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Claude Monet
1875
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3 Years Later

//long chapter

A CHOIR echoed in the back of his mind, and a woman danced slowly on her own, her dress was long, filled with veils and soft pastel fabrics that gave her a dreamy aspect as she spinned around for him. He could get lost in that vision for hours, days almost, and never get tired of it.

On the other side of the table, Alana Bloom talked with him, her semblant serious and soberb as always now. She felt superior to him after his arrestment.

"Bâtard-Montrachet and tartufi bianchi. How I found you in Florence." Alana declared as he tasted the wine and the food.

"Betrayed by good taste." The woman who was previously dancing giggled to him, leaning a bit and resting her elbows at the table, watching him savor the wine. Her smile was so sweet, so soft. "Remember when we used to drink that by the fireplace?"

He gave a half smile with nostalgia. Alana noticed it. It happened from time to time now, he'd stare at a blank spot with no reaction, sometimes smile, or don't say a thing. Only stay there, in his own imaginary world.

"Congratulations, Hannibal." Alana lifted her glass in the air. "You're officially insane."

"There's no consensus in the psychiatric community what I should be termed." He said, but his eyes couldn't drift away from the woman that teased him, playibh with the glass of wine he had on his hands and delivering gentle smiles to him. He just seemed silly next to her.

"You've long been regarded by your peers in psychiatry as something entirely Other." Alana declared. "For convenience, they term you a monster."

"Just as I called you when I broke your heart." The woman looked at him. Sonething in her blue eyes made his soul ache.

"What do you term me?" Hannibal turned to Alana.

"I don't. You defy categorisation."

"Do you still prefer beer to wine?"

"I stopped drinking beer when I found out
what you were putting in mine." She let it out bitterly.

"Who" The woman by his side corrected, he gave a small mischievous grin in response.

Alana watched Hannibal, now through the real lenses, as the real atmosphere they were was completely different than what he imagined.

There he was, stuck in a glass cell at Baltimore's State Hospital For the Criminally Instable, wearing a white jumpsuit and drawing on a sketchbook, while she watched from the other side, free.

His cell had quite some privileges for an inmate, he has always been very cultured, and liked to be spoiled for it. But in all those 3 years, Hannibal never received what he mostly wanted: a visit.

All those days he spent there he was confined alone to that cell, drawing and readibg day and night, imagining in a way to escape his confinement.

It all led to those episodes where she found him staribg blankly at the walls. Imagining a third party in that room. Whoever that was, surely made him quite entertained.

"What are you drawing now?" The woman looked over his shoulder with a curious look. "It's me again" She smiled as she took a glimpse of the paper. "Am I wearing that yellow dress you like?" He nodded. "One of your favorites." Alana was speaning on the background, the woman sat by on the desk where drew, making a face at the female doctor across the window. "What is she saying now?"

"I am not paying much attention to it either." Hannibal side eyed the illusion and they giggled together as children.

"The needle was guaranteed, but you beat it all on an insanity plea." Alana continued, trying to ignore his weird laughs to the void by his side, or his little gossips with the air, like someone else was in that cage with him.

"I'm not insane." Hannibal said determined.

Alan lifted one of her eyebrows doubting that for a moment, then took a sip of her wine. "A dozen or a baker's dozen, enough people have died."

"You haven't." He snapped back, silencing the doctor.

"Ouch." The woman by his side teased and chuckled along sweetly.

"A promise in waiting, isn't it?" Alana tried not to appear intimidated. He was locked, he couldn't harm her anymore. "A promise you intend to keep."

"I always keep my promises."

"Not all promises" The illusion announced, as he turned his face to look at her. She had an easy smile on her lips, but the subject she talked about was rather painful. "You should focus on your drawing, Hanni." Alice Mallory's ghost, who accompanied him day and night during those 3 years, adviced him. "That's the closest you'll ever get to me now."

▫️

A new menace emerged from the darkness, and while that happened, Frederic Chilton decided to visit the previous one, havibg dinner in his cell, with distance and caution of course, so he wouldn't turn out to be the meal instead.

In Hannibal's mind though, another chair was positioned next to him, where Alice only watched the two men discussing with subtle comments and smiles, lightning up the room.

"Sanguinaccio dolce." Hannibal explained with his perfect accent. "A classic Neapolitan dessert, with almond milk. Easy on the stomach."

Chilton analyzed the food, now, after their discovery, he'd always be extremely careful about what he would eat in his presence.

"Sanguinaccio dolce." Chilton recalled the name. "You have served me this before."

"One of your best desserts." Alice smiled to Hannibal and he retributed the gesture. Chilton looked at him weirdly.

"It is traditionally made with pigs' blood. In this case, a local cow." He explained.

Frederic suddenly widened his eyes with pure shock reflected in them. "And when you last made it for me?"

"The blood was from a cow only in the derogatory sense." Hannibal joked. Alice covered her mouth and laughed.

"Oh my, Hanni..."She tapped his shoulder snd he contained a chuckle. "Who was it?"

"Mrs.Fettini from society." He whispered.

"She had it coming." Alice and him exchanged mischievous smiles.

Frederic only observed the doctor talking alone for a moment, still surprised. Even after witnessing that event many times, it still anused him how Hannibal's mind seemed to degenerate. Maybe not degenerate, but adaptate in order to survive the confinement.

Of course, wheneve rhe tried to talk about who Hannibal discussed so much with, he would change the subjeft and not give him a proper answer.

"Blood and chocolate..." Chilton savored the dessert. That should've been the subtitle of my book. But I promised myself I would never use colons in my titles. Colons lose their novelty when overused."

"You'll have to write another book." Hanibal commented while eating in silence.

"Mhm..I am."Chilton mumbled. "But not about you." He declared. Like overused punctuation, the novelty of Hannibal Lecter has waned."

"Oh, so now he's tired of gaining profit on your back?" Alice said bitterly, crossing her arms and lifying one of her eyebrows in disdain.

"What is the subject of your new book, Frederick?" Hannibal asked casually.

