The Unknown

Kay Leigh always received birthday cards and Christmas presents from a man she knew only by the name of "father." But in reality, she grew up an orphan. Kay Leigh's mother died in child birth, and she never met her father, so she grew up in an orphanage in the slums of New York City. Now it is her 18th birthday, and is free from the parentless chaos of a home she had grown to love. She was starting off a new, and had no idea what to do.

Before she was allowed to leave, she had already been set up with a job, and a small apartment. She was educated enough to be able to work as a cashier for the local grocery store, through the all girl in the run down neighborhood, taught by Catholic nuns. What Kay Leigh was afraid of was the fact that this unknown person, who showed a little bit of concern for her well being, would eventually be erased from her life. She didn't know if he'd be able to receive her new address or anything of the sort. He had never left a forwarding address for her in the past. But this man had always given her a bit of hope to cling to for the future.
One day out of the blue, after settling into her new life style, she received a phone call. The voice at the other end of the line, in a different, alienated voice from that of a New Yorker, said, "Hello Kay Leigh."

Ashley Starling sat on the top of the marble counter in the New York City apartment. Lector had told the teen many times not to sit on the counter but alas she was a teenager and was not about to pay any attention to things she was told to do. Even if the person telling her was a fugitive homicidal cannibal. She had shrugged off that fact many times before and wasn't about to let it stop her teenage rebellion for authority. She was listening in on Hannibal's conversation with a woman named Kay Leigh. Apparently he had some history with the woman who was just a few years older than herself and had a past of hardships as Ashley herself had. Starling yawns a bit boredly as she pulls out her license again just to remind herself of her name before she went out.

"That's right." She says to herself quietly as not to disturb Hannibal's conversation before she needed to do so. "Olivia Handler. Gotcha. Olivia, Olivia, Olivia." She repeats over and over, still having trouble remembering her new name.

Hannibal went by the name of Toby Handler, a name that would allow him to blend in with the hustle and bustle of NYC. No one would remember a Toby and Olivia. Toby and Olivia were just the people whom used to live near you, or maybe they did, you could never quite remember their names. Blending was the key if the two still wanted to live in the United States. While in the house they used their usual names, over the phone it was code just in case someone was listening though Ashley's disapperance and Hannibal's escape had lost it's sparkle in the news they still had to be safe.
Ashley jumps off the counter and slips her unsocked feet into her shoes and heads towards the door. While Ashley passes through the living room Hannibal puts an arm out to stop her.

"Just going to the store Hann--I mean just going to the store Toby." She gives a nervous but sweet smile as Hannibal nods and waves her to the door.

Hannibal continues to talk to Kay as Ashley clicks the apartment door shut and is forced to transform herself into Olivia Handler.

"Hello? Is this James?" asked Kay Leigh inquiring if it was one of her friends who had been adopted just the year before; though she highly doubted it, accents don't change over night.

The voice on the other end was silent, yet she heard another voice...
"Hann...Hann...I know that name from somewhere...Hann?" she thought to her self...
Then it clicked
"Hannibal Lector! My God this is the crazed man...What does he want with me?" She was temped to hang up the phone, but something kept her lingering on, maybe it was the fact that maybe this man had the answers to her long asked but silent questions.

"Excuse me sir, Mr. Lector?" she asked wondering if he was still on the line.

"Yes Darling, but don't call me Lector sweet heart, call me Toby, you wish to ask me something?" was the reply

"Sir, why have you called me?"

"Oh dear child, you were smart enough to figure out my name but are you that incompetent to be unable to figure out why I have called? Oh dear me, I suppose then that I should just let you wander one with out knowing your past." And his hand holding the phone slowly made its way down to the stand, menacingly falling towards the hang up.

"NO! Doctor Lector, Please!" she pleaded

"Oh dear, are we going to start begging and pleading with me now are you? Oh shame, shame such a pity, I thought my daughter would be more like her old man than her innocent mother."

It was now time for her end of the line to be filled with heavy breathing...
Her mind was having a hard time processing the encrypted info she had just received.

"Daughter...Old man...Innocent...Mother?" her mind was set racing...

"Such a pity" the voice said almost threatening...

"Dr. Lector my father? What how..." her mind raced on

"Yes my darling I'm your father, your mother she was a beautiful peace of art." Lector answered without hearing her thoughts.

"My mother? Is she still alive?"

"Oh heavens no, she died, you took too much from her life, hum, I suppose that's how you are so much more like her than I thought. Curious though, you take on my appearance."

Something that had never occurred to her, she wasn't kept up with the news, so she had never seen his picture, she only heard the gossip.

"She died giving birth to me? And you are my father?"

"Yes my dear haven't I said so, your repeated questions are starting to bore me."

"Sir, Dr. Lector tell me about my mother please, how did you meet what was she like..." she carried on.

"Oh my but wouldn't you like to know of your sister first?"

"A sister, I have a sister?"

"Yes, only a half sister though I'm afraid. Your mothers were much different."

Their conversation carried on for what seemed like eternity. But soon enough, Kay Leigh heard a door open on his line and a voice call out "I'm back"

"Ah this is your sister now, she doesn't know of you yet, but I'm sure you two will become friends fairly quick."

"Olivia would you be a dear and introduce yourself to your sister?

'Olivia' hopped down the stairs of the apartment as she dreaded taking the elevator after an incident that had taken place in her recent past. She idly yawned as her sneakers hit the pavement outside of the apartment and Olivia Handler was off into the world, just to buy some groceries but an adventure as always. Hannibal rarely allowed her to buy any groceries as his tastes were more exotic and he preferred to cook but he sometimes fell behind in getting what he called "teenager provisions" such as chips and candy things of that sort. Olivia forced a small smile as she paid the man at the counter and turned quickly on her heels and was out the door again. She'd been hiding away for so long it was as if the girl needed to be re-socialized again like a new puppy. All of the running and hiding had made her paranoid and antisocial. Olivia wouldn't want anything more than to stay in that apartment for the rest of her life; she had her books and she had Hannibal, that's all she wanted, that's all she needed. Up the stairs she went and her hand reached into her pocket grabbing a key then opening the door. Olivia could be Ashley again as she set down her paper bag and flipped off her shoes stepping in the door.
"I'm back." She mumbled in a futile attempt to be quiet as she heard Hannibal speaking she caught a good part of the conversation after some time she peeked her head into the kitchen and saw the phone extended to her.
"Olivia would you be a dear and introduce yourself to your sister?" He gave the trademark grin that Ashley had deemed his "gotcha" grin.
Ashley smiled sweetly and rolled her eyes at him with a small laugh as she took the phone and rolled into the cord and jumped on the counter. It was just like him to pull something like this. Secretly Ashley had figured she was somehow related to the woman he was talking to or perhaps the woman had played a vital part in her, or Hannibal's past. Now it was revealed, Hannibal's daughter, her sister.
"Hi Kay." Ashley gave a smile as she said it, looking at Hannibal as he gave a disapproving look to her as she sat upon his counter top. He gave her a wave to get down but she shook her head with a defiant grin.
"Umm…Hello there…Olivia was it?" Kay held the phone with a look of disbelief on her face, the already unraveled ball of yarn that was her life was now unraveling more as she spoke to what was now appearing as her family.
"Yeah…we'll talk about that." Ashley nodded watching Hannibal as he looked through her bag of goodies and pulled out M&Ms and opened the box. Ashley scowled and shook her head at him as he gave a devilish grin, he was serious most times but Hannibal had his moments. "I apologize that Toby sprung this on you without much consideration to you but he knows what he's doing. Anyhow, from my understanding we're just half-sisters, different mothers. My mother's name was Clarice---"
"Did…did you know my mother Olivia?" Clarice? Clarice Starling Kay thought but pushed those questions to the back of her mind as her own mother took precedence.
"No, I'm sorry. From what I know you're a bit older than I am. I'm only sixteen. Your mother is no longer around either from what Toby has said." She cringed every time she called him "Toby"
"I...I guess she isn't." Kay sighed a bit, she'd found who her mother was only to find she'd died.
Ashley wrinkled her nose feeling a bit odd not knowing what to say to her new found sister. Her eyes drifted over to Hannibal whom was cheerfully munching on the M&Ms with that he recieved a scowl from Ashley again. Feeling somewhat guilty he slowly strolled over to her and offered her some, pouring them out into her outstretched hand.
"May I have the phone Olivia?" Hannibal said more as a statement than a question as he gently took the phone from Ashley.
"Kay perhaps these matters be better spoken of in person?" Hannibal shooed Ashley away from the bag of M&Ms. "Let's say Central Park in twenty minutes." A click. The line was dead.

