Don't fret Bad Blood readers, I'm working on this story as well as Bad Blood!
AU, Hannibal Lecter was never detained and is still a free man, Jack Crawford sends Clarice Starling to visit the psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter in hopes he will aide the FBI in finding Buffalo Bill. As they work together, an unlikely friendship blossoms and as time goes on, could that friendship blossom into something more? Shitty summary but just roll with it!
Chapter 1
When Clarice Starling first met Dr. Hannibal Lecter to say she was nervous was a laughable understatement. Dr. Lecter was a somewhat celebrity amongst her and her fellow psychology graduates at Quantico, renowned for his intelligence and his reluctance to aide the FBI in unsolved cases. When he did aide the FBI, however, he was magnificent, with most of the cases that had been regarded as unsolvable were solved in a matter of days. But this was only a once in a blue moon occasion. The one FBI agent that was seen as at least an acquaintance to Dr. Lecter was Will Graham who Dr. Lecter had assisted on not one but three cases; the case of the Minnesota Shrike, the Tooth Fairy and the Chesapeake Ripper. However, Graham had retired years before Clarice had even graduated college.
So when Clarice was called in Jack Crawford's office, she was surprised to learn that the 'errand' she was to fulfil was to visit the reclusive Dr. Lecter. The BSU had been having a significant amount of trouble with a serial killer that went by the name of 'Buffalo Bill' and believed that Hannibal Lecter was the man that could find him. Clarice could see the doubt in Jack Crawford's eyes as he gave her the task. She wasn't surprised, most agents, many older than herself, that had been sent to Dr. Lecter didn't survive more than three minutes with him. What hope did Clarice have? Ever the ambitious one, Clarice visited Dr. Lecter at his home office in Baltimore.
When she arrived at his front door, he answered dressed in a sharp, grey fitted suit, his dark hair slicked back, the picture of sophistication and grace. Clarice had dawned, in her opinion, the smartest clothes she owned. He looked at her, a slight smile playing of his lips and his eyes shined as he took her in. "Good morning," he said politely, standing up straight. "How may I help you?"
"Doctor Lecter, my name is Clarice Starling, I'm from the FBI," she smiled politely at him.
At the mention of the FBI, Doctor Lecter raised his eyebrows in amused surprise, crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame. "You're one of Jack Crawford's aren't you?" he didn't allow her time to answer before he continued. "Yes Jack told me you would be coming by. May I see your credentials, please?"
"Yes of course," she reached into her coat pocket, fumbling slightly and handed him her temporary identification. He glanced over it quickly then met her eyes.
"This expires in one week, you're not real FBI are you?" he winked at her, Clarice remained polite.
"I'm still in training at the academy, Sir," she said as he handed her back her ID and she placed it back in her coat pocket.
He smirked. "Jack Crawford sent a trainee to me," he mocked offence. "Please, do come in," he stood to the side allowing her into his home. "May I take your jacket?" he asked when she'd stepped over the threshold.
Clarice stuttered slightly before she answered. In her life she hadn't come across that many gentlemen, and to be in presence of an apparent gentleman she was a bit taken by surprise. "Uhh, yes of course, please," she said as went to take off her jacket.
"Please, allow me," Doctor Lecter took a step towards her, his hands interrupting her own as he gently brushed over the hand she'd already brought to her shoulder to begin slipping off her coat. He slid off her coat with elegant ease and hung it up on the coat hanger next to the door.
"Now then, please, take a seat," he gestured to the two chairs that faced each other in the middle of the room. She sat down just before he sat down in the chair opposite her. She could see what he was doing, sitting her down in his patient's chair, doing everything he can to remind her he was in control of the situation. She had no doubt that in most situations, he was. "So what is it that Jackie Boy wants from me now, hmm? I can only assume it's about Buffalo Bill, what a naughty boy he has been."
"As a matter of fact yes. Mr. Crawford was wondering if you could give us insight into a psychological profile we're creating on-"
"Oh no, no, you were doing fine," he shook his head, smiling slightly. He leaned forward so that his elbows rested on his legs. His eyes met hers. She remained sitting formally, her back straight, her legs crossed over and her hands resting on her top knee. She simply stared at him as he ridiculed her. "You had been courteous and receptive to courtesy, and now this, jumping right in at the deep end are we, Agent Starling? It won't do."
She just stared at him, she wouldn't let him break her. "Either you help us or you don't, sir, the choice is yours."
He smirked at her and leaned back into his chair. "Tell me, Agent Starling, why do you think he removes their skins? Enthral me with your acumen."
"It excites him," Clarice shrugged nonchalantly. "Most serial killers like to keep some sort of trophy of their victims."
He chucked slightly. "You're so ambitious aren't you, Agent Starling? That's why you came here today is it not, that's why Jack Crawford picked you out of all your classmates, at least that's what you would like to think. But you know as well as I know the true reason he chose you. He likes you, Agent Starling, and not just because he thinks you're an exceptional student with an extraordinary mind, no, no, he likes you because he think you're exceptional outside of academics and the F-B-I. He knows fine that I won't assist him in the hunt for his Buffalo Bill so why involve you? A reason to interact with you perhaps? A teacher-student fantasy he has always dreamed of fulfilling?"
Clarice didn't flinch once at Doctor Lecter's words. Her face remained blank. "This isn't about me, or Jack Crawford, for that matter, Doctor Lecter, this is about Buffalo Bill. If you don't help us, that's just fine, more girl's will die but we will catch him. All in the meantime, you'll be sitting in that chair ridiculing others just to pass the time, distracting yourself from your uneventful and frankly, lonely life all because you're too damn proud to help anyone but yourself," Clarice had no idea what words had come out of her mouth but when she met Doctor Lecter's eyes she could see both irritation and anger looking right back at her. Realising the mistake she made she hastily go up from her chair. "I think I should leave now."
"Yes I think that'd be appropriate," he practically hissed at her.
She rushed over to the coat hanger, grabbed her coat and got the hell out of there.
When she returned back to the dorm she was in the middle of telling Ardelia how much on asshole the infamous Doctor Lecter was when the phone rang. "And that will be Jack Crawford calling to hound me for fucking everything up with Doctor Lecter."
Ardelia laughed slightly and rolled her eyes. "Starling," she answered the phone.
"Starling what the hell did you say to Doctor Lecter?!" Jack's voice was full of surprise and enquiry.
Clarice shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "I know Mr. Crawford, I'm so sorry I don't know what came over me," Clarice tried to explain before Jack cut her off.
"Sorry? Why are you apologising, Starling? Doctor Lecter wants to see you again on Wednesday," Jack Crawford sounded ecstatic, a tone rarely heard from him.
Clarice was beyond confused. "What does that mean, Mr. Crawford?"
"It means he's agreed to help with the case, under one condition that is," Jack's enthusiasm decreased notably.
"And what is that, sir?" she enquired.
"That he speaks to you and only you about the case," Jack explained. Clarice didn't say anything. "Now listen, Clarice, you don't have to say or do anything you're not comfortable with, if you don't want any part in this it's understandable."
"If I don't more girls will die, sir," Clarice almost cut him off. "I'll do it."
Wasn't going to end it there but it seemed appropriate, chapters won't usually be this short! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter, next chapter should be up soon! I won't make this a retelling of SOTL fic, I plan on only really briefly touching on the events of SOTL, this fic will be about Hannibal and Clarice's relationship and how it develops after SOTL.
Rating may change depending on the way this story goes, so be wary!
Please fav, follow and review and I'll hopefully see you guys next chapter :)
