AN: Crossover with Criminal Minds and The OC. Takes place roughly first season in both shows. This is a Young Ryan universe with him at eight years old. The majority of this story will be mostly Criminal Minds with Ryan interacting with those characters. The characters from the OC won't be brought up until much later in the story. If any of you haven't seen either one of these shows, I recommend that you try to find some episodes to watch just to get a feel for each show. Anyway, tell me what you all think of this. PLZ R&R!

Disclaimer: I own no one.

Criminal Minds

Early first season CM.

No Gideon.

Rossi is on the team.

Hotch and Haley are divorced.

Jack is four.

Will and JJ are already together.

Henry is two.

Fran Morgan lives in Quantico.

Fran and Dave are married.

Desiree and Sarah still live in Chicago.

The OC

Ryan's dad is in jail.

Ryan's brother ran away.

Ryan's mother walked away from him.

Ryan ran away from his guardians.

Ryan is eight.

Chapter 1: Derek Meets Ryan

Derek Morgan finished his last report and placed it on the pile. He stood up and stretched as he glanced at the time and took out his phone.

"Hey Mark, is it too late to come over? Great, I'll be there in a little bit." He hung up his phone and gathered his things as Prentiss and JJ came out to him.

"Hot date tonight?" JJ asked him.

"Not exactly," he replied. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

He walked towards the elevator and spotted Penelope walking out to him from her office. She smiled brightly as she approached him.

"Hey Baby Girl," he smiled at her. "What are your big plans for tonight?"

"Girls night with Em and Jayje," she smiled at him as she joined him in the elevator. "Are you heading over there now?"

"Yep," he nodded. "I already called Mark."

"Well I did some extra baking today. I put the goodies in your backseat."

"Thanks," he smiled at her. "They love your treats."

"Good," she smiled as they reached the parking garage. "I'll see you tomorrow, Hot Stuff."

"Count on it, Baby Girl." he got into his car and pulled away from the government building.

A few minutes later, Derek parked against the curb in front of a state-run building. He grabbed Penelope's treats before climbing out of the car and walking through the doors of the all-boys orphanage; he scanned all the rooms, looking for his friend who practically ran it. He had been volunteering here for several months now and enjoyed being a mentor to the young boys who were living in the facility temporarily.

He always wanted to make a difference. He knew he did that every day with his job, but it was different when he came here. These boys had nothing; and for a few short hours, he hoped he gave them a little reprieve from their thoughts of hopelessness of ever finding a family. And he made sure he was a much better mentor to these boys than the one he had growing up.

"Derek," he smiled as he finally found his friend. "More treats from Penelope?"

"Of course," Derek placed them down on the table in the recreation room. "So is there anything new since the last time I was here?"

"We have a new addition," Mark pointed to the corner of the room, where a young boy of about eight was sitting by himself in the corner as he read a thick book. "He was found at the bus station this morning. Apparently he had been traveling in the luggage compartment for two days."

"So what's his story?"

"All we could get out of him was his first name: Ryan. Because all the kids here need a last name, we've given him the last name of Smith."

"That's creative," Morgan smiled at him. "Do you know anything about him?"

"He doesn't talk much; even when we speak directly to him, which tells me that he was silenced in his old environment. We've spotted some bruises, so it's a safe assumption that he was abused, most likely physically as well as emotionally."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"You have a way with the kids here," Mark glanced at him. "I think he may be into sports, so I think that could be your in."

"I will do my best," Morgan started across the room, where Ryan was curled up on a bean bag chair. "Hey, are you Ryan?"

The young boy looked up at him with inquisitive eyes. His shaggy dark blond hair fell down, barely concealing the baby blue eyes. He eyed Derek suspiciously as he slowly sat down on the floor across from him.

"So is your name Ryan?" he tried again. "That's what my friend Mark told me."

"Yes," Ryan's quiet voice came out.

"My name's Derek Morgan, and I work for the FBI." he held out his hand for him to shake as Ryan's eyes got big and he saw him starting to panic.

"Whoa, I'm not here to arrest you." Derek assured him. "I just wanted to tell you what my job was."

Ryan nodded briefly at him before giving Derek another suspicious look and returned to his book. Morgan sighed deeply as he thought of ways to try to break down the walls that the kid had built up around him. He knew he had been perfecting it for years; he recognized it because that's what he did.

"So I hear you're into sports," Morgan tried again. "Do you like watching football? Any favorite teams?"

"Dolphins….49ers,"

"Really? Those are your teams?"

