Derek and Casey(Life with Derek)

[jannika.livejournal.com]

Title: Derek and Casey-Every Little Thing
Author: jannika (Stephanie)
Fandom: Life with Derek
Pairing: Derek and Casey (Dasey)
Word count: 4,800(Not counting quotes)
Spoilers: Through the end of season three.
Notes and thanks: With thanks to: sacred_lullaby, lizwinlove and moirariordan for reading this over for me and for your wonderful suggestions. You guys are awesome. Pretty much everyone in Dasey fandom- You are all amazing. *hugs all around* The awesome people at Seater Online where these screen caps and promo images are originally from....and to Mal and Cass, because we've been talking about Derek and Casey for a really long time now.

Image heavy...because I like pictures.


Derek and Casey- Every little thing.






Intro:

She's a good girl, a perfectionist and people pleaser. He's a bad boy who does whatever he wants, when he wants, then charms his way out of trouble. She loves to make rules, he loves to break them. She's self righteous, he's arrogant. She's looking for love, he's looking for his next bimbo. She works hard at school, he works hard at having a good time. She's a dancer, he's the hockey captain. The only time they stop fighting is when they're doing incredibly sweet things for each other. This probably sounds like the set up for every antagonistic couple in every teen movie you've ever seen, and on the surface, Derek and Casey are very much that couple. The 'we fight like an old married couple, look how our glares are filled with desire' couple. The 'opposites attract, so different and yet so perfect' couple. The main difference? When they were 15, Derek's dad married Casey's mom.

Honestly, that's what draws a lot of people to them. Seeing that much sexual tension between two step siblings is intriguing. It's dirty and it's forbidden and in America? It's on the Disney channel, which adds to the intriguing, dirty factor. It's fun to look for glances and too much touching, fun to read between the lines of their fighting. The thing about Derek in Casey is, once you're watching for the sexual tension, you get wrapped up in the sweetness and the affection that's slowly building between them. You start to notice that they understand each other, that they fit together perfectly, that they're exactly what the other needs. That's why people really ship them, why people believe in this couple. They're not just dirty and forbidden, and thus sexy, they're compatible and adorable and pretty much perfect.

Speaking of adorable, Derek and Casey's ship name is Dasey. Which is the cutest thing on earth. Even their names work well together. When I first found Life With Derek fandom, a year and half ago now, that was pretty much what sealed my interest. I'd seen a couple episodes, and I was fascinated by the tension, and I thought, 'I bet there is fanfiction for this' so I looked it up on Fanfiction.net, saw some fic summaries with the word 'dasey' in them, and was hooked.




The Show and its characters:


"The people that live at my house? They're not well!"
~Casey

In the pilot episode George Venturi and Nora McDonald have been married for all of about a day. The show's creator Daphne Ballon has described "Life with Derek" as a "modern day 'Brady Bunch'," because of it's 'big blended family' theme. The main difference being that "Life with Derek" never forgets the McDonald-Venturi's are a blended family. Well, that and the lack of singing, or a maid, or blondes, or bunk beds, or totally inane plot twists involving Hawaii. Ok, so really the blended family thing is all they have in common. But whatever. All you really need to know is that "Life with Derek" is a charming Canadian sitcom about a blended family. It shares a lot of its actors with other Canadian shows such as "Degrassi" and "Radio Free Roscoe." It's shown on the Disney channel in America but unfortunately it's on at weird random times and is terribly under promoted. Life with Derek fandom is constantly frustrated with Disney's treatment of the show.

The McDonald-Venturi's:



"This is not a merged family. This is hostile take over by your family!"
~Derek

George(John Ralston): Derek, Edwin and Marti's father. George is a lawyer who "fights for the little guy." Like his oldest son, George was clearly something of a playboy in his day. His high school stories are filled with random girls, bands, and really bad advice. He's a nice guy, but a bit of clueless parent. He doesn't have many rules for his kids, although it's clear he loves them. He has a great back and forth with Derek and Edwin, both of whom come to him for girl advice, which is always adorable. It's clearly harder for him to relate to Casey and Lizzie, but he tries. His ex-wife is a woman named Abby, who is off getting her PhD.

