Savior

Chapter 42

-xx-

Cate absentmindedly played with the straw in her coffee as she sat in Fran Morgan's kitchen. Derek boasted the entire way from the airport how he and his sister's were able to buy their mom a better house. It wasn't as big as the one they grew up in, but since she lived by herself, she didn't need as much room.

He was proud to finally get her out of the South Side. She lived a little closer to downtown Chicago, and only fifteen minutes away from her daughters. Even Yvonne was only a five minute drive from her new location.

Derek had a friend in real estate that let him in on a bargain; a foreclosure in a good area was just what the Morgan matriarch needed. Derek had taken two weeks off from the BAU to refurbish what he needed to of his mom's new home, and let Sarah and Desiree go to down with decorating. The three bedroom home left enough room for Derek whenever he could travel home, but was not too big that it was overwhelming for Fran.

"Cate," his mother began as she took a seat across from the brunette with a steaming hot cup of tea in her hand, "I am so happy you were able to join Derek on his trip home."

"I've been dying to meet you all in person. He talks about you and his sisters all the time." Cate offered a warm smile. "Thank you for letting us stay here, too."

Fran smiled as she brushed her curls out of her face. "This may not be his childhood home, but this is his home away from home." Fran spread her arm out to show off the kitchen. "You would never believe this room if you saw the pictures before my boy demo'ed it."

"Ah, so he really is good at construction. I thought that was just a pick up line."

She heard heavy footsteps on the staircase and laughed. "When we find our house, I will build you whatever you want," Derek said as he stepped into the kitchen. He planted a kiss to Cate's cheek as he walked through the room towards the fridge. "But we could not let Ma move in here the way it was."

"Bright yellow walls with dark wood," she began with a laugh. "Desiree lost it when she saw it for the first time."

"I thought you said you surprised her with this house?" Cate asked as she took a sip of her iced coffee.

Derek nodded. "We did, but Sarah video'd everything we did. She compiled it all to one video when we brought Mom here for the first time." Cate grinned; he was such a Momma's boy, but the adoration that dripped from Fran Morgan when he son was around brought a smile to her face.

"You have the best kids," Cate said to Fran.

The redhead nodded. "I do, indeed," she agreed. Cate was focused on watching Derek retrieve a bottle of water from the refrigerator as Fran placed her hand on top of hers. "And they've picked wonderful partners."

Cate blushed. "Thank you," she replied softly. Derek flipped a kitchen chair around to sit in between the two women at the table. "Feel better after that shower?" she asked Derek as he rested forward against the chair.

"I do," he answered. "I was in such a rush to drive out here that I didn't have time to grab a shower before I got on the road." He took a sip of his water before placing the bottle on the table.

"What is the plan for you two this weekend?" Fran asked.

Cate shrugged as she looked to Derek. "Since my little sister decided to let everyone know I would be home for the weekend, my phone has been going crazy."

The two women laughed. "Mr. Popular," his mother teased.

"Brendan wants to get together for dinner tonight." He turned to Cate and offered a smile. "Jamie has been texting and asking when we were coming back to the city, too," he said, referencing his best friend's wife.

Cate bowed her head and smiled. She would admit – it was nice to be sought after. It made her realize that those who have known Derek for years saw the change in him when she entered his life.

His mother had said it to her earlier, much to the chagrin of Derek. "He seems like he's finally ready to settle down, and we have you to thank for that."

She never felt as though she needed to be thanked for loving the man sitting next to her. He dealt with a lot of baggage when it came to her – literally and figuratively – and he never once backed down.

"You two are free to be in and out as much as you'd like this weekend," Fran said before taking a sip of her tea. "Dinner with your sisters is at 6pm tomorrow evening," she reminded as she stood from the table and placed her mug in the sink. "And the shower is at 2 on Sunday. Other than that, you are free to do whatever you want."

Cate smiled politely as Derek smirked at his mother. "Yes, ma'am," he replied. She shooed him away as she walked out of the kitchen.

"She's great," Cate complimented as she turned to Derek.

He scooted his chair closer to his girlfriend and kissed her arm as it lay on the table, her hand wrapped around her coffee cup. "She's the best." His warm smile brought a smile to her face as well. "She likes you, too."

