____

Alfred Gillou
1892
____

//long chapter

WILL GRAHAM couldn't distinguish hallucinations from reality anymore. Everything started to twist and blur as the blades slowly tried to make their way toward his brain, as the muffled cries and whimpers from his friends echoed in the air. That would be his end. In front of Jack Crawford, his partner over the years in the FBI, by the hands of Hannibal Lecter, the human monster who awakened his long-sleeping instincts to become who he is, and looking into Alice Mallory's eyes, the only person who showed him what happiness was, the woman he loved with all his heart and the perfect last vision before he let death's cold arms wrap around him.

That seemed like a bittersweet way to die. But he was willing to accept it at that moment.

But fate wouldn't let their ending come so soon. No, not yet.

The apartment's doors were forced open, and multiple men wielding guns arrived, aiming at Lecter, who had to stop his exercise and turn off the machine.

One of them was a cop from the Italian police, and when Jack spot him, he instantly called for help. "Sono
un ufficiale dell' FBI!" He called. Alice only watched the men silently, as they made their way toward Hannibal and Will. "Ascoltami!" Jack asked.

The officers surrendered Hannibal and made him drop to his knees, hands on the back of his head, as the others also aimed at Will, watching for any movement.

"I believe he isn't here for an arrestment, Jack..."Alice muttered, realizing the situation.

"The signora is correct." The policeman, also called Commendator Benetti, assured with an evil smooth smirk across his mustache. He then nodded to one of his men, and the staff used the back of his gun to hit the back of Hannibal's head, making him fall to the ground unconscious.

"No!" Alice yelled in a high-pitched and suffering scream.

"Take Lecter and this one. He'll pay us to double for both." The commendator ordered and the man put black bags on both Will and Hannibal's heads, taking them away as mere objects at their disposal. "There's no price on your head, Signor Crawford. So..." the man mocked.

"Hannibal Lecter, il Mostro di Firenze, narrowly escapes La Questura." Jack Crawford muttered creating a theory. "That's how the story goes?"

"Missed him by this much." The man showed a small portion with his thumb and his indicator finger. "The good Doctor Lecter is once more in the wind. But he left two last victims." He grinned at the two. "Open them the way Lecter opened the other one." He noticed Jack's caring stare at Alice. "Start with the woman."

"No!" Jack yelled and tried to free himself.

"Arrivederci." The man disappeared with some of his steps and the two friends, leaving Alice and Jack at 4 men's mercy.

"You can kill me, just leave the girl alone," Jack asked fastly. "She won't tell anyone, leave her alone." Alice pursed her lips holding the urge to cry. She brought this to herself, she realized. She brought this to all of them. If only she had killed Hannibal, if only she wasn't a fool to fall for him again... "Leave her alone!"

The man had turned on the machine, she closed her eyes as Jack continued to beg, and she could feel the blade's noise closer and closer now, about to touch her.

When a shooting interrupted it all. Not just one, but two, three, four. All of them sum up to the same revelation: someone saved them and killed all the assassins.

Alive opened her eyes in a gasp, as Jack still didn't get his suspicions out of his head. "You okay?" He asked her and she nodded. "Watch out, it might not be over."

Smooth and careful steps echoed on the wooden floor, as a long gun appeared in the shadows, wielded by a serious, gorgeous, and mysterious asian woman.

"Wrong floor." Jack recognized her from moments before when they took the elevator, he knew there was something wrong about her from the beginning. "Would you mind coming over here and pulling this needle out of my neck?" Jack asked.

"Where did they take them?" The woman asked.

"Did you do this?"

"Of course."

"I appreciate it."

"Who are you...?" Alice suddenly asked and just then the woman became aware of her presence. Chiyoh knew her, she saw her leaving the gallery with Hannibal, and Will, and saw her saving Hannibal's life.

The woman glanced at her hand on the chair's arm, her finger adorned with a brilliant red ring. "Where did you get that?" Chiyoh asked serious.

Alice followed her gaze. "Hannibal gave me." She whispered shyly. Chiyoh met her blue eyes.

"He gave it to you?" She asked. Alice nodded as the woman studied her finger. "Are you-"

"I'm his wife." She declared. Jack widened his eyes, did they fucking marry? "My name's Alice."

"Alice Lecter now, I presume," Chiyoh said still with a neutral expression. "If you are his wife  why are you tied to this chair?"

"He wanted to protect me."

Chiyoh gave a small half grin, sniffing. "Sounds like something he would do." She looked at Alice. "Do you know where did they take them?"

"I wish I did."

"And you?" She turned to Jack, and Chiyoh made her way to Alice, as she removed the needle from her neck without even having to ask.

"They are most likely taking them to the U.S. To Maryland." Jack responded from his seat, watching as Chiyoh freed Alice from the chains. "I can even tell you the address once you've pulled this needle out of my neck." He knew that if didn't play his game right, she wouldn't free him.

Chiyoh glanced at Alice for a moment, almost as a way to ask her if she should trust him, then turned to Jack. "And then what?"

"My 'then what' consists of getting out of Florence alive, since I'm supposed to be dead... which puts me in no position to stop whatever it is you intend on starting." He said promptly.

The woman analyzed him for a moment in silence again, before quickly pulling the needle from him with no carefulness as she did to Alice. "Where?" She asked again.

Jack sighed relieved. "Muskrat Farm. The Verger estate near the Susquehanna River in northern Maryland." He gave it away as Chiyoh put a small gun on his table, a way for him to take care of himself, and promptly prepared her larger one in her hands.

Alice looked at him surprised. "The Verger farm? Do you mean the Vergers? Like, Margot and Mason Verger?" Alice mumbled. Jack nodded. "What do they want with them?" Just then the memories snapped back. Will and Hannibal make Mason rip off his own face. Revenge.

"Do you know who is behind this?" Chiyoh asked intrigued.