"The Tooth Fairy." Chilton confessed.

"Pfttt....HA!" Alice laughed loudly, bending over because she couldn't stop it. Hannibal tried to ignore it but a small smile formed his lips to see her reaction. "No fucking way-"

Once Hannibal became serious again, Frederic decided to continue.

"I find folks are a bit more interested in him. He is the debutante. Although he lacks your love of presentation." He explained.

"More of a shy boy, this one." Alice commented to her partner.

"I'd love to hear your thoughts." Chilton said to him. "What do you think about the Tooth Fairy?"

"That it's a stupid name." Alice mocked.

"I think he doesn't like being called the Tooth Fairy." Hannibal agreed out loud.

"It's not as snappy as Hannibal the Cannibal..." Chilton tried to speak.

"Also a dumb name. I'd like to have a word with whoever invented it." Alice made fun of the situation sometimes it was hard for Hannibal to keep a straight face.

"...but he does have a much wider
demographic than you do." Chilton continued. "You, with your fancy allusions and your fussy aesthetics, you will always have niche appeal, but this fellow, there is something so universal about what he does." He said with amusement. "Kills whole families. And in their homes." He gestured with his hands to show the importance of the attitude.

"Strikes at the very core of the American Dream." Hannibal muttered, as he watched Alice's ghost surprised at Chilton's statement. He silently told her that it was okay, and she calmed down with a smile.

"You might say he's a four-quadrant killer." Chilton smirked.

▫️

It was a pretty day in the sky, cold as always, with snow filling up his feet and dogs jumping on his back as he tried to make way for the garage. His curly hair was soaked by the snow flakes, and the beard that his wife carefully cut to keep it's shape now adorned a face of a happy man with a pacific life, away from the trouble and the danger that lied in his soul.

That was, until he received a guest from far lands, a guest he didn't expect, neither wish to see again.

"You don't wanna talk inside?" Jack Crawford said as he took a sip of the coffee will brought from his house, but continued there with him by the porch. Will knly side-eyed him in silence. "...You don't wanna let me inside." He finally took a hint. "I've come too far to let the cold stop me, Will."

"Why should the cold stop what common sense couldn't?" The retired FBI agent snapped back, warming his hand on the colorful cup his daugjter had painted. The green mark of her little hand at the front of it always made him smile.

"So you don't wanna talk about it here."

"I don't wanna talk about it anywhere." He excused himself. "You've got to talk about it, so let's have it." He said a bit annoyed. Just... just don't get out any pictures, because they will be back soon." He explained, caring for his family.

"How much do you know?" Jack got into work.

"Two families killed in their homes a month apart. Similar circumstances."

"Not similar, the same." Jack corrected him. He paused for a moment. "You ever think about giving me a call?"

"No." He simply said.

"Alice calls me." Jack said sourly. "If she didn't call me, God knows when I'd find out about your marriage, or your new family."

"Get back to the point, Jack."

Jack rolled his eyes. "You know what it is?"

"I didn't call you, because..." Will shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't want to." He explained. "I don't think I can be of any use to you, Jack. I don't think about this anymore. I don't believe I could do it now."

Jack had to come up with a better strategy. He took a picture from his pocket, delivering it to the agent. "All dead." He showed the smiling but now long gone family and their dog. Will took in a deep breath. "I think this freak is in phase with the moon. Killed the Jacobis almost four weeks ago in Chicago. Full moon. Killed the Leeds family in Buffalo night before last. A day short of a lunar month. He explained. "With a little bit of luck, we might have a little more than three weeks before he does it again."

Some noise in distance interrupted their conversation, that's when they saw it,  A woman wearing winter clothes holding a small child's hand as she tripped over the snow and laughed. Her brown hair was short and waverly, almost curly now, her eyes just as blue as the sky, even though she cared a small umbrella to be prepared for the upcoming rains. The child by her side was just as joyful as her, the hair also the same color as her mother's, but her eyes were a deep brown. Their picture warmed thst cold day, and anyone's hearts who would see it.

And when she saw the familar stranger at their porch, her smile became even wider. "JACK!" She shouted with little jumps and grabbed her daughter in her arms.

Will glanced at Jack with disapproval, giving a deep sigh. "Guess you'll have to stay with us for dinner."

▫️

"Woah slow down Nugget, you gotta eat your vegetables first." The agent chuckled at the brown haired little girl vy his side as he made a plane with food towards her mouth. "Come on, open up..."

"When did you start calling my daughter Nugget?" Will made a face. "And why Nugget?"

"Nuggets!" The little Blanche cheered up with her arms in the air and a bright smile.

"She likes nuggets." Jack shower to him and gave a half smile.

"I like it, it's cute." Alice smiled and set a hand above Will's on the table, caringly looking into his eyes. 'Why didn't you tell me Jack was visitting us? I would've prepared a better dinner-"

"Foolishness, Alice. Your food is great, really." Jack savored the meal, even if the whole family was vegetarian now, he couldn't deny how delicious it was. "How did you learn how to cook so well? With your mom?"

Flashes hit back to her mind.

"Your stance, change it like this." Hannibal carefully adjusted her posture with his hands as he stood behind her. "Now the secret is in the temperature, keep it not any less than 10 minutes boiling, then remove it fast from the water." He instructed. "While we wait for that, we chop the vegetables." His arms were set above hers, delucately holding hers and applying strentgh as she held the knife in her hands. "Slow, now." He whispered on her ear with a proud smile. "That's it, you're doing very well, darling." He smelled her perfume at her nape.

"You're distracting me." She giggled as she felt the tip of his nose at the back of her head.

"My apologies, I just couldn't resist." He inhaled her sceng and opened a smile, kissing her cheek and embracing his arms around her waist. "Let's finishing cooking quickly." His kissed led to her lips, sweetly infecting her with his words and his carings. "I intend to distract you much more after it."

"Ali?" Will's voice brought her back to the present. Alice blinked twice, realizing where she was, with who she was.

