"STOP IT, WINSTON." Will Graham groaned as his dogs continued to cry and whimper to him, pleading cutely. "She's not coming back, stop it." He tried to tell his dog, but he had betrayed him already. "You need to deal with it." He advised mostly to himself rather than the animal. "Stop missing her, you don't, even like her." The dog barked contrary to his words. "No, you don't." The dog insisted. "Yeah, she gave you treats when she was around, yeah, so what? That's what she does, she's not committed, she's annoying, egotistic, and narcissistic. She doesn't care about you at all." The dog made a sad face. "She cares so much that she didn't even try to contact, see?" He showed the dog his phone. "Forget her."

He practically threw the device away back in the sofa as Winston buried his hands in his paws while lying on the floor. Days has passed and his meetings with Teresa Brooks completely faded away as snowflakes melting in spring. The engines of the boat's engine remained there, on the floor, staring back at his misery while he continuously complained.

Will Graham was in pieces, he couldn't sleep due to his nightmares and his wonderful temporary medicine wasn't available currently, well, maybe it could be, if he wasn't so stubborn to actually talk to her as two adults. Now he would only be there, imagining the ghosts of her curves and the illusions of her perfume, of how her hair was tangled and messy when she woke up on his bed, or how she'd make coffee the next morning while playing with the dogs that followed her everywhere.

Shook his head to wake up, missing Teresa Brooks? That was insanity, he would never fall for that woman, he couldn't fall for that woman.

She was the type of poison that infected her heart, and he didn't wish to find a cure for it.

All he could do was listen to Winston whimpering as a little kid. "Traitor" His owner muttered under his breath and turned back to the repairing of the boat.

...

Delilah Brooks prepared tea in the kitchen, the aroma filled the air, driving itself to the living room where her niece stood still, hypnotized by an old family portrait of 23 years ago, where life was just about to reach its' downfall.

"That's my favorite." Her Aunt's voice echoed as she approached her in the living room, holding the small dark ocean-blue cup in her hands. "She looked so happy, so...alive" Delilah said with hidden nostalgia. "Drink it slowly, it's very hot."

Teresa didn't follow her instructions, as an anxious child, and coughed out loud as she almost burned her tongue. Delilah clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes.

"I told you." She remarked and the girl made a face. "You seem nervous, is something on your mind?"

How to tell your aunt about two men who occupied her most dirty thoughts, and about the dilemma of being scared to reveal yourself to your father, without sounding like a crazy psycho bitch who followed his steps only to meet him?

No answer seemed adequate enough.

"Just work stuff."She lied through her teeth once again as her eyes darted to the photograph. Her mother was so young, eyes so radiant, almost just like hers, hair blowing to the wind as she smiled at the picture. "Where was this taken?"

"I took her on a trip to Niagara Falls. It was just before..."Delilah's smile faded as she realized the rest of her sentence.

"...Before he left." Teresa completed her aunt's sentence and she nodded. "I still don't understand how he could have left her so easily..."

"According to Amelia, he had no clue about your existence." Delilah tried to empathize as the good Christian she was. "Perhaps..."

"Perhaps he could've forcedly stayed? That's what you mean?" Teresa scoffed as she let down the cup on a shelf and crossed her arms relying her back on the cold wall with disdain. "He actively decided to leave her, who knows he wouldn't have left even knowing about me?"

"Does he appear to be that type of man?" Delilah suddenly made her niece paralyzed, eyes open. "I know you've met him, Teresa." She continued. "If that is your wish, I won't stop you, but I certainly do not approve of your secrecy all these years, you could've just said it-"

"I don't want him to be my father." Teresa's voice came out a little weak, almost sad, and cut through. "Fuck being a father, I want to know. I just want to know why."

"They didn't work out, Teresa."

"Then what did she see in him?"She squinted her eyes."What's so special about him to make her so unstable? To make her lose her mind?"

"You know there's no justification for-"

"He owes me answers!" She yelled, but Delilah didn't move. The calmness of that Baltimore street remained still as that young woman formed a storm in her mind. "He owes me an explanation for leaving her, for breaking her, for..." She gulped, tears in her eyes attempting to break free from the mix of love and hate. "...for destroying my life."