Nora(Joy Tanner): Casey and Lizzie's Mother. Nora is an interior designer. She and the girls used to live a condo in Toronto. She was married to a lawyer, but a "big money corporate lawyer" named Dennis, who we're told "took her for granted." Like George, she isn't the most aware parent. She has a few more rules than him, but you get the feeling that may because Casey makes her enforce them. She's not very organized, but she has a really good relationship with each of the kids. Her and Casey seem to able to talk about almost anything, and she is getting to know Derek, Edwin and Marti really well. She always calls George, "Georgie" and it is adorable every time.


"You still only got two out of twenty right. Anything less than six and I'm supposed to call a social worker."
~Lizzie S1. Giving George and Nora a "Do you know your kids?" quiz.

Lizzie McDonald(Jordan Todosey): The most sane person in the Macdonald-Venturi house. Lizzie is fantastic. She's an active kid, she plays soccer and hockey and is in wilderness scouts and Tai-kwon-Do. Lizzie doesn't take crap from anyone. She stands up to Derek and Casey, George and Nora, Edwin, and everyone else who gets in her way. She plots and schemes with Edwin a lot, usually from the games closet. She has also developed a cute bond with Derek. She spends a lot of time talking Casey through whatever trauma she's experiencing that day, because she is about a million times more logical than Casey.


Lizzie is beating Edwin up.
Edwin: Derek help!
Derek: Do your worst Liz

Edwin Venturi(Daniel Magder): Derek's lackey and Lizzie's best friend. He lives in fear of Derek, though with Lizzie's help he's started to fight back a little. At one point he even stomps on Derek's infamous leather jacket. Still, it is clear that Edwin wants to be Derek. A lot of his plots revolve around either money making schemes, or his trying to be 'cool.' Lizzie is normally gently exasperated by all this. It is a popular theory in fandom that both Edwin and Lizzie are on to Derek and Casey. They spend a lot of time spying on them, and they know Derek and Casey better than almost anyone else.

Derek takes his frustration out on Edwin.

"Marti tells us you and Derek were playing hide and seek last night. The way we see it, you're a little old for hide and seek"
~Lizzie.

Marti Venturi(Ariel Waller): The baby. Matri is six, and has some how remained six for the entire run of the series. She is an adorable little girl, with imaginary friends(Daphne) and themed days(purple day, singing everything day etc). Marti's main function on Life with Derek" though, is to show the softer side of Derek. They have adorable nicknames for each other, "Smarti and Smerek" and Derek is a really, really good big brother to her. They bond a lot and it makes everyone, including Casey, melt into about a million pieces. He teases her, they dance around, and it is the cutest thing in the world. Marti is also the catalyst for a lot of cute Dasey moments.


"Sensitive Derek? My imaginary friend Daphne won't talk to me anymore. What should I do?"
~Marti


This one sums it all up nicely. Marti is adorable. Lizzie and Edwin look slightly annoyed. Derek and Casey are glaring at each other. George and Nora are oblivious.

Other Important People:

Paul(Arnold Pinnock): The Guidance Counselor. Paul works at Derek and Casey's high school- J.S. Thompson High, as counselor and computer science teacher. He spends most of his time listening to Casey rant and rave. He should be given serious credit for not killing her, because Paul is so onto the Derek/Casey relationship. Casey herself might not see it, but Paul does.


Sam(Kit Weymen): Derek's best friend and Casey's first(canon) boyfriend. Sam has been friends with Derek since they were five. He plays on the hockey team with Derek and is a member of Derek's band, D-rock.

Ralph(Shane Kippel): D-rock's drummer. Ralph is Derek's other best friend, and he is fantastic. Ralph first appears in season two, and disappears until season three, when he is a regular. Ralph says, "dude" a lot, and is adorably oblivious to most things. He wears pleather pants, and has monogrammed drum gloves, that only say "ral" because he couldn't afford the "ph." Ralph is just Life with Derek's lovable goofy not-all-there guy, and he plays it well.

The boys.

