The Shadows We Dance With

Ch30: Shattered Edges

The room was still thick with the heavy silence that had followed the end of the video, a silence filled with the weight of everything the team had just witnessed. They had seen the footage from Pride, had seen the twisted ways in which Spencer had been manipulated and abused, but hearing him speak those horrors aloud during his interview with the police had been different. It was raw, unfiltered, the pain etched into every word. The team had always known that Spencer's past held dark secrets, but they hadn't expected to face them so directly, so personally.

Hotch was the first to break the silence, his voice low and resolute. "We need to focus on finding him. We can't let what we've seen paralyze us. Spencer needs us now more than ever."

The rest of the team nodded in agreement, forcing themselves to push past the shock, to channel their emotions into action. Penelope Garcia, who had been quietly weeping during the video, wiped her eyes and sat up straighter, her fingers already moving to transfer the encrypted files to JJ, Derek, and Hotch's computers. If there was anything in those files that could help them locate Spencer, they were going to find it.

As they searched through the many files a quiet sniffle broke through the tension in the room. They all turned to see Penelope Garcia, her tear-filled eyes fixed on her computer screen, a small, bittersweet smile tugging at her lips.

"What is it, Garcia?" Prentiss asked gently, curious about what had brought that particular expression to their normally effervescent tech analyst.

Garcia sniffed again, wiping away a stray tear before she spoke. "I found something else," she said softly. "Some new videos in another file. They're... different."

She connected her computer to the large TV on the wall, and the screen flickered to life, revealing a video of Spencer. But this wasn't the Spencer they had seen in the previous footage, trapped in a glittering costume under harsh lights. This Spencer was sitting on a comfortable-looking bed, soft lighting casting a warm glow behind him. The corner of a bookshelf peeked into the frame, hinting at a more personal, intimate setting.

The team watched in silence as Spencer, still so young, a smudge of eyeliner under his eye as if he missed a spot while washing the rest of it off earlier, adjusted a guitar in his lap. He was bruised—faint marks marring the skin of his arms—but there was a calmness in his demeanor that hadn't been present in the other videos. He lightly strummed the guitar, humming softly to himself, occasionally pausing to write something down in a journal just out of view.

"This must have been during his time at Pride," Garcia murmured, her voice filled with a mix of sadness and awe. "But look at him. He's... he's finding peace, even in the middle of all that chaos."

The video continued, the soft strumming filling the room with a gentle melody. Spencer took a deep breath, and then, with a voice that was both haunting and beautiful, he began to sing.

"I... Want you to know, I'm a mirrorball..."

The team listened, captivated by the sound of Spencer's voice. The song was soft, melancholic, each note laced with emotion. It was clear that this was more than just a song—it was a reflection of how Spencer felt about his life, about everything he had been through.

"I'll get you out on the floor, shimmering beautiful and when I break, it's in a million pieces..."

There was a sadness in the lyrics, a deep vulnerability that struck a chord with everyone in the room. The team remained silent, each of them lost in their thoughts as they listened to Spencer's voice, so full of pain yet so achingly beautiful.

"When no one is around, my dear. You'll find me on my tallest tiptoes, spinning my highest heels, love. Shinin' just for you..."

As the song came to an end a few minutes later, the final notes lingering in the air long after Spencer had stopped singing. The team sat in silence, the weight of the song's meaning settling over them. It was a glimpse into Spencer's soul, into the fragile, broken pieces he had tried so hard to keep hidden.