Savior

Chapter 3

-xx-

Cate pushed her plate and sighed in contentment. "Tell Rossi I agree. This place is amazing!" she boasted.

Derek smirked as he watched her pick up the wine glass and swirl her wine. He was equally as full, and as satisfied. To him, his company was the best part of the evening.

"I am a sucker for pasta," she laughed. "If it was calorie free, I'd live on it!"

Derek laughed. She was absolutely glowing and he liked to think that he had a hand in making her happy. When they parted ways the night before, he prayed that the team did not get a case for the weekend. He wanted to spend every moment possible with this woman.

"Alright then, Derek. What is your guilty pleasure?"

The smile breaking through her smirk brought a smile to his face. "Sweets." Her eyebrows rose. "What? You weren't expecting that?"

Cate shook her head. "Nope, not at all." She took a sip of her wine. "I don't disagree though. Those are legit guilty pleasures." On purpose, she stretched her legs out under the table and slid her foot up his calf. "I've got to know – what's the number one thing that brings Derek Morgan to his knees?"

You, he thought selfishly. "A good, homemade chocolate chip cookie, when they're warm from the oven."

She licked her lips, much to Derek's pleasure. "Now that –" she grinned, "sounds amazing. Vanilla ice cream melting on top, too!" Cate closed her eyes, picturing the dessert. "That's it," she announced. "We can skip dessert here, and grab some cookie dough before we head back to my place."

Derek leaned forward, and could have sworn a growl escaped his throat. "You are perfect, you know that right?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."

The black man sitting across from her shook his head. "You don't see how amazing you are."

She fought the grin coming to the surface. They had really just gotten to know each other within the past 24 hours. She was no where near perfect, and was more broken than she cared to tell.

But she couldn't contain the childlike excitement she got every time she caught him looking in her direction. How a man of his stature was interested in someone like her, she would never know. She didn't want to question it, either.

Catherine had never had anyone make her feel as special as Derek Morgan had in such a short time. He made her feel like the most special and most beautiful woman in the world, though he knew full well of her scars.

She was going to reply when the waitress came over to check on their table. Derek swiftly asked for the bill and she scurried off.

"I did say homemade chocolate chip cookies, though. What is this about getting cookie dough on the way home?"

She raised an eyebrow at the way he nonchalantly said home. "Do I look like Betty Crocker?" He laughed, "You're lucky I'm willing to attempt pre-made cookies. I don't know the last time my oven was used!"

"Nope – you said cookies. We're making cookies." She grinned.

The waitress came back with the bill as Derek handed her his credit card. "Thank you. Today has been perfect."

They talked over dinner like they had known each other for years. Catherine told Derek about her family – her parents and three older siblings. She gushed about Madison Rose, her six year old niece and goddaughter. Finding out the probability of having her own children pushed Cate into bonding more with her niece. They spent weekends together when Cate wasn't working, and the six year old was so spoiled by her Aunt.

Derek talked at length about his two sisters and his mother. He spoke of his BAU counterparts as family, as well. Catherine was intrigued as he told her stories from work. She had met a few members of his team between hospital visits and trips to Quantico, but she got to hear a different side of them from the stories Derek told.

As Derek signed the bill and slipped his card back into his wallet, he stood from the table and pulled out Cate's chair for her. She smiled as she stood and straightened out her cardigan. Derek led the two through the crowded restaurant, reminding himself to thank Dave for the last minute reservations. Cate snuck her hand into the one he had extended for her.

She couldn't help but smile. The past two days had been a whirlwind. From walking into a crowded bar that she didn't know, to seeing Agent Morgan for the first time in two years – and then this amazing day he had planned. The house she showed earlier was getting tons of hits and her e-mail was going crazy with potential. But nothing compared to the safety she felt as her hand rested inside of Derek's.

It was the same safety that she knew previously as he clenched his hands to stop her from bleeding out two years ago. As they exited the restaurant, she lost her breath as soon as the wind hit her face. She stopped in her tracks and reached out for the bench by the front door.

Derek stopped on a dime and turned to her. "Cate? What's the matter?"

