Disclaimer: I don't own, Mr. Davis and friends don't sue... Deal?

Three hours and four coffees later, they finally went back to Penny's. The conversation had switched from the cases in Phoenix and Buffalo, to profiling in general, to the FBI Academy and what she should expect. All in all, Ryley found that Hotch wasn't nearly as intimidating as he pretended to be, at least when you were talking to him without the entire team around. She also had a sneaking suspicion that she'd managed to lay her soul bare by just answering questions like "What's your favorite color?", but she'd worry about that later.

Everyone was still sitting around chatting when they came back in and Penny rushed her, squeezing Ryley in a bone-crushing hug. "Ry! We just had a great idea but it all depends on you so you have to agree."

Ryley stared at her aunt suspiciously. "Depends. I've had experience with your 'great ideas' and ended up with curly hair. What's this one?"

Morgan laughed and ruffled said curls. "I think you look cute as a curly-Q."

"I look ridiculous. I will be ecstatic when this temp perm finally washes out."

Penelope pouted. "You look good with curls Ry. Like a dark Shirley Temple. But that's not the point." The tech analyst started bouncing excitedly again, and Ryley wanted to laugh at the look of pure puppy-love on her Uncle Kevin's face. "Kev was bragging about your cooking. And the team was saying they wanted to try. And then I was thinking about what you said about hosting a movie night for Reid. So why don't we do it, or do a bunch of things in one. It'll be like a Reid Appreciation Party. We'll play jazz music and it'll be at Morgan's house so we can set up a movie projector and use the big white wall he has in his living room as a screen and we'll all get Spencer presents, like it's his birthday! Only this'll be just because we want to show him we love him and you can cook his favorite foods and everything!"

Ryley was laughing by the end of all this. Penny sure meant it when she said she wanted to make things right. "That sounds like a great idea sweetie. When do you want to do it?"

"Tonight!"

The intern gaped at her tech analyst auntie, then at Morgan, Prentiss, JJ, Rossi, and Uncle Kevin, who were all grinning like it was no big deal. "Umm… guys? You do realize that it's already three in the afternoon, right?" They all nodded. "And do any of you know how long it will take me to make food for this many people?"

"Rossi and I can help you. We're pretty good cooks ourselves." Morgan replied, shrugging negligently. "Besides, if we do it tonight, then we can all make a plan to follow our favorite weekend-Goth to a club this Saturday and pay attention to her to."

Ryley glared at them, then got a brilliantly evil idea. "Ok guys, I'll make you a deal." They all sat forward. "I'll sweat my ass off cooking Spence's favorites tonight, and I won't even make you follow me to a club Saturday, you can just meet me and Bobby somewhere and go with us, but…" She held up a finger. "I get to dress you."

The girl's all shook their heads eagerly, but they were girls. For them it would be nothing more than another round of dress-up. The guys, on the other hand, all blanched and visibly retreated. None of them wanted that. Ryley shrugged. "It's that or you have to follow me, though I should warn you, I'm very familiar with every metal and punk bar this side of the Potomac. If I tell the bouncer not to let you in, you're not getting past the front door."

The men contemplated that for a minute, glancing between each other. Morgan was the first to cave, nodding his head in a small assent. To everyone's surprise, Hotch was next. He was too curious not to go, even if it meant letting Ryley use him like a living, breathing Ken doll. Rossi finally gave in, glaring at his fellow XY's. "You can dress me, but I'm not wearing make-up."

"Who said anything about make-up? I was thinking face paint." Rossi winced and Ryley took a twisted form of mercy on him. "Tell you what David, it's face paint or eyeliner and mascara. Take your pick."

"I'll tell you Saturday night." He grumbled, and all of the girl's laughed at him.

Suddenly, JJ's head shot towards Ryley. "Will is going to want to come too, are you going to dress him up as well?"

