Casey grabbed the backpacks that were lying around in the living room floor and called out for the two little ones that were still currently running around the house looking for something or other that they were still missing.

She smiled to herself, though the smile did not touch her eyes like it used to. She hadn't smiled that way in a long time.

"Michael, Lacie, come on or we'll be late!" she called as she grabbed her car keys and opened the door. As she did so, she could hear the footsteps coming down the stair case towards her.

"But mommy I still can't find Sir Lancelot." Michael whined as he stomped his little feet on the carpet while Casey helped him into a sweater. He was six years old now, and it hurt to look at him because every day he looked more and more like his father, right down to the dimples he would get whenever he would grin.

"Mike, I packed it for you remember?" Lacie said as she finished zipping up her boot. Lacie, always so calm and helpful, just like her mother. Hard to believe she was only thirteen years old, but she was. Lacie was the spitting image of her mother, 'except she had her father's brown eyes.

Casey smiled at her daughter gratefully and mouthed a thank you, to which she replied with a smile.

"Alright kid's get in the car, we don't want to make daddy wait." she reminded. The two children nodded and hopped into the backseat of the car before Casey started the car and drove off.

He stood there waiting, like he did on every other Friday morning at 11 Am, in the corner of the old Student parking lot of the school they had both attended what now seemed like ages ago.

He watched her pull up the curb. The kids seemed like they didn't want to wait for her to park the car properly for as soon as she had stopped for a brief moment while she put it in reverse, Lacie and Michael jumped out of the car and dashed towards him. Now he could only imagine what the look on her face was when they pulled that little stunt on her.

"DADDY!" the two cheered as they rushed towards him. He held out both his arms for them and let them tackle him to the trunk of his car.

"Whoa Whoa Whoa! Take it easy on me guys, you might break Me." he chuckled as they embraced for a brief moment of silence till someone cleared her throat.

"Sorry about two weeks ago, but I really needed to take them with me on that Trip, Micah insisted" Derek cut her off; he didn't want to know about her stuck up editor. "It's alright Casey; at least you let me know in advance this time. Plus," he shrugged. "It was Disney Land." he smiled. "You know I don't have enough available to stay with them there for more than a few hours." he reminded.

Casey nodded. "I know, good game you guys had last night." she commented as she helped the kids into his car and handed him their backpacks. Derek smiled at her, but if felt only half full. "... Jake was a bit off game but luckily I was there to save the day." he announced.

They didn't say much afterwards, just the simple reminder about allergies, bed times and sweets. After that they went back to their cars and drove off in their separate ways.

It was getting late now, and the house he had cleaned up this morning now looked as if a tornado had passed through it. There were toys, books, movies, plates you name it, it was all scattered around the place. But he didn't mind.

He was currently busy making Mac'N Cheese with wieners and mashed potatoes, for it seemed this was Mike's new favorite dish. "How's that bud?" Derek asked as he gave Michael a taste right from the spoon he was using to stir.

Michael shook his head. "No... It tastes different, maybe we should call mommy and ask her how she makes it." He suggested innocently. But Derek fought the urge to flinch at that, because for some reason that made him feel... useless.

That was everything he was now a days, useless. It made him miss what he had been with her more, and dealing with it, when he let himself dwell on it just made things that much harder.

They sigh as they let themselves dwell in what they had once had and how it could have drifted them apart.

They both still deeply care about each other, but the Ego-maniac and the Keener were certain that what they felt wasn't returned. They had chosen this, not anyone else.

Things had been messy at first during the divorce, but they pulled themselves together, seeing as it wasn't just them they had to worry about, they had Lacie and Michael to look strong for. Even before the judge had given Casey McDonald - previously Ventury- full custody of the two kids, At that time however, only Lacie was around, and Mike was still in the making.

When Derek learned of Casey being pregnant once more, especially during the divorce, it nearly broke him, but he knew now more than ever Casey would want to get things over with. But as a last effort he talked to her.

Casey admitted to being terrified about the whole ordeal, put she promised him that no matter who got the custody, the two of them would always be in the kids' lives, both promising to get together every other weekend.

The Final divorce hearing was held off until his son was born, wanting both of his children to still be able to have the Ventury name legally, and be able to be born inside their marriage.

At that time, believe it or not, both had hoped Derek would get the full custody of both Michael and Lacie. Don't get Casey wrong now, but both Casey and Derek knew that she would be the one who would struggle the most cope with the situation, while Derek would only have trouble of adjusting his work to fit his family's needs.

She wakes up late, well late for Casey anyways, and frowns. She gets out of bed slowly and walks up to her radio and turns it on. The house felt lifeless, just like it always was on Saturday mornings when it would be his turn to take the kids. And it pained her to realize just how much he missed having someone to fight with just like Lacie and Michael did.

She missed fighting over the remote, because it was just plain rotten luck that her favorite show had to be during a hockey game. Though she had to admit it was considerate of him that whenever it would be one of her shows he would practically drag her into the living room, just as she would whenever it was one of his games.

She shook her head quickly, those days were over and she needed to get over it, it had been years already. Years she missed dearly, years she would never let go of, years she will never get back.

Everyone saw the divorce coming, including them. Their fights were starting to be more constant, and far more heated than they had ever been.

Apparently this had all started when Casey had published her second children's book and suddenly her career as a dance slash choir instructor was not enough for her anymore. Needing to go cross country for long periods of time and leaving Derek in charge of Lacie was something that was not taken well. Seeing as when Casey would finally come back, one single question about something would start the longest - and loudest - of arguments between them.

And though they would seek each other out to make amends with each other time after time, they were drifting apart. And slowly but surely, they marriage ended.

Sunday Evening Derek Ventury unloaded his backseat of his children's things and helped Casey put them in her own car. The kids were asleep, leaving the space empty and in dire need of something to dull the awkward silence with.

Casey kept sneaking glances as Derek when she thought he wasn't looking, and Derek took deep breaths to try and make small talk about anything each time Casey's back was to him, only to back out once she caught his eye. Turning their backs to each other, again as Casey finishes loading the car and gently closes the doors.

Derek gives her a smile, one that she knows that while not fake, it's not entirely to sincere and a little to forced as he turns around and starts heading to his car.

Before she can stop herself his name is leaving her lips. "Derek."

Derek felt his heart stutter and his flesh rose the hairs in his arms with emotion, emotions only she could bring out in him, even if it was just by calling out his name in that simple rushed breathless manner. He stops in his tracks and it's only a slight second it takes him to compose himself before he turns around to face her. "Case?"

Her bottom lip trembles, the words she wants to speak, things she yearns for him to know. But she reminds herself that this is all for the best, that they had tried differently and it only lead to disaster and so with a heavy heart she closed her eyes and forced one of her best smiles at him. "See you in two weeks."

If Derek didn't know any better, he would say that his heart, what little he had let o it anyway, has finished shattering. But he was a master of keeping cool under pressure and maintaining appearances, so he too flashed her one of his smiles, the sort of smiles that rarely ever made an appearance. They were the smiles that he had always kept and created just for her.

"See you in two weeks, Princess." He says before turning around and getting in his car and driving off.

Neither of them gets to see the lone tear that trails down the other's cheek