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Pierre-August Cot
1880
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ALANA Bloom changed her life as she started working for the Verger family in order to find Hannibal to makw him pay for his crimes. In this meantime she developed a relationship with Margot, but also helped her creepy order in his plans to capture the cannibal he wished to avenge himself.

"A receipt from a Florentine fine grocer,
Vera Dal 1926, for two bottles of Bâtard-Montrachet and some tartufi bianchi." Alana Bloom explained while showing him some notes of her research. "And another" She delivered more receipts "and another, and another." She crossed her aems confident of her work. "Once a week, for the last three months, a brunette woman has been making the exact same purchase. And she always pays cash." Alana Bloom deduced. "She's shopping for Hannibal."

Mason Verger lifted his eyebrows and tried to form a sinister smile in his deformed half eaten  "Bravo"

▫️

The Palazzo Capponi was calm as always, Alice analyzed one of the latest acquisitions, a green emerald painting that contrasted with the uncolored room. She seemed quite professional now, her clothes were classic, in a slim suit that matched with husband's when they wete close. She was doing very well on her job, everything was great...until that call.

"Mrs. Fell?" A voice suddenly awakened her.

"Yes?" She asked, looking at the middle aged man with slight grey beard who came forward. She has never seen him there before.

"I am Inspector Rinaldo Pazzi from the Questura di Firenze." He showrd his credentials. Alice felt bad shivers run down her spine. "I was wondering if I could talk to your husband. Is he here?"

She took in a discrete deep breath. That couldn't be good. "Not at the moment." She replied confidently in a polite smile on her burning red painted lips. "Would you like to leave a message?"

They exchanged quiet glances for a moment, almost as if they both knew what was happening already.

"I've heard you impressed the members of the Capponi with your art, is that true? The  Transfiguration, in 3 hours, right? Wow..."

"Yes, that is correct." She gave a polite smile again. That conversation was unbearable, she needed to take that man out of there before Hannibal arrived. "Are you here because of Professor Sogliato's disappearence?" She made a fake concerned face. "Have you got any news? All of us are very...eager to know what happened, he was extremely admired."

"As far as I'm aware, Mrs.Fell you and your husbamd may have been the last one to speak with Professor Sogliato." He searched for any evidence inside her gelid blue eyes. "Signor Albizzi, tells me no one has spoken to Professor Sogliato since he declined your invitation to dinner." Alice held her hands behind her back feeling aprehensive. "He's the second to have
disappeared from the Palazzo."

"Like any good investigator, I'm sure you're sifting the circumstances for profit."

"Both were bachelors. Well-respected scholars with orderly lives. They had some savings, nothing much." He explained. And with a polite smile finished. "If you see your husband, please communicate him I'd like to see him."

"Of course." She nodded as the man turned away to leave. When he took some steps though, she stopped him. "Commendator Pazzi?"

He turned around "Yes?"

"I think you're a Pazzi of the Pazzi, am I correct?" She squinted her eyes.

He tilted his head suspicious. "How do you know that?"

"You resemble a figure at the Della Robbia rondels in your family's chapel at Santa Croce." She explained calmly, analyzing his surprised expression.

"Yeah... That was Andrea de' Pazzi depicted as John the Baptist." He said,  you could feel the pride he had for his family on his voice.

But Alice didn't enjoy that man's presence, after all, he was risking her perfect life. She took one stel foward, her figure looked rather powerful, wise and stunning in those high heels. "Then there's the most famous Pazzi of all, Francesco." She decided to irritate him, bring the worst part of his inheritage up. "He attempted to assassinate Lorenzo the Magnificent in the cathedral at Mass, in 1478."

He knew why she did that. "Yeah. The Pazzi family were all brought low on that Sunday." He came closer, takinh slow steps towards her. "If you come upon anything, Mrs.Fell, anything personal from the missing men, will you call me?" He looked into her eyes. He knew it was her, the girl Jack Crawford talked about. But she didn't seem so innocent as he told him, she seemed like the doctor's partner, just as corrupted as him. He needed to be careful.

"Definetely, Commendatore." She replied with a fake smile as he walked away. Once he was gone  she quickly took her phone and dialed the number fastly to warn him. "They know."

