Savior

Chapter 6

-xx-

I'll be home tonight, baby.

Those five words rang in her ears all day. Cate could have sworn that time stopped when Derek told her over the phone.

She had previously set us plans with her sister and a few friends to hit a bar with a live band. Cate was on the verge of cancelling when Derek called her to explain the bad weather the team was currently riding out. He urged her to go out with her friends and promised he would call when they landed.

The brunette currently sat at a table with her sister and two close friends from high school, Jessica and Lauren. A third friend, Meagan, was off on the dance floor.

The band on stage crooned "Lover, Lover" by Jerrod Neimann. Cate sang along quietly as the friends conversed.

"So Cate, when are you going to introduce us to the new man?" Jessica asked.

Cate blushed and looked towards the blonde. "Eventually," she replied, a sly smile taking over her face.

Lauren held a hand up. "Isn't he the agent from your case? How does that work?!"

The brunette shrugged. "I don't think it's against any rule? It was two years ago, and the case is closed."

She nibbled on her lower lip as Lauren nodded. "That's fair," she replied before taking a sip of her drink.

Conversation went back to Jackie's day at the salon, and jokes about Meagan making new friends on the dance floor.

At least she didn't think it was against any rules of the FBI. The last thing she wanted was to get Derek in trouble.

This new relationship definitely had its challenges. Cate's PTSD, Derek's work schedule; but somehow it flowed perfectly together.

The brunette excused herself to head to the bar, taking empty glasses and bottles with her as she went. She slid between people standing at the entranceway to the dance floor and stage.

Just as she was going to reach the bar, she saw two dark brown eyes scanning the bar area.

Her heart pounded out of her chest as she locked eyes with the man she longed to see. When she last saw him Monday morning as his alarm went off, she didn't expect to wait five days to see him next.

Cate placed the bottles and glasses on the closest table to her and rushed through the crows as quickly as she could. She apologized as she bumped into people on the way, but they were the last thing on her mind.

When Derek wrapped her up in her arms, her lips found his within seconds. She placed her arms around his neck, pulling his as close as physically possible.

The two finally had to pull apart, both breathing heavy and in need of air. Cate pushed up on her toes to fully immerse herself in Derek's hold. She rested her face in his neck, breathing in the scent she was all too familiar with, and truly missing for the past week.

"I missed you," she mumbled against his skin.

There mere touch of her lips on his skin gave him goose bumps. For someone who prided himself on landing any woman he wanted, this specific woman held the strings. There was something electric about her, something that drew him back in every time they spoke, or video chatted.

"I thought you weren't going to be in until after midnight?" Cate rested back on the ground, placing her hands to either side of his waist, her fingers getting caught up in the belt loops on his jeans.

He kissed her forehead. "JJ and I borrowed a bureau car and drove back early," he admitted. Derek didn't want to let her go. He slowly ushered her towards the bar and placed an order for the two of them. Cate smiled as he already knew her usual drink.

Derek kept his arm around her waist, and Cate could not wipe away the grin resting on her face. "That's like a six hour drive!"

The black man shrugged. "I wasn't waiting any longer to see you," he replied honestly. His eyes softened as he looked down to the brunette and took her in. Half of her long brown locks were pulled into a clip on the back of her head, the rest falling in loose curls down her back. She had her signature eyeliner and glossed lips; letting the few freckles she had show around her nose. Derek thought she absolutely rocked the black hi-low tunic dress she had on, complete with a belt accenting her natural waistline.

Her breath caught in her throat. "I'm not complaining at all." She tucked a loose piece of hair back behind her shoulder and snuggled into his side as they waited for their drinks.

The pair headed toward the table Cate had vacated with their drinks in hand. Derek kept a hand on the brunette's waist as she slipped back through to the table. Once she was seated, she introduced Derek to Jessica, as Lauren had gone off to the dance floor to find Meagan. Jackie waved as a welcome.

Derek settled with both arms draped over Cate's shoulders as she sat in front of him. Cate tilted her head back and Derek placed his ear next to her lips. "One drink and we head out?" she asked, eager for alone time with the man she missed.

"If that's what you want," he replied. She nodded. He kissed the side of her forehead before standing back up. He would be a liar if he said he couldn't wait to get her out of there. It wasn't fair to ask her to give up Girls Night to wait for him to come arrive back in DC, but he didn't feel like sharing his woman right now.