"A despicable man called Mason Verger." She confessed as she got some strength to get out of the chair and finally stand on her feet. "He wants revenge on Hannibal and Will for what they tried to do to him."

"I see that you know who Hannibal truly is." She muttered, Alice remained silent. "Yet you still chose to support him." Alice felt a reproving tone on her voice, but instead, it was a comforted one. Chiyoh could see that someone cared for Hannibal, and that made her glad. "Now, excuse me."

"Wait!" Alice hushed, almost tripping on her feet to reach the woman. "Let me help you."

"You'll be of no use."

"I can be!" She exhaled heavily. "I have connections, I know Mason's sister, she...she might help us...please..."She asked, her eyes filling with tears. "I can't let them die."

Chiyoh remained in silence, able to feel the pure sincerity and pain in her words. That woman did love Hannibal, it was beautiful if not surprising. She has never seen something like that before.

"If you die, don't blame it on me," She said and took another smaller gun from her purse, delivering it to Alice's hands. "Know how to use it?"

"I am a quick learner." She nodded fastly. "Thank you." She looked at Jack, who couldn't believe what he was witnessing. "Can I just...?"

"Fast."

Alice nodded as Chiyoh waited by the hallway, she untied her friend and he got up, still a bit dizzy, and wrapped his arms around her tight, almost as a capsule to protect her from all evil in this world.

"Alice this is insane, don't go there." He warned her. "We barely made out of this alive, kid, if something happens-"

"This is my fault, Jack." She whispered, gripping his chest as a scared little girl after her father. "My choices led me to this moment, I can't just turn my back now. I need to finish this." She pulled away for a moment.

"You mean you'll kill him?"

"No." She shakes her head. "As much as  I should, I could never do that." She confessed. "I love Hannibal, Jack. With all my soul. But is time to end this story for once and for all." Alice explained. "It is time for him to face his destiny as it should have always been. In prison."

"He will hate you for that, you know that right?"

She nodded with a sour smile. "It is the best I can do for both of us though." She caressed her guardian's cheek. "Thank you for coming all the way here, I...I don't even know what to say."

"I wasn't of much help either way." He chuckle, but still couldn't help but feel worried about her. "Bella...she missed you, until the very last-"

"I'm so sorry." She let a tear roll down in pain, realizing what he meant. "She didn't deserve it."

"Maybe it's better this way." He sighed. "She is as they say, isn't it? At better place?" He said. "Anywhere away from this hell sounds better now."

"I agree." She whispered softly. "But that doesn't mean we can't change it."

"Just don't die trying to do it, kid." He asked. "I..."Jack held the tears to make it look tough but failed. "I can't lose you too."

She smiled softly. "Take care, Jack." She kissed his forehead. "You're the best."

And with those words, Jack Crawford saw his little girl become a grown woman, disappearing completely from his sight.

▫️

While Hannibal suffered the bittersweet awareness that he would be cooked uo and eaten by Mason Verger, Alana Bloom decided to meet up with Will after all this time at Mason's golden dining room

The hurt and injured agent, hut now conscious and not dripping blood as before, surprised himself to spot his old friend there. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I'm Mason's psychiatrist." She said while taking a chair.

"Now that's a plot twist." Will declared grumpy.

"Jack's alive." She declared.

"Good for Jack." He said without much enthusiasm.

"Alice is alive."

He instantly looked at her, the lips partially open. "Is she alright?"

"She disappeared. There are no signs of her. She isn't with Jack, that's all I know."

Will exhaled in a mix of relief and concern. His blood boiled in his veins. "You helped Mason Verger find us."

"I helped Mason find Hannibal." She defended herself. "We followed Bâtard-Montrachet when we should have just followed you."

"Almost as ugly as what Mason wants to do to us is the fact that he can do it with the tacit agreement of people sworn to uphold the law." He snapped back bitterly. Alana took a moment to recover herself.

"I was trying to get to Hannibal before you. I knew you couldn't stop yourself, not with Alice there, so I had to try."

"By facilitating torture and death."

"I can abide the thought of Hannibal tortured, not necessarily to death." She looked into Will's betrayed eyes. "I'd say he has it coming, wouldn't you?" She paused for a moment. "Or maybe you wouldn't."

"What did you think would happen?"

"I thought Jack Crawford and the FBI would come to the rescue. But the finer details of what I thought would happen have evolved."

Will shook his head and looked at his old unrecognizable friend. Everything has changed now. "Then you have to evolve, Alana." He declared. "You have to spill blood. Either by your own hand or...someone else's."

▫️

"Can we go slower? Hey!" Alice walked after her just after the hopped off the plane. Chiyoh was unstoppable, like a steady machine with no time to waste.

The artist's feet killed her, and even with the clothes the woman lent her, she still couldn't have the same energy and was always having headaches, getting tired, having to stop.

"We don't have time for this," Chiyoh said seriously.

"I'm not feeling well, please," Alice begged as she finally dropped sitting on the ground. Her forehead was filled with sweat, Chiyoh stopped, glancing and her and rolling her eyes. "Just a minute..."

The woman walked towards her and delivered a small bottle, so she could drink some water before they continued their walk into that dark closed forest they were to don't get noticed by anyone.

"Thank you," Alice said as she drank and recovered her breath. She analyzed that woman, and since they left Italy she didn't say much, only instructions and orders. She was fully focused on her task and seemed very affectionate of Hannibal. That stung her heart for a moment, was she some past lover of his? He never spoke of her before. "You never told me your name."

"Because it isn't necessary." She simply said.

"Of course it is!" Alice told her. "I am walking with you, trusting my life in your hands, I should at least know who you are!"

"The decision was yours, not mine." She said while checking on her gun again. "And it was a horrible decision, honestly."

Alice groaned in disapproval and rest her head above a rock, looking above at the night sky.

How was he? Was he hurt? Was he even...alive? Was he there, under that same night sky, breathing the same air as her, or was he long gone, buried six feet under the ground? Just that thought made her heart ache.

