AN: I got this update out faster than I said I would. Yay me! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. PLZ R&R!

Disclaimer: See first chapter.


Chapter 11: The Set-Up

After everyone helped clean up after supper, Hotch went out to the fire pit and decided to start up a bonfire in the back yard. JJ and Emily found the packages of chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers and took them outside. Derek went outside to help Hotch with the bonfire as Will, Reid, Jack and Henry decided to look for sticks that they could use for roasting the marshmallows.

Penelope and Ryan came outside with blankets in their arms and saw some of them setting up lawn chairs while the others tried to find spots on the ground.

"Boys stay back from the fire," Hotch saw Jack and Henry sitting too close to the fire pit.

"We want to make S'mores," Jack said.

"Let the fire get a little bigger,"

Derek walked over to Ryan and saw that he was wearing his FBI hoodie as Penelope handed out blankets to everyone.

"I hope you don't mind that I gave that to him to wear," Penelope looked at him.

"It's fine Baby Girl," Derek smiled as Ryan went to sit with Jack and Henry. "Are you guys ready to makes some S'mores?"

"What are S'mores?" Ryan asked quietly as he looked at Derek.

"Have you ever been camping?" Derek asked him and he shook his head. "It's ok, I'll show you how to make them."

Derek went to get one of the bags of marshmallows as Hotch handed him one of the sticks that they had brought back. Derek put a marshmallow on the end of it and showed Ryan how to roast it.

"Just keep slowly turning it," he told him. "Until it starts turning brown."

"Won't it catch on fire?" Ryan asked.

"Not if you keep turning it."

"Boys, not so close." Dave warned as he saw Jack and Henry getting too close.

"You'll get burned if you get too close." Hotch told Jack.

"Sit with us you guys." Derek told them and they sat beside Ryan as Derek got the chocolate and graham crackers ready. "All right, looks like the marshmallow is ready kid. Let me help you."

Ryan held the stick as Derek got the marshmallow onto the graham crackers and chocolate. Derek held out the finished product to Ryan as the chocolate and marshmallow oozed out.

"Careful, it might still be hot." Derek told him. "Go on and try it."

Ryan slowly took a big bite and smiled brightly as he swallowed it.

"Good huh?" Derek smiled at him and he nodded.

"Can I have another one?"

"Sure kid," Derek prepared another marshmallow.

JJ and Emily sat with Penelope as they watched the exchange between Derek and Ryan. Hotch and Will were helping Jack and Henry as Ryan attempted to aid them.

"Ryan is so good with those two," JJ commented. "Do you think he has any younger siblings that he left behind?"

"I guess it's a possibility," Penelope commented. "But it could also be that he feels like he has to help."

"Yeah, the whole 'earning his keep' thing that Dave warned us about." Emily said.

"They look like a family," JJ smiled at Derek sitting with Ryan on his lap as Fran came over with another roasted marshmallow. "Seriously, how long does it take to schedule a Home Study?"

"Especially for someone who is very passionate about making it a home?"

"Dave said that it's all about the bueracratic red tape." Penelope told them. "But I do think that he's trying to move things along."

"Well of course he is," Emily smiled. "Not only does Derek want to be a dad to Ryan, but Fran and Dave want to be his grandparents."

"Just so they could spoil him," JJ smiled.

"They already do that,"

"I mean more than they already do. I overheard Fran making plans to get him a bike for Christmas before Dave warned her about making plans too maturely."

"That would be so great if we could get good news before Christmas," Penelope smiled. "He deserves to spend it outside of that orphanage."

"So Ryan seems very attached to you like he is Derek," Emily looked at Penelope.

"He's a good kid," she smiled.

"Any chance that the three of you could eventually be one big happy family?"

"As in…you guys, we've been over this," Penelope sighed. "Derek will never feel that way about me."

"But what if he did?" JJ spoke up. "Would that change anything?"

"No, because he'll never feel that way about me. I'm just his geeky tech-girl best friend."

"No more S'mores for this one," Derek came over with Ryan.

"One more," Ryan looked up at him.

"At this rate, you'll never fall asleep tonight."

"You can have some more tomorrow night," Penelope smiled at him.

JJ and Emily moved away as Ryan climbed under the blanket with Penelope and Derek got settled beside them. Dave discreetly took their picture as everyone exchanged glances. They all had the same expressions on their faces and they knew they were all thinking the same thing; come hell or high water, Derek and Penelope would be together by this time tomorrow night.