Emily(Shadia Simmons): Casey's best friend and (former)Derek fangirl. Emily is Derek and Casey's neighbor and she's had a crush on Derek for years. Emily's interests appear to be gossip and stalking Derek, until she starts dating Sheldon Schelpper in late season two. She and Sheldon are adorable together. Mostly because Sheldon is about twelve kinds of awesome. Once she has a boyfriend, Emily becomes much less annoying, she stops stalking Derek, and becomes aware of the Derek/Casey tension.

Casey is freaked. Derek is amused. Emily is trying to help. Poor Em.

Sheldon Schelpper(William Greenblatt): Sheldon is awesome. A fan favorite- because he rocks. Originally, Sheldon was only supposed to be in one episode, but the cast loved him so much he became a regular. Here have him winning the Battle of the bands in S2:(Sam and Ralph are in this clip too! Ralph cries! And also? Derek and Casey are adorable.)

See? So. Much. Awesome.

Kendra(Lauren Collins): Derek's girlfriend at the end of Season Two through Early Season three. She calls him "Der-Bear and Derry."

Derek and Kendra.

Max(Robbie Amell): Casey's Season three boyfriend. The most hated character on Life With Derek- fanon wise. Max is the worst boyfriend in the world. He treats Casey terribly, and throughout the entire 20 or so episodes they date, fails to do a single likeable, redeemable thing.

That's Max in the background. Note the dumb look on his face.

Sally(Kate Todd): Derek's crush turned girlfriend in season three. She works with him at Smelly Nellie's. She has a boyfriend when they first meet. Derek falls for her pretty quickly, but it takes her until the very end of the third season to come around to liking him back.

Derek and Sally.

The Couple:

Derek Venturi(Michael Seater):


Derek Venturi is very much that guy. He's the king of J.S. Thompson High school, he charms everyone he meets with a grin and a witty statement. Girls fall at his feet and guys want to be him. He's captain of the hockey team and he has a self named band, D-rock. He's lazy and unmotivated, but smart. He's been made manager at his job, because he's just that charming. He's Ferris Bueller, Zach Morris and Mike Seaver rolled into one teenager, with a nice dose of Pacey Witter thrown in for good measure. Derek's got a huge soft side, and it shows more and more as the seasons progress. He's great with his baby sister Marti- actually he's great will all kids. He's a really good big brother, and he has an adorable bond with his Dad. He does sweet things for Casey all the time, no matter how much he tries to deny it. He's always pretending not to care, then ending up saving the day, or at least joining the cause.

Some very telling Derek Quotes:

"No vanity mirrors? You know how I like to look at myself!"
~S3- Sixteen Spark plugs

"In my house? I always get what I want."
S1- The Room(pilot)

Casey: I'm sorry, I didn't know these things were such a big deal to you. Girls are different than boys you know.
Derek: Yeah I found that out the fun way, on the old couch.
S1- Puppy Dog Tails


"Isn't it funny how even when I lose I still win?"
S3- Driving Lessons.


Casey McDonald(Ashley Leggat):


Casey is a perky, neurotic, perfectionist. She's got an opinion on everything. She hates violence or gore of any kind, she's a feminist and a lover of theater, art and poetry. She's a dancer and a singer, scoring the lead in the school play and a spot on the cheerleading squad in season three. She's organized, smart and studious. Casey is a high stress person. She worries about and over analyzes everything. She's stubborn and not fond of change. She can be selfish, but she's always loveable. Casey can be a drama queen at times, a fact Derek loves to mock. She's a devoted friend and she has a great relationship with Lizzie and her mom. She loses herself a little in the third season when she begins dating Max and starts devoting all her time to him. She drops out of theater and stops writing her poetry columns for the paper. She makes him study guides. Thankfully she eventually realizes this and breaks up with him.

Some very telling Casey Quotes:

Casey: Stop the violence!
Robby: We haven't started the violence yet.
Casey: Then...don't start the violence!
~S3. Bully Brothers

Derek: What took you so long?
Casey: I snuck out my window, and climbed down a tree
S3- Things that Go Bump in the night.

Casey: I know enough to keep Edwin from turning into a skirt chasing cad like his brother!
Derek: I may not know what a 'cad' is but I know enough to keep Lizzie from turning into a princess like you!
S2- He Shoots, She Scores.

