AN: Hey there, welcome to my Hannibal Lecter fic, In Any Other World. I took the title from a song by Mika of the same name which I do not own. I don't own Dr. Lecter, Clarice Starling, Jack Crawford, or any other characters or anything else that isn't mine that I may use in here.
I do however, get to bend the rules a little bit… so, let's pretend for a moment that Silence of the Lambs went down about 3 years ago… this is going to be one of my first multi-chap fic, so I wish to make it easier on myself… I know I'm bending the rules, but the year honestly doesn't matter all that much in this fic, it's just the technology and music I'm caring about. I really hope that the time shift doesn't make the story unappealing… please try to read it? Thanks a ton 3 3
L.L
Prologue:
It had been almost 3 years, but Dr. Lecter had decided to return to North America. Canada however, returning to the United States, even with the improvements he had made to his face, was still far too risky. Especially with eager Agent Starling on the alert.
Canada was quite beautiful this time of year. The leaves had just begun to change colour, and he was sure that the spectacle of the autumn leaves would be a sight to behold. It was his third month, in Canada, and his first in his new practice.
He had manufactured secure credentials, and secured a practice easily, however, finding patients was proving to be slow.
The city where he had established his current residency had few cultural assets, but their symphony orchestra was more than pleasant to listen to.
Tonight however, he had a different plan. He had decided to venture to the local high-school for a coffee house they had been advertising. There was to be entertainment and food, although Hannibal was searching for a certain delicacy the home-economics class wouldn't be able to manufacture.
He started on his walk, as he had not opted to buy a vehicle yet. Tomorrow, I am visiting a dealership. Hannibal pulled his coat collar up, and braced himself against the wind.
Half an hour later, he reached his destination. He walked into the school, and pulled out his wallet for the entry donation.
As he walked into the gymnasium, he noted with surprise, the artwork adorning the walls, presumably for sale. He browsed the various portraits, and landscapes, and was beginning to grow weary of the similarity, when an oil painting of Pisa caught his eye. He made a note of it, and decided to purchase it if it was still available at the end of the night.
He sat at an unoccupied table towards the gymnasium doors, and was joined by a young couple, much to his disappointment. As the waiters came around with the dainty trays, he noticed a particularly rude boy harassing a teenager who looked as if she were going to perform.
The first half was an hour long, and couldn't have ended sooner. He did not see the young woman the boy had been harassing, and Dr. Lecter was very much considering leaving, not wanting ot hear anymore shrieking pop music, or guitar riffs. However the spaces between acts were far too short to allow him to leave properly, and as he made to stand, the young lady at his table urged him to stay, assuring him that the next act would make up for its predecessors. The lights dimmed, the curtain drew, and the piano began.
Standing in the center of the stage was a girl who looked very much like a woman. She wore a very becoming navy blue dress, it went to her ankles, had wide straps, and showed enough skin to flatter her figure, but not make her look trashy. It glittered under the stage light. He realized this was the girl he had seen before. He sat forward in his chair, intrigued.
It was then that Dr. Lecter recognized the piano part that was playing, having memorized it himself. The girl opened her mouth and began to sang. The doctor closed his eyes, and took in every detail of her voice as she sang, being sure to store every moment of it in his palace. He opened his eyes, and took in her appearance as she sang the last notes: "Ave Maria." Her beautiful vibrato resonated in the building, and it took a moment for the stunned audience to begin the applause.
As the doctor left the building, thinking only of the Ave Maria, he took it upon himself to ask who he assumed to be a teacher,
"Excuse me ma'am?" She looked up at him. "Yes?" "Would you be able to tell me who sang the Ave Maria?" She smiled, "Jocelyn Engle, she has the best voice in the school." He nodded. "I can certainly agree." He turned, and left the building, not minding the cold on the way back home.
"Jocelyn Engle." He whispered quietly, remembering the feeling of her name on his lips. "I'll have to remember this one." And while the cold winds whispered their own songs, his mind was still on her last note, shimmering in the night.