Disclaimer- I own nothing but Tessa. All credit goes to Thomas Harris
This is just a funny little piece that popped into my mind while I was trying to remove sticky oatmeal from my daughter.
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It had been a long day. First was the endless rounds of typically hopeless patients; the psychosomatics that didn't really want to get better. What they wanted was for him to confirm that they had yet another reason for spending copius ammounts of inherited money on therapy. Next was the ones sent there by the court. These were usually a little interesting, but not enough to change Dr. Lecter's view of them. A bunch of ill-mannered, brainwashed teenagers who thought they were invincible. Lastly, there were the actual patients. The ones with serious problems that needed his help. Unfortunatly, there weren't any that day.
Returning hope in the evenings was always an unfettered joy. The luxury of sitting quietly in front of the piano, or talking quietly with Clarice. He never tried to kid himself, she was the reason he never worked late, or any more then he had to. As he drove the commute back home that day, Dr. Lecter mused on the happenings of the last year. So much had happened that it seemed like a decade, and paradoxically, time flies when your having fun, and it seemed like mere hours. He never took for granted how happy she made him, and he would never allow himself to become blinded to all those little things she did for him. Those little things are what make love so enjoyable.." he mused.
Their house was a modest affair, but with a little paint and plaster, they had made the interior purely them. He still held the image of Clarice, smeared with blue paint and with her hands on her hips, glaring at him in mock anger. The commute was necessary, as they had both opted to live a decent distance away from the city. It was perfect. Dr. Lecter smiled to himself, lost in self-congratulations until he swung open the door.
The sound of chaos is impossible to pin down, but if you've ever been in the company of a hyper-active toddler, then you might have a fair idea of what that noise is like. As it was, he opened the door to the sound of a crash, followed in short order by giggling and a moan. "Clarice?" he called, hanging up his coat on the rack.
"In here!" she answered, sounding tired. The hallway was covered in a deep green runner, matching well with the pale, ivy colored walls. Turning the corner, Dr. Lecter had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.
The living room was a mess. Clarice was sitting cross-legged on the floor, in jeans and a soft yellow sweater. Facing her was a sight terrifying to some. Dr. Lecter was too naïve in the matter to know to be frightened. "Hello, love.." she mumbled, scooping up the pile of pillows that the baby had scattered. "Clarice," he began, not tearing his eyes from the funny little babe eyeing him back intently, "Clarice, darling. Is there something your not telling me?" Face flushed, she looked up at him innocently,
"No.. I don't think so, why?"
"Simply put, unless I've been away at work much longer then I thought, then there shouldn't be a baby in our house." A wry smile was tugging at his lips.
"Um.. You remember Tessa Jane, right honey?" She asked, scooping the 10-month old up and despositing her in his arms deftly.
Backing away slowly, she called back, "It's her dinner time, I'm going for a bath, foods in the fridge!" and she was off like a shot. Staring down at the child in his arms, Dr. Hannibal Lecter shrugged, "How much trouble can you really be?" he asked, giving Tessa a smile and ruffling her soft red curls.
How much trouble, indeed.
If the living room was a mess, then the kitchen was in the eye of the storm. Unaccustomed to holding a baby, Dr. Lecter simply set her on the floor as he opened the fridge door. There were two jars, one filled with green mush labeled 'Peas', and the other with a slime that was a pleasing color of royal blue, it said 'Blueberry Dessert'. "Obviously the peas." He said, a little smug, "I don't see why people make such a fuss." Turning back, he immediately realized that Tessa was no longer where he had left her.
Scanning the room, Dr. Lecter noticed a pair of chubby legs sticking out from the cupboard under the sink. He swooped down, snatching her up just as she reached for the Ajax cleanser. Sighing deeply, he gave her his best stern expression, Tessa just grinned back at him, proudly showing off her two front teeth. "Let's just give you dinner, okay Tessa?" he asked, she made a face and burbled back.
There was a lack of seating for the tot, so Dr. Lecter settled her on his lap, cracking open the jar of pungent peas. A plastic coated baby spoon sat on the table, and scraping a little of the paste, he fed her the first bite. He watched as her blue eys went wide, and she made a horrible face, promptly spitting it back out. Dr. Lecter looked down at his white shirt, now covered in green, he could feel the cold slime against his skin. "Sorry, Tessa.." he mumbled, pouring the peas into a bowl and microwaving them.
Back at the table, he blew gently on the spoon, cooling the food a little. This time she ate without complaint, though it was debatable as to weather she got more in her mouth of her face. "Good girl.." he said with a chuckle, manouvering the spoon back to her mouth. After half the bowl was gone, Tessa decided to up the ante, and wanted to feed herself. Grabbing for the spoonful of green peas, she upset the whole lot and it glopped onto her front. This seemed like a good game, and she grabbed at the stain on her pink overalls. By the end of the meal, his white shirt was covered in olive colored baby handprints, and Tessa's face was throughly green.
"I think you need a bath." He stated, and she answered in wet baby talk, liberally spattering his face. Shaking his head, he hoisted her back into her arms and set off for the spare bathroom. While adjusting the water, Tessa stayed happily in one place, tugging at the designs on the bathmat. Undressing her proved to be more difficult than he had previously thought, as she squirmed around, smearing more peas on everything she came in contact with. Her diaper was wet, so he quickly sluiced her off, before settling her in the water. With a facecloth, he tenderly began to remove the remains of her dinner, but he came to a slight quandry when he reaized that she had the peas in her hair too. Resting her against his hand, he lowered her into the water, carefully removing the mess. Tessa began to cry as some of the water splashed her face. She flailed around, sloshing water out of the tub.