"He didn't destroy your life, Teresa. You're still so young-"

"Tell that to the girl who wasn't seen by her mother even when bleeding." She hissed, eyes sparkling with rage. "To the endless screaming nights, where her mother would wake up covered in sweat, breaking furniture and drawing on walls." Her whole body became tense, shivering. "To her never-ending thoughts of 'what did I do wrong?' or 'why does my own mother hate me?' "

"Teresa-"

"Because I have always been a curse to her." She concluded. "The sin she'd have to carry that always resembled her the devil she worshipped. The careless man who left her to her misery." She finished. "In her vision, I'll always be his daughter, but never her daughter."

"And what will you do to him, Teresa?" Delilah finally broke her speech, bringing in the hidden truth that haunted them both. "What could you possibly think you'll achieve once you approach him?"

Teresa paused a suspense that only increased her internal moral conflicts. She didn't think of what would come next, or maybe she did, way too much...way too much.

"I want nothing from him." She replied instead.

"We both know it's not money or reconnecting with your father figure you want," Delilah said a bit more sourly, as a way to wake her niece back to her senses, but she was way too far ahead, and soon enough she could cross the line. "It's not worth it, Teresa." She added. "I know you've been hurt...but it's not worth it...all this work, all this dedication only for...revenge." She whispered already feeling her heart bleed for the girl's future. "Stop this before it's too late."

But Teresa shook her head, swallowing deep any sense or wish to retreat from that battle. She was, indeed, similar to her mother in that sense, stubborn, decided, inflexible.

And she would do whatever it takes to achieve her goal.

"It'll only be dead if I'm dead before it." She gave an ultimatum. "You're her sister, you should support me."

"You're not doing this for her, you're doing this for yourself," Delilah said, as her sentence struck her nerves. "You're being petty, Teresa, a child stuck in the past." She pointed to the girl. "And this game of yours will not end well."

Teresa took a step forward, raising her chin highly, semblant dark and sinister. "Is that so?" She whispered in an ominous tone. "How can you be so sure, Aunt Lilah?" Delilah could spot some hidden madness in her eyes, something similar to the rage her mother had in her episodes. And that made her shiver. "I suggest you don't rain on my parade." She whispered. "Or you'll drown."

After those words, Teresa grabbed her coat, and while the rain began to pour outside, her steps matched the thunders and the quick beating of her concerned Aunt's heart as she watched another person dear to her lose themselves to the thin boundaries of the human mind.

And she feared this was a road with no return.

...

"I must say your call was certainly a surprise, Teresa. A welcoming surprise, though."

It was not in her plans that evening to show up at Hannibal Lecter's doorstep, neither to have called him in advance, inviting him for a drink while he offered his home and his Chianti to her sorrow.

But it happened, and instead of calling Will Graham, her usual shelf for the troubles of the world, she drifted to the strange discrete shores of elegance and lust, who welcomed her with a gentle smile as she entered the residence.

It was larger and more exuberant than expected, and if it weren't for the risqué meeting she found herself in, she would've taken longer to properly appreciate the decoration.

"I suppose it was a hard day?" Hannibal said in a lighthearted tone as Teresa only gave a half-bittersweet smile in return. "Would you like to talk about it?" He questioned, but she hesitated. "I won't charge nor tell anyone about it. You have my word."

She sat down next to him on the sofa, the Chianti's glass in her hands now as she looked at her reflection in the liquid.

"I argued with someone I deeply care about" She finally let him take a peak of her curious mind. "About something important to me."

"A conflict of interests?" He suggested and she nodded. "And how did you stand against them?"

"I reassured them I wouldn't change my mind." She explained while he listened attentively. "And I..."She took in a deep tired breath. "I've gone way too far to turn back around now."

Hannibal painted his portrait of Teresa Brooks now, highlighting her conflicts and framing, archiving them in very special sections of his mind for future actions. What a delight it was to finally see her vulnerability behind that tough façade, to see the woman not just as her exterior layer, but to explore the density of her essence, of her soul.

Perhaps if he did continue his efforts, he could so reach the inner core of her consciousness and make it his puppet. The thought almost made him smile in satisfaction.

"From what you say, I can conclude this goal must be extremely important to you." He spoke and she agreed once again. "Is it important enough to risk it all and everyone for it?"

She stopped for a moment, thinking deeply about his question.

"It will surely cause a great impact on those around me, that I know."

"And what about you?" He looked deeply into her dark brown eyes. "How does it affect you, Teresa?"

She pursed her lips, still tasting the drink on them while the tense atmosphere wrapped them in her secret. "It might change me entirely." She replied instead, and Hannibal's eyes sparkled. "I will be...someone...someone I never dreamt of."

