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I've had a few people reach out about this story. No, it's not over. No, I didn't forget about it.

If you follow my other story, Take Two, you'll know that my father passed away back in March. On the same day as my last update. I just let this one go for a bit to focus on the other story and keep my mind occupied on one thing.

Updates here may become more sporadic, but trust me, I have not given up on Cate & Derek.

xo

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Savior

Chapter 105

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"Do we really need to go downstairs for breakfast?" Cate asked with a whine. She pulled the white bed sheet closer to her body as she attempted to sit up in the bed.

Derek grinned in her direction as he stepped out of the bathroom. "You agreed to it," he said with a wink.

Cate licked her lips as her new husband crossed the hotel room. His sweatpants hung low on his hips and his top half was bare of everything except a smile. "I think I finished off two bottles of wine by myself yesterday," she argued. "I am not responsible for agreeing to things after that."

"Get married at a vineyard," he started with a laugh.

"It'll be fun they said," she finished for him. "Well, it was, so 'they' were right."

Derek smirked and nodded as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. Cate tried to wrap herself the best she could as she crawled towards his spot. She rested her chin on his shoulder and let out a content sigh. "Look at my beautiful wife," he complimented. "After all this time, you're still trying to hide that body from me."

She tucked her face in to the nook between his shoulder and neck as she felt the blush rise in her cheeks. "I think you saw enough of it last night," she murmured against his skin. Derek nudged her just out of his way to lie back on the mattress as his feet rested on the floor beneath him.

Cate repositioned herself to lay the opposite way across the bed, and watch him. She propped herself up on her forearms next to him and grinned down at him. "I could never get sick of seeing you," he admitted.

She was bare of any make up and her loose curls sat in a bun on the top of her head. Bringing her back to the hotel room after their wedding was the perfect ending to her storybook night.

Cate let out a content sigh as she thought back to the night before. He was so gentle with her, as usual, but knowing it was their wedding night, everything was that much more special.

It was finally just the two of them. The past few weeks leading up to the wedding felt rushed and busy. Cate felt like she was always trying to keep someone happy, or accomplish something on her mother's list. She barely had a chance to breathe alone.

But being in Derek's arms was her perfect place. This man would do anything to keep her safe and make sure she knew she was loved.

She was so happy with how they did it; the wedding was everything she could have ever wanted, and he was to thank for that. He dealt with her craziness for the past few months to make sure everything was perfect. His love never faltered.

She grinned in his direction as he played with the tendrils that fell out of her bun. "Good morning, Mrs. Morgan," he said with a smirk dancing across his lips.

She could not help the excited laughter that escaped her lips. She was never going to get sick of hearing her new name. "I love you, so much," she said before placing her lips to his.

"I love you more," he answered sweetly.

"So," she started as she shifted her weight between both arms. "Are you ever going to tell me about the trial?"

Derek took a deep breath as he could feel her blue orbs stare at him. She had such a glow about her this morning that he was not ready to mention Jade Hanson. "Are you sure you want to bring that up now?"

She nodded. "I said after the wedding," she reminded him. He closed his eyes to try to shield himself from her gaze. "It's after."

He chuckled softly to himself before sitting up right. Derek turned to the brunette next to him and took both of her hands in his. "Guilty," he said softly. He watched the expressions change over her face, but ultimately settle for a smile. "They'll have her back for sentencing, but you don't need to be there."

"Yes, I do," she answered softly before pursing her lips. "I need to."

Derek sighed and let his head hang. "There is no reason to put yourself through this all again," he said gently.

She shrugged. "I need to see it, and hear it, for myself," she explained.

"And what about the other three?" he said, his tone a little harsher than he meant. "Are you going to stress yourself out over this?"

Cate licked her lips and let his words wash over her. She tried to shrug them away. "We shouldn't be arguing about this," she muttered. "I'm not spending my first morning as a married woman fighting with you about them. That's what they want."

"I just don't think you should give them the satisfaction," he reasoned. "Jade and Fred get off on it, Cate. Remember the look on her face as you sat on the stand? That's how proud she was of what she did."

A sigh escaped her pretty pink lips. "You're right," she said quietly. "Will Rossi be there?"

Derek nodded. "Unless we're in the field, he plans to be there for all of them."

She forced herself to take a deep breath as she applied a genuine smile to her face. "Okay," she mumbled. "And we both know my father won't miss a second of it." Her face read upset even with the bright smile adorning it.

"If we're starting Operation Baby, there's no reason to add the stress to your life," he explained.

She laughed softly. "We started that last night," she reminded him before leaning across the space between them to kiss her new husband. "Thank you," she muttered on his lips.

"For what?" he asked genuinely as the two pulled apart by inches.

"You're always looking out for me," she answered. "And the future us."

The idea of a baby brought a smile to Derek's lips. "You are under strict orders," he said with a wink. Cate lifted a brow in his direction. "To relax. After the house is ready to go, I want you to take the time to relax."

"Isn't that what we're going to do when we spend five days in Aruba this week?" He smirked and nodded. "I can handle this, Derek," she assured him. "Let's just pray that it's as easy as we hope it is."

"When it's meant to be, Catie," he reminded her. "However – whenever – it'll happen."

She smiled in his direction and nodded. He had such an optimistic view when it came to their future, but she knew he had not sat in on her frequent doctor's appointments. He had not watched the expressions on her doctor's face when she explained the severity of her injuries.

A baby was the one thing Derek Morgan wanted, and she was going to make it happen. If she had to put her body on the line for that, she was willing to do it for him.

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