▫️

"You are worried." He muttered as he observed her walk in circles inside the apartment.

"How could I not be?" She looked at him frustrated. "A police man came today and looked for you, how do you expect me to be calm?" He could notice she was exremely anxious. Since she told him what happened she couldn't calm down or sit somewhere, she didn't even eat properly.

"Rinaldo Pazzi won't catch me...at least not now, he is deciding what to do." Hannibal contemplated as he continued to play the piano.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I've met him before, in my youth." He revealed. Alice listened attentive. "We shared a fondness for Botticelli, and crossed paths in the Uffizi Gallery beneath 'La Primavera'."

Alice looked doen for a moment. "Does he know...about...?" She asked cautiously.

"I believe so."

She sighed heavily, once again worried. "We shouldn't be here waitibg, we should leave maybe-"

"Someone put a price on my head." He declared. Alice stared at him shocked. "He is deciding weather to sell me or not. If it appears more interesting than his lack of honor in the police."

She walked towards him, touching his hand and stopping him from saying anything. "Who did it?"

"I don't know." He seemed so fine with the idea. It just freaked her out.

"Hannibal how can you be like this? I am here, worried about you, while you... you..." She hiperventilates for a second.

Hannibal gets up from his seat and takes her hands in his, warmly touching them and  looking into her eyes. "Slow breaths...in and out..." he guided her ss she did what he said. "It's fine, it's going to be fine...we'll be alright." He tranquilized her.

But she didn't feel calm at all. "I'm gonna pass out." She sat down, her legs trembled, the breath agitated. He came towards her, sitting by her side on the sofa and placing a hand on her chest and hers on his chest.

"Nothing will happen to us." He reassured in a velvet serene tone. "We will be fine." He continued as she closed her heart, focusing inly on his heartbeat and his steady breath. "We are alive. We are fine." He told her again. "I am here, love." He held her chin and lifted towards him delicately, as her eyes opened to meet his. "I'll make sure no one ever hurts you."

"But I don't want anyone to hurt you either." She muttered helpless.

He sighed and gave a half smile. She was adorable. He just loved her so much. "Don't think about that, my dear." He said. "Let me make you think of something better, um? Can i help you relax?"

"How would you do that?"

"Like this..." He softly kissed her lips, the wamrness of them melting into hers. "Or this..."His arms embraced around her, pulling her close to him. "Better?" She nodded in a blush. He looked at her up and down. "I must tell you, when you wear a suit like this...you just look stunning, my darling." She chuckled. "I am serious, I couldn't have pulled it better than you."

"You silly." She kissed the tip of his nose and he scrunched it. "I'm just...not used to all of this...to the pressure and..." She sighed. "How do you do it?" She looked at him. "How you've been dealing with this all your life?"

He looked down down, thinking for a moment. "I guess i had no other choice than to deal with this." Alice observed the sadness in his features. She knew he suffered deep inside, if only she could help him change, she still had hope in that..."But things changed since we met." He held her hands as a precious treasure of his own. "Because now I have you."

"I'll be a burden in these runaways." She insisted. "I am not good at this, Hannibal."

He softly kissed her hands, tickling her warm skin at the contact. "I never expected you to be." He whispered. "Just leave it all to me, my dear." He assured while staring deeply into her eyes. "Trust me."

▫️

Will Graham was pushed out of the train because of Chiyoh's attempts to protect Hannibal. While inspector Pazzi, decided to accept Mason Verger's offer to capture the doctor. Of course, that would be useless since the inspector couldn't stand a chance against the doctor, but he was still willing to take his chances.

He went to the Palazzo at the other night, but, instead of meeting wit Il Monstro, he met Alice Mallory once again, she painted a portrait in a canvas, dressed in a long dark purple dress, her lips were painted black, with sharp eyeliners and a calm expression.

"Buonasera, Comendatore." She said in a velvet tone.

"Buonasera, Mrs.Fell." He said a bit surprised snd looked around the saloon.