"If you have this goal, you must have fantasized about it." He delicately pulled a string of her hair behind her ear, face close enough to spit each and every detail on her face. Such a soft expression, those round, helpless eyes, and yet such a harsh, contrasting personality sometimes...she was surely an excellent portrait to admire. "What is the nature of your fantasies, Teresa?" He questioned as by now she was hypnotized by his words. "Are they...obscure?" He whispered, now only inches away, her perfume filled his nostrils. "...maybe... repulsive...cruel?" His fingers traced her face in a soft caress, as her eyes closed to the contact. "You fear the choice but still wish to do it."

"I do." She agreed. "Is that a sign I should give up?"

He clicked his tongue. "It is a sign you are only human." He lifted her chin softly so her lips could be at the proper angle close to his but not yet touching. "One thing does not annulate another, don't you agree?" She remained silent, her whole body tense, magnetic to his. "I say you are a brave woman to follow your heart's pursuit" He whispered as a devil on her shoulder. "A courageous, determined woman, who should not be commanded..."His other hand slowly crept into the inner side of her shirt, cold traces on her skin until they could reach her breasts, no bra. He grinned. "I most certainly admire that about you, Teresa." He gave her body a little squeeze as she suppressed a moan. "Do not contain yourself. Follow your desires, your urge..."He whispered at last. "I am most curious about what you can become"

His lips connected within the time of a very last breath, it was something rather spicy yet sophisticated, it seemed like Hannibal did not wish to waste any time but savor each and every one of them. His hands had an incredible power over her body, the reason for the sounds that escaped her mouth that only proved her excitement, she could feel his smirk between his kiss, the taste of his tongue exploring her mouth as his own.

He didn't simply kiss her at this moment, he almost owned her in her most vulnerable, weak state possible.

Fingers lowered to a rather familiar area to him now, unzipping the tight jeans and creeping below, as a gasp escaped her throat, making her cling to his body.

"Shit-" She whimpered as his fingers were just as skilled as that night in the opera.

Hannibal almost chuckled at her reaction. "Do not tell me this wasn't your intention when you called me in the first place." She could feel her cheeks heat up. "You could've called anyone..."He purred in her ear as two fingers entered her without a warning. "A friend perhaps...someone like Beverly Katz..."He looked into her watering eyes as she bit her lip. "...or Will Graham." He thrusted deeper making her almost scream. "You have such a pretty voice, Teresa." He smiled. "I'd love it if you sang an aria for me someday." The wetness of her made a mess of his fingers. "But for now the sound of my name is more than enough." He softly kissed her cheek. "Follow me, I do not wish to ruin the living room but neither wish for you to restrain yourself"

Finger out of her, Hannibal took her hand in his and guided her upstairs, down the hallway where a guest room was presented. The large bed made her breath faster, as now he closed the door behind them and eased her out of her clothes, as he did the same.

He could feel her gaze on him, Hannibal was one to appreciate being noticed, or better, being desired. He knew he caused that effect, and it only motivated him further when that happened so obviously as now while Teresa watched him with a gap between her lips.

The vision of her lying on his bed was something out of Botticeli's portraits, making him wish to explore every inch of her being with his lips, to taste each part of her skin, especially the most desired ones.

But her daring touch was what made him finally break into a short laugh. "Feeling quite bold, aren't we?" He joked as now Teresa smirked rather comfortably in return. Her hands wrapped around his cock, applying the exact pressure to make him exhale greedily "You're a woman full of surprises..." he licked his lips before allowing her to continue further, low grunts of pleasure filling the room. "Show me what you need, Teresa." He whispered as he now switched positions with her, as her body landed above his, feeling his large chest against her breasts, his crotch against her pussy. "Tonight you may do what you want, with no obstacles or anyone against it." He fueled her mind. "You may follow your darkest fantasies...and I'll be most pleased to indulge in them."

Teresa smiled slightly thankful, perhaps it was the Chianti or the sex, but being seen so vulnerably, maybe encouraged so outrageously, without any thought of moralism or dogmas, was something that deeply attracted her.

At that moment she wished nothing but to succumb to the most hideous parts of herself.

Her eyes shut down as the stars floating on the ceiling got closer by the movement of her hips and his thrusting.

Sex with Hannibal was different than Will's, it was slower, almost artistical, as if he thought about each detail, almost like he made a show out of it. He was the guy who knew how to please and haunt the depths of your mind with that memory.

Will's was intense, it was rather about the emotion, the sensation, the roughness, and even the passion of it all. It was the type of sex that was so good you'd almost scream I love you accidentally.