"With Bree...Katia too." She lied. "I was very young when my mom died, so it couldn't have been her." She nodded and tried to make Blanche eat some of the food in her dish. "So, Jack, how's life?"

Will and Jack exchange dglances through the warm wooden dining room. He wouldn't say it, not there, in thst soft and welcoming moment.

"Good." Jack only muttered. "Just...moving forward." He nodded. "You should pay me a visit sometime." He tickled the young Blanche, making her giggle. "And bring this little Nugget too!" He said as a goofy grandpa. "By the way, how old is Blanche now? The last time I saw her she was still in your arms, Ali." Jack smirked.

"Yeah, she's all grown up now, aren't you,  sweetheart?" Alice played with her child and smiled. "Why don't you tell grandpa Jack, your age? Remember how do we say it?" She instructed with her fingers as the girl count along. "One...two..!"

"Two!" She repeated along.

"And will soon be 3 next month." Will said, his heart completely melt whenever he looked at his daughter. There wasn't any living being in this whole world who turned him so silly as that girl. She meant the world to him.

"Wow, time flies." Jack admired the family. "You've got a good life here, Will."

"Yeah, I'm the luckiest guy in the world. I know that." Will smirked and Alice squeezed his hand as she scrunched her nose adorably.

"Does anyone want dessert?" Alice asked, Blanche, Jack and Will lifted their arms at once. Some of the dogs around the table also whimpered in agreement. "Okay, just a-"

"No, no, honey, you worked too much already." Will stood up instead. "Leave it to me." He kissed her forehead sweetly.

"You're the best." She chuckled as he left promptly to the kitchen. It didn't take long for Blanche to get out of her seat and stumble while running after her father. "Of course she'd follow him." Alice laughed and shaked her head. "She's almost glued to him. Can't let him go no matter what."

"That's great, sounds like she really loves him." Jack commented as they were the left ones in the table. "I can see that she loves her lifie, you, dogs, all of this." He said tenderly. "You made it, Alice."

Alice rest her back on her chair and let out a deep sigh, her eyes staribg at the ceiling for a moment. He was right, she did it. She had a lovely husband who truly loved her, an adorable and polite daughter, a healthy and stable life. It was all she has ever wanted.

But why did she feel sometimes...empty?

"Jack." Alice suddenly looked at him. "There's something bad out there, isn't it?" He became quiet, hated to have to ruim that warm mood. "You usually just call, visit when I invite you...but this time you came for another reason." Alice commented while reading the Agent's soul. "You need Will, don't you?"

The agent took in a deep breath. She knew him too well. "Yeah. I need him." Aloce looked down for a moment. "I believe you didn't see the news."

"I don't do that anymore. Actually, I like this, being preserved from the world." She showed the farm house. "No pain, no conflict just...peace." She explained. "So... no, I don't know what is happening."

"It's something bad, Ali. But I promise you, if Will helps me in this, it'll be something fast, your family won't be affected."

Alice leaned foward, restibg her hands above the table, and looking directely into his chetnut eyes. "I appreciate you saying that, Jack, I really do." She established delicately. "And I can see that if you are searching for Will's help, the situation must be serious." He nodded. "But I can't allow this." His smile dropped instantly. "I don't want Will around those crime scenes again. I know the damage it may cause him....how it may break him to look over this again. God knows how much he passed through in order to save people's lives." She explained. "I know it is a noble cause Jack, whatever it is, I am sure it is. But now, my priority is to protect my family. To protect my husband, my daughter's father." She said fiercely. "I won't let Will risk his life again. I need him here, at home, with me, with Blanche." Alice finished. "I care about you, Jack, so I'll put this out as nicely as possible: please don't insist."

Jack Crawford was speechless for a moment. He knew how juch Will meant to her. Knew that Alice had scars she never got cured from. New that Will served as some sort of remedy to cure them. But that direct, serene and precisive answer actually surprised him more than he expected it to.

"We are back!" Will exclaimed as he and Blanche returned with a cake on a tray. The girl sang a melody as Alice and Jack disguised their emotions, putting on their best smiles. "So, who gets the first slice?"

"Me!" Blanche exclaimed loudly.

"Oh, no dear, maybe we should give it to Jack." Alice suggested, the man lifted his eyebrows surprised. "After all, he will be leaving soon."

"Awww! No!!" The girl pouted in frustration, she didn't want the agent to go yet, holding to his long coat as abbig teddy bear.

Will glanced at his wife and then at the agent. Something happened, he could feel it.

"Don't cry, Agent Nugget. I'll make sure to visit you again soon." He pet her hair and the girl nodded sweetly. "Now...where's this cake?"

▫️

"And then they lived happily ever after." Will's velvet and sweet voice continued. "The End."

"Come on daddy, one more story!" Blanche asked, pouting her lips and wrapped on her pink and colorful sheets on her bed.

"Maybe tomorrow, sunshine." He kissed her forehead gently. "Now you need to sleep." He then glimpsed at the large dog at the edge of the bed, already in a deep sleep. "Are you sure you want Winston to sleep here? He's quite big."

"Winston's my pajama buddy!" She exclaimed and pet the dog, who wiggled its' tail happily. Will chuckled. Winston was one of the only original dogs he could recover after all that madness, it was incredible how much that dog adored Blanche, they became best friends.

"Okay then." He got up from his bed and walked outside. "Goodnight, Blan."

"Goodnight, daddy."

Will turned off the lights and walked back to his room. Luckily he already had his leepibg clothes on, he was pretty tired. The images of what Jack has told him, the picture he showed him, were still on the back of his mind.

Murders of whole families and inside their houses.

That was something to take any men's sleep easily. But not when you have the best wife in the world willing yo take all the nightmares away.

"Hey." Alice greeted him, already on the bed in a blue nightgown.

"Hey." His heart fluttered by her side. Indeed he was lucky.

"Is she sleeping?" She asked as her husband lay by her side on the bed, resting his tired back on the mattress.

"Yeah, and she has a guardian looking out for her."