Living a bit out of the way, Kay hurried past the mirror not even bothering to fix her hair that was flying away from unpacking and starting anew. Anew...yes she was starting anew, but she was traveling to the past. Everything she had known to be true is all a distant blur...besides the pending questions of her mother; one kept pounding on the doors of her mind...

"But why was I left in an adoption home for 18 years couldn't he have taken care of me?" What was she thinking of course he couldn't he was a crazed mad man serial killer on the loose! She scolded herself for such a thought. Yet another came in to view...

"18 years of the adoption center, how come it was that I never had a home?"

She knew this one only Lector "Toby" could answer...she was sure that he had kept her there watching from far away for his own cruel amusement.

Her mind filling up with questions was creating a migraine. And she had left the medicine she depended upon for this moment at home in one of the unpacked boxes...
As her mind was racing once again with a pending pressure, she was losing focus of the road in front of her. The red light just a block from Central Park was covered over as the migraine affected her in such a horrible way.

She woke up in some part of Central Park, where she wasn't exactly sure; she hardly recognized it for the park. The sinister Lector was standing over her a needle and thread in hand...wait not just in his hand, in her skin, just above her left eye. She went to sit up, but

"Tisk, tisk, you should be lying down when being operated on..."

"oper—" she started to ask with no hint of panic in her voice.

"Oh dear, yes, I'm not exactly sure what happened but it appears that you had a bit of a wreak just over there." He pointed in the general direction she had come from.

Olivia looked on or rather turned her head; she couldn't stand seeing Kay awake with the needle weaving in and out...

Lector snipped the thread...

"There, there love, all better. No, no just lay there, you mustn't move just yet, you could self inflict more damage and we wouldn't want that now do we? No, no I don't suppose we do..."

"My mother---"she questioned groggily...

"Ah yes dear, but don't be rude, say hello to your sister." He stood aside to reveal Olivia standing just behind him.

"I'm sorry Olivia I didn't see you there, forgive me I'm not seeing much as of the moment."

"No worry's Kay."

"Now that our little introductions are out of the way, I supposed that you would like to know of your mother, dear?"

"Oh she was one of the most delicious I've had the pleasure of meeting" he continued.

Kay didn't like how he used the delish word...made her think back to all the head lines and she cringed..."what did he do to her?" she thought...

"Nothing like that I assure you, a whole other connotation to the word darling."

"Thank God" she thought.

"No, she was a beautiful piece of art like I've told you before. Nothing like giving a title of art to an artist...Oh she would have been a very successful artist, such a vivid imagination...only I'm afraid she fell in love with a 'monster' but she didn't mind... No she was quite happy with her choice, in fact when she found she was going to have a child, why that was the most productive time of her life. Painting after painting, master piece after, well you understand. Only, like I've mentioned you took a lot out of her I suppose, she died trying to give birth. You were stubborn, dear. I'm afraid you get that trait from me. I'm also afraid that at the moment I had to decided to place you at that ridiculous excuse for a home, I'm sorry about that my dear, but at the time I had no other choice. You see 'puppet'..." the name that had appeared on all the cards and gifts... "The police had already started to tack me down and now that my first love was gone from my life for eternity, I had nothing left to do but run, run as far as I could. Why I didn't take you, I had never been around a child before and well I was afraid of how you would turn out, and I was terrified that I'd hurt you more than those buffoons at the adoption agency would. And I couldn't very well have a new born with me as I ran, though I'm sure I would have more sympathy along with pigs following behind me."

Kay was having a hard time taking all of this in, not just because of the migraine, but this was the real story coming out, her father was actually the insane "Hannibal the Cannibal"
Pretty hard to stomach as you can imagine.

But all of these years she had pitied herself for such a life she had, strangely she was feeling more pity for Hannibal and Olivia than she was for herself. Clarice Starling one of the most known detectives and obviously the love of Lector's that came after her own mother, was Olivia's mother and news was flying around that the woman was dead. Kay couldn't imagine how it must be for Olivia to have known a mother and lose her so quickly it seemed.

Olivia was feeling the same pity for Kay. She couldn't imagine growing up with out her mother's constant guidance and care. Kay had never had a mother nor a father from what she gathered.

At Lector's words Ashley scurried quickly behind Hannibal and out the door. He would want to be there long before Kay arrived, he liked to be prepared. Lector extended his arm to Ashley and she wraped her arm around his with a smile, he was such a gentlemen it was an unbreakable habit. They rode the elevator down, Ashley with a weary look the entire way. Lucky for them their apartment was just a short stroll away from Central Park. They walked around realizing they hadn't given Kay a specific place to meet and after all Central Park was a big place, but Hannibal was aware of the location of Kay's apartment and had a reasonably good idea where she would wander.
Hannibal ushered Starling to a bench and they both sat. Hannibal rested his arm behind Ashley and touched her shoulder lightly. Ashley's eyes were wandering around the park and streets around them looking for an eighteen year-old woman who presumably would be looking for them as well. Hannibal on the other hand would be looking and Starling, noticing over and over how she looked so much like her mother and continued to look more and more like her each day, but perhaps that was just his mind and his yerning for the love of his life.

"Hannibal." Ashley spoke softly so no one else could hear but him, her eyes still wandering.
"Yes, Ashley?" His eyes followed a strand of her hair as the breeze gently caught it.
"Why didn't you take Kay into your home?" Her eyes wandered back to him filled with questioning and a hint of hurt. The sight of that made him pull her close to him.
"You see---" Hannibal paused when a loud crash was heard from just outside the park. "Stay here." He put a hand out as he jogged towards the direction of the accident.

Hannibal walked upon the scene seeing a few cars compacted together. One car, he recognized, belonged to his daughter Kay. Lector didn't bother to look around and survey the injuries of the other parties involved, some were talking and looking confused others were on the phone with NYPD and NYFD Rescue. He walked to the car holding his daughter, she looked to be unconcious and a quick take of her pluse revealed it as such, a gash on her head from the impact with the steering wheel worried him. Gently, he reached in and picked her up. No one seemed to notice, it was New York though and it seemed sterotypes of people only caring for themselves was quickly showing.
The young woman certainly wasn't heavy in Lector's arms, old, yes he was but nonetheless he was stronger than the average man. During the long years he spent in the dungeon basment of Baltimore State Psychiatric Facility and years far after it Hannibal had kept himself in tip-top physical, and mental for the most part, state. When Hannibal and Kay came in view to Ashley she ran over to them quickly with a worried look upon her face.

"Hannibal what happened?" She gasped lightly as Lector set Kay down on the bench.
"Just a small accident. She ran the red light it would seem." Ashley handed him her bag in which she always carried essentials just in the case the two had to run at a moments notice. As Hannibal revealed a small sewing kit Ashley winced and turned her back to him and paced nervously.

"Is she going to be alright?" Ashley was biting nervously on her thumbnail, a bad habit only when she was nervous.
"Stop biting your nail." He spoke without turning around. "Yes, she'll be just fine."

