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1788
Jean-Honoré Fragonard &
Marguerite Gérard
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//long chapter

ALICE didn't sleep well because of the previous fight, didn't want to talk with anyone for the whole day, and just on the next one she had enough courage to speak with Will about her decision of leaving therapy. But she didn't call, she preferred to go there by herself, maybe, seeing his figure could make her feel slightly better, she would go later, for now, she needed to leave her room first.

Colin tried to talk to her the whole day yesterday but had no success, she locked herself into her room, and just now, on the morning of the next day, she let her face meet the cold daylight of that grey sky. Her brother was still sleeping when she creeped out of the room leaving without notice, taking her scooter to wander with no destination around town.

Just then, she received a text. Alice pulled up the bike and looked at her phone, it was Franklyn. Right, she agreed to meet him 2 days before, at Tobias' shop. Good thing she had already his present tied up to the bike, so she just needed to head towards their destination.

Unaware of the risks she suffered by meeting Tobias again, Alice went to the store, a very elegant and vintage one, smelled fresh and clean, with a huge woodden staircase that led to another floor, where a young boy was leaving from with many pages on one of his hands and carrying a bag in a violin shape.

"Hello?" Alice said as she entered. It didn't take long for the tall and haunting figure of Tobias to appear. He seemed a bit surprised, after all, he had just met with Hannibal Lecter seconds before she arrived, receiving a dinner invitation at his place. "Oh, hi, Tobias."

"Alice, you came." He smiled slowly. "Please make yourself at home." He made way for her to pass. "Frank said that he'll arrive soon." He analyzed the package she was carrying. "Would you like some help with that?"

"Oh, no, thanks. I'm fine. Just want to give this to Franklyn." She explained. As much as she didn't have anything against Tobias, something in those dark pupils observing her orange dressed figure in blue boots creeped her out.

"Would you like some tea? Perphaps coffee?" He asked politely.

"I'm good, thank you." She continued to wait for Frank.

He was aware that she wasn't comfortable yet in his presence, so he didn't pressure her. Tobiaswouldn't kill her yet. He still wanted to see what Hannibal had prepared for him, specially now that he knew his secret.

Alice's eyes stopped at a huge structure full of wood instruments carefuly shaped and displayed tied to a wall.

"So, what do you think?" He asked by her side, his hands set behind his back.

She didn't realize he was there until he had spoken, but still replied. "It's really impressive how this becomes an instrument with such a beautiful sound."

"I agree." He nodded slowly. "The art of making instruments is rare and hard to learn, but certainly magnificent." He commented with admiration. "Similar to painting."

"Building instruments seems way harder." She chuckled.

"It is a matter of practice, technique and patience, only." He spoke smoothly. "If you'd like, I can show you the process someday."

His tone seemed quite friendly, and she couldn't suspect any harmness in it. Maybe Tobias was simply just a nice person, after all he was Franklyn's friend, he couldn't be that bad. And giving Hannibal any reason at that moment made her want to rebellish herself by proving him wrong. "I'd love to." She said. Tobias smiled satisfited.

"Sorry for being late!" A rushing Franklyn came in with a breathless laugh. "Hello,
Tobias, Alice."

"It's alright, good to see you, Frank." Alice said kindly. "Oh, this is for you. To thank you for that day. I appreciate what you did." Alice handled him the package she held on her hands.

"You really didn't need to." He smiled full of emotion as he opened with enthusiasm the package. His expression was simply adorable as he finally saw the content. "This is amazing-"

It was a cup, but not just any cup, a homemade painted, with one of Claude Monet's most imprsssive landscapes painted all over it in shades of green, blue and pink.

"The Water Lillies of Monet." Tobias observed. "You painted this by yourself?" Alice nodded. "In 2 days? Impressive."

"Hannibal did say she was talented." Franklyn said excited over the cup. "This is the best gift someone ever gave me." He seemed about to cry, not over the painting, but over the gesture of being remembered. "Thank you so much."

"Aw, Frank." She offered him a hug and he accepted, as he sniffed, attempting not to cry. "I'm really glad you liked it."

"We should celebrate a work like this. What do you say, Frank?" Tobias suggested.

"Of course!"

"I'm really sorry guys, but I gotta go, have work today." Alice replied, as much as she liked to be with Franklyn, and didn't mind Tobias, but she wasn't in the mood for that.

"Ah, that's a shame." Frank replied. "Have a good day Alice, don't overwork yourself."

She smiled. "Thank you. Have fun you two." Alice said kindly, tapping Frank's shoulder. "Thank you again for that day. You're a good person, Frank."

He seemed genuily touched. "Thanks for remembering about me." He said sweetly, with crystalline shields in front of his fragile brown eyes.

As Alice walked through that door, little did she know that this would be the last time she would see Franklyn, and the last time someone would be good to him.

▫️

The old wodden house cracked because of the wind. Even with a modest construction, it seemed lovely between the cold wind and the green field that surrounded it. Alice liked that place, tge inner peace in it, as some sort of temple Will built for himself. The dogs could recognize her smell and ran towards her, attempting to give some comfort to that shell of a person she felt as now.

But when she walked past that door which was open, a lack of carefulness of Graham, she met an unexpected scene.

"Will?" She called him, waking him up from the trance. His scared eyes trembled at her direction, holding back the nightmates and madness that led him to create that deep, haunting hole with a hammer on the wall behind him.

"Alice...what are you doing here...?" He muttered, still taking reality in.

"I came to see you..." She muttered, amused at the new  dark hole on the chimney. "But you seem...busy..."

"It was...an animal." He believed, still holding the hammer on his hands.

She glanced slightly at the tool and at Will's lost expression. She knew that look, she has seen it before.

"What kind of animal was it?" She asked him.

"Might have been a raccoon..." he mumbled. The dogs lied aroubd the floor, cluless about the crazyness in their owner's mind.

" 'Might have been'? " She repeated, doubting his awareness of what actually happened.

"By the time I knocked a hole on the chimney he had climbed to the top." He suggested. That theory was still odd to her.

Alice knew what was really happening, but she wouldn't make Will feel worse by saying the truth. "Well, at least it got out." She attempted to be positive.

Will Graham tried to take his attention from the missing raccoon and put it into her figure. Set the hammer above the fireplace and turned around "Why did you come here?"

"To tell you something...well not as important as the predators and raccoons you're fighting." She said on a funny note. He gave a half smile.

