Chapter 2
Dexter had been stalking Hannah for days, she didn't often make any detours. To Dexter it seemed she was a bit of a recluse hardly ever deviating from her routine, going to the flower market regularly then going home to tend to her plants. He had done a little digging into her life after Wayne Randall, she had left juvie and got married a few years later. Until her husband died of a heart attack at forty. He did some digging and found that neither her husband or her husband's family had any history of heart disease. Suspicious.
The fact was that he wasn't sure how to get this proof, he had showed his hand to her, when he had accused her of murdering that woman with Wayne. He was sure about that, like Harry had said she may have changed since then, she was only fifteen at the time. What was he to do?
Dexter eventually decided to go and visit her with a peace offering. He had changed his blood report on the Wayne Randall killings to indicate that she had no role other than bystander.
Whilst doing this went directly against his promise to Debra he reasoned that since Hannah had immunity then there was no problem. Deb couldn't do anything about it and it was likely she would be frustrated by it.
Dexter pulled up outside Hannah's home and tried the door, locked. After walking round the outside he caught sight of her busying herself with the flower bed. Her skin shone with sweat, her approached her and when she failed to notice him he called after her.
"Great, your a stalker now" She mocked.
Dexter caught sight of the dead rabbit in her hands, momentarily he remembered some of the animals he had killed as a small child then when he went hunting.
"Who killed Peter Cottontail" Dexter made an attempt at humour
"They eat my plants so I kill them"
"You could capture them, then let them go"
"But then they'll keep coming back, its better this way" Hannah paused then continued avoiding Dexter's eyes "Now you've accused me of murder and animal cruelty anything else while your at it"
"About that, I wanted to give you the blood report from the dig site, Wayne Randall's victims when I got back to the lab and tested the blood I realised my mistake, I'm really sorry for accusing you"
Hannah looked surprised and she opened the report to confirm what he was saying.
She thanked him for apologising.
Dexter noticed she had some mud on her face. A lone blemish to an otherwise perfect face. He glanced at it which she noticed. "What?"
"You have a little.." Dexter found himself leaning in and rubbed the smudge of her face. His hand cupped her cheek for longer than was needed, he moved back, away from Hannah.
"Occupational hazard, I can get pretty dirty"
Even Dexter saw through this rather flirty remark. His mind went elsewhere for a moment.
"While I'm here I could use a plant" Dexter invented wildly to keep the conversation going.
"A plant" Hannah nearly laughed and was skeptical.
"Yeah for my apartment" He finished lamely. However she relented and beckoned him to follow her into the greenhouse.
They talked about each other and Dexter realised they were asking wether the other was seeing anybody. They began to talk about each other's marriages and losing your partner. Dexter also managed to find out that her mentor previously owned the nursery and had also died of a heart attack like her husband. She seemed fond of her mentor Beverly Grey and Dexter wasn't sure if she was just a good liar.
Dexter eventually picked a plant which Hannah gave him for free.
Dexter smiling inexplicably left Hannah at her nursery and returned to work. He had dug up Beverly Grey's will and found that almost everything was left to Hannah.
He supposed that a woman with no children or husband would conceivably give her possessions and property to the woman who she had though of like a daughter for the few years Hannah had been he apprentice. However this also gave Hannah motive for murder.
Dexter sat thinking at his office in the precinct, his plant from Hannah on his desk next to him. He had got some odd looks as he had walked into his office. He was shook out of his thoughts when he recognised a man walking out of his sister's office. Sal Price. He had written a best selling book about Wayne and Hannah's spree many years ago. Dexter had read the book after he had started to suspect Hannah of being a killer.
