Chapter 15 – Derek

"There's someone out there! Marti over."

"We are on alert! Edwin over."

"He's soaking wet and mad! Marti over. "

"The enemy is attacking by water? This could be a problem because we're prepared for an air attack…"

"Derek, Edwin, no one better use a water-gun in the house! Casey over."

"No chit-chat during battle. And get off our channel! Derek over…OW!" Derek recovered in time to dodge the second tennis ball gunned towards his head. The ball ricocheted off the wall beside him and bounced crazily down the attic stairs. "Crap!" He dove sloppily out of his hiding place behind Edwin's door. "I'm under fire! I'm under fine! Marti, do you copy?"

Derek tried to make a run from the attic stairs to the games closet but something snagged his foot. Casey tackled him to the ground and sat on his chest to pin him.

He could have easily thrown her off him, but she looked so pleased with herself as she stared him down, with a copy of his own smug smirk, that he didn't have the heart. Instead, he raised his hands in surrender.

Lizzie grabbed the walkie-talkie from Derek's grasp. "Marti? Edwin? We have your leader…surrender to us peacefully…and"

"HEY!"

Marti suddenly appeared at the end of the hallway. "That wasn't part of the game! I was serious! There's a soaking wet, mad, person on our doorstep!"

Huh? Derek scooted out from under Casey. Just then, the doorbell rang.

Edwin peeked out of Casey's room. "Is that the doorbell? Did someone order pizza?"

Casey climbed off Derek and they both stood up. "Did we order pizza?" Derek asked looking at her. Over the years they'd fallen into a rhythm with their babysitting: Derek kept everyone busy and his stepsister took care of … the "taking care" part. Casey shook her head.

The kids made there way downstairs to the front door as the person on the other side decided to bang his fist against it.

"Hang on! Hang on!" Derek scowled at whatever the perceived emergency could be on the other side of the door. He half expected Sam or Ralph to drunkenly insist he come next door to party with them.

Edwin got to the door first but Derek stepped in front of him at the last second to open it. The McDonald-Venturi kids all stared at a dripping wet, startled looking Sheldon Schlepper.

Derek tensed. It didn't take a genius to know what a pissed off Sheldon Schlepper would want with him. The dork probably came back in town to try and steal Emily away … or propose again …or something. Emily probably told Sheldon some version of events that made Derek look like a total prick and now Sheldon was going to prove his love for her by threatening the guy who "did her wrong." Derek tried not to roll his eyes.

Maybe if he let Sheldon save face a little, punch him or whatever the idiot had in mind when he stomped over here--shoeless? --then Derek could finally put the whole mess with Emily behind him.

But Sheldon didn't move to punch Derek or even drop the startled look from his face. Obviously he had expected something more mano-a-mano when he'd stomped over to the Venturi house. Seeing all the kids, dressed in pajamas and camouflage face paint had really stopped him short.

Marti stepped forward. "Do you want a towel?"

"Um…"

Derek didn't miss the strong flush of embarrassment in Sheldon's cheeks. He guessed that in Sheldon's Casey-like sense of chivalry, it was somehow morally undignified to pounce on the elder brother of a little girl who had just offered you a towel.

"Sheldon!" Casey smiled cheerily. "Are you here for Emily's party?" She moved forward like she was going to hug him and the flush burned stronger in Sheldon's face.

"Actually …"

Casey seemed to notice Sheldon's dripping clothes and thought twice about hugging him. She settled for patting his shoulder as a greeting.

Derek had to bite hard on his cheek to keep his amusement at bay. Sheldon's own sense of morality was kicking his ass much harder than anything Derek would have dealt out, even if he HAD still been with Emily! He couldn't resist taking another swipe at Sheldon's conscience. Derek schooled his features into his best look of sincere concern, "Do you want to borrow a bathing suit?" he asked.

"No thanks." Sheldon hung his head.

"Sheldon stop!" Suddenly, Emily emerged from the dark and to stand on the Venturi porch beside her dripping champion. She was out of breath and had to bend over for a second as everyone gathered around her.

"Em, are you okay?" Casey asked. She glanced worriedly back at Derek as she stepped out onto the porch. Oh God! Derek might have fun toying with a do-gooder like Sheldon Schlepper, but he had Casey pulling his own strings these days. And his stepsister's streak of righteous do-gooder could put any "concerned citizen" to shame.

Derek could hear the party still going full force at the house next door. If anything, it sounded like the music and shouting and laughter was louder than it had been earlier in the night.

"Are you having fun at your party?" Casey asked her best friend. Derek felt a wrench of guilt at the distance that had settled between the girls these last two weeks. When Casey had dated Sam, he hadn't had to deal with the mess of their relationship affecting his friendship with his best friend. But, because of him, Emily had practically abandoned her friendship with Casey. It bothered him more than he'd thought it would.

Emily crumpled at her friend's concern, "No, I'm not. I'm having a terrible time because you didn't come and I know that I've been such a bitch, and everyone at the party is drunk and …I miss you, Casey."

Casey's arms circled her friend. "I'm so sorry about everything, Em. I didn't want to hurt you. You're my best friend!"

"I know that. And Derek and I didn't really work out as a couple. I never really cared about him the way that you do… it was just the fantasy."

Sheldon and Derek exchanged horrified expressions at the airing of all these feelings. Derek knew why he was embarrassed and he could imagine why Sheldon felt the same way. If it was uncomfortable to hear that he'd been someone's "fantasy," it must be excruciating for Sheldon. He'd obviously come all the way back to London just to … end up in Emily's pool? .

"Uh … so … why are you all … soggy?" Derek gestured at Sheldon's still dripping clothing. "Party out of control?"