He took a few steps towards Alice. "You know that whatever you say will always be important to me." He confessed.

"But will you just listen, or complain about it?"

He grinned with that shiny, charming smile of his, she knew him too well. "I can't promise anything."

"Always ready to answer." She commented. His body was close to hers now, as the cold wind rushed through the half open window, the cicadas sang outside and the tension was build between them. "Will..." he knew what she was going to say, about her concerns towards his safety.

"Shh.." his hand caressed her arm gently, hus touch tickled her skin, his soft voice continued through the half dark susent end of afternoon. "Just stay like this for a moment..." he looked into her sapphire eyes that he completely adored for so long. "So I can pretend we're still in the past, when none of this shit happened." He glanced at her lips for a moment.

"Do you miss the past?" She asked softly.

Their breaths became sharp and shorter, th chest moving up and down in synch. Alice didn't know what was happening to her, but maybe his touch manage to turn her instable.

"Every single day." He let it go. His hand reached her soft pink cheek, stroking it lightly with his thumb. Leaned foward, the breaths mixing as he touched his forehead against hers. Will Graham didn't just adore, Alice Mallory, he suffered for her everytime he saw her. He almost begged into a whisper "every single day."

Hearts beating as fast as lightning, the momemt happening like a thin rain followed by a thunderstorm. His lips brushed against hers lightly at first, Alice suspended her breath, as she allowed for that brief moment the sensation take over her body, that shivered with the sudden feeling. When she realized, she could taste him all over her mouth. His lips crasjing against hers. She had almost forgotten how tbey tasted like, and god, theybwere heavenly. His kiss...it just took control of her whole soul at that moment, it's like he wantee to show every single inch if his affection in the contact.

And how much he waited, how much he ached for her touch. It started slow, melting, and became faster, passionate, as he finally admitted what he felt, as he finally expressed himself, taking off the layers and barriers he built to protect, to keep her away. And the past got her, just as the memories and sweet moments they shared, adding to that strange and nostaligic feeling taking over her chest, leading to reply to his kiss.

For that moment, there were just Alice Mallory and Will Graham, the same young souls full of hopes and dreams against the cruel world. And for that moment it felt so good, it felt so... right.

She let him go from her lips for a single moment so she could breathe, so she could regain her thoughts, even though they spinned around him.

He smelled just like that same musky, ocean and wodden smoky scent that she loved, it was si strong, do rustic. "Is that...the same aftershave I used to buy to you?" Was the only thing she could say to him at first.

"I keep getting it for christmas" he whispered, feeling her smile against his lips as he kissed her for a brief second, tasting how sweet as honey they were.

Alice was so immersed into the sensation that just then she took reality back again. Mumbling between gaps of that steamy contact.

"I can't stop thinking...for how long...-"

"Since you first bothered me in that stupid class." He whispered, finally admitting how long he felt that way.

"But we always were..." her words failed, glancing helplessly into his eyes."I mean I thoughr..."

"...Didn't that kiss on the lake mean nothing to you" he completed, playing with a strand of her hair, his eyes daring, lusty. Her mind traveled back to almost a decade ago, two young adults kissing under the moonlight.

"That was long ago..." she sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. Shaking softly her head "I...I am not in a good condition right now..."

"You say that to me?" He chuckled softly, his smile gave her butterflies. How much he missed his laugh, his smile.

"I don't want to cause you more trouble..."

"Did you ever stop and ask about what I want?" He spoke softly. "What if I want your trouble?" He kissed her again, tasting her lips slowly, attempting to change her mind, and he almost did.

"Will, I can't, I-" she was interrupted when he cut her sentence by her sigh she gave against his lips. "we are friends..." she muttered.

"You know I can't be just your friend, Alice..." he groaned, pulling her body against his, she shivered, hus chest was warm, a bit large, and she adored to feel him that way, so close.

She attempted to escape that seductive invitation, taking a deep breath. "I don't want to ruin this..." she exhaled heavily. "I've lost you once, if we mess this up..."

"We won't mess this up." He assured her, but knew that he was being taken by the impulse, the emotion of that moment.

"You can't be sure." She said, already carrying the scars of chasing too fast after someone. He allowed her to speak properly now, without interrupting her speech with kisses. "Even if there's this..." she lost herself into his chocolate brown eyes. "...unspoken thing between us..." she still had her hands at his nape, caressing his curly hair strands. "I can't afford to loose you too." She suspired.

Alice looked at Will, expecting an answer, but he couldn't speak. Was too stunned, too immersed into her essence to do it. All he did was to nod in agreement, without saying a single word, his heart was broken, and so was hers.

"I should go now." She looked down embarrassed, leaving his arms and the comfort, still with his taste all over her lips, his smell on her clothes, the temporary wamrness of his body against her skin.

Once she walked through that door, both Alice and Will didn't stop thinking about what happened...

....neither stopped wishing for it to happen again.

▫️

Dinner for two. Elegantly displayed with a haunting reception, smooth and careful words lightned by candlelights and threats.

"A late harvest Vidal from Linden." Hannibal Lecter poured wine for him and his guest across the table.

"Virginia? I thought it was French." Tobias teased.

"The Virginia wine revolution is
upon us." Hannibal rest the wine at another area and got back to his seat. Once both the killers start cutting their meats, he spoke " I apologize for being so blunt, Tobias, but I have to ask... " he made a pause "...did you kill that trombonist?"

Tobias looked at him with mockery "Do you really have to ask?"

"No. Just changing the subject."

"Franklyn gave you my message."

"The murder is being investigated by
the FBI. They're going to find you." Hannibal warned him.

"Let them." Tobias replied careless.

"You want to be caught?"

"I want them to try. " he continued unbothered. "They may question me because I own a string shop. " Nothing scared him. "They'd send two men to conduct an interview, I'd kill them. Then I would find Franklyn, kill him. Then I would disappear." He summed up.

"Don't kill Franklyn." He advised, even if he despised his patient, he wouldn't ask Tobias to do that.

"I've been looking forward to it. " Tobias stopped eating, opening a devilish smirk on his face. "Actually, I was interested in killing somebody else as well..." he lifted his glass towards the host.

"Of course you were. Me. "Hannibal guessed "I'm lean. Lean animals yield the toughest gut."

Tobias found his comment funny, because he was abosolutely wrong. "No, not at all."

Hannibal had a bad feeling, but he wouldn't risk to drop a name. "What is your interest in me then?"

