This has been taking over my mind recently – don't worry, we will still see plenty from Cate & Derek in Savior, but I needed to let this one out to play. Let me know what you think.

xo

-xx-

Take Two

Chapter 1

-xx-

May 2018

Whitney Buchanan let out a sigh as she rested back against the cold tile wall. She let the Styrofoam coffee cup dangle from her finger tips as she took one last deep breath following an intense twelve hour shift in the ER.

"Come on, Whit." The blonde turned at the voice behind her and offered a tired smile to her co-worker. "We're going out!"

Even through her exhaustion, she had to fight the urge to laugh at Eliot's excitement. "I'm not feeling it tonight," she offered as she lifted the cup to her lips.

"We deserve this after the shift we just had," he begged as he leant against the wall next to her. "Who knew a Friday afternoon could be so bad?"

Whitney shrugged as she slowly strained her neck to turn to him. "My bed is calling me."

He scoffed. "It's 7 o'clock on a Friday. What are you – a grandma?"

She could not help the laugh that escaped her lips. "Rain check," she begged.

Instead of replying, Eliot slipped his arm around hers and started to lead her down the hallway towards the locker room. "Enough with the excuses," he said in a sing-song tone. "You and Piper promised to come out tonight."

His whining voice was enough to make Whitney roll her eyes as she pushed open the door to the co-ed nurse's locker room. "I didn't bring clothes to go out in," she replied as she unlocked her locker. Eliot instantly reached for her bag in the locker.

"Mhmm," he responded with a shrug. "This looks like jeans and a t-shirt. That justifies as 'going out clothes'."

Whitney sighed as she pulled the clothing out of Eliot's hands. "Fine," she exclaimed. "One drink!"

"One – four – eh," he answered before walking away from her locker to his own. "And its karaoke night!"

Whitney rested her head against the closed locker next to hers and groaned. "I hate you sometimes."

"Sure you do," he fired back. "Chop chop – we're supposed to be meeting JJ and her friends at 8!"

-xx-

"So where's this friend from your kickboxing class?" Whitney asked as she lifted her beer bottle to take a sip. "Or was that a ruse to get us out tonight?"

The redhead sitting on her left stifled a laugh. "Like we needed a ruse to get out," she said with a roll of her eyes. "What were you really going to do, Whit? Go home and watch Netflix?"

The blonde in question shrugged. "Sounds like a good idea after working sixty hours this week."

"Oh drink up," Eliot said with an exasperated sigh. "Or I'm signing you up for karaoke." He dodged the swat to the arm Whitney attempted as he reached for his cell phone. "Ah, JJ texted," he said as he read the message. "She's running a little late, but they're almost here. She asked if we could seats for four of them."

Whitney pulled over another two chairs to their table to make the total seven. She let out a comfortable sigh as she put her feet up on the chair closest to her. "This works," she muttered as she took another sip of her beer.

"Until it's your round," Piper retorted.

"I will pay you so I don't have to get up," Whitney answered with a wink. "My feet are absolutely killing me."

"Pedicures tomorrow," Piper replied before taking a sip from her own glass. Whitney nodded in agreement.

The two clinked their glass and bottle together to confirm their plans. "You two enjoy," Eliot said with a sigh. "I will be back in the ER."

Whitney reached over to pat his forearm. "I'd feel bad, but I'm back on nights next week." He mock laughed in her direction. The two usually had the same schedule, but with changes coming to their emergency department, their schedules were going to change to not overlap as much.

"Sorry we're late," the trio turned to the four people who just stepped up to their table. Eliot stood to hug his friend. "Hi, I'm JJ," the blonde offered. "This is Emily, Derek and Penelope," she said as she pointed out the three people with her.

"You're just in time," Eliot said as he hugged the other two women. "I was headed to the bar – who's coming?"

Whitney waved him off as he started in the direction of the bar. JJ and the other two women followed him towards the liquor. "A beer, please, Jayje?" the black man asked his friend before taking Eliot's vacated seat. "Ladies," he offered with a smirk.

"Piper," the redhead introduced as she stuck her hand out to shake his. "And this is Whitney. We're still working on her manners."

The blonde rolled her eyes as she attempted to push herself into a seated position from the reclining one she was in. "Hi," she said softly before taking a sip of her beer.

"JJ was saying her and Eliot met at kickboxing," Piper chimed in. "How do you know JJ?"

Derek leant back in his chair. "We work together." Piper smiled at his answer. "The four of us, actually," he corrected as he waved in their general direction.

"FBI, right?" Whitney asked with an eyebrow raised. She held her hands up in defense when Piper sent an inquisitive look in her direction. "I listen to Eliot – sometimes," she defended.

Derek laughed and nodded. "Yes, we're all FBI agents."

"Even," Piper began as she pointed towards Garcia.

Derek nodded. "Yes, even Pen. She is the best technical analyst you could ever find."

The three were cut off by Eliot's squeal as the foursome headed back towards their table with shot glasses in hand. Derek grabbed his beer bottle from JJ's hold between her arm and her chest. "Happy Friday friends – and new friends," Eliot toasted, and directed towards Emily and Penelope.

The group downed their shots; Emily and Piper made faces as the liquid coursed down their throats.

Derek watched as Whitney licked her lips to get the last of the alcohol. She slowly turned away from him as she caught his watch.

Suddenly, joining the girls for a night out was not turning out to be a bad idea after all, Derek thought as he watched the blonde next to him. She was trying her best to not pay attention to the man sitting next to her, but he would see her casting a glance in his direction every so often.

-xx-