He caught up with Sal and managed to find out that he too suspected that Hannah was a killer. Unfortunately for Dexter the man had brought in a private forensic analyst and since Dexter had purposely botched the blood work it may cause some problems for him. Sal was working on a book solely about Hannah Mckay and when Dexter had played the role of superfan of Sal's work he managed to gain an exert from the book. It seemed that after juvie Hannah had move to a halfway house where she had accused her councillor of sexually abusing her. However nothing came of this and then a few weeks later the man died of a heart attack. This was obviously getting very suspicious, it seemed like she had been responsible for the murder of at least four people. The woman with Wayne, her councillor, her Mentor and her husband. He still didn't have enough proof for his code. It was only his suspicions he needed some evidence. Dexter decided to break into Sal's apartment and read some of his new book on Hannah. Upon looking throughout Sal's place he found notes and articles not only on Hannah but the Ice Truck Killer and the Bay Harbour butcher. God know what would happen if Sal figures out his connection to those killers. However upon looking at his research on Hannah he found out that she had poisoned her mentor. There was evidence of aconite in the coroners report.
Upon researching more about aconite at his own apartment later on he found that it was a deadly poison made from a plant. He would go to Hannah's tomorrow while she was out to look for it.
There was a knock at the door and upon looking through the gap in the curtains he saw that it was Hannah. She knew where he lived. This had rarely happened before, his victim knowing where Dexter lived. Inexplicably before he opened the door he checked his refection in the mirror. It was natural, he hadn't thought about doing it he just did it. Why was this woman affecting him so.
Hannah smiled when he opened the door.
"What are you doing here" asked Dexter
"You picked the wrong plant, I knew I could do better hopefully you won't kill it" said Hannah looking pleased with herself.
"What is it?" asked Dexter
"A spotted phelonpsis, the red on the petals remind you of anything"
"Blood spatter" said Dexter automatically
"Which reminded me of you" Hannah said fondly
"You came all the way out here just to bring me that?" Hannah only shrugged
"How did you find me?" asked Dexter genuely concerned
"Google" Hannah smirked
"Now who's a stalker" Dexter couldn't resist teasing her for her earlier remark.
She smiled at him.
He knew that he shouldn't let her into his apartment. She was a killer, he could be putting his family in danger. His lips however said something quite different.
"So do you wanna come in?"
"Yeah sure I'll help you find a place for it"
Dexter shut the door behind her. She moved into the middle of his apartment surveying every corner. She muttered something about plants needing to be near a window. Then she instinctivly looked at his bedroom and before he could stop her walked straight into it. This rattled Dexter.
"Er no thats the bedroom, no plants in here not enough light"
"You could open the shades" Said Hannah at the head of the bed looking back to him.
Dexter paused wondering how he managed to get himself into this situation. His next victim in his bedroom.
"I like the dark"
"So do I" Hannah gave him a seductive look as if she was checking him out. She walked over to the drawers opposite the bed and placed the plant next to the television.
"There now you can look at it when you get up and when you go to bed"
Dexter was completely thrown off by this comment, the way she said it was like a threat. Thankfully his phone rang and he excused himself and walked into the kitchen away from Hannah.
It was Deb with another Laguerta progress report. While he didn't want to leave Hannah, Deb wasn't in the mood to wait right now.
Dexter ended the call and sighed.
"Busy day?" Said Hannah leaning against the doorway of his bedroom looking so seductive Dexter felt odd feelings, he shook them off.
"Yeah, sorry you have to leave, I've gotta go into work"
"Oh, OK" Hannah looked displeased
Dexter picked up his keys from the kitchen work surface. He held open the door for Hannah and followed her out and locked his apartment behind him.
She had her pick up truck parked opposite his own car.
"So guess this is it" said Hannah brushing her hair behind her ear.
"Thanks for the plant, I like it"
"No problem" she smiled and got into her car.
She left Dexter in a momentary daze before he got in his car and drove to Deb's house.
Deb had found out about him and Lumen and while he did not expect her to be happy or supportive of his choices to help Lumen kill the men who had wronged her, he didn't expect disgust.
He honestly believed that he had made the right decision when it came to Lumen. His darkness had helped somebody. He had made the choice to save her at the start even though she knew his secret. He had loved her. He had been trying to make things right.
Deb growled at him to get out of her house. He obeyed and when back to his apartment for some rest.
