A/N: I am SO sorry for taking forever and a year with this chapter. You have no idea how difficult this reunion scene was for me. I'd write something, scratch it out, write something else, then scratch that out, and it was just an overall hot mess. In fact, I'm still not pleased with this chapter, so I hope you'll enjoy despite the impending CRAP coming your way. lol I'm looking forward to future plot points, so I'm hoping you'll stick with me despite this addition not being very good. Oh well, I tried. :/

Anyway, the title of this chapter doesn't address any literal ghosts (though I suppose that's obvious), so don't expect anyone to die...yet. ;)

ALSO: I re-wrote a large portion of the first chapter, so you may want to re-read it for clarity's sake. It's nothing major (I've just added some back story of what happened between Hannibal and Abigail), but you may find it important.

Thank you to all my followers/reviewers - individual thanks will come at the end! :)

CH 2: Ghosts

"Abigail?" Will choked. As she slowly removed her hood, his battered, unfeeling heart gave a dull throb of recognition. "Abby?" he tried yet again.

She wasn't real...she wasn't. How was it possible?

His hands were now shaking so badly that the dull, warm glow of his flashlight jerked this way and that on Abigail's face.

"Will?" he heard her ask. Her eyes were wide and plaintive, her hand grasping her throat as she took a slight step forward.

Will mirrored her by taking a step back. "You're not real," he whispered. "You're not her..." His voice caught and he choked on the words.

She gave him a funny look. "Will, it is me... It's Abigail Hobbs."

"No..." Despite being released from the hospital, he felt that he couldn't trust his eyes in that moment. Shaking his head, Will slowly lowered his gun. "Your DNA was at the crime scene...did you kill that girl? Are you taking up your father's mantle?"

"What? Of course not!" Abigail's words were sharp and horrified. "I came here to try and clear my name...Hannibal killed that girl, not me!"

Will jerked back as if he'd been slapped. "Dr. Lecter...?"

Abigail nodded, leaking rehearsed tears as she tried to run into his arms. Will surprised her when he gruffly pushed her back. With his hand now encircling her wrist, tight and to the point of pain, his jaw set as his eyes burned fiercely into hers.

"You're lying to me," he hissed.

Abigail felt her heart leap into her throat, wondering what she'd done to give herself away. Trying to twist out of his grasp, she gave a sharp cry when his grip grew stronger. "Will, you're hurting me!"

He ignored her. "Why didn't you ever come forward? You could've let someone know you were alive!"

Teeth gritting, Abigail gave yet another tug, but found herself thrust back against his chest. "I-I couldn't," she choked out. "Hannibal would've killed me!"

Will frowned, though there was a softening around his eyes as he considered this. "How did you escape, then? Where's Lecter now?"

Abigail felt helpless. If he continued to ask question after question, it was very possible that he'd see right through her ruse. That couldn't happen - Hannibal would never forgive her.

In a panic, she realized that the only viable option was to cry - and cry she did, her face scrunching as she gave several short, miserable little sobs. "Help me," she wailed. "Oh God, Will, please... Hannibal's going to know I ran away, and then...then he'll come after me! Please say you'll hide me, please!"

Grasping at his arms with talon-like fingers, Abigail gazed up into Will's bemused gaze and hiccuped for added effect.

It didn't work.

Suddenly angry, Will gripped her arms and slammed her against the brick siding of the alley. She gave a cry as her head connected with the cold surface.

"Lecter put you up to this, didn't he?" Will growled. "Didn't he?!"

"N-no, I..."

"You're a fucking liar!"

He looked feral in that moment - murderous - and Abigail couldn't deny the coil of heat she felt in her lower belly. "Wait," she rasped, but Will responded by pressing an arm against her windpipe.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" he hissed. "Huh? Because I saw your ear in my sink, Abigail - Lecter staged your death, and now he's using you as bait!"

"NO!" Choking on a sob, she clawed at his arm and weakly confessed, "Ok, yes, he's here looking for you, and yes, he wanted to use me as bait, but I couldn't do it, Will! I couldn't hurt you..."

