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Sidney Herbert
(1865 - 1941)
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THE door was still open, luckily the dogs already knew her, approaching friendly, licking and giving little sounds of happiness once she entered the cabin.

The lights were off, the night dark, with only some stars cutting the deep blue to black, as Alice Mallory attempted not to make a sound while stepping at the woodden floor.

But she wasn't as careful as she thought, just one step of hers made a noise that could awake a trouble mind. And that mind was Will Graham's.

An arm gripprd and tightned around her neck, pulling her in a defensive attack, about to choke her to death. Alice attempted to speak but couldn't, the air escaped her, the voice disappeared. She only tried to slap his arm until he could see the ghost of her figure under the pale moonlight.

"Alice?" He gasped once he recognized, letting her go immeaditly. Alice almost fell on the floor from how exhausted she became from the attack. "What...what are you doing here? I almost-" he barely could finish the sentence.

He helped her get up from the floor and led her to the sofa, sitting by her side, still scared about what he could've done if he didn't see her face. He watched his hands and hated himself.for what the did, feeling repulse at his own figure.

Alice took a deep breath, finally able to feel her voice again, as one of his dogs licked her sneaker.

"The cops called me." She vocalized, grateful to feel the air entering her lungs again. "They told me you were found wandering through the woods."

"Why did they call you?"

"My number was your emergency one." She said, finding the situation funny.

Will grabbed his small phone, he never realized but it was true. All this time it was still there, favorited. After all, before all this madness, her number was the first one that ever came to his mind.

"I'm sorry." He shaked his head. "I'm fine, you shouldn't have came here."

"Wandering through the woods with no memory doesn't seem good." She made a face. "What is going on, Will?"

"I..." he sighed. "I don't know, Alice." He got up from the sofa, passing his hands through his eyes. His hair was messed in curly dark strands, while he wore light pijamas, in that cold night. "You should go home, I'll call you a taxi"

"Sit down." She got up and ordered him with a mortal glance. "Sit down, and I will prepare you tea. Now." Alice demanded.

Whenever she used that tone he couldn't say object against it. Alice was probably one of the few people he would obey instantly. Will sat on the sofa defeated, while three of his dogs followed her until the kitchen and she prepaded green tea.

When she came back with blankets and two cups by his side, he could notice how she was dressed. The cheeks painted blue, in those small shorts and T-shirt. Impressive how she could be more beautiful at each time he saw her, yet, he felt sad to see her that way. She didn't even have time to change before going after him. She didn't even think twice.

"Sorry to interrupt your wednesday night." He muttered, smelling the tea's aroma that filled his nose.

"It's alright." She didn't give much importance, rather worried about him, adjusting the blankets above him.

Alice tried to warm her hands at the cup, that shack was colder than appeared to be. Now she knew why he had so many dogs around, natural warmers.

"So...I'm waiting." She commented as she observed the walls making noise because of the wind.

"It's not easy to explain." He complained grumpy.

"You were never easy to explain, Will." She looked into his eyes as the story of them both passed through their minds. "That doesn't mean no one deserves to hear you."

He looked down, a single strand of his hair above his eyes shaked with the breeze. His posture was scared, fragile, vulnerably wrapped into the blanket.

"They're getting worse." He commented.

"What?"

"The nightmares."

"You followed a nightmare?"

"Maybe." He suggested. "Or sleepwalked, I don't know." Will confessed, watching his reflection at the liquid. "All I remember is waking up at that road, standing with nowhere to go, being interrogated by cops."

Alice sighed, she knew that Will was special and that ability would cost him much because of it. Already cost much to them both in the past. But she never expected it to still haunt his mind.

She hesited, but still put his hand above his. Her fingers brushing against his skin a comfortable, yet still strange touch. But he didn't take it away, actually, felt glad about it.

"Is it because of Hobbs?" She read his mind. He immediatly looked at her. "Come on, Will, it's not like you to just pretend you're okay with it."

"I am okay with it." He lied.

"Garret Jacob Hobbs wasn't a good man. He killed many people. Was about to kill his daughter. You saved her Will." She insisted, squeezing his hand. "You need to let him go."

"It...it isn't just Hobbs, it's just..." he couldn't finish the sentence.

"Everything?" She completed his thoughts. "You've told me that once, remember?"

"And I remember that I've told you to stay away." He stared into her eyes. Alice let out a shaky breath.

