Arriving back in Tacoma had been strange, but it had been a short-lived visit. By the time Timothy picked them up in a rental car he already had a flight booked for their new destination. Derek felt odd around Timothy having believed just 24-hours ago that he was the one threatening Casey's well-being but there was no faking the hurt he saw in Timothy's eyes when he saw them.

What Derek had thought had been betrayal and hurt on Anne's features was actually annoyance or frustration at her careful plans being ruined. At least, that's what Derek speculated.

"We've already started on arrangements for a new location." Timothy had told them before they were even in the car and they were whisked away to Wimberley, Texas. It was a little town somewhere in between Austin and San Antonio, boasting a population of 2,626 (now 2,2628). It had a bit of a tourist draw to it and it was far South from where they were currently being hunted. They moved into their little apartment as Mr. Derek Daniels and his wife Casey Daniels, a newly-wed couple from Denver, Colorado. Derek now loved the Denver Broncos and knew absolutely nothing about Hockey-probably the hardest thing in this whole ordeal, giving up watching his favorite sport.

Only three people knew where they were located: Timothy and their new agents, Mia and Jacob.

If Derek had met Mia and Jacob for any other reason he'd have no reason to think these two were government agents. They were friendly, loud, and when they were off duty both could drink like sailors. When they first picked up Casey and Derek they were completely professional, though, so even though they didn't always seem like it, he knew they were taking their job seriously.

Three months after moving to Texas Casey and Derek married for real, their only guests the three people they could trust, and they upgraded to a little three bedroom house with a large back yard. He bought a barbeque pit and learned how to make Texas Style barbeque-brisket is now a word in their vocabulary. Casey took up writing and after taking a few peeks at some of what she's written, Derek was pretty sure that she was going to publish.

Six months after they were married, Timothy arrived in Texas to escort Casey and Derek back to Canada for the trial. The flight was quiet, Casey fiddling with the ring on her finger, staring out the window of the plane. Casey was the star witness, so when she finally landed they were heavily guarded at all times. Derek was a potential, but not likely witness. He was there when the guy broke into Casey's home in Tacoma, and the Assistant District Attorney had said he might be needed. Mostly, though, she focused on prepping Casey whenever they spoke.

They were sitting in the courthouse with him, Casey, and Timothy secluded in a witness room. They had woke up in the hotel early that morning and Casey had hardly said a word, though Derek had prodded and antagonized. Thirty minutes into their arrival at the court, Timothy leaned over and quietly whispered to Casey, "Are you ready for this?" Out of the corner of his eye he saw Casey nod before peeking around, nervously.

Casey reached over and squeezed her old handler's hand. "Any news?" Both Timothy and Derek knew exactly what she was asking about. The few times that Casey had spoken with Timothy since their move she'd always wanted to know one thing: Had they heard anything about Anne. The mention of it, though, caused his eyes to fill with sadness and Derek couldn't imagine how he felt, being betrayed by his partner and the woman he loved.

The older man shook his head and Casey frowned. When Tim looked up he met Derek's eyes. They hadn't been able to find Anne since they left the motel but he the look on Timothy's face had Derek starting to think maybe they'd been keeping something from him and Casey.

He waited until Casey left to the bathroom before bringing it up. "You sure you don't know anything? It doesn't seem like her to just… give up." He eyed Timothy suspiciously, suddenly distrustful.

Timothy held Derek's gaze before sighing. "They found her body two nights ago."

He was starting to understand why they were keeping it from Casey. Despite the betrayal, Case had been close to the agent. It also explained the look on Timothy's face the past couple of days; he'd just assumed it had to do with the trial. "I'm sorry."

"Me too." They sat in silence for another minute. "Her mom was sick." He said finally.

Derek made some noise of affirmation and Timothy continued. "Anne, she wasn't a bad person. A large part of me hopes that maybe she was doing bad things for the right reasons… she needed the money, you know."

Derek had to wonder if he would do the same… betray an innocent life you were sworn to protect to save a family member.

"I'd like to think that," Casey interrupted, sitting beside him. Neither of them had her re-enter the room. "It's easier than thinking all the kindness was never real." She smiled when Derek wrapped an arm around her. On his other side, Timothy nodded.