He had nearly completed his task before Kay began to wake. At the sound of life from her Ashley spun around happy to see that Kay had in fact survived the accident. Hannibal made Kay address Ashley but all she could do was wave a quick hello before the two began to speak again.
The entire situation was moving so fast. Suddenly this new woman had been thrown into the already complicated mix of Lector's past. If on a day to day basis Ashley didn't dedicate much of her time in rememberance of her mother, this would bring up even more feelings of the loss of her mother.
The difference between Ashley's past and Kay's was that Kay had never had the pleasure of a mother's company nor experienced those joys and good times. It was all a mystery and she'd had it rough from the start. Not to say that wasn't worse than Ashley's past because in all sense of the matter their troubles had been equal. Ashley different from Kay had experienced the joys and guidance of having her mother by her side day to day for thirteen years. After that it was a whirlwind of adoption, protective custody and kidnapping she had finally landed back in her father's arms.
Ashley couldn't imagine for a moment what life would have been like without her mother there, teaching her everything she knew along the way. Thirteen years of love and devotion. Thirteen years of so many happy memories and lessons learned. She felt overwhelming sadness for the woman laying before her, she'd never had a family and someone to share those memories and teach her things. Up until now Kay had been all alone, save Hannibal's distant letters.

"Ashley stay with your sister. She's not going to be able to walk. I'll get the car and we'll take her home." Hannibal walked off with those words.

Starling sat down at the end of the bench near Kay's feet and watched her carefully. When Kay tried to sit up Ashley gently pushed her back down.

"Isn't your name Olivia?" Kay eyed her with some confusion. Her eyes were starting to focus better. Ashley smiled.
"My name is actually Ashley." She spoke in a hushed tone. "And 'Toby' is Hannibal of course. He took the names from a Shakespeare play. Just like him to do soemthing like that." Another smile crossed her lips.
"How long..have you been living with him?" Kay sat up and Starling stopped her protesting.
"You don't keep up with the news do you?" Ashley smiled and watched for the car. "Just over a year now. He 'kidnapped' me from my protective custody and we've been living together ever since."
"What...what about your mother?" Kay watched Ashley for her reaction.
"She was murdered when I was thirteen." Ashley stated rather bluntly. "It's been a large media cover-up for the past three years. Now that the media got wind of it after my 'kidnapping' everyone is hearing about it. She was one of the FBI's best, even when she was a rookie she put away a serial killer with dad's help. I miss her with everything I've got. Having Hannibal around helps though." Ashley would speak Hannibal's name quietly in the case of someone listening in though she doubted anyone would.
"I'm very sorry to hear that." Kay said feeling a bit uncomfortable not knowing quite how to respond to someone who was so open about things past.
"It's alright Hannibal helps." Ashley said her eyes twinkling almost giddy. "He'll take care of you too if you let him. Just give him time and be polite. He eats rude people."

At that while Kay sat a bit too shocked to speak after Ashley's comment Hannibal pulled the car up as close as he could manage without going onto City property. Ashley stood and offered her arm out to Kay as her sister began to take a few weary steps. Ashley carefully placed her arm around her sister's back and another holding close to her arm to keep Kay's balance for her, they started off slowly to the car as Hannibal held the door open.

"Ready to go home?" Ashley smiled.

Home, a word new to Kay's vocabulary. What was this strange foreign word? Would the next word added in be "family"? Could this ever really be a family? It seems that her mind was filling to the brim with questions today, or maybe they had always been there in some form or another. And needless to say, she wasn't ready to be in a car again.

Home was an apartment, larger than her one roomer, but on the opposite side of town from her own. Now that she had found her father or more he had found her, would this "home" Olivia, or rather, Ashley, spoke of become her permante address, or would she become just another part of Hannibal's past? Like her mother? Like Ashley had been? Or poor Clarice? Would she be just another shadowy figure deserving of a grave marker? This was her biggest fear.

Sitting comfortably on a sofa, in between Lector and Ashley who was sitting on the floor, the room was filled with silence. One of those uncomfortable silences that you fill if a pin dropped, everyone would go mad claming the sound was deafening to the ears.
Ashley was the first to speak...

"So um...anyone up for m&m's?"

"Oh yes dear that would be lovely." Sweetly replied sinister Lector innocently...

"Oh um, no thanks for me, I'm diabetic" Kay said politely, still wondering on Ashley's comment...

"Oh yes, another attribute from your mother's side, though she of course wasn't diabetic herself, it seemed to skip her generation and had the unfortunate timing of placing itself in your lap. Dreadfully sorry my dear. It must be awful to keep up with such a thing."

"Its really no big deal, it is if its not kept up with, but I do keep myself in check. I wouldn't want to fall ill. Not with the new job and all..."

"That's right you work at, where was it again, oh yes PannMart was it? Yes, yes I do believe that is where the adoption center directed me when asked."

"PannMart, at the corner of 18th and M?"

"Yes, that's it. Why?"

"Oh nothing important, that's just my favorite store, I went there earlier today."

"Well since you know where it is, you could always pop in and say, 'hi.'"

At that, Ashley quickly brought back the M&M's for her and Lector.

"Would you like anything at all, Kay?"

"Oh no thanks." She said cheerfully though she was a bit unsure of herself.

"This James you mentioned on the phone, Puppet, who was he? Is he of any importance to you?"

"James, well he was one of the few friends I made there at the orphanage. Sadly though when he was adopted, we lost contact. The Agency doesn't really let you talk with the children once they are adopted, a strange rule to say the least."

"How old was this boy?"

"Well, now he'd be 16 or close to it. I've never been one to keep up with important dates such as birthdays."

"Well Puppet, have you had an relations of importance?"

"Oh no, I never have, I'm guess you could say a loner."

"Ah a loner, finally something that you take after me in. It's a pity you don't share the same tastes."

This made Kay cringe a little.

"Oh dear, have some guts about you, you don't see your sister cringing every time I mention my tastes. Be a dear, and learn to be a bit more like your sister."

"Be more like my sister, but I don't even know my sister. How can I be like her if I don't know her? And why can't he except me for who I am?" she thought to herself

"No, I don't mean for you to be exactly like her, I do except you for who you are, I just see your cringing as a bit rude."
"Way to scare your own daughter, Dad" said a witty Ashley.

"oh I suppose you already warned her that I eat rude people, have you?"

"Of course, but how was she supposed to know that you saw cringing as rude? Please?"

"I thought you may have mentioned that to her as well."

"Well, I didn't, I didn't think to tell her that, it never occurred to me, I'm sorry." She said almost sarcastically, seemingly a bad habit of teenage life Hannibal couldn't break her of as well.

"Its no big—" Kay started to say when Hannibal turned and gave her a little warning smile...

"Shutting up now..." Kay replied...

And Hannibal took some more of Ashley's m&m's pleased with himself.

"Speaking of rudeness...may I please have my m&m's back, it seems you took all but two."

"I know how many I left you with, my dear, I'm quite good with numbers." He replied menacingly dropping a few of his handful in to this mouth...

"My M&m's please!" she said with a bit of immpatcience.

He casually held out his hand offering a few back. Ashley took about half of what was there.

"Oh my, my. Aren't we a bit grouchy today?"

"Only when you take my M&M's"

At this moment Kay let out a giggle. And in turn so did the other two...

