Somewhere in Baltimore...
The Head of the BSU watched as they put all the corpses into body bags. Once again, the Chesapeake Ripper had just escaped his hands. Agent Crawford had to fight the urge to kick his foot into the wall. Not only does he have to face the media about this gruesome kill, but he will also have to remind himself that he had just missed the Ripper. Usually, he would have more details on the kills but unfortunately, Will was no longer with him.
"Is it him?" Crawford asked, his voice dangerously low. Part of him didn't want him to hear the answer.
"There was some blood left on one wall. We're testing it against the data but from the looks of things... it could be him." Price spoke as he handed some photographs to Crawford. "We're waiting on Zeller and Beverly to confirm everything back at the lab."
There was no doubt in Crawford's mind that it was Lecter. When he had gone to Will's house that day, he had expected to see the profiler asleep or purposefully ignoring his phone. There had been other times when Jack had been to Will's house, wanting to see if the profiler was doing well. What Jack hadn't expected to see was to see Hannibal Lecter's car.
Jack couldn't help but feel suspicious. Slowly walking into the house, Jack watched as Hannibal stuffed Will's clothes into a carry before placing the profiler's phone and gun on the table. It was then that Jack noticed the store-bought dog food on the floor. Jack knew Will would never feed his dogs the store-bought kind, When he was about to announce his presence, he found a plate flying to his face.
From what he knew, Lecter wasn't the type to be aggressive but Jack's flight or fight instinct kicked in as he reached for his gun. There wasn't a doubt that Jack had chosen to fight. "Dr. Lecter?"
Instead of answering, Hannibal merely threw objects at Jack before lunging towards him. Surprised, Jack was tackled to the floor, his gun flying beneath a cupboard. The dogs in the other room barked madly as the two men wrestled on the floor. Hannibal had gotten the upper hand as he knocked the agent unconscious.
When Jack woke up again, the room was empty. The dogs were lying around him, one of them, a brown dog that looked like a mix of a border collie and a German shepherd, was sniffing Jack's head. Jack had seen that dog with Will every time he visited. Groaning his pain, Jack clutched his shoulder before searching the entire house. Once he found no trace of Will or Hannibal, Jack ran outside and called out for Will. With no sign of the profiler, Jack reached into his pocket before calling the last number he had called. His face grimaced, the horrible realisation dawning upon Jack.
"Alana." Jack breathed out. "The Ripper's taken Will."
Unknown Location.
Will didn't know how to react. He had spent most his day trying to get the cuff off his leg and Hannibal just does it for him. Will kept quiet and let Hannibal lead him. Part of the profiler feared that if he made any sound, Hannibal would change his mind and lock Will back up in the room. Once they had reached the bottom of the stairs, Hannibal began walking to the kitchen. This was Will's first time in the kitchen and it looked awfully similar to the one Hannibal had in his other house. The one where he didn't keep Will chained to the bedroom.
While in the bedroom. Will couldn't see Hannibal's face very well. Now that he was under the artificial light, the profiler could see scratches and bruises on the doctor's face. He also noticed the slight limp Hannibal had when he walked over to the counter. Pulling out one of the kitchen island chairs, Hannibal gestured for Will to take a seat. Once again without questioning it, Will sat down. He watched as Hannibal walked over to the fridge and pulled out different vegetables.
"What happened?" Will asked as Hannibal began washing the vegetables. While Will had an inkling what might have happened, he still wanted Hannibal to confirm it.
"I was thinking of making Ratatouille," Hannibal replied, making no move to answer Will's question. The profiler watched as Hannibal moved to one drawer and pulled out a knife. Part of Will didn't enjoy seeing Hannibal with weapons but he decided not to say anything. "Usually paired with meat but I shall abstain from that for your sake."
"You're injured." Will tried again.
Hannibal didn't feel like talking about the day's events. He knew Will must be curious. Instead of completely ignoring the question, Hannibal knew he should, by the very least, give some vague details. "I thought I could trust someone with a job but they ended up calling the FBI. I had to wait till they got rid of the roadblocks before I could head back."
Once Will heard this, he nodded. He hadn't expected Hannibal to answer seeing as how he tried to brush off the question. They had fallen into a comfortable silence. Hannibal proceeded to cut the vegetables while Will watched from where he sat. Usually, back when Will didn't know about Hannibal's 'activities', he helped Hannibal with chopping the vegetables. Will understood that this wasn't possible now. Hannibal probably didn't trust Will with a knife. Will couldn't trust himself with a knife as well.