"I interested in somebody way more kind, and pleasant than you." Their gazes met with a burning hatred towards each other. "Specially after I followed you one night. Out of town. Out of state. To a lonely road. To a bus yard. " Hannibal doesn't alter his expression. "Have you ever wanted to get caught? To see what would happen?" he asked smoothly "does Alice Mallory know about your second life?"

"You're reckless, Tobias. " Hannibal finally bothered himself with his behaviour. Touching Alice's name that way was the same as an offense towards him.

"I'm not going to tell anyone what I
saw you do and do well. So my
recklessness doesn't concern you."

"It concerns me because you have your eyes in someone you shouldn't have." he threatned. His blood boiled beneath the surface. "You are crossing a dangerous line, Tobias."

"I could use a friend." He smiled sarcastically "Alice Mallory is a great company, she stopped by today, gave Franklyn a painted mug, we talked about violins together. Hit off very well." He continued to tease Hannibal, see until where his patient would reach. "Maybe she could be my friend."

"You have Franklyn."

"But isn't a Alice a way more..." He sipped the wine slowly, savoring it. "Satisfying... presence?" Hannibal wanted to choke him to death. "In any case, I can always kill her in the end."

"I'm afraid that won't happen."

"Why not?"

"Because I will kill you."

Tobias glanced furtively at the food, suspecting what the doctor would do.

"I didn't poison you, Tobias. I
wouldn't do that to the food." Hannibal replied. His gaze intensely sunk into his guest's. "Besides, I'd rather end you with my own hands."

The doorbell suddenly rang. Both the maniacs didn't move.

"Expecting someone?" Tobias asked.

"No. " Hannibal hoped for the first time not to be Alice.

The host walked towards the door, followed by Tobias stare until he opened it. Revealing no one besides Will Graham, who already invited himself inside, shaking off his raincoat in the mud room.

"I kissed Alice Mallory" He confessed.

Hannibal Lecter took a second to understand what he said. He didn't react at first, still paralyzed by the news,bas if it was some sort of joke.

"....what...?" Hannibal blinked almost imperceptibly.

"I kissed Alice!" Will entered the house without further invitation.

Hannibal almost dropped his jaw, but just then remembered about Tobias at the dining room, so hurried to check up on his guest before Will could do it. Fortunetely, he was gone.

The agent noticed the half eaten dishes on the table. "Did you have a guest?"

"A colleague." Hannibal replied sharply, taking the dishes without any carefulness, walking with fast, loud steps towards the kitchen. " You just missed him. "

"Didn't finish his dinner." Will still found the situation odd.

"An urgent call of some sort. Had
to leave suddenly. " Hannibal didn't bother on making up an excuse. Was suddenly too irritated for that. "This benefits you" he abruptely put the dish on the sink, even Will was startled with the sudden gesture. " Because I have dessert for two." He washed the dishes roughly.

Will Graham watched as Hannibal continued with a stone cold expression, setting his tools aside, with lack of his usual caring and preparing, making noise as he opened the oven. "Tell me." He said finally, attempting to still be polite. "What was Alice's reaction?" He was dying to know.

"She said that we are friends and that she wouldn't like to ruin what we have." Will told him, as Hannibal took off the dessert from the oven.

"I don't disagree." Hannibal commented, preparing the dessert on a dish. "Love can be an unstable line between you both, a line that may cause the destrucrion of your current relationship. The same relationship you just recovered now."

"I know."

"Wondering then why you kissed her
and felt compelled to drive an hour
in the snow to tell me about it." Hannibal tried not to show how displeased he was by the whole situation.

"Wanted to kiss her since I met her. " Will confessed. "I've always had this...feeling about Alice." A light way for him to say that he loved her. "She is so...strong, funny, smart, and..." he sighed completely in love "...stunning..."

Hannibal's hands stopped at his compliments, he agreed with him. Agreed completely, Alice was simply...different. And Will noticed that, maybe noticed that way before than him, and that thought made him uncomfortable. Hannibal subtly clenched his jaw. Could feel a bitter taste in his mouth, a pointy feeling inside his chest. Once again, a sensation he couldn't describe neither understand. "You waited a long time, which suggests you were kissing her for a reason in addition to wanting to."

Will wouldn't really tell him that this wasn't the first time they kissed, well, it was the first in almost 10 years. "I heard an animal trapped in my chimney. I broke through the wall to get it out. Didn't find anything inside. " he told him. "Alice showed up. She looked at me...I don't know.... It's just like back in college, it just takes one look and...She knew. "

"What did she know, Will?" Hannibal questioned, while putting some sort of creme above the dessert, he wasn't meticulate as always this time, which led the agent to find it a strange behaviour of his, but didn't focus too much on it.

"There wasn't an animal in the chimney." He said. "It was only in my head. "

"Did she say that?"

"She didn't have to. I sleep walk. I get headaches. I'm hearing things. I feel unstable." He assured the doctor.

"That's why you kissed her." Hannibal put an idea inside his mind. "A clutch for balance."

"Because I'm losing mine?" Will reflected on the matter.

"You said yourself what you do is no good for you."

"But with Alice... she's not just balance, she is..." he sighed trying to find the right word. "When she came back after all this years, it's like...like I received a second chance, you know? And I never get these chances."

Hannibal looked down, the dessert was covered in cream, a mess that wasn't supposed to happen. He held tight the spoon in his hands, keeping a neutral expression.

"Does she feel that way as well?" He questioned without looking at Will's eyes.

"I don't know." He answered. "She did reply to the kiss but-"

"She replied?!" Hannibal quickly looked at him, which surprised the agent. There was something broken, sad, and lost in his eyes that Will has never seen before.

"Yeah...she did...does that mean anything?"

"No." He lied, turning his head, disguising his emotions. "Maybe...it was an instinct, an answer, not necessarily romantically related."

"I see."

"And how unstable do you think you are?" Hannibal changed the subject, the image of Alice kissing another man somehow burned, killed him inside. "Are you still hearing the killer's serenade behind your eyes?"

Will nods with a bitter smile "It's our song."

Hannibal couldn't afford the risk of letting Tobias get close to Alice ever again. He might've not been able to kill him, but wouldn't let him escape that easily. " I hesitate telling you this as it borders on a violation of doctor-patient confidentiality. I've never been in this position before." He told him, Will paid attention to his words. "A patient told me today he suspects a friend of his may be involved with the murder at the symphony. " He finally said.

"What did he say about his friend?" Wil questioned interested in the information.