"Then tell me, did it work?" She said frustrated. He was crumbling down to pieces inside. Alice wet her lips with her tongue, creating the new sentence "I let you follow your path and now I find you here, alone, haunted by a criminal's ghost and sleepwalking on an empty road." It hurt her to see him that way. Her heart bleeded. "I don't want you to keep overworking yourself this way. Even if it's for me, even if it's for Bree."

"Alice-" he agitated himself, turning to her.

"Since you've entered the FBI this...'gift' of yours became even more threatning to you. We both know that." She insisted. "I don't want you to risk yourself, Will. I don't want to loose anyone else. Even if you're seeking justice." She shaked her head. "Bree's gone but you're still alive." She squeezed his hand and almost begged him in a whispery confession. "I don't want to loose you."

But Will Graham didn't see through her phrases, through her feelings and through the heart she opened and offered freely to him. He was sick, vulnerable and twisted, pushing himself towards the limits of his madness for the noble purpose he'd once die for. "I'm saving lives, Alice." He seemed to tell it to reassure and convince himself rather than her "That's what I do."

"At what cost?" Her sapphires were involved into a crystalline and fragile shield aboit to breakdown.

He could say "everything" but didn't. He could say that he wished for her to stay, but didn't. He could've told her he'd leave everything behind and give up in those crazy FBI's cases that dragged him into insanity more and more...but also didn't.

He could've told her that all he wanted was her. But he didn't.

Alice sighed, her breath trembled her cold body next to his, but even tempted, he didn't embrace an arm around her.

"Colin had a game today." She told him suddenly, breaking the silence."Do you know what I thought about when he won?" She muttered within the darkness. "Bree wasn't here to see it, But I was. I could support him." She assured. "And no noble goal, or achievement is better than taking care of those by your side. But if you don't realize that now..." she got up from the sofa. Letting his hand go and instantly missing his touch."It might be too late."

She took both cups from the center table and washed in the kitchen. The rest of the night she stood there, in silence, waiting for him to fall asleep in his room. Neither of them had courage to speak, and that's what they didn't do.

Alice's presence was silent, invisible, only as an inexistent guardian throughbthe whole night.

When it was morning, she had already gone, along with her warming presence and the cold wind.

▫️

"You're late."

Alice finished closing the door behind her. "Shouldn't you be at school?" She asked, taking off the sneakers she had ob for so many hours, feing her feet ache.

"Shouldn't you have arrived 5 hours ago?" Colin replied coldly while he let a dish above the kitchen counter. "I've prepared waffles, but they're cold now."

She didn't want to argue with him, Colin was right, she just left after the game and gave him no explanations, no insight whatsoever about what happened. He was reasonable for being mad. But she couldn't speak now, she didn't even have strentgh to explain it to him. What happened with Will drained all her strentgh, all her enegry and will to keep going. She needed time alone to recharge, rethink and reborn.

"I need to take a bath." She only replied, while walking through the hallway.

Colin felt annoyed once again, following her a few steps behind.

"That's it?" He told her. "You just leave like nothing happened for hours and your answer is 'I need to take a bath'?"

She stopped at her feet, turned around, the breath tired along with her body and mind. Behind her youngest brother she could see a feminine silhouette that laughed, mocked her in despair. It was too much.

"I'm sorry." She whispered to him. "I'm truly sorry but I can't do this now."

With those words, Alice excused herself, entered the bathroom and left Colin standing alone on the hallway, clueless of what happened to his sister.

▫️

"I apologize, really. But I had nowhere else to go." Her voice almost didn't get out of her throat.

"It doesn't matter. Please, come in." Gentle arms made way for her to enter.

Alice Mallory found herself inside Dr.Lecter's office once again. The first thing she spot was her painting on one of the walls, with an exquisite frame that match the aesthetic of the room, of course he picked that, his taste was flawless, just like him.

"May I offer you anything? Tea? Coffee?" He asked while organizing some papers above his desk. She seemed so broken and quiet that caught him by surprise.

"No, I'm fine, I just..." she couldn't finish the phrase. " I just needed to see someone who wouldn't judge me right now."

Hannibal released one of the buttons of his suit and sat on the armchair across hers. Alice Mallory was tired, almost as if she didn't sleep, her clothes were strangely normal, just jeans and a blouse, which didn't seem as a good sign, and her mouth was a straight, thin, dark line across her face, matching with the black circles on her eyes.

"It is your lucky day, I'm a great listener." He told her calmly.

"Yeah, I know" she gave a half smile, unable to show her joyfulness that day. "Weird how you're the first one that came to my mind."

"I'm your therapist, it is normal for you to seek after me when in need of help."