"You never told me." Chiyoh suddenly said. "How come you married Hannibal."

She looked at the woman amused. "I can tell you...if you tell me who you are and how you know him."

"He never mentioned me?" Alice shook her head. "Well, his past has always been a delicate issue, I understand why he didn't." Chiyoh sat on the ground next to her and took a deep breath. "My name's Chiyoh." She finally introduced herself. "I was Hannibal's aunt's maid. I watched him grow up over the years when I was still very young." She muttered. "I knew he had scars...scars he could never heal from...and that shaped him, shaped him into who he is today." She looked at Alice. "That's who he is and he will never change. No matter how much you try."

"I've discovered that already, and in the worst way possible," Alice whispered confessing. "I met Hannibal through a murder. He offered me help." She looked down. "When we realized we were drowned in each other, I'm not sure how it happened, it just...happened." She sighed. "And within a blink of an eye, I discovered the truth. And the murder that brought us together, was his responsibility." Her body shivered. "But I chose to stay."

"You became dependent to him." Alice nodded, and Chiyoh looked at the deep forest ahead. "And I see he became dependent on you...which is rare." She declared. Aloce's eyes sparkled. "When I saw you on that street next to the Uffizi Gallery, I saw Hannibal in a way I've never seen him before," Chiyoh confessed. "Almost as if he was willing to risk it all, even himself, for you." She looked into Alice's eyes. "The only person he would ever risk himself to, would be Mischa. But, now, I see that also applies to you." Alice felt her heart speed. "If you still have any doubts, don't. He truly loves you. Any fool can see it."

Alice sighed heavily, running her hands through her face in a stressful act. Chiyoh's analyses just made things harder. She didn't want to leave Hannibal, but at the same time, she did. She knew all of that was wrong and that was skilling her faster and faster. But she couldn't help but worry about him instead.

"Have you decided, what are you going to do?" Chiyoh asked. "I know there is a reason you followed me besides saving him."

"You are too good at reading people. Is that a gift between you Lecters?" Alice joked, Chiyoh gave a half smile.  "I won't hurt him if that's what you're worried about. I would never hurt him."

"But you can't allow his freedom."

"I wish I could." She whispered. "But you know what he is capable of." Alice felt her heartbreak. "I can't afford to risk more lives only to fulfill my wishes. I am not that person, Chiyoh."

"I can see it." The woman nodded with a warm smile. "That is why he fell for you."

▫️

The night bliss covered their surroundings where a closed farm property stood imponent for many miles. Their hearts vibrated along with the footsteps of workers outside the de establishment. Alice counted in silence, at least  4 of them in the back. If they managed to move past them, she could get in, but how?

"What are we going to do?" Alice whispered to Chiyoh as they took a glimpse of the Verger farm. "There are too many of them."

The fierce dark haired woman didn't fear though, with a subtle swift movement, she grabbed her long sniper gun and uncocked it, aiming at the targets with an owl's night vision precision.

"You go ahead, I'll cover you." Chuyoh demanded.

Alice widened her eyes at the woman. "You're not coming?"

"You said it yourself that you have contacts to save Hannibal. You need to go there, and I'll help you get inside from here, watching for damage." She explained diligently. "Now don't waste our time, once I get rid of that guard in the left"She pointed to a more isolated man from afar "Go to behind that barn and up his uniform and cap, that'll make you mix up and enter easily."

Alice gulped in apprehension, Hannibal was right, that wasn't her type of life...But he never mentioned she was bad in it though. All the murders, runaways and acts they committed together worked perfectly, and that would have to work as well. 

She turned to Chiyoh one last time, nodding with her head. "Careful. I'm not sure how Hannibal would react if I let his wife die in the field."

Alice chuckled softly. "Well, we definitely don't want that either. Take care Chiyoh."The woman surprisingly gave a half smile and Alice quickly hushed into action.

"Good luck, Alice Lecter."She whispered as she watched the girl run through the snow. "You will need it."

▫️

It didn't take to long for Aloce to get inside, wearing a jumpsuit from a work that Chiyoh previously shot and covered the snow in red with. Her aim was pretty impressive but Alice couldn't waste any second even trying to process of the firing that happened in order to make her enter the house.

She was now alone, with only a small silver gun in her hands, wandering through an elegant saloon in order to find Margot Verger. As she entered that residence, she amused herself with the exotic decoration and the auspicious atmosphere that surrounded her, what if Margot refused? What if she wanted Hannibal to die just as her brother? What if, in the end, Alice failed and also surrender herself to their hands, so she could have a horrible death in Mason's disgusting pigs' teeth?

Shook her head and tried to vanish away the thoughts, they wouldn't help her now. Especially not now, when one voice called her from behind.  "Joshua!"A male voice called. She paralyzed. "Joshua the fuck, I'm talking to you, where have you been?" One of the other guards put a hand on her shoulders. She was fucked, if he saw her face her disguise would be blown up. "The guys will start the poker game soon, we were looking for you."He continued, Alice didn't dare to speak. "Hey, look at me." The man pulled her at once, spinning her on her dirty boots, and widened his eyes when he met her fragile soft, and feminine blue ones. "What the h-" before he could say it, she was faster, pressed the gun against his stomach, and, with a fast click, shoot his stomach, as the blood splashed across the fur carpet and the man's body rested against hers.

She pushed him away, the mouth agape, the eyes wide open, oblivious, the breath went with the heartbeat. Dead. She had just killed man, and this time, Hannibal wasn't there to force or induce her. She killed him, and his blood was there, in little red dots across her pale hands, as ink splashes on a white canvas.

Took a deep breath, feeling her head twist and a bitter taste come over her mouth, guiltiness, she could feel it in her bones. As much as Alice hated herself to take someone's life, she couldn't stay there and mourn his death, she simply tried to clean her hands in the jumpsuit, prepared the gun and the cap, and quickly entered deeper into the house.