It took her a second to guess it. "Winston." She chuckled. "Remember when she was just born and we were afraid he'd suffocate her with his weight?"

"How can't I? You were freaking out saying 'oh my god this fat dog is gonna kill our child!' " Will made fun of it and she pushed him with her body playfully.

He watched her in silence for a moment. How could he lose that? That perfect life, that perfect woman, and that perfect child? Sometimes he believed he was dreaming, that someday he would wake up in misery, 3 years ago, when she was still madly in love with Lecter. He knew she never forgot him, the necklace she kept hidden under her shirt every day was the clear sign of it, but it was Will's ring she wore now on her finger, that small simple golden alliance of 3 years, of the life they built together in that house, of the memories they created to avoid the old ones. He didn't feel like he deserved all that happiness but was grateful for it every single day.

"Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?" She asked with her eyes glued to the ceiling, where Blanche insisted to glue fluorescent stars on.

"That we should wait a few more minutes to make sure she's asleep? Yeah, even though you look just..."He slowly kissed her neck and sighed. "...fantastic..you know blue's my favorite color, right?"

"Any gown color I wear it's your favorite, Will." She rolled her eyes at him.

"True, and I like them even more..." He lowered one of the straps on her shoulder "...when I remove them from you."

Alice giggled and gently pushed him away. "Flattering, but that's not what I meant."He sighed. "I'm talking about Jack's visit."Will turned serious, the expression concerning. "He wants you on a case, doesn't he?"

"Doesn't mean he'll have."He quickly defended. "I left this life behind, Ali."

"I know, and that's what I told him."She held his hand. "Will, look at me." His chestnut puppy eyes sunk into hers. "Please, don't chase this, let death stay away from our family."

He softly stroked her cheek. "I won't." He assured her. "I'm not going anywhere, okay? Don't worry."

"I know it's selfish of me, I don't even know what is happening but..."She frowned her eyebrows frustrated. "Is it too much to ask for us to stay like this? As we are now?"

Will didn't say much, he just embraced his arms around her, unifying their bodies and spooning as he whispered softly in her ear "Nothing will change, don't worry." He calmed her and kissed her head. "I'll be by your side, no matter what."

"Thank you." She said warmly and smiled at him.

If everything would be alright then why? Why did she have this awful feeling inside her stomach, this cold and anxious sensation that something would happen, that danger was just around the corner waiting to devour them?

Luckily Will wasn't one to make her think much about her concerns. "Do you think she's asleep now?" He smirked maliciously.

"Your perv." She pushed him off the bed, and both were unable not to laugh at this situation.

Maybe she was overthinking the situation, that was probably it.

After all, what could go wrong?

▫️

"Daaaad!!" Blanche whimpered at her small chair by the balcony.

"Okay! Okay, calm down!" Will hushed in circles while grabbing the fridge. The pancakes he had prepared burned instantly. "Oh Fuck, great."

"Fuc-"

"NO! Don't repeat that!" He widened his eyes promptly shut his daughter's first bad word. "Don't say thay or your mother will kill me, here." He offered her a cookie, and the bargain luckily worked. He sighed and observed the mess the kitchen was, with an apron tied around his waist and his daughter by the balcony, trying to devour a cookie and giving some of the crumbles to her lamb plushie by her side.

"What happened here?" A voice suddenly called them, Will shiftned his ears to the sound, realizing his plan was ruined.

"Mommy!!"Blanche cheered up lifting her cookie in the air, her mouth was still filled with food.

"Will what is this...?"Alice watched the path of beige mixture that should be used in the pancakes now on the floor as she walked towards him. "...World War 3?"

"Supposed to be a surprise." He tried to say. "Sorry, hon."

Alice looked into his brown eyes for a moment, her expression mysterious, neutral, unable to guess if she was angry or not...until she quickly kissed his lips and smiled.

"Ew." Blanche chuckled.

"Thank you." She caressed his cheek, her eyes reflected pure love. "You're so sweet."

"It didn't really work as you can see. And our daughter is eating a cookie instead." He pointed. Alice couldn't help but laugh at Blanche devouring the cookie. "But I have plans for us today."

"For us?" She lifted her eybrows curious.

"Yeah, you and me...Blanche will stay with the babysitter."

"What? No! She's my-"

"I know, she's your baby."Will rubbed her shoulders in an attempt to calm down. "But you gotta take a break, okay? We'll just go out for tonight, have a walk downtown, eat something nice, maybe I could even take you dancing."

"But you hate dancing." Alice made a face.

"I'd do it for you." He nodded. "I'd do anything actually, so...what do you say?"

She took a deep breath, watching the little messed house and the caring husband holding her gently.

"Go, mommy!" Blanche insisted making the two giggle.

"Alright...but clean up your mess first."

▫️

Regina Twinkle was an old woman who lived at the farm next to theirs. She was a widow already but knew how to take care of children extremely well since she worked in her youth at an orphanate. She could be very nosy sometimes, maybe because gossipibg about others was her main hobby now in her retirement, but besides that she was a great person they could rely Blanche on.

When she wasn't there, sometimes Colin would take care of her. Right, Colin, he was on the 4th year of college now, and he was doing great. Alice thought that the heartbreak caused by Nadira would devastate him, but otherwise made him stronger. And he was just so happy when they met each other again. She had to fight with him so he could go back to stanford or he'd never leave her. Colin loved Blanche. He loved to play, take care or feed her. Whenever Alice watched them together it just made her heart melt. But since she abd Will would be only for out for a night, she decided it would be better to just call the gossiper lady.

"Have you noticed it?" Regina suddenly said as she held Blanche in her arms, she was next to Will waiting for Alice to come downstairs. "Her eyes." She pointed to the little girl.

"What about them...?" He furrowed his eyebrows confused.

"Their color. It's not like Alice's."

"Uh...yeah? Alice's are blue, Blanche's are brown, of course they are not the same." He said a bit blantly, maybe it was not a good idea to keep that lady with their daughter, her brain was starting to show some problems.

