Me again, I've thought about making this a multi-chap…decided to leave it a one-shot; re-read it, and decided to make it a two-shot instead. So, here is the final chapter. Sorry for the indecisiveness and waiting!

To Derek's ultimate shock, Casey didn't let go of his hand – ever – even after they had been walking on the sidewalk for a while. Derek had had way too much to drink to drive, and Casey…well, there was no telling what she'd do if she got behind the wheel with the buzz she was still feeling.

There was something nagging in the back of Derek's mind, though.

Casey had called herself his girlfriend.

That was mind-blowing in and of itself.

Before he could stop himself, or have even a chance to second-guess himself, he heard himself blurting out, "So, Case…why'd you call yourself my girlfriend?"

She stopped dead and got very, very quiet.

When he stopped, and looked at her, she was wide-eyed and watching him right back.

To say Derek was creeped out, would be an understatement.

He was used to the Casey who denied, screamed, yelled, threw things…

But not this.

Anything but this.

She was just looking at him.

Smirking, Derek continued, "You did realize that you had said that, didn't you?"

She continued glaring.

Derek shook his head quickly, "Casey, are you okay?"

After a short pause, fortunately for Derek, she replied…and in the usual way, "No, I'm not okay! You caught that?!"

He started laughing softly, "It's not every day a girl comes up to kick another girl's ass for you; then said girl calls herself you girlfriend…and, not to mention, said girl is your ste…"

Casey held a hand up, "So help me, Derek, if you say that hyphenated word, I will hurt you next."

"Okay, deal, but you still haven't answered my question." He crossed his arms over his chest, smirking at her.

"God, I swear. Someday that smirk is going to be permanently plastered onto your face and there won't be a damn thing you can do about it. And," she shrugged her shoulders, "I dunno. It was easier, that way. If I called myself your girlfriend, I didn't have to worry about the weird stares from people if I had said I was your step-sister…"

"Well, yeah, but Case; now you've opened yourself up to even bigger problems."

She raised her eyebrows, "Which are?"

"People are going to talk, and think we're dating, and that I was cheating on you."

Casey shook her head, "No, they won't. I kicked her ass, we walked out together hand-in-hand, but don't worry, we can arrange for a highly public break-up if needed. And, hey, I'll even let you do the breaking-up!"

Derek shook his head, "It's not that simple, Case. People are going to start asking questions, people are going to find out your name, and our story. Rumors are going to be started…"

Casey shrugged, "I really don't care anymore, Der. After years and years of caring, and grade-grubbing, and klutzilla moments, and all that bull…I've finally decided I don't care what other people think of me."

Derek eyed her suspiciously, "Alright, who are you and what did you do with my step-sister?"

"Der-ek!" She chided, laughing. "I'm right here, you lamebrain. I've just changed. Some people do that, ya know."

Derek's previous smile at her first two sentenced turned into a gape at her last. "I've changed!"

Casey gave him one of those, "I don't believe a damn word you say," looks.

"Alright, alright, I'll admit I haven't exactly been 'choosy,' but Case, when was I ever? And, by the way, I would never have chosen that."

Casey rolled her eyes.

"What?! I wouldn't."

"I know, D, I rolled my eyes because you said you've never been choosy."

"Oh…well…wait, what?"

Casey laughed, "You haven't changed. You're still as easy to stump as ever."

"Well, maybe if you'd quit lollygagging around the issues, I wouldn't be so damn confused."

"Hmm, that sounds like a personal problem."

Derek snorted, "I wonder how many times Paul said that to you."

Surprisingly, Casey laughed, "Too many times to count."

"Really?"

She nodded and looked away, "Yeah, and that phrase especially came out when I was complaining about a stupid prank you had just pulled. I may have gotten A's in all of my classes, but I can't for the life of me figure out what he meant when he said that."

I can…Derek thought, instead, what he said was, "Yeah, if shrinks are supposed to find out what goes on in other people's heads, who finds out what goes on in theirs?"

Casey furrowed her brows, "You know, D, that's a pretty good question."

"Really?"

She nodded.

"Huh. Never thought I'd hear you say that…"

"Neither did I, now shut up and what the hell are we doing?"

Derek shrugged, "Apparently, you haven't changed enough to not still be bossy."

Casey snorted and rolled her eyes again, "Well, I'm tired."

"Fine, then, goodnight, princess."

"See, told you you haven't changed."

Derek rolled his eyes now and they started parting ways, until Derek realized something and turned around to go back after her.

"Hey, Casey! Wait!"

She turned around and he ran up to her closer. "Thank you…for doing what you did tonight. You probably saved me a couple lawsuits."

Casey smiled, "No problem, bro."

"Step-brother." Derek corrected.