"He owns a music store in Baltimore, specializing in string instruments. Perhaps you should interview him."

▫️

"You don't appear as happy and hopeful as the last time we spoke." The sun haired doctor spoke in that velvet tone of hers, sitting on her armchair and observing her patient with dilligence. "It is quite surprising that you are not being able to hide such emotions."

Hannibal adjusted himself once again in his seat, like in any he moved wasn't good enough. The sunlight came through the window in a weak aspect, matching with his low humor. His lips a straight line, the eyes with a highly burning fire.

"Is it somehow related to Alice Mallory?" Bedelia suggested. He avoided her eyes. "It is about Alice Mallory." She guessed correctly. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Hannibal took a deep breath keeping that steady, calm control of his, but with a light tone of annoyance in his voice. "We had an argument." He simplified. "She does not wish to see me ever again."

"What caused the argument?"

"She was verbally harrassed at a feast I prepared by my guests." He told her. "But I did not interfere in her favor."

"You maintained neutral in the subject." She said, he nodded.

"She said that I am..." he paused, wet his lips. "...A different person, as if she doesn't know me at all."

"We have discussed about this on the previous session."

"Indeed." He admitted. "But I did not believe she would feel frustrated over the subject."

"You know everything about her life, it is only fair if she knows a part of yours." Bedelia explained. "Even if she despises it."

"Would she rather prefer honesty during all of our time together?" He meditated on the words.

"Some people prefer it that way."

"But honesty would..."

"Push her away?" Bedelia met eyes with him, their glances speaking an unspoken language that they knew about what it was.

"Correct."

A pause in silence, the blonde therapist pulled a strand of her hair delicately behind her ear before continuing. "Are you going to respect her wish?"

"I don't believe so."

"Bringing her back won't be that easy."

"I am aware of that." He said determined. A sparkle in his eyes."Dr.Du Maurier." He vleared his throat, holding his hands above his lap. "What do you know about regaining memories after a drunk eposode?"

Bedelia surprised he4self with the question, lifted her eyebrows, thinking deeply about the matter. "Did you have a drunk episode?"

"There is a core memory I need to find. But I can't."

"And that is bothering you."

"Deeply."

"Well...I'm afraid the only thing that may help you now is time. If it is by your side." Bedelia pondered, wondering what atrocity he could've done. "There's a possibility that you might remember what happened, or, that you might never do." Hannibal looked down at the floor, strughling to recall anything about that snowy night. "Why? Was it important?"

He glanced at the blonde professional, clueless. "I don't know."

▫️

"You came."

"I did."

"Please come in" Tobias smiled, welcoming her in. Little did she know about the mistake she had just comitted. "How are you doing?"

"Good. And you?"Alice smiled, enteting the vintage shop once again.

"Busy, but always happy to receive a friend." He said politely. "So, what will it be today? A music lesson? Or perphaps a manual construction one?"

"Anything." She chuckled, Alice just needed to distract herself at this point, that's why she accepted that. "You were the one who invited me, after all."

They stopped talkng for a moment, listening to a melancholic melody coming from upstairs. It was tragic but beautiful.

"It is one of my students." Tobias explained before she could ask. "What do you think?"

"He is so talented." She complimented. "How old is he?"

"Barely 12."

"Wow." She said impressed.

"I'm always willing to help children to reach their dreams through art and music." He spoke calmly, observing the instruments that handled on the walls.

"That is very noble of you."

Tobias glanced at the light pink dressed woman, giving a gentle smile. "Thank you." It would be a shame to kill such a kind person. "Today I'll show you how to build a cello."

"Sounds promising." She commented.

A knock on the door, followed by many others. Muffled noises outside. He already knew.

"Please take those stairs." Tobias instructed her, pointing to the stairs that led to some sort of underground floor. "It is my where my workshop is." He explained. "I'm just going to answer the door and head there soon."

"Alright." She just agreed and did as he asked, taking the stairs to the basement.

Tobias opened the door, receiving at least three cops, followed by an illustrious man with stormy eyes hidden behind his circle shaped glasses and serious expression. At the same time his student came downstairs.

"Special agent Will Graham, from FBI." The man with glasses introduced himself. "Are you the owner?"

"Yes, Tobias Budge." He replied calmly. "I'm just showing one of my students out. Can you give me a moment?" He asked politely. Will saw no troubke in it and agreed. Tobias led the boy out the door. He then turned back to Will Graham and the police officers. "What can I help you with?"

"We're investigating the death of
Douglas Wilson. He was a -"

"The Trombonist. " Tobias completed his sentence. "I hear someone cut his throat and tried to play it with a bow." He explained.

Will suspected his attitude. "Why do you say try?"

"Strings have to be treated. You can't just open somebody up and run a bow across their innards and expect to produce a sound." Tobias explained with no effort. Suspecting the Agent's intentions, he showed up one of his instruments' strings. "Mines are imported fron Italy." Before any of them could say something else, Will's attention shifted to the sound of a dog whimpering inside his head. "Something wrong?" Tobias questioned."

"Sounded like a dog got hit by a car. You didn't hear it?" Will replied, still in schock.

"I didn't hear anything" one of the officers added.

"Excuse me a minute." Will Graham left the room, walking outside, searching for the canine made of illusions.

What he didn't know is that the single moment he'd leave, would take those officers lives. Tobias Budge coldly murdered those people and headed to the basement, where Alice still waited clueless of what happened.

"There you are." She smiled in the chilly basement, the place wasn't very well illuminated, and the smell was quite...morbid. Unaware of the carnage upstairs, she questioned"Is everything alright?"

His eyes lit up between the darkness "My apologies, I've received important guests that I couldn't decline." He told her as he approached closer. Something in his stanve made her tremble. It was haunting, awfully still.

"Oh, if you'd like, I can pass by another day-"

"Unfortunetely that won't be possible for you." He cut her sentence in half.

"What-"

With a smooth and fast movement, Tobias used a string of one of his instruments to wrap around Alice's neck, she tried to pritect herself by putting her hands between the string and her neck, but still could feel the pain of the chord cutting her palms, the bloof dripping through her skin.

She groaned attempting to break free, and just then spot the recipients on the shelves: intestins, as cows' ones, but due to the circumstances, she was clear of their origins now.

Tobias was a murderer.

"HELP!" She yelled, as the red liquid rolled through her hands, iy hurt, hurt a lot, as if tbe strings would become her veins beneath her skin from how much he pulled. Alice wouldn't be able to hold it for too long, her strentgh was none compared to his.