"I'm going to trust you and leave you in the kitchen while I go clean up," Hannibal spoke as he was wiping his hands. This startled Will. They had been basking in silence for quite some time and if someone were to speak, Will never expected this. "Can I trust you?"
Will didn't know how to answer. While he wanted to leave and get back to his dogs, back to his normal life, there was a small part of him that desperately ached for Hannibal's company. The doctor provided something that no one else, not even his dogs, could offer. Not wanting to take too long to answer, Will simply nodded.
Hannibal lingered for a few seconds longer before walking out of the kitchen. Will could hear Hannibal walk up the stairs. The profiler was really tempted to run to the door and leave but he didn't. Instead, he got down from the chair and searched the cabinets for a glass. All that crying and attempts to break the chain left Will exhausted. While there were water bottles in the room, Will was prepared to die. Drinking water wasn't on his mind. Now that he was calm, his body kept signalling he is probably dehydrated.
Within a few minutes, Will had found the glasses, and he grabbed one of them. It was like the ones Hannibal had in his other house. Filling it up with the fancy-looking water filter, Will walked back to his chair and gulped the whole glass in one go. The house was quiet. The only sound came from the oven that emitted a soft hum.
Sitting there for a few more minutes, Will decided to place the glass in the sink. Just as he stood up, he felt the air shift behind him. Turning around, he stared directly into Hannibal's eyes. While Will tried not to show it, his heart nearly skipped a beat at the sudden appearance. Acting like nothing happened, Will continued towards the sink.
"You never cease to amaze me, Will," Hannibal spoke, a smile on his face as he walked towards the oven. Will merely acknowledged his words with a soft hum. "You had ample time to find a weapon and plan your escape but you didn't."
"I thought you didn't want me to resist," Will replied as he sat back in his seat.
"A little resistance now and then can be exciting," Hannibal answered. He was now wearing a black sweater, his face slightly bruised.
"Because what's life without a little excitement?" Will asked rhetorically but with Hannibal, no question is rhetoric.
"Bland."
"I doubt I'll be able to overpower you," Will replied as he drew random lines on the cool countertop. He stared directly at Hannibal before continuing. "You've demonstrated your physical prowess many times before."
"You underestimate your strength and willpower, my dear Will," Hannibal stated as he too stared at Will. The kitchen was getting too quiet. The atmosphere was unbearably thick.
"I thought I was supposed to be the fine piece of china Uncle Jack kept away," Will retorted, a humourless smile on his face. Will was referencing the first conversation they shared over a meal. Just as Will finished his sentence, Hannibal chuckled, amusement evident on his face.
"Ah yes," Hannibal's lips quirked into a smile. "You should understand that you're more than just a teacup." Hannibal answered, popping the 'p'.
Just as Will was about to reply, the loud 'ding' of the oven interrupted them. While Hannibal tended to the dish, Will fumbled with his fingers. He wasn't sure what to do as Hannibal started plating. Usually, Hannibal would let him set the table but that wasn't an option here. Will couldn't help but zone out, his mind wandering to random places. This is one reason why Will preferred to be doing something all the time. While sometimes Will preferred silence, there were times when his mind would walk into dark places. Places Will had no plans on visiting soon. Snapping out of his thoughts, Will accepted the plate that Hannibal placed in front of him. The profiler, however, made no move to eat. He simply watched as Hannibal began to eat.
"You have had nothing for the entire day," Hannibal spoke as he chewed on his food. "Eat."
At that, Will picked up his fork. He had a very important question to ask but Will didn't feel like he was ready to gear the answer. Stabbing a piece of vegetable, Will took a bite. As always, the food was excellent. Nothing to complain about that. Instead of starting a conversation, Will studied the different scratches that littered Hannibal's face.
"You seem to have something on your mind," Hannibal commented, wiping the side of his lip with the napkin. "It's quite visible on your face."
"I have a question but I fear the answer," Will answered. Will wasn't in the mood to have a conversation but felt he shouldn't leave Hannibal unanswered.
"Ask me when you no longer fear the answer." Hannibal shifted in his seat, slight discomfort clear in his expression. "I'll be happy to answer regardless of how long it takes."