Ashley crawled into the back seat of the car after helping Kay into the front. As always when she was in the car she leaned her head against the glass and looked out, watching the scenes passing by. Her eyes casually glanced back to Hannibal, whom was looking at her in the rearview mirror. Kay was deathly silent but her eyes were open and she was alert, pondering something it seemed. Hannibal gave her a small smile as he returned his eyes to the road and pulled up onto the street.
Hannibal held the doors and pushed the buttons as any good gentleman would do. Ashley held onto Kay's arm as a just-in-case that she were to fall due to her head injury. They made their way to the living room, Ashley gently sat Kay down onto the sofa and Hannibal sat across from Kay. As not to seem as if Hannibal and herself were ganging up on Kay, Ashley sat on the floor between the two.
Ashley's following sarcasm and wit would never be pushed from her attitude. It was proven as she was living with a cannibal, fugitive and serial killer and her attitude changed not a bit. Ashley kept herself respectful towards him, though she did push the limits with him at times it was obvious he saw too much of him in herself to scold her.
Starling became intensly worried that Hannibal would take her and Kay's rivalry to any extreme and make Kay feel uncomfortable. Even though Starling was feeling the rivalry and wanted still to be Hannibal's little girl she also wanted Kay to be apart of their disfunctional family.
What was this? A boy? Sixteen? These boys, she was unfamilar with the breed but she'd heard lots about them. At sixteen Ashley had never had a relationship. After her "kidnapping" she had to keep herself at a low level and not open herself up to anyone. She was homeschooled and she only left the house to go to the store or occasionally on a walk. What was this thing called a boy?
After they had all ceased their giggling Ashley looked to the both of them with a smile and sighed softly. She moved over to Hannibal's feet and sat next to his legs he gently nudged her with his foot as his leg sat across his left knee, she grinned.

"How..um..how long have you two been living here?" Kay finally got the nerve to speak.

"Six months. Right?" Ashley tilted her head back to look at Hannibal.

"Yes, six months. Previous to that we lived in Paris for six months. I suspected someone had recognized me so we moved here." Hannibal nodded eating a few more M&M's.

"Isn't it hard? Having to move around all the time whenever you think someone knows who you are?" Kay tilted her head slightly as she looked at the two, both whom seemed to fit as such a family. Kay felt somewhat like an intruder.

Ashley nodded to that. "I can't make friends and no relationships. It's just us." She stated with a hint of saddness in her voice as she voiced her previous thoughts.

At that Hannibal placed a hand gently upon her head. "Hopefully now though you and your sister will be able to keep one another company and fortunate for Puppet she can keep outside contacts unlike you little one." He smiled gently at her and removed his hand.

"Is everything in order at your apartment? Rent easily paid and the so on?" Hannibal raised his eyes to Kay.

"Yes. Yes, for the most part my job at PannMart should keep the bills paid."

"Perhaps if the bills become too overwhelming you will move in with your sister and I."

"That's very generous of you to offer. Thank you."

Kay stated feeling as if the conversation had become a bit dry between her father and herself. It wasn't like Ashley and Hannibal's relationship where they would joke and banter one another. She'd lost the year that they had spent bonding. Kay also had a feeling that Clarice had held a special place in Lector's heart that her mother had never touched. She had obviously drifted and gone silent.

"Kay, are you alright?" Ashley tilted her head accidently bumping Hannibal's foot.

"What? Oh. Yes I'm fine I was just thinking." Kay snapped back into reality and saw the two looking back at her with a questioning look.

Hannibal nudged her back with his foot. Ashley turned her head and scowled at the foot as if the foot had done some irreversable act. Hannibal smiled as she turned her head with eyes narrowed.

"Thinking my dear? Questions are to be spoken not thought." He smiled gently at her.

"Just..umm...thinking about work." She quickly nodded her response.

Even Ashley noticed it. She shook her head and made an 'uh-oh' face to Kay. A hand went to Ashley's head again.

"Your dear sister noticed that lie, Puppet. Another thing you did not recieve from me, the ability of a good liar." He patted her head gently. "Little Starling must have failed to mention that I cannot stand to be lied to, now tell us Puppet what were you thinking of that took you away from us?" A satisfied grin crossed his lips as he removed his hand.

Ashley knew now that the rivalry was going to stand. Not because of Kay and her relationship with one another but because Lector continued to spur comments. Ashley knew that Hannibal was just testing Kay. Hannibal had done similar things to her when he continually told her how unalike she was from her mother. Now, he openly commented how much alike they were, it pleased her to know that she was like her mother and even more like her father whom she admired beyond all things reasonable.

Hopefully, Kay would stick with them. She wanted another woman in the house, someone she could confide in about issues about being a teen. Ashley wasn't able to talk to Hannibal about such things. She had a family but she needed a friend.

Kay had this knowledge of when people were testing her and her limits, but she couldn't stand it being her father to test them now...

Why couldn't he giver her a break?

It seemed to Kay that he should be enjoying her company, not testing her. Was that how he saw her something to be tested like a pupil? She couldn't bare the thought...a pupil, was he going to teach her how to cook human parts? She couldn't stand thinking of eating or cooking such things...but as a child, she had a knack for exchanging doll parts of the figures she was supposed to be playing with, not destroying.

Now she couldn't remember what she had been thinking about...so instead of making something up, she told the truth...though she had a distaste for it.

"To be honest now, I don't remember."

"Ah yes, silence can turn a person mad, I suppose." Replied lector.

Again there was that eerie silence that had come upon them before.

In that once more awkward moment, the door bell buzzed.

"Don't worry I'll get it!" Ashley said jumping up...

"No bother, I'm closer." Kay said getting up and checking through the peep hole.
At which Lector seemed pleased, she knew how to keep things safe...

"Um, its some guy carrying a flute, do you know him?"

"Oh dear, unfortunately I know, though I'd rather like to eat him."

Kay gave a soft giggle becoming more used to his little comments.

"So should I let him in?"

"Oh dear no, he's once again being rude, who carries a flute with them to their neighbor's apartment, unless it was to play an awful solo?"

"Hum..." Kay shrugged at the though... "Maybe just a new set of lungs and a pair of lips, maybe if he didn't have stubby fingers..."

"What is it now Puppet."

"I was just thinking...if he was scrambled up a bit that he'd play better."

"an intriguing thought. How so?"

And Kay only shook her head. She didn't want to be the next wacko in the family.
Ashley had one to deal with, and Kay didn't want her childhood to come back.
This was no time for remembrance in that sort. Now was a time to make everything new.

In fact a new wardrobe seemed to be in order for both girls.

"Do you mind if I steal Ashley away for a few hours?"
"Oh dear heavens what ever for?" said Lector and a mock cry.

Ashley and Kay looked at each other, seemingly reading the other's mind, and let out another round of giggles and Hannibal joined in.

"Go on out with you to now, go on shoe!" Lector said hurrying the two out, he already knew what was going on in his daughters' minds. And it would give him time to prepare dinner for the two and have a snack before the meal, one of his own tastes.

As the two headed out the door, he tossed Kay the keys to his car, and mentioned that they were to be home no later than 6 pm.

"Just don't run the red light again, Puppet."

Ashley let out a cry of joy and smacked her hands together as she sat in the passenger seat and Kay climbed in and started up the car.

"I haven't been out ages!" Ashley giggled as they pulled out of the garage and started down the street.

"I figured he'd like to get us out of the house. Not to mention it'll be nice to get some new clothes. New clothes for a new life." Kay smiled as they slowly crept along the street.

Finally, it seemed they were able to be more open with one another. They could start being friends and sisters. The "family" bonding between them could start, without Hannibal in the mix making things difficult.

"Tell me Ashley--"

"Olivia. Just be careful that you call me Olivia in public." Ashley smiled. "Sorry for interrupting, go on."

"Sorry, Olivia. How do you manage with...dad's... appetite." Kay thought about her words carefully.

"Respect him for his tastes. Join him occasionally. Maybe not eat but sit with him while he eats." Ashley smiled at the question.

"Hmm. I see. You were never grossed out by it?" Kay laughed slightly as she looked at Ashley.