"Shh, spare yourself of any efforts...no one will hear you." Tobias whispered, with a creepy bloody smile on his lips.

But he was wrong. Will Graham had returned, found the officers' bodies and followed down the staircase towards the basement. When he heard her voice, he didn't think twice.

"TOBIAS BUDGE!" Will yelled, holding his gun in the air. The serial killer turned around, making Alice face her friend as she fought for her life. "LET HER GO, NOW! YOU ARE ARRESTED!"

But that didn't affect him, Tobias still held the strings tight. Will couldn't shoot with Alice so close to him, he could hit her by accident.

His heart pounced with fear, the mind spinned thinking of a way out, the veins pumped rushed and hot through his body.

The woman started to blink a few times, the movements got weaker, as Will Graham's brrath stopped when he saw closed her eyes, paralyze completely. His fingers shivered along with his spine, the gun almost fell from his hands. She died.

Tobias Budge didn't have time to verify, he just threw her body on the ground, and noticing Will's reaction, completely terrified over the scene, feeling lost, he attempted to escape.

The agent shoot in the darkness, getting back to reality, but only manage to hit the killer's ear, who ran away towards his next target, to complete his final act.

"Alice!" Will ran toward the woman's body on the ground, holding her in his arms, he never gelt so scared before.  "Alice, Alice hey!" He clenched his jaw, not ready to let her go. This couldn't be happening, she couldn't be dead. "Alice please..." he pullrd her closer, pratically hugging her in his arms, as the world seemed to loose its' color and earth stopped spinning around. His breath suspended, sharp, in a sob, as a tear escaped, scrolling down his cheek, vlurring his glasses. "Alice..." he muttered, pulling her close to him in a hug, hoping for her to wake up by any second, even if it would never happen. His eyes shut down, the teeth clenching tryinh to hold the urge to cry.

The image of the lovely and annoying girl he met passed through his mind as movie, along with all of the bittersweet memories they shared. He instantly regret to let her go for all those years, for not being able to be by her side, for not helping her when she needed.

He saved so many lives and yet couldn't save hers.

"Will." A voice cut the silence. He believed he had turned completely mad now. "Will..." the voice continued. He only stopped crying when he something touched his face. A cold, yet comforting hand touched his beard. His eyes widened, pushing her body away for a moment. Icy but warm blue to green eyes that sinked into his, with that tender, familar smile, the skin more pale because of the previous action, but still alive, breathing. Looking at him.

He gasped loudly, and, between the tears and the smiles they shared towards each other,.his hand reached her nape and fastly oulled her close against him, his sinking into hers in a heated kiss to reassure she was there with him, to show how much he loved, cared for that woman.

When he let her go she almost couldn't breath. Will's kisses were indeed great, but that...my God that was something more, that was full of passion, even desire.

"Don't you ever fucking scare me like that again." He complained in a whisper.

"I'm sorry..." Her voice trembled, her hands still bleeded. "But thank God you were there." She looked at him full of caring and gratefulness, her fingerd caressing his cheek. "...You saved me."

Will held her hand, felt completely destroyed to see it hurt that way, with those narrowed and deep red lines that still dripped blood. He wouldn't know what to do if...he couldn't even imagine it.

"Where is Tobias?" Alice asked, as he helped her get up from the floor. The impact of when Tobias threw her on the ground made her a bit dizzy.

"He escaped." He told her. "By the way, what are you doing here? What is your connection with this man?"

"We met through..." her sentence stopped abruptely. The heart speeded, in a sudden horrifying thought. "...Hannibal." she glanced fastly at Will "We need to go. Now!"

▫️

"I'm sorry, Franklyn, I think it's
best if you see another doctor." Hannibal Lecter instructed calmly his patient, his legs crossed while sitting on his usual armchair.

"You're giving me a referral." Franklyn said amused.

"Yes."

"You were a referral!" The situation was quite funny if not tragic.

"I'm also part of the problem." He told him. "You focus too much on your therapist and not enough on your therapy." Hannibal explained.

"You lost respect for me because I wouldn't report Tobias, didn't you?"

"Report Tobias for what?"Someone entered abruptely the office.

"Tobias?" Franklyn gasped at his friend's sight. Both him and Hannibal got up from their seats.

"I came to say goodbye, Franklyn." He replied, his smooth skin was now covered in blood.

"What do you mean goodbye?" Franklyn furrowed his eyebrows "Oh my God, is that your blood?" He asked terrified.

"I just killed two men. The FBI came to question me about the murder." He told him with a inflated pride over it. The FBI, Hannibal wondered with fear, could he have killed Will Graham? "But I also killed..." Tobias glanced at the therapist. "...Alice Mallory."

He couldn't have killed her. That couldn't be true. Tobias wouldn't have the chance...or maybe he could have. The world seemed to frozen for a second, and for the first time Hannibal Lecter feared for somene's death. His breath turned sharp, he barely could look at Tobias without imagining it: Alice calling for help as he brutally killed her, crawling on the ground, her pretty delicat ehands scratrching the floor as he maybe stabbed her mercilessly. How did he kill her? Did she suffer? Did she call for help? Did she have the opportunity to even scream?

The thoughts overwhelmed him, and when he noticed, his fists were closed. His classic, neutral expression had disappeared.

"What?" Franklyn's voice trembled. "You can't be serious, if this a joke, Tob-"

"There's no joke, Franklyn." Tobias assured him. "I've just killed Alice with my own hands at my shop." He watched Hannibal's completely destroyed expression with great satisfaction.

"But Alice..." Franklyn shaked his head, he didn't want to believe in him. "She was a good person, it can't be..." he grieved for the only person who cared about him. "She didn't deserve any of this..."

"No, she didn't." This was the last sentence Franklyn heard from his therapist. Hannibal Lecter snapped his neck with just one meticulous gesture, killing his patient and letting his body collapse on the floor. He believed Franklyn was partially blamed for Alice's death, after all, he was the one who brought Tobias in for the first place. But his death still wasn't enough to fill the immense void inside of him. No, he needed to kill Tobias.

"I was looking foward to that." Tobias responded to his friend's death, frustrated to not be his excutor.

"I know." Hannibal spoke through his teeth.

"She was so easy to kill." He teased with a devilish smile. "You should've seen the look on her face..."

