammy? Get out."

"Jeez, you're possessive." Sam complained. "You don't even trust me?"

"Out, Sammy."

Sam left. Casey glared at Derek in a huff. "I can take care of myself, you know."

"Sure." Derek said.

"De-rek!"

He kissed her, his hands firmly on her hips. Pulling back after the lengthy liplock, he said, "Yes, darling?"

She ignored him and pulled off his shirt, pulling on her bra.

Derek grinned.

Casey scowled.

"Tease."

"Manwhore."

She pulled on her jeans, and in the process, twirled in circles until she got the jeans on. It was amusing until he saw a dark circle the size of a CD on her shoulder.

"What's that?" Derek asked, causing her to look up at him.

"What's what?" She asked, attempting to look behind her and failing.

He turned her around and looked at the large bruise on her shoulder. He prodded it. "That hurt?"

"Ow! Yes, it does," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's just a bruise. Probably after I jumped out of the window last night."

"You jumped out the window?" he looked at her, a flicker of anger rising in his eyes.

"I needed to see you," she said simply, pulling away from him and buttoning her jeans nonchalantly, "And anyway, I'm fine."

He scowled at her.

She pulled on her shirt, and grabbed Sam's Old spice, applying it quickly. "Get dressed, pretty boy."

"I am not a pretty boy! I am ruggedly handsome!"

She dragged her fingernails down his chest gently. "Fine, Mr. Ruggedly Handsome. Get ready."

He suddenly resented Sam's no sex rule.

Sam, who had been patiently waiting at the door, threw his hands in the air when they exited. "About time! I found a new toothbrush, but you'll have to share. Then you'll have to leave."

He shoved the two into the bathroom and said, "I'll be counting." Derek glared at him.

She brushed first, spat, and then handed him the toothbrush after rinsing it. When they were ready, he took her hand, Sam pushing them out the door the whole way.

Mrs. Wallace, getting home from grocery shopping just seconds before, frowned. Was that Casey? She shook her head. Of course not.

"Where do you want to go?" Derek asked, still holding Casey's hand as they walked down the sidewalk.

"I don't know. I feel like we should go home."

"What? Casey! Going home would be a crime! We have the whole day to ourselves!"

"Remember how well that worked out?" she retorted dryly.

"Oh, yes, I do." Derek said, a slow grin growing across his face.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course, you think of the sex."

"It was good sex."

"All sex is good to you."

"Nu-uh!"

"Sure, Venturi, sure."

"It isn't, Case," He said with finality.

They passed the park, and she stopped, an indescribable emotion crossing her features.

"Remember?" she said softly.

"Yeah," he said, "God, you were stubborn."

She pulled him down the hill, and plopped down on one of the benches, looking at the swings and slides, smiling softly.

She pointed to one of the swings. "I was right there, I think."

"Case, I know how it went."

She looked at him, that smile still on her face, "You told me to give it a chance. You, Derek Venturi, had a thing for me. You just didn't want to admit it."

"Then you said no and almost ran away and it's probably pure luck we're here right now, holding hands like dorks. Okay, let's go, Princess, jail sentencing awaiting, can't miss that." Derek said, beginning to get up.

He didn't really care to remember the way he felt she'd punched a hole in his chest when she said no. But he'd never really told her that, because it was oddly one of Casey's favorite memories, and he didn't want to ruin it.

Casey pulled him back down, and scooted closer to him, rested her head on his shoulder. "You, Venturi, are a pretty great guy, you know that?"

He squinted, as though pondering the question. "I think you should tell me more. Like, all the time."

"Yes, because your ego isn't big enough." She kissed his cheek. "Thanks for making me give it a chance."

"You're welcome. Wanna make out on the swings?"

She rolled her eyes. "So romantic. We should go back, though."

"Fine, but I still say we should make a break for it. How do you feel about Mexico?"

Casey took his hand with a smile. "We're not going to Mexico, Der. We're going to smooth things over. Or die. One of the two."

"I still vote for Mexico."