Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters.

I also do not own Chex Mix.

The new pool was the dominating feature of the small backyard. It was shaped like the number eight, with the deep end being slightly smaller than the shallow end. The pool lining was bright blue with small bubbles in a pattern. Concrete outlined the pool and lounge chairs sat at intervals on the concrete. A flower garden with two huge willow trees presided over the back of the property and led to a wooden fence.

Rossi, Hotch, Garcia, and JJ filed out the back door to survey this scene.

"My pool is at least twice as big," Rossi muttered quietly, so that JJ couldn't hear.

"Stop that," Garcia scolded. Hotch 'accidentally' stepped on Rossi's foot.

The rest of them paid the necessary compliments to JJ, who smiled and told them to get comfortable.

At the shallow end of the pool, Prentiss sat in one of the lounge chairs with Reid and Morgan in chairs at either side. She and Reid were discussing something, which Morgan was teasing them for. Prentiss noticed that the rest of the team had arrived.

"Hey, guys!" she called.

"Prentiss," Hotch nodded.

"Hotch! Come on, it's a pool party. I'm Emily."

Hotch rolled his eyes and chose a lounge chair at the other end of the pool. The team spread out, each person claiming a chair by hanging their towel over the back.

JJ disappeared inside to bring out drinks and snacks. Hotch, Rossi, and Garcia gathered around Morgan, Prentiss, and Reid.

"So what are we talking about?" asked Garcia.

Reid piped up. "We're discussing several key points of- ow! Morgan!"

Morgan had whipped his towel at the genius. He laughed. "Garcia, baby, you really don't want to know."

Prentiss poked him in the arm. "Next time you inflict harm on Reid, can you not do it from across me?"

JJ emerged from the house, carrying several large plastic bowls on top of each other. The team jumped up to help her. They set down the three bowls on a small plastic table. One was filled with pretzels, one with goldfish, and one with…

"Chex Mix!" shouted Reid. "I love Chex Mix!"

"Good for you, kid," Morgan said.

"I need someone to help me with the drinks," JJ said. Hotch volunteered. While they went inside to fetch soda, the rest of them sat at the edge of the pool.

Reid nonchalantly slipped the bowl of Chex Mix behind his back and sidestepped toward his lounge chair.

Garcia put her feet into the pool and extracted them in the same second. "Kind of chilly, but it's a hot day, so it will warm up," she reported.

"So…." Prentiss said. "What exactly does one do at a pool party?"

Garcia shoved her into the water.

They all watched her disappear under the water and come back up again.

"OH MY GOD!" shrieked Prentiss. "Penelope Garcia, I am going to KILL YOU!" She coughed and shivered.

Morgan and Garcia high-fived. "Nice one," Morgan congratulated her.

JJ ran out into the backyard. "Is everyone okay?" she asked, worried.

"Emily just had an accident, that's all," Rossi reassured JJ.

"ACCIDENT? You call this an accident? You people are ruthless!" Prentiss sputtered.

JJ shrugged and went to help Hotch carry out the soda. She had decided that no alcohol would be allowed after Reid had bombarded her with statistics regarding poolside accidents involving alcohol. Loading them all up on sugar and caffeine wouldn't be a grand idea either, but according to Reid, it was marginally safer and much more entertaining.

Prentiss headed for the steps to get out of the pool.

"Oh, no, missy. You stay right there," Garcia warned.

"Well, I'm not going to be the only one in here!"

"Then get out of the way," Morgan told her.

"What?" Prentiss didn't understand.

Morgan took off his t-shirt and sandals. Only his dark green swimming trunks were left. He walked to the back door and turned to face the pool.

"Get out of the way," he repeated, as he started running towards the pool.

"OH!" Prentiss exclaimed, and quickly dodged.

There was a tremendous splash! Morgan plummeted to the bottom of the deep end. He bobbed to the surface, laughing. "How big was the splash?" he asked.

"You got water in my Chex Mix," Reid complained. He picked out the wet pieces and stacked them on the arm of his chair.

"Hey! Reid stole the Chex Mix!" Garcia noticed.

"My Chex Mix!" Reid hugged the bowl possessively.

"Children, behave yourselves," JJ warned. She set down two liters of soda, as did Hotch.

"Get in the pool already, you guys!" Prentiss called. JJ sat down on the edge of the pool and slid in. Garcia followed suit. Prentiss, JJ, and Garcia hung out in the shallow end, while Morgan turned somersaults in the deep end.

Garcia paused to look at the BAU swimwear fashions. Hotch had dark blue trunks with golden anchors. Morgan's were plain dark green, but had some snazzy-looking pockets. Rossi had boring brown trunks, but they probably had cost a fortune and a half. Reid's were maroon. JJ was wearing a royal blue two-piece. Emily had on a black two-piece with red trim. JJ and Emily had been forced to wear the swimsuits they had purchased the night before. Garcia herself wore a creation that was vivid, flowery, glittery, sequin-y, and dizzy to look at. By comparison, the rest of the team's fashion was depressingly dull, as usual.

"Seven," Morgan said proudly.

"Seven what?" Garcia asked.

"Seven somersaults in a row," Morgan bragged.

"I bet I could do better," Prentiss muttered.

"What was that? You wanna try?" Morgan asked.

Prentiss stuck her tongue out at him.

"Now, now, be nice," JJ smiled. A second later, she stuck out her tongue at Morgan, as well.

"And to think people trust you clowns to save lives," Garcia scoffed.

Meanwhile, Hotch and Rossi relaxed in lounge chairs.

"They're a bunch of children," Hotch observed.

"I suppose they need to relax once in a while and let their inner child see daylight," Rossi said.

"Why are you always so philosophical?"

"If I didn't keep you interested with my mysterious nature, I would probably get demoted and have to work in the bullpen."

"I see…. What are you doing?" Hotch asked.

Rossi had produced a wineglass from out of nowhere and was pouring orange soda into it. "I am trying to make a children's drink look sophisticated."

"It's not working," Hotch remarked.

Rossi swirled the orange soda in his glass, causing it to fizz over onto his hand. "It's easier said than done, I suppose. Do you think JJ has any drink umbrellas?"