"I can see you are still looking for my husband." She commented without taking her eyes from the painting. Rinaldo tried to be cautious in his speech, he didn't know if he could actually trust Alice Malloru as Jack Crawforf believed." He is busy at the moment..." She faked  asad expression and walked towards the man, cleaning her hands on a fabric. "But I'm so glad you stopped by, Commendator Pazzi, as I have a family heirloom for you."

He lifted ome of his eyebrows surprised "Yeah?"

"Just a moment" She walked fastly on her heels and came back with a small wooden artifact, wich had figures sculpted in it. "Beneath the figure is written a name. Can you make it out?"

He looked at her for a moment, she seemed so...gentle, kinds. Her eyed lightned up like a warm sundet in Venice, and her figure was just so elegant, so sophisticate and beautiful. He smiled in response and leabed towards the artifact to read it better. "It says 'Pazzi'." He looked at her surprised.

"This is your ancestor, Francesco." She teased. "Hanging outside the Palazzo." She pointed to the figure and descrined charmingly. You can see by the defails on the edges that his intestine was open, so the inside would come out." Pazzi felt chills across his spine. Was she just like him? " By all accounts, Francesco was led astray by thirty pieces of silver from the hand of the Papal banker." Her eyes suddenly met his, they were angry, irritated, as if he had comitted a terrible mistake.

Rinaldo Pazzi knew there was no way out. "You know why I'm here...Miss Mallory." He corrected. Her eyes lit uo as she listened to her name, it's been so long since she listened to it...it was almost in another lifetime.

"You sold him." She insisted, loosing the friendly tone. "Do you really think it was a wise decision?"

"I'll make sure to guarantee your safety." Pazzi indicated and touched the woman's hand, she was freezing cold, and looked at his gesture with slight disgust. "People are worried, looking for you." He tried to bring her back to her senses. Alice looked at him, attempting not to be deceived. "I know you aren't here by your own will, Miss Mallory, and I'll return you home, safely. Just tell me: where is Hannibal Lecter?"

She had the chance to escape right then and right there. She could just say it, betray Hannibal and return to her life. It was simple and easy as that.

"A man called Jack Crawford seems very concerned about you." Pazzi confirmed. Alice lost her breath.

"...Jack?" Her eyes widened, almost as if she believed he was lying to her.

"He told me about your existence and rapture." Alice took her hand from his and took a deep breath, walking around the saloon as he stood there in the same position. "Is Jack in Italy?"

"Yes, he is."

She gulped dry. "He shouldn't have come here." She whispered, as she walked back. "None of you should have"

Before Rinaldo Pazzi could turn around, a fabric covered his mouth and nose, it contained a substance that once inhaled made him instantly faint.

Seconds later, Hannibal Lecter emerged from the darkness admiring his lover's act.

"What took you so long?" Alice complained and thre the fabric at him. "You told me I wouldn't participate in this!"

He knew Alice didn't enjoy taking part in his murders, but he knew she was good in it, she was the perfect partner in crime, subtle, charming, believable. And he just adored to lead her to the evil from time to time.

"I was watching." He explained as he grabbed the man's arms and took part in his plan. "Watching your decision."

Alice bothered herself. "You were waiting for what I would do." She stopped him by holding his shoulder. "You didn't trust me."

"I did, if I didn't, I would have taken action before, wouldn't I?" He snapped back. Alice didn't believe in his excuse. "Now go wait in the west area, this might take some time."

▫️

The Comendare Pazzi was at Hannibal's mercy now. Tied to a small vehicle which previously served to move art pieces, now managed to make the cannibal move his victim next to the window, visualizing Florence's beautiful night image.

The police man slowly woke up, blinkinh as he visualized his nightmare in front of his eyes, muttering softly. "Can you hear me, Signor Pazzi?" He spoke in a velvet yone full of accent. "Take a deep breath while you can. Clear your head." He demanded as he prepared a cable around the man's body. "My wife told me about your ancerstors, Francesco Pazzi, isn't it?" He smirked charmingly. "How was your acquaitanve with her? Did you get along?" He teased. "I haven't had a bite all day." He complained. "Actually, your liver and kidneys would be suitable for dinner right away. Tonight, even." Rinaldo Pazzi trembled in horror. "But the rest of the meat should hang at least a week in the current cool conditions...I didn't see the forecast. Did you?" The man gave a muffled cry. "I gather that means no." He explained while tightening the cable around the man's boody "If you tell me what I need to know, Commendatore, it would be convenient for me to leave without my meal." He explained. "I will ask you the questions and then we'll see." You can trust me, you know? Though I expect you find trust difficult, knowing yourself. When the police didn't come, it was clear that you had sold me." He turned to the man. "Was it Mason Verger you sold me to?"