"Not for me." She shaked her head. "When I need help I just...deal with it."she lifted her shoulders indifferent.

"And you can't do that now, appearently." He analyzed.

"No, and that's the worse part." She relied her head on the chair. "Looks like the more I do, the worse it gets"

"Why do you think so?"

"I don't want to disappoint anyone." She muttered. "I don't want to lie to Colin, I don't want to let Bree's death in vain, I don't want Will to..."

"Will?"

She looked into the Doctor's eyes.

"You need to tell his boss he isn't okay."

"Did he tell you something?" Hannibal asked.

"You must know better than me that he isn't alright."

"Jack Crawford doesn't care much about it. And Will doesn't appear to, either."

"What about you?" She leaned towards him. "Don't you think he needs to take a break?"

"Is that what you've told him?"

"Sort of." She let her weight fall back on the chair's back. "Doesn't mean it worked, of course."

"You can't control his wishes, Ms.Mallory. Neither can I. We can only attempt to...guide him, offer better solutions." He tried to explain it to her, realizing how affected she was by the matter.

Alice Mallory felt frustrated with the situation, she has never felt so helpless, so exhausted and defenseless.

"It's almost like I can't do anything right."

"That isn't true."

"You're just being kind." she rolled her eyes, skeptical.

"You did something right last night." He affirmed. "You've brought some comfort to Abigail Hobbs. Supported your brother. And also controlled your flying shoes' instincts." He attempted to make her laugh, but failed. Somehow that failure bothered him.

"Anyone in their right mind should be able to do that." She complained.

"Not many would be able to succeed in it, though."

The clock on the wall continued with its' steady rythm, the sun lightened a bit the dark office. As he could observe Alice's grey expression die more and more gradually in front of him.

She felt bothered suddenly, getting up from the chair and taking her purse. "I'm sorry, you must have other patients and I'm here bragging." She complained to herself.

"It is not an issue." He simply told her, getting up from his chair. Watching her that way never felt so...bothering, impertinent, a fact that mde him unquiet and uneasy.  He couldn'r just let her leave."Perphaps we should try a different strategy then, since it also happens to be my break time." He opened the door, waiting for her to pass. Alice looked at him confused, unable to understand his posture. "Or we can simple call it a distraction."

▫️

"Taking me out for ice cream" she walked by his side with a small bow of pink and teal  ice cream on her hand. "Sweet distraction I must say"

"It is called gelato." He corrected, as they walked around a green park. " It is a dessert invented in Italy in the 16th century, which name means 'frozen'." He explained to her carefully, which didn't bother, since she seemed to enjoy to listen to his stories. "Gelato came before ice cream."

"Wow." She exclaimed absorving the content. "Well, really tastes different."

He pointed at a bench where they could sit, lightned a bit by the sun almost covered by the mist. Some kids played around screaming, parents after them, while some other people excercised in steady walks.

"Perphaps because it is silklier in texture and a bit denser than average ice cream." He suggested, showing his full knowledge in the subject.

"I would just say it's tasy, but I like your explanation better." She commented in a funny note.

Alice observed the leaves fall from the trees that were brutally shaken by the previous night wind. The sky was a clear pink and the vegetation a deep green. Somehow life managed to find their time and place, all in a synchronized plan, except her.

Hannibal observed her instead, which appeared to be even more fascinating than the slow process of life and nature surrounding them. Her brown hair strands framed her face, the nose was slightly red because of the cold, the mouth dirty with pink strawberry dessert. It was like he could watch and memorize every single detail about her, that weird creature that manage to capture his attention, and never get tired of it.

"How do you feel?" He asked in a smooth tone.

"Right now?" She muttered. "A mess. But enjoying ice...I mean, gelato." She corrected herself first. "I think a bit better."

"Would you like to speak about what happened after the game?" He questioned.

"I saw Will." She told him. "We kind of argued, I'm not sure. And I didn't tell Colin anything about it, so I feel like trash." She simplified the facts.

"Are you going to make amends with them?"

"Will? I don't know. The last time this happened we didn't speak for barely a decade. " She said frustrated, feeling the icy texture of the dessert next to her lips. Hannibal still had an evident curiosity to know what happened between them, but that wasn't the opportunity to make her confess it yet. "Colin might forgive me....maybe. Teens are hard to deal with." She commented. Then looked at him for a second "How do you do it?"

He blinked at her confused. "Do what?"

"Keep yourself together." She told him. "Like, just...be yourself with no worries." She didn't know how to explain it. "Nothing seems to bother you, no matter what happens."