"But they don't look like yours either." The lady turned to him. Will annoyed himself with the statement. "They're more like a hazel shade..."

"Are you sure we need to go?" A voice suddenly called upstairs. The conversation was interrupted and all the people turned to the sound's direction. Alice was upstairs, wearing a green tank top, jeans and high heels sandals. Her hair was a bit curly, resembling the 90s, and it was incredible how the older she got the younger she looked, just like wine. "Maybe we could take Blanche with us."

"Don't worry about that daling, just go and enjoy your night with your husband." Redigna waved her hand. She glanced at Will. "By the way, start with taking his jaw off the floor." She chuckled. "Mr.Graham, oh please, have you never seen your wife before?"

Of course he has seen, but Will could never get used to it. That happened since they met in college, Alice stunning, amazing him, while he'd just stand there, tonguetied, completely mesmerized. Not even after they married, after the nights they spent together, he could believe how lucky he was to be with her.

"You look so handsome." Alice said finally reaching the first floor, adjusting the jacket around his shoulders, his heartbeat was loud as drums.

"I could say the same about you." He smirked, a little strand of his hair fell above his face charmingly. "You're right, maybe we should stay, people won't be able to take their eyes off you." Alice laughed. "Mrs.Twinkle." will turned to her, setting an arm around his wife's waist. "Don't expect us home so early."

"As you should." The old woman winked at them. "Have fun."

"Goodbye, sunshine, try not to give Mrs.Twinkle a hard time...again." He kissed his daughter's forehead. "Oh, and please don't give her any cookies, she had a lot today. Even if she calls you rude by not doing it...just don't. " He advised and the woman nodded in affirmation.

"Aw, my baby."Alice hugged her daughter tight. "If you need anything, if she cries even if it's just for a little thing-"

"I'll call you, don't worry." Regina nodded calmly.

"And she-"

"Is supposed to be in bed by 8. You gave me her whole schedule, Mrs.Graham." She tranquilized the woman and took the child in her arms. "You two will be here in 3 hours, don't worry." She tapped her shoulders. "Enjoy yourselves."

"Okay..."Alice said a bit reluctant. "Blanche, goodbye sweetheart!"

"Goodbye mommy!" The little girl waved at them, breaking Alice's heart. She was so attached to her daughter that just some hours away from her managed to drag her down.

Will had to take some good efforts in order to take Alice out of their home, and even more to make her get in the car. She woulsn't stop asking if Blanche would be okay, or if she would need anything. She even thought about skyping her during their date.

Thankfully, after some talking, they could drift off with their vehicle and go to town.

While Mrs.Twinkle stood with the child. "So, what do you want to do, little Blan?" She asked sweetly. Blanche pointed with her arm to a closet nearby. "Is that where your toys are? Okay." The woman followed her to the closet and took a toy from it that Blanche wanted. Just then her eyes stopped at a huge object hidden behind the old furniture. "Oh wow, what do we have here?"

▫️

"You didn't touch your salad." Will pointed out as he glanced at his wife over the table. "Ali." He touched her hand across the table, his touch was comfortable, but she couldn't help but feel nervous. "She will be alright."

Alice sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, I'm just..."She shaked her head. "You know how I get in my head, and after Jack's visit I just..."

"You are worried. That's okay, that's normal, you're her mother."

"Yeah, but I'm also your wife and instead of having fun with you, I am being annoying the whole evening." She said frustrated. "And I am sorry for that."

"There's nothing to be sorry about." He squeezed her hand making her smile. "And you wanna know something?" She looked at him curious. "Come here." She leaned closer snd he did the same, he standed his hand in the air, like he would whisper sonething on her ear, and instead landed a playful kiss on her lips.

Alice blushed as he relied back on his chair grinning. "Oh my god, Will!" She said unable to keep a smile. "Somebody is going to see us."

"Let them see" He stole some food from her dish, Alice made a face. "They will know I have the most gorgeous, intelligent and amazing wife in the world."

"That's sweet, now give me my food back." She said in a passive agressive smile.

"Sharing is caring, love." He joked. Alice and him startes a knife with their forks as kids. In the end, she couldn't recover the stolen carrots.

"You're going to pay for that, you know." She joked.

"Literally." He smirked and paid the bill to the waiter. "Where do you want to sail off now?" She opened her mouth to say sonething. "Not home." Her mouth closed again. Will chuckled. "Come on, let's just take a walk."

The night was pretty, and the streets were pretty calm. The town where they lived wasn't very populated and the people wasn't so agitated as in big cities. It had more of a country side look where you just knew everyone and everywhere. There wasn't much to see or to go, but had a fresh night air and peace within it that was worth it.

And Will loved that, he loved to hold Alice's hands between the multiple couples on the sidewalk. He loved to bump her shoulder against hers and tease her on the way as teenagers. Or maybe just whisper something on her ear, dirty or sweet, whatever he felt in the mood, as she would whisper on his as well, whatever she was in the mood.

He'd buy her a flower, not one specifically, since they weren't many shops open, but whatever it would be, she smiled and thanked him with a kiss on the cheek.

"What is that?" Alice asked pointing to some people gathered on a circle, there were sounds of drums echoeing in the air.

"Sounds like they are playing some music." Will responded as they got closer to watch some people dancing. "Well that's very-"

"Exciting!" Alice gave a little jump. "Let's go!"

"What?" He lifted his eyebrows surprised. "Oh, no, you can't be serious-"

"You said you'd take me dancing!"

"I was joking-"

"Well, I wasn't. Let's go!" She dragged him by the arm, the musicians cheered excited to see the couple joining the happy mess.

Alife started to step tovthe rythm, what ryhtm it was anyway? She didn't know, but it dragged her body in a good energy, something easy and free, that resembled her past before sadness but also gave her hope to the future. Will only watched her with a silly smile on his lips until she started to call him to join her.

"Oh, no, really i don't-"

Someone from the musician group just pulled him against her, making him fall on Alice's arms as she spinned with him in circles.

