I woke up with a slight headache, making me groan outloud. I squinted open my eyes to see I crashed on Hannibal's couch last night, still in yesterday's outfit. I slowly sat up and heard something sizzle in the kitchen and have a scent of eggs and bacon. I rubbed at my temple and realised there was a blanket around me, how cute. I slowly stood up, folding up the blanket and I walked over to the kitchen, barefoot. Hannibal had a towel over his shoulder as he fried some bacon and eggs in a hot frying pan.
"Happy birthday" he said to me, looking down at the pan. I slightly smirked and leaned on his breakfast bar.
"You remembered" I said to him, in my morning voice.
"I did. Eggs and bacon?" He offered. I nodded my head and sat down at his breakfast bar, feeling a little uneasy. I watched him serve out breakfast onto two plates, with some berries in a smaller bowl.
"I saw the news, this morning" Hannibal said to me in a mysterious way, as he walked over and placed a plate in front of me.
"Uh... why do I feel like this has something to do with me?" I asked him, picking up my silver fork to eat this delicious meal Hannibal had made me.
"Young woman found killing a man and breaking into the police station, is that not you?" He asked me. I slowly chewed on my food and glanced over at Hannibal, who was staring at me.
"You would've thought that info was gonna be released hours later, not days" I responded to him, eating a bacon piece as I stared at him. He slightly smirked and looked back down onto his plate.
"You jumped into a window?" He lightly chuckled. I smirked as I shrugged my shoulders.
"I did. I also jumped into garbage, doesn't look as good as it does in the movies" I confessed. Hannibal slightly chuckled and I smiled.
——— the FBI ———
I sat in Jack's office, tapping my finger on my lap as I waited for Jack, who was looking through a file on his desk. I viewed his office and it was just full of statements and crime scene photos, not a comfy setting.
"I wanted to say I'm sorry" Jack spat out. I glanced over at him and stared at him for a few moments.
"Huh?" I just responded back, a little zoned out.
"I'm sorry, for Oscar" Jack said to me. I adjusted my position on the chair and cleared my throat, feeling ill slightly still but trying to not let it get the best of me.
"Where is Oscar?" I just asked him Instead. He clasped his hands together and leaned forward on the desk as he thought for a moment.
"He's safe" he promised me, but it still didn't calm me down.
"When can I see him again?" I questioned Jack, searching for comfort.
"I don't know. Soon I hope" Jack informed me. I scoffed and leaned back on my chair.
"Look, let's just... focus on the rippers and finding Oscar's mother" Jack negotiated with me. I stood up from the chair, slightly angry and I looked down at Jack, who seemed sympathetic towards me.
"Okay"' I agreed, whispering in my voice. I left his office and walked over to the morgue, where I would find Beverly, Will and Hannibal.
——— the morgue ———
I stepped inside and felt a wave of sickness hit me again, so I sit down on the chair and rested my head in my hands. I felt someone put their hand on my back, slowly stroking my back, making me peer over at their shoes then look up at them to see Will. He had his other hand in his pocket while he was staring over at Hannibal and Beverly, who were both staring over at me.
"Rough week?" Beverly asked me.
"Oh you have no idea...." I mumbled to her. Will patted my back and I let out a relieved sigh. I listened in on the door opening and closing, then seeing Jack's shoes in my view.
"Will, Grace, Hannibal. We got somewhere to be" Jack told us all. I groaned outloud and stood up slowly. Will withdrew his hand away from me and I followed behind Jack, who was walking fast.
——— Baltimore State Asylum ———
I viewed the sign 'Baltimore's state Hospital for the Criminally insane' as Jack pulled into the car park.
"Why are we here again, Jack?" Will asked.
"For Abel Gideon." Jack informed us all.
Hannibal held open the office door for me and I gave him a quick smile then entered Fredrick Chilton's office. The décor was magnificent, with beautiful light tones as a colour scheme. Dr. Chilton was sat at his desk, fiddling with a pen, until he saw us all enter and he frantically stood up, then walked over to us all.
"Jack Crawford, Will Graham, Hannibal Lecter and..." Frederick stopped in front of me and I slanted my head at him. He had chestnut brown hair and a brown suit on, he was a rich man and knew his people - interesting.
"Grace Lars" I introduced myself as. A smirk appeared on his face and he brought my hand up to his lips.
"A pleasure to meet you, Miss... mrs?" He asked me. I slightly chuckled and shook my head.