"Perphaps because nothing much happens." He confessed. "You have way more things to care about than me."

"Maybe." She tilted her head. "For example, by this hour I should be delivering chinese food, but instead, I'm here, at a park, having gelato paid by my therapist." She joked.

"Better?"

"Much better." She smiled softly. "I don't really feel like listening to some mandarin curses today."

Hannibal gave a half smile, it was impressive how she still attempted to make fun of the hard times in situations like those. It was quite an alluring capacity to him in fact.

"Oh, there's something I'd like to show you." He commented, since he had finished the ice cream and attempted to take something from the pocket of his suit. "Your advice was truly helpful." He showed in his phone a picture of the drawing she saw previously at his office.

Alice leaned next to him on the bench, her head pratically resting on his shoulder, as she looked at the screen. He paralyzed. "That looks so good, wow." She said impressed. "You're so talented..."

He allowed himself to close his eyes for a moment: she smelled like strawberry  and vanilla because of the gelato, a sweet and adorable scent that made him smile.

"I've had great advice" he put the phone away as she got back to her previous position on the bench.

"So summing up, you draw..." she started to count on her fingers "cook..." Alice added another finger "...and listens." She concluded, looking into his eyes. "Are you sure you're a real?"

He turned a bit his body, relying his arm at the back of the bench and staring at her. "What do you think?"

"Like you're some sort of illusion inside my head that helps me." She said well humored. "Some...guardian angel or something."

"All I did was listen."

"You don't know how much that means for someone who has never had someone to speak to." she said in a bittersweet tone. "I appreciate it."

"You can speak as much as you'd like then." He continued.

"Are you sure you're not going to charge me later?" She lifted one of her eyebrows joking.

"Should I?" He teased with an irresistible charming smirk.

Alice giggled, taking a part of the gelato and making a frosty expression once the dessert reached the inside part of her mouth, but she seemed happy, pleased by the taste, and he was satisfied to watch her so entertained by it.

"Your turn to speak." She pointed to him. "Or my gelatto will soon turn into meltlato." She joked. It was such a ridiculous pun that he chuckled.

"What should I say?"

"Anything." She suggested. "Introduce yourself, naturally"

"Naturally?"

"Unlike my therapist." She told him. "I mean, we're sharing ice cream, aren't we? Looks informal to me."

"You're right." He nodded. "My hame is Hannibal Lecter, my age around 50s...but I won't give much details since it is rude to ask a gentleman his age." He joked, she giggled.

"Your name's really Hannibal?" She asked. "Like, what's the meaning?"

"Do you find it odd?"

"It's rare." She believed. "Reminds me of something I can't remember" he wouldn't suggest her that the magical word she looked for was 'cannibal' of course. "But I like it, sounds different." She made a pause "Oh, by the way, can I call you by your first name?" She tried not to sound weird. "It's cause doctor feels off outside the office."

"Whatever suits you best." He spoke unbothered. "Should I call you 'Alice'?" He suggested, the way he pronounced her name was a delight to listen.

"Sure."

She had finished the ice cream, a child passed running past them, as others came behind in the same excitment. Alice smiled by just watching them.

"You have..." Hannibal noticed some gelato on her face, trying to indicate where she should clean it.

"What?" She asked clueless as always.

He tried to gesticulate to his own cheek but she still didn't understand. "It's..."

"Oh, you mean it's dirty?" She asked with a funny frosty smile.

"It's just a tip." He commented "if you'd like, I can, um..." He gesticulted for her to come closer. Alice leaned a bit, her face next to him, as Hannibal attempted to clean the corner of her mouth with his fingers.

"This is so embarrassing" she rolled her eyes holding a laugh.

"It is a common mistake." He replied with a smile on his lips whe observing her attitide. He liked the way she looked at him so silly, goofy and pure. How he could hold her chin that way so delicately with his whole hand and pull it towards him, how she'd completely trust his touch without hesiting.  "Done." He said, returning to his place.

"Thanks." She chuckled, shaking her head, with her cheeks blushed still embarrassed.

The afternoon continued with silence, some words exchanged about art, life, and meaning. As time passed Alice could relax, regain color and breathe steady, as she could reborn next to him and his comforting words.

Time passed so fast that the afternoon was almost ending when she realized. "Wow, it's almost night, I should go." She commented looking at her phone.

"Right, I can take you home." He offered himself. "Colin must be worried."

