a.n-- Laptop still out of commission, so my time online is limited. I am sorry. Enjoy the update guys!

The Novelist

Chapter Five

"Chill out? CHILL OUT? Guys. Were you not listening five minutes ago? I was forced to speak to Casey! She just disappears and now, now she’s back, and she has a kid, guys, one who apparently enjoys my company, and you're telling me to chill out?"

Derek Venturi slumped against the threadbare couch in his apartment with Sam and Edwin flanking him on either side, wearing twin expressions of aggravation. Derek had been freaking out for almost two hours, alternating restlessly between mumbling incoherently and silently pacing the length of the living room floor as if his life depended on it. Really, they both loved him, but his constant nervous movement had grated on their nerves, leaving them testy and extremely grateful that, for the moment, Derek had stilled, offering them a slight bit of relief from the monotonous sound of his sneakers tip tapping across the hardwood. Edwin twiddled his thumbs, resolutely avoiding Derek's eyes. He had known Casey was at the party, and, in his defense, he had attempted to call Derek, three times in fact, getting his voice-mail each time. That, however, did not stop Derek's eyes from boring holes through him in anger.

"Edwin, dammit. You we're supposed to have warned me. You, you fucking fail at being a Venturi you know that? Why the hell do I claim someone who can't even relay a simple warning?" Derek's fists were clenched, stark white knuckles a startling contrast in color to his red face and wide dark eyes. Sam had a steadfast grip on Derek's shoulder, hell bent to not let his best friend beat the shit out of his brother before his eyes.

"DEREK! Calm the hell down, bro. I called you. THREE TIMES! You have no right to be pissed off at me, if you had answered your damn phone instead of doing god knows what with god knows who, you'd have known about Casey. Sorry bro, but I have no sympathy." Edwin's voice was calm, a gentle breeze through the tension, as he stood and crossed the room to where he had left his sneakers. His shoulders, however, were pulled tight and pooled tension, an unspoken apprehension over Derek's current state. He knew better than anyone how much his brother had loved Casey. He was, after all, Derek's partner in crime. He slipped his arms through his winter coat, and threw a hopeful smile in Derek's direction.

"Hey, Bro I still have that ring you know. Maybe, maybe now you'll have a chance to use it."

Derek looked back at him dead eyed, his face contorted in pain. His voice was barely loud enough to reach Edwin through the space between them, but Edwin heard him loud and clear.

"I can't do that Ed. Someone... someone beat me too it."

Cale Waverly loved Casey McDonald to death, but even he had to admit that, sometimes, her dramatic flair wore on his nerves. They were in a corner both at the bistro down the street from their apartment, with Casey sprawled, cheek pressed into the vinyl table top beneath her arms. Bella set between them, at the table's end in a high chair, giggling as she drew ketchup lines across her plate with a french-fry.

"Cale," Casey moaned pathetically, looking up at him through mascara streaked eyes, "Cale, why did I put that ring on? He thinks I'm engaged now Cale! I'm not engaged, I'm very not engaged. How could I be engaged? You're engaged, and you're gay, and I'm pretty sure that this situation is too messed up for words."

"Casey, Hun, listen to me alright? Listen to me." Cale's voice was calm, gentle, and he rested his hand on Casey's arm in an attempt at a comforting embrace. "We've talked about this before, love. You did what we agreed you would do if you ever ran into Derek again. It was the right thing, for you, for Bella Casey, you did the right thing. I know you're hurting, but no one ever said this would be a cakewalk."

As if on cue, Bella giggled, pressing a fist into Casey's hair and tugging gleefully. Casey looked up at her, momentarily speechless as she took in the resemblance between the little girl and her father.

"Mommy, Mommy. Can I play horsey with Mr. Nice Man again? Please Mommy?" Casey's heart stutter stepped, a lump tangling in her throat as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. If Bella only knew what she was asking. If Derek only knew that today he had touched his daughter for the first time in her life. Suddenly, it hit Casey how right Cale was. She couldn't let them know the truth, she just, she couldn't. Derek would hate her, and Bella would probably have an identity crisis, and it would spell utter disaster, and Casey couldn't handle it. She had spent her time in college as a creative writing student for a reason, she couldn't deal with reality.

"Oh, baby. Bella, you know, I think that that nice man has other things to do. Not everyone has time to play with little princesses like you." She smiled warmly at her daughter, and placed a kiss on her forehead, silently willing her to drop the subject, before starting to clean up the ketchup lake Bella had been pushing her dinner through. Luckily for her, Bella had busied herself with tugging on Cale's watch, painting it sticky red, with every swipe of her fingertips. Cale grinned down at her, pulling funny faces to make the small girl laugh. Casey sighed, a half smile tugging at her features as she watched her best friend's graceful movements. She thought about how great Cale and Greg would be with their own adopted children, and how they both loved Bella as if she were their own daughter.

In her books, Casey couldn't help but meld Cale and Derek's personalities together into one, the ultimate prince charming with dark hair and dashing good looks. Her books, all but told the truth of Casey's past, the sin, the shame, the ultimate despair of her life was all right there, beneath her readers fingertips, shielded only by a thin veil of lies.

Sometimes, Casey couldn't help but think that her fictional life sucked too.

Edwin winced, a slight look of shock coloring his features as he pulled his brother into a standing position and clapped him hard on the back.

"Well, D", he said with a smirk, "Its time to get your game face on because you are going to win her back."

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