She almost felt bad for comparing them both, but as soon as her eyes were rolling and her back arched as a cat's, all doubts and thoughts seemed to disappear.

The groans, the whimpers, the moans, and the sound of her bodies colliding was all she could listen to before she collided breathless against Hannibal's chest, as his hands softly brushed her hair, in a warm moment of afterglow.

She didn't love him, perhaps didn't feel even the slight need to. But in that moment, in his arms, after such a wonderful rendezvous, he was the savior...or better, the devil who lured her into sin.

And Hannibal intended to make her fulfill plenty of other sins.

...

"It's so grotesque, I want to touch it."

Beverly slapped her hand before she could, while Jimmy and Brian analyzed the corpse just recently found at a theatre, where a violin was implanted on his throat, his coal chords made to music purposes.

Jack Crawford instead, waited for his star agent to do his magic, as he stood in the back of the chair rows looking back to the center, where the team was gathered.

"The victim is Douglas Wilson" Beverly began to explain " member of the Baltimore Metropolian wind swing, trombonist." Teresa circled the man, still in complete awe. "he was killed shortly after his performance. Blunt force trauma to the back of the head."

Will Graham has now come to the stadium himself to watch better the scene, expression neutral, cold as stone as he watched the body in front of him completely loose if not for the violin structure making it stand, and the chair it was sitting on.

"His killer brought him here to...put on a show."Will Graham quickly concluded.

Teresa quickly glanced back at the agent who she hadn't spoken to for days now, he seemed exhausted and incredibly effective in his work, which made her slightly bothered. It wasn't envy or any sort of resentment, but perhaps...concern.

"Will, is it me, or is it becoming easier for you to look?"Jack questioned instead.

"I tell myself it's purely an intellectual exercise."He responded coldly instead, as his hand sunk into his jacket pocket to take some pills from it.

"In the narrow view of forensics, that's exactly what it is."

"It's not any easier, Jack."

"And what about those pills?" Teresa interrupted instead, making Jack look back at Will waiting for an answer, as the agent made a face.

The agent swallowed one of the pills dry and looked back at her, those same sparkles of disagreement ran between them once again. "Just some vitamins." He lied and Teresa's disapproval was noticeable on her face.

"Agent Crawford with all due respect, you can't think this is acceptable, Agnt Graham is not-"

"I appreciate your feedback, Agent Brooks, but for now, I make the decision, and the decision is to catch our killer." Jack stood his hand in the air as a way to make her stop, it only made her blood boil even further. He turned to Will. "You shake it off, get to work. We'll come back in when you're ready for us."

With those words, he exited the room with the rest of the team, but Teresa remained still at the same place.

"Jack told you to go with them, haven't you listened?" Will complained as he rubbed his eyes beneath the dirty glasses.

"I did, and I don't give a fuck." Teresa said as she sat still at one of the chairs in the front row. "Do your thing, I'll be here in case you get crazy."

He looked back at her, and in that short moment, at that short sentence, something inside his dark mind twisted with such sickening episodes slightly became relieved by her presence. He could've told her to leave, even frightened her with some sort of menace, but he remained still, in the same place, unable to say a word, but feel relieved that she was there.

When he drifted to his world, he knew that if he did come back she would be there for him.

And that was the most comforting he had ever felt in a while.

It was a short trance as she watched him close his eyes and get into paranoia as he walked in some pattern, even talked, and gestured as the killer would. Honestly, it made her shiver at the spot, but she didn't leave.

Throughout the whole process, he narrated the scene, he would say it all in first persona, and after it all, end it with "This is my design."

It took 10 solid minutes for Will Graham to return to his actual self, and barely 2 for Teresa to get on the stage and wait for him to return by his side. Once he reopened his eyes again, she dared to touch his shoulder, making his body quiver under the sensation.

"Will?" She asked, wondering if she was talking to the killer to the man she knew, or even both.

When his fragile vision finally turned to her he seemed exhausted, almost drained out as his breath dragged to remain still.

"You there?" She whispered, trying not to overwhelm him as he only nodded in return. "Good." She caressed his shoulder covered by the jacket. In all this time, she expected Will Graham to shake it off as he said, but the more she experienced and watched him transform, the more real, intense everything felt. It felt like they were losing him gradually and no one listened.

But she couldn't throw it all upon him at that moment, not when he was so weak in front of her.

"You hungry?" He didn't reply when she asked. "Come on, I'll buy you a burger, maybe two." She gave a half smile before he could object to it. "Take it as an apology for the ghosting, come on."

...