"Oh, he's at a friend's house." She informed him. "Sleepover or whatever. When these things happens he forgets about my existence." She joked as if the situation wasn't actually sad. "I should hurry up and prepare dinner."

Alice grabbed her purse and walked with the doctor until his car, when he stopped suddenly. "I...might have enough ingredients for a vegetarian meal." He suddenly spoke. "If you would be interested."

She looked at him a bit surprised, but realized he was being serious. "Are you asking me to have dinner with you?" She found it funny how he didn't know how to properly invite her.

"I often take guests home for cooking." He used that excused to himself as well, unable to watch her go.

"I really don't want to trouble you." She replied.

"It is no trouble." He answered right away. "And maybe a certain way to redeem myself for those hamburguers."

Alice chuckled, his expression was quite adorable, how he insisted to be so kind. "If your wife doesn't mind." She said unintentionally.

"Wife?" He asked confused, widening his eyes. Alice realized she confused herself. "I belive there is a mistake..."

"Oh, sorry, I thought you were..." she laughed at her own hypothesis "you know, engaged or dating, or something."

"My current relationship is only taking care of my patients." He replied charmingly, while opening the car's door for her. "And preparing dinner for special guests."

"Well, putting it that way I can't refuse." She smiled as he finally closed the door satisfied.

▫️

The image of Alice Mallory in his kitchen was more pleasing than expected. The way she observed the walls and tools amused as a little child. But also how her steps were dilligent, witty, almost sliding through the floor with grace, making sure he could notice her presence and be entranced by it.

It was a shame not being able to cook properly for her, vegetarian options weren't exactly what he could think of a proper dinner, but he wouldn't insist or force her to follow his preferences either. The fact of cooking for her and watching her expression towards it was more than enough.

"Your house is so pretty." She complimented while staring at the ceiling where a chandelier hanged. "And big." She commented. "Don't you feel lonely?"

"I've learned how to enjoy the silence." He replied while pulling the sleeves of his shirt up, preparing the counter to cut some vegetables.

She walked until a desk next to a corner, where many drawings standed there, some finished, others still waiting to. The grafitti was thin and well pressed against the white paper, creating small details only few could notice. Between them was the drawing she gave him a feedback about.

"Where is this place?" She asked interested. " in the drawing."

He gave a soft smile, letting the food aside for a moment and walking until her side, watching over her shoulder the paper she observed. "The institution I grew up in." He replied.

"Was it hard?" She looked at him, his body was just inches apart from hers now. "To grow up alone?"

"You learn to watch better for yourself." He answered, not completely saying it was bad or not. He walked back to the counter, chopping the vegetables with skill again. "Was it hard? To grow up with siblings?"

She followed him until the counter, washed her hands at the sink and offered to help him cutting the ingredients. He observed her delicate hands chopping slightly the vegetables, but also with speed.

"You tend to care for others more." She replied, as she could listen to both their knives in a steady rythm. "Guess we're opposites in that"

Hannibal nodded in agreement. In some aspects they could be very similar and yet complete opposites.

"Ouch." She moaned quickly taking her hand away. "Seriously?" She complained to herself.

"What happened?" He questioned to later notice she had a small cut on her indicator finger.

"It's nothing." She shaked her head.

"Let me see it." He asked for her hand and she instinctively obeyed. His hand embraced hers completely, twice her size, as he could see the blood drip from her skin slowly. "It's small, nothing to be largely worried about."

"Yeah, just a scratch-"

Before Alice could finish her sentence, Hannibal Lecter led her finger to his lips, as he slowly sucked the blood out. She wanted to gasp at first, scared by his reaction, but instead he was gentle, slow, smooth, and the way he stared at her made her whole body tense, eletrified, causing chills across her body and sparkles within the air.

His warm lips left her finger for a minute before he could grab a band aid and cover the injury. Alice until now was confused of what to say or what to do.

"It helps the bleeding stop faster." He explained himself, noticing her schocked impression with parted lips. "I apologize if it appeared inappropriate."

"No, no, it's okay, thanks..." She stuttered embarrassed.

When he let her hand go she could feel ber heartbeat calming once again.

"Do you drink?" He asked, already putting the vegetables in another recipient.

"Sometimes." She replied. "But like, very rarely."

"Why?"

"My father."

"His vice."

'"Yeah." She said, helping him put one of the pans in the oven. "But I could use a drink now."

"Wine?" He asked, taking two perfect glasses in his hand and an expensive bottle in another.

He poured slowly the liquid to her into one of the glasses, then the other, while the meal was still being prepared.

