Chapter 8

Emily stared ahead, as they both looked on, her feet stayed firmly rooted to the spot, JJ had the same expression on her face, neither of them able to hide the sheer shock of what they had stumbled upon.

As though on instinct Emily drew her gun, taking the safety off, stretching her arm slightly so the gun was aimed more at the floor. JJ stayed close without her gun she knew she was an easy target but that did not mean she could not watch Emily's back as they both made their way into the small opening they had managed to stumble upon.

The signs that Emily and JJ had been in the cabin settled Morgan more as the hopes in finding them increased with each move they made. "You know JJ is going to be more than scared of the woods now don't you?" Reid commented.

Morgan chuckled slightly. "And Emily is going to hate flying even more"

"You would think someone who has spent most there life flying she would be fine with it," Rossi said softly.

"True, but might be an idea to see if they want to fly or drive back. I doubt neither of them will be in a rush to get back on one." Hotch said

"You're forgetting one slight thing there Hotch. Emily is stubborn and JJ will follow Emily." Morgan stated.

Hotch knew he was right their two colleges had a strong friendship and getting through this would only strengthen their bond. Rossi let out a rare chuckle as a small smile ghost Hotch's lips.

"Do you think those two have worked things out yet or they are still dancing around?" Rossi asked keeping his voice low as Hotch laughed slightly.

"They are profilers so it is only right that neither of them has a clue."

However, JJ was not a fully trained profiler she was still a valuable part of the team. Hotch had asked her about taking the course but each time JJ would say no stating that she liked to be the one people could turn to. And also, someone had to keep them in line.

The area in which they had stumbled across was a slight clearing but surrounded by trees and giving the amount of foliage, and they could tell it had not been walked or stumbled across in years.

Emily's and JJs hearts broke slightly they knew they were not going to be able to move any further now and they could not leave the area, which they had now found themselves in.

The ground had been disturbed and the soil rounded upon the grass where the earth had been moved, it looked as though they were in a cemetery and they were coming to pay their respects. However, this was no resting place, deep in the forest. Freshly dug graves littered the once beautiful landscape and without even disturbing anything they could tell they were too small to be adult graves.

Emily tried to do a count of how many there were but once she had counted to 20 she stopped. They both felt as though they were intruding on there now peaceful sleep. Her mind slipped back to the case files she had been working on. In addition, the fact she had already guessed they were also, near where they were meant to be. The one thing that played on her mind is that they had been too late and so many lives had now been lost.

The dogs had again picked up the scent of the two missing agents and headed towards the south side of the property. "They couldn't have just waited here could they," Morgan said as he followed behind the dogs.

"That would be too easy," Reid said with a slight smirk as Morgan looked at him shaking his head.

"Just because Emily isn't here doesn't mean we need someone else to take over her 'smart' comments," Morgan said in a slight chuckle.

Emily moved slightly as she overcame her shock at what they had stumbled upon, as she spoke: "Might be best to get out of sight and away from this main trail" she said carefully as JJ nodded in agreement.

"You think there is a chance he will turn up?"

Emily gave a half-smile, "We could only hope to be that lucky Jen, it seems there is more than the case files which I had received here" crimes against children were Emily's area of expertise.

The team looked up to her for it, as crimes against children always seemed and were so much worse than anything else. Children were unable to defend their selves. They were no match against the average adult, and children seemed to trust the adults more than they seemed to trust the adults more than children of the same age to some degree.

Though each time a new case came across her desk it was always worse than the last file, it sickened her deeply she was never sure which was worse though a child being killed or a child living through the abuse or trauma, the memories, the fear. Nevertheless, this also amazed her children seemed to be able to deal with it some much better than an adult would; they expressed themselves more than anything, so you were able to tell sometimes if they were not coping well.

"I never understand how someone can hurt a child" JJ said as they found a spot that was well covered but gave them a clear line of sight should anyone happen to enter what Emily thought of as a slight resting place, the calm peacefulness that surrounded the area would in her eyes be far better than what they had gone through.

She hoped they we in peace now as she turned to look at JJ, giving her a soft smile. "It's not even something I can understand, some are ill, others have lived through some type of abuse, it is a never-ending cycle that seems to get worse. Children have become pawns, objects and even a trade to some people."

Emily gave a soft sigh, "I have never understood how a person can have any type of sexual feelings for a child, the love we have for them is so different from any other type of love. They are pure and innocent. To have their lives cut short so young is a tragedy, but this, what is set out before us is so much more than a tragedy, it is beyond anyway my mind could even care to try and understand, how another human could do this."

JJ listened to her in awe, they all knew that Emily was passionate about the cases that crossed her desk, but the guarded profiler never allowed her feelings to show, though she had on a rare few occasions, but the anger never shocked or surprised them, though to fellow onlookers and outside law enforcement, you could see the look of shock. Seeing the calm, collected and kind Emily while in the office, place a gun in her hand and an unsub nearby set her pulse racing and sometimes her temper too.

The dogs struggled slightly to climb down into the gully, as the team followed behind them, and along the dried-up riverbed, "I doubt anyone has been around here in years" Rossi commented as the ranger gave him a kind smile,

"Not many people use these old trails anymore they tend to stay to the north side of the forest, though the children from the local village on the south side have been known to come and play in this area, but now it is slightly overgrown and after a few lost there way they hardly come in, and it isn't really an area we look in, since there aren't many places you are able to set up a campsite."

The team nodded knowing how vast the landscape was, it would be impossible to keep track of everyone if they ventured this deep into the forest.

Emily and JJ crouched down as they heard the rustling coming from the same area they had walked through, both hoping it was the unsub though the other part of them hoping it was the team, Emily kept her gun trained on the trail which lead into the area keeping still and quiet as they waited.

The team's eyes went slightly wide as they whispered once they came towards the opening "My god" one of the rangers muttered as he also took in the sight before him.

It was the sight that laid before them that made Morgan call out for his partner "Emily?" they knew that if the two of them had indeed come across this that neither of them would leave the area.

Emily closed her eyes lowering her gun as she let out a slight sigh at the sound of her partners voice, they both made their way slowly out of the area which they had taken cover in JJ's arm was wrapped around Emily's waist as she limped slightly, it shocked her that Emily was allowing this type of help but considering the amount of pain she must have been in, she took slight comfort in being allowed to help the stubborn profiler.

"Morgan," Emily said as her eyes fell upon him, a broad smile spread across his face as they all made their way over towards them, as he wrapped his arms around her and JJ

"Can you ever keep out of trouble at least for just one day" he said as she chuckled

"It's so good to see you" Emily whispered as he pulled back.

The team gathered around before Emily's eyes trailed away over the graves that they had found, the team each greeted them they all chuckled as Reid wrapped his arms around JJ and unwilling to let go

"Easy Reid," Emily said softly "Ribs slightly broken" he pulled back giving JJ an apologetic look to which she smiled.

"How are you both doing?" Rossi asked he had noticed Emily's limp and the fact JJ had been supporting her,

"Think my ankle is slightly busted, and JJ needs to get to a hospital" she gave a soft smile but even Rossi noticed the look of fear which flashed in her eyes for a second as he nodded. "But first we need to get a team out here and corner off this area," Emily said as she looked across the opening sadly.