'There,' she thought. It was just the opening she'd been waiting for, and judging by the pained look in Will's eyes, she'd gotten through to him with her half-truths.

When his hold relaxed on her throat, she coughed and brought a hand to her neck. Looking up at him, she earnestly explained, "After Hannibal checked us into a hotel this morning, I managed to escape. I knew you'd be here, so that's why I came... Please, Will, you have to believe me - I'm so scared..."

Gazing back at the girl in his grasp, Will's heart tugged when all of his long-suppressed, overprotective feelings for her came rushing back. How could he have ever thought of denying her? This was Abigail Hobbs... It was his Abigail, and whether or not he wanted to admit it, he cared very deeply about her well-being. He'd never forgive himself if something happened to her.

"I...I think I can help you," he finally said. "I have a place nearby that nobody visits - not even Lounds knows about its location. You'd be safe there from Lecter, and possibly the FBI."

"Possibly?"

"Jack Crawford stopped by this morning."

"Oh..." Abigail felt a rush of panic, but tried not to let this deter her from what she must do. With a brisk little nod, she agreed, "Yes, I...I think I'd like that. Thank you, Will." Here she surprised him by taking his hands, her lips curving up into a sweet smile that made his heart bleed. There had been a time when Abigail's happiness warmed him, but now he only saw his failures blazing back at him like a fiery beacon.

With a deep breath, Will removed himself from Abigail's touch and placed a hand on her shoulder. "C'mon," he urged, "let's get you out of here."

Seeing the old Will gradually resurfacing, Abigail beamed and linked her arm through his. She felt him flinch against her, his body heating with embarrassment at her liberty. There were times when he wouldn't have minded, but now that Abigail was a little older, her affectionate gestures were making him uncomfortable. As they moved along, he could feel her soft, small breasts pressing into his elbow.

Promptly removing himself from her grasp, Will's eyes remained dark as he said, "You're not a kid anymore, Abby - you don't need to hang onto people like that."

Her lips puckered in confusion. As she watched him open his car door, she softly observed, "You've changed, Will."

He paused a moment, his brow sullen and creased. "So have you," he whispered. Sliding into his seat, he failed to notice how the color had drained from Abigail's face.

Will's beach house was beautiful. As they eased up the winding path, Abigail pressed closely to her window and observed the medium-sized, high-rise home stationed a top a hill. Down below, the waves lapped calmly across a beach of tawny sand.

"Wow," she finally complimented. "How did you afford all this?"

Will's expression was grim. "When you want to escape certain things, you find a way."

Abigail sent him a sidelong glance, knowing better than to ask him to elaborate. Instead, she tried a more benign route. "How are your dogs?"

She saw a softening around Will's mouth, his expression looking less pinched as he said, "They're good - I've actually got ten now."

"Really? I'll bet cleaning up all that loose hair is killer!"

Will suddenly paled. "I, uh...I haven't really prepped the house for company. It's going to be . . . a tad messy in there."

"Oh, that's alright. I could always clean as payment for your help."

Will appeared affronted. "You don't owe me anything... It's enough to see you alive again." When her warm eyes met with his, he ducked his head so he didn't have to meet her gaze.

Abigail found it interesting how he could no longer look her in the eye. Back when they'd been friendly, he'd never had any issues with returning her gaze before. Hell, he hadn't had any qualms with touching her, either. What had changed?

Will cleared his throat then, and she realized he was waiting for her to get out of the car. Grabbing her rucksack, she slid out into the driveway and could already hear the dogs carrying on behind the front door.

"Guess they missed you," she teased.

Will chose not to say anything.

Following him up the path to the front porch, Abigail scaled the three steps as he fiddled with his keys. After a few attempts the lock freed, then she gave a delighted laugh as they were greeted by a brigade of fur and warm tongues. When she spared each clamoring dog a pat on the head, she missed the warm smile Will gave her before crossing the threshold.

