Hannibal sat quietly whilst listening to a patient's monotone voice drone on about his painfully uneventful week. The man, head of a manufacturing company, suffered from a severe case of emotional detachment. He was unable to experience any feelings due to his long-term depression and was virtually catatonic prior referral to Dr. Lecter's services.
The psychiatrist's notice in all that is atypical made him quite interested in this particular case. Although having seen many other patients with this somewhat common abnormality, this case was the severest he has had the pleasure of analyzing.

Once the hour with the Anhedonia sufferer had ended, Hannibal had a fifteen-minute interval before his next appointment. A new patient was to come in for a session at 3:30 p.m. and he sorely hoped this individual was not a waste of his time.

For the few moments he had without any obligation he worked on a sketch he started earlier that day.

Opposing the style he typically gravitated towards- tasteful nudes, anatomically accurate to the point of annoyance, although still a pristinely accurate depiction of the scene- the figure being etched onto the white sheet was clothed completely.
It depicted the back of a woman walking into the night.
The same woman Doctor Lecter had spent quite some time thinking about since the night he witnessed her criminal actions some two weeks ago.

He had not gotten particularly far in his quest to find and observe her further. Despite the events that transpired that evening being unconventional and unexpected he saw little to no reason as to why he would invest in doing so.

Interested, he was indeed, but there was no rational outcome to explain why he would need to stalk someone who posed as no immediate threat.
This woman was not one of the vulgus he was forced to live amongst and he had no intention of killing her unless their territories crossed and his style of life was compromised.

She had been completely unaware of his presence.
Despite the well-executed attack and cautionary actions, the fact that he had been able to get so close without her noticing was enough to deem her reckless.

Glancing at the clock he realized the fifteen-minute mark was approaching.
He picked up the finished drawing and slid it into a drawer, along with his eraser and pencil.
Standing, he re-buttoned his grey and crimson suit jacket and turned off the desk lamp.

He walked to the door of his waiting room to see if his new patient had arrived.

In the waiting room sat a woman clad in a sheer periwinkle top and black skirt, legs crossed. Light hair covered her face as she read an opened book perching on her right knee.

"Miss Katherine LeMieux?"

She looked up, tucking the long fringe of hair behind her ear as her eyes latched onto Hannibal's.

A small shocked and excited leap surged through his chest upon realizing this new patient was the woman he had followed after the Symphony.

"Yes," she closed her book and put it into the purse at her side,

"I presume you are Doctor Lecter? Very nice to meet you," she stood and stepped toward him, reaching her left hand out to shake his.

A skeptical look flashed through his eyes, mind working hastily, but his face only showed a polite, almost warm, smile.

"Very nice to meet you as well, Miss LeMieux." They shook hands.

His smile widened as he began to fully grasp what this encounter might entail.

"Please, come in."

Doctor Lecter sat across from Miss LeMieux in his lavish counseling room. His mind quickly jumped from one line of thought to another, never speaking before first thinking of his answers and queries.

"What brings you to my services, Miss LeMieux- or may I call you Katherine?"

"Katherine is perfectly fine. If I'm going to be spending any amount of time with you I would certainly prefer a more casual milieu."

"Good," He smiled, "may I ask where it is you are from?"

She laughed lightly; "I'm from here, doctor, as much as anyone else is."

"I cannot help but notice a faint accent when you speak; that, coupled with your surname."

"I was born in Marseille and lived there until I was eleven. My mother and I moved to Annapolis and I gained citizenship soon after."

"You've done well at masking it, if I may say so."

"Your accent is a little more noticeable. European?"

Hannibal smiled with a short half-laugh. "Yes, I moved around Europe quite a bit before settling in the United States. My accent is a potpourri at best."

She grinned at his comment before a more serious look crossed her face, light eyes grazing him dubiously. "Despite the pleasantries, doctor, shouldn't we be discussing my reasons for coming to you today?"

"Surely," he said, inclining his head and gently flourishing an opened hand in her direction. "What seems to be the dilemma?"

"It's a complicated matter, to say the least of it. My, ah," she chuckled, "'general well-being' seems to be compromised."

"Very pressing, indeed, Katherine. How has your well-being been compromised?"

"Well," her eyes downturned, "a few weeks ago I was followed by someone." She glanced back up and met his eyes. Despite her serious demeanor, something about her expression seemed to be playfully goading him.

"Is that so?" Hannibal raised his brow not quite genuinely, mimicking her feigned seriousness. "Do you know by whom?"

"Not at first, no. But it wasn't difficult for me to find out." Her mouth turned up in a full smile. "You are one of the best in your field, easily recognized once a little effort was put in."
Hannibal, despite being put into a position of vulnerability, stayed collected and logical- One of his many useful attributes.

"I didn't think it was by chance that you should be in my office today."

"No, not chance in the slightest." She retorted.

"You were aware of my presence that night, then. At what point did you notice?"

"The moment you walked out the door after me."

"Yet you still continued with your actions?"

"I thought if I was being stalked I might as well leave an impression on the pursuer."

"Why come here today, then? To confront me?"

"No." she replied lightly. "If I were going to confront you I would have done so in an entirely different way." She paused with a trivial look on her face, "I planned to do so, actually, but was interrupted by a third party, much in the manner you were interrupted by my actions after leaving the Symphony Hall."

Doctor Lecter unfolded his legs and leaned forward, elbows resting on each knee.
"And your intention now?"

"No intentions. Purely curiosity."