"Naw. I was ready for it. My mother, when I was little she used to tell me about this man she loved so much. I was a bit tainted in that sense. It never fazed me. I know he can't do it and how horrible it is. But he's my dad." Ashley shrugged trying to explain her odd logic. "I never questioned him about it. He thinks it's right and that he can do it and he does."

"Does he ever question you like he does me?" Kay asked wondering if it were only she that he was targeting.

"Oh yes. He asks me to explain things for him all the time. Then with his psychology he just analyzes anything I do. He's just trying to get a feel for who you are. He knows all about me and it didn't take him a year to do it either. He's good. You won't have to deal with it in this magnitude for long. Be patient and know he's testing you."

"Thanks...sis." Kay smiled. "Did he give you money?"

Ashley nodded and smiled. "I always keep a good amount of money on me at one time just in case. Never know what might happen."

"He's very generous isn't he?" She pulled in front of a store.

"Oh yes of course. He's such a gentleman. Give it time you'll see it in him too. I promise." Ashley smiled and stepped out of the car.

10 Minutes Later

Ashley was looking through a rack of pajama bottoms and Kay was wandering through the rows of clothes. Between the two they had already stacked up a good pile in their cart. While Ashley was debating on a pair of pajamas with horses on them and a pair with ducks she heard Kay talking to someone on the other side of the clothes rack Ashley was surveying.

"James?!" Ashley heard Kay's voice nearly shout.
"Kay, I didn't think I'd ever run into you again." A young man's voice spoke. Ashley peeked through the clothes rack yielding no sight of this thing called "boy"
"Whatever are you here for?" Kay's voice was bright and cheerful.
"I'm supposed to get a birthday present for my sister." Ashley noticed a hint of annoyance in his voice. "What on earth are you doing here? Finally got out of that place?"
"Yes, actually I did. I found my biological father and my half-sister... just today actually." Kay's voice still held it's cheerful tone. This James character seemed to bring her much joy Ashley thought.
"Well if you found them... what are you doing here?" James said in a teasing tone.
"My sister, Olivia and I decided to have a girls day out and do some shopping." Kay spoke, pausing as she stopped herself from calling her Ashley. "In fact. I think she's just over here."

James took a look around the close rack to see Olivia holding up pajamas with horses and ducks...he laughed in side his mind, to see some one like Olivia standing like that.

When Ashley saw that this "boy" was staring at her, the pajamas dropped from her hands...

"This is what's called a boy?!?!" she thought to herself

"Olivia, James. James, Olivia."

The two just stood silent only glancing at each other for a moment till James spoke.

Putting out his hand, "Hi, nice to meet you."

Ashley wasn't sure if she should take his hand or not, so instead she kneeled down to pick up the p.j.'s she dropped, but doing so apologized for it, James always was a bit of a gentleman and knelt down to help her pick them up. But as James went down and Ashley came up their heads collided.

"Ow!" they moaned coming up from the floor each holding their head and a pj...

"Sorry" again they said simultaneously

At that moment a 15 year old brown hair, hazel eyed girl walked in, "James have you gotten Shauna's gift yet?"

"No Lindsey I haven't, but I want you to meet someone."

"Kay, this is my sister Lindsey, she and Shauna are twins. Lindsey this is Kay, and Kay's sister Olivia."

Ashley blushed as James mentioned her name.

"Yeah nice to meet you all, but James we really have to go, so pick something out, and lets go, mom's getting impatient and is already outside in the car."

"Well, Sorry Kay, Olivia, but it looks as if I have to go now. But I'll tell you what, I'll give you my new number and address, and my email so we can stay in touch and catch up." James said as he jotted everything down on the back of Ashley's hand.

James hugged Kay and gave a wink at Ashley and grabbed a black blouse and was off to the cash register, then out of the store.

"So that was James?" Ashley said.

"Duh!" Kay said laughing at Ashley.

She elbowed her little sister slightly, "So what do you think? Cute isn't he?" she said grinning.

"Yes he is," Ashley said turning a bit red at the cheeks.

Kay decided not to pursue the crush any further; instead she suggested a trip to the pet store to play with the animals...

10 minutes later in the pet shop...
Kay is playing with a snow white rabbit with one red eye and one green eye...and Ashley is playing with a 3 legged mix of mini poodle and golden retriever puppy.

Kay still holding the rabbit turns and calls out to Ashley, is there any one here you want to take home?

Ashley was about to answer that "Toby" wouldn't like the idea of an animal in the house, but Kay stopped her in her words...
"Don't worry 'bout Dad, I'm sure he'll warm up to the idea that now you can have a friend besides me in the house..."
With that Ashley's fallen jaw jumped right back up and held tight...Kay disobeying? How could that be?

The cashier when buying their pets mentioned that the puppy was already bath room trained, but the rabbit wasn't...so Kay got the supplies needed, a cage and litter for the rabbit, a collar and leash for the puppy, and food and treats for both.

Ashley attempted to pay her sister back, but Kay refused, "its no problem really, think of it all as some really late birthday gifts to make up for lost time."

On the car ride home Ashley sat her new pooch down in her lap and struggled for a pen she had shoved in a pocket. She quickly outlined James' number and other stats quickly as they started to fade as her new puppy insisted on licking her hand.
Kay noticed the silence in the car as Ashley was gazing out the window with a slight smile on her face.

"Penny for your thoughts." Kay looked over at Ashley who smiled.
"I like James a lot. I know I just met him but I really do like him." She sighed slightly as she rubbed her hand gently where he had held it. "But Hannibal…. He'd never let me go out to see him. It's too risky and… I'd have to lie to him and I couldn't be that horrible especially since I like him so much." Ashley spoke almost in one breath.
"Did you ever consider trying to get your life back? You haven't done anything wrong. You're just Ashley Starling I doubt anyone else knows you're Hannibal's daughter now do they?" Kay continued to drive; they neared Hannibal and Ashley's apartment.
"There's something about harboring a known fugitive. It is his apartment and all and I'm sure if it came down to it I could just say that he kidnapped me and was holding me so I couldn't leave." Ashley looked over at Kay. "I couldn't do that to Hannibal. I couldn't risk his life for… me."
"I know Hannibal isn't the most approachable man in the world. You have a good bond with him though. You've spent a great deal of time with him, you know him better than you think you do I'm sure of it. Talk to him about it. I'll even bring it up to him if you want. Set the groundwork for you, if you know what I mean." Kay smiled; having a sister like Ashley was already proving to be extremely interesting.
"Really?" Ashley's smile reappeared. "I'd really appreciate it if you did talk to him about it. It would mean a lot. Thank you so much." She felt like hugging her newfound sister, but alas, driving and hugs weren't a good mix.
"No problem. Alright. Time to bail out and show dad our new furry friends." Kay smiled grabbing her rabbit gear from the car as Ashley was eagerly hopping up the steps to their home.
"Yay! This is our home." Ashley was talking to the dog in a childish voice but the words registered strongly with Kay.

Our home. It had a nice ring in Kay's ears.

"Our home" I've not had one of those ever.

Kay was still pondering lots of details. Such as why couldn't he have "kidnapped" her like he did with Ashley? Ashley willingly stayed with him all this time. All Kay ever got was a gift ever holiday that deserved a gift. What kind of father does that? She knew that she should be grateful that he did finally contact her. And that she now has someone to blame for her "issues." Some of which could not have been explained with out knowing her father. There was a pressing matter at hand though, so her anger would just have to wait.

Now just how to get Hannibal to allow Ashley to go out and date? "I'll just make it up as I go."

A little later on, between supper (Mc Donald's Kay had picked up for herself (rare is how she likes her burger meat) and Ashley, Hannibal had his own fix.) and dessert, (store bought sherbet from the work place) Ashley was interrupted in her thoughts by loud voices. At first she thought it was just the neighbors, but as she made her way through the apartment, Kay and Hannibal were arguing.