After some minutes, she could find her. The elegant figure dressed in a large fur and leather coat, the hair a light brown, the eyes that incandescent distinct color. "Margot," Alice called her as she entered her large room. The woman turned around, finally meeting her gaze with a broken and sad expression that was taken over by surprise. She wasn't the only one shocked tho, especially when Alice Mallory spot a familiar brunette behind her. "Alana?" Alice muttered.

"Alice? What are you doing here? How did you pass through the security?"Alana quickly asked. She was different since the last time they have seen each other. Her style, her clothes, and hair, makeup, it was almost like a villainy vintage character from a movie, but they enlightened even more about her beauty. Her eyes then lowered at the object in Alice's hand. "I see Mason isn't aware of your visit either."

"Where are them?"Alice didn't bother asking questions. "Hannibal and Will."

"It's too late, Alice." Margot said in a fragile voice. "Mason will kill them...there's nothing else left to do."

"Of course there is!" Alice insisted and stood in front of her. "Margot you can't let Mason do this, please. I know Hannibal isn't an innocent man, but he can't pay for his crimes like this, please." She begged. Margot could feel the pain in her eyes.  "I can't lose them like this." She held the woman's hand, realizing how warm they were. "I know what Mason did to you. We know he isn't a good person, and you'll just let him get on his way to do whatever he wants?" She instigated the woman. "Margot, you don't need him." Alice then glanced at Alana. "What about you?" She whispered, Alana avoided her eyes. "Are you really going to let Will die out there? Your own friend?"

"Mason promised to give something back to me." Margot declared. "Something that he stole. There was a surrogate all along. It's a Verger baby."Alana could feel the sadness in her partner's voice. "It's my baby."

Alice squeezed her hand again with caring. "Margot, Mason will never give you what you want." She assured her. "You know deep inside that he won't let you have this baby, he can't risk his power over all of you." From the little she witnessed that family, Alice could see the hard situation Margot was in. "You only have one option, if you really want to take over the control."

Alana looked at Alice immediately, connecting thoughts and almost not believing her words. She remembered when she met that girl for the first time In her office, when she refused to open up, and then let her consult herself with Hannibal. She wondered if those instincts were planted by the doctor or buried all along...something told her that the answer wasn't so simple.

"I-"

"I don't intend to let Hannibal escape." She confessed. "He will pay for all his crimes...and one more murder allegation won't make much difference to him." Margot just then followed her thoughts, opening her mouth in surprise.

"You're saying-"

"Kill Mason, take over your legacy, your baby." She explained. "I'll make Hannibal write a confession declaring it was him. You and Alana won't take the blame for anything and will be able to live your lives in peace." She could see the affection between the two just by their small glances at each other. "But for that, you need to let me free Hannibal and Will first"

Margot looked over at her future wife waiting for a response, and Alana thought deeply about that offer. Alice indeed had a major influence on Hannibal, the written confession could work since he would also be the major suspect in Mason's death. With that plan, she could guarantee a life with Margot, and a family.

And that's all she wanted now.

"Deal" Alana said. "We'll take care of Mason. I'll tell you where Hannibal is."

"What about Will?" Alice asked.

"They aren't on the same location, Mason has different plans for both of them. Which may be harder for you to save them both." She said and walked towards her. "I hope you know what you are doing, Alice. You have always been a good person, and I'm trusting you on that."

"If that's your reason, then don't" She shared her head. "I guess none of us are good in the end." She met her eyes, Alana gave a silent nod. "It was you, wasn't it? Who found Hannibal in Florence."

"Yes."She replied in a whisper. "Do you feel any sort of grudge gainst me?"

"Maybe."She touched her shoulder. "But I'm mostly grateful" Alice confessed. "It was time for me to wake up from the dreams and face reality."

▫️

A sharp fire echoed in the air inside the barn filled with dirty and noisy pigs. His hazel wild eyes met the moment when the guards collapsed on the floor. Rescue, finally. He was certain that either Alana or Margot would show up through that door, it was predictable, in order to gain what they wanted, they needed to kill mason, they needed him.

But what he saw was much more... delighting and breathtaking.

In careful, shy steps, she removed the cap that covered her short but now messy brown hair, the blue eyes met him across the room, the mouth a gap between the heart-shaped lips. 

"Looks like I'm the damsel in distress now, princess charming." He joked with a half smile to alleviate her tension. She was completely horrified to see him tied up as an animal that way. They had removed his clothes, put a choker around his neck, and tied back his back and arms, almost making him face the ground, pure torture. "He has a pocketknife."He indicated with his head to the man she shot. Alice promptly found the knife and hushed after her lover, squatting on the ground and watching him through the fence. Her face was dirty with some blood, she had dealt with some other guards in her way, there was something brave, different and mature in her presence that made him sigh.  "You followed me, again"

"You keep waiting for me to find you." She said, broken to see him that way.

"You got here on your own?"

"I've got some help. Chiyoh is outside covering me up. I also made a deal with Margot and Alana to free you. You just need to play nice and get blamed for a murder, Mason's murder."

"You teamed up with Chiyoh to rescue me?"He smirked sweetly. "I wish I had seen that. Sounds fun."

She gave a small smile, he had that playful boy look in his eyes that she just adored, she could always get deceived by them. But this time she needed to be fierce. "Will is across the building, being prepared to have surgery. I won't be able to get there by myself..." She whispered.

"You need me to save him..."

She nodded. "...even after you almost killed him."She hesitated. "Please, Hanni I need you to save him, we can't let Mason get what he wants." Hannibal didn't seem to agree yet. "Do it for me, then." She begged. "You couldn't keep your promise before, you hurt people I care about. But can you at least listen to me for once and help me? Can you just do this for me, for the last time?" Her eyes met his. 

He could see that after they got out of that farm, what they had would be over. He would free Alice for her own good, and Alice would also be repulsed at him and gain consciousness of who he was and that he would never change. Things would be as they always should have been.