Casey shrugged, keeping the smile and said, "Same difference."

And suddenly, Derek was transported back into that night right after graduation in the kitchen at their parent's house.

Only this time, he decided things would go differently.

Much differently.

He shook his head and Casey looked at him with a puzzled look on her face.

"No, Case, it's not the same difference. I let you get away with that once, I won't let it happen again."

Casey shrugged, and turned to walk away from him, but he grabbed her arm, and pulled her back so hard that she fell into him.

He was aware that her palm was splayed across his chest.

He didn't care.

He was aware that everything was happening in slow-motion.

He didn't care.

He was aware that he was suddenly having f-f-feelings.

He forced himself not to care.

And then he was aware that he was kissing Casey fully on the lips.

When they finally pulled apart, Derek was breathing heavy, and he really needed to figure out what that sensation was in his stomach.

Casey, on the other hand, looked like she had just seen a ghost. And, in all honesty, Derek considered for a moment that he probably had paled at what he had just done.

In an attempt to recover himself; Derek said, "And that is exactly why it's not the same difference."

Casey looked at him now, color fully returning into her face, but there was something else there that Derek couldn't quite place…

That is, until it forcefully kissed him back.

When they finally pulled away again, Casey had finally done it. She had rendered Derek speechless. And, it didn't help the fact that she concluded the kiss with, "No, that was exactly why and it's about damn time you did that, Venturi!"

"Are you drunk?" Derek asked her, mouth somewhat hanging open.

Casey shook her head, "No. I was too pissed to drink after seeing my ex out with that … piece of garbage."

Derek nodded, "Then I must be dreaming."

Casey snapped her head back to him, then, "You dream about me?"

Derek shrugged, "Not too often, but there's always that one of you falling down the steps that replays every so often, and I think I actually chuckle in my sleep…"

"Der-ek!" she yelled and slapped him on the shoulder.

He smirked, "What, you didn't think we were actually going to have a moment, did you? After all, I haven't changed, remember?"

"Think? No. Nothing with you ever involves thinking. I was hoping. There's a difference."

"Oh, like when you were hoping I would play a prank on you so that Max could 'save' you?"

"Is this why you didn't?"

"Casey, this is precisely why I did everything I did to you."

Casey laughed again, "You know, right before we moved out, George and Edwin both hinted at something and I didn't believe them."

"What was that?"

"They said that you were using the good old-fashioned elementary torture-your-crush method on me."

"I'm going to kill them." Derek muttered through gritted teeth.

Casey shrugged, "Or you could thank them. They tried to help you."

"Yeah, but if you had believed them, that could've screwed everything up."

Casey sighed pointedly, "Never thought I'd say this, Der, but just shut up and kiss me."

And Derek did just that.

When they finally parted ways again, Derek was holding Casey around the waist and one of Casey's hands had made their way to the back of his neck, the other was still splayed on his chest.

Derek said, "So, am I still with the Casey who doesn't care what anybody else thinks?"

She glared at him and smacked him on the shoulder.

In return, he tickled one of her sides.

"Hey! Stop that!" she squirmed, but his other hand had an iron-strong grip on her hip.

She was laughing hysterically, and rested her forehead against his chest.

With this distraction, she was able to find his foot and tap on it a couple times.

He instantly stopped tickling her.

"Don't do that! I need my feet." He responded.

She laughed, "Yeah…and fortunately for all of us they're not needed for dancing."

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, no more bright ideas to sign me up for dancing competitions, right?"

Casey glared at him, rolling her eyes, "I didn't sign you up for any of them! You signed yourself up! And you stole me away from dancing with Jesse."

Derek rolled his eyes, and suddenly, Casey's smile widened and she had this…spark in her eye. The one like she had right before she had kissed him.

"This is why you did that too, isn't it?"

"Are you going to ask me that with every memory you have of me?"

She moved her eyes to the corners before nodding her head vigorously.

"Then, I have a feeling this is where I say, stop thinking and kiss me, Casey."

"I thought you'd never ask." Casey said and smiled before he crashed their lips together again.

They could face all of the fears in the morning…or, rather, some other time, but right now they had each other; and that's all that mattered to either of them.

Okay, so, not my best work, but…I liked it. Of course, my opinion might be slightly biased but oh well.

I've got another LwD one-shot written, but I'm debating whether or not to publish it.

Oh, and I've got a so-far 80+ page story that might be published soon and I'm actually really excited about this story.

So, please, please, please keep a lookout! And thank you for all your support! It is truly appreciated. :)

Oh, and one last thing, I'm surprised nobody has done a Dasey video with the song I Like The Way You Move – The Allstars. Haha! I can totally see that! Also, Battleships by Daughtry would probably be a good one too…