Savior

Chapter 8

-xx-

Derek noticed the woman sitting in his passenger seat wringing her hands together and rubbing them up and down the front of her blue jeans. Cate was absent mindedly staring out the window, barely paying attention to the gum she was slowly chewing.

He reached across the center console of his SUV to take place his hand on top of hers. Startled, Cate turned towards him and forced a smile to her face.

"What's up, beautiful?" he asked, his eyes averting the road to check on her.

She shrugged.

Derek pulled to a stop at a red light and turned to Cate. "Are you okay?" His eyes softened. She was too quiet; normally she would sing along to the radio, or make conversation.

Her blue eyes slowly regained color and a smile crossed her lips. "Yeah." One word, but it was a start. She took a deep breath. "I'm a little nervous," she admitted, looking back down at her hands.

The light turned green, causing Derek to start driving again. "What are you nervous about?"

Again, she shrugged. "Better question is 'what aren't I nervous about?'" Cate slid her gum under her tongue and sighed. "My flashbacks," she began as her fingers slowly found Derek's. "They come from anywhere. Phrases. Voices." Cate took a deep breath and turned back to the window. "I just don't want to embarrass you."

Derek took her hand in his and caught her out of the side of his eye. He turned the truck over to the side of the road, killed the ignition and turned to her. Cate slowly turned towards him. "You could never embarrass me," he promised. He placed his hand under her chin, lifting her to look at him. "We can turn around and go home. Just say the word."

It pained him to see her so nervous, but he knew where it was coming from. She had had one flashback about him, and it scared him to think about what would happen if she was in a room with the people who saved her that day. JJ and Rossi entered the apartment after Derek kicked the door in.

The brunette shook her head. "I'll be okay." She said it more to herself than to Derek, convincing herself that it was just one night.

She let out a deep breath and sent a genuine smile in Derek's direction. He grinned back at her. "If it's too much, we can go right back home."

Cate beamed at the way he said home. She could only pray that he stayed in DC this week after noting how long her week was when he was away.

Closing the space between them, Cate placed her lips on his. "You are so good to me," she murmured against his lips.

"You deserve it, baby." He kissed her forehead. "My goal is to make you feel like the most amazing woman in the world, every single day of my life." His words took her breath away. Derek closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, Cate, but I would do it ten fold to have you."

She fought with her words; Cate had never felt like she did when Derek was around. There was nothing special about her, but he brought a spark to her life that made every thing she had previously gone through seem like nothing.

"Are you ready?" he asked as he started the SUV back up. She nodded, holding his hand tightly.

Minutes later, they pulled into the long driveway leading to David Rossi's home. Cate smirked, "You live in an apartment, and Rossi lives here?!" She laughed, pointing to the estate in front of her. "Something seems wrong with this picture," she added as a joke.

Derek smirked. "I don't write books on the side of working for the FBI," he joked back. "And I have enough put away, from working and the houses I've flipped."

Cate's eyebrow rose as she turned to him. "Houses you've flipped?"

He laughed and put his hands up in mock surrender. "It's a little side hobby. It makes me feel good to knock down walls."

She laughed, "You are just full of surprises." Cate took one last deep breath as Derek got out of the truck and walked to her side to open her door.

She gripped Derek's hand with both of hers as she followed him up the path to the front door, taking in the beautiful home. Derek rang the doorbell before opening the door when he heard Rossi bellow from inside. "You good?" he asked, turning back to the brunette. She settled a smile to her face and nodded.

The pair walked down the hallway into the open kitchen at the back of the home. Cate's senses were filled with the dish Dave was currently preparing in the kitchen, taking her back to her first date with Derek.

The two turned into the kitchen to see the team sitting around the island, glasses of wine in hand.

"Is this a first?" Eyes flew in the blonde's direction, "Derek didn't come to Family Dinner by himself!"

Blush grew in his cheeks as he nodded. "Funny, Jayje," he replied. He wrapped an arm around Cate's waist, "Every one, this is my girlfriend, Cate."

Cate tried to keep her facial expression from seeming startled at Derek's introduction as she smiled and gave a quick wave as he named every one in the room. "Thank you for the invitation, Dave. Your home is beautiful," she remarked, smiling in the Italian's direction.