With his blood boiling through his veins, Hannibal speeded into his direction, attempting to hit him, but Tobias was faster, younger than him, and avoided easily his attack, taking off a strange string weapon that he spinned into the air as a whip.

Through kicks and attempts to escape the weapon, one of Hannibal's wrist got wrappeed into it. He groaned deeply, trying to break free from the strings that cut his skin.

"She died just this way." Tobias mocked reckless.

Completely mad about his words, Hannibal spinned and grabbed the coffee table, breaking it on his oponent's head, the glass shattered around the floor, but not enough to guarantee him the win of that battle yet.

More movements leading both to the floor and getting up again continued, within the fight, Tobias managed to stab Hannibal's leg, a sound of pain echoed from the doctor's mind, bring throwed by Tobias on the floor, who held a dagger against him, trying to cut his throat and choked him with another hand.

He wouldn't let that man kill him, never. He swore to himself that he would have Tobia's blood covering his hands by the end of that fight, to avenge himself, and watch the light from his eyes vanish as he took his life.

Hannibal grabbed a pen and stabbed the musician's neck. Even freed from his control, Hannibal was still being hit by Tobias' multiple times. The oponent threw him against a staircase that standed towards the library on the second floor. Hannibal's blood slowly dripped from his mouth, his eyes consumed by the madness of grief, he seeked death. And the possibility of never seeing Alice again, that sparkling joy that made him for the first time ever feel truly alive, made all the humanity inside of him disappear.

Avoiding one of the adversery's attack, he pulled Tobias' arm into the staircase and pushed towards the opoisite side, breaking it. His opponent's scream echoed through the office full of pain. Hannibal regained balance, thinking about the multiple ways to vanish Tobias existence completely. Killing him wasn't enough, it would never be enough for what he did.

Tobias still tried to walk after him and attack, but Hannibal hit his throat witha precisive punch, making him unable to breath, and fall on the floor.

The doctor took a handkerchief from his suit's pocket and grabbed a moose's statue from a small pedestal he had on his office, a heavy metallic one that previously served as a decoration. He held it with great effort, as he walked towards his victim, who already coffed, struggled to breath and barely moved, as an insect without its' legs on the floor.

With one strong impulse, he lifted the statue up, and hit him with all his strentgh, smashing Tobias head completely. The sound was squishy, wet and creepy, well, not scary to Hannibal Lecter, who still wiahed that the musician suffered more.

Hannibal groaned with pain, letting the statue go of his hands on the floor, also throwing the pedestal as well, to force an accident on the crime scene.

He stopped, looked around the office, now decorated with two dead bodies, and a lonely killer.

His feet couldn't move. His breath was stuck. And none of it was because of the combat.

It seemed impossible, but he could feel a tear roll down his cheek, as he kneeled on the floor, completely defeated.

▫️

A soulmate is a rare concept used in our daily basis. It is rare for people to find them, almost impossible. But when they do, it is certain, they never wish to let them go.

Hannibal Lecter never believed in soulmates until that moment, until he believed that soulmates separated themselves by death.

Imagining a world without her now turned into a difficult task, and it was slightly overhwelming to have to deal with the FBI's questions as they entered the room and investivated the crime scene moments later, taking the two bodies away.

Jack Crawford had entered the office, his eyes wandering with thoughts about what happened, while Lecter faked a victim's aspect, sitting patiently on his chair.

The figure that followed him was Will Graham, he was alive, something that Lecter didn't believe at first. He was quite surprised over the scene, but still attempted to comfort the doctor, walking towards his desk.

"I was worried you were dead." Hannibal said in weak voice, Will could notice Hannibal's eyes filled with tears, something else afflicted his soul, as if someone had indeed died.

Some agitation started at the hallway outside the office. Some cops blocked someone's way. Will walked further towards the door, and, when acknowledging himself about what it was, he replied "Let her in."

Hannibal suddenly stopped breathing, his gaze immediatly ran towards the door, anxious.

There she was. A bright shade of pink in the middle of the grey, bloody and murderous aspect. Their eyes met immediatly, broken, aching, burning for each other. Ignoring the procedures, she ran towards him fastly, carrying a small box in her hands, as he tried to believe that she was indeed there, that it wasn't a sweet illusion of his consciousness.

Without noticing his injuries, she hugged him tight, causing a bit of pain that made him groan, but Hannibal didn't want to let her go. He closed his eyes, aborving her scent, taking in reality and the comfort of her arms, delivering that dosis of stamina she gave him whenever in his presence.

"I thought you..." he whispered, but stopped the sentence. "...I am so glad to see you..." he muttered, holding her tight.

"I was so scared..." She held him tight. "I'm so sorry..." she trembled in his arms. "I should have listened to you...I should have-"

"Shh..." he comforted her, caressing her back with his large hand. "I'm here now." He whispered in her ear. "I'm here, I won't let anything bad happen to you."

She looked at him, cuts across his face, a string of blood that rolled from his mouth. Alice couldn't imagine what could've happened if he didn't manage to defend himself, the idea of loosing him caused her a deep sadness she didn't realize it until now. She became attached to Hannibal.

"Oh my God..." she observed his injuries "You are hurt, should we head to the hospital?"

"I'll be fine." He tranquilized her. "But Franklyn..." He faked grief as an oscar winner actor, looking down and closing his eyes "I couldn't save him..."

Just then Alice realized. The moment she arrived, the FBI was taking out two bodies, already all wrapped up, meaning dead. Now she knew, one of them was the poor Franklyn.

"No..." she gasped. Then, observing his sadness, caressed his cheek lightly. "It was not your fault, don't say that." She said, completely unaware of what really happened. "No one could have predicted what happened..."

He glanced at the deep cut on her arms, caused by Tobias' weapon. His eyes widened at the injury, seeing Alice hurt should be considered a crime. As if someone had scratched the Mona Lisa's painting at the Louvre. Noticing his concern, she tried to calm him "I'm fine, it was just a scratch."

He held her hands as the most precious things in the world and, in an impulse, delivered a gentle kiss above the cut, a warm one, and for a brief moment, he could taste her blood, a tempting crimson red and vicious blood. Alice was surprised by his gesture but didn't step back. She felt welcomed, safe by his warm, soft touch, that first tickled her skin, and the tender glance of his hazel eues meeting hers, it showed that he cared for her. Cared deeply. An affection that doubted the relationship they had.

Will Graham found strange the way they treated each other, he was a few chapters behind, still believing that Alice and Dr.Lecter were patient and therapist only. But Hannibal's kisses on her wrists told him otherwise.