"Why can't you let her have a normal life?!?!" Kay raised her voice losing her patients.
"Normal, her mother was an FBI agent; do you think she would have a normal life?"
"It doesn't matter, when her mother died, it was the perfect time for her to begin a normal life, Clarice probably gave her a normal enough life in order to protect her!"
"Protect her, protect her from what?"
"From YOU!!!"
"She knew about me didn't she?"
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"Don't play games Lector, you told Clarice about me! She knew, but because you told her not to tell Ashley, she didn't!"
"I have no idea what that has to do with Ashley dating and having a normal life"
"I WANT HER TO HAVE WHAT I DIDN'T!!!" Kay was now screaming. "YOU TOOK AWAY ANY CHANCE AT A NORMAL LIFE I HAD SINCE THE DAY I WAS BORN!!!" she was spitting nails.
"I couldn't very well take you with me around the world as I ran now could i."
" IT LECTOR! YOU MADE ME THE BLOOD SUCKING MONSTER, FREAK OF A PERSON I AM!"

Ashley peeked around the corner of the room. Cringing with each of the harsh words they threw back at each other. Kay getting more and more aggravated with each word while Lecter stayed perfectly calm with each biting word, though it was obvious he was getting angry and an angry serial killer wasn't really the safest thing.

"Stop it! Just stop it! I'm not worth this! Just STOP IT!" She came from around the corner, her eyes glassy with tears. They both stopped and looked at her, a bit shocked at her sudden appearance.

"We're finally back together and you're fighting! Just stop!" She took a heavy breath before spinning on her heels and heading down the long hallway to her room, closing the door carefully, as her new puppy followed her inside, her back to it as she slid down it before hitting the floor. Her knees pulled to her chest and her head rested on them, she starts to cry.

Lecter looked up at his eldest daughter with an apathetic gaze. "Clarice knew of you. Ashley did not, however, before today. We thought it best that neither Ashley nor you knew of each other for fear of this." He gestured, meaning their current state of combativeness.

"It's not fair to her. You took away my childhood and I won't let you take away hers. It's not fair to her, not one bit. She should have everything that I didn't." Kay huffed, angrily pushing hair from her face.

"She understands that. Perhaps you should come to as well. She understands fully that she will never be able to have the life of a "normal" teenager. Clarice understood that when she decided to have Ashley as well." He spoke calmly, heading towards Ashley's room to take care of the damage he'd no doubt inflicted upon the young teen.

"Your fancy for my tastes, Puppet, however, was not something any of us had come to understand."

Walking back into the dining room muttering curse words and such, Kay in a fit of frustration and anger pushed and threw the dishes off the table against the wall, and as each plate shattered, she became angrier, no mater how many pieces these plates broke into, it could never match how many her heart was in. She was torn, she wanted her sister to have a life she didn't and would never have. She wanted Lector to have a heart. She'd never see any of these things.

She stormed out side down the stairs and as she went, she slammed her fist into the wall, each knuckle bleeding crimson. As she felt the pain, it couldn't compare to everything he had put her though, that he's now putting her sister through. The smell of blood was making her light headed. She reached into the car and pulled out her purse, grabbing something from inside, she made sure no one was looking, and drank from a vial.

Ashley had come out after her, wishing to calm Kay down and convince her to come back inside to work things out. "BLOOD SUCKING MONSTER" rang in her mind and ears as she witnessed Kay's doing. Ashley when first hearing the words had not thought literally meaning. But dead in her tracks she knew ever word was meant.

Kay looked up and saw Ashley's horrified face. " IT!" was all that she thought. She dropped the vial and it shattered, Kay took off running. "Need to get away! Didn't need to see that. Should have done in private..." and things of such kept plaguing her as she ran. Kay needed to be as far away from that face as possible. It was impossible, Ashley's face mixed in with all the others as the kids from the orphanage looked with shock and disgust as she was taken away in a straight jacket all those years ago.

Hannibal knocked gently on Ashley's bedroom door.

"Come in." She stood, shakily and moved to her bed, wiping her eyes before mutter quietly. The good doctor walked in silently, watching her carefully.

"I apologize for that little one." He moved to her bed, sitting down beside her. "It will be difficult for her to understand how we must live in order to survive, her past and what will become of her future is another difficult task in which she will be working on. You need to help her. I trust that you will help her understand and come to deal with what she is going through." Lecter leaned and kissed the top of her head. "I heard her run out. Go on now and talk with her."

Ashley nodded with a small smile, hopping up from her bed and shoelessly thumping down the stairs of the apartment. She reached the front door and saw Kay standing near her car. What was that? Blood?!

The young Starling's mouth dropped, not in horror but more of in shock. It wasn't as if this was something new, disgusting or even something she'd take much notice to on a daily basis. The shock that her new half-sister was closer in genes to their father than she'd presumed was more the cause than anything.

As soon as Kay took off running, Ashley pounded the pavement after her. It was an odd hour of the day and luckily there weren't many other pedestrians around.

"Kay stop! Just wait a second! Stop!" Ashley yelled after her sister, her shoeless feet were starting to ache under the strain of the pavement. She eventually stopped, breathing hard before she stopped and turned, heading back towards Lecter's apartment.

"I think you and Kay need to talk." She spoke before collapsing on the couch in exhaustion.

6 blocks away and standing on 6th street, realizing she left her cell at Lector's. "&$" Kay said aloud not wanting to return to that hell. Searching through her purse she was interrupted by the sounds of an angry man. She looked up across the street, down an ally barely lit by the street lamp in front. Trying to under stand what the man was saying to another on his knees, she jumped when she heard the gun go off.

Kay tired to bite her tongue, but a scream came out that she could not hold back. This is it she though as the man heard her cry and started random shooting, dropping her purse she took off back in the direction of the apartment.

Who knows how none of those shots hit her? She kept running. Knocking furiously on the door to the apartment out of breath. " IT! OPEN UP! PLEASE GOD HURRY!"

Ashley sat on the couch while Lector cleaned up the kitchen from their dinner. Hannibal had made her some tea to keep her calm after Kay had run off. She'd turned her attention back to her books, immersing herself in the stories to keep her mind off of reality.

She jumped when the pounding came to the door. Shock held her suspended in place, Hannibal came from the kitchen, moving to the door. He peered through the peephole, opening the door before Kay stumbled in, muttering a long line of profanities.

"Kay!" Ashley jumped up from the couch, her book falling to the floor.

"Close it. There's someone. Behind me. Guns. Shot him." She muttered, breathing hard. Hannibal closed the door and ushered her to the couch.

"Ashley, be a dear and go into the kitchen. Get a cool glass of water for your sister." Hannibal waved her off and knelt before his eldest child.

Ashley scurried into the kitchen. Fumbling for a glass from the tallest shelf and breaking a few pieces of ice into the glass, then filling it with water from the fridge. She returned quickly to her father and sister, sitting next to Kay.

"I saw him. I ran a few blocks. I heard them shouting. Then he shot him. I screamed. I think. He saw me. I started running. He started shooting. I need to go home. I just need to go home. It's been a long day. A long day." She said starting to stand; four hands were on her, settling her back down.

"You can't go home, Kay." Ashley piped up. Hannibal was watching them carefully, that calculating look on her face. "You left with your purse. You didn't come in with it, you must have dropped it. He could have all of your information; he might know where you live."

"Sht!"

"Oh my GOD!"

Kay jumped off the couch. "WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO NOW?"

"Now Puppet" Lector started out before being interrupted by Kay.

"SHUT UP!!! THIS IS ALL YOUR 'G.D.' FAULT!"

Not again! Ashley was thinking

As Kay and Lecter's voices started to rise once again, Ashley stepped in the middle as now the two were nose to nose in a face off. "BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!"