They were interrupted when the lawyer approached. "Mrs. Venturi, they are ready to call you to the stand." Derek started, for a moment, at hearing the use of Casey's real name, but he remembered that no one had been given their new names, opting instead to give them the names they would have had outside of this crazy mess.

"We'll be just inside," he assured her when she gave him a nervous glance. He smoothed out the worry lines with a gentle kiss to the forehead and then she went with the lady (whose name Derek had already forgotten) while he and Timothy quietly entered into the back of the courtroom.

Given all the trouble that Casey had gone to in order to stay alive and be there for the trial, he thought that her testimony would be longer. The first part, though, was over in just under ten minutes. Casey had pointed out the defendant as the one who she'd seen that night. Derek thought she was a good witness, but supposed he might be a little bias.

As soon as the Crown counsel sat down, the defense attorney stood, pacing in front of Casey. Her questions were sharp and harsh, trying to discredit Casey as a witness but his wife maintained her story. She stayed cool and collected as she explained the attempts on her life; the two Derek had been aware of, and a few more from before he was back in the picture. She'd never mentioned those, but he supposed he never had asked.

The defense didn't appear even close to being finished when the judge recessed for the afternoon. Derek and Casey were quickly escorted out of the courtroom through a different door than the one they'd come in and minutes after the recess had been called Timothy was pulling out of the parking lot speeding toward their hotel. Derek sat in front and when he turned to look at Casey she was trembling. "Casey, baby?"

She looked at him, blue eyes wide. "I'm okay, that was just…" The brunette trailed off and stared out the window. "It's weird seeing someone who you watched murder another person, who hired people to try and kill you… and for him to sit there and completely lack remorse."

Casey didn't say much that night in their shared hotel room. The next day went much the same. They had breakfast and Timothy escorted them into the courthouse. This time, though, they didn't have to wait very long for Casey to be called onto the witness stand. The defense was continuing his interrogation from the day before.

Derek paid more attention to his wife this time and he could see the spark of frustration behind her eyes as she answered each question with an even tone. "I'm positive that it was your client, counselor."

"How can you be so sure? Have you ever seen this man before that night?"

"Until that night, I had never met the defendant, as you asked me yesterday. However, that is a face that has been haunting my nightmares for almost two years now. I remember looking right in his face as I realized that he had just put ended the life of another human and I remember his face staring back at me when he realized he wasn't alone. There was not a single moment of hesitation when he put the gun to that man's face and shot."

Timothy leaned over as Casey continued, "His lawyer just made a mistake." Timothy nodded toward the jury. There were a few who kept their expressions blank, but a majority of them looked horrified as Casey described what she'd seen that night, in more detail than the day before. "He's let her get too much information in."

"No further questions," the lawyer muttered before taking his seat.

"Re-direct?" The judge asked the prosecutor.

She rose and shook her head, "No, your Honor, the prosecution rests."

Casey was excused from the witness stand and Derek and Timothy met her back in the witness room. She was shaking again.

They didn't wait around to see how the rest of the trial went. Casey was done for the day so Timothy took them back to the car. They were quiet for only a minute before Casey leaned forward. "Can we see my parents?" She asked, eyes watering.

Timothy didn't answer, just kept driving. Casey sat with her face between the front seats for another minute or so before sighing and leaning back into the seat. Derek couldn't blame her for asking, and he was sure that Timothy didn't, either. It was hard, leaving their family behind, but it was harder being so close to them and not being able to see them. Casey never had the closure of saying goodbye, either.

"Your parents live a few hours from here, yes?" Timothy asked Derek who nodded. "Call your dad and have her mom meet him at his office for lunch. I can give you five, maybe ten minutes of actual conversation."

In the backseat Casey gasped and threw herself forward, giving Timothy an awkward hug. "Thank you."

George was surprised to get a call from a blocked number but further surprised that it was his son on the other line. He seemed confused at the request to invite Nora over to the office for lunch, without an explanation. When Timothy, Casey, and Derek pulled into the parking lot, though, Nora's car was there. "Ten minutes." Timothy warned, walking them to the door. He stayed outside, though, while the couple went inside.