Casey: I'm still doing a lot, it's just all about Max and his world. I just don't feel like myself anymore.
Nora: Well sometimes that happens, but the Casey I know has a strong sense of self. You'll find yourself. Don't worry.
S3- Cheerleader Casey



The Why:


I struggled with this manifesto for a really long time. Not because I didn't know what to write, but because there was too much to write. I tried several drafts: going season by season, singling out important episodes and explaining them, picking out plot arcs and describing them, writing up the generally acknowledged 'big moments', and every time I was at over 5,000 words before I was even halfway through. I couldn't narrow Derek and Casey down, I couldn't make them fit in one essay, and I was really frustrated, until I realized that maybe that was the answer. I can't stick to a list of a few moments, or highlight certain episodes, because it's not just the big things with Derek and Casey, it's everything. It's every glare, every fight, every sarcastic dig, and every surprisingly sweet moment. Their relationship gets stronger every time they work together, every time they talk, every time they touch, every time they look at each other. Derek and Casey are overwhelming because, every little thing they do proves how perfect could be together, how perfect they already are.


(Off to a good start. This is from the pilot.)

It's the way they bicker four seconds into the pilot. It's the way he's the first one to notice something going on between her and Sam. It's the way she can never stop talking about him. It's there when he challenges her to 'live dangerously," and it's there when they wrestle on the bathroom floor:


Derek: Whoa you need to calm down.
Casey: Calm down?! I hate it when people tell me to calm down! It makes me very tense.
*She holds shampoo threateningly*
Derek: Casey put that down.
Casey: Make me.
Derek: Fine, don't. But prepare to be shampooed.
*He picks up another bottle of shampoo*
Casey: Go ahead. I've seen your bathroom aim before. No way you hit the target
(It is this, I think, that made a lot of people Dasey shippers originally)

It's they way they grin at each other when they're having their first real conversation, even if he does try and take it all back later.


It's in the way she refuses to bend to his 'in my house I always get what I want" mind set. It's in how she sacrifices her reputation to save him, and in how he uses his status to stop people from talking about her. It's hidden in her worry that he's selling drugs at school. It's hidden in the way he knows she needs a new locker, and wants a cell phone. It's there when they make a good team, when she flirts with nerds for him, and he gets her out of trouble with the principal. It's a little overwhelming when they grin at each other, even as he's telling her he doesn't need her help anymore:


Casey: I had my meeting with the principal.
Derek: And how is old wide tie?
Casey: Good, he sends his best. He even apologized for the confusion. Said Frank admitted he was selling stuff during school lockers and that I had nothing to do with it. And he gave me a new locker!
Derek: Really? *smirking*
Casey: What did you do?
Derek: Nothing... I just mentioned to Frank that it might be in his best interest to take some heat off a certain individual.
[....]
Derek: You were a very loyal employee... but I'm afraid you're fired.
Casey: What?
Derek: Yeah I don't' need you anymore.
Casey: You beg me to help you. I do a great job...and then you fire me?
Derek: Business is cruel. But not totally heartless.
*hands her a cell phone and grins*


It's the way he kisses girls that look like her, and girls that believe in the causes she does. It's the way she does everything in her power to keep him and those girls apart. It's the way he cuts through her, "poor me" drama queen act, and tells her what she needs to do to fix things. It's the way he fights her growing relationship with his best friend Sam as hard as he can and it's in the way she throws that relationship in his face. It's the look on his face after she does. It's the way he invents a 'male code' in a last ditch effort to keep them apart. It's the way he watches their every interaction, looking pained. It's there when he's willing to fight Sam- to throw a friendship of ten years away- over her. It's there because there's nothing at all brotherly about his motivation.

This is Derek's face watching Sam and Casey together. Fandom has never quite gotten over this.