"Just cut the ropes on one arm, give me the knife, and leave." He gave in to her request. Alice sighed in relief. "I can do the rest."

Se quickly manage to open the gate that separated them and threw her arms around him, not minding the awful pig smell in the air, or how sweaty and dirty his body was. He was alive, and that was what mattered. Hannibal closed his eyes for a moment, absorbing her essence before she made some distance and started cutting the ropes. She did more than he asked her to, and when he realized, they were both standing in front of each other, he was free. She had freed the monster.

"Snatch some of my hair... back from the hairline, if you don't mind." He requested. She looked at him and curved her lips in disapproval. "I know you don't want to hurt me Lissy, but I need you to do it. Get some skin." He demanded, and, closing her eyes and gripping tight to a part on the back of his hair, she could get a good amount of strands, when she looked at it on her hands she almost cried, those same fluffy strands she wandered her hands through, that she washed in the shower so many times, now used in murder "Give this to Alana and Margot, tell them to put it in Mason's hand after he's dead."

He slowly took off the choker around his neck, looking at the sky and ging a deep breath, finally able to recover himself with a wicked smile across his lips. She could see it there, his true colors, the bloody killer side taking over him. Se didn't even want to imagine the carnage he would begin.

Alice's lips quivered, her eyes teared up and she couldn't keep in the urge. She just hugged him tight, mumbling to him. "Please be safe" She repeated over and over as a mantra, an order that he should obey. Hannibal on the other way wasn't scared, he just pets her hair, and kissed softly the top of her head. He had nothing else to lose, the only thing he cared about, he had let it go. And it was her.

Hannibal looked softly into her eyes and gave a half smile. "I need to go now." He whispered. "Do as I say. Don't get in trouble. I'll bring him back soon." He softly caressed his cheek. "Thank you for always saving me, my princess." He kissed her cheek softly and soon disappeared from her sight.

▫️

It was the morning of the next day, and everything went according to plan. Mason Verger was dead. Will was rescued. The agent, Alice, and Hannibal were in his cabin that was shaken by the wind as if they waited for something to happen.

Margot and Alana escaped with the opportunity to become a happy family and run away from the past once and for all.

Chiyoh, the guardian, was there, standing in front of the cabin, a few miles away, observing the extension of the white snowy lands as Hannibal got out of the cabin after checking for the 5th time if Alice was resting and comfortable on the bed. He had put 2 blankets above her and made sure that she didn't have any nightmares. Luckily, she didn't have to witness any of the carnage displayed, and neither Margot nor Alana took her with them to witness Mason's horrible death.

He was calm though as if he could predict what would happen. He approached his old childhood friend in the snow, her expression still quiet, serene, and attentive.

"You chose well." She whispered. Hannibal looked at her intrigued. "Your wife. She is a suitable woman to follow the Lecter heritage."

Hannibal gave a half-glad smile. "She is, isn't she?" He looked down for a moment. "It surprised me when she told me you helped her."

"We were both united for the same purpose. Well, in some way." She tilted her head to the side. "I am not sure if she will continue by your side...you seem to know about that as well."

He nodded calmly. "I am aware of it."

"And you will accept it?"

"I have no wishes to fight against her decision." He softly established. "With me away, she will also be safe."

"You are different." Chiyoh suddenly said, he looked at her quite surprised by the statement. "If you liked something...if you cherished it...I believed you'd never let it go..." She shakes her head. "But now I see the complete opposite."

Hannibal sniffed sourly. "I believe you are right." He buried his hands in the long dark coat's pockets. "I've changed. An inconvenient and sweet change." He looked into her eyes. "I see that you've changed too." She reminded herself of the man she had to kill. "The most stable elements, Chiyoh, appear in the middle of the periodic table, roughly between iron and silver." He softly established as they admired the winter outside. "Between iron and silver...I think that's appropriate for you."

▫️

Alice's eyes opened to the warm sheets and the bed that smelled like dogs in a cabin she knew too well. She didn't remember how last night ended. She remembered saving Hannibal, doing what he told her, and meeting Chiyoh later, besides that her mind went blank, maybe the stress was too much that she had slept.

She got up slowly, feeling her head a bit dizzy, and walked around the house, until finding a figure on the sofa, resting peacefully. Her eyes shimmered with relief and a smile crossed her lips.

The fingertips slowly touched the soft and curly hair strands that touched his face, caressing his cheek with carefulness, until it caused him tickles, awakening him to meet her blue eyes.

"...Ali...?"Will mumbled as he recovered his senses.

"Goor Morning, Will." She smiled at him as she squat on the ground to meet him.

"But...Mason...I..."Flashes from last night came back to his brain as he slowly became aware again of what happened. "We're at my house.."

"Yes, we are." She said calmly, placing a hand above his shoulder.

Will sat up, his body was so warm when he woke up, almost like a personal oven. She sat by his side, brushing slightly her shoulder against his, as he took a deep breath.

"Is he still-"

"He's outside, talking with Chiyoh." She explained. Will nodded.

"Still wonder why he helped me."

"I...asked him to."

He glanced at Alice for a moment. "Thank you." That was all he could say. Alice just nodded.

The silence of the cabin consumed them slowly, along with the tension and the doubts.

"What are you going to do now?" He asked. "Are you leaving with him again or-"

"I'm calling the cops." She declared. Will looked at her shocked. "Hannibal will be soon incriminated for Mason's murder. Along with his many crimes, of course."

"You'd really do that?"

She looked down at the floor, wishing she could be wrong, but this time her mind, her reasonable side spoke louder. "I can't just keep myself in denial after all he has done, Will." She looked at him. "I gave Hannibal a chance, and he proved me wrong again. He hurt me again." She confessed. "And he is right, we can't be together. The more spend time together, the more we bleed."

"So you'll do it. You'll deny his freedom."

"I know that nothing else would affect him as much as this." She whispered. "Sounds like the perfect punishment."

