Chapter 2

At the dinner table, I felt out of place. He was so beautiful, and so is his house. It's amazing that a 22 year old could afford this. "Did your parents help you through medical school?"

His face sort of hardened, then went solemn. "No. They died when I was young."

"Oh. Sorry I asked."

He smiled reassuringly. I'll be honest; his smile kind of freaked me out.

"Who did you live with?"

"I lived in an orphanage in Lithuania, but I ran away when I was 16 and moved in with my aunt until I was 20."

"Do you still talk a lot with your aunt?"

He paused. "Not as much as I wish I could." He smiled.

"Do you have any other family?"

"No." Hannibal said flatly.

"Your parents died and you were an only child?" Dang, I couldn't handle that!

"No, um..."

"I'm sorry," My voice got quiet. "I'm asking too many questions..."

"No, it's fine. My sister died when I was 8."

"How old was she?"

His face hardened again, and then went soft. "Three-about four years old."

My mouth dropped open in shock. I opened my mouth to ask how, and then closed it again.

He once again smiled his smirk-y smile. "It's okay. She had pneumonia after my parents died."

"So you don't have...anyone?"

"I manage. You haven't eaten much, you better hurry, and I told your mom I'd bring you back at 7."

"What time is it?"

"5 thirty."

We ate in silence for a moment, and then something hit me. "You're from Lithuania?"

He looked up, startled I had spoken. "Yes. I lived there for 16 years, and then when I went to Medical school, I lived in Paris until I moved here about two years ago."

"Well that explains a lot." I blurted, and then felt my face get red.

Hannibal cocked his head and smirked. "Explains what?"

How you are so amazingly gorgeous with looks that would make a Vampire run in shame. "You're accent."

He looked down at his plate and took a bite trying not to laugh. "Yes. That's where my accent comes from."

"Ah." I looked down at my plate also and my face was really hot. Oh he knew what you meant!

"Can I ask you something?" He said, startling me.

"Yes."

"Why are you so normal?"

Huh? "Normal?"

"Well, after what had just happened... you seem so... placid about it."

"Oh. Uh..."

"What's on your mind right now?"

I'd rather not answer that...ha. "Wondering about you."

He put his elbow on the table and rested his chin on his hand. "What do you mean?"

"How did you go through life with no one but the orphanage?" Hell, it was the first thing that came to mind.

"Like I said, I ran away." His accent is messing with my head haha.

"But without your sister, your mom..."

"After our parents died, my sister and were captured by German war criminals. Very uncommon nowadays, but it happened. When she got pneumonia and there was no food..." He seemed suddenly spaced out.

"They..." I couldn't say it. That's horrible.

"Yes."

I was shocked. "Well, did you ever find them after the war?"

"Yes."

"You're going to think I'm a freak like everyone else does, but if I was you, even at 8, I would have killed them before anyone could even think about catching me."

He didn't say anything; he just sort of had that smirk on his face.

After dinner, I insisted on helping him do the dishes, but what I got was an order to lay on the couch. Hannibal told me to go sit down on the couch and take a nap before he took me home.

As I lay there, I just sighed. I heard Hannibal suddenly drop something and said a 'not-nice word' as my mom would put it. I was about to sit up when I heard his footsteps coming, so I laid on the couch, closed my eyes and breathed out my mouth.

I felt his cool hand on my forehead, and then heard him sigh. I opened my eyes slowly and he smiled.

"I thought you were asleep."

"No, just resting, though I'm not that tired."

"You're not?"

"No, my body's exhausted, but my brain's on full alert." I sighed. "I hate it."

"Are you hurting?"

I shook my head.

"Okay." He sighed, but it was almost a growl. "I don't know what to do. I would call the police, but Brian's dad is the fucking lawyer for all the low-life junkies that would kill and rape and..."

"Hannibal." I stared up at his angry face, and when he looked back at me, he smiled, though something was off about it.

"I apologize. But when I saw Brian push you against the wall, then Charlotte push you into him at the end of class..." He had rage in his eyes again.

Without hesitation, I put my hands on both sides of his face and looked into his eyes as I sat up. "It's okay."

He jumped up, frightening me. "It sure as hell is NOT okay! The oblivion in this town! It's not right! I-" He growled again. "Je suis malades de ce putain injustice qui ne peut jamais être manipulés. Il suffit de voir! Cette belle fille obtenu violées droit en dehors de façon ouverte et personne ne s'en soucie! Et les bâtards que n'a qu'il vont être désolé si elles peuvent lutte pour eux-mêmes!"

"Hannibal! Stop!"

He looked dazed for a moment, but when he looked at me, I saw sorrow. "I'm very sorry. You can't understand French can you?" He smiled.

"No. Why? What did you say?"

He smirked. "Let's not go there."

"Oh." But I couldn't keep from laughing.

"It's definitely not something I usually say in the presence of a lady." He laughed too.

There was silence for a moment, but I cracked a joke. "You know, in a few weeks, I'm going to know what you said."

"You're going to learn French?"

"Yep." I joked. "Hey, um...What am I supposed to do if my mom sees the bruises?" I looked down at my arms.

"Hm." He thought for a moment. "You're not going to tell her?"

"No way. She has enough to worry about than me."

Hannibal gave me a strange look. "I cannot figure out why you are so selfless, but people still mess with you."

2 days later - Sunday

I studied a few word and phrases in French so I could talk to Hannibal. Well, flirt really, but that's beside the point. "Mellie! Someone's here for you!"

"Damn." I walked down the stairs and looked. It was Hannibal Lecter.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Huh?"

"Our biology plans?" What?

"Oh. Right. Bye mom." I slipped on my gray sweater and went out to his car.

As I entered the expensively beautiful black car, I tried to ignore my mother hiding behind a curtain watching my biology "Doctor Speaker" thing with me.

He's not the one you need to worry about.

"What's wrong?" Hannibal's soothing French voice startled me. "Did you tell your mom?"

"Hell no!"

"Then what is it?"

"I feel sort of...out of place."

His brows pulled together. "Why is that?"

"You have so many nice, amazing things, and you are so...um..."

He chuckled. "Do not worry about that, Melanie I don't care about these things while I'm with someone else to enjoy them with."

He drove up a huge hill and parked by the cemetery gates.

"Um..."

"It's alright; I just wanted to have some peace and quiet."

"Okay..."

I started to get out, but he said to wait.

He walked over and opened the door.

"That's what you told me to wait for? Why are you such a gentleman?"

"I try to be because rudeness is epidemic." (A/N: Heehee)

"Okay...crazy..."

He just chuckled and held out his hand. I stared at it like a moron. He chuckled again and grabbed my hand anyway.