Speaking of things we've never gotten over?
Sam: Seriously Dude let me go.
Derek: Seriously dude just tell me where you're going.
Sam: To talk to Casey.
Derek: Why?
Sam: Well I've thought about what Marti said and I've decided to ask Casey to marry me.
Derek: Can I be the best man?
Sam: Wouldn't have it any other way.
Derek: Welcome to the family 'bro'
Sam: Thanks 'bro'
*Then they push each other, and the fight turns into all out wrestling. Casey hears the commotion and comes downstairs. She demands to know what is going on.*
Sam: Tell her Derek, Tell her about your stupid male code.
Derek: Wait that's why we're wrestling??
Which of course begs the question- what did Derek think they were wrestling about?

It's about how he finally gives his consent, but we never get a sitcom like resolution. In every other sitcom I've ever seen use this plot? It goes like this:

Brother: Dude you can't date my sister! She's too young/good/innocent for you.
Friend: What are you saying?
Brother: You treat girls badly/are a player/have a new girlfriend every week/are always horny.
Friend: But I really like your sister. Its different.
Brother: I won't let you hurt my sister.
Sister: I'm not a little girl. I can decide who to hang out with for myself.
Brother: He's bad news!
Sister: He's your best friend! And I really like him.
Brother(softens): Really?
Sister: Yes. So stop being an idiot.
Brother: You better not hurt her- I'll kill you.
Friend: I won't man. I promise.
Brother. Ok then.
Sister: Thank you.
*All laugh*


Derek? He's never Ok with Casey and Sam. He just starts to feel really bad about the fact that Sam is hurting. So he tells him to, "Go talk to her, before I find the mind I have clearly lost."

Then he warns them not to act couple-y in front of him.



It's there on Sam and Casey's one month anniversary when he's still upset they're together, so upset he calls her best friend, Emily and makes a date. It's there when she cancels her date with Sam to spy on his date. It's how she shows up in disguise, watching his every move in her compact. It's there in the way he changes the subject when Paul ask him how he feels about Sam and Casey together. It's hidden in the way she breaks up with Sam, because they're better as friends. It's the way she wants him to run for school president, the way she calls him 'charming and charismatic.". It's the way he fantasizes about her in uniform:


(In a school uniform taking his orders. Because that's...brotherly?)

It's in way he hears her sing for the first time through his air vent, and how he bangs his head off his desk, declaring her "perfect." It's there when they fight about which direction to take the band. It's in the way she decides to rock out and do it his way. And the look on his face when she declares she 'wants the real d-rock' too? Well that's another one of those overwhelming moments:

We talk about this moment, this look, a lot in Dasey fandom and I think thebucketwoman said it best when she said: "That look that Derek gives Casey--Doesn't it just scream 'Marry me and have my scruffy guyliner wearing babies; I will worship at your altar forever'?"

Then? This episode gets better:



They grind. This another thing we've never quite gotten over in Dasey fandom. The stage grinding. This is another one of those episodes that made a lot of people Dasey shippers and drew them into fandom.

It's the way he just walks into her room, and the way she doesn't seem surprised to see him. It's way he hears everything that happens to her, almost like he has Casey sources throughout the school. It's the way he slings an arm around in her the hall, teasing and playful:


It's about the way she comes to him when she's in over her head. It's the way he likes to make her beg:

Casey: Derek you are the lord of the lies. You and only you can help me in my hour of need.

It's there when she expects him to disapprove of who she dates. It's plain in the look on his face when he learns her latest date is a player:



It's the way he angsts over whether or not to tell her. It's the way he decides to rat him out, in the end.

Derek: But first you need to apologize. Guys like us? Always do.

It's in how grateful she is, calling him a 'good guy after all.' It's hidden in the way he won't let her hug him. It's in the way he loves to film her:


It's there in the hours he spends thinking of new ways to prank her. It's there when he steals all her shirts, and there when her reaction is to wear one of his shirts to school. It's in just how alike they are, and in how they refuse to admit it. It's in the way he taunts her and teases her, knowing it will get her to play his game:

Derek: See? You are so predictable.
Casey: So what? Maybe I like being predictable.
Derek: Oh I know. I also know you wouldn't talk to the next guy you see. It would be outside your preppy comfort zone.
Casey:....alright fine! What's the wager?


It's in the way he's always squirting her with water guns, or tugging on hair.