She held up a hand as she sat on the bench. Tears threatened her eyes as she fought to regain her composure. "I'm okay," she replied, forcing a smile to her face.

Derek knelt on the ground in front of her. "Are you sure?"

She nodded and feigned a smile. Cate withdrew her hand from Derek's grasp, and folded both hands together on her lap. "Not so perfect," she mumbled.

He rubbed his hand up and down her thigh, "still perfect." She pursed her lips together in a tight smile. "You can tell me what's going on."

"I get hit with memories every once in a while," she confessed. She reached out for his hand. "Smells, words," she began. "Feelings," she squeezed his hand. "They're so out of the blue. Holding your hand makes me feel," she smiled, "so safe, and protected. And then I remember how you held me."

Cate fought back a cry. "Baby," he choked out, promising himself not to lose it.

She blinked away tears that threatened again. "I hate it." She sighed. "I was on Cloud 9 all day, and then it hits me like a ton of bricks."

Derek ran his fingers over Cate's knuckles. "I'm not going anywhere. I will fight this with you," he promised. He placed his lips to her knuckles.

"I'm sorry I'm such a mess," she confessed, daring to look into his eyes.

Derek smirked and shook his head. "You are not a mess," he confirmed. "We'll work through this. This is all normal." He fought to not recite Reid's statistics about PTSD. It wasn't what Cate needed to hear at the moment.

After letting out a few deep breaths, and finally being able to fill her lungs with the fresh air, she gripped Derek's hand with both of hers. "Cookies?" she suggested, raising an eyebrow.

He smiled. "Ready if you are."

She nodded as he stood. Cate took his hand and stood next to him. "Ready!"

Derek wrapped an arm around her as they walked together to his truck.

-xx-

The cookie sheets sat on the stove, fresh from the oven. Cate was sitting on the corner of the counter, indulging in the dessert they made together.

Derek got his way. She found a recipe online that seemed easy enough and the two went to work on their treat.

Flour and chocolate chips littered the kitchen counters and Cate's jeans. But watching Derek as he devoured the cookies and ice cream brought a smile to her face.

When he looked up at her, she was sucking on the spoon in her mouth. Derek placed his bowl into the sink and started to stride towards her. He stood between her legs and took a bite off of her spoon.

"Hey! That's mine, Mister!" She joked, a bright smile taking over her face.

Derek took the bowl from her hands and placed it on the counter. Cate instinctively placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Stay tonight?" It almost sounded like a plea, but she was not going to let him walk away from her tonight.

He nodded, and in moments his lips were placed on hers.

It may have been the shortest kiss of their lives, but it was the most meaningful.

Derek wrapped his arms around her body as her legs wrapped around his waist. "I would love to stay." She grinned.

He picked her up from her seat on the counter, and placed his hands on her bottom as he carried her to the couch. Once they were both situated, Cate sat on his lap facing him with a leg on either side.

Cate sighed. "What's going through that mind of yours, beautiful?"

"It's just," she started and paused, trying to plan her words the best she could. "What if everything we've gone through, was to get here?"

Derek's hand rubbed her back.

"I know this is fast. It's really fast." She traced her fingers on the back of his neck and his shoulders. "But if everything I've dealt with in the past two years was what I had to go through to be here with you, I'd say it was worth it."

Cate's confession caught him off guard, as did the memory of her lying lifeless on the ground. "I wish you didn't have to go through all of that." She nodded as his hand rested on her cheek.

"If it never happened, we may have never crossed paths." Derek placed his lips to her forehead.

They both seemed at a loss for words, stuck in their own thoughts. Cate rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes starting to flutter closed. "Why don't you go get in bed? I need to grab my bag from my truck and I'll camp out here."

She cocked her head to the side when he mentioned a bag. "Your bag?"

"I keep one in the truck at all times. Never know if we'll be called away for a case." She nodded and giggled.

"You're not sleeping out here," she warned. He smirked.

After crawling off of his lap, she started towards the bedroom down the hall.

-xx-

This will be the last chapter until Monday. Reviews help the writing process.

-A