Within the hour, the two said their goodbyes to her friends and sister. Once they were out of the bar and on the sidewalk, Derek took her hand into his. "I did not drive," she had promised him earlier in the day that she would Uber to and from the bar. There were too many times when she had left her car parked outside a bar and taken a taxi home when she had been out with her girls. "So I am at your mercy, Mr. Morgan."

Derek winked at her. He happened to be the photographer for their last round of tequila shots, and couldn't help the laugh that escaped his mouth when he watched Cate suck on the lime. She muttered about hating tequila under her breath, receiving a slap to the arm from her sister; the same sister who initiated the multiple tequila shots of the evening. "Don't be giving me any ideas, Miss Johnson," he warned.

Cate rolled her eyes at him. "I assume you can gather your own ideas at this point in time,"

He laughed, "That is very true. However, we should be getting you to bed." Cate sulked. "I didn't say you were going by yourself," he winked at her, causing a smile to break through.

-xx-

Derek propped himself up on one arm as he watched the sleeping woman next to him.

Two weeks ago, five days out in the field for work was what he looked forward to. Derek loved his job; it was most definitely his calling in life. He protected the good in the world by locking up and eradicating the bad. He wanted to make the world safer for his family, as well as his potential future family.

But the very first night away from Cate proved to be challenging. He fought to call her in the middle of the night, to hear the raspy voice that dripped with sleep. That voice drove him crazy. He had reached out to an empty side of the bed night after night, many times waking several hours too early.

Derek was never able to get back to sleep. Instead, he would fire up his laptop, shoot off an e-mail to Catherine's private e-mail, and brainstorm on their current case.

The lack of sleep could have been costly during the firefight that broke out upon bringing in their suspect. But Cate was in the back of his mind the entire time. He promised to be safe, and promised to come home to her.

He saw field work in a much different light over the past week. Before, he would be the first to break down a door, or chase a perp. This week, he was a little more stand-offish than ever before. There was something waiting for him at home.

Derek took in every inch of the woman in his bed. She was nothing like the others who came before. They took up one night, and Derek knew there was something different about this woman.

She was naturally beautiful, and knew how to accentuate those beautiful features. He knew her scars made her self conscious; he saw it first hand when they went to the gym. Cate could walk around her home in a sports bra, but threw a tank top on the second she walked out the door.

As she lay in his bed, one of his t-shirts draping from her petite frame, he was in awe of how strong she was. Most people would crumble in spite of what she had been through. She had explained to him that most of her scars were on the inside – mental and physical. But to go back to the work that put her in danger was remarkable. He saw it everyday; people gave up their lives after attacks like she sustained.

He could see just a sliver of the scar on her abdomen from the way she was laying. Derek could still remember the fear in her eyes as he placed his hands over it, becoming covered in her blood.

If anything else, it made their bond tighter.

Shaking those thoughts from his mind, he reached out to brush her hair from her face. A smile took over Cate's face, as her eyes slowly fluttered open. "Hi," she mumbled, noting the reaction she received from him.

Derek placed a quick kiss to her lips. "Good morning," he offered. "I hope I didn't wake you."

The brunette smiled. "Best sleep I've had in a week," she replied.

"Tequila will do that to you," Derek joked. She rolled her eyes. "There's water and Advil on your side of the table if you need it."

Cate slowly sat up in bed, and stretched her legs out. "You are perfect," she purred. She reached out for him as he sat up next to her.

She took the medicine, hoping to kick the headache that was starting, all while cursing her sister for the tequila.

In one swift move, she straddled her legs over Derek's lap. She placed a hand to each shoulder and planted a kiss on his lips. "I missed you," she admitted.

Derek wrapped both arms around her waist. "Now this is a nice wake up." Derek's broad grin lit up his face. "You need to watch yourself, Cate. It is very difficult for me to behave myself around you."

He slipped his hands up the back of the t-shirt she was wearing. Her breath caught in her throat as his hands worked up and down her back. "Maybe I don't want you to behave anymore," she offered.

The honesty in her eyes scared him a bit. Derek Morgan was never one to back away from a beautiful woman - and this beautiful woman in his bed was asking him very nicely.

-xx-

Reviews make me happy and keep the good vibes coming. xo