"If you're going with me, you're dressing my way. I work hard to blend in when I'm at a club. And unlike you guys, I'll probably go back to that club at some point in my life. I'm going to be selfish here and flat out say that I won't let you ruin my invisible status by sticking out like sore thumbs. No offence to you and Rossi, Hotch, but just having two guys your age there is going to be enough of an oddity." Ryley stated firmly.

Everyone nodded, understanding her reasoning, almost. It was Rossi that finally asked the question everyone was thinking. "Why are you so intent on staying invisible at these clubs?"

The intern shrugged. "I prefer it that way. Invisible means your left alone and left alone means that you can enjoy yourself without worrying about other people messing with you."

Kevin reached forward and tapped her ankle lightly. "The brawl at Haven last year?" Ryley nodded tersely. Sensing the questioning glances of the team, he explained. "She was at this place called Haven last year when two assholes started picking on her friend Bobby and his boyfriend. Ryley stood up for them and it turned into this whole big thing that ended in Ryley needing staples in her head and nearly getting charged with assault."

Hotch stared at Kevin. "Nearly?"

"There were enough witnesses ly- saying that the other guy threw the first punch that she was left off with self-defense."

Morgan laughed. "You nearly said lying." He turned his attention to Ryley. "So you started it?"

"Technically. I still say he started it by being an ignorant homophobe, but hey, my opinion and the law's don't exactly match up on this one." Ryley said, suppressing a grin. Despite the heart-attack she'd nearly given Kev and Pen when they got the call from the hospital and the fact that she was banned from Haven now, that was one of her proudest nights. Even if it had ended in bloodshed, she still stood up for her friend and against something that she felt was more morally reprehensible than homosexuality could ever be. Hatred.

Prentiss was grinning at her, obviously not upset to find out that Ryley had a bit more than a small temper. "So you ended up with staples in your head?" The younger woman nodded, absently rubbing the spot. "What did the other guy need?"

"The one I took on or the one the Bobby took on?"

"Both."

Ryley gave a malicious smile. "Quite a bit more than me."

Prentiss raised a brow at Penelope. "Do you know?"

Penny was smiling also. Supporting equal rights for LBGT community was one of the things they bonded on. Garcia had even offered to hack into the local LEO's computer system and erase the incident from their hard drives once she found out why Ryley had been in a barroom brawl. "I don't know which one Ry took on, but one guy ended up with a busted leg and three broken ribs-"

"That was Bobby's."

"And the other guy had no major injuries, just a lot of bruising, a cracked collarbone and-"

"Here comes the best part."

"He needed to have testical retrieval operation."

Will, who had chosen that moment to walk out of Penny's room, instinctively covered his balls, while the girl's rolled laughing.

"How the hell did you manage that Ry?" JJ asked between guffaws.

Ryley shrugged, a grin threatening to split her face. "He picked a night when I happened to where my steel-toed hooker boots."

"Steel-toed hooker boots?" Prentiss asked with interest.

Ryley nodded exuberantly. She loved her boots, all of them. They were practically all she bought. "Don't worry. I don't have any guy's clothes and Bobby is skinnier than Spence, so the boys can't borrow clothes from him, which means tomorrow, we get to go shopping!" JJ, Prentiss, and Penny squealed excitedly. "We'll go to my favorite shop. Trust me, you're going to love it. And I'll show you some shoes even cooler than steel-toed hooker boots." The men groaned, making Ryley remember something. "Oh, and guys?" Rossi, Hotch, Morgan, and Will all looked at her expectantly. "The clothes are on me. A thank-you for making an effort with Spence and for trying to get to know me as well."

Before any of them could argue, Ryley dragged Rossi and Morgan into the kitchen, pulling at cookbooks as she went, to make a list of what she'd need from the grocery store. Penny and Prentiss huddled together making other lists that JJ, Will, Hotch, and Kevin would have to fill. Hotch, watching the party planning chaos reign, sighed and retreated to the bedroom to check on his son. Will leaned down next to his wife. "What clothes are she talking about?"