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Emily shouldered the front door open, JJ and Spencer right behind her (Hotch, Morgan and Rossi took the back) as they entered the UnSub's home, a cannibalistic serial killer by the name of Cyrus Wilkes.
"Clear!" Emily called out from the kitchen.
"Clear!" JJ yelled from the stairs. Spencer echoed the call from the living room.
"Reid, JJ, Prentiss, get over here." Hotch's voice crackled through the speakers. The three agents went to their superior and found him with Morgan and Rossi before what undoubtedly was a cellar.
"I do not like the sound of this." Emily muttered as the six of them descended. It was surprisingly big, probably half the size of the house's floor area. As they walked on, the heard the sound of wine being poured. The rounded a corner- and stilled. A man was calmly eating with his back facing them.
"Stand up and put your hands in the air. Now!" Hotch barked as the UnSub stood slower than they all would have wanted.
"Did you know," he said, still not facing them, "that the meat is tenderer wehn it's young?"
"Where did you hide the bodies?" Rossi said as Morgan cuffed the man.
"Attic." Wilkes answered nonchalantly.
"Reid, you and JJ check the attic." Morgan ordered.
"Let's go, Spence." JJ said, and Spencer followed the blonde.
Spencer yanked the pull switch, illuminating the attic.
"Oh, my God." JJ gasped as a hand flew to her mouth. On the table, undoubtedly dead, was a boy, twelve years old at the most. He was spreadeagled on the wooden surface, but it was not it that shocked both agents. It was the condition of the body: fingers sawed off and eyes missing. His limbs and head were severed by the body. The two of them turned away and ran back down to their teammates, unable to look at the corpse.
"Hotch, it's not good." Spencer reported what they saw, and the police called in the coroner.
Spencer was bent on the toilet, hurling. He held it in on the flight home, managing to keep a calm demeanor and even did a few paperwork. But it was too much. The sight was eternally stuck to his brain. Cleaning up, he exited the bathroom and went back to his post. He felt the others giving him odd stares, but he ignored them as he dived back in his work.
"Reid, you all right?" Emily asked.
"Isn't that what we're supposed to be?" Spencer snapped. "Be all right? Despite the monstrosities we face every day, we should be impassive and not show emotion. Right?"
Emily blinked. "Easy, there. Sorry."
"That's what they all say." Spencer muttered as he returned to his work. After a few minutes he slid back his chair. He had to stop, to do something, anything, that's not related to work. that or insanity. He marched towards JJ's office. Steeling himself, Spencer knocked.
JJ was sorting the mountain of folders in front of her when someone knocked.
"Come on in." She answered without looking up.
"JJ?"
Raising her head, JJ saw Spencer standing by the doorway. She immediately knew something was wrong. Her friend was pale, sweating as he rocked back and forth. Spencer looked at the door, and JJ nodded.
"What is it?" The blonde asked, then mentally facepalmed. Of course. It's the case.
"It's not your fault, Spence. We couldn't have possibly identified the UnSub from the start."
"That's not it, JJ." Spencer replied. "It's the victims. They are- were- kids. Kids, JJ!" Spencer was all but yelling now. JJ was shocked. Never before had she seen the doctor so agitated.
"Spence-" JJ started.
"They were kids, and he ate them. ate them like- like- Oh, God."
JJ lunged just in time, grunting as she caught Spencer, who finally lost his composure. Both of them slid down on the floor, Spencer's face buried on JJ's shoulder as he broke down.
"It's just too much." Spencer choked out, "too much."
"Shh, shh. Honey, I know." JJ whispered. "I know. It's all right. Let it out, let it out. There we go." JJ pressed her lips gently on Spencer's hair, her own tears threatening to spill as he saw how affected her friend was. They spent a good fifteen minutes on the ground, JJ whispering and murmuring wordless sounds of comfort until the doctor calmed down.
"You want to get out of here?"
Spencer nodded mutely.
"All right. Pack up; I'll be done in five."
Five minutes later they were leaving, earning questioning glances from the team. Emily noticed the interlocked fingers, and she raised an eyebrow. JJ shook her head warningly at Emily, and the brunette nodded in understanding