Author's Note: Remember, Casey is in italics. Derek is the regular type and "the therapist" is in quotes. Hope it's not too confusing for you.

Note 2: I reread the last chapter after I posted it and felt the need to make some changes. There were some definite blanks that I hadn't filled in. Sorry for the repost.

I really think that you should get it. They don't seem to be going away and I won't be able to concentrate if they keep knocking.

"Alright."

"Yes, can I help you?"

I hope so. My name is Casey McDonald and I'm Derek Venturi's stepsister. Can I come in?

Casey?! What are you do here? How did you even know I was here?!

You left your google calendar open on my laptop again and when I saw that you had made an appoint with a therapist I thought that—

That it would be a good idea to invade my privacy by showing up at my therapist's office?! What the hell, Case?!

Derek, please don't yell at me!

"Miss McDonald, I have to respect my patient's confidentiality so, unfortunately, if Mr. Venturi doesn't want you here I'll have to ask you to leave."

Please Derek! This is important.

God, Case, please don't cry. You know what that does to me. Just sit down already, okay? You can stay.

"Miss McDonald, can I offer you a tissue?"

Thank you.

So why are you here, Casey?

Well, when I saw that you had an appointment with a therapist I thought that it was probably about me.

Um . . . about you?

Don't play dumb about this, Derek! We both know what happened last night.

Vague much, Case?

Derek, you backed down!

"Backed down from what, Miss McDonald?"

Backed down from everything. From us.

Casey . . .

From kissing me, Derek! We both wanted it and you back down.

Casey, what are you saying?!

Don't look at me like I've just suggested we go out and murder someone!

For god's sake, Casey, you're my sister!

Don't you think I know that?! Don't you think I'm acutely aware of that every minute of every day?! You're my brother, Derek. I've thought of you that way for a long time, and at least in a small part of my mind, I always will. There will always be something terrifying and horrible about this. The thing is though . . . I don't care.

Casey . . . I never meant to . . . what have I done . . .

"Have a tissue, Mr. Venturi."

You didn't do this, Derek. Neither of us did. I don't know exactly how or when it happened, but at some point I started to have feelings for you. Maybe deep down I always did. I honestly don't know. By the time I realized that I felt this way it was already too late.

When?

That night. That night I went out with Carol's friend Jim. He was terrific, Derek. He was smart, handsome, funny, everything I thought I was looking for. But I was miserable that entire evening. Because I realized that he was totally and completely wrong for me. Because I wanted to be there with you.

But you seemed so happy when you came home that evening.

I guess I've become a better liar than when we were kids. I put on a brave face, but when I went in to my bedroom that night I cried myself to sleep. Derek, I never thought that you . . .

"Go on, Miss McDonald."

I never thought that you could have feelings for me. I thought that I was doomed to an unhappy life, either remaining around you but not being with you or else settling for someone that I could never care for. In fact, I was even planning on moving out and—

What?! You can't just spring something like that on me! You never mentioned anything about moving out!

Well, I've only been apartment hunting again since last Monday!

You should have told me right away! You can't just make that sort of decision and not tell me!

"What happened last Monday, Miss McDonald?'

Nothing. It's going to sound silly.

"Please go on, Miss McDonald. I think it's important to get everything out in the open."

Well, last Monday I met Derek at the Central Park Zoo. He was shooting this documentary there and he left one of the lenses he needed at home. He called me before I left for work and I agreed to bring it there on my lunch hour. So I met him at this little pond near the entrance to the zoo.

Since it was her lunch hour, I figured that we could grab a hot dog and feed the ducks.

And that's what we did. And it was nice. Then Derek suggested that we go see the polar bears. The zoo gave him free passes since he's shooting this film. And although I didn't have much time before I had to be back at work, I thought it would be fun.

Case, I know I made you late, but—

Derek, please, I'm telling this story! My decision had nothing to do with being a little bit late for work so just let me finish.

Okay, okay.

So Derek and I went to the polar bear exhibit and when we got there we saw that there was a huge group of children pressed up against the railing.

It looked like some sort of camp. They were all wearing the same t-shirt.

Anyways, there was this one little boy who was sitting on the ground not even trying to look at the exhibit. Derek bent down and asked him why he wasn't looking at the animals. And the boy said that he was too small and couldn't see over the other kids. And Derek just smiled and asked if he wanted to sit on his shoulders. And he did, and Derek lifted him up and both of them looked just so happy. And at that moment I knew that I had to move out.

Casey, I don't understand.

Well, I wanted that.

You wanted to sit on my shoulders?

Derek, don't laugh about this!

I'm sorry, Case. I'm just trying really hard not to cry here.

Derek, does this really make you this unhappy?

Well, you know I don't want you to move out.

So what then, Derek?! Do you want everything to stay as it is? Do you you want to stay in your room and have me stay in mine and go on like we have been forever? Is that why you're hear talking to someone else about things you should be discussing with me?

Casey . . .

Is that all you can say to me, Derek? What we have now is a half life, and I need more than that . . . You haven't even told me how you feel.

Casey, I'm in shock alright. I didn't see this coming and I definitely didn't want you to have to go through this.

Don't patronize me, Derek. I can look out for myself.

"What did you want, Miss McDonald? What did you want you saw Mr. Venturi with that boy?"

The whole package . . . I wanted to take our kids to the zoo. Mine and Derek's.

Casey, please don't cry . . .

And I knew that if I continued living with Derek those sorts of feelings would only get worse. So I told myself that I would let myself have one night. One night of giving into my ideas and pretending that I wasn't his sister and then I would get up the nerve to move out.

Then last night . . .

Yes. And when you said that I looked beautiful and held my hand as we walked from the cab I let myself enjoy it. At the same time though, I sort of thought that I was imagining it. That my twisted mind was reading too much into your actions and picking up on signals that weren't really there . . . But then we danced. And I knew that I couldn't move out . . . Because, Derek, I saw the way you looked at me!

Casey . . .

Derek, that can't just be the end of it! Because I'm in love with you. And I know that you're in love with me!

Casey, this is the kind of thing that there's no going back from. It would mean a hard life. And it would upset our friends and our family and would probably be looked down upon by a large portion of society . . .

I know that. But not being with you would be worse. So please, Derek, just tell me that you love me. I don't care that you're my brother or that it's wrong. It's all that I want.

. . . I love you, Casey. Of course, I love you.

Then stop crying and just hold me.

Author's Note:

So they probably seem out of character in this one. I hope that you understand Derek's motivation here. I hope that it's clear that he didn't go to therapy because he lacked confidence or just didn't think that he was good enough for her. Given his mindset, this was a very painful morel dilemma for him and he didn't want to cause Casey pain.

As said, this is my answer to the anti-Dasey argument that they are siblings. I personally don't see it that way, but apparently a good portion of people do. When it comes to step-siblings, I guess that incest is really in the eye of the beholder. But even if they are siblings, I don't care. Derek and Casey are made for each other and their chemistry cannot be denied. So yeah, if you're one of those people who see it the same way that Derek does in this story, then I guess this is a story of incest.