"Just look at me." She told him as she made him feel the loud beat and stepped along. "Look at me and forget about everything else." She cupped his face, as he surrended to his touch.

Will Graham wasn't much of a dancer unlike Hannibal Lecter. He'd help Alice spin, or maybe hold her in his arms mostly, maybe step or shake a bit his arms awkwardly, resembling a robot, and that was okay. It was fine as long as he could smile to her, feeling that explosion of happiness inside his chest as she had fun with him.

"You're really enjoying the view, aren't you?" She smirked teasing him. The later it got the heated the night got. The evening was still young to say goodnight.

"Oh, I am" He pulled her close for a moment, her back against his chest as he purred on her ear "Damn, I can't wait to get into those jeans..." Alice felt chills across her spine but didn't refuse the idea.

'We're still in public, don't forget that." She chuckled taking a step away from him and making him chase her into the crowd.

Her face disappeared between the others as he had to miserably search for her. There were just too many people, shapes, colors and sizes.

He suddenly pulled a hand and dragged a body against him.  That pair of blue jewels met him again with a smile. "How did you find me?" Alice asked.

"I could find you anywhere." He sniffed.

Alice cupped his face and brought him closer, kissing his lips gently, sweetly, wandering her hands through his curly hair and immersing herself into that euphoria of the night. Everything was too perfect to be real. Just him, the music, the place, everything felt so right.

When she pulled away his eyes simply sparkled at her direction, holding her. "I love you so much." He poured his heart out to her.

"And I love-"

Some talking started nearby, people seemed suddenly worried. Alice and Will exchanged glances and decided to look over what it was. They were all gathered next to a bar where the TV announced a murder. Not just one, but of 4 people. A whole family murdered into their home.

Alice looked at the images terrified, and from what she could see the crime wasn't so far from their town, which made her even more concerned. She instinctively looked at Will, who still had his eyes on the screen, having the most horrible realization. When he looked back at her, he nodded back, confirming what she was thinking.

The crime Jack talked about, it was there, showcasing on the screen, exposing that dramatic and tragic family tale to alert others.

And the only perdon who could stop that massacre was her husband.

▫️

"You're back, and early." Mrs.Twinkle greeted them by the door. "I expected to see you both at 1 a.m." She furrowed her eyebrows as Alice entered fastly the living room looking for her daughter. "Is something wrong?" She asked Will and he just shaked his head.

"Hey sweetie." She held Blanche in her arms softly. The news had scared her, that was the truth. She just couldn't relax after what she heard on that TV. And the fact that the murderer was even killing kids...that just freaked her out.

Holding Blanche in her arms was a way to bring her back to reality, to calm her senses as a drug dose. Just her weight and her shape there, in front of her eyes made her softer.

Well, that was until she screamed at the sight of what was on the wall.

Will quickly ran at the sound, looking worried for his wife. And relaxed after he realizing both him and the child were safe. "Alice what happened?" He asked confused. She only pointed with her finger, unable to say a word.

He turned around and saw it, a huge old canvas hanging at the living room. He parted her lips in surprised. No wonder she had screamed that way.

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you." Mrs.Twinkle arrived in slow relaxed steps. "I found this thing in closet. I just found it beautiful, why do you keep it hidden behind all that stuff?" The old lady said. "So I decided to put it here, looks nice, doesn't it?"

"Take that off." Alice sharply told her husband, trying to take hee eyes away from the image. Her whole body trembled.

"Um? Why? Is something wrong?" Mrs.Twinkle said as Will promptly lifted his arms and took the painting off the wall.

"Mrs.Twinkle I believe you may go home now. We'll take care of Blanche. Thank you." Will said calmly, trying to ease the situation.

Luckily, as curious as she was Mrs.Twinkle didn't insist. She just agreed, said goodbye to the three, and went back to her home in silence.

Alice gulped in aprehension, still holding her daughter in her arms, she didn't seem to calm down at any second, even after Will took the painting from her sight, she was still nervous.

"Why did she do that?" Alice asked annoyed.

"She didn't know, honey-"

"Still, she shouldn't just decorate it around as she wants, especially not with that..."Her words failed, her eyes filled with tears.

Especially not Hannibal Lecter's painting. Especially not that one where she painted in Florence, where he was sitting on their apartment's blacony, drawing the Italian landscape. Especially not that one that was so realistic and so hard for her to get rid off, so she just hid it at the back of the closet.

Will touched her back but just his finger disturbed her. She wasn't alright and the night was over. She couldn't relax and wouldn't be able to do it any time soon.

"I think I'm going to sleep." She muttered to him. "I'll put Blanche on the bed."

He just nodded silently. "Okay."

▫️

Alice couldn't sleep that night. She felt bad, honestely, guilty for ruining the night. But she couldn't help but feel horrible for her decision of not letting Will help Jack in his case. Was it so selfish of her to wish for him to stay? But at the same time people were dying out there, Will could prevent more deaths from happening.

And not just lonely deaths whole families, families just like hers who could never expect what would happen. That just made her feel even worse. She curved her body trying to find a good position to sleep but couldn't. She just got up from the bed. Will wasn't there yet, and when she went downstairs she wasn't there either.

He could be at the barn, she imagined, sometimes he'd go to clear his head or have a drink. She didn't want to really imagine where he was, there was too much in her mind already.

It was terrible how her perfect life twisted suddenly and she started loosing control of it so quickly.

She touched the thin and delicate chain around her neck, the souvenir she always kept hidden from everyone. She slowly pulled i to reveal the pengeant that she insisted on hiding beneath any cloth, admiring it under the moonlight thay came through the kitchen's window.

It was cold on her hands, and the red jewel glistened with a hidden sadness and nostalgia. She used to be so happy about that engagement ring back then, now it only made her cry.

Alice took in a deep breath. What was she doing? Staring at that Hannibal's relic, reminding herself of that portrait, and now bringing death into their lives again. It was like she was drowning again and no one could save her.

The sun was almost coming up in the sky and just then the door opened, revealing a troubled Will with his gaze still lost on the floor. He immediatly froze at her sight waiting for him.