Emily broke free of Casey's embrace before Sheldon could answer. "It's completely out of control. At this point… I'm thinking of calling the cops myself!"

Derek winced. "Not a good idea, Em. It's a pretty hefty fine plus community service if they break the party up for you. Trust me on this."

Casey raised an eyebrow at him.

"Anyway," Derek slung an arm around Casey and looked back at their battle-ready siblings. "Maybe we can help you out."

. . . . . .

"Derek in position. Over."

"Marti in position. Over."

"Lizzie and Ed are in position. Over."

"Um … maybe we should call mom and George first …"

"Casey! No chitchat on the channel!"

"Sorry!"

Derek squinted into the darkness at the passionate clench his former girlfriend had on Sheldon Schlepper. "Em, and Sheldon! – I can see you making out from here! Get your minds back on the mission, Soldiers!"

"Sorry Sir!" Sheldon squeaked.

Derek rolled his eyes at his walkie-talkie. Sheldon was the one person alive who could make Casey seem cool.

"We got our heads on straight now, Boss!"

The partying teens in back of the Davis house were only aware they were under attack during the final phases of the plan.

First, the alcohol disappeared. (The result being that a lot of the football and hockey team deciding to "call it a night").

Then, the music shut off. (So the patio mosh-pit disbanded).

Next, a circle of odd lamps, flashlights, camping lanterns and tiki torches suddenly illuminated the swimming pool. Which ended the last "activity of interest" in the Davis back yard. (Derek could hear Marti's "Ewww! Gross!" from across the yard.)

Finally, pajama clad, masked water-gunmen circled the really diehard guests NOT getting the message—LEAVE!—and let loose with freezing streams of ice water.

And, just to make sure no one thought about trying to fight back …

In place of the once booming Red Hot Chili Peppers, Celine Dion started belting out "My Heart Will Go On". (Even the neighbors decided THAT was beyond tolerable and, after hours of ignoring the out of control teenage partying, someone called the cops).

The last car-load of teens had just disappeared when the sirens made their turn onto the block.

"Listen up!" Derek hollered over Celine's high notes, "Get that music off and everyone go back in the house!"

Derek peeled off his ski mask and swung Marti into his arms. He grabbed Casey by the ponytail, "Not you. You're going to be a prop. Come here."

Casey came to stand beside him, jittery, wide-eyed, as the flashing police lights lit up the lawn. Derek leaned down and touched his lips to hers, not quite a kiss, "Calm down. Don't look at them. Look at me instead."

She took a breath and stilled. He pecked her again on the cheek and Derek decided that she would probably seem calm to anyone else's eyes. Her trust in him worked the same magic that his kiss had in her. Derek stood up straighter—tried to feel more like a man than a boy. He pulled her into his side and smiled as the officers approached them.

"Well I guess those kids were all just saying their goodbyes when they woke up our little girl officers – we might have over-reacted in calling you," he said.

The two policemen stopped wearily in their tracks, one consulting a clipboard. "You're Hiram Steinburg of 2312 Simmons Drive?"

Derek smiled and nodded. He patted Marti's head with the lazy indulgence of a father. "That's right." Derek glanced quickly at the Steinburg house on the other side of the street. He saw a curtain twitch but no light ever came on. The old coot probably didn't want to have to come out of his house to deal with the police now that the party had dispersed.

"Daddy? Can I get back to bed now?" Marti whined yawning.

Casey frowned at her.

"Sure thing sweetie." Derek shrugged at the two policemen. "I do appreciate you coming out here. Makes us feel a lot safer to see such a fast response to our call."

The officer with the clipboard checked something off. "Well… alright… if there isn't anything else we can do for you… Mr. Steinburg…" His partner was already tiredly trudging back to their car.

Derek pulled rubbed the shoulder of his "wife" as he waved goodbye to the nice policemen.

He had a firm grip on Casey's hand as he led her back to the house. "Don't say a word," he warned her. "That was a brilliant move on my part and you know it."

He didn't look, but he could hear her huff with disgust beside him. Still, some part of her must have agreed with the brilliance of his little act because she turned on Marti instead. "Marti, you should never lie to a policeman like that. You could get into a lot of trouble and … it isn't very nice."

"Okay Casey," Marti said sweetly with her best look of big-eyed innocence.

Casey's lips pursed. "I'm serious."

"Okay, Casey," Marti repeated.

Casey turned her glare on Derek. "You are a terrible human being."

"Yeah. Yeah – I heard it all before."

He noticed that Marti made a break for it the second Casey's attention was elsewhere.

He and Casey settled into the couch.

He toyed with a lock of her hair – thought about the future. This time next year, they would be in a different city and, hopefully, moving into an apartment together. He'd had dorm food and roommates when he'd gone to summer hockey camps so he already knew he wouldn't like it.

Derek figured he could survive about a year of the typical college experience before claustrophobic living conditions and mystery meat did a number on his attitude towards school. Not that it was only her cooking or her respect for personal space that made him certain of his future with her. Casey's dumbass sense of chivalry, of right and wrong, her self-discipline and absolute immunity to his bullshit made her a necessary figure in his life. He would be apartment hunting with her this time next year because he really couldn't negotiate the future without her.

He put his arms around his stepsister – girlfriend – he would have to get used to calling her that before they left for Queens. He put his arm around his girlfriend, "Not that it wasn't fun… but I'm pretty much done with high school. How 'bout you?"

Casey leaned against him. "Yeah, me too…finally." She smiled one of her goofy trusting smiles at him. "Bring on the future," she said.

"Yeah," he agreed. He leaned in to kiss her, stroked her smooth, soft cheek with one thumb. This was what he wanted now, and for the future. Bring it on.

. . .

The end!