"You disobeyed my orders again, Brooks." Jack Crawford called her in his office the next day. "You questioned my orders and stood inside the theatre while Will was-"

"Becoming the killer?" Teresa leaned on his desk to properly look at the agent sitting down. "You said he observed, but now he is speaking, even acting as if he were there."

"Were where?"

"At the time the crime happened," Teresa responded somberly. "He thinks like he is the killer, Jack, now what he could've done or what he should've done. It's not a guess, it's a self affirmation"

Jack Crawford sighed while facing the woman, his hand ran through his face, as if the discussion had happened over and over needlessly and he couldn't escape it.

"Look, he's under medical treatment, if he was really getting unstable, Dr.Lecter would've warned me."

Teresa felt even more mad at that. "This treatment is clearly not working then." She complained. "It's not safe to leave Will Graham alone with a corpse anymore, I am telling you." She warned with utter worry. "He might cross the line someday, God knows what could-"

"That's enough, Agent Brooks," Jack spoke louder this time, making her freeze in place. If it wasn't for the fact her boss yelled at her, it was even worse that it was her father who she had never even been raised by, who did it. "Look, I've brought you in this team because you were recommended as extremely qualified and competent in your work, but my judgment is altering this vision now." He advised. "Since you arrived you did great work on the missions but I'm sensing you lack obedience and notion to your authorities, the FBI works in an hierarchy, Agent Brooks, I thought you learned that in the academy."

"I did sir-"

"Then start practicing what you've learned." He hissed. "Questioning my leadership and acting hostile will only fragilize your position in this job, do you understand?" She nodded. "Freddie Lounds is still writing about you and Will Graham due to your behavior, superiors are asking me about it, don't make me make the hard choice." He pointed out as the girl remained silent. "You may leave now."

Teresa could've said a million things at that moment, after all wasn't she the sharpest tongue in the FBI? Well, maybe she was getting weak as well, and by weak I mean not letting your ghosts of the past or your most primal urges control you.

Hannibal did advise her to follow her instincts but perhaps if she did, she would lose herself just as Will Graham.

She needed to hold onto herself. Needed,

Just as she walked back to the lab, the team ran an analysis over the body, the white coat trio surrounded the victim, while Will Graham stood a bit more far, sat on a chair, eyes glued to the floor.

"Hey." She whispered to him, as his puppy eyes shined as they found her figure.

"Hey." He only mumbled back as she pulled a chair next to him.

"Agent Brooks." Jimmy and the others noticed her presence. "Care to join? Katz saved an extra pair of gloves for you" He said while showing his own bloody ones.

"I'll pass it this time, thanks."She gave a half smile as the others continued working.

Her shoulder was touching Will's and she could feel his body shivering from time to time, as he looked down on the floor, still completely taken by his previous actions.

"Thought you'd never leave his office by the time you spent there." He whispered to her, trying not to show any emotion or vulnerability.

"So did I." She gave a bitter smile. "According to him I'm a rebellious kid who won't listen."

Will finally chuckled. "Can't argue against that."

The two exchanged brief smiles, smiles that held too much warmness to be translated into words, for a moment everything and everyone seemed to disappear.

Just for that moment.

"Can you two stop flirting and brainstorm with us for a sec?" Katz joked as Teresa cursed out loud at her friend.

"What is the deal with the olive oil?" Bryce questioned this time

"Sure wasn't making a salad. "Teresa joked, but she could notice Will's aurea become grey again.

"He removed anything non-muscular or fatty from around the vocal folds." Jimmy explained. "The chords themselves were treated with a sulphur dioxide solution. The sulphur dioxide had the effect of hardening the vocal chords."

"Made them easier to play." Will said back, as now his eyes darkened and his tone more ominous. Teresa watched it silently. "...Had to open you up
to get a decent sound out of you."He said it as if the victim was his own and at that instant, all the agents in the lab turned to him in complete shock.

The silence was loud, and as Beverly gazed at Teresa, questioning what they should do, she only gestured for them to keep going and don't speak about it. Will's gaze went back to the floor, as the agents' were back to the body.

"He took the time to whiten the vocal chords before playing them." Bryce continued to rationalize with the others.

Will Graham ran his hands through his face, his leg twitched in an anxious habit. "It's...It's not about whitening them" He stuttered for a moment as the criminal's prisma was still visible in his mind. Noticing his clear struggle to hold onto the present, Teresa's hand slipped and intertwined to his, as he gazed at her for a moment, a bit surprised, unable to move away by the comfort that calmed his senses gradually. "It's about..."He took in a deep breath, as if he inhaled the drug of her presence, squeezing her hand tight. "it was about increasing elasticity." He responded.