"Why are you awake?" He asked in a trembling tone.

"Why weren't you home?" She asked back.

Funny how they both knew each othrr's answers. Will closed the door behind him and joined her sitting by the dining table. He seemed traumatized, oblivious and awfully distracted by something that disturbed him completely.

"You went there, didn't you?" Alice asked. "To the crime scene." He hesitated but nodded in silence. "Is it...very bad?' Will sighed. "How bad?"

"You'd rather not have me speaking about this, trust me." He said, and Alice could see the sadness reflected in his eyes. She knew that it was even worse for him because he saw himself through the killer's lenses, she knew that just killed him inside. She took his hand in hers warmly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't-"

"Do you think you can catch him?" She suddenly said, his eyes met hers. "This killer."

"Are you serious?" She nodded as he asked. "Ali...I...I don't know..."He exhaled heavily. They knee how hard the situation was. "If I go there...I'll be different when I come back."

"But I will be the same. Blanche will be the same. Our house will be the same." She caressed his cheek slowly. "Will, they are families...just like us." She held tight his hand. "I can't live with myself knowing that there is this...risk. Knowing that our daughter isn't safe. That one day we might..." She gulped nervous. "I've had enough darkness and death around me."

"Me too. That's why we distanced ourselves from it, remember?"

"Yes, I know." She nodded. "But sometimes we gotta immerse ourselves into it in order to vanish it away." Will glanced at their hands intertwined for a moment. "Let's be honest, no one can do this besides you."

He turned quiet, thinking deeply about what she was saying.

"I received a letter from him." He suddenly said it. Alice didn't have time to question it. "...Hannibal." She suddenly dropped his hand. God, that just stung his heart. Just his name caused an effect on her.

"What...?"

"He knows about the new murderer. He knows Jack would look out for me." He lifted his gaze towards her. "He knows much more than what the FBI does." Will sighed and shaked his hair with frustration. "And he asked..."He pursed his lips with annoyance. "He even asked about you."

There was a nitid pause in her breath and a glow in her eyes. "But he-"

"He doesn't know about us, he doesn't know about Blanche. He doesn't know shit because I burned the letter." Will simply admitted it at once. "I don't want to look for him. And I know you don't want either. We don't want this guy back."

"No...we don't." Alice replied in a whisper but still in shock. "May I ask...what did he say..?"

He could say he was surprised, but in some way he wasn't at all. "He asked if I still were in contact with you, if you were doing fine. He is aware that you are not living in his house anymore and that his finances are still frozen since he was arrested."

Alice Mallory was, in Hannibal's documents, his personal guardian of his finances and belongings while he was in jail. But she never had the courage to even ask about her privileges, neither had the will to visit their house or his office after what happened.

"I understand." She simply nodded.

The silence of the kitchen seemed suddenly loud, almost unbearable to handle. There was much hanging in that tension, and for a moment, it put that fine construction and life in risk.

"Let's make a deal." She turned to him decided. "You'll...go. You will help Jack with all of this."

"Ali-"

"I can't stay quiet while children are dying, Will, that's not me." She fiercely let it out. "And I know that's not you either."

"You know what I'l have to do."

She held his hand. "You won't change." She assured him. "I want calls, I want messages while you're out there. You won't disappear from my sight, did you hear me?" He gave a small smile. "If I notice the slightest difference in your behavior..." She leaned foward decided. "Then I'll make sure to go there and take you back home. Got it?"

"Promise?" He questioned.

"I promise." She swore to keep him safe.

Will caressed her hands and nodded, taking a deep breath anxiously. "I'll tell Jack I'll be there tomorrow." Alice nodded already aching for her decision. "What will you tell Blanche?"

"That it's just a bussiness trip for some days. That her father will be back soon." She said calmly.  "Because that's what it is."

"Yeah, yeah it is." He agreed weak.

She lifted his chin so he could face her, staring at her husband, her best friend, for a moment in silence, admiring his features and giving a smile to him even in difficulty.

"We still have some time before the sun gets up." She muttered to him. "Why don't you rest a bit in bed?" Will nodded and got up, following her upstairs. She stopped by the bedroom door. "Or..."

Will gave a smirk and lifted one of his eyebrows. He had no idea how charming she found him whenever he did that.

"Or what?" He asked intrigued.

Her fingertips reached the buttons of his shirt, slowly taking them off. His sight changed from her and the buttons, but he didn't stop. "Or maybe I could send you a souvenir before your trip, so you can remember me..." He bit his lower lip.

Will chuckled in a velvety tone, and set a hand around her waist, guiding her inside and making sure to lock the door before they lied on the bed. He kissed her passionetly, kissed so much as if that was their last goodbye, as if the whole world would end it right then and right there. The touch beginning sweet and slowly heating up, a warm sensation that took their breaths away and removed clothing pieces on the way.

"I've been waiting for this all night..."Will grinned like the devil as he parted her legs and made his way between them as an animal. Alice chuckled and kissed the tip of his nose sweetly. "I promise I'll be back soon." He whispered gently to her.

She caressed his chest gently. "You better be."

▫️

"Uh, sorry, but I'm just surprised to see you back." Jimmy Price gave a silly smile and tapped Will's shoulder. "Welcome back."

'How's Alice and Blanche?" Brian asked instead. Will looked curious. "Oh...Jack told us the news...congrats."

"They'll be better as soon as I finish this." He sinply answered, burying his hands on the blazer's pockets. He looked rather elegant in those clothes, since Alice and Him marrried she made sure she dressed as fine as possible.

"Oh, right, sure...so...The mirror pieces all had those smooth prints." Jinny explained showing the lenses above the lab's desk. "Forefinger on the back of the piece wedged in her labia, a smudged thumb on the front. He polished it after he placed it, so he could see his face in there. One in her mouth was obscured by blood. Same with the eyes."

"Ran an AFIS. He's not in the print index." Brian explained. "We could run a 'Have-You-Seen-These-Teeth?' sort of APB."

