A/N: Hey guys. I will now try to update more regularly. Thanks for being patient with me. Again, I would extremely appreciate reviews! I love to see what you guys think.

Chapter 11

My eyes fluttered open, but then squinted because of the bright sunlight streaming through the window. I found myself lying on his bare chest, his arms around me, keeping me there. I tried to move my head, but it was currently in the crook of his neck. I carefully maneuvered my head so I wouldn't wake Derek. He looked so peaceful when he slept. It was the face of an archangel in the flesh. A faint smile played on his lips. He looked adorable.

I slowly knelt at his side, careful not to wake my archangel. I bent my face slowly to his, and placed a light kiss on his lips. His smile grew, and his eyes flew open. "I love you,". Those were his first words to me. I responded with a kiss. "So, what is on the agenda for today?" I asked in a singsong voice. "How about meeting my family, since we're having a Hough get- together this afternoon," Derek said, seemingly excited at the prospect of me meeting his family. "Okay," I assented, trying to hide my hesitation. It didn't work very well because Derek's eyebrows knit together trying to figure out what I was actually thinking. "Oh, they'll love you. There's no need to be nervous," he said trying to calm my nerves. "If you say so," I said not entirely convinced.

"So where is the get-together?" I asked conversationally. "At my parents' house in Utah," he said nonchalantly, awaiting my reaction. "U-U-Ut-U-Utah?" I stuttered in surprise. "Yeah, it's just right outside of Salt Lake City," he replied. "How are we getting there, exactly?" I asked again, skeptical. "There's no flights available, so we are going to go on a little road trip," Derek said excited at the prospect. When I really thought about it, it wouldn't be so bad going to meet his family. The ride there would just be more quality time with Derek. "But we need to work on our salsa," I said, remembering we had barely started working on it. "There's a dance studio in the back of my parents' property," he said. My mouth hung open in an "o" making an audible noise. Derek let out a low chuckle.

"You have about an hour and a half to get ready," Derek informed me, knowing I have a tendency to run late. I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and hopped up, about to find my extra change of clothes. I then realized I wasn't wearing any. I heard Derek's intake of breath. I inconspicuously peeked over his shoulder to see his eyes wide and his mouth agape. To work this to my advantage, I walked into the bathroom with a combination of a saunter and a strut. I blew a kiss to him before I entered the doorway. ,

Somehow, I managed to blow out my hair, curl it, get dressed, and apply all necessary cosmetics with still at least fifteen minutes to spare. It was an all-time record. I suddenly remembered something, and a dejected look came on my face. "What's wrong babe?" Derek asked, realizing my change in mood. "I just thought about Lily. I don't want to ask anyone in my family because I'm not ready to explain this whole situation to them, and everybody else is traveling," I explained. "Well, I talked to my parents and they said Lily could come with us and stay at the house with the other dogs. I feel like I already keep you away from her enough," he said. "That is so sweet of your parents and sweet of you to remember Lily," I said admiringly. "Anything for you," he said, bringing me into his embrace.

Soon, we got Lily from my loft and gathered up the few items she'd need to make the trip and we were on our way. The Lexus seemed a little more crowded than usual with all of the stuff we packed. If I'm being honest, the vast majority of the stuff was mine. Not to mention, the little princess named Lily mad the whole back seat into her own little personal suite. It was a petty relaxing ride. Derek seemed pretty excited that I was meeting his family. "You seem so excited that I'm meeting your family," I commented after a few moments of comfortable silence. "Of course I'm excited. I get to show my family what my future looks like, in the flesh," he replied as if that answer was exceedingly obvious. I was stunned at his explanation. I was his future. That statement overwhelmed me. Somehow, I fell in love with him all over again at that very moment. "Derek, could you pull over at this rest stop for a moment?" I requested. He immediately turned onto the little ramp that led to the rest stop.

The second he put the Lexus in park, I leapt into his lap and pulled myself to his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist. I felt him freeze for a fraction of a second in surprise. "You are my future Derek Hough," I said staring into his eyes. I swear I could see into his soul. Derek smiled in response, but his attention was held by something else. "What are you staring at?" I asked. "The most beautiful, intelligent, funny, and loving person I have ever seen," he replied, putting my head under his chin and kissed my hair. We stayed that way for an immeasurable moment.

"Okay, we better get back on the road. I don't want to make a bad impression on them," I said, the nervousness creeping back in. "It would be impossible for them not to like you," Derek said trying to reassure me. "I guess I'll have to take your word for it," I said, still unsure.

The total trip took somewhere between four and five hours. It didn't seem nearly that long. I enjoyed the scenery as we drove into Utah. The quiet roadways in the desert were a much welcomed change from the congested streets in L.A. Much too quickly for my liking, Derek pulled onto a less used unpaved road. A few miles down the trail the trees began to thin, and what appeared to be a lawn stretched before us. Derek parked the Lexus on the lawn since the driveway was already full of cars. He got out of the car, got Lily, and opened on the car. Derek wrapped his right arm around my waist, walking Lily on her leash in his other hand. He led us up a cobblestone walkway flanked by a myriad of colorful flowers that were planted perfectly. We arrived at the front door. I took a deep breath as Derek opened the door and walked us inside.