Katz gave a small smile as she spotted their hands together. "He treated the vocal cords the same way you treat catgut string." Teresa raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes, I play the violin."

"Fancy" She mocked and her friend rolled her eyes at her.

Teresa caught Will Graham watching their hands intertwined, his fingers brushing against her skin in such a soft feature between his altering egos at that split second that made something inside her chest blossom, as a private electric wave surrounded them.

"To commit this crime with such a steady method..."He whispered, now not taking his gaze from their hands united. "He's killed before."

"Like this?" Teresa delicately asked as the team listened attentively.

"No, not like this." He whispered back, as for a moment he looked back at the body. "This is a skilled musician... trying a new instrument."

...

Will Graham's dogs were agitated just like him sometimes, speeding through the fields of his isolated cabin in the woods as the fresh winter breeze of Virgina blew against their fur.

But they didn't hear the same he did, they didn't chase the invisible as he did, and none of them could tell him that the ghosts were his own, and not some fox or intruder he made up only to cope with it.

The more he chased after it, he couldn't find anything, and at this point, where the sounds persisted and his mind couldn't rest on it, he started to break his own chimney to encounter the animal.

In a local dinner, at the center of Virginia though, Beverly Katz would steal food from Teresa's dish.

"Oh, you little shit." Teresa chuckled as Katz smiled successful and proud of her sneakness. "That's why you call me for lunch? To steal my food?"

"Bingo." She mocked and her friend rolled her eyes. "It's good to see you smile after so long."

Teresa looked at her a bit surprised, maybe because someone saw through her so easily.

"You and Will are...good friends." Katz continued as she played with her fork on the pasta on her plate. "It's good to see you two talking again."

Teresa gave a half smile. "It's not like we talk a lot."

"I don't think you even need to," Katz said gently. "Yesterday the lab...I talked about it with Jimmy, it was like...you two were on another galaxy, you literally helped him stay present."

Teresa shook her head. "This is wrong, Beverly." She said with utter frustration. "What Jack's doing, I...I know it works but I don't think it's-"

"It's killing him." Katz agreed. "But he won't listen, I fear he'll only notice one something bad happens."

"But I don't want to wait until something bad happens." Teresa whimpered to her, letting out what she truly felt about it all. "I don't...I don't want Will getting hurt...or him hurting someone."

Katz nodded, her semblant just as blue as hers. "I think the second option is more likely." She stated.

Before the conversation could continue, Teresa only received a call. She exvused herself for a minute and picked up. "Hello?"

"Hi." Will said in a short sentence.

She found his tone strange. "Hey...what's up? What happened?"

"...can you come here?"

Katz looked at her while she spoke, noticing something was off.

"Here where?"

"My house"

Teresa paused for a moment. "Right now-"

"It's not for sex, it's...it's not about that, can you just come here? Please."

The last word made her heart speed. "I'm on my way."

Teresa turned off the phone and turned to her friend, and without a word necessary to be said, she only excused her "Just go." Katz ordered and in no time, Teresa Brooks took the road to the woods.

...

The door was opened, the house was dark and the dogs barked in soft whimpers to plea for their owner's sanity again.

All Teresa Brooks focused on at that moment was the huge crater created above the fireplace up to the chimney, bricks on the floor, dust floating on air, as his statue figure stared at his own creation.

"Will?" She whispered as his shoulders weakened by her voice.

"It was an animal." He tried to justify but his breath was ragged, the voice shaken.

She took careful steps to approach him. "What type of animal?" She asked softly.

"A raccoon maybe...I couldn't see it since it got in the chimney..."

"So you broke the chimney..."She raised her eyebrows still amused.

"Just cracked a hole to get it out..."

Teresa looked at his shivering figure, as he could still listen to the noises, his eyes stuck to the hole in the bricks. Teresa knew that gaze, the same fear she'd often find after her mother would have an attack when she used to return to her usual self, something that never happened anymore now. Before she could only stare at it back, unable to help it.

But she didn't want to feel helpless now, she didn't want to see that movie end the same way again. He didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve that.

Her hand slowly took the hammer from his hands and set it aside, as she pulled him slightly by the shoulder so he could face her. "Will..."