Casey hyperventilated the drive over and was continuing to have trouble breathing the closer they got to George's office. "It'll be fine," He murmured in her ear and she nodded. They stopped just in front of his dad's office. George's secretary looked up at the young couple and smiled, "Sorry, he's not in at the m… Oh, Derek! How nice to see you." Her smile became more genuine, "and who is this with you?" Casey was hardly recognizable with the blond hair cut short to just below her ears and the deep tan she'd gained from living in the south. Mrs. Higgins, who didn't have the greatest memory to begin with, didn't even seem to consider that the dead daughter of Nora and George was standing before her.

"This is my wife." He winked at Mrs. Higgins, "I came to introduce her to my dad and Nora."

The older woman wagged a finger at Derek, "You know they're going to be so upset that their wasn't a wedding." Derek just grinned as she picked up the phone and dialed for his dad. "Your son is here to see you and he brought a… guest." George said something on the other line and then the door opened.

"Der-" He sounded relieved, at first when he caught sight of his son, but George stopped when he caught sight of the woman standing beside him.

"Dad! Great to see you. I know it's been a long time, no need to stare." He ushered himself and Casey past his dad, never letting go of her hand. Once inside his dad shut the door behind them.

"Casey!" Nora was crying, already, and she'd thrown her arms around her eldest daughter. Derek quietly disentangled himself from the mess of tears. Crying, still not his thing.

"Derek," George said, quietly and he looked up sheepishly at his dad.

"What? I hinted to Nora the last time I saw ya'll that she was alive."

"I think there is more of an explanation required than 'I hinted.'" The older Venturi paused, "Did you just say 'ya'll'?" He felt his ears turn pink.

"Yeah, I guess I'm picking some things up in our new home."

"Our home?" Interjected a teary eyed Nora. It was only a moment later before she noticed the ring on her daughter's hand. "You got married?"

Casey squirmed, uncomfortably. "We didn't really have a big wedding… it didn't feel right to us, since we couldn't have all of you there, too."

"You got married to each other?" Nora squeaked. She let go of her daughter, choosing to fall into a cushy chair instead. "You died so you could marry each other." She concluded a second later.

"No, no. Mom… maybe I'd better explain from the beginning… but we don't have long." Casey, the person Derek knew could drag out the smallest story into an hour, made quick work of her tale: the murder, being swept up into witness protection, running into Derek, having to relocate and Derek's decision to relocate with her, rekindling a previously unconfessed loved, and their move to their new location, which she did not specify, all told in 8 minutes.

At some point Nora sniffed and asked if there were any wedding pictures. They'd taken two, one at the courthouse right after it had become official, and one sharing a box of cupcakes they'd bought that afternoon. Casey had icing on her nose and was laughing at Derek who'd put it there.

"You look happy," Nora sniffed and started crying which got Casey crying. Derek's phone buzzed.

"Sorry, but we have to go now…" It was probably the last time they'd get to see their parents, let alone talk to them. The hugs were long and somber. When Derek hugged Nora he made the same promise to her that he had all those months ago, "I'm going to take care of her."

She was still crying when they left the office and so was Casey, but she seemed lighter somehow. Timothy met them at the door and gave a little grimace at Casey's face. Derek laughed and she stuck their tongue out at both of them. Inside the car Timothy turned so he could look at both of them. "The jury was sent out for deliberation about an hour into our drive. They came back within twenty minutes with a guilty verdict."

Casey sagged against her seat looking the most relaxed Derek had seen her his entire life, particularly since he'd met her during her new life. Timothy smiled at them, but it fell just as quick. "Unfortunately this is just going to anger his followers, Casey, you're still in danger and we have to recommend you stay within the program."

Derek thought about their little three bedroom house in Texas and the fact that he couldn't actively support a hockey team and he thought about their family. Moving back home would put all of them in danger. He looked at Casey who, naturally, had already come to that same conclusion. "I think we agree on that."

His wife nodded, but she was crying and he wondered if maybe their impromptu trip to see their parents had been a mistake. "Case…"

"I'm pregnant, Derek."