The next morning he drove to Hannah's house and as he knew her schedule she would be at the flower market for the next hour or so.
He spotted the handyman who he had reasearched into and found that he had been working there when Beverly had been alive. Dexter managed to get some information out of him which confirmed that only Hannah had been in contact with Beverly so it was quite possible that she was the person who killed her. The handyman directed him over to some purple flowers. Aconite.
There it was the poison that killed Beverly had come from her garden. Dexter noticed that a small patch of ground had been dug up. She had harvested some of the aconite. Could she be after him.
"Dexter? what are you doing here?" Hannah's voice startled him, she wasn't meant to be back for at least half an hour.
"I was in the neighborhood" Dexter invented wildly.
"Well come inside" Hannah smiled and gestured to her house.
Hannah's home was nice, fairly neat and well structured like his own.
"Coffee" she said as she closed the door behind him.
"Sure" He hadn't meant to run into Hannah. Just to get his proof and go. While she was pouring the coffee he looked around her home much like she had done the other day.
"Here you go, careful its hot" she said handing the cup to him.
He blew on it and was about to take a sip when he remembered that her method of killing was poison. He put the cup down on the table. He didn't no what to do and made to leave.
She stopped him.
"I don't get you Dexter, I don't know what it is that you want"
"I don't want anything"
"You must want something you keep making excuses to see me"
"They aren't excuses" but she cut him off
"Honestly its getting a little creepy you keep coming by"
"Creepy?..You came to my place too"
"So why don't you save both of us the trouble and spit it out"
"I wanna take you out" Dexter answered truthfully. He surprised himself for the moment.
Luckily she didn't understand and assumed he meant on a date.
He latched on to this idea and was annoyed when she turned him down
"I don't date" Hannah said looking away
"Why?"
"I get too attached"
"Really you don't seem the type"
"Well maybe I'm not what people think I am"
"So who are you"
"Probably the same 15 year old girl that ran away with Wayne"
She had sat down so Dexter sat with her as she explained what she meant.
He understood her. Especially when she mentioned about her emptiness.
She had pinned he hopes on Wayne and he had let her down. He had made her promises which he couldn't keep.
"You know I'm not Wayne right, I'm not going to land you in jail" Said Dexter in a soothing voice.
"Doesn't mean I'm going to give into it if I know its not a good idea"
"Then why did you come to my apartment" Dexter had a faint smile he realised it was the only time in his life which he had asked someone out for a date. Strangely enough with Hannah He knew just what to say.
"You know why" Blushed Hannah
"Go out with me" asked Dexter bluntly "Come on, you know I'll just keep stalking you" Dexter was grinning now. That probably wasn't the best line to use but it seemed to be working on Hannah.
"I'm just trying to do the right thing"
"Do the wrong thing" Dexter's last attempt at asking her out.
Hannah accepted finally.
"Ok but if I end up in prison.."
"Pick you up at eight" Dexter was out of there before she could change her mind.
He sat in the car for a moment realising what had happened.
He was actually looking forward to their 'Date'. He knew the perfect place.
Dexter pulled up at Hannah's house and knocked on the door. He had flashbacks to his prom. Picking up his date, how awkward it was. However his prom didn't end with him killing his date. He was pretty sure Harry wouldn't have liked that.
She answered the door and gave a radiant smile. She looked beautiful.
"You ready?"
"Sure" smiled Hannah. She went back into the house to pick up her keys then reappeared at the door.
"Lets go" She said looking excited
Dexter's smile faultered for a moment.
"You OK"
"Yeah fine" Dexter lied he gave her a hopefully reassuring smile and started walking towards the car.
He opened the door for her, Harry had taught him manners.
"Ever the gentlemen" She smirked and Dexter felt a real smile slide onto his face. He closed the car door and got in the driver's side.
Santa's Holiday Adventure was about half an hour away. During the journey she kept asking him where they were going but he was tight lipped and refused to ruin the surprise. After making small talk for while they eventually pulled up outside their destination.