"Sorry...I...I know you were busy, I-"

"Shh." She erased all doubts from his mind as her hands held his, so smaller yet so comforting, warmer if he could, he'd never let them go. His fragile eyes turned to hers, like flashlights in the darkness. "It's okay." She whispered that even though there were just them both, it was that sort of secrecy, silent intimacy no one else would understand. 

He knew it wasn't okay, both of them knew. There was no animal, there was no intruder if not the intrusive, dangerous thoughts in his consciousness, but in that split second, he could get lost in her haze, her essence, her presence. The world could be burning outside, but in her presence, Will Graham felt as if no flame could ever burn him.

"I'm here now." She whispered, the back of her hand caressing his cheeks, his eyes closing, sedated to the sensation, high by her comfort, exhaling deeply as if he had run miles for hours. "You're not alone, do you hear me? You're not alone." She repeated assuring its' importance for him to understand.

That's when he held her hand in place, lips lingering to kiss her palm, the small touch of his lips, so submissive and defeated made her heat up. So many nights they've shared their bodies and united themselves, but nothing compared to that moment, to that invisible connection between them.

"Don't leave yet." He whispered in a soft plea. "Not yet, please."

"I'm not leaving." She promised, setting fire to his heart.

He gave a weak grin. "That's a very dangerous statement..."He teased, kissing again her knuckles, inhaling her perfume like a drug as the world around him dissipated. He sunk into her dark oak eyes, a sweet broken smile across his lips. "Why are you so...peaceful?" He whispered confused as Teresa suspended her breath, he admired her as if she were a goddess of salvation herself. "It's like I can see the serenity of heaven in your eyes."

Her fingers trembled but reached the back of his nape, caressing his soft brown hair curls, as he let a shivering sigh of relief, the tension palpable in the air as his need grew even further while staring at her. "Sorry-" She hesitated but he held her hand still.

"You know I hate when you apologize, Brooks." He gave a half smile that infected her heart. "Don't you ever feel sorry for what you do to me..." He ordered as he leaned forward, breaths mixing as the cabin became even more secluded, away from that city, from that planet, from the whole galaxy. All the noise, all the images left in his mind were blank, empty.  Everything surrounded her and that single present situation. And he loved the present. "Don't feel sorry, Brooks..."He whispered at last, almost as he begged for her to let go of whatever held them at that moment, so they could succumb to that new feeling.

Teresa knew what was lust, she knew sex was a way to drift from reality, a temporary pleasure she had had for a while now, but at that kiss, she wasn't sure anymore.  She didn't desire his body so vulgarly, she decided the touch his hands in hers, to watch his smile and feel it delicately against her lips, to share the warmth and erase his nightmares so that no one could ever hurt him.

In the solitude of that cabin, where the sun was setting on the horizon and the moon witnessed the way he held her so delicately so gently as never before, in such a tender, careful, and almost fearful kiss. Her fingers nuzzled between his hair, his thumb brushed her cheek, hands holding at the other side, hearts speeding as supernovas burning in the atmosphere far away from them.

It took a moment for them to break away from it, still high by the magic, the magnetic tension that couldn't leave them both, still close to one another. Teresa didn't know what that meant, or how she felt so anxious yet so comfortable in his presence as a high school girl again, and Will already realized his terrible predictions were proved true.

In that moment of after-bliss, he only tried to savor the last seconds of peace he had. "Can you stay here tonight?" He whispered, as the dogs passed by, tails slapping against their legs making the two smile. "...they missed you." He whispered delicately as Teresa smiled back in such an adorable way that butterflies ran through his stomach.

"I missed them too."She whispered as she stared back at him, caressing his nape in a muted expression of feelings only they could understand. "Come on, I help you clean up this mess." She whispered back and Will squeezed her hand tight, dimples on his face, now recharged by her energetic force as never before.

...

Jack Crawford was envied by many. He was very young when he was accepted into the FBI, had perfect scores in the academy, a true prodigy who was even chosen, within the elite of his generation, to develop his skills in Italy. He had a great job that paid well, he saved lives, a true hero, and had a wonderful, beautiful, and loyal wife by his side.

He lived his play so well that few knew what happened behind the curtains,  few knew how he crumbled and crawled to survive another day, to face a wife who wished to die before her illness could kill her, or how he'd have to make the hardest decisions and deal with the ghosts of his past to properly save others.

His disguise was so well made that he could've been an actor, and that morning, as he had just entered his office, he was trying his best self, not to decontrol himself as he faced an annoyed Teresa Brooks waiting for him.

"Will can't work in the field anymore." Were her first words.

