Disclaimer: Own nothing but Derek and Dylan in this chapter.

A/N: I'm glad to see that people are still reading this! Anyway, I know you're antsy for some serious Dylan and Don action but be patient with them. They're obviously dysfunctional like that but we'll see what happens with them. Hope you like the chapter. Reviews and opinions on the story are much appreciated.

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"Well?" Don asked, raising an eyebrow after a few minutes of Dylan just staring at her food. "Are you gonna answer my question?"

Dylan looked up, surprise colored on her face. "You asked a question?"

Don furrowed his eyebrows. "Uh, yeah. The one I just asked you."

"Huh," Dylan said, looking back down, eating her fries slowly as humanly possible. "Must've not heard it then."

"What are you talking?" Don almost yelled. "You stared at me, turned bright red and then just ignored me. I know you heard me."

"Do you understand English?" Dylan asked, looking up at him in interest.

"I'm speaking it, aren't I?" Don retorted.

She smirked. "I meant, do you understand English, as in the subject. These tutoring sessions, are they getting through your head or do I have to make everything relate to football for you to understand?" She popped a fry in her mouth.

He glared. "I understand just fine, thank you very much." She chuckled, looking down. "You are surprisingly a good tutor."

She snorted. "Gee, thanks."

"No really, truly inspiring just to hear you talk about English with all the examples you use," Don said. "It's the only time I really get a glimpse at what you want in life."

She froze and glanced at him. She gulped. "Don't joke when it comes to saying someone inspires you."

He stared at her. "Why?" He whispered.

She shrugged a little, looking out the window now. "To inspire someone is to give them hope in something." She looked back at him. "And that's a miracle in itself somewhere like here."

Don watched her as her eyes flickered to him then back out the window. He looked down, a feeling running through him. It was like feeling he wanted to barf. He wasn't sure what he was. He looked pained for a moment as he quickly tried to search for words and then the squeeze on his heart got a little tighter. He closed his eyes for a moment swearing it might burst. But it didn't. It just stayed still, squeezed tightly with something caught in his air hole.

He sighed seeing her stare out the window, the sun reflecting off her hair and her eyes lighter than ever. He cared. He cared too much.

"That's why I'm out of here as soon as possible," Dylan said, sounding more upbeat to lighten the mood. "Day after after graduation." She paused. "Oh hell, right after graduation."

Don smiled. "Dreams of New York City, living off the struggling artist money by being a writer." Dylan looked up and raised an eyebrow. "I listen to the examples that you use even though I look completely out of it."

"Hm," Dylan said with a nod. "A day full of surprises."

Don groaned unexpectedly and frowned. "Sure is."

- - - - - - - - - -

"Dude you fucking love her man!" Chavo yelled in pure amusement as even Winchell smirked in the backseat while they drove to a secluded place in the desert to shoot around.

"I do not!" Billinsley boomed making Chavo laugh harder. "Mike, tell em'! Tell him that this is just nothing."

"Absolutely," Mike said simply. "In love with her."

"You guys suck!" Billingsley yelled, crossing his arms. "I don't love her. I don't even like her." He looked out the window. "She's just hot. She's just nice to look at... to stare at."

"Oh then you wouldn't mind if Winchell started trying to date Dylan cause I think they'd be a pretty damn perfect couple," Chavo said nonchalantly.

"I wouldn't mind dating her," Mike said quickly after.

"No!" Don roared making the two fall into a fit of laughter. He grumbled, "I hate you guys."

- - - - - - -

"You like him," Derek said, nearly laughing himself off the couch.

Dylan made a face. "Uh, NO. This guy makes me want to puke."

"Because he gives you those butterflies?" Derek asked, giving her a nod.

"Will you shut up? I don't like him. I'm being nice to him. How does that fall into automatically liking him?" Dylan asked, sounding disgusted.

"Whatever. You like him," Derek said, leaning back into the couch and flipping the TV on. "And from what I hear, he's in love with you."

Dylan's head snapped up in the middle of her making a sandwich for herself. "Who told you that?"

Derek looked at her, wiggled his eyebrows and grinned. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Dylan glared then slammed the top bread of her sandwich down making Derek snicker. The two became silent as the door flew open and slammed closed. They watched as their father threw the fridge door open, grabbed a pack of beer, closed it loudly then huffed to his room, slamming that door closed as well.

"Must've had a reminder of mom somewhere in town today," Derek whispered.

"It's gonna be a rough night," Dylan said quietly taking her sandwich and sitting beside him on the couch.

Derek clenched his jaw together. "Uh, Dyl, I have a date tonight."

"No," Dylan said firmly. "You can't."

"But-"

"I've been holding down the fort a lot recently and if anyone's gonna need to go on a date, it's me," Dylan said as Derek opened his mouth. "Do not say it. It's not the time."

"Come on, Dylan," Derek whined. "Hit and quit it, I swear."

Dylan made a face. "No." She looked at him seriously, her eyes not glaring but now wide as she pleaded, "Don't go."

Derek groaned then scrunched his nose. "Fine." He looked at her. "Just let me go there and say it to her face that we can reschedule. It'll take five minutes."

"Fine," Dylan said, taking a bite from her meal and looked back at the TV.

"You can take a date night this week, you know. It's pretty obvious that you're gonna be asked out very very soon," Derek said, smiling at her as she refused to look at him.

"I hate you. Shut the hell up," Dylan said simply and continued chewing. Derek grinned at his little sister, reached over and messed up her hair.