"Miss" I told him.
"Ahem" Jack said to the two of us. Dr. Chilton sprung his head over to Jack and gave a smile to them all.
"So sorry. Abel Gideon was a well behaved patient of mine, his therapy was going so well... I thought we were making progress" Dr. Chilton mumbled to us all as he slowly walked around his office, hitting his cane on the floor.
"So is that why you left him alone with a nurse?" Will asked him. I pulled a shocked face at Dr. Chilton and I turned over to face Hannibal, who also seemed confused. Dr. Chilton opened his mouth to say something but I spoke over.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't told about this whole situation... you left him alone with a nurse?" I asked Frederick, with shock and disbelief in my tone.
"Like I said, Miss. Lars, his therapy was going well and he was well behaved. I thought I could trust him" Dr. Chilton said to me. I scoffed and wiped my tired eyes.
"Is that when he attacked your nurse?" Jack asked Dr. Chilton. Frederick sighed as he slowly nodded his head.
"Such a shame, she was loved by many who worked here. Such a beam of hope" Dr. Chilton mumbled.
I stared down at the nurse's dead body and she was just laying in a pool of her own blood. I suppose it was a long and painful ending, no mercy. I turned around and saw Frederick, Jack and Hannibal all talking in one small circle while Will was in his own world. I walked over to the small group of men and listened in on what Hannibal was saying.
"Abel Gideon. The man who killed his wife and child in such a horrid way..." he said, in an emotionless tone.
"And we thought he was our Chesapeake ripper. Obviously not" Jack groaned to us. I wiped at my nose and got a bit of blood on my hand, I must've reopened a wound on my face. The three men looked over at me and Hannibal quickly wiped some more blood off my face using his trench coat sleeve.
"How did that get there?" Frederick asked me, with that mouth of his.
"It doesn't concern you, doctor" I reminded him, angrily.
"Doctor Lecter, what has Grace done to herself?" Jack asked him. Hannibal pulled a slightly confused face and I scoffed to them all.
"Oh, so they start bleeding now and that's when you care. They've been on my face for a while now, Jack" I scowled to Jack. He only just stared at me for a few moments.
"How did they get there?" Jack asked me in a calm but serious tone.
"She told me why, Jack. But it would only break doctor-patient confidentiality" Hannibal jumped in.
"Is Grace fit to stay?" Jack asked. I just let out a loud laugh and Frederick just leaned on the wall, interested in where this was going.
"I am fine! I mean, I spend my own time in the FBI to help you and yet you still don't trust me" I shouted to Jack, angry that he thinks I'm unwell to be in the FBI just because of a few cuts.
"Don't act like your life is so interesting" Jack responded to me, also losing his temper. I bit my bottom lip to avoid saying what I really wanted to say and my anger took the best of me. I went to punch Jack but Hannibal quickly restrained my wrists and pushed me away from Jack, I tried to fight back from Hannibal but he had a good grip on me.
"Don't make this worse for yourself, Grace" Hannibal whispered to me, trying to save my skin.
"I'm going for a walk, before I fucking kill him" I pushed myself off Hannibal and as I was leaving the room, I glared right at Jack, who had his arms crossed and his head held high.
I walked down a corridor, kicking at the floor and repeating what Jack said to me. My life is far more interesting than his. He's just in the FBI, while I also am in the FBI and I'm also the Baltimore Ripper, and an orphan. Three different lives and he's too blind to see who I really am. If Hannibal wasn't there, I'm sure I would've ripped his face off. As much as I now want him dead, he's a good FBI agent and I would only become a suspect. I found myself in a room with small cages inside them, and a white line from a 2M distance or so. I hurried my pace as I saw a Brunette man in his cell and he smelt of bad news.
"Jack Crawford, a stubborn man isn't he?" The man asked Me. I stopped in my tracks and slowly turned around to see Abel Gideon, locked away in the small cage. I walked over to him and he had a smile on him but it didn't seem like a welcoming smile.
"Abel Gideon, wish I could say it was a pleasure to meet you" I gave him a smile back and he scoffed.
"I take it that you have also met Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter, interesting men aren't they?" Abel asked me. I slowly crossed my arms and didn't respond to him, not giving him any satisfaction.
"Frederick Chilton, a very naive and blind man. He says I'm his most prized possession" Abel leaned forward in his cage and stared into my eyes.
"Goodie" he whispered to me. I slightly smiled and slanted my head at him.