A few hours later, everyone decided to finally call it a night. Derek and Penelope took Ryan into their room as they all got ready for bed. The three of them took turns going in and coming out of the bathroom as they got their pajamas on and brushed their teeth.

"Ready," Ryan ran out and climbed onto the bed beside Derek. "Did you bring it?"

"Of course I did," Derek smiled as Penelope came out of the bathroom a few minutes later.

"Come join us Penelope," Ryan moved closer to Derek so she could sit with them.

"So you like the book I got you," she smiled as she joined them on the bed.

"He loves it," Derek told her. "He has me read from it everytime he's over."

"You read tonight," Ryan looked at her. "Please?"

"Of course," she smiled as she took the book from Derek and started reading a few pages of the silly poems.


Penelope stirred as she felt the sun break through the curtains. She tried to sit up, but couldn't when she realized that there was a weight on her preventing her from doing so. She glanced down and saw that she was still in Ryan and Derek's bed with Ryan curled up against her with his head resting on her chest. They must've all fallen asleep as they were reading to Ryan last night.

"Wake up!" the door burst open and Jack and Henry ran in and jumped on the bed.

"What-" Derek sat up and rubbed his eyes. "I think it's too early guys."

"Not for them," Fran appeared in the doorway and smiled at the three of them sharing a bed. "What happened in here last night?"

"I think we fell asleep reading to Ryan," Penelope told her as Ryan slowly sat up next to her. "Now why are we all up early?"

"These two must've heard Dave get up a little bit ago and start making breakfast."

"He's making chocolate chip pancakes," Jack announced. "Come on!"

Ryan scrambled off the bed and all three boys ran out of the room and it sounded like thunder as they ran downstairs. Penelope took a change of clothes into the bathroom with her and they heard the shower turn on a few seconds later. Derek started to slowly climbed out of bed as Fran remained in the doorway.

"What?" he looked at her.

"So what happened?" she asked him. "How'd you guys end up sharing a bed?"

"We fell asleep reading to Ryan," Derek pointed out the book that had fallen to the floor during the night. "He wanted Penelope to read to her."

"You know…." Fran moved into the room. "It's possible that Ryan sees what the rest of us see. That you and Penelope-"

"Ma, stop it." He sighed. "It's not like that."

"I know you feel something for her. And I'm talking something more than friendship like you claim."

"That may be true," Derek told her. "But nothing can come from it. She doesn't feel the same way."

"You may be surprised," she told him as she walked out of the room.

Once everyone had made it downstairs, they all sat around the table as platters of chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs and toast were all passed around. Jack and Henry talked excitedly about what they wanted to do as Ryan just concentrated on his food.

"What do you want to do today kid?" Derek looked at him as they all helped clean up after they were all done eating.

"I don't know," he shrugged.

"Jack and Henry are going down to the lake," Penelope told him. "How about that? Do you want to go swimming or take one of the canoes out?"

"Maybe,"

"Uh, I don't have anything for him to swim in." Derek cut in.

"Your mother and I got him a pair of swim trunks when we stopped at the store before we came up here," Dave told them.

"Thanks," Derek led Ryan back upstairs so they could all get changed.


Ryan slowly followed behind Derek and Penelope onto the beach where everyone else was. Penelope stopped to set up an area for them beside Reid and Henry as Derek sprayed sunscreen on them both.

"All little ones in life jackets if they're going in the water!" Dave announced. "No exceptions!"

"Come on," Derek took Ryan to a nearby shed where all the things for the lake were being stored.

"Are those jet skis?" Ryan spotted them in the very back of the shed.

"Yes they are," Derek looked at him. "Have you ever been on one?"

"Once, I think."

"Do you want to try to ride one today?"

"Are we allowed?"

"Why don't you go ask Dave,"

"Ask me what?" Dave came into them. "We were wondering what was taking so long with the life jackets."

"Do you have any gas for the jet skis?" Derek asked him.

"Yeah, I think so." Dave looked at Derek. "You're going to ride one?"

"Ryan wants to," Derek defended. "I think I'll be ok."

"This I have to see," Dave smirked as they started to pull one of the jet skis out of the shed.

Everyone had just finished setting up their towels on the sand when they saw Dave helping Derek push one of the jet skis towards the water. Emily flopped down beside Garcia as she took out her phone.

"Something is going to happen, I can feel it." She looked at Penelope. "And I am getting it on video."

"So is everyone else apparently," Penelope saw everyone else taking out their phones as Derek set the jet ski upright in the water.

"Not funny," Derek told everyone still on the beach. "You know, we won't be going out far."

