Disclaimer- I don't own these characters. Thomas Harris does-- except for Doctor Lecter, who I think is owned by no one.

Authors Note- I'm baaaaaaaaaaack. Here's the first chapter of what I think is going to be a longer story than my last.

(BTW, Please forgive me if the second chapter is slow to come out. My birthday is coming up soon and so is my best friend's; I'm throwing her a party. Ahahahah. She's going to be 21: I'm sure you can just picture the insanity. Anyway, I'm going to be very busy so bare with me.)

If I Could Save Just One

Chapter one

February 1991

The cage that stands in the center of the high ceilinged courthouse room is reminiscent of a five cent freak show main attraction. You would almost expect to see people lining up to witness the spectacle that is Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

Two men approach the cage. Upon closer viewing we can see that they're guards. One of them holds a food tray; lamb chops, extra rare. "Ready when you are Doc."

"Just another minute, please." Inside the make shift cell now. Through the notes of Bach's Goldberg Variations emitted from the cheap tape player chained to the table. Past the drawings of the would-be Federal Agent, Clarice Starling. Behind the flimsy screen….

Doctor Lecter sits on the lid of his toilet; eyes closed, absorbing the music. The clip from Chilton's pen emerging from his mouth to rest between his lips. His eyes open and he takes the thin piece of metal in his fingers; concealing it between the middle and ring fingers of his left hand. Gracefully, he steps out from behind the screen and slowly approaches the guards, Pembry and Boyle. Never taking his disarming gaze off of them. The monster stops his pace in the center of his cage. "Good Evening, gentlemen." he speaks to them as though they weren't separated by thick bars.

"Alright, Doc, on the floor." Pembry says.

"Same drill as before, please." Boyle is slightly more courteous.

Doctor Lecter does as he's instructed and his hands are cuffed , through the bars, tightly behind his back. Boyle, having given Pembry the okay, rises and retrieves the food tray as Pembry opens the door of the cell. Neither notice Doctor Lecter slipping the metal pen clip in the key hole of one of the cuffs.

Inside now, Boyle moves to place the trey on the cluttered table--

"Mind the drawings, please." Doctor Lecter's metallic voice from behind.

Considering what to do for a moment, Boyle hesitates before deciding to place the tray on the floor beside Lecter while rolling up the drawings. Having cleared the table he bends down and moves to pick the tray up again.

--snick--

Boyle looks up only to meet Lecter's penetrating blue eyes; in only seconds they seem to have reached a depth of pure evil. Lecter grins maniacally at him and it's only then that Boyle realizes the 'snick' he'd heard was the sound of the cuff closing around his wrist.

"Pembry, watch it! He's got me!"

Pembry looks up from fiddling with the key ring. Hand moving to the baton in his belt. Doctor Lecter, still seated on the floor, kicks the heavy bar door of the cell to slam against him.

Boyle, on the floor, struggling with his set of keys. Searching for the key to the cuffs.

The Doctor swiftly gets up, gets a good hold on Pembry's head, and viciously sinks his teeth into Pembry's face.

Boyle still wrestling with the keys behind them. He drops the ring. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he looks at all the keys. Head clearer now, he quickly identifies the one he's been searching for and grabs it. Slipping it into the key hole now…

--snick--

Doctor Lecter spraying Pembry's gnawed-on face with the can of mace that was in his belt. Pembry screaming…

Boyle, completely free and on his feet, rushes the Doctor from behind; slapping one cuff on his left wrist. The Doctor moves to turn on Boyle, but Boyle moves first; grabbing The Doctor in a choke hold around the neck. Boyle pulls the struggling Doctor's cuffed hand roughly behind his back. Pembry, released now, slumps whimpering to the floor; rubbing his stinging, teary eyes and face.

With Lecter fighting hard in his tenuous grasp, Boyle thinks as fast as his addled mind will allow Can't hold 'im much longer like this…. Jesus, God he's gonna' get loose and kill us both Boyle looks to the far wall of the cell and forces Lecter over to it; slamming his body against it. Pinning him there, but not for long. Boyle gets hold of the empty cuff and slaps it around one of the bars. He tries to get away from the Doctor quickly, but he doesn't move quickly enough. Doctor Lecter spins out to face him, faster than any human should be allowed to move, and strikes like a poisonous snake; catching Boyle's face with his small white teeth. Boyle knees him three times in the stomach before Lecter pulls away, doubling over to clutch his middle. However, the Doctor does not come away empty handed-- or mouthed, I suppose we should say. He's ripped away a large portion of Boyle's cheek. The Doctor spits it out; decidedly without an appetite.

With a feral look in his cold blue eyes, Dr. Hannibal Lecter kneels on the floor; glaring at Boyle, who had fallen to the floor upon release. Boyle had scooted himself back quickly and now sat wide eyed and panicked seven feet away; holding his bloody jaw. Red streams running down his arm, dripping off his elbow to the floor. He breathes in sharp gasps.