"You smell of... smoke, and blood" Abel mumbled to me.
"I own a motorbike" I informed him. He pulled an impressed face and winked at me.
"You're an interesting woman" Abel told me. I smiled and heard a door shut, making me look around the room and Abel snickered under his breath.
"No guards will be coming for a while, you're in the clear my dear" Abel promised me, in a very strange tone.
"Dont call me dear" I growled to him. He smiled and looked me up and down, such a weird vibe off him.
"Why did you kill that nurse" I leaned down so I could get a better view of his face, and see if he lies.
"You're only asking me that so you can prove yourself worthy to Jack... and come to see me less... oh, never" he teased. I rolled my eyes and glanced around the spacious room again.
"If you don't tell me now... I won't come here again" I pouted my lips at him and he sighed under his breath.
"I feel like you have done this before" Abel slanted his head at me and I shrugged my shoulders at him.
"Have I?" I asked him in a sarcastic tone. I heard a door swing open and I looked up to see Will, Hannibal, Fredrick and Jack all hurrying somewhere. I crept over to the wall that was under the stairs and I pressed my back into it, hoping that the shade would also help me blend in. I held my breath and I watched Abel stare in front of himself, not even looking at me from the corner of his eye. Once I saw Hannibal, Will, Jack and Frederick approach Abel Gideon in his cage, I looked forward.
"He won't tell you" Frederick said.
"Well, it doesn't hurt to try" Will responded in his sassy tone. There was just the noises of the four men shoes hitting the polished floors, as I tried to stay as silent and as still as possible.
"Abel Gideon, you have some visitors" Frederick said very slowly.
"Mr. Gideon, my name is agent Crawford" Jack introduced himself as. I rolled my eyes and slowly sat down on the floor, waiting for them to be over with. Abel didn't respond. I stared in front of myself as I waited, so I just relied on my hearing.
"Last night, you killed the night nurse just like the Chesapeake ripper, why?" Jack asked him.
"After being told for many years, that you are the ripper, it's hard to get it out your head. You must let me... comprehend that I'm not as a matter of fact, the Chesapeake ripper" Abel replied, in a sassy tone. I'd imagine that Abel had his head held high as he said them words.
"So why kill the nurse?" Will asked.
"I saw a young woman storm out of here, she seemed devishly angry. She had... long brunette hair, the most beautiful figure and... a scar on her eyebrow. I'd imagine she has scars all over herself, such a poor soul" Abel said to them all, confidentially. I slowly turned my head over to them all and I caught Hannibal hurrying up the stairs and towards the exit. I looked around myself and there was no way I was getting out, without Frederick, Will and Jack spotting me. I closed my eyes and let out a slight sigh, Hannibal just had to wait I suppose.
"That doctor seems to care for her..." Abel mumbled to them.
"Why did you kill the nurse, Abel?" Jack questioned again, since Abel didn't answer Will.
"Well, why did Doctor Chilton leave me alone with the nurse... that's the real question" Abel teased. A sudden static came through Jack's radio and he hurried away to answer, with Will following behind. Chilton waited for Jack and Will to be out of his sight.
"Stop doing whatever you're doing. Or else I will take everything out of your cell" Threatened Frederick. I leaned in a little closer, since this was very interesting.
"You must put something worse on the line, unlike my petty privileges" Abel snapped back, keeping a straight face on.
"Very well" Chilton snarled. Will and Jack hurried back into the room, so Frederick adjusted his posture and stepped back from Abel's cell.
"Doctor Chilton.... Gideon.... me and Will must be leaving. Thank you for letting us book an appointment so early" Jack and Frederick shook hands while I just waited for an opening.
After Jack, Will and Frederick all left and Abel was left in his cell. I quickly got onto my feet and hurried out the room.
"I'd love to see you tomorrow" Abel shouted out to me. I viewed Abel in his cage as I was going up the stairs. He just smiled at me, while I gave a stern look back at him. I just turned back round and ran out and to the exit.
I sat down at a bench outside, putting my head in my hands. I thought about how Frederick treated Abel, and Abel said that Frederick called him his most prized possession. I heard the bench creak a little as someone sat down beside me. I could smell that same aftershave too.
"Where did you go?" Hannibal asked me. I sat up properly and looked over at him. He was also staring at me, with them cold eyes.
"Long story" I groaned to him.
"Something to talk about at our therapy session that is in... thirty minutes" Hannibal informed me, checking his wrist watch.