A/N: I realize it's once again been a long time since I've updated, and I apologize for the delay. My workload for school has been raised to an extreme, and I've been stressed out and exhausted trying to finish it all and maintain a life in the meantime. This is the last chapter, so I hope that it's up to par as the rest of the story. I await your awesome reviews of not only the chapter, but the overall quality of the story. Thanks so much for your dedication, and enjoy the chapter!

7 years later…..

Casey hovered above her kitchen counter, apron in tow, seamlessly humming a rhythmic tune as she prepared supper for the evening. She cautiously diced onions on a cutting board, being careful of her delicate fingers. Despite being a 25 year old supposed "adult" now, her trait of clumsiness had followed her, occasionally having an unfortunate accident from time to time. Very rarely would she come home without several deep paper cuts, which she managed to achieve from large amounts of paper work at the firm, where she worked as an attorney intern.

She glanced up from her culinary work, of which she had become a master of, stealing a peek at the small boy across the room, playing with a plastic hockey stick and rubber puck, a wide grin across his face.

"He passes over to the left wing, one times it, scores!!" the boy shouted, throwing his arms and the stick up in the air, running in circles around the kitchen table. Casey smiled in his direction, turning back to the cutting board. She continued to dice onions until the little boy popped up in front of her.

"Don't worry Jason, dinner will be ready soon" Casey said, hoping to reassure the boy that he would soon be able to eat a scrumptious meal. Jason smirked, running back toward the living room, leaving Casey to finish preparing dinner in peace.

"But I don't wanna" Jason shouted, throwing his fork down on the table and shoving his plate away from him. He crossed his arms over his puffed out chest and his hanging bottom lip, causing Casey to giggle at him. It was so adorable to watch him try and stand strong, knowing he would cave eventually.

"Honey, don't act like a toddler. If you don't eat your green beans, you won't get any of those brownies I baked earlier" Casey said calmly, sipping at a glass of water. Jason let out a much exaggerated moan, reluctantly shoving a green bean 

in his mouth, all the while glaring at his mother. Casey sat there calmly under his stare, glancing out the kitchen window. The snow outside was coming down heavily; they must've gotten at least a half foot already. Casey frowned; worried about the treacherous weather he would be driving in.

She stood up to rinse off her plate, thinking it was time for a nice cup of hot cocoa. She sat herself on the couch, mug in tow, picking up one of her law books from the coffee table.

"Mom, can I have a brownie now? I finished my green beans" she heard the little boy ask feebly. Casey rolled her eyes; she knew he had thrown the rest of his green beans in the trash behind her back.

"Just one Jason" Casey said, turning back to her book, occasionally glancing at the mounting snow outside.

Several hours and several chapters later, Casey finally closed her book, satisfied with the quick progress she was making on her studies. She glanced out the window to find another foot and a half of snow mounting up on the yard outside. She looked at the clock with weary eyes. It was eleven o'clock, and he still wasn't home. She knew that she shouldn't worry; that this sort of thing happened al l the time, but she couldn't help herself as she stood in front of the window, 

watching nervously for any sign of him. She could barely see the street in front of her house; Mother Nature was having a field day with their town. Casey looked for something else to occupy her mind, but nothing could keep her from worrying. She went upstairs to check on Jason.

She opened his door to find his room dark, his figure silent in his bed. She smiled lightly, moving to leave the room when she heard his stir.

"Mom?" he called out softly, slowly sitting up in bed.

"Yes dear?"

"Is dad home yet? He hasn't come in to say goodnight to me" Jason said, a small frown on his face.

"Not yet, he should be home soon though" Casey said reassuringly.

"Why isn't he home yet?" he asked looking to his mother curiously. Casey sat on the edge of her son's bed taking a deep breath.

"Honey, remember what I told you about passing on, and heaven?"

A car slowly pulled into the driveway…

"Yeah, what about it?"

The door downstairs slowly creaks open…

"Your dad is helping give others their second chance"

"Hey, anyone home?" he called out from downstairs.

"Dad!" Jason shouted, jumping out of bed enthusiastically, running down the stairs.

"How're you doin J?" he asked, pulling his son into a big hug. "Shouldn't you be in bed already?"

"I couldn't sleep. I had to tell you the Leafs won today!" Jason shouted, his eyes filled with exuberant joy. His father couldn't help but smile.

"That's great son" he said, quickly ruffling his son's hair. The little boy giggled, then eagerly ran back up the steps past his mother, who had just entered the kitchen. She slowly walked toward he man, who stood stone-faced in the doorway. Her next action took even herself by surprise, as she slapped him so hard his head was thrown backward, catching him off guard.

"Stubborn ass, not even a phone call home to let me know you're okay!" she shouted moving to shove him once again. He caught her wrist halfway through the motion, pulling her roughly into his embrace. He held her until she stopped 

struggling in his grasp and relaxed herself, her arms slowly moving to wrap around his waist.

"I'm sorry Case" he muttered, nuzzling into her neck, inhaling her sweet scent, "A teen with a gunshot wound came in as I was about to leave, and I wanted to help" he said softly, trailing his fingers along her back.

"Derek, that doesn't make up for making your family worry, making me worry about you!" she said, pulling away from him slightly to see his eyes. Her face immediately softened when she saw the guilt in his eyes. She knew he didn't mean to worry her, finding his willingness to help those in need a very charming trait he had developed in the passing years. She leaned her head against his chest, closing her eyes to take everything about him in.