"You're gonna be waiting for a long time," Will muttered as he turned to face his plate. He was nearly done. With his hunger satiated and mind comforted, he could feel the exhaustion creeping up on him. He didn't want to go to sleep knowing that Hannibal would put that damn chain on his leg again. It's been days since Will has moved freely. He would not rush back into being chained.
"There was something Jack always told me," Will spoke, his eyes glancing at Hannibal.
"And what is that?"
"That I'd bury myself too deep and all I will have is what the corpses that plague my mind offer," Will answered with a grimace on his face. He remembers that conversation clearly. He had just finished giving Jack some insight into a scene. All the officers that surrounded him watched as Will narrated the horrible details. It made Jack want to gag but after seeing the unaffected look on Will's face, he uttered out that very line.
"And what do those corpses offer?" Hannibal asked as he ffinished his meal.
"Understanding."
Hannibal hummed at Will's answer before picking up the plates and placing them in the sink. "I apologise. I did not prepare any sort of dessert but I can always offer some fruit." Hannibal suggested but Will merely shook his head.
"I'm fine," Will answered.
"If you insist," Hannibal replied as he let the dishes soak. Hannibal returned to his seat and opted to make eye contact with Will. The profiler suspected Hannibal wanted to continue the conversation but Will didn't know what to say.
The house was quiet. Will wanted to maintain it. In a different circumstance, he actually preferred this type of silence when with Hannibal. Now, it only meant that there was something left unsaid. Something lingering in the air and Will couldn't help but fear it.
"We'll be leaving in two days," Hannibal said breaking the silence. "We shall be flying to Florence."
"Florence?" Will couldn't help but question.
"Yes," Hannibal answered. "It's where I lived before coming to America. I'm certain that you would love it there."
"How can you be so sure?" Will asked, a small part of him breaking at the new plan. If he leaves for Florence, any chance of Jack finding him would vanish.
"I just know."
They stayed up for a few more minutes before Hannibal suggested going to bed. While Will insisted he go back to his room, Hannibal had no plans on listening. He ushered Will into the room where Hannibal slept.
"There's no use replacing everything since we will be leaving," Hannibal explained as he handed Will some night clothes. Accepting the clothes, Will walked into the bathroom and got changed. The profiler had gotten a glimpse of his face in the mirror. He looked horrible. His eyes were slightly puffy from all the crying and he looked like a ghost who hadn't slept in a millennium.
Opting to avoid the mirror for the rest of the time, Will quickly changed his clothes. After washing his face and cleaning up, he walked out to find Hannibal on a phone call.
Hannibal lifted his hand, gesturing for Will to be quiet as Hannibal spoke into the phone. Unfortunately for Will, Hannibal spoke in what seemed like Italian. Will could understand a word or two but other than that, he was clueless. Sure, Will knew other languages, he just never focused on Italian.
Pausing in his step, Will stood there awkwardly as Hannibal continued his conversation. They were talking about trains and something else. That's all Will could get from the conversation. Fiddling with the loose curl that was dangling on the side of his neck, Will waited for Hannibal to finish his conversation.
Within a few minutes, Hannibal finished his conversation. Sighing loudly, he placed the phone on the bedside table before turning to Will. "I apologise for that."
"That's fine," Will brushed it off as he walked towards the bed. Hannibal also got onto the bed and settled against the head of the bed.
This was awkward. This would be the second day he would share a bed with Hannibal. Last night's incident was based on impulse, he hadn't wanted to sleep alone. Brushing off his hesitancy, Will got under the covers and laid his head on the pillows. The bed smelled like Hannibal. Everything smelled like Hannibal, the doctor's cologne laced on all of his belongings.
"If you feel uncomfortable, I can always move to the couch," Hannibal offered as he closed his book.
Turning to face the doctor, Will shook his head. He then shifted on the bed to make himself comfortable.
"Let us get some sleep," Hannibal spoke before placing the book on the table. He then switched off the light. Complete darkness shrouded the room instantly. Neither of them moved for a long time but none of them were asleep. Will simply stared at the rough outline of Hannibal while the latter stared at the ceiling.
"Do you consider me one of your corpses?" Hannibal whispered. It was loud enough for Will to hear.
"Yes," Will whispered back.
"And do I offer comfort?"
"Unfortunately, you do," Will answered before closing his eyes.