"I'm pretty sure you'll still end up in the water." Hotch called.

"Don't listen to them kid," Derek looked down at Ryan. "We'll be fine."

Fran made sure that Ryan had plenty of sunscreen on before helping him figure out how to get the life jacket on. Derek was waiting on the jet ski for him when he walked towards him. Dave helped Ryan get situated in front of Derek as he started it up.

"We'll go slow," Derek told him. "Just make sure to hang on tight."

"Ok," Ryan gripped the handle bars in front of him as Derek took them farther from shore.

"If it's too far out, just let me know."

"I'm ok," Ryan told him. "Can we go faster?"

"Only a little bit," Derek told him. "I don't want either of us to end up in the water."

"I have a life jacket on."

"Well I do not, and everyone is expecting us to fall in."

"Well that was disappointing," Emily said as Derek and Ryan came back to the shore. "I was hoping that ego of his would make him want to show off."

"He's being careful because Ryan is on it with him," Penelope told her.

"I guess you're right," Prentiss turned off the camera on her phone. "At least I got some good footage of him and Ryan together."


A couple hours later, Derek was taking Ryan inside to change out of his wet clothes. Penelope came into the room a few minutes later and smiled at Derek getting into some clean clothes after his shower.

"Looking good," she smiled at him.

"You tired of swimming too?" he smiled back at her.

"Too much sand got in….places." She told him.

"Ryan's almost done in there so-" they both turned as the door opened and Ryan slowly came out.

"Is lunch ready yet?" he asked them.

"I think Dave was starting to make sandwiches," Penelope told him.

"Go head down there and we'll meet you in the kitchen." Derek told him and he ran out of the room.

Ryan rushed downstairs and climbed up on one of the stools at the counter as Dave placed a plate in front of him.

"So?" Dave questioned.

"Derek just finished taking a shower, and Penelope is taking one right now."

"All right, so we have about fifteen mintes," Dave told him. "That's plenty of time to get everything set up."

Ryan ate his sandwich as Dave disappeared from the room and he listened for the water shutting off upstairs. When it finally did, Dave came back in to make sure everyone was still out on the beach before turning to Ryan.

"All right kid, you're on." Dave smiled at him and he slid off the stool and rushed up the stairs.

Derek and Penelope were starting to head back downstairs when Ryan rushed up to them.

"Dave asked me to get something, but he says you guys have to help me."

"What does he need?" Derek asked him.

"He needs us to go into the wine cellar and get a bottle of wine."

"What?"

"He wants to serve it at supper tonight, but he says that it needs to breathe for a few hours first."

"I'll go with you," Penelope told them. "You know nothing about wine."

"All right, let's go." Derek followed them downstairs and they passed Dave in the kitchen. "Any particular brand you want?"

"One of the ones against the far wall," he told them.

"I thought you were saving those for a special occasion," Penelope said.

"This is a special occasion," he told them. "All of us were able to get an entire weekend off to spend it with each other."

"Ok," Derek unlatched the door leading down into the cellar and they slowly made their way down the stairs. "Ryan you still with us?"

"He's still on the stairs," Penelope told him.

"It's too dark down there," they heard him say.

"Hold on," Derek pulled a string and the small lightbulb dimly lit up the room.

"So what should we take up there?" Derek scanned the far wall.

"Ryan?" Penelope didn't see him anywhere.

"Kid where are you at?" Derek asked.

"He probably got scared when he saw how dark the room still is."

"Right," Derek nodded as he grabbed a random bottle of wine and they headed back up the stairs. "What the-"

"What?" Penelope saw Derek pushing on the door, but it wasn't budging. "It's locked?"

"It can only be locked from the outside," Derek told her. "It's a latch."

"Dave!" Penelope pounded on the door. "This isn't funny!"

"It's not fun watching you both pine after each other, but not do anything about it either!" they heard Dave on the other side of the door.

"What-"

"We're not letting you out of there until you guys admit your feelings," Dave told them. "I don't plan on letting you starve. There's a couple plates of food for you guys in the corner. I'll check on you in a few hours."

Dave nodded his head at Ryan who was in the living room. He ran over and hit a switch on the sound system and loud music blasted out as they heard Derek and Penelope trying to yell over the music.

"And now we wait," Dave smiled down at Ryan.

"Now we wait," Ryan agreed.


AN: So what'd you all think? What do you think will happen next? How will Dave and Ryan help them get together? What would you like to see happen? Leave any suggestion that you might have and I may be able to write it into the story. So PLZ R&R!