"I haven't been this worried about you since seven years ago" she muttered her nails slowly running through his hair.

"Really? God, you must have been an absolute wreck" he muttered a smile making its way onto his face. He remembered that day so vividly; the day that nearly tore Casey apart; the day she had given him his second chance…

Back in his own mind, Derek sat next to his mother, watching the scene of his own limp body with a sobbing Casey next to him solemnly.

"Derek, its time" his mother said, standing up beside him. He hesitated to stand beside her, not wanting to leave the scene as just a memory yet. She let him have a few more moments before placing a hand upon his shoulder. He took one last longing look at Casey.

"Goodbye Case" he said softly to himself, before following his mother. He could still hear Casey's sobs in the background as he walked away.

"Derek, if you can hear me, I need to tell you something" he heard her say in the background, causing him to slow his pace.

"The past few months with you have been the best months of my life…You've been so kind to me and treated me so special, that it awakened something inside of me, something I've been waiting for along time" she swallowed hard, fighting back the oncoming tears. Derek's head fell, he hated that he was causing her such pain at the moment.

"I guess what I'm trying to say …is that I've fallen for you Derek" she paused once more, "I'm in love with you"

These words caused him to halt in his tracks, his entire body stilling, cold chills running up and down his spine endlessly. He turned back toward Casey to see her place a gentle kiss along his lips. He felt the tingling sensation upon his own, despite him not experiencing it in person. He watched as Casey's tears finally started to fall again when his heart monitor flat line. His mother turned back when she realized he had stopped following.

"Come on Derek" she said nonchalantly, turning back to walk again.

"No!"

His mother turned around again, surprised at the anger and defiance in his voice. She saw tears making their way down his cheeks, but there was a determined look in his eyes, "I'm not going anywhere!" he shouted once again.

"Derek, you can't go back" his mother said solemnly.

"I don't care!" he shouted, looking back toward the image of Casey, "I'll stay right here then!" he finished.

"Derek, if you stay here now, you'll never be able to come join us" his mother said, a frown on her face.

"Then I guess this is goodbye mom. As long as I can hear Casey's voice and even feel like I'm even remotely close to her, then I'm okay if I'm stuck hear forever" Derek said, walking back towards the image. His mother watched him for a few more moments before speaking up.

"Why Derek?" she asked, not knowing what else to say at his act of utter oblivion. He paused a moment, looking deep within himself.

"Because she's the person who I look forward to seeing everyday. Because she's the one I could see myself being happy with for the rest of my life" he paused a moment longer, "Because I love her mom" he said softly, giving his mom a slight smirk. His mother stood there for a moment, as if pondering something, before a smile lit up her face. He watched as the image of his mother slowly started to fade, until he could see her no more. He could still hear her faint voice within the air.

"You've become so strong Derek. You learned to put your faith and love into other people. And now you understand what it feels like to fall in love. I just wish I had half as much dedication to your father as you do to Casey. Become sometimes putting all of your faith into the one you love is all you need to give you a second chance".

Derek stood there, pondering what his mother had said, trying to understand what she meant as everything around him was enshrouded in light…

Tears continued to pour down Casey's cheeks as she watched his heart monitor flat line. She couldn't believe this was really happening, as if it were some very vivid nightmare she was unable to wake up from. Her lips were still tingling intensely from the kiss moments earlier, and she relished in the feeling. She was no longer afraid of these feelings that she had for him, no longer afraid to admit she was in love with her stepbrother. She intertwined her fingers with his.

"I love you Derek" she whispered to herself, rising from the chair next to his bed, wiping her face of the tears. She realized they had stopped flowing. "And I probably always will" she said, letting go of his hand, turning towards the door. "Goodbye" she slowly walked toward the exit, turning the handle to walk out of the room.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Casey whirled around, in complete and utter shock, to see Derek staring at her with a smirk on his face. She hadn't moved so fast in her life when she dashed across the room to throw her arms around him. He returned the embrace lightly, 

gently stroking her back with his fingertips. Casey pulled back slightly to look into his eyes, a clouded look on her face.

cheek, causing him to smile involuntarily.

"Either that, or heaven's a lot nicer than I thought it would be" Derek joked, receiving a slight slap on the arm from her, but a giggle along with it. He waited until her giggle subsided and she was looking at him as if he was the most precious thing in her life.

"I love you too Casey" he said quietly, causing her eyes to go wide in shock. He nodded to her, telling her silently that he had heard her. She understood, burying herself in his chest again. He closed his eyes, holding her tightly. He would never let another moment with her slip by, and he would cherish everyday he was able to spend with her for the rest of his life.

He looked down at Casey, seeing the same clouded look in her eyes that she had in the hospital that day. He leaned down to gently kiss her lips, relishing in the ecstatic feeling she enveloped him in. She had been the one he had fallen in love 

with, the person he was able to place all of his faith into. She was the one that had saved his life.

Because she had given him his second chance.

The End

A/N: Thank you all so much for giving me the opportunity to write this story for you. I've had so much fun writing it, despite all the frustration and anger I had through it all. Your support has been unbelievable and never dreamt of getting such a response from so many. While this may be the end of this story, it is certainly not the end of my writing I will post on here. I only hope that you guys will continue to enjoy my writing, and that I will continue to progress toward my goal of being an author one day. Thanks again!

-Jimmy