Note: Okay, here's another one of my silly ideas bouncing around in my head. I sincerely apologize if I've taken the same idea as someone else may have already had, but I haven't read all the Hannibal fanfics out there so honestly don't know if a similar story has been written before. It may be an idea that alot of people have had so I apologize if that's the case....I had no intent of copying somebody else's idea....this is just something I came up with that a dozen other people may have some up with too!

Disclaimer: The characters of Hannibal and Mischa Lecter are the sole property of Thomas Harris and I'm not making any money off this so pzzzztttttttthhhhhttt!

THE OTHER ONE

Chapter One

Summer in Vilnius, Lithuania, 1938. Hot. Hot and searing pain and the woman is screaming. Screaming as her firstborn child is ripped from her womb in a frenzy of blood and amniotic fluid. As loud as the screaming is the abrupt silence that follows as the umbilical cord is severed and the bloodied child is placed at her breast. She looks down at her newborn son lovingly and the birthing pain of just seconds before is forgotten as he suckles at her breast. He is beautiful; perfect. Perfect from the lids of his amethyst coloured eyes right down to the perfectly replicated sixth finger on his left hand. Anna-Maria Visconti Lecter cradles her newborn infant as the nurse sponges her sweaty forehead with a cool wet cloth.

The new father hesitantly approaches the bedroom door, and seeing his wife nursing their newborn son, quickly makes his way to her bedside. The nurse continues to see to Anna's comfort as the doctor congratulates Ivan Lecter on the birth of his first son. The traumatic birth is over, the child proclaimed healthy, and all is right in the world of this young family's grand summer home.

"What shall you name the child?" the nurse asks the new mother.

"Hannibal."

Seconds after the child's chosen name leaves her lips, Anna is again seized by the excruciating pain in her womb. Unexpected this time, and more brutal than any pain imaginable, she loses her hold on the infant and the nurse is barely able to safely snatch him away just as his mother begins to writhe and sob in pain.

"What-" Ivan Lecter is visibly shaken as the doctor shoves him aside. Anna is overshadowed by another wave of contractions, a thousand times more painful than what she experienced bringing little Hannibal into the world just minutes ago. She is delirious with the pain, she fears she's dying, the faces and voices around her become one great blur as an ether-soaked cloth is placed over her face. She hears voices coming from afar, as if she is floating in a bubble and the voices are on the other side. The pain is moving farther away, she is faintly aware of a feeling as if she's being ripped apart, and drifting, hearing voices......voices......

"How can this be happening - "

"I swear there was only one heartbeat...."

"Her belly looked hardly large enough to be carrying even one child...."

"......twins.....?"

Morning and Anna-Maria wakens to the sound of an infant crying. No, make that two infants crying. The nurse carries both babies, one in each arm, over to her.

Dazed, Anna looks up at the nurse, whispering "twins?"

"Yes, you gave birth to twins - two perfect identical baby boys, and the doctor says they're both healthy in every way. You certainly surpised us Anna - even the doctor had no idea you were carrying twins! You'll be fine, just rest, and enjoy your little ones."

Anna dimly remembered the previous evening, holding little Hannibal briefly before falling away from consciousness. She gazes down now at her two sons, both with an extra middle finger perfectly replicated, both with amethyst colored eyes, and is embarrassed to realize that she is unable to tell which one is the firstborn Hannibal and which was the second twin, now in need of a name. The kind nurse read her thoughts.

"I'm afraid there's no physical way whatsoever to tell the twins apart. The doctor was unable to find any distinguishing characteristics whatsoever. No birthmarks, nothing. They even weigh exactly the same. Incredibly, even their finger and toe prints are identical. I wrapped Hannibal in the white blanket, and his brother in the blue.....that's the only way I could make them different"

Ivan Lecter rapped softly at the bedroom door just then.

"Anna my love, may I come in?"

"Of course....Ivan, look at our twins...how will we ever tell them apart?"

"I suppose we'll just have to dress them differently......don't look so worried Anna, we'll manage!"

"What shall we name the second twin?"

"I haven't given it any thought....I had no idea we would be naming two children at once! How about...Antonio?"

"No Ivan - we already have seven Antonios on my side! Perhaps....Leopold?"

"Too foreign........hmmm........Vincenzo?"

"Not Vincenzo! Haven't I ever told you about my Uncle Vincenzo, the one who went insane?!"

"Sorry my love...I've forgotten. Well then, Doctor Nicolo Rischler has been most kind, so how about naming the child after him?"

Anna thought for a moment, gazing first at little Hannibal swaddled in white, then at his identical brother wrapped in blue.

"Nicolo Lecter? Yes, that sounds quite nice. Nicolo and Hannibal Lecter they shall be."