Savior

Chapter 92

-xx-

Cate grinned as she heard the apartment door close. Derek had rearranged his day to take his sisters and mother out to breakfast before dropping the three women off at the airport. He had been upset the night before about not being able to spend the time with him that he would have liked due to his work schedule.

When his future wife offered to move their flights back so they could enjoy the morning together, Derek jumped at the opportunity. Sarah was quick to call work and let them know her flight was 'delayed' and she would be in tomorrow.

"Thank you," he called out as he locked the door behind him. "I just wish you could have joined us."

"Me too," she answered as she turned back to the cards in front of her on the kitchen island. "For once, a closing was quick and painless, too."

Derek chuckled as he rested his keys on the table next to the door. "What are you doing?" he asked as he stepped in to the kitchen. He dropped a kiss to her cheek before rounding the island to retrieve a drink from the refrigerator.

"Thank you cards," she replied without looking up from the one she was working on.

"The shower was yesterday," Derek pointed out.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "And I have time to get them done now," she bartered. "Why wait until we have ones for the wedding, too?"

Derek shrugged. "So just send one?"

Cate shook her head and continued on her work. "Such a guy," she muttered out loud.

The black man's laugh echoed through the kitchen. "Yes, I am, baby," he responded. "Don't start complaining now."

Cate finished the one in her hand and tucked it in to the envelope. "I need those addresses," she reminded him. "JJ, Emily and Garcia. Oh, and Beth and Krystall!"

Derek grinned; the three ladies he worked with were just as anxious as he was to make it to the bridal shower. But it was a welcome surprise to see Hotch and Rossi's other halves at the shower.

Derek stepped around the island and placed his hands to the top of Cate's shoulders and began to massage them. "I need to finish these," she tried to explain.

"Mhmm," he answered swiftly. "Those can wait." She rolled her eyes as she sat up straighter in the chair at the island. His long fingers worked at the knot growing in her shoulder. "You need to relax," he whispered in her ear.

A simple smile crossed her lips as she placed her pen down and let him go to work. "I have too much on my plate right now to relax," she explained as she lowered her head to let him massage the base of her neck.

"Time to hand off some of that responsibility," he countered. "Let your mother and sister deal with the last minute wedding plans."

A quiet laugh escaped her lips. "It's not even that," she began. She sighed and swiveled her chair around to face the man behind her. "Jeff called this morning. They're done on the main floor. His painters will be in tomorrow to finish the second floor."

Derek pursed his lips and nodded. "I told you he was good," he said with a smirk.

"We've barely picked out furniture for the new house," she continued, barely acknowledging the compliment for his friend. "And we need to clear out the storage space." She let her shoulders fall. "But between work and getting all of the wedding stuff done, I'm stretched thin."

Derek cupped her face and cut her off by pressing his lips to hers. "We're in no rush to move in to that house, Catie," he replied softly. "If we move after we come back from Aruba, that's fine. If it takes until the end of the year – it is what it is, baby."

Cate sighed once more. "And then the trial starts right before our wedding."

Derek could not help the chuckle that came out of his mouth; he knew she was listening to what he said, but the list in her mind was taking control. "Catie," he said quietly, trying to break her train of thought.

She shook her head. "I need to get everything done because I'm going to be a fucking mess that week." She pursed her lips, but Derek could see the emotion across her features. "It's not fair," she whined. "Of all days, they had to pick the week of our wedding."

"You don't have to go on the stand," Derek said firmly. "It's too much, Cate. Tell them no."

She narrowed her eyes in his direction. "You of all people know how strong my testimony will be," she shot back. "They deserve to go away, and I'm going to make sure of it."

Derek sighed. He had tried to voice his opinion since she received the paperwork, but he knew how committed she was to making sure they spent as much time behind bars as they deserved. He would be lying if he didn't agree. He honestly thought they deserved more than what was already suggested.

"I wish there was another one of me," she muttered, defeated. "There's just too much going on in the next few weeks."

Derek nodded. "And with my work schedule, I feel useless," he admitted. Cate's expression softened at his admission. "That's why I'm trying to enlist the best help on the house – so you don't have to worry about it."

Cate's pursed lips turned into a smile. "And I appreciate it, more than you know," she replied. "I just wish I could snap my fingers and we could be standing under that arbor saying our vows."

"Soon enough," Derek whispered as he pulled Cate in to a standing position and wrapped her up in his arms. "I am counting down the days until I can call you my wife."

Derek lost himself in the pearly white smile flashing in his direction before she burrowed further into his chest. "Add that to the list," she mumbled. "We still need to get to city hall."

Derek rolled his eyes as he held her as tight as possible. "Can you shut that brain off for five minutes and just enjoy the peace?"

Cate laughed as she tried her best to quiet her mind and relax into his hold. She knew everything would work out the way it was supposed to, but hearing Derek remind her of that made her finally realize it.

She was taking on too much, and after finally starting to get over her headaches, the last thing she needed to do was work herself up over every little thing at that moment. She had all that she truly needed; she was holding on to his for dear life at that moment.

Their moment of peace was interrupted by the buzzer by the front door. Derek sighed before letting go of Cate and stepping towards the device. He pressed the button to answer. "What's going on, Carl?" he asked impatiently.

"Miss Cate has a visitor, sir," came the voice from the front desk. Cate lifted an eyebrow as they were not expecting anyone today. She knew Carl was always looking out for anyone coming to see them. "A Mr. Seth Hanson."

Derek turned to Cate to see the color drain from her face and her lips purse together. "I'll be right down," he answered before disconnecting the call. "The other son?"

The brunette swallowed the growing lump in her throat and nodded.

-xx-