"Yes..."Pazzi mumbled still with the silver tape covering his mouth.

"Thank you." Hannibal replied satisfied. "I called the number on his 'wanted' site once, far from here, just for fun." Hanninal smirked as a young troublemaker. "Have you told anyone at the Questura about me?" Rinaldo tried to speak. "Is that a no?" Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a phone ringing. "Excuse me." Hannibal picked up the comendatore's phone. "Pronto."

"Inspector Pazzi, my name is Alana Bloom. You don't know me, but I know your benefactor." A feminine familiar voice identified herself across the line.

"Hello, Alana." Hannibal teased fearlessly. "I'm afraid the inspector is otherwise occupied."

The Verger's worker gained chills aceoss her spine, just the sound of his voice beought a terror to her mind. "Is he dead?" She mumbled in shock.

"There is nothing I would love more than to be able to chat with you, Alana, but you caught me at a rather awkward moment. Nice to hear your voice." He hang up suddenly. Leaving Alana there, full of doubts and fear. Hannibal turned again to the scared Pazzi. "So, Commendatore,
which do you think? Bowels in or bowels out?" He asked just as the man's ancestor lived tje tortire in the past. "Out, I think."

With a subtle movement, he cut open the man's stomach, the blood formed an immense puddle in his belly, dripping mercilessly, and without a second to assimilate the growing pain, the comendatore was threw across the Palazzo's window, with his bowels hanging out of his body as crystalline chandeliers decorating a twisted, haunted and bloodu night. It was a disturbing rather artistic recreation of the past which Hannibal admired for a minute in silence.

That was, until he saw a familiar pair of shiny eyes glistening into the shadows beneath.

Immersed into a daek coat that matched with the sky and disguised his figure, Jack Crawfoed finally met with his enemy and old friend again. Just his glance contained an explicity fury able to burn that city to the ground. Hannibal only looked, with a  slight half smirk on his face, as the agent hushed inside, prompt to catch the criminal.

Hannibal walked a bit more into the saloon, preparing himself for any possible attack. "Hello Jack" The doctor taunted his possible next prey, as he wandered through the dark aisles of the room. "Did you get my note?" He played with the danger. "I'm truly sorry about Bella." He tried to get into the agent's head. "For her, night and day must've been very much the same in the end." He continued as the silence crept up in the shadows. "When she could no longer stir or speak..." Hamnibal turned around for any signs of imminent risks. "...did you speak for her?" He continued walking. I imagine you were capable of giving any medication Bella may have needed in the night... Did you practise injections on an orange, Jack?" He smirked, able to joke in a fight or die situation as that.

Just then, a record player's sound echoed in the dark. Hannibal turned around, attentive to the sound. "What medication did you give her in the end?" He continued with his mental manipulations. "Was it too much?" Hushed angry footsteps approached, as Hannibal held tight to the small dagger in his hand. "Just enough?"

In a fast movement, Jack held Hannibal's shoulder and threw the doctor against a glass exposition nearvy, crashung the pieces and cutting his skin as the cannibal fell onto the ground.

But tht still wasn't enough for the agent, he wanted more, he wanted Hannibal to pay, to suffer, to die for all he made everyoje pass through. He attacked him again, another kick that threw the doctor far from him, as Hannibal tried to crawl on the ground as a worm to escape his fatal fate.

But that wasn't enough, Crawford punched him again, and, in a dangerous idea, grabbed a hook that was previously used as an historical art exhibition, to stab the fugutive's leg, making Hannibal groan loudly in pain. He pulled the doctir by the hiok, making him helpless toqards his attacks.