Only Jimmy laughed at the joke.

"They're distinctive." Brian cleared his throat and explained showing a model. "Pegged lateral incisors, here and here.The teeth are all crooked. The central incisor's got a corner missing. The other central incisor has a groove in it."

"A snaggletooth son of a bitch." Jack summed up.

"And he bites. A lot."

"He may have a history of biting in lesser assaults." Will suddenly spoke, his eyes glued on the floor as if he was concentrated thinking on something. "May be a fighting patternas much as sexual behaviour."

"What's he fighting, Will?" Jack asked.

But he gave him no answer.

▫️

"Oh yeah? And what did you do later?" Will smiled as he observed the ceiling, imagining the little girl on the phone miles away.

"We jumped on the lake!" Blanche said excited. He was now at night in his hotel room, and couldn't help but miss his daughter. He made sure to call and Blanche picked up her mother's phone right away, it's been almost 3 hour that they have been talking by now, and he didn't wish for her to stop. Her voice was like an antidote to his sadness and he could also hear the digs barking in the distance, if he closed his eyes really tight, he could imagine he was back at home again. "I miss you daddy"

Will failed to speak. It was almost ss someone had slapped his face. "I miss you too, sunshine." He gave a half trembling sad smile. "Don't worry, daddy will be back soon."

"Tomorrow?"

"No, not tomorrow."

"Tomorrow tomorrow?"

He chuckled. "Soon. That's all I can say." He whispered. "And when I'll nake sure to buy you a present. What do you think?"

"You'll be on my birthday, 'wight'?"

"Of course, I will." He responded confidentely. "I would never miss the birthday of the person I love most in the world." He sighed. "And not miss the cake of course." Blanche laughed loudly. "Where's your mom?"

"Cleaning!"

"Can you call her very quick? I want to speak to her."

"Aw nooo!"

"I'll speak to you later, come on." He giggled. "I miss your mom too."

"But I miss more!"

"Oh, you miss me more?" He smirked. He had the best daughter in the world.

"Yeah!"

"Oh, thank you. I miss you too." He smiled. "I promise it'll be quick, let me just talk to your mom."

He could hear her groan on the other side of the line in disapproval. "Fiiiine" Will held a laugh and could listen to his daughter's hushed little steps on the floor as she searched for her mother. "It's daddy." He heard her whisper.

It didn't take long for another voice to come up on the line.

"Hey, handsome." Alice greeted him. "Missing me already?"

"You don't know how much." Will sighed as a teenager in love and smiled goofy. "How are things back home? Blan said you went to the lake."

"Yeah, we fed the ducks, I took the dogs for a walk...now I'm just taking off some dust.."She said, he could imagine how hushed the day was. "...it's just not the same without you."

"And it's not the same wighout you two either." He said with sadness. "I can't wait to get out of here."

"Are things alright? Besides the death of course."

Will took in a deep breath, taking off his socks and just throwing it across the room. The ambient was pretty warm and confortable, but everything felt strange and auspicious. He couldn't wait to get back home, to his own bed shared with his wife and the multiple drawings his daughter hung up around the building.

"No." He said. "I...I can't do it." He admitted out loud. "I can't get into his head...feels like I'm stuck."

"Maybe you just need more time."

"No, Ali. It's like I forgot how to do it."

"And isn't there a way for you to remember it?"

The line suddenly turned silence. A fatal idea glimpsed over his mind.

"No."

"You know how to do it." She knew him too well. "You're thinking about something, Will. Tell me."

"No, I'm not doing it."

"Will, it's not a question about wanting it or not. What is it?"

He closed his fist and sighed deeply. "I need to talk to him."

"To who?"

"To Hannibal."

Alice took quite a while to respond.

"You still there?" He asked.

"...Is that really your only option?" SHe asked reluctantly. The bame never failed to give her chills. "We said we'd never reach for him."

"He knows what is going on." Will muttered. "He is my last trick on the sleeve, Ali..."

He could feel his wife's discomfort across the line. He inagined she would snap some sense into him, to say anything against it, but instead she was patient:

"Don't let him get into your head." Was her only warning. "And don't tell him about our family." It took her a moment. "Don't tell him about Blanche."

"I won't." Will said decided. "He'll just say what I need and I will finish this."

"Something tells me it won't be so easy." And it wouldn't be. "But I trust you." She whispered softly. "If someone can catch this killer, it's you."

He smiled a bit. "Thank you." He whispered softly and turned around his back. Alice could hear him yawn across the line. "Sorry."

"You should sleep, Will. You seem tired."

"No, stay with me more." He said as a little child. Truth is, he was afraid to sleep and have nightmares with the crimes again. It was better to stay there, awake, with Alice speaking than to live through those images again. "Talk to me."

"What do you want me to speak?"

"Anything." He joked. "Booty call?"

Alice cackled, he chuckled. "Not today, our daughter is nearby and...Blanche what is that?" Aliced asked and she laughed at the response by the young girl. "She's reading the dictionary."

"The dictionary?" Will laughed. "What's the new world this time?"

"Let me see..."Alice asked Blanche and she pronounced the work, which took a moment for her to understand. "...Condescending" Will cackled across the line.

"Alright, alright. Next time then."

"Sure."She chuckled. "Go sleep, honey, you need to have energy for tomorrow." She encouraged him. "Do you want me to sing a lullaby?"

"You know I love you, but please don't." Alice laughed as she heard those words.

"Close your eyes, I will meet you in my dreams, okay?" She whispered and Will did as he asked. She knew what he was afraid of. "There's nothing else besides my voice." She calmed him as he slowly fell asleep. "You are safe, we are safe." She could listen to him snore across the line. "Goodnight, my dear."

▫️

Careful footsteps approached him. He could listen to them through the glass cell, even though his mind reigned the luxurious and timeless Palermo Church.

"That's the same unfortunate aftershave you wore on the court" He slowly turned around in order to face his greatest enemy and ally of all time, once again.

"Hello, Dr.Lecter"

"Hello, Will."