She had a childlike smile on her face when she realised where they were. Dexter however found it difficult to fake smiling at this moment.
"I thought this place was closed for the season?"
"It is" said Dexter turning to look at her.
She seemed confused "So how are we going to get in?"
"How do you feel about a little breaking and entering" she laughed in response and unbuckled her seatbelt. He couldn't help but smile in response, he laughter was infectious.
Dexter realised that he hadn't trapped anybody in quite this fashion before.
They walked to the main tent, where Dexter had prepared two surprises for Hannah.
They walked in silence, Hannah was preoccupied by looking around at the place where she had wanted to visit for fifteen years. As she had told him earlier she had always wanted to see the snow.
He would make that happen for her before she died.
She took his hand in his and to his surprise he felt guilty. She believed she was on a date and actually he was going to kill her. Instead of food and wine in the picnic basket he had sheets of plastic and knives.
He had almost never experienced doubt when it came to killing. When she held his hand he felt different.
They reached the tent and they opened it together.
"What is this place"Hannah asked curiously.
"Shh..wait" Dexter grinning pressed the button by the door and watched her expression.
She looked happy and he felt...happy. Her look of wonder made him feel different feelings.
"The snow" She gasps in amazement.
"I thought maybe if you saw it you could finally get some peace"
There it was, he had done this for her, this was possibly the most extravagent of his kill rooms. He had only been merciful for a few of his victims. Brian, his brother. Lila, his lover. Trinity, his nemisis. These had been major influences on his life, what was it about Hannah that made him help her before she died.
"Thank you...thank you" Hannah whispered turning around smiling at him. He couldn't help but smile back.
She turned away gazing at the snow, her brilliant smile on her face. Now is as good a time as any.
He moved up to her and injected her with M99.
She went out like a light. She was light enough to pick up so he lifted her in his arms and walked over to the center table. He laid her on the table and looked at her. She looked beautiful, almost like she was sleeping. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He went back over to the exit and retrieved his picnic basket. The kill room needed to be set up so he went to work. He stripped her naked. He gets dressed in his kill attire and apron.
Beautiful Hannah strapped down to the table her perfect white skin blending in with the artificial snow. She stirs opens her eyes and seems confused before she spots him.
He picks up a knife.
"When I said I wanted to take you out this is what I meant"
"You said you wanted to see the snow, this is what keeps me up at night, this is what I long for"
Dexter leant down and held the knife to her throat. His thumb was on her forehead.
"This is what I need to fill my emptiness"
He wanted to hear her confess to hear her yell out in terror, however when he ripped back the tape on her mouth she managed to throw him off even further.
"Do what you gotta do"
Dexter loses focus, nobody's ever said that, she just lies there as if this whole thing is only slightly entertaining. She hasn't begged for her life or asked why, she's different.
He faulters and Hannah knows it. She just looks at him as if daring him to do it.
He stands up over her and raises his knife high over her heart. She's still staring.
Its decision time!
He brings the knife down, he quickly cuts the plastic away from her, freeing her. He wasn't ready to end her life, he had rushed into this.
Hannah looking up at him seemingly uncaring whether she lives or dies takes a lot of the thrill he associates with killing from him. Last minute doubts has saved her he doesn't know if she has changed, become a better person since Wayne. He doesn't know so he can't go through with it.
Hannah sits up the plastic sliding away from her beautiful breasts.
Dexter leans back revealing himself to her, his knife over his heart.
She places a hand on his chest and looks into his eyes.
"Dexter" She breathes
She kisses him fiercely. Deb was disgusted by his killer ways, however Hannah seems strangely turned on. He doesn't care. He gives in refusing to fight their connection.
Hannah pulls away and helps Dexter take off his clothes.
Their lips still together as Dexter pushes her down onto the table. His bare chest pressed against her perfect breasts. He pulls his pants down. He enters her for the first time. She moans. He begins to build up a pace, her breathing quickens. They move together and Dexter captures Hannah's lips in his own.