He hated how she felt her opinion was superior to his. "Good morning to you as well, Agent Brooks." He responded instead as she sat down behind his desk. "I'm afraid I've already told you the decision is not yours to make." He advised.

"He's not sane."She insisted, sitting down in front of him. "His consciousness is starting to blur with his empathy skills, I'm afraid something bad might happen  to him or the team."

"Since when do you worry so much about him?"

She gulped, hands on her thighs, thinking. "You said that after you, I was responsible for the team. Well, he's part of it. Remember?" She asked. "You offered me to take care of the situation"

"Take care so he could stay on the field and continue to help on the cases." 

"Well we did that, but now's not possible anymore." She retorted. "Delaying this decision will only aggrave his condition-"

"Did Dr.Lecter tell you this?" He cut her midsentence

"...What?" She asked disappointed.

"Did Dr.Lecter diagnose or give his professional opinion that guides your decision?" Jack questioned serious, unable to have any pity.

"No, no he didn't but-"

"There's no discussion then."

"But, Agent Crawford-"

"Teresa." He said her first name for the first time. The same name her mother gave her and wondered for so long if he would have liked it. And now it sounded awful. "This is the last chance I give you." He stood up to win an authority posture. "One more insubordination or flaw in following your duties, and I'll suspend you." He gave her an ultimatum that froze her into place.

"But-"

"No, that's the last warning and-"

Suddenly his phone began to vibrate, Jack made a face before picking it up. "Special Agent Jack Crawford." He introduced himself as he listened attentively. Teresa could spot the mix of surprise, fear, and concern running through his face. "They got him." He said as he finished calling.

"Who?"

"The violin killer." He responded. "Dr.Lecter killed him."

Teresa furrowed her eyebrows. "...Hannibal killed him? What?"

"Alleged self-defense. But there's more." He suddenly said as the two headed outside at once. "Will Graham is missing."

...

Her heart palpitated as she entered the psychiatry office, the team was already collecting two bodies, one that seemingly belonged to a patient and a friend of his, this one the killer, who attempted to attack the friend and Dr.Lecter during a session.

Her thoughts were running back and forth to Will's whereabouts while Jack questioned Hannibal Lecter and his actions, she could barely pay attention to their words or what Hannibal had done. Once Jack went to help other agents, she finally approached the doctor.

"Didn't know you had it in you." She tried to disguise her anxiety as Hannibal gave a soft smile. "A pompous doctor dealt with a fucking serial killer, that's kinda legendary. You should put it in a propaganda for your office. In here, we keep your secrets, dead or alive." She joked, making the doctor finally laugh.

"You're indeed a ray of sunshine in whatever room you step in, aren't you, Teresa?" He said sweetly, but he could quickly notice the tension in her smile. "Any news from Will?"

She shook her head, arms crossed defensively in front of her chest. "They know he stopped by the killer, Tobias' shop, two cops dead but...no sign of him." She sighed. 

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Hannibal comforted her, his calloused fingers covering her hands in a slow, warm approach, but Teresa couldn't help but still tremble in nervousness. "He seems very important to you." Hannibal noticed. "Will is strong, he will find a way out and-"

The steps and the low groaning and complaining by the door made her instantly turn around and drop Hannibal's hand, making the doctor slightly at her attitude.

"Will." She could finally breathe, and he also turned instantly to her, ignoring Jack's remarks and he almost ran to her. Without a warning, Teresa's arms wrapped around him tightly, making him groan a bit by the injuries but still give in completely to. That was the best hug of his whole life as if he could heal all the risk he suffered that afternoon, almost of no survival. "I...I was so worried, I thought you were "Tears filled her eyes, realizing the jerk she used to curse at, now mattered too much to simply disappear.

"It's okay." He whispered in her ear. "I'm here, I'm okay."

She slapped his back, making him chuckle. "Don't you dare go alone like that after a killer again, do you hear me?" She pulled away a bit to look into his eyes. "We are a team, you like it or not." She reassured. "And I'm not letting you down."

While Jack started to wonder about Teresa Brooks's real attachment to her teammate and her intentions as he helped the other agents, and also while Hannibal began to analyze the depths of their relationships and its repercussions on Will's nature, the troubling, antisocial, and broken agent felt his heart open fully to what hers barely knew what it was.

"Is that a promise, Brooks?" He smirked.

She gave a half smile back. "Yeah, yeah it is. Any problem with that?"

He shook his head. "Not at all." he softly caressed her hand. "In fact, I'm counting on you to never break it."

And perhaps he was counting on her even more than he had ever felt he should.