A/N: Incredible! Do not get used to me updating this fast, especially now that I now have no more parts of this story left and need to pick up writing it again:-) Have fun with this lighter chapter!

He heard the car even in his sleep.

"Case wake-up, they're here," he whispered urgently, shaking her shoulder.

Within seconds she was wide awake, throwing the comforter off her and on her way to the door.

Derek was right behind her. As Casey swung the door open, the cold air of the night swept in and took away the last remnants of sleep in their bodies.

"Mum, George!" Casey called, hopping on the place, either to keep herself warm or from excitement.

Nora smiled and came over to her daughter who clutched at her, seemingly intending to never let go again.

George stood behind, a big bag in each hand. Derek reached over the two women and took the bags from his father.

"Hey Casey, it's getting cold in here, let them come in and close the door." With his pinkie, the only finger he could move without letting go of the bags, he pulled at her shirt, indeed making her stumble a few steps back.

His father ushered his wife and step-dauther the rest of the way in, and shut the cold out.

Seeing that Casey sobbed into her mother's shoulder, both Venturi- men took a flight to the kitchen.

"You hungry?" Derek asked, already opening the door of the fridge and taking out the left-overs.

George raked a hand through his hair and chuckled surprised.

"Did I hit my head? My son asking another human being if he should cook without wanting something in return?"

Derek chuckled too. He didn't show his emotions like Casey, but he too was more than relieved to have his parents back and healthy.

"Don't underestimate me, dad, I just put it in the microwave and you don't know yet if I want something in return." Waiting for the meal to heat up, he leaned back against the counter, looking at his father.

George seemed exhausted, but otherwise alright.

"Without going into detail, you and Nora okay?"

George nodded. "Tomorrow we have to get a car from the insurance while ours is in repair," he looked back into the living room, "You support Casey?"

Derek hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should be offended by the question or answer it honestly.

He decided for the latter. "Picked her and Marti up, they'd gone down the street too far and Marti was getting tired," he explained curtly.

"Thanks." Then there was silence again until George sighed.

"I know that if the situation arises you are capable of taking the responsibility."

Derek raised one eyebrow in question of what his father meant.

"Nora had no right to treat you like an immature jerk as she did on the phone. I told her and she understood.

"Derek, we sometimes wonder why you are acting this childish when it comes to working together with Casey. Is it because she needs to lead everytime?"

As Derek opened his mouth, the microwave signalled to be finished. Saved by the bell, he thought.

He put the plate in front of his dad and said "It's late, I'm tired. I'll go to bed. Night, dad." He turned around and was up the stairs before he could hear his dad wishing him a good night too.

w-_-w

Eventually Casey had cried herself to sleep a second time this evening. Nora carefully tucked the comforter around her dauther and went to the kitchen too.

Sitting beside her husband, who slid the plate with the last of the leftovers to her, she sighed.

"This was just too much for her."

"She did well."

"She did, but the last time she had to deal with fighting grown-ups and only Lizzie as the little one. Hearing about it when she was with Marti just was too much for her."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Nora put the fork and plate away, "she's known Lizzie her whole life. Marti and how she reacts is new to her. She told me that she didn't know how to behave around her. She was scared of her own step-sister, George."

For a few seconds he just looked at her. "What do you have in mind?"

Nora shrugged. "Derek knows how to handle his siblings, he is great with Marti. What if Casey and Derek spent a day alone with Marti? They could do something fun and Casey learns how to act around the little one. Spending time with Derek wouldn't hurt either. He won't fight when his little sister is standing beside him."

George contemplated this for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I wanted to drive up to my niece next weekend. She isn't fond of little children, not even Marti. She expects them to sit still and be quiet all the time," he scoffed. "But I need her advice with something.

"The two of us can go, Lizzie and Ed either go to friends or stay at home, they won't do anything stupid. We'd have them all covered."

Nora agreed to the plan, as a yawn broke free.

"We'll better go to bed too. What do we do with Casey?"

"I say we let her sleep on the couch. She's young, her back will take it."

Silently they made their way to the basement.

u-_-u

Any small wishes for the next chapters? I have a general idea, but if you want a special scene/ moment in it, I'll see what I can do^"^ Leave a review, please!-)