"Tobias Budge killed two Baltimore officers." Jack Crawford approached the three, looking at Hannibal serious. "Nearly killed an FBI special agent and this woman..." he pointed to Alice, still unaware of her true identity. "...and after all of that, his first stop is here, at your office."

Hannibal continued with his award winning acting. "He came to kill my patient" he replied in a weak tone.

"Your patient? Is that who Budge was serenating?" Will assumed.

"Franklyn?" Alice asked surprised.

"Do you know the victim?" Jack Crawford questioned.

"He was my friend." She replied still shocked by the accusation. "He wouldn't hurt anyone."

"We can't be sure." Hannibal replied to her. Alice started to think about it. "Franklyn knew more than he was telling me." He explained to the FBI. "Told Mr.Budge he didn't have to kill anymore." He glanced at Alice, knowing that the next sentence would affact her deeply. "Then...he broke Franklyn's neck." Alice tapped her mouth, holding back the urge to cry. "And then he attacked me."

"You killed him?" Jack went straight to the point.

Hannibal swallowed dry, Alice stared at him intensely. He never wanted to appear as a killer in her eyes, to break his 'knight in shining armor' figure to her. But this time, he didn't have a choice. He held her hand softly, as he replied with sadness. "Yes..." He looked into her eyes, expecting forgiveness from his goddess.

Her lips had a small gap between them, as she tried to slowly process the information. Hannibal had killed a man. She could never inagine an act like that from his part, but there they were. He had to fight, to kill for his life. What could've happened if he didn't kill Tobias?

All she could think was: He is alive. That's what matters.

She squeezed his hand back, in an unspoken way to say "it's okay." And just with that attitude he felt an instant comfort and relief. Alice Mallory indeed didn't care about the circumstances when it concerned the people she cared about. All she wanted was for Hannibal to be safe, it didn't matter how.

"Could your patient've been involved with any of what Budge was doing?" Will tried to ignore the display of affection between the two of them in front of him.

"I thought it was only a poor choice of friends." He replied calmly.

Jack Crawford didn't seem to accept the situation so easily, he scanned Hannibal with his eyes, then Alice. Stopping at her.

"What is your name?" He asked with that 'gentle' FBI mannerism.

Just then Will realized that Jack and Alice had never met before.

"Alice." She replied. "Alice Mallory."

Something snapped in the agent's brain. He recalled. Mallory. From the Mallory case.

"Are you Bree Mallory's sister?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Yes..." she said surprised. "How do you know that-"

"Agent Jack Crawford, FBI." He showed his credentials. Alice glanced at Will, so that was the man she complained about, the man who was draining Will's strentgh and energy with those cases. "How did you end up almost being a victim of Tobias Budge?"

"I went to his shop, we had a friend in common, Franklyn." She simply said. "He told me he would show me how he built his instruments, and ordered me to wait for him in the basement, where his workshop was."

"But the FBI showed up..." Jack presumed.

"Yes." She agreed. "I was lucky Agent Graham was there." She looked at him with gratefulness, Will contained a shy smile. Hannibal tried not to bother himself with the two.

"But I need to understand..." Will asked "...before I could shoot at Tobias, you stopped breathing. I thought you were dead. Tobias thought you were dead."

"Do you know how raccoons survive?" She opened a smile. "They pretend they are dead, so predators can't catch them." Hannibal chuckled softly, only Alice would think of such a solution. He could.imagine how she obtained that info, one of her lazy sunday afternoons watching Animal Channel as she loved, snuggling into her messy bedroom's sheets. She was adorably smart. "I held my breath, and let my body loose."

Will almost laughed. Jack Crawford didn't, isntead, he noticed Hannibal's hand intertwined with hers. "Did you meet Franklyn through Dr.Lecter?" He questioned.

The question caught her by surpise. "Yes, we met recently, but got along very well." She replied.

Jack analyzed their hands together. "And you're both Dr.Lecter's patients?"

"Ex-patient." She corrected. Will looked at her surprised. Jack crossed his arms. "I was about to tell Agent Graham that I am quitting therapy since my sister's murderer had already been discovered."

He nodded silently. "And what is your relationship with Dr.Lecter after all?" He asked the same question Will wanted to make.

Alice hesited. Hannibal stroked lightly her hand with his thumb. "That is a very delicate question, Agent Crawford." He replied instead, giving a half smile. "Alice and I are friends. That is all." He didn't give any more details as a celebrity in an interview.

Jack didn't believe much in that response. From the way they treated each other, they were certainly not just friends. But one thing was for sure, he had gotten rid of the Mallory case now, and there wasn't anything he could do about Tobias Budge anymore. Hannibal's speech and evidence proved it was self defense.

Jack Crawford excused himself with the officers. Will Graham hesited to leave Alice and Hannibal alone, his eyes seemed to reveal everything he felt at that moment, but, with one last deep breath, he nodded to both his friends and walked away, leaving the crime scene.

Alice grabbed the small white box in her hands, putting it above the table and taking some cotton and tools to help clean Hannibal's wounds.

She silently used the tools with alcohool, as he observed her, completely mesmerized by her presence, still processing the fact that she had survived.

"I am sorry." He whispered to her suddenly. Alice stopped. "About that night." Her eyes lingered meeting his. "I should've stopped them. I should've held your hand." There was soemthing soft, surrended in his tone. "And I wish...I wish I could remember." his body trembled as a fragile little boy. "I want to remember that night at the bridge. More than anything."

Alice melt over his touch, and honestly, every time she looked into his eyes, she couldn't say "no" to him. It was like he entered her mind and held her heart in his own hands, little by little, Alice fell for Hannibal's spell.

"I forgive you." She whispered softly. Caressing his cheek, he closed his eyes for a moment. "I am sorry for all I've said..I..." she sighed. "I put you in risk with Tobias, I should've listened to you..."

"That was Franklyn's fault. Not yours." He assured her. "You were imprudent about seeing Tobias. But you couldn't predict he would attack any of us." He explained. "What matters is that you're safe."

They stood in silence for a moment as she helped to clean up his wounds. The atmosphere was comforting, but Alice couldn't help but feel sad.

"Are you thinking about Franklyn?" He questioned. She nodded. "It is a tragedy what happened."

"He wasn't involved in this. He couldn't be." Alice rejected the idea. "He was just...he was a good person, Hannibal." She looked into his eyes, unaware that Franklyn's killer was the one she cared about. "In the end, all Franklyn wanted was a friend."