"Welcome, bella," he replied, working diligently at the kitchen counter.

"And thank you for the recommendation of Galli Ristorante last weekend! It was amazing," she gushed as Derek stepped away to say hello to his team.

Rossi grinned, "Grazie," he replied.

"Ah, Rossi didn't tell you he's an investor, did he?" Cate turned to the bubbly blonde who had stepped in to Derek's spot next to her. "Penelope," she offered as she extended her hand to Cate. "Now I can see why Derek is so smitten."

The blush crept into Cate's cheeks at the statement. When Cate took Penelope's to shake it, the blonde pulled her into a hug.

-xx-

After dinner, that for the most part was not as awkward as Cate expected it to be, she excused herself to the back deck for a breath of fresh air.

Derek watched her from the island in the kitchen; she clutched her glass of wine in one hand as she sat on the back steps staring into the dark back yard.

"It's a lot for her," JJ mused as she stood next to Derek's seat. "Let her have a minute and I'll go talk to her."

Derek turned to the blonde woman standing next to him. She was his best friend on the team, and knew he could trust her to help Cate feel a bit more comfortable around their team. "Thanks J," he murmured, his eyes darting back to the brunette on the back deck.

"She seems great," she added before taking a sip of her wine. "And you seem genuinely happy."

He smiled and nodded, "I am." Derek fiddled with the glass in his hand. "She's pretty amazing, JJ. I don't know how I got so lucky."

JJ smirked and placed a hand to his shoulder. "It is nice to hear you talk like that. You deserve to be happy."

She picked up her glass of wine before stepping towards the French doors leading to the back yard. JJ situated herself next to Cate on the back steps. Cate turned as the blonde sat next to her and smiled.

"Sorry, you were probably expecting Morgan," JJ mused. She noticed Cate was focused on the wine glass in her hand, barely recognizing the breeze coming through the back yard. "We can be a bit much on off nights."

Cate smiled. "You guys are all great," she replied. "It's good to see Derek enjoy himself, too." She let out a small sigh. "I wish I could have met you differently."

JJ pursed her lips together. "Me too," she answered. "That's the worst part of this job; hoping that people can put their lives back together after something horrific."

The two women took sips from their glasses. "I'll get through it," Cate announced, turning to JJ. "I think with time the flashbacks will stop." Jennifer nodded. "I hope so, at least."

The blonde placed a comforting hand to Cate's leg. "You're strong, Cate. And with Morgan in your corner, I think you'll get through it."

Cate gave her a smile. "He's so good to me," she glanced over her shoulder into the kitchen. Derek was standing at the island in deep discussion with Hotch and Rossi. He caught her glance and gave a quick smile. "Can I be honest?" she asked.

"Of course," JJ replied, not showing that the question was unexpected.

"I could see myself marrying him," Cate mused, trying to suppress her smile. "And that scares me."

Her honesty startled JJ; but then again, Derek said almost the same thing to her when they drove back from their last case. "Why does that scare you?"

Cate shrugged. "I'm not what he deserves. He deserves perfect, and I'm," she paused, "broken."

The blonde didn't have an answer for her; she pursed her lips and let Cate continue.

"He deserves a family, and I may not be able to give that to him."

Cate had never expressed those feelings to anyone, but hoped that JJ wouldn't go off and tell Derek what she said. JJ gave her hand a squeeze. "Can I be honest?" The brunette nodded. "I have never seen Derek Morgan this interested in any woman as long as I've known him." Cate bowed her head, hoping she wouldn't let him down. "I just spent six and a half hours in a car with a man who would not stop talking about you. We've worked together for over ten years, and you are the only woman he has ever introduced to us."

The brunette gave JJ a quick grin before taking the last sip of her wine.

"I'm not saying that because you're sitting here," JJ stated. "You're so different from any other woman that he's met – those are his exact words. I don't think you have anything to worry about."

Just as Cate was going to respond, she heard the door behind them open. Penelope stuck her head outside. "Dessert time!" she announced.

Cate laughed. "I don't think I can handle another bite!"

JJ smiled. "You need to bring your full appetite when Rossi hosts Family Dinner!"

The two stood from the steps and started back into the house.

-xx-

Thoughts? Anyone?