Goodnight Smerek

by Abby13

Summary- pretty much explains it in the title. Derek puts a cutie pie, Marti to bed. Please read and post!

Marti squealed as the credits scrolled across the television screen. “Wasn’t that just the best movie EVER?!”

Casey ruffled her step-sister’s hair and smiled. “It was, Marti. But now it’s time for bed.”

Marti jumped back, astounded that someone would send her to bed so early. She shook her head and grabbed the sequel, hugging it to her chest. “Please? Can we please watch the next one. I won’t fall asleep!” She turned to Derek and put on her best puppy-dog pout. “Smerek, please let me stay up and watch it...”

He tried to deny her. It was too late for her, but then again, was he really supposed to care? His dad, Nora, Edwin, and Lizzie were all out for ice cream and some bowling, but Derek had declined afraid that his latest ex-girlfriend would be there and Casey said she had homework. Now, they were stuck with Marti who was on a sugar high from chocolate chip cookies and frosting at Dimi’s birthday party. He shrugged at his sister, “I don’t care.”

Marti popped the disc in and settled on the end of the couch for the next movie. “Thank you, Smerek.”

“Uh huh.”

The movie started up and not twenty minutes later, the little girl had hit her crashing point and was out cold and still clutching the DVD case. Derek turned off the movie, much to his and Casey’s delight, and scooped Marti up in his arms. Casey hissed at him, “What are you doing?”

“Getting her in bed, that’s what. Dad’ll be so PO’d if he finds out Marti got to sleep late.” Derek walked up the stairs as Marti stirred and grabbed his neck.

Casey followed him up and stopped at Marti’s bedroom door. It was strewn with odds and ends like crayons, markers, stuffed animals, dolls, “Big Kindergarten Workbook”s, blankets, princess dresses, boas, fake makeup, real makeup that looked a lot like hers, hair ribbons, and some other things Casey really couldn’t name. Derek scooted aside the bigger things, and stepped over the little things and laid Marti in her bed with no covers. She shifted slightly as she hit the bed, but didn’t wake.

Derek didn’t turn on the lights like Casey’d gestured. He shook his head and hopped over a teddy bear bigger then he, landing next to a purple dresser. He pulled open the middle drawer and stuffed a pair of plaid shorts and a matching tank-top from the pile into his arms and jumped back to her bed. Casey looked at him for a moment and realized that he was going to put the pajamas on Marti.

He unbuttoned her shirt just enough to get it over her head, and there she was, laying like an angel with no shirt on, and Derek didn’t even flinch. Casey squinted to make sure that the scene in front of her was real. Why had she thought that Derek wouldn’t be able to see Marti without a shirt on? Derek was her brother after all, and she was so young.

He grabbed the tank-top with a puppy dog printed on it and pulled Marti up to a sitting position. She blinked in her sleep, only once, but didn’t wake much to Casey’s joy. Derek tenderly used one arm to wrap the tank top over Marti’s neck, then switched arms with ease, drew to tank top over the rest of her body and laid her back to the bare twin bed.

Casey took a step forward when the door opened downstairs. Her mom and George were home and Marti wasn’t in bed yet. Derek turned to her, his face guilty. He whispered, “Stall.”

Casey gave him a look that read, ‘yeah right’.

Derek rolled his eyes, “Please. It shouldn’t take me any longer.” At the same time, he’d gone back to Marti, snapping her jeans open and unzipping them. He dragged the denim gingerly off her legs, and that left her resting in her pink and purple polka-dotted underwear. Derek tossed her socks onto the floor along with all the other little-kid-crap and finished her shorts. Marti turned over in her sleep, grabbing for a blanket, and didn’t find one.

Her brother stood up and searched the room for a comforter. The usually dirty quilt was folded over a toy box (that was empty). He ran over to it as fast as he could, considering that the room was as cluttered as his closet, and snatched it up. He put a pillow under Marti’s head, and the quilt over her small body. She had it in her grip in seconds.

Derek found himself stepping on a round brush when he got near the door. He grabbed it and was planning to put it away, when he heard Casey stalling.

“Uh huh, he’s upstairs fast asleep. I wouldn’t bother him too much, okay?”

Nora didn’t seem to buy the story. “Well, I’m going to make sure he’s alright.” Derek’s heart pounding matched her footsteps up the stairs. If he was caught then his weekend plans with Sam were busted. And the weekends after that until he “learned his lesson”. Crap, he thought. I’m dead... If he went to his room now, Nora would see him and he’d be grounded.

But Nora didn’t know what room he was in! Derek tossed the brush back and dashed to Marti’s bed. She awoke as he climbed in, putting a hand over her mouth. He leaned to her ear. “Sh, Smarti. Be really quiet. Pretend you’re asleep, okay?”

She nodded. “Is this a game?”

“Yeah, now shush.”

Just as he closed his eyes and struggled to slow his breathing, Nora’s shadow

went over Marti’s room. She sighed, the smile evident in her voice. “Aw, George, come here.”

His dad was there too, and they watched as Derek and Marti, the inseparable siblings, cuddled up, Marti’s knees in her chest snuggled into Derek’s stomach and Derek himself an arm over Marti’s waist, breathing slow and steady.

Casey, Edwin, and Lizzie were there next. Edwin rolled his eyes. Lizzie gripped her heart, “That’s so sweet.” Casey crossed her arms over her chest and smiled, watching the two fake it. If she hadn’t known it was all pretend, she’d of believed them easily. Good job, Derek, she said silently.

The family soon left the heart-warming scene and Casey stepped in. Derek opened one eye and saw the room empty except for his step-sister. “Did I get ‘em?”

She smiled, “Yes, you did.”

Marti opened her eyes too. “Did you know it was a game too, Casey?”

“Uh huh.”

“Oh, okay. How good was I?”

“Very good, Marti.”

Derek went to sit up, and Marti gripped his elbow. “No, Smerek, don’t leave.”

Derek grinned at his sister and obliged. How could anyone deny her puppy-dog pout, anyway? He lay back down, and watched Casey walk out, and close the door. Marti scooted closer to her brother and wiggled her head like a cat. “I love you.”

“Love back at you, Smarti.”

“Goodnight, Smerek.”

Fin