Chapter 2

AN: Thanks so much for the reviews, alerts, and interest in this story...This chapter is mostly Penelope, but we get set-up for further events!...

"This...isn't...going...to—" Penelope paused for a moment to pant, her entire torso being constricted and squeezed of air "—fit!"

"Yes, it is, dear," the elderly woman in the costume shoppe said, yanking the ties of the corset with surprising strength one more time. Penelope nearly landed on her bottom with the mighty tug the woman gave her. "This will be perfection on you."

Penelope felt nearly purple with lack of air. "This...this..."

"Lean forward, milady, and let your breasts fall out like a graceful waterfall," the woman said in a sing song voice, "and then settle them back in on top."

Bend over? She was in a steel-boned corset; she could barely breathe, much less bend. Lord, this was miserable. She felt like an absolute sausage, stuffed into a casing.

"Forward!" the woman snapped, and Pen bent at the waist, feeling her breasts spilling upward and outward. When she stood again, the woman exclaimed, "Perfect!"

As Penelope looked in the mirror, once she could comfortably breathe again, she was a bit shocked at what she saw. She was wearing a dark, midnight blue, full peasant skirt with a maroon underskirt, a full, lacy peasant blouse of white, and a black and blue silk brocade corset over the top of the dress. Her breasts were pushed up by the corset, so that she had two perfect ivory mounds peaking over the black lace. She'd piled her hair on her head in a mass of loose curls that morning, and had fastened it with some flowered pins she'd had.

She looked every ounce the Renaissance tavern wench...and she felt very sexy, too.

"You are going to have every man melting for you here with those assets, my dear," the woman remarked with a grin, obviously proud of the way Penelope looked.

Penelope's self-confidence was dwindling today. She'd broken up with Kevin. They'd had a fight that morning...

"I'm going, but I never feel that comfortable around them, Penny," he said.

In Kevin speak, "them" was her team. She sighed. "Kevin, they like you. You need to just be comfortable."

"In tights, I'll feel even less comfortable," he grumbled.

"They're hosen," she argued, trying not to lose her patience with him. She was ready to tell him just to stay home—he'd been complaining for an hour—but she didn't want to show up stag. Hotch, Rossi, and JJ were all bringing dates. "I'll be there. You'll be fine; we'll have fun."

"You'll have fun... As will Dr. Reid, Agent Prentiss, Agent Morgan..."

"Not Morgan," she said. She had been feeling down all day, knowing that Morgan wasn't going. It wasn't a party without Derek. She could usually talk him into anything. What was it with her lately?

"Really?" Kevin inquired, sounding quite a bit more pleased than before. "Then there's really no reason for me to go."

She frowned; she thought he'd be pleased that Derek wasn't going. The two of them did not get along. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't have to watch you to keep the wolf at bay," he answered simply.

Her frown turned into a scowl. "I've told you a million times: you don't need to protect me from Derek. He's just my best friend."

"Someone never gave him that memo," he muttered quietly, but loudly enough that she would hear.

"That is crazy, Kevin. We're friends." She batted her eyes at him and teased, "Besides, there are other men there that you many need to protect me from..."

"Don't be silly." He patted her arm. "I'm not worried about any other man wanting you, honey. You'll be fine."

Penelope knew he hadn't intended to insult the hell out of her, but he'd done it anyway. She'd called him on it, that he'd been insulting when he'd said no other man would want her. He'd been upset, saying he hadn't meant it that way...

"Anyhoo, you know I think you look nice," he said, obviously pleased with himself, thinking that made everything better.

"Nice?"

"Yes," he said, turning on the TV. "Very nice."

Penelope's stomach had been churning, more irritated than she'd ever been with him before They'd been tepid for a long time, and this had been the final straw. She'd asked him to leave, and the saddest thing to her was that he hadn't a clue why she'd done that.

If a man that was supposed to love her had time to come up with a compliment, and all he could manage was nice...well, she felt she deserved better than nice. She felt she deserved better than a lukewarm romance.

Now, she looked at herself in the mirror, the thought of looking sexy was now muddled with worry that she was fooling herself. Perhaps she wasn't as fantastic as she'd thought she was.

"PG, you look fabulous," Emily said, coming into the shoppe. Not Emily...rather, the dreaded pirate Salty Sally. She looked adorable in her white pirate shirt cut to indecent proportions, black hosen, and red scarf around her head.