"You have to root for the under dogs. They always surprise you."

"Yes they do," Derek smiled. "So what book are you reading?"

Mark watched from across the room as Derek was able to break through to Ryan and they started a lengthy conversation. He knew that Derek was the right person to get through to him; he just had a way with these kids.

A little while later, Mark silently approached the two of them and heard them talking about book genres; Ryan said he liked fantasy, which Derek started listing off titles that he had read. Ryan looked up and tensed as he saw Mark standing there.

"Sorry to interrupt," Mark looked at Derek. "But it's time for Ryan to get settled for the night. We have a strict schedule here."

"I remember. I just didn't realize it was so late," Morgan looked at his watch.

"There are some pajamas on the bed in your room," Mark looked at Ryan. "Along with a tooth brush, tooth paste, and some towels for when you take a shower."

"Go on kid," Derek told him. "I'll come back and we can hang out again."

"Really?" Ryan started to smile, but stopped himself.

"Of course," Derek smiled at him. "We can hang out whenever I don't have to be out of town for a case."

Ryan clambered out of the bean bag chair and shuffled out of the room. Derek slowly stood up from his spot on the floor and Mark walked him out of the building.

"I don't know how you do it man," Mark told him as they reached Derek's car. "I couldn't get him to say two words to anyone. You had an entire conversation with him for over an hour."

"He totally freaked when I told him I was FBI," Derek looked at him. "Like he thought I was going to arrest him or something."

"All the kids here are a little skittish."

"Hey, am I allowed to take him out of the facility?"

"It depends what you have in mind."

"He said he likes sports. I know there's a basketball court down the street here. I was just going to take him to shoot hoops."

"I think that would be ok. You just have to sign him out. Make sure it's on my shift though. The others-"

"I understand," Derek smiled as he climbed into his car. "We might get another case, but I'll call you when it's done."

"Got it," Mark waved to Derek as he drove off and walked back into the facility.

Derek reached his house and let himself in. Clooney came barreling up to him and he scratched his head. He placed his things on his counter as his cell phone beeped with a new text message. He sighed deeply, hoping there wasn't another case already.

He opened it up and saw that the message was from Rossi; 'Call your mother. She hasn't heard from you in three days. She's worried about you.'

Derek dialed his mom's number as he went to get a drink after letting Clooney out. He heard it ring a few times before someone answered.

"Hey Ma," he sighed as he stood on his porch to keep an eye on Clooney.

"Derek!" he pulled the phone from his ear briefly. "Dave said you left work hours ago. I tried calling you. I have been worried sick!"

"Sorry I didn't call earlier." He collapsed back on the couch after letting Clooney back inside.

"Where have you been?"

"I was volunteering at the orphanage uptown."

"Oh. You don't usually stay this long."

"There was a new kid. Mark wanted me to try to get through to him. I think I did."

"Tell me about him,"

"The only thing Mark got out of him was his first name, Ryan. They gave him the last name Smith."

"How'd he come to the orphanage?"

"He was found at the bus station this morning. He had been hiding in the luggage compartment for two days. He doesn't speak much. Mark thinks he was abused both physically and mentally."

"Poor thing,"

"He's into sports so I thought I would take him to shoot hoops or something the next time I go."

"That's a great idea," Fran could hear the exhaustion in her son's voice. "I'll let you go so you can get some sleep."

"I'll try to stop over tomorrow."

"That'll be great." Derek hung up his phone and started upstairs as his mind drifted back to Ryan and he thought of ways how he would be able to break through to him.

Fran silently walked into her bedroom and climbed into bed beside her husband. He turned over and looked at her as he put his book down.

"Well?"

"He was at the orphanage,"

"I told you," Dave smiled at her.

"All right, fine, you were right."

"If he's not at work, he's there." He told her. "He really has a way with those kids. And he's committed. No matter how tired he is after a case, he makes sure that he stops by to spend time with them."

"He was telling me about a new kid that he met tonight. Just the way he was talking-I don't know. There was just something in his voice. I think that this time is different."

"Ever since he started volunteering, we've all been waiting for the day he comes in to tell us that he wants to adopt one of them."

"I'm waiting for that day too." Fran turned out the light and they got settled in for the night. "And I have a feeling that day may be soon."

AN: With Criminal Minds, Morgan and Garcia aren't together, but I want them to eventually get together possibly with a little help from Ryan. Also, the team doesn't know about Carl Buford yet. I'm debating whether or not I want to work that into this story. Anyway PLZ R&R!