Even if Hannibal tried to fight back, he couldn't stand a chance, and soon was knocked out, over and over again. If the doctor's victims could see that event, they would truly glorify that wonderful revengeful moment.

In an attempt to escape, Hannibal sat by the window just one vreeze and he would fall. Jack's eyes glistened with madness and hope of fulfilling his objective as he walked foward.

"Where is she?"

Hannibal sniffed, his face was completely injured and dirty from the blood, and yet, he couldn't be any less humble. "Who?"

"You know who." Jack growled standing just in front of him. "Alice. Where is she?"

"How can you be so sure that I didn't kill her?"

"We all know you wouldn't do it, Dr.Lecter." He affitmed with disgust. "But now it's over, tell me: where is she?"

Hannibal chuckled. He would never tell him. He'd rather die than to submit the reason of his existence to that man. "And why do you care so much, Jack?" He teased. "You are not her father." He affirmed, bringing the agent back to reality. "You are not her friend, you are nothing to her." He spoke through his teeth. "This mission to return this...innocent girl you created in your consciousness...the daughter you've never had." He mocked him in disdain. "Sounds like something Bella would ask you to do." The agent closed his fists. "It is funny, isn't it? I saved Bella from the death, and you brought her back to it." He played with the broken man's feelings. "Is that where you're taking me, Jack?" He asked insolently. "How will you feel when I'm gone?"

The agent took a deep breath kn eelief, that was one of the most important and greatest events of his whole life. Everything leaded back to that one moment. "Alive."

And with a quick slap of his hand, Hannibal Lecter was threw out of the window. But, evil takes longer and harder to kill. In an attempt to save himself, the doctor held the comendatore's still dead hung body, the organs and intestin staining red his suit as he gripped on them for his life.

As this moment happened, Alice Mallory had a bad feeling, an intuition that just connected her to that moment. Hannibal was taking too long. She didn't want to witness the murder of the comendatore Pazzi, however, her need to verify Hannibal's safety was greater than any fear.

Luckily, the west area was a close building at the first floor, so it only took her some quick steps to find that scene:

Jack Crawford. Her guardian, watching her husband's magnificent fall by the window, as the doctor held onto an open body's life that dripped blood with gore and madness.

It happened fastly, Hannibal couldn't hold himself anymore, skiding through the intestins until his hands couldn't grip onto them any longer, letting himself fall onto the void, to, what he believed to be, his upcoming death. Jack smirked for a moment, victorious and certain of his victory, when he met a pair of eyes in that slow motion minute.

Blue into brown, both surprises with gaps on their lips. The girl he seeked for was there, just floors beneath, at the terrace, watching the monster's fall in front of her eyes.

His whole body jittered with emotion: she was alive. And that, also awakened a dead part inside that agent's life.

But what he didn't expect, in that moment, was to witness that all he believed, all he was sure of, would change in front of his sight. Because Alice Mallory wasn't a prisioner, a victim that he hoped to rescue...no, she was a partner, an accomplice in that italian carnage.

Her arms standed widely, as she ran fastly to save him, just as paralel to when she svaed his life in that cross before. But this time, she knew who he was, why he was there, and why he should die.

Both of them collapsed on the floor when she held him, but his inspact was amenized by her efforts and luckily, just caused a scratch on her leg.

She didn't even have strentgh to speak as Jack's eyes burned her skin with amusement, incredulous to the scene that developed.

She could only hear a muffled whimper, teary eyes in her direction as a baby. "Lissy..." Her heart shattered into pieces to see him that way, so injured, so hurt, destriyed, crumbling down in front of her eyes.

She held tight his body and helped her husband stand with some difficulty. It broke her soul to see him bleeding, it was almost as if they tried to kill her instead.

They both took a glance at the agent by the window. Once again, Alice Mallory had the chance to leave that killer and return to the normality of her life. But she didn't.

That didn't mean her soul wasn't conflicted though. And Jack's fatherly, disappointed and sad glance at them just broke her even more.

But she still chose Hannibal. As she always did in that endless, sick cycle that repeated itself.

And, with a blink of an eye, Bonnie and Clyde disappeared into the shadows.