A/N - Long time no update, I know.. Sorry about that. I was in a very angsty mood and just had to write this down. One question will be answered in this chapter. The main issue between these two. As for what Derek did to get that first confrontation in chapter 1, still to come.

I do not own Life With Derek.

Enjoy!

It's tomorrow. If he's being completely technical (which he isn't). Sighing, he turned off the ignition of the car and leaned back, his eyes warily straying from the dashboard to the building in front of him. Part of him makes the mental effort to place his hand on the car door handle. All he had to do was step out of the car. The other part of him, clenches his fist around the metal thing and doesn't let go. He doesn't want to do this. It's not in his nature. With another sigh, he lets go.

Coward Derek, one. Brave Derek, zero.

The time on his wrist watch tells him he's two minutes late. Shrugging, he turns on the radio and waits. Late is late, no point in going in now.

He's good at making excuses like that.

He's no longer in the car when she walks out. He's leaning against the hood, hands in his pockets. She falters at the sight of him.

"You came." She's startled. He likes that.

"Yeah. You did invite me."

"Sure. Because this is a social call." She runs her hand warily though her hair, her sarcastic tone anything but friendly.

He stays silent for a second. "How did it go?"

Her eyes narrow at him suspiciously. "How I thought it would go."

She makes a move to side step around him, but he blocks her in. "What did he say?" He doesn't flinch when she glares at him, instead, he stares her down.

With a sigh of defeat, her shoulders sag. "We have options. Deadline is in three weeks."

"That's...good. Options." He can't help but repeat it softly to himself, as he mulls it around his head. Options. Always a good word to hear. His eyes fall on her features which were schooled in a strangely detached nature. He doesn't like that. "What do you think?"

She's startled out of her thoughts before she sighs again. She does that a lot these days. "I don't know. I thought we could discuss it, together..." Her eyes met his. "But you didn't come."

He hated getting accused. "I came." He said forcefully. "I just couldn't..."

"Come inside?"

He has to force down the impulse to drop his head. "But I came."

"Yeah...well...It's great that you did but..." Shaking her head, she moved around him. "I can do this by myself, thanks." Her tone is cutting, and bitter, and it slices through him like a knife.

He grabs her arm. "Casey-"

She shrugs easily out of his grasp. "What?"

He doesn't like this guilt thing. "I'm sorry, alright? I'm not really the type to be involved in something like...this."

Her eyes narrow in anger. "And I am?" He opens his mouth to reply, but she cuts him off. "And don't you dare say I am. I may be a woman, but that doesn't mean I'm equipped to handle this. I'm not as detached as you."

"I'm detached?" He said roughly, his anger rising. "I'm the detached one? You're the one who just won't talk to me." She turned her head away from him, but he stayed adamant, his frustration far from being satisfactorily and fully ranted out. "I've been trying. I know it's not the best, and I know that it annoys you to hell, but what do you expect when you won't even look at me?"

"Derek-"

"I'm not the one who's not communicating here, you are."

That did it. Her anger seemed to increase ten-fold. "You want communication? Fine. I'm pregnant with my step-brother's baby. And that's just fine." She said sarcastically. "Except for that teensy tiny thing that we have a brother. How's that for family bonding?"

He felt the anger she was dealing out to him. "You can't be mad at me for this. It's not just my fault."

"You think I don't know that?" She snapped. "I blame myself everyday for this. God!" Her fingers lightly grazed her forehead as she took a shuddering breath. "I wish this had never happened."

Realization dawned. "You made your decision, haven't you?" He didn't mean it, but his tone came out more bitter than he expected.

Her silence however, confirmed it.

"That's great, Case. Just kill a life like that."

Her head snapped up at his tone. "You think this is easy for me? You're not the one who has to live through this, I am. You don't get to judge."

"But I do get a say."

"Which you gave up when you said you'll support whatever decision I make."

"That was before I found out that you had already made up your mind before talking to me."

She eyed him warily. "Is this what it's about? You're mad that I didn't talk to you?" She sounded like a kinder garden teacher placating a child for a ridiculous feeling.

Frustrated, he rubbed his hands over his face. "No. I'm mad, because not only do you show no sense of consideration, but you're far from remorseful."

He did it again. He insulted her. Her eyes glared at him, pain hidden in their depths. "This is the hardest decision I have ever had to make. And you're not any help."

"But I want to be." He said desperately.

"Really?" She snapped, her tone bitter. "Because you couldn't even get out of the car."

He faltered slightly. "I want you to keep the baby."

She stared at him, her eyes wide in incredulity. "What?" She whispered it, and he could swear he heard a tinge of hope.

He took a step towards her, her expression giving him a swell of confidence that he didn't really feel. "I want you to keep the baby." His voice was forceful when he said it, even though truthfully, he didn't know if he really wanted this.

"Derek-" She shook her head like she couldn't believe it to be true.

"Casey." He said her name soothingly, as he placed his hands lightly on her shoulders. "This is your decision, but I just wanted you to know that I want you to keep it."

She looked at him, her eyes scrutinizing his. "Are you serious?"

He smirked. "Does Ed look ridiculous in a Superman costume?"

Her lips quirked slightly upwards, her eyes silently thanking him for this. "Then I guess...I'll think about it." He smiled. At least he can do something she wanted. She suddenly stepped away from him. "I better go. I have...work..."

"Yeah." He shoved his hands in his pockets to stop the impulse to pull her towards him. "I'll call you."

She shook her head distractedly, her eyes avoiding his. "Sure." And just like that, she walked away.

With a sigh, he got into his car and started the engine before changing his mind and slumping against the seat. He hated this. He hated how everything has gotten complicated. He also hated the fact that he didn't like any of the options they had. Telling his parents, making his little brother a freak, and raising a kid with a person who obviously hates him, versus losing his kid. With another defeated sigh, he started the ignition and reversed out of there.

He hated his life right now.

A/N 2-Please tell me what you think. It's the first time I'm writing this style, as well as a new angst-filled plot line.