Derek gazed down the hallway, watching as Casey absentmindedly rummaged through her tidy locker, pulling a textbook out. She wore a bright pink shirt and matching skirt with her long brunette locks falling in waves down her back. Casey looked like her normal self aside from the missing peppiness she usually had on Monday mornings. She looked tired and defeated.

Over the weekend, the McDonald girls had moved out.

It was hard to fathom how Nora and his dad could ever divorce. Sure, they fought like any normal married couple, but they never went to bed angry. However, on Friday night, the 'rents had been in the basement arguing for hours until Nora came upstairs with tears in her eyes and told Casey and Lizzie to pack a few bags.

George insisted they were just taking a 'break,' but it wasn't hard to miss the worry that had crossed the older Venturi's features.

Saturday had been abnormally quiet with Derek locked up in his room while Marti cried, and Edwin talked in hush tones on the phone…Derek knew he was talking to Lizzie.

Hasn't this been what he'd wanted all along? For the girls to move out so they could once again live like men and do as they please? But the silence was almost deafening.

By Sunday, he was missing the dinner arguments and slammed doors. He missed the yelling and the sound of his name being screamed. He missed the sappy singing and scent of vanilla coming from the bathroom each morning.

Derek almost felt guilty because it wasn't Nora or Lizzie that crossed his mind every second of every day. He barely missed them, and while Derek often lacked a conscious, they were cool…for girls. But he didn't miss them.

Not the way he missed…not the way he missed, Casey.

Derek outwardly groaned, hitting his head against the locker. When had it happened? If Nora and his dad got a divorce, she would no longer be his stepsister. He wouldn't have to feel guilty for the thoughts that crept into his mind more times than he cared to admit. But there was nothing keeping them in London. After the school year, chances were they would move back to Toronto…or to New York with Dennis…or to the Blue Heron Lodge with Nora's mother which was still a three-hour drive away.

He was royally fucked.

Derek took a deep breath, hoping that his emotions all but vanished before tucking his textbook underneath his arm and sauntering towards Casey with his signature walk that portrayed a confident and cocky jerk.

"How was your weekend, Case?" He asked with a smirk, leaning casually against the lockers and waiting expectantly for an answer.

"Like you care."

Casey began walking down the hallway, Derek fast on her heels. He placed an arm around her shoulder, squeezing lightly, half expecting her to pull from his grasp. Surprisingly, she let him continue to touch her and Derek was grateful for the contact.

It had been a long weekend.

It wasn't the first time he had put an around her and he'd hoped it wouldn't be the last.

"Casey, Casey, Casey…don't look so sad. You know dad and Nora. By the end of the week, they will be making out in the kitchen and grossing us the fuck out."

"Derek…," Casey said sternly, glancing at him as they continued to walk down the long hallway.

"the freak out," he corrected. She hated it when he cursed. Derek bent his head and smiled. He was a bit surprised to find out how much he missed getting in 'trouble' by Miss Prissy.

"I'm not so sure this time."

"And why do you say that?"

"Because mom spent the entire weekend looking at apartments between here and Niagara Falls while Lizzie and I sat in some gross hotel room watching 90s reruns."

"Huh?" Derek squealed, halting his steps.

"I think mom is serious," Casey said, looking at Derek with sad eyes that tore at his normally frozen heart. Tears were beginning to form within their blue depths, and while Derek loved how bright her eyes were becoming from the threatening pools, he didn't do tears. Especially when those tears belonged to Casey.

"Whoa. Don't cry."

"How can I not cry?" she wailed, her cheeks becoming wet as those pools fell down her face in a steady stream. "Our family is being torn apart and we have no idea why. Mom and George are perfect together and we were supposed to be one big happy family until death we parted."

"Really, Case?" Derek smirked, hoping to lighten the mood. "The second the 'rents croaked you were gonna run the hell away from me."

"It did cross my mind," she sobered. Derek rose an eyebrow, grateful for the sudden cease in tears. "But I wouldn't. As much as it pains me, you are a packaged deal."

"Touching," Derek said in a somewhat sarcastic tone, though he liked the sound of being a part of Casey's 'packaged deal.' Maybe there was hope for them after all.

"And did Nora find an apartment?" Derek asked, holding his breath for the answer. Casey sighed.

"Not yet. I think a part of her is procrastinating on the whole thing, which is a good sign, but I can't take another minute in that hotel room. It's tiny and gross, with zero privacy. And try doing homework on some disgusting bed that God only knows what has happened on."

"You could come home," Derek blurted out without thinking. Casey narrowed her eyes and Derek mentally cursed himself for having diarrhea of the mouth.

"Home?"

"Ummmm, yeah," he said, running a hand through his hair. "All of your stuff is still there, and Nora can't seem to make up her mind on what she really wants. You might as well sleep in your own bed, right?"

Casey's curious look slowly faded before her shoulders slumped forward in defeat. "I can't just leave mom and Liz. As much as I would love to be in my own room, the three of us have to stick together."

Derek tried hard to hide his disappointment. He wanted her to come home, dammit, where she belonged. Before he could say another word, the one-minute warning bell for class rang.

"I'll see you later, Derek," she said before hurrying off to first period. Defeated, Derek leapt up the stairs, taking them two at a time on his way to Algebra when his phone rang. Derek was surprised to find that this particular person would be calling him bright and early on a Monday morning. He doubt it was about Hockey, which was usually their main subject of conversation.