Before drinking she observed how he would smell, savor the essence and then sip it delicately. Everything about him seemed antique, exquisite and sophisticated. Her father would've simply swallowed everything at once.

She followed his example, and he gave an approving gaze towards her. She was attentive and learned fast. He appreciated those qualities.

▫️

Alice helped Hannibal set the table, suprising herself by how many courses he prepared just for two people and how many silveware was displayed by the dishes.

He pulled her seat for her like a true gentlemen, than sat on the chair across hers, even though the huge table was empty with multiple available seats.

"Smells fantastic, chef" she complimented.

"Caponata with cheesy polenta." He described the dish with that formidable accent of his. "Bon apétit."

Alice smiled to him, but it completely vanished by seeing the amount of forks by the sides of the dish. She didn't notice which one he took, and by now she felt too embarrassed to question. He'd probably think she was a barbarian, Alice thought.

"Is something wrong?" He questioned suddenly, almost making her jump.

"Um...no..." She lied. And he could tell she did.

"Is the food by your pleasing?" He tested her.

"Of course, great, really great! Yum!"

"How is it possible since you barely touched it?" He caught her in the lie.

Alice's face turned into a stone, her jaw dropped for a minute. Mental note: never lie to a therapist, they watch for every single detail and won't let you escape from it.

"You got me." She rolled her eyes. "It's not your food, it's because I never used...this stuff..." she showed the tools.

"Silverware?" He lifted one of his eyebrows.

"I'm used to the limit of one fork, knife and spoon, beyond that it's like discovering a new country for me." she joked embarrassed.

Alice Mallory wasn't a rich person or sophisticated. She was humble, brutally honest, and still attempted to be kind in the best way she could. If anyone instead of her were saying that to his face he would probably give up on them.

But it was her.

"Well, there is always a first time to learn." He got up from his chair, walking towards her.

"Oh no, really, you should eat-" she tried to stop him but he was already behind her.

"The furtherst of them is the first you shall use. So if the soup is served first..." he pratically whispered at her ear, the hit air flickering at her skin, as he pointed to a small spoon far from the others. "This one is first."

"Oh, okay." She muttered, feeling his hot breath as he leaned next to her nape. His large body against the chair she was.

"One spot closer in you'll find your salad fork and smaller knife." He taught her carefully.

"This one?" Alice asked in a whisper, touching one of the utensils.

"This one." He touched her hand, lifting it slowly and placing at another tool, his touch blossomed both their bodies for a second, the tension grew up even more stronger. "When using your silverware, you want to avoid grabbing in with a fist and rather be delicate with your pieces." He recommended, still with his hand above hers, feeling the smooth touch of her skin against his. "Do you understand?" He asked, probably unable to leave until she would understand his instructions properly.

She looked up at him, a grateful smile on her lips was formed, amused by the knowledge and patience he had towards her. "I do. Seems easier now" she replied sweetly. "Thank you, Hannibal." She said his name informally for the first time, and somehow he felt lost for a second about what to do, but he liked it, like the sound it had from her lips, the way she looked at him and simply said it. His eyes wandered through the kitchen table until he could probably get back to what he was supposed to do. "Your food will get cold." She warned him, and just then he woke up, taking his hand from hers, and going back to his place.

He sat on his chair, and, before eating, waited for her to savor the meal first. Her bite was slow, silenced, but also deliciously satisifying. Alice Mallory wouldn't eat funny or disastreous, she'd rather close her eyes and appreciate the taste and the texture, not as a prime quality or gastronomy requirement, but as a hidden pleasure that gave her whole body subliminal chills.

"So?" He asked anxious for her opinion.

"This is the best meal I've ever had." She admitted. "Is there something you can't do?" She joked.

"Certainly many, but we shall discuss it another night" he lifted his glass victoriously "What shall we toast for?"

"Hm..." she thought for a minute "there is a quote that simplifies life that I truly admire..." she made a pause trying to remember " 'To paint is the most terrific thing that there is, but to do it well is very difficult.' "

"Frida Kahlo." He understood her reference. "A wise choice" he supported. "To terrific choices and their difficulties in life."

"Cheers." She toasted with him in a delicate sound of their glasses touching.

And under those crystal glistening lights, the warmness of the ambience, the smell of the homemade food, the taste of wine and blood, a hidden connection developed and grew, dangerously, seductively and impossibly able to contain.

Once Hannibal Lecter landed his eyes on the joyful Alice Mallory, he realized her presence was slightly pleasing, and he'd rather prefer to keep her around for the moment.

A fatal decision.