( or eating food at her in a sexual way)

It's about the way she sabotages his chances with a girl, Kendra, then feels bad when he looks genuinely upset. It's the way he's on his way out the door with Kendra, and he still has to take the chance to taunt her. It's hidden in the way he actually seems excited to meet her father. It's in the way he is the one to notice how upset she is when her father leaves without really talking to her.


Derek: Everything ok?
Casey: Yeah...everything's fine. Should make a full recovery.
Derek: And will you make a full recovery?
And once again, Dasey fandom died a little. We love this moment quite a bit. No one else comes in to check on her, it doesn't occur to anyone else she might be upset. Derek knows her well enough to know she's hurting.

It's the way he calls her father and gets him to come back, but swears him to secrecy. It's in how happy it makes her to see her dad, and how when she figures out it was Derek's phone call that got him back, she smiles softly.


It's there when they flirting while flossing, and when they bump shoulders and hips as they banter. It's there when she's still overly concerned about his relationship with Kendra. It's there when Kendra makes him promise to help Casey get a guy, but he feeds her misinformation. It's the smile on her face when she watches him dance with Marti:


It's in the way they act like an old married couple, yelling at the kids together, doing dishes together, domestic bliss:


It's there when he notices who she is hanging out with, and questions her about it. It's the way he knows exactly how she freaks out:

Derek: Whoa.... you freak out just like Casey does.
Nora: I am NOT freaking out!

It's the way they can guilt trip each other, even though he likes to pretend he 'doesn't have a conscience." It's how she drops everything when she learns he might be in trouble. It's the way he confides in her, and makes her promise not to tell anyone. It's the way she fights for him, yelling at a guy four times her size:

Casey: You were bullied by Robby?
Derek: Not so loud! You'll ruin my tough guy rep.
Casey: You don't have a tough guy rep.

Robby: Ok, Ok I won't fight him. Just stop yelling at me.

It's in how she tells him she won't always be around to protect him, and how he looks sheepish, bashful and real when he thanks her. It's the way they gaze at each other, until Edwin ruins the moment:

Casey: If I hadn't stepped in he might have rearranged your face.
Derek: Well the ladies do like my face where it is.. so I guess I should... thank you

It's there when he's named a school prefect, and uses it as a chance to torment her. It's there when she does everything she can to get him kicked out of his new position of power. It's about the way he fights with the Casey voice in his head:


It's hidden in the way even George and Abby think Casey is his main distraction, so much so that they're thinking of sending him to Spain. It's the way he confides to Marti that if he leaves for Spain, he "might even miss Casey. But don't tell anyone."


It's the way she plans him a surprise sixteenth birthday. It's the way he's most surprised that she's the one that planned it. It's the way he still can't hug her. It's there when he mocks the way she says his name:

Derek: Good, because I don't want to hear how I am ruining your new job, yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah, (high-pitched) DER-EK!

It's a little overwhelming again when he quits a job he's good at, a job he's been made assistant manager at, for her:


Derek: I quit. No one talks to my stepsister like that... except me.
Yet another moment we haven't gotten over. Like when he called her Dad back, Derek tries to hide from her that she is the reason he quit. He's always hiding the really sweet things he does for her.

It's in the way when she's at home crying, he's the one to save her prom, not her useless boyfriend Max. It's the look on his face when he watches her open the replacement prom dress, and the way he looks at her as they stand outside prom. It's the way he leaves a girl he's supposed to have a crush on, Sally, so he can make Casey's prom dream come true- even if it is with another guy:

Derek: I've come to take you to prom


It's there when Marti climbs on to her lap and tells her she is, "pretty, smart and organized," and Derek affirms this, buy putting a hula hoop over her head and 'activating her force field."



This may be the most beloved Dasey moment we have. The affirming what Marti said, the putting the hula hoop over head, the look on his face when he 'activates her force field... what's not to love?


It's there when she makes up a song to help him study for physics. It's there when she smiles as he hums it. It's the way he stays up late to save their class project. It's there when he makes up little nicknames for her. It's there when she shoves him down onto his bed during fights. It's tangible when they lean into each, back and forth, when fighting:






It's the way they talk to each other through the walls that divide their rooms. It's there when he covers her in post-it notes as she sleeps and then pats her head. It's there when he once again chooses annoying her instead of impressing Sally. It's the way even when she's knocked out from having surgery, she dreams of him. It's the way he's the first person she sees when she does wake up:


Derek: Happy to see me?