When she got the two's attention she simply stated "It doesn't matter who's fault it is, all that matters now is that Kay's life may be in danger, and ours two. If the man who shot at her followed her here, or at least saw which apartment building she entered, the police will come knocking at our door."

"Oh I dear say Little One you are correct, we must be on the move now."

" now I have to be on the move with 'Mutt and Jeff'" Kay thought sarcastically.

Immediately Hannibal and Ashley started packing. Making sure that Kay's murderer was not around, the two started packing up the car.

"Kay grab the rabbit and things! Come on hurry!" Doing as Ashley said, the pup following at Ashley's heels, in the car they jumped leaving behind "home"

Hannibal started the car just as soon as the girls were in and drove off into the night, just as the sirens were heard in the distance.

Ashley sat looking out the window. Sadly reminiscing at the loss of another home and of James, somewhat of a new friend. Her hand lay on her new puppy's head. A suitcase of clothes lay in trunk, Hannibal and she had very few things that they held dear or cared to move from place to place.

She knew she couldn't cry. Hannibal wouldn't approve and she had to be strong, just like Clarice. Later, when she was comforted by the darkness of whatever new hotel they'd stay at until Hannibal found a suitable place for them to live, would offer her a sweet relief in which she could cry in.

Ashley watched Kay from the backseat, the two in the front sat in silence. Lecter with that cold calculating look on his face and Kay with a blank stare as she too stared out the window. The sirens making them all somewhat uneasy, the least of it seen in Hannibal's face. He was almost too calm, too cool and too collected for the situation. Ashley had always noticed he did that.

Soon, they would all reach a different hotel, Hannibal and Kay would stay together while Ashley was to stay at a hotel someplace down the road. Hannibal and Ashley couldn't risk being seen together. Nearly four hours later, they stopped in Philadelphia. Hannibal handed Ashley a new ID and a few twenties to hold her over until he could pick her up in the morning. Then they'd continue on their journey to another state where they could take up another temporary residence.

"I'll see you in the morning." Ashley spoke, grabbing the leash on her puppy and climbing out of the car. She'd find a hotel around there that was pet friendly. She knew Hannibal was thinking as much as she that the pets weren't a good idea. They were easier to travel without and if they got into too much trouble, the dog and bunny would have to go, people would recognize them much easier that way.

Glancing at her new ID, Alice Brunswick. She couldn't even remember the last name now. It happened that way. The Ann's, Alice's, Olivia's, Becky's were all blending in her mind. She started off down the lonely road, Hannibal's car lights disappearing into the distance. She hoped their stay at the hotel would be less eventful than the incident at the apartment.

At the hotel, Kay refused to get out of the car. "I'm not going in" she said softly. Kay was thinking, now that she was sure for the most part that the killer didn't follow her to Ashley's apartment last night, it may be safer, for her at least to talk to the police, and they'd be hunting her down soon enough. Her own I.D. was in her purse, and her face would be plastered around New York. The news would say something like "She's not wanted for arrest, just for questioning." But it just wasn't the guilt of seeing the crime; she didn't want to move around with them like this. She was given somewhat a chance at a normal life style when she was emancipated, she didn't want to feel imprisoned again. She didn't want to run place to place at any given moment. Ashley seemed to be use to this already, Kay was only in two places growing up. Finally she had an apartment, a job, and college. What more to ask for? Family, family, family... kept running through her mind. Is this the family I want? Always running, no one to talk to but each other?

"It will be much warmer in side puppet."

"I'm fine" Kay said, trying not to sound snappy, but failing miserably.

Kay curled up, the bunny and cage on the floor board below her. She opened the cage a bit and slipped in her hand to stroke the fur. Before she knew it she was fast a sleep.

Sleep is when past haunted her. Usually it was of child hood, but tonight's nightmare was the phone call, the car accident, the yelling, and the murder. How could someone live their life running place to place? Hannibal did it to survive. Ashley did it to discover what happened to her mother. Kay didn't know why she was running. It seems that's all Kay has ever done. Run. She ran from the other children, she ran from the nuns, she ran once from Lecter, and from Ashley, she ran from the killer, and now she's running from the police. "Run, run, run, run, run!" a tiny voice inside her screamed, and another yelled the opposite "Stay, stay, stay, stay, stay!" She didn't have much of a choice, The car had already started up, no doubt Lecter decided not to wake her as he started the car to pick Ashley up.

Ashley slept soundly in her hotel room. Curled up with her new puppy, the heat kicked on HIGH and snuggled under the covers. Falling asleep to the sound of the TV was a horrible habit she'd picked up in New York. It drowned out the sounds of roaring traffic. Here it was quieter though, the habit carried over however.

She awoke the next morning to the buzzing of her alarm. She uttered a few profanities before clicking it off and stumbling out of bed. Ashley took the puppy outside while she munched on a bagel. Quickly she dressed, checked out of the rather rickety hotel and waited outside for Hannibal to come by.

Eventually, his car appeared over the hill, the bright headlights making Ashley cringe. It was only 8 in the morning, and she was a teenager after all. She climbed into the car, the air was tense and she assumed Hannibal and Kay's night had gone less smoothly than hers had. Kay looked as if she hadn't changed clothes from the night before, while the good doctor looked rested and fresh as usual. Yep. Something had happened, but she kept her mouth shut for the time being.

"Can we please, please, please go somewhere warmer this time? I'm sick of the cold weather. Florida? Please. Please. Please." Ashley sat forward between Hannibal and Kay's seats.

"It's only..." He glanced at his watch. "Eight in the morning and you're already pestering me. You could have at least waited until Kay and myself had breakfast."

"I ate. Dr. Lecter I figured you would have found something for your refined tastes by this time in the morning." Ashley retorted slyly. "Plus, I know you get up at the crack of dawn and I know you were looking through real-estate ads this morning AND I also know you already ate as well."

Hannibal grinned slyly, "Sometimes I wonder if you're getting smarter than your mother was. Perhaps mixing her and my genes wasn't the best selection. The child is not only too smart for their own good but stubborn as well." He bopped her in the nose with his newspaper.

"Thanks, a bunch." She rubbed her nose and looked at Kay. "You look like you need some coffee sis."

"'O 'anks" she grumbled and started to doze off again.

An hour or two later Dr. Lecter pulled into a McDonald's parking lot, asking if Kay would run in to get herself something to eat and some coffee for the adults, and a soda or something for Ashley. Kay reluctantly agreed, but when Lecter handed her some money to pay she shook her head.

In the restaurant, she uses the rest room to wash up, her make up was thrown all over her face, and she just looked like an utter mess.

She ordered the items and returned to the car, passed out the goods, and remained silent. She took the rabbit out of the cage and held the poor thing that was shivering with fear. Whisper and calling the animal "bunicula" got a bit irritating to Lecter, but he let it slide. Obviously Kay had a great deal of love for the bunny. He looked and noticed it was chewing on her finger where blood was trailing down. He figured it was the fact that the rabbit and Kay had the same tastes in common that she cared so much for this thing.

Ashley and Kay on the long ride were both getting bored out of their minds; Lecter wouldn't let them turn on the radio. Kay asked if they could stop somewhere and buy cd players and some variety puzzle books to keep themselves busy. Surprisingly Lecter agreed to such. Most likely because Kay wasn't used to the moving around, or long car rides. Ashley accompanied her sister into the store, while Kay again barrowed the rest room. Coming back, Kay met Ashley in the music section. Picking up some cd's, 10 to share between the two, they continued on to the puzzles. In the book section, Kay decided to pick up a few murder mysteries to read along with a romance. If she was going to be stuck living with these two for the rest of her life, or at least for a while, she didn't want anything to do with Lecter. So she'd avoid him by reading. Ashley asked if it would be ok to pick up some magazines as well, Kay said she didn't mind. When they had gotten out of the car, she didn't refuse Lecter's money, knowing she was getting low on her own cash. She'd have to find an ATM soon to pull out some more. She didn't want to live off of these two, but she'd pay for the extra books and magazines from her own money. Also knowing that lunch was approaching, Lecter instructed them to pick out some thing to hold them over and possibly a few snacks, and some water or juice. Kay handed the money to Ashley to pay for the items, as she picked up a water bowl for the pup, and browsed the jewelry section. She felt for Ashley, and wanted to find something to cheer her up. Finding an antique chocker with an embellished cross, she purchased and stuck in her pocket.