Abigail followed soon after. As Will turned on the lights, she gasped at the sight of beer bottles strewn across the room.

Will noticed her expression and winced. "I, uh...sorry."

"It's alright," Abigail lied. It was evident to her that he had suffered a rough couple of years.

Shuffling through the filth, Will removed his jacket and asked, "Can I get you anything to drink? Water, maybe? Hot chocolate?"

"Beer's fine," Abigail said. Noting the startled look in his eyes, her expression became smug. "I am twenty-one now, you know. And don't tell me you're out, because you obviously have a steady supply."

Will's cheeks flushed in shame. He mumbled something incoherent, then padded toward the kitchen to get the requested beverage.

The moment he returned, Abigail frowned when she realized he had two beers in hand. Apparently he thought he'd need some liquid courage.

"That's bad for the liver, you know."

Will rolled his eyes and handed her a bottle. "No shit, Sherlock - I promise I know the consequences."

"Ok, so then you're hell-bent on self-extermination?"

He ignored her. Grunting as he had a seat on his large (and filthy) couch, he motioned toward the chair across from him and indicated she have a seat.

Abigail complied, but only because she didn't want to upset him any further. The thought of what could possibly be living on the chair gave her the willies.

"So, uh...you doing ok?"

"Yes," she assured him, "I'm doing just fine."

Will gave a stiff little nod. "Oh...well that's good."

"Yeah."

They were quiet for a long time. All that could be heard was the soft tick tick tick of the clock on the far wall.

Holding her bottle more tightly, Abigail frowned and blurted, "I know you wanted to move, but . . . how come? What was so bad about Virginia?"

Will's gaze grew dark. "I don't know...too many memories, I guess. Everything there reminded me of..."

You.

"...bad FBI experiences."

"Oh." She gazed up into his blue eyes - haunted, sad, and rimmed with the cold mania he'd gained from experience. Crime never left a man unmarked. Shifting forward in her seat, she lifted her head and observed, "You seem like you miss your old life, if only just a little. Am I right?"

"No." The word came out so sharply and fast that Abigail flinched.

Will noticed this and sighed. "Sorry, I just...it's not something I ever really miss or think about. Our eyes are on the front of our head for a reason, so why look back?"

"Because you're human." Will's eyes met with Abigail's then, and this time it was she who shrank beneath his gaze.

"You've grown intuitive in your old age."

She laughed - a nervous, husky sound - and glanced at the floor. "I'm sorry for bringing up your past," she apologized. "I know it must be painful for you... I guess I just wanted to try and understand."

Will's smile was grim. "What's there to understand? Lecter played us both like a violin, and now we've been given the chance to start over. I won't let him come near you ever again... I hope you know that."

Abigail managed to return his gaze, stunned at the amount of devotion he was exhibiting. She'd never given him an ounce of affection or gratitude, so why did he seem to think he owed her anything?

Annoyed, Abigail said, "You don't have to protect me forever. I may be in trouble, but I don't need a white knight."

Will glanced at the far wall, his jaw tensing as he tried not to emote what he was truly feeling. "I know," he rasped. "And I...I also know I'm not your father, so-"

"No, you're not," Abigail coldly agreed. She thought of Hannibal - her true father - and felt a twinge of disdain for the man in front of her. As is, Will was a disgrace. Hannibal would be disappointed to find such a beautiful mind ravaged by booze and depression. She'd be sure to get him to stop drinking before long, if only to please her surrogate. But in order to do so, she knew she needed to be more tactful.

Taking her drink, Abigail announced that she was ready for bed. As she rose and promptly headed off to find a guest room, she failed to notice the tragic, wistful look in Will's eyes as he gazed down into his beer.

Abigail was frustrated. Why hadn't Hannibal tried to contact her yet?

Flipping open her cell phone, she scrolled through her messages with impatience, hoping that she'd somehow missed something from her surrogate. When she once again found her inbox empty, she texted Hannibal the words "In Will's home" and waited.

And waited.