"She does, doesn't she?" JJ, the Renaissance princess, replied happily. She was wearing a long, cream colored gown with a hoop skirt and gold filigree stitching, and a type of corset that made her breasts look quite incredible.

Penelope smoothed down her skirt, and then picked up the leather mug she'd purchased. "Thanks."

"Don't let Kevin's comments get you down," JJ said, stepping closer and patting her arm. "You deserve better than that, Garcie."

"You're better without him," Emily commented, frowning. "I know you miss him, though...the idiot."

Garcia didn't comment on that. She actually was fine with Kevin not going—she really wouldn't miss him. She was missing Derek; he would've complimented her and made her feel better—even if it was just a tease.

Shrugging that feeling off, she put down her charge card—fittingly, his lordship, MasterCard—and they all walked out of the shoppe together, to greet Will and Henry.

Will was JJ's perfect match. He was wearing a Renaissance Prince costume, complete with tights and funny shoes that curled on the end and looked kind of uncomfortable. That proved to any woman around that Will would do just about anything for JJ; he was truly devoted. Henry was asleep in the wagon. The toddler was dressed in a dragon costume, including a long green tail, and his wagon was decorated like a ship.

"Oh! You three look adorable," Penelope said when JJ stood next to Will. She reached for her camera and took a picture.

"Why, thank you, m'lady," Will replied with the cutest English accent tinged with his naturally deep Southern charm. His eyes flickered to Penelope's chest—her breasts were very pronounced—and immediately, his cheeks blushed. "You..umm...you look mighty fine, too, I have to say."

JJ slapped his arm. "She's got more to start with than me, Will. Quit staring, or you're going in the stocks."

"JJ, I don't want more." Will chucked and pulled JJ into his arms. "Cher, you know you're perfection to me..."

Watching the intimate scene between JJ and Will, Penelope felt like an intruder. She also felt a tinge of envy. She loved JJ, and did not want Will in any way, shape, or form, but she did wish she had someone that would do anything for her...like one that would tell her she was beautiful and come to a stupid Renaissance faire and wear a stupid costume.

She turned to get Emily, too, but she was nowhere to be seen. She knew where Prentiss was going, so that was fine with her. Earlier that week, Emily had said she was going to surprise Reid. She had a plan that was going to help him win the tournament. She'd been very excited, describing her plan. A little too excited, Garcia thought with a grin. That spoke to deeper feelings.

JJ and Will were still locked in an embrace, so Penelope said, "I'm going to find Emily, and then I'll meet you guys at the chess board later."

"Oh," JJ said, turning away with a blush and a smile. "We can go, too..."

"No, no," Penelope replied, holding her hands up to keep them there. Quiet moments for JJ and Will together were hard pressed, and she didn't want to break that up. "Take your time."

JJ smiled back. "Thanks, Garcie."

Penelope turned and headed out of the shoppe. The faire was bustling with activity, jugglers and sword fighters, shoppes with food and artisan crafts. The air was fresh and filled with the coolness of fall, and the newly fallen leaves rustled under her feet.

At first, she looked for her friend, the pirate queen, at the chess board, but there had been no sign of her anywhere. Since her mood was still down, she decided to shop a bit instead. Shopping always made her mood feel better.

The first shoppe had been filled with pottery. There were some gorgeous bowls and vases she had purchased for her brothers in California. The small shoppe even shipped—a very nice thing, and quite advanced for the 1400's. The second shoppe had metal sculptures made from copper for lawns. She'd found one she'd put on hold for Hotch. By the third shoppe, she realized she needed to stop shopping, or she was going to go completely broke.

And she still didn't feel any better.

Penelope got a glass of wine from a vendor, and then found a hay bale to take a seat on. Her chest started feeling tight, and it had nothing to do with her corset.

"Prithee, dear lady," a very handsome man said, sweeping to a bow in front of her. "Is this hay bale taken?"

She smiled at the dark haired man with the twinkling eyes in front of her. "No. It is not. Feel free to sit."

"You are most generous," the man said with a returning smile, "and most beautiful."

"Thank you," she said. She could kiss this gorgeous stranger for saying exactly what she needed to hear.

"Since it is not wise for you to be sitting with strange gentlemen, I must introduce myself." He reached for her hand, bent over it, and then gave it the barest of kisses. "I am Robert of Rainault, the Sheriff of Nottingham."