"And that cost him his life." He completed. Alice's eyes filled themselves with tears, Hannibal was always admired by her empathy towards others, caring for people she barely knew, even crying for them. She was too good for that world. He caressed her hair and she allowed her self to hug him once again, this time not too tight so she wouldn't hurt him, sinking her head into his warm and large chest. "You were good to him." He comforted her.

"What if Tobias had...if he..."she sobbed "if he had the opportunity to catch you, I..." she couldn't breath for a moment. "I can't even..."

"Shh, I'm here. I'm here." He repeated it many times at her ear. Alice was already traumatized by Bree's death. That episode just added more to her trauma. "Would you like to leave this place?" She nodded slowly. "Let's go home." He spoke softly. "Let's go, darling."

▫️

He could smell carrots from the kitchen, something was being boiled along with other vegetables and even...meat?

Alice ordered for him to stay put in his bed while she would cook something for him. Cook for him. The sentence made him smile like an idiot.

She had managed to persuade him into putting more comfortable clothes "no suit or formal shoes" a pair of slacks and a sweather were good enough, she even put a blanket above him, spoiled him endlessly.

He'd often prefer to pamper her instead, but receiving attention from her, specially after that fight, wasn't a bad idea.

He loved that, the sight of her inside his house, in her crazy colored clothes and bright smile, running around, not able to stay quiet at one place.

That warm and strange feeling came back, fuzzing inside his chest, confusing his thoughts once more.

"Hey." She said by his door, a smile on her face. Her hands holding a tray with a hot soup in a bowl. "I know I'm not as skilled as you but..." she giggled. "I did my best, okay?"

"Whatever you do, I know it'll be great." He complimented as she sat by his side and held the bowl on her hands.

He expected for her to leave it to him, but instead, she took the spoon, dove it into the food, and blew the warmness a bit from it. "Open up." She said. He looked at her amused. "Your mouth."

"What-"

"You don't want me to imitate a train, right?"

"That would be interesting to watch." He joked.

"Come on, Hannibal, open up." She chuckled. "I'm just helping you rest"

He rolled his eyes with a sarcastic smile, then opened up, saying "Ahh" joking. Alice laughed but led the food into his mouth, as he closed it slowly, with the spoon still inside. Her cooking wasn't extroardinary, but evidently made with love and attention, specially since she cooked some of the meat in the fridge for him. (Special meat). What that was, she didn't know. Just assumed it was meat.

Alice tried to remove the spoon as she slowly let the silverware leave his mouth, sliding through his lips while gazing at her, in an intense, almost sexual tension that made her swallow dry.

"So?" She asked awkwardly, trying to look away.

"It is very good." He complimented. She prepared another spoon. "But I am not sure about what are your intentions."

"What do you mean?"

"Treating me well, cooking, lying me on bed... There was something naughty in his tone. "And now helpingby delivering food to me..." he smirked, a sparkle in his teeth. "Is this a plan to seduce me, Miss Mallory?"

She blushed by his words, he laughed at her reaction. Alice rest the spoon back into the soup, and put it on the shelf next to the bed. "Why do you always say that?"

He looked at her confused. "Always?"

"Right." She chuckled embarrassed. "You don't remember."

He got high on her perfume for a second, then hipnotized by her blue sapphires that observed every inch of his skin. "Tell me." He whispered softly.

"It would loose its' magical meaning." She chuckled mocking him.

"Alice, please." He complained.

"Take your own conclusions, Hannibal Lecter." She teased, he bit his lip, avoiding the crescent that tension between them. Oh, he'd love to make her speak, had thought many ways of how to make her do so.

"Is there any way for me to change your mind?"

"Um...I don't know, my price is very high."  She joked with a playful smile.

"And what is your price?" He gazed slightly at her lips, as she leaned foward, just inches away from him. "Tell me, what do you want?" He muttered in a steamy hot breath.

Alice blushed instantly, stuttering embarrassed. "Your recovery!" She lied. Giving him the bowl with the food. "Eat you food and get better! That's all!" She made distance between them suddenly.

"Will you tell me then?"

She looked at him speechless. "What if you don't like what I tell you?"

"Unless I've made you upset or hurt, there is nothing I wouldn't like to know that happened beteeen us."

She suspended her breath, feeling her whole body shiver. "Hannibal..."

"Yes?"

"We are not friends anymore...are we?" She whispered in secrecy, as hidden oaths between them. He brushed his fingers against her hands briefly.

"No...I don't believe we are." It was the only thing he was sure about. And yet, wasn't at all.

"Then what are we?" She asked confused.

"...something more." He didn't label it, and neither did her, who let him circle his fingers through her skin, without complaining about it. "Something more..."

▫️

"You look happy."

"That's because I am."

"Is it related to Alice Mallory?"

"That's correct."

Bedelia gave a polite smile, of course he was happy about Alice. He was completely obssessed about her. That almost made her feel bad for that girl. She knew that Hannibal's love walked over a thin line close to madness, and it would take too little for him to cross it. The consequences would be disastrous.

"Did you both make amends?"

"Tragedies do unite people." He reflected. "After Franklyn and Tobias' death, we apologized to each other."

"Sounds good."

"Yes." He nodded.

A pause in silence.

"But you still don't know what you feel."

"It is exciting yet tortuous."

"Because you don't know if she feels the same."

"If it is...what you suspect..." he was scared of the term. "I will have to take deeper attitudes to assure that she feels the same."

"I think you've already done that." Bedelia tried to put some sense into his mind.

"Not enough." He closed the button of his suit and relied his back on the chair. "It's still not enough."

"And when will it be?"

"Once this inconvenience becomes a blessing." He contemplated the ceiling "An individual and private oasis."

"Private? Who would invade your oasis?"

Hannibal tapped his fingers at the arm's chair, thinking for a moment about a certain individual far away, in a secluded cabin filled with dogs and wood that creaked beneath his feet.

"Someone I see much of myself in."

"Why can't he be close to the oasis, Hannibal?" She asked cautiously, trying to understans his mind.

"I don't want to share this...feeling." he confessed. "...Whatever this is."

"Alice Mallory is not your property, Hannibal."

He almost killed Bedelia with a subtle agressive glance. She frozened. "I know." He said calmly. "Of course, I know."

Hearing those words did not make his therapist just fear for that girl's life, but also aware of a tragedy in the future.