"Away from you and locked for the rest of his days." Will whistled lifting his eyebrows. "Yeah sounds about righteous enough" He could imagine Hannibal's broken expression when she revealed her plans if he didn't know them already. "And what about you? What will you do?"

Alice gave a trembling sigh. "I don't even know how I'll say goodbye to him yet." She felt her whole body mend and break at the same time. "It feels like I'm leaving all I know, leaving my home for the first time in so long..." She said helplessly. "I will learn to walk on my own again, know myself again...and attempt to forget him." She glanced at the red ring on her finger.

"Colin was looking for you," Will revealed she looked at him interested, with a sparkle in her eyes. "He was very worried about you before I went to Italy." He suggested. "Maybe you should talk to him."

"Right...He must've been so scared..."She recalled. "Well, maybe now things can go back to normal." Will nodded. "Colin will go to College, I..."She realized again. The fear that Hannibal managed to drift away but now would come back with complete stentgh: She would be alone. And that thought terrified her. "I...can continue working again...maybe buy a small flat." She squinted her eyes, trying not to think about the subject "And you..."She confused herself. "What will you do?"

He looked tenderly into her eyes. "I want to help you." He declared. Alice felt her face blush. "Ali, you know what I feel, I don't have to repeat it. And I know how you feel about him. That will never change." He said sadly. "I don't want to force you to accept me, especially not now but...if you need someone by your side, or to just support you backstage while watching you shine..." Will gave a sweet surrender smile. "...I want to be that guy."

"Will..." She sighed.

He put an arm around her with care. "Don't say anything yet. You have much more to deal with today." He declared. "Just...think about it, okay?" He kissed her forehead. Alice shivered at his soft touch. Will never expressed himself that way before it was....different.

The door suddenly opened, letting the cold breeze enter, along with a dark dressed figure who saw them by the sofa with a neutral expression.

"I'll let you have some privacy," Will whispered to her and got up from the sofa.

Alice's eyes met Hannibal's across the room.

This was it.

"I've prepared some tea, it is not as good as yours but I imagined you'd like to drink something warm when you woke up," Hannibal said, unable to start that conversation properly. Everything fet difficult, heavier to discuss. "Would you like a cup?"

"No." She refused seriously, still on the sofa.

"Alright." He said letting the silence consume them both again.

It was hard, even after Hannibal had pushed her away in Italy, this time it was different, this time it would be permanent. She was back in the US, she had her friends, would soon have her brother, and regain control of her life as she should always have. She would get rid of him. And, in her eyes, after what he did to Will in Florence, he continued to be a monster in them.

"We're really doing this, aren't we?" He softly said. "Avoiding the subject so we don't have to hurt ourselves."

Alice nodded quietly. "That's all we've done in Europe." She realized. "Ran around in circles." Hannibal agreed. "You must know this isn't easy for me. Not after all I've done to try to stay by your side."

"I know." He said cautiously. "And I am grateful for all you've done."

"But I see that didn't mean anything to you." She snapped back. Deep inside she was angry, she was frustrated that it couldn't work. She was giving her all, jer blood sweat and tears for that man, for that cursed love she cherished so much, and now she was watching it slip away through her fingers, unable to do anything about it. "You did what you promised me you wouldn't." She looked fiercely into his eyes. "You tried to kill Jack and Will. You tried to kill people I loved after you swore not to."

There was no use in denying it. "Yes, I did," Hannibal confirmed fearless, knowing tat would hurt her. "And you are calling the police at me. So they can take me away from you." He retorted.

"I am." She didn't lie.

Hannibal nodded, and a bitter and pointy finger tickled his chest. He didn't wan to leave her, it's not like it is something he enjoyed doing, he loved Alice, he wanted her by his side, and he wanted to keep their votes for eternity. All he did was for her. "You are leaving me before I do." He established sourly, reminding her of her promise of never letting him go. "I guess we both didn't follow our promises."

"No, we didn't." She held her hands above her lap and gave a tired sigh while massaging her temples. "Maybe we started it all wrong from the start."

"If you could go back to the start, where it all begin...." Hannibal questioned in a theory. "Would you change it? Our story?"

She got up, meeting his eyes, for a moment reflecting on what he said. If she could, would she erase their past? Would she restart again and never enter Hannibal's office? Would she shoot him when she had the chance or maybe never agreed in being his patient? 

Would she ever be able to wish she never caught a glimpse of him?

"I'm not sure anymore." Was her weak answer. "In Italy, I was immersed into this love spiral and would do anything you'd say. I accepted everything for you. I killed for you. I thought maybe that way we could make this work." She lamented. "But I was wrong. All of this was wrong."

"Besides the death and the running, you were happy." He whispered, feeling her squeeze his heart in her hands. She didn't see it, but with each word, she hurt him so badly that it made him want to die, "Or was it also an illusion for you?"

She stared deeply into those lovely and dangerous hazel eyes, it was so hard to say "no" to them, so hard to resist them. "I felt happy. In that small period of time where we fell into happiness in the middle of the madness. I felt happy. "She admitted out loud, Hannibal felt his heart blossom."Which is why it's so hard for me to say goodbye." Her eyes filled with tears. "Because as much as I suffer by your side, I never found someone who makes me feel the way you do." Alice clenched her jaw. "With you, I never felt so right but so wrong at the same time." She frowned her eyebrows "Do you think we can really do this? Endure the separation?"

"I can't give you a proper answer." He replied when he was barely standing to stay there, listening to those words. Truth is, Hannibal would go mad without her, as an addict without his favorite drug. "But as long as you've made your decision, I will accept it."

Alice closed tight her fists with anxiety. "What if you don't like that decision?" She looked up at him. "What if you despise me for what I'll do?"

Hannibal took slow steps towards her, then, carefully cup her face, looking tenderly at his muse. "None of your choices will alter my feelings about you. That should be obvious by now." He gave a small smile. "I know what you'll do." Alice opened her lips in surprise. "It awakened inside you, didn't it? The claim for justice and the fear to lose others, that old kindness inside of you."

