25/10/2007 13:07:00

Sorry I took longer than usual to update. I have to admit though that I did it on purpose. Sadly this is the last chapter, and I just don’t want my first fic to end just yet! I was going to extend the story, but I just couldn’t do it without ruining the ambiance and emotion that I wanted it to have.

So thanks to all of you that made my first fan fiction a lot more successful than I thought it would be! And be looking out for a OneShot and a multi-chapter fic from me soon. Hopefully by the time I post those I will have learned how to shorten my author’s notes ;)

P.S. “M-A-C just feels right.”

Shout out to Silverian Rose for suggesting to me a few chapters ago what I already had written. Nice predicting!

Disclaimer: This is me, still not owning Life With Derek.

Casey walked nervously over to Derek’s bedroom and sat down on his bed. She had been waiting by the window for the last twenty minutes for him to get home. Glancing around, she felt some of her nervousness ease as she spotted her shirt resting on his armchair. It reminded her of what he had said to her the night before. “I care a lot about you Casey.”

She took a deep breath as she heard the front door open and close, followed by the familiar stomping of his footsteps on the stairs. Standing up she looked at the door, where Derek’s form appeared seconds later. He froze for a moment when he saw her before walking the rest of the way through the door, shutting it behind him.

“Hey,” he said tentatively.

“Hi.”

Casey paused to take yet another deep breath before continuing, “I’m an idiot.”

Derek tensed up and she instantly knew he though she was going to say last night was a mistake. And why would he think any differently? I left his room before he woke up and didn’t even look at him, let alone talk to him, at Smelly Nelly’s. Derek’s tension, however, did not stop him from adding a snide remark. “Coulda told you that years ago. In fact I know I have. More than once.”

Taking a few steps towards him (seeing as how he was still pressed up against his closed door), she started again.

“Derek, I am so sorry that I walked out of here this morning. When I first woke up, I wondered if maybe last night was all just a wonderful dream. Then I looked up and saw you and felt your arms wrapped around me and I just felt so protected and cared for and…safe.”

“All of those feelings don’t usually cause the flee reaction, MacDonald.”

“I know. I just-“

“You know how I felt when I woke up?” Derek cut her off angrily. “Confused! And angry and quiet frankly, pretty fucking hurt.”

Casey’s stomach tightened looking at him. Derek never let it show this openly on his face and in his voice when he was hurt. And if she couldn’t tell how upset he was from the look on his face, she would have known by the words he spoke. Derek swore all the time, but he never used that word.

“Actually,” he said, “I woke up feeling the happiest I’ve felt in a long time. I woke up thinking about last night and you and how awesome it was gonna be to turn over and see your face. It was when I noticed that I was alone that I felt the other things. The sinking low I had in the pit of my stomach when I thought it was all a dream and that none of it really happened was nothing compared to realizing that it wasn’t a dream, but you had in fact left without saying anything to me. Casey, we didn’t exactly talk about stuff in detail, but I know that we said—“

“I love you.“ Casey interrupted him boldly.

Derek’s expressive hands froze in mid air and he looked up at her.

“You… Wha— huh?” Derek asked, cocking his head slightly to the side, looking at her confused.

“I’m in love with you Derek.”

“Then why did you leave?”

“Like I said I’m an idiot. I woke up feeling the same way you did. I mean the happy thoughts not the other ones. I was just as amazed as you, at how perfect it all was and how right it felt. But then I heard people moving around the house and I just freaked! I wasn’t scared of getting caught, I just finally processed all that had happened between us and I got scared because I realized that nothing would ever be the same again and I would just die if I couldn’t be around you anymore because even though I didn’t fully realize it until this morning I need you Derek. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. I’ve grown to care about you more than I ever—“

“I love you too Casey,” Derek said cutting off her rambling before it could get any worse.

Casey’s expression turned from tense and worried to completely smitten.

“Really?”

“Really.” He stated, smiling, as he walked up to her and slid his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him.

She wrapped one of her hands around the back of his neck and placed the other on his arm as she leaned her forehead to rest on his.

“Can I ask you something?” Derek asked softly looking into her eyes.

“Shoot.”

“Well you know you’re the only person I’ve been with, but have you ever…been with…anyone? Besides me?” He asked sounding like it pained him to think of anyone having Casey in a way he felt only he was meant to.

Casey wrapped her arms around his neck linking her hands and slowly, softly, kissed him at the spot where his ear met his jaw. She moved her lips to his ear and whispered so softly that he almost didn’t hear it, “You’re the only one. You’re my only one.”

He sighed happily and moved his head to rest on her forehead again, smiling widely. She tangled her hands in his hair, grinning back at him.

I had sex last night, Casey thought ecstatically, as Derek stared lovingly into her eyes. But it was definitely not with the wrong person.

Ok it definitely turned out a lot sappier (Derek especially) then I thought it was going to be, but I still like it.

Once again I must give all my readers a thank you for all the reviews and alerts you have for this story and for me as an author. It really means a lot to me that you all like me and my story enough to do that.

Review and give a poor college girl some joy.