Cate blushed and turned from the black man next to her. He placed a hand to the cheek furthest away from him and brought her back to face him.

"Which is a good thing, because I intend to keep you around as long as I can," he said as he leaned closer towards her. Derek placed his lips on hers and felt her lean in to his touch.

"You've brought me home to meet the family," she said with a wink. "There's no getting rid of me now." His laugh filled the kitchen.

Cate took a moment to look through the kitchen; the work Derek did in there was amazing and dripping with love for his Mama. She was so proud of the man sitting next to her, and his love for his family.

-xx-

Cate turned to the woman next to her and smiled softly as she placed a hand to her growing belly. After dinner at a local steakhouse, much to Derek's pleasure, the two men decided the foursome were going to hit up one of their old haunts, the Green Street Local.

It had changed since Derek and Brendan started visiting the establishment in their early twenties; sports memorabilia was still plastered all over the walls, and games were on the TVs, but the loud music coming from the DJ and the dance floor where the pool table were had been big changes.

Cate turned to the blonde next to her, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Jamie nodded and placed a hand to Cate's forearm. "I'm fine. Another five and a half months of this," she joked. "It's not often that Derek and Bren get together, so I'm up for anything."

"They're really close, huh?" Cate asked as she watched the two play the basketball game in the corner.

The blonde grinned. "They're the best of friends." Cate took a sip of her cocktail before placing it back on the table. "Before Derek left for Quantico, they were inseparable. I think Brendan is the brother D always wanted."

Derek released a whoo as he dunked the last shot to win the round. Rematch! the two heard Brendan shout over the music. Derek turned to find Cate; his eyebrow rose to ask her if it was okay. Her smile gave him his answer.

"We miss him, but he was getting nowhere here. He worked a lot of undercover before leaving for the job in Virginia."

Cate's brows furrowed. "He doesn't talk about his undercover work too much," she said with a sigh.

Jamie shrugged. "He never really told any of us about it, either. It was never around here, so I have no idea what he would go through."

"He is too good at his job sometimes," Cate mused out loud as she stirred her drink.

Jamie sighed. "That's what we've heard. His mother is so proud of him." The blonde took a sip of her soda as the two watched their respective partners joke around at the basketball machine. "And you just beam with pride every time you so much as look at him."

Cate blushed and took a quick sip of her drink. "I love seeing him at home. He's so relaxed when he's here, and it's only been a few hours." The brunette relaxed back in her chair. "It's definitely a nice change."

"Derek is one of the best you can get lucky enough to meet in your life," Jamie said with a smile. "That poor guy has been stuck with me since we were teenagers and my dumb ass decided to go to a house party by myself."

Cate turned to Jamie and lifted an eyebrow.

"Ever the perfect gentleman," she answered Cate's silent question. "Brendan and I had just started talking and he mentioned he was going to this party." Jamie laughed to herself as she replayed the party in her head. "My two girlfriends backed out at the last minute, but I was all dolled up, so I went by myself."

"How old were you?" Cate asked as she turned to give Jamie her full attention.

"Sixteen," the blonde replied. "Almost seventeen, so that would make D and Bren nineteen if I remember correctly." She smiled and shook her head. "Brendan was running late, as usual, and I didn't really know Derek so I tried to keep to myself until Bren got there. Long story short, an older guy spiked my drink. God only knows what Derek prevented that night."

Cate twisted her neck to watch Derek with a new understanding of how close he keeps his friends. "He saved my life," Cate blurted out. She sighed as soon as the words left her lips. "Three years ago," she continued. "It's actually how we met the first time."

The brunette peeked at the woman sitting next to her and was met with a soft expression that compelled her to continue.

"His team was tracking a serial killer in DC," she said softly, as to not disrupt any one sitting around them. "I was the fourth." She licked her lips and stared off into the distance. "Derek literally kept me alive. All I remember from the attack was Derek; he stayed with me the entire time. I'm told he rode in the ambulance too."

"Cate," was all Jamie could muster as the two men started back towards the table. The brunette snapped herself out of her reverie and forced a smile to her face as she took a sip of her beverage. "Have fun boys?"

-xx-