"Are you disappointed?"

"No. That is simply you. And I wouldn't change it." He stroked her cheek. Hannibal lost himself to the woman he adored again, feeling that immense pain inside his chest, almost as if he died in front of her. "We lived a good dream, didn't we?" He whispered, already wishing they could live it all over again.

"...We did." She swallowed the tears before sobbing. "I...we could've been so much more if..."A tear betrayed her and rolled free. "Why can't I be enough?" She said frustrated, Hannibal hated to see her blame herself that way, she had no fault..she was perfect in his eyes, she was everything to him, as a goddess herself, which is why he couldn't do wrong with her. Alice shook her head, unable to believe it was over, It couldn't be over "We could've been so good..."Her shoulders shook as the tears fell "If you only let this go if you just-"

Her sentence was interrupted by his soft and warm lips against hers. This time they were sweet as venom, poisoning her thoughts one last time, as a way to keep his image in her mind forever. She kissed him back, wandering her hands through that soft hair and mixing up the tears between the sensation. If she could, she'd frozen them at that moment, forgetting all the menaces and the hurting, just keeping the memories and the feelings attached to themselves.

Truth is, Alice would never find someone who understood and loved her as Hannibal Lecter.

And truth also is, Hannibal would never love and open himself to anyone else if not her.

"This is who I am, Lissy." He whispered against her lips, her heavy breath trying to calm down as they pulled away from each other, still with his taste all over her mouth as a souvenir to carry it anywhere she'd go. "And this is who you are." She felt the whole world disappear around her, that same sensation they always felt in each other's presence. "Believing you or not, you fell for me and my nature." He kissed softly her cheek and the tears ran through. They were salty, torturing sad, he hated to see her cry, hated to be the cause of her melancholy. "Just as I fell for yours."

"And what is mine?" She looked up at him in a fragile stance.

He grinned adorably. "A selective kindness." He whispered. "If you could only see yourself with my eyes..."He sighed at her mesmerizing image" if you could only imagine what we could do together, if you just embraced it..."He smiled sweetly at her. "It is beautiful, Alice."

She gripped her hands on his shirt, that pressure between them was pulling her against him again, and if she didn't fight against that force, she'd fall again, she'd give up and love him again. This time, she needed to change.

"I am not a killer, Hannibal." She reassured him. "And this isn't just about killing, it's about us." She caressed his cheek, feeling his heart shatter beneath her other palm "You didn't trust me. You chose to break our promise and not trust me." His expression became sad again. "I gave you so many chances...my heart can't handle more damage."

He held the hand she had on his face, for a moment closing his eyes and only feeling her touch, adoring the sensation as if she was creating a pure golden tattoo on it, blessing him, a mere mortal in her presence."What about Will?" He suddenly whispered

She became silent for a moment. The lovers stared into each other's eyes quietly.

"I'm talking about you, not him."

"Leaving me and going after him, it's the same. Will is also a killer. He might not appear to be one, but he is. All of us are." He declared. "Going after him and leaving me is not doing what's wrobg or right. You're only being dependant, changing the  person but not the intention...you'rr not freeing or finding yourself." Alice suspended her breath. "I am letting you go so you can be happy, Alice...but if this is the happiness you seek for..."He shakes his head in refusal, he couldn't stand the thought of Alice being loved by another man, especially someone so similar to him when they couldn't be together. "...then I should've packed our bags and left Florence together."

"Yeah...I guess it's too late now." An instant wave of regret hit him. Hannibal felt his body rigid, filled with guilt. All he wanted was to turn back time and do the right choice. Now it was too late, he had lost her, lost her for someone else, while he would always be a monster in her mind. "Please don't look at me this way" She took one step back, avoiding her eyes. "Son't make this harder than it already is" She begged, noticing a tear roll down his cheek as she left his arms. "There will be some time before the cops arrive..you have a chance to escape, free yourself from whatever holds you to this land."She confessed, being kind to him for one last time. "It's your chance."

"You are giving me the opportunity to run away..."He muttered to her. "Why?"

"This is where we part ways, Hannibal." She could still feel her heart beating fastly, it hurt even more than she thought it would. "The sooner you'll leave, the easier it will be for both of us."

"You'd never know where I am. Can you leave with that doubt? Accepting the fact that we'd never meet again? Not being able to even know if I am still alive?" He asked fragile, he just wanted for her to care as much as he did, to show that all her love didn't just disappear. That he would be always in her heart, even as a memory. "Will you at least miss me?"

"No." She lied. "I won't miss you. I won't look for you. I won't think of you." She reassured herself, almost punching him with that sentence. She hated herself for it. "I don't want to know where you are, Hannibal. It is better this way." She assured him, she would never go after him, that was the end. "All that happened between us...I'm letting it all go." Hannibal took a deep breath taking in what she said. "Let's take this as from the moment I discovered the truth. Where we truly stopped before getting lost in the haze."

"You delight in wickedness and then berate yourself for the delight." He let it out bitterly.

"You delight. I tolerate." She corrected. "Or at least tried to." Alice looked outside at the cold day, the wind mercilessly shaking the trees as she tire herself apart in that dilemma."I don't have your appetite." She looked into the eyes of the man who knew her better than herself, and yet, she would abandon him soon.  She glanced at the ring on her finger, something that almost made part of her skin, that she promised herself she would never remove. When her fingers touched the tip of the gold he instantly took her hands in his, so warm, so comfortable, it send electrifying chills across his spine. 