Doctor Lecter's breathing is freakishly calm. Measured. Controlled. Blood around his mouth, staining the front of his white prison tee shirt. His wrist linked to the steel bar of the cell. The Doctor does not strain to reach Boyle; he knows he can't get to him. Like his freedom; so close, yet so far away.

***************************

Clarice Starling sat Indian style on her narrow dorm room bed; looking over the Buffalo Bill case file. The lamp from the nearby nightstand her only source of light. She supposed she could turn on the overhead light, but for some reason preferred it this way Gives off the right atmosphere.

She sighed; getting nowhere with this file or Doctor Lecter's vague clues How do we first start to covet? What the hell is that supposed to mean. Couldn't just say "Hey, Clarice. Let me jot down his address for you." No, that'd be too freakin' simple…..Simple…. First principals… Simplicity… Agghhhhh Frustrated, Clarice got up from the bed and walked to the mirror to brush out her hair; damp still from her shower.

The door to the room that she and Ardelia Mapp shared burst open then; the bright light from the hallway spilling in, and behind it rushed Ardelia. "Crawford's on the phone, Clarice." her voice urgent "It's important." Clarice gave her friend a questioning look before going out in the dorm hall; clad in her nightgown.

At the pay phone now; Clarice picked up the receiver that Ardelia had left off the hook for her. "Starling."

"Lecter just tried to escape." Crawford's stoic voice cut directly to the chase.

A beat of silence on her end "What? When?"

"About an hour ago. He tore up the guards faces pretty bad."

"Goddamn…." Clarice stood, mouth agape in the hallway; attempting to arrange the many questions in her head so that they would come out of her mouth making sense. "They're alive?" she asked in disbelief. She continued her inquisition before he could respond " Is Doctor Lecter… I mean…." she began; finding this question harder to ask than anticipated "Did they have to…"

"He's alive," Crawford said with distaste "Alive and in perfect health."

She exhaled a breath of relief before realizing she was doing it , or why she had done it. She hoped Mr. Crawford hadn't heard.

"Which is more than I can say for those guards." He added. "They'll be okay, though." With a little plastic surgery Crawford added mentally.

"Has it leaked to the press yet?"

"Yeah, about ten minutes ago. It's everywhere now." He sighed "Needless to say, Senator Martin is not happy. She put her ass out there when she put this transfer in motion, Starling. And now the shit's being flung." He paused "Normally it would stick to her. But she's got a lot of sympathy coming in… with her daughter missing. So it's sticking to the next person in line." Crawford finished; maybe relishing that last sentence a little.

"Chilton?"

"Yup."

"For some reason," Clarice said dryly "I'm not too upset about that."

"You and me both, Starling."

"What's going to happen to Doctor Lecter now?" Clarice tried her best to force her voice out as sounding only casually interested.

"The Senator is backing out on the deal; claiming she never signed the affidavit guaranteeing his new rights anyway."

"So he's going back to Baltimore?"

"Yeah. She's saving face this way."

He's going back to the asylum? With Chilton? "That's …." she realized she'd started to speak out loud. She had wanted to say 'terrible', but thought Mr. Crawford would frown upon her outlook. Instead, she remained silent; letting the begun sentence hang in the air.

After hanging up with Mr. Crawford, Clarice tried to return her attentions to Buffalo Bill. She took the case file and a bucket of laundry to the wash room, and, sitting on top of the agitating washer, flipped through the pages. Soon, Ardelia joined her; helping her brainstorm. Ten minutes later they found the Doctor's copperplate handwriting sprawled across the Great Lakes of the map that marked the abduction/dump sites. Five minutes after that Clarice was back on the phone with Crawford. She had pieced it together.

Doctor Lecter had left a hint for her that indicated Buffalo Bill knew the first victim.

Jack Crawford sent her to Belvedere, Ohio the next morning.

*************************

Between the time when he was restrained by police after his failed attack, to this moment two days later; Doctor Lecter had been catatonic. However, in his mind he entertained himself recalling works of literature, art and music, and pulling up pleasant memories. Most of these pleasant memories included Clarice, he was surprised to discover.

Clarice Starling sitting outside his cell on the floor; hair wet from rain.

Clarice Starling, strong and determined after Miggs had thrown cum in her face; holding onto herself well as she wiped it off and continued to do her job.

Clarice Starling recalling her childhood trauma with the lambs.

Clarice Starling breaking free from the guards to run back to his cage with abandon. Grabbing the case file out of his hand, his finger rubbing against hers, and the touch sparking something that reflected in her eyes as well as his. The way she looked back at him with bewilderment and confusion as they dragged her away again.

Yes, he played that last one quite a few times.

Two days had passed since Doctor Lecter's escape attempt, and now he found himself, once again, strapped to a hand truck; pushed down the halls of the Baltimore State Hospital For The Criminally Insane. His keen nose informed him that it was Barney who was returning him to his glass fronted cell.

"You shouldn't have tried to escape, Doctor Lecter." Barney told him quietly from behind " You had a good thing going in Tennessee."