"Hello," Derek answered hesitantly.

"Derek, I wasn't sure you would answer. Good." The sound of Dennis on the other line was somewhat comforting because it kept him close to a certain brunette that he would never be able to shake.

"Hey!" Derek said, faining his usual carefree attitude. "Sup?"

"What in the hell is going on? Casey and Lizzie have been calling me all weekend crying. I thought Nora and George were doing fine."

"Don't worry about it, Dennis. I have everything under control."

"Is that so?" Dennis asked, amusement lacing his voice.

"Of course. Before you know it, those two love birds will be putting a giant, yet disgusting, do not disturb sign on the basement door if you know what I mean, huh, huh."

"Derek."

"Hmmm? Yeah?"

"Just look after Casey for me since I can't be there, okay? You know how upset she gets."

"You mean Miss drama queen? No worries."

The other end of the line went silent for a moment. Derek looked down at his phone to see if the call was dropped. And then Dennis spoke again, but his words made Derek's stomach drop to the ground.

"I know you care about her, Derek. I've always known and I'm trusting you with her. There is no one else I'd rather have look after my little girl."

This time, Derek was the one to go silent. How was he supposed to respond to that? Dennis wasn't clueless like his dad or distracted like Nora. He was a nine-hour flight away, and he could see right through Derek's façade. It had to have been the phone call that first night he had come to visit. That damn phone call that told him to make things right with Casey because he couldn't stand to see her hurting.

"Derek?"

"Yeah?" he croaked out, bringing his thoughts back to the present.

"Stepbrother or not, it's okay. I won't hold it against you. I'm not sure anyone would."

"I'll look after her," Derek said before ending the call. Maybe he was more transparent than he thought.

Derek made his way towards class, ten minutes late and paranoid that everyone could see how much he was hopelessly in love with Casey McDonald.

Casey tossed and turned that night, glad that she had the bed to herself while her mom and sister slept in the other one. Her sleepless nights were getting worse. She missed her own bed and her own room. A part of her wanted to run off to New York to see her dad, but chances were he would be too busy at work to spend any time with her.

Why weren't they making up already? The one time her mom and stepdad had fought this bad, George had slept on the couch and the fight was over by the next day. But nothing was being resolved. They weren't even speaking. How could anyone make up if they weren't willing to talk out their problems?

Casey left her bed quietly, slipping into her furry bunny slippers and grabbing her cell and key before exiting out into the crisp night air.

It was the same cell phone that Derek had bought her last year for helping him with his in-school merchandising. It was the only thing he had ever bought her, and she loved the cheap thing.

Before her nerve was lost, she dialed a familiar number. "Hello," a groggy voice said on the other line. Casey chastised herself for calling at three o'clock in the morning, but she couldn't help it. She was homesick…even for him.

"Hey, Der."

"Case?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Is everything okay?" The sound of concern in his voice surprised her a bit, and she was glad he hadn't hung up on her.

"Everything is okay, I guess. I just couldn't sleep."

"Where are you?"

"Just sitting outside the hotel room, talking to you."

"It's the middle of the night, Case," Derek stated, sleep still heavy in his voice. "Go back inside."

"I told you I can't sleep. I'm suffocating in there."

"That's better than being attacked by some creep. That place if probably crawling with weirdos."

Casey chuckled. "Dozens of them."

"That's what I thought. Now go inside…now."

"No."

"Caseyyyyy."

"Not yet. Please. I just want to talk for a minute."

Derek gave a heavy sigh that signified how put out with her he was. "One minute."

Casey gave a smile in triumph. "How is everything at home?"

"Oh, you know. Same ol', same ol'. Everyone is walking around all pathetic and mopey."

"And you?"

"Well, I can finally take a shit in peace."

"Der-ek!"

Her familiar scream caused him to chuckle on the other line. She missed that laugh more than she cared to admit. Her features softened at the sound.

"Come home, Case." It was a soft whisper, but it was second time he'd asked her to come home. She was beyond tempted.

"And then what?"

"What do you mean, 'and then what'? You can finally sleep in your own bed and not sit outside waiting to be attacked by some middle aged greasy gross dude with a record that's a mile long."

"Derek…"

"Please go inside, Casey, and I'll talk to you at school tomorrow."

"Alright," she sighed in defeat.

"I'll stay on the line until you the door is locked behind you."

Casey closed her eyes and smiled into the phone. This was a new side of Derek that she actually liked. He had been nice to her the entire day at school starting with their morning talk. He had even sat next to her at lunch, much to the delight and surprise of Emily. He'd barely opened his mouth the entire time they ate. It was like he only wanted to be near her.

What if he feared the pending divorce as much as she did? What if the thought of losing her was making him see things in a different light? What if he had cared all along and he was trying to hold on to this life that they had built and hadn't known they wanted…or needed, until now.

Casey rose from her spot on the stoop and opened the door, letting it close securely behind her.

"Goodnight, Derek," she whispered softly into the phone so her mom and sister wouldn't wake up.

"Goodnight, Case. Sweet dreams."

Casey crawled back into bed. The heaviness she felt on her chest was lifting and Casey was surprised that it was Derek she was clinging to. In a way, he was holding tight to her, too. It appeared that neither of them were willing to let go of the life that they have been forced to build, but unable to move on from.