It's the way they banter about who can drive better. It's there when they make a bet about it and the hallway almost implodes with sexual tension:


Derek: Care to make this argument more interesting?
Casey: How so?
Derek: Last one to get their license pays the other's gas for a year.
Casey: Deal. And may the best driver win.

It's the way she ends up teaching him to drive on rolling office chairs. It's hidden in their joint insurance policy for the car they share.

It's there when he shows up to watch her cheerleading tryouts, even though her boyfriend doesn't. It's the way he dates the head cheerleader, just to bug her.



Casey: Take it up with your girlfriend!
Derek: What?
Casey: You know Amy? The girl you’re only dating to annoy me.
Derek: No I'm dating her cause she's on the list.
Casey: The list?
Derek: Of girls I'd like to date: super models, cheerleaders, french girls.
Casey: Could you be anymore shallow?
Derek: Said the cheerleader. Go Casey!

It's the way he spends his whole date with the head cheerleader, talking about Casey. It's there when he uses reverse psychology on her, and tells her to change back from the person she's become while dating Max. It's the way they fight over a bowl like little kids on a playground. It's the way he taunts her into sneaking out with him.


Casey: That doesn't make it ok to sneak out.
Derek: No... it makes it ok for me to sneak out. For a goody goody like you it's never ok.
Casey: What is that supposed to mean?
Derek: Well it means you're as edgy as a teddy bear.
Casey:.....I'm coming with you.

It's the way their touches last a little too long. It's the way they've started to use nicknames on each other ,"Der," "D", "Case." It's there when he pulls her close to 'prove a point.':

This episode as a whole? Another thing we're not over.

It's there when he picks her over Sally for a third time:

That's Ralph's girlfriend. Derek is using her to ruin Casey's 'set up Derek and Sally' plan. Even though... he's supposed to want Sally.

Ralph: So how'd it go?
Derek: Great! Casey's face was like *...*
Ralph: What about Sally?
Derek: I didn't see her face

It's there when she regrets helping him get together Sally. Its there when he smiles to find her in his chair:

Derek: Enjoy my chair.

It's in the blue screens that help with scene transitions. It's in the credits. It's in every look and touch and argument. It's undeniable. Derek and Casey are perfect for each other. They challenge each other, they make each other better people.Derek and Casey both spend a lot of time on their images, Casey's perky perfectionism, Derek's cool guy stance- but when they're around each other? They're nothing but real because they understand each other. They need each other.

The fandom:

This? Is an awesome fandom.. We've got amazing canon, the support of the cast(No really, there's a podcast where Michael Seater and Ashley Leggat act out a piece of Fanfiction. A piece of Dasey fan fiction.), and a ton of really talented people. Almost everyone in the fandom mentions how surprised they were to find out so many other people shipped Dasey. There's a lot of us. The Life With Derek section of FFN has over 2,000 stories, and a good 95% of them are Dasey.

Stories to Read
As I said, there is a lot of talent in this fandom. I'm leaving so many amazing people and stories out- but these are the classics, the ones I'm pretty sure everyone in fandom has read. So I figured they were a good place to start:

~ Figuring out Family

~ The Interview

~ Out of the Blue- this is the one from the fanfiction podcast.

~ How to fall head over heels

~ The Spark

~ The Secret

~ Time changes everything

And so many more. These are all multi-chapters, but there are some amazing one-shots out there too. It's all amazing. Seriously. Just go hang out in The section, check out the C2s. You won't be sorry.

Places to check out:

Dasey nation. Message boards. Pretty, very well run, and a great source of information and discussion.

Seater Online The ultimate Michael Seater fansite. Screencaps from Life With Derek episodes, links to the podcasts, and message boards.

Derek and Casey The Live Journal community.

Rivalry is love McDonald/Venturi Shipping. On Live Journal.

Dasey Snark Episode reviews, Picspams, things like that.