The sound of a baby crying is enough to cause most people to panic, and quickly he finished and plucked the unhappy child from her now-green bathwater. Wrapping her in a thick blue towel, he rubbed her back soothingly. "Shh now, Tessa. No need to cry." He said softly, rocking back and forth until her tears stopped. "Good girl, now, should we get you dried off?" She patiently accepted the drying, but, when Dr. Lecter took her downstairs, she tensed up. "Oh dear.." he moaned, reaching the living room just in time to wrap her in a blanket, she relaxed. It was cooler down here, he noticed while searching for a diaper. Coming up victorious, he returned to Tessa.
Now, the mechanics of putting on a diaper are simple, but trying to get one on properly while the baby is wriggling and trying to escape, well, the difficulty increases exponentially. And, of course, once you succede, there's still the pajamas to deal with. Drawing out a sleeper, pale yellow and printed with ducks, he spread out the garment. The arms were simple enough, as was the torso and legs; it was where the torso and legs connected that gave the good doctor trouble. "What kind of ridiculous monkey suit is this!" he exclaimed, un-snapping the offending part for the third time.
"Alright.." he mumbled, tackling the problem with clinical scrutiny, "Now, this snaps here,.. this piece here,.. and that one under there! Done!" he exclaimed, smiling smugly to himself. He looked down at her face, little fists balled up and rubbing her eyes. Her rosebud mouth opened wide as she emitted a tiny, squeaking yawn. She whimpered a little as he sat down on the couch, laying her beside him.
Her hair was still damp, and he marvelled at the little ringlets. As she rubbed her eyes again, he watched her hands. Perfect little fingers, ended by diminuitive nails. Reaching out, he touched her cheek, it was so soft, but chilly. "Cold?" he asked, pulling her into his lap again and covering them both with the blanket. Tessa lay her head against his shoulder, and soon fell fast asleep. There was one last thing he didn't realize. A sleeping baby is a very effective sedative. And soon, lulled by her soft breathing and gentle weight, Dr. Lecter fell asleep too.
Clarice woke up a few hours later, disturbed by the sound of the doorbell. Shaking her head, she glanced over at the clock. 8pm, "Shit, I didn't mean to fall asleep!" Running down the stairs, she jerked open the door. A young, red haired woman stood on the other side; Sabrina, Tessa's mother. "Sabrina! Sorry, I fell asleep.." She smiled, Clarice had guessed her age to be somewhere between 19 and 21. "It's ok.. The little mite can be a real handful!" Guesturing for her to come inside, Clarice looked around for Hannibal.
Stepping over the threshold, Sabrina hung her coat on a peg. "I hope Tessa wasen't too much trouble," she apologized with a grin, "and thanks for taking her on such short notice." Clarice waved a hand dismissivly, heading for the living room.
"Don't give it another thought! It's a change." Sabrina nodded, biting her lower lip as they turned the corner.
"Now there's a sight I'd never thought I'd see.." Clarice whispered, giggling. Number One of the FBI's 10 Most Wanted, the infamous Dr. Hannibal Lecter; dark hair streaked with dried green peas, his shirt liberally coated in the same, and damp from bathwater, curled up under a mantle with a babe asleep against his chest. Both wore the almost unperceptable smiles of pleasant dreams.
Sensing a change, Dr. Lecter opened his eyes, yawning. "Oh, dear. Hello Sabrina.." he said, realizing how he must look. He moved a little to shift Tessa to the couch, she stirred and began to whimper. Shaking his head in mock despair, he tucked her back against his chest, trying unsucessfully to hide his pleased smile. "Hello Dr. Craim, do you think I might able to get my daughter back now?" She winked at Clarice, neither of them fooled by the tough-guy attitude. Realizing the hoplessness of the situation, Dr. Lecter reverted to his usual generous self. "Of course, and take the blanket, she seems to like it." And indeed Tessa seemed to.
After a few minutes of careful manouvering, and some quietly whispered goodbyes, Clarice watched as Sabrina's tail lights dissapeared. Hannibal was sitting in the kitchen, turning over the forgotten spoon in his fingers. The room had once been in the eye of the storm, apparently, the storm had not passed by without a token guesture of destruction. "Enjoy you nap?" he asked sarcastically, not looking up. Rolling her eyes, Clarice took the seat across from him, "No, but apparently you did."
"Little monster," he said with a motion that encompassed his appearance.
"And you think yours would be any better?" she tone was a little mocking. He nodded, giving her a smile, "Our children would be taught to like cold peas." She laughed, walking over to stand beside him. "You think?"
"Without a doubt." Her eyes looked a little distant when he glanced up at her.
"I hope our baby will be as lively."
"'Would be' Clarice." He replied without missing a beat. She looked down at him, taking his hands in hers. "No hon, will be." Recognition flashed like a flame in his maroon orbs. "Our baby?" he asked.
"Yup." She enjoyed the look on his face, "Our baby. I think Tessa was good practive for you."
He just hugged her and didn't bother to give her a reply.