Title: Tick
Rating: T
Summary: Time drags on when you miss someone.
Disclaimer: trust me, if i owned LWD, then Derek and Casey would be together.

The only thing you can hear is a ticking noise in your head. You aren't crazy, you're just nervous. You just spent two weeks holed up in a cabana in Costa Rica, staying in a remote village called Quebrada Arroyo, near Manuel Antonio and Quepos. You were helping to rebuild the rainforest trails (in an eco-friendly way, which Lizzie would be pleased to know.)

Two weeks away from Canada. Two weeks away from George and your mom.

Two weeks away from Edwin, Lizzie, and Marti.

Two weeks away from Derek.

The fingers holding onto your carry on bag tighten around the thick, woven strap. You haven't been able to call anyone since your connecting flight in North Carolina…on your way to Costa Rica. And the nights you spent in bed playing Tetris and Guitar Hero on your phone didn't exactly help to save your battery, so now your cell is completely dead.

And you've really missed them, so not being able to contact them has stunk majorly.

The short, pudgy woman in front of you is trying desperately to rouse the attention of her two young boys and shoo them off the plane. You're not a particularly spiteful person, but you sort of hate her right now. She's blocking the aisle of the plane, and she and her children are the only things standing between you and everything.

Finally, after five agonizing minutes, she grabs her two sons and hustles them off of the plane. Suddenly, your heart won't stop beating like you just ran a marathon, and you think you might throw up. Your bag, which you bought in a craft market for 6500 colones, feels uncommonly heavy. It's probably because of the stuffed animal you bought for Marti, the beautifully carved box for Lizzie, the two t-shirts you bought for Edwin, the bracelet and soccer jersey you bought for Derek, your dramamine, your water, two magazines, and your diary.

Or maybe it's because you're so nervous that you seriously might throw up.

The steps that you're taking to get out of the plane even manage to sound nervous. You're so scared because what if he hasn't missed you? What if he found some other girl while you were away, someone thinner, prettier?

Your relationship had barely just begun before you were gone, and while Costa Rica was absolutely gorgeous, you couldn't go a single day without thinking about him.

You've taken about two steps outside of your gate when you hear someone call your name.

"Casey!" The voice sounds excited, out of breath, and most importantly, it's his. You turn around, and there he is.

He shoves his way through the crowd, shouldering and elbowing without regret. Your bag hits the carpeting and you rush towards him. You collide and stumble, and he's pressing hot kisses into your hair and all over your neck, and he's whispering, "Shit, Casey, don't go away again."

You grab his face between your hands and kiss him, hard. When you pull away, you think your smile just might break your face.

He takes your hand and even picks up your forgotten bag, and even though his smile is nowhere near as large as yours is, the small one on his lips that he tries to suppress with a bite is a welcome sight to you.

"Where are we going?" you ask, giddy.

He raises an eyebrow at you and says, "Where do you wanna go?"

"I don't care," you whisper happily, squeezing his hand. "I'm home, Derek. I'm with you."

He bites his lip again, and you feel the pressure on your hand.

X X X

When you pull up into the airport parking lot, your palms won't stop sweating and your stomach's tied in knots. Casey's been away for two weeks. Two weeks without dancer's legs wrapped around your waist, soft hair spread on your pillow, and that lazy smile on her face when she wakes up in the morning.

You'd be damned if you ever told anybody, but you missed the hell out of that girl. You managed to use reverse psychology on Nora and your dad, and got them to believe that it was their idea for you to pick her up.

You find the terminal she'll be arriving in easily, and you're so nervous that you keep crossing and uncrossing your arms and shuffling your feet back and forth. You don't know if she met some native Costa Rican who wooed her away from you with his knowledge of the rainforest and Spanish accent.

Your relationship is so new and intense and you find yourself more protective of her than with any other girl before.

When she finally steps off of the plane, she begins walking in the opposite direction of you.

"Casey!" you shout, voice shaking. She stops and turns towards you, and you tink you might vomit because you're so excited and she's so beautiful.

Before you even know what you're doing, your feet are moving and so is she, and then she's in your arms. You almost sink with relief because it's been two weeks and your girl is back in your arms. You kiss her everywhere that you can and mutter something about her never going away again. You don't mention that it might just kill you if she does.

Ten minutes later, she's snuggled against your side in the hunk of shit that is your car, and you can't stop smiling.

She whispers in your ear about how much she missed you and how worried she was that Sally had finally managed to sweep you off your feet. God knows she's been trying as hard as possible. But all you have to do is think about the way Casey looks, asleep in your bed at two am, and it's easy to resist Sally.

A long strand of her hair dances through the wind and tickles your cheek, and her grip slackens as she dozes off…and you look down at your girl, and you know that this is it.

She's "The One" for you.

And no way in hell is she getting away from you again.