When pulling out back on two the high way Lecter, thinking both girls were listing to they're music, started to quietly sing "we're on the road again" Kay and Ashley bit their lips in order to stop the giggling.

Ashley sighed in relief. Content now that she had a few magazines to read along with some music. The awkward silence could now be filled. Hannibal kept on driving, it was nearly dinner before they stopped or much of a conversation would be carried out.

The young Starling found it odd that Kay would continously leave for the bathroom in a jiffy whenever they stopped anywhere. She was chalking it up to discovering her sister's fancy to blood.

A "Welcome to Raleigh" sign flashed by, just barely registering in Ashley's tired mind. He was heading south, than god, she was sick of the cold. It didn't faze her that they'd passed right by D.C. or through VA where she'd lived for so long. Kay wouldn't have even noticed this little piece of history in both Lecter and Starling's life.

Ashley nearly jumped clear across the back seat when the phone clipped to her belt started ringing. Shaking her out of her half-sleep daze and leaving her confused. She didn't know who on earth could have been calling her. The only two people she'd given her number to in recent memory were sitting in the car with her.

Ashley's heart beating, she answered the ringing phone.

"Hello" she said with a slight shake to her voice.

"Olivia is it?" question coming from the other end of the line.

Suddenly registering though her mind she chocked out "James?"

Now Ashley was feeling like a fly trapped on a spider's web. She didn't remember giving James her number, Kay should have known better, but some how it just didn't feel as if Kay was behind this. Then she caught the reflection in the review mirror, that trickster smile.

"Uh...James could you hold on a sec?" she asked hesitantly.

"Sure"

"Han, uh, Russell, What the heck?"

"Little One, relax, you know the rules, don't tell him your name, don't let him know where we are going, who we are or what we've done. And do try to keep your head on your shoulders and not up in the clouds."

Ashley swallowed hard, looking at her phone as if it were a writhing serpent in her hands, she sighed and pressed the reciever to her ear. The young Starling shot a glance to Dr. Lecter who's eyes had returned to the road, he'd spoken his peace and that was that.

"James, I really can't talk to you right now. I'm at work. I'm sorry, I'll talk to you later." And before she'd let him get another word in she clicked her phone off. Her stomach was churning with frustration she needed to get out, out and away as fast as she could. Thank god there was a hotel up ahead. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall, not in front of Hannibal, not ever.

Hannibal came to a stop a few moments later in the parking lot of the hotel. Ashley barely let the car come to a stop before her puppy, her bag and her were out the door and quickly making a book to the main desk where she could rent a room in ANOTHER roach-ridden-motel and get ANOTHER horrible night of sleep on the beds that certainly had gotten more action that she cared to think about before she got up in the morning to ANOTHER fake name in ANOTHER town that she'd move away from just as soon as she'd come to it. Ashley was craving some consistancy in her life, and she knew Hannibal would brush this all off to an infatuation with a boy. James.

Quickly, Ashley threw down a few bills and flashed her ID showing she "was" over 18. Her puppy sensed her emotional state and kept in step with the young girl as they hastily made their way to Room #9, not bothering to look back for her sister or father. She slammed the door in the paper-thin motel, making the room shake and an angry upstairs neighbor pound on the floor, shaking the room even more. Ashley barely managed to kick off her shoes and fly face first into the bed, stuffing her face into a pillow before the tears fell.

it was a good time later when Ashley had cried all she could manage to cry and was drifting off when her phone starting vibrating on her nightstand, it continued to move around in a circle, flashing lights until Ashley snatched up the phone and groggily answered.

"I know it's late, but you didn't sound well earlier, I just wanted to make sure everything was alright." A concerned voice sounded from the other side, Ashley sighed, this boy was going to be the death of her.

Ashley fumbled around in her mind for what to say. "Oh no, I was just at work and a little busy at the moment. James? Right now isn't really a great time either, I've got another long day ahead of me and I need some sleep. Is it alright if I call you back sometime tomorrow?"

"Of course it is, say about noon time?"
"Sure noon."
"Great I'll be waiting to hear from you. Get some rest then you hear?"
"I will."

And the phone call ended. Ashley turned over and looked at the puppy licking her hand as she fell asleep.

Ashley was sitting on the curb a few blocks away from where Hannibal had dropped her off. Her suitcase was sitting on the curb next to her along with her puppy, whom she'd named Dean finally after a few days of namelessness.

To any usual pedestrian or motorist that passed them, Ashley, now Alice, looked simply like a young woman, down on her luck that was looking for a ride. She glanced at her watch, it wasn't usual for Hannibal to be anything less than prompt. Ashley figured they were having a spat and that's what was holding them up.

She looked up when she noticed a large black car approaching her, she knew it wasn't her father, simply by the way the vehicle was driving. Ashley was already on her feet before the car got remotely close and she started walking, faster as the car approached, looking briefly over her shoulder now and then, hoping Hannibal would show soon.

It was already approaching noon and the last thing she needed was another phone call too.

Ashley dug in her purse, tugging her puppy along with her and answered the phone. She sighed in relief when she realized the car following her, and the person on the other line was her sister. She stopped walking away and waited for her sister to catch up, which didn't take long with the way Kay was driving.

"Hannibal is going to kill you." Ashley shook her head as she got in the back seat, knowing Hannibal would take the driver's seat and Kay would move to the passenger side. It dawned on her she still couldn't call him "Dad" it would be a little too weird for her to wrap her brain around calling a fugitive serial killing cannibal her father. Hannibal would do for now.

"We better get back to the hotel, he's going to flip his lid." Ashley was still shaking her head as she pet her pooch.

"Nice ride. Oh, by the way, he called and he is supposed to call soon. " She said a few moments later, hoping Kay would know who she was talking about.

"Are you going to freak out this time?" she giggled, Kay knew it was hard for Ashley, but it was cute all the same...she knew Ashley's small panic was not all due to the fact that they were on the run with a wanted criminal, but that this seemingly harmless boy was tugging at the strings to her heart.

"Shut up." She stuck out her tongue at her sister. "I didn't freak out. I don't think Hannibal would have appreciated me chatting it up with a boy. I should know better." Ashley wrinkled her nose and shook her head again.

"I wish I knew where we were going, he never tells me until we get there." She frowned, pulling out a map and tracing their travel route from NYC.

As they pulled into the parking lot and Hannibal approached the car, a displeased look crossing his features, Ashley was running her finger down the interstate they had been traveling, looking to see where it led."Oh. My. God. We're going home. He's taking me back home."

"Very good little one." Ashley jumped slightly at the sound of the doctor's voice, not having heard the door open, Kay being ousted from her driver's seat.

Ashley sat quietly, contemplating the fact of returning to the place where she had lived with her mother, a stunned look across her face. So lost in thought, she didn't hear her phone ringing.

"Ashley, you don't have your phone on vibrate, answer it!" indicated Kay as lector looked on with neither a look of approval or dissatisfaction...

"Ahem! Ah-Ahem!" kay cleared her throat and throwing her head to the side communicating for lector to "get lost" while Ashley had her conversation in privacy.

Lector decided to take his eldes by the arm as they took a short walk around the corner...

"Why?"-kay
"Why? Well why not?"-lector

those were the only two sentences Ashley heard from the duo...