He looked at her desperate, their sinking in an insatiable ardor and burning passion that consumed them. "Please, don't." He asked helplessly his voice almost twitching with a bit of sadness. "Keep it." He gulped, and she could feel his palms trembling.  "just..don't do this to me."He begged, almost as if she pulled a trigger against his head. It was too much, seeing her leave, give the ring..that would be too much, he wouldn't be able to handle it. He couldn't appear to be strong for much longer in her presence, when in fact, he wanted to sob, and kneel on the ground to stay with her. "Please, Lissy, all I gave to you, it's yours." He softly kissed her hands. "The house, the ring, my heart.." She watched a crystalline tear run down his sharp cheekbone, "It has always been yours to do whatever you please to do with it, just don't return it". Reluctantly, he let her hands go and found himself instantly missing her touch.

He looked down for a moment, trying to clean fastly the tear that denounced his pain. Just like her, he had a dependency on her existence as well. After all, Alice was all he worshiped, all valued in life. Letting her go was a wild, hard decision, but he thought that she would at least keep good memories of them.

Not anymore.

Now, he would only be that monster inside her mind. The monster who killed her sister, her friend, and tried to kill Will in front of her. The monster who ate her heart and messed up her mind. She deep inside hated him, and that made him want to die. In just a matter of seconds, Hannibal Lecter lost everything.

And now he was starting to regret letting her go before. That side of him came back again, all those fears, those insecurities, everything led to that moment: he wanted her back.

Leaving her before was poetic, was romantic. She would still love him in the end, and he knew that deep inside he wouldn't be able to stay too long away from her. But her leaving him was as stabbing his heart, was letting everything slip away through his fingers and condemn him to that lonely and miserable existence of his own.

He wanted to just pull her in his arms and leave that place, restart again. Maybe make her see that it couldn't be so bad. Maybe if he reassured her she was safe enough, he wouldn't need to leave her.

But now it was too late.

The teacup was shattered, and it couldn't be fixed.

Their love went through hell and never came back, now it was time to let it go.

But if that was the right thing to do, why was it so painful?

"Goodbye, Hannibal."She didn't dare to say those three words. She wouldn't be able to leave him if she said them out loud.

And in front of her eyes, Alice could see the broken boy's figure again, the eyes watery, trying to appear strong, not moving a muscle, as he only nodded subtly and walked away, moving past the door, and leaving her sight.

Forever.

▫️

When the night came and the cops approached, both Alice and Will went outside. The red and blue lights covered the darkness and the snow, but Hannibal was nowhere to be seen.

Just the thought of him gone burned her brain, the touch of his arms was still printed on her skin, the taste of hs lips still stuck in her mouth, her whole body jittered and ached for him, but now e was gone and she would experience that again.

"He's gone, Jack," Will told the agent as he searched for the criminal in the snow.

"Jack." A voice suddenly called as a figure stepped forward, surrounding themselves and kneeling on the white and cold snow. "I'm here."

Alice's heart suddenly stopped as she made eye contact with him. There it was, the soft air brushed down, the large coat wrapped and involving his huge chest she seek shelf into, the eyes hurt, hazel sinking into her blue. The scars were there, the same from many fights before, but none as deep as the one she left on him, none as alive, open and bloody as hers

What was he doing? Hannibal surrending on his own? She let him escape, why did he stay? Why was he looking at her that way? They said goodbye, they broke up.

What was his plan this time?

"You finally caught the Chesapeake Ripper, Jack." Hannibal teased at last as the other guards surrounded him with guns.

"I didn't catch you, you surrendered." Jack declared in a grumpy tone.

"I want you to know exactly where I am..."Hannibal's hazel eyes lingered at the woman by the door of the cabin, they glistened against her figure with such devotion and affection that it hurt her. "...and where you can always find me."

Alice couldn't watch it, she felt the tears coming down her face and had to turn around, where Will wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug so she couldn't witness his arrestment. The agent looked back at the criminal, something rather in a mix of wickedness and victory showed up. He did it, he got his opportunity again.

Hannibal took a deep breath, trying to be patient and carry the grudge of letting it all follow its' unfortunate fate. Letting her deal with her own choices, and accept the consequences of his acts.

"Cuff him. Put him in my car." Jack declared as the guards took him.

Alice sobbed violently against Will's chest as he reassured her that she would be alright, that he would take care of her. That she was safe. Hannibal watched that feeling his heart bleed inside.

The snow, the night, the promises, and that casually cruel winter marked her soul, marked that night forever in her mind. Where she finally gave up on evil, sacrificed her love and happiness in order to make good, follow her nature, and finally let Hannibal deal with what he brought to him. She had it coming..then why did she cry? Why, deep inside, she wished she was stronger to be by his side? Why deep inside, knowing what was wrong, she understood him, forgive him once again?

Why did a part of herself wish she was like him so they wouldn't be like this?

Why did it hurt, actually, burn to have Will's arms around her instead of his? Why did it feel like she betrayed him when both of them decided to let it go? Why did being on her own again, choosing herself again, seemed so..wrong?

And while he let Alice go, Hannibal reassured her again that he would be there.  exposing clearly his location so she'd never forget it, so she'd never forget him. To be there, in the back of her min, as a parasite who'd never let her go.  That's what he intended to do in Florence.

Let her breathe, let her think, let the danger dissipate.

Alice looked over Will's shoulder at the exact moment when her eyes locked with Hannibal entering the car. She could only see him mouthing those same words she refused to say before, the same words that made her crumble instantly. "I love you."

The cars drove away in the snow, and the moment his car drifted away, Alice escaped will's arms and ran into the snow, helplessly trying to chase Hannibal again. But it was over. She won, she took everything, and now he was gone. This was the life she fought for, the justice she fought her.

And there she found herself, falling on her knees in the snow, the thoughts still connected to the killer's, to the unlike soulmate she would never be able to forget. Connected to the one who pursued her heart and her whole being, she accepted it.

She looked down at the ring, now almost burning her skin as a reminder of the greatest love of all time that she experienced and that would never come back, as a hidden legacy se would never be able to tell, a secret they'd carry to their graves, mystical and adoring as they cultivated it to be.

And she swore to herself she'd hold herself that she would hold herself to the memories she knew too well because that was all she would ever have now.

This time, she wouldn't come back to him.