The Doctor was not in the mood to respond to Barney's pointless comment.

The other inmates who resided with him in the far reaches of the basement started yelling as Doctor Lecter was pushed past their cells.

Barney stopped the hand truck in the center of the Doctor's cell, saying something to him before leaving. But the Doctor didn't hear him; he had long ago grown bored with these surroundings and had quickly retreated into himself once more upon arriving.

Who can say how long Doctor Lecter remained like that; bound to the hand truck. Mask strapped to his expressionless, still face. Eyes transfixed on a single spot ahead of him, but not seeing it at all. However, the click of the heels on Chilton's cheap shoes in the hall brought the Doctor back to himself. Chilton stood just outside the glass cell now; beyond the open doorway. He stared Doctor Lecter down with contempt.

The Doctor's senses were overrun by the smell of Chilton's atrocious aftershave.

"Welcome home." Chilton greeted; his voice monotone and not very welcoming at all. He closed the distance between himself and Doctor Lecter; stopping inches from the hockey mask that covered the lower portion of his face. "You've really managed to screw everything up. Haven't you, Hannibal."

Doctor Lecter did not answer; his face remained indifferent, eye's locked on Chilton.

"I bet you're quite pleased with yourself," Chilton considered his statement and chuckled "Well, not about your failed escape, I'm sure." he smiled " No, you're kicking yourself over that one, aren't you." The smile quickly faded, though, and was replaced by a look of irritation "You love seeing me disgraced like this, though. You must really be getting off on it."

Doctor Lecter didn't verbally reply, and Chilton couldn't see his lips curl into a maniacal smile because of the mask. But he did see it in the Doctor's eyes.

Chilton snorted in disgust and moved away; walking around the small stone room. Absently examining things as he went. He stopped at the pile of papers that rested on the table that was bolted to the floor. Upon picking them up, Chilton saw that they were Lecter's drawings; the old ones he'd had in here as well as several new ones he had done during his short stay in Memphis. They were of the Starling girl. Chilton smiled and walked back over to Lecter with them.

The Doctor never lifted his icy gaze from Chilton.

" You'll never see her again. You know that, right?" Chilton said, almost gleefully as he now had something to use. He watched the Doctor's unmoving face for a while before looking back down at the beautifully done drawing. "Have you read the papers?" Chilton asked, feigning ignorance "Oh, yes, that's right. You have been a little tied up for the past three or four days, haven't you." Fully enjoying rubbing all he could in Lecter's face….

Lecter's emotionless face… Chilton thought; the Doctor's lack of response infuriating him. Well, he won't be emotionless for long… He consoled himself I'm going to enjoy this one… Chilton leaned in close to Doctor Lecter now " You don't have to say anything; I'm used to taking to you like this." he began " And I know you hear me when you want to. So make sure you're listening now." He paused for dramatic effect "She's dead."

Doctor Lecter's gaze darkened. His breath audibly caught in his throat which caused a wave of victorious rapture in Chilton. He even thought he may have seen pain in those blue eyes for a moment. But those same eyes were studying Chilton closely now. "You're lying." came the Doctor's confident, even voice; raspy and metallic from disuse, yet somehow smooth all at once.

"Ahh. He speaks." Chilton said with some amusement and if you believed it weren't true, one hundred percent, then you wouldn't have bothered speaking to me at all… Chilton hadn't kept Hannibal for eight years without learning at least a thing or two. "You sound very sure of yourself."

Doctor Lecter didn't speak again; finding that he had satisfyingly voiced his disbelief of Chilton's statement.

"Your little clues lead her right to Jame Gumb's house," He really swung into it now "And he shot her to death in his basement." Chilton had to fight to suppress the insane laughter that wanted to rise up in his throat "He scalped her, too. The F.B.I. Found her yesterday; what a mess. Talk about a day late." he added conversationally.

Had Chilton not been so wrapped up in the torment, he would have noted that Doctor Lecter had never before looked as blood thirsty for Chilton's death as he did at that moment. He was too overjoyed at getting any reaction at all to have the decency to be afraid.

Chilton shrugged casually "I'll have to have Barney bring you a paper, if you don't believe me." He backed off a little " It's all over the news." He grinned before spinning and moving toward the door; a bounce in his step. In the hall now, Chilton met Doctor Lecter's eyes once more before leaving " Just you and me for the rest of your life." a twisted smile taking over his face "And you thought we had fun before. Just wait…" then he was gone. The sound of his heels echoing down the hallway. let him chew on THAT one.

Doctor Lecter, bound in his cell, slowly brought himself under control. He's lying, the Doctor was sure of it. But he wasn't sure why his chest felt so heavy. Or why he felt the need to swallow hard on a lump in his throat.

He's lying.

The Doctor was sure of it.

**************************

To Be Continued…

DUUN DUUN DUHHHHHHHHH Is Clarice really dead? Will Doctor Lecter have to spend the rest of his days with Chilton? Tune in next time….

HHmmmmwahahahahhahahah