Biting her lip, Abigail glanced over her shoulder to make sure Will wasn't nearby, then gave a soft growl of frustration. How was she supposed to do this without any guidance? Hannibal often liked to cut her loose as a lesson, but this wasn't an instance where she wanted to be blind. Instruction was key.

Just when Abigail was ready to give up and turn in for bed, a message popped up on her screen. Eager and excited, she read the words "Be subtle" and frowned. That's it? That was her instruction? Wasn't he at least going to congratulate her on a job well done?

Pouting and sullen, Abigail decided that she was done playing by Hannibal's rules.

'I'll show him,' she thought. 'I'll catch Will all by myself, and without his stupid methods. Then he'll have to realize we're equals!'

With this idea replaying in her mind, she gave a coy little smile and began to get ready for bed.

The low, idle hum of the TV momentarily brought Will into consciousness, but as he rolled over on the couch, he gave a start when he realized he was no longer alone. "A-Abigail?" he croaked.

"I need to go shopping," she said. Appearing self-conscious, she skimmed her toe across the floor and explained, "When I was packing this morning, I forgot my pajama bottoms... I guess I was too nervous to think straight."

Will blinked. As he slowly sat up, he took in Abigail's form-fitting T-shirt and realized, with an increasing amount of embarrassment, that below the hem she was only wearing a pair of skimpy, girlishly pink panties. "Uhh...did you want a pair of my pajama bottoms?"

"Thanks, but they probably wouldn't fit." Smiling, she strode toward him and stopped in front of the coffee table. At this distance, he could read the words Try Your Luck in bold, flirty lettering across her crotch.

Blushing furiously, Will snapped his gaze to the far wall and refused to look her in the eye. "Are you...? I mean...is there anything else you wanted?"

Abigail's smile was chipper as she shook her head. "No - I just wanted to let you know about my situation. Think we can go shopping tomorrow?"

"Um...sure."

"Great!" Bounding over to him with a bright smile, she threw her arms around his neck and embraced him tightly. Flustered, Will held his hands out awkwardly to the side, unsure of where to place them as she nuzzled his cheek. With the heat creeping up his neck, his toes curled as her warm, satin lips brushed against the scruff of his jaw. "Goodnight, Will - thanks for everything," she whispered. The warmth of her breath caused a shiver to run down his spine.

Pulling away with a warm smile, she glanced down at her feet and laughed when Winston nosed her thigh. "C'mon, Winston," she urged. "Let's go to bed."

The dog happily pranced after her and Will winced, releasing a breath as he listened to them head back to Abigail's room. When the door closed, he covered his face with his hands and groaned. This had to stop. It had to. In the morning, he would be sure to lay down some ground rules about how to behave in his house. It wasn't that Abigail was intentionally trying to provoke him - right? - but she needed to know she was making him uncomfortable.

Absently scratching his arm, Will tried to ignore the pounding of his heart and his jittery limbs. He tried to ignore the fact he was sporting the beginnings of an erection. Abigail Hobbs was his ward, for God's sake, and he wouldn't subject himself - he wouldn't subject her - to any awkwardness that might follow.

Trembling, he flicked off the TV and laid back down, lacing his hands over his chest as he attempted to fall back to sleep. It would prove to be a long, and miserable night.

A/N: Abigail's a smart girl, so she knows that the key to ensnaring a lot of men is through A) their stomach, and B) sexual desire. So everything that seems innocent on her part definitely is not. Hannibal, of course, is not going to like that she's about to disobey him. A long, and tangled web is ahead of us, and that's all I'll say on that account.

Expect to see more of Jack, Beverly, and Alana in later chapters. I don't want everything to just be in Will's house (that'd be boring/stifling for me creative-wise), so due to them living in Marathon, FL, I see that being ok since they're not likely to be spotted by anyone who knows Abigail. Hannibal's presence will be a hovering one until later chapters, but don't worry - he definitely WILL make his presence known. What'd be the fun of him just staying in the background? ;)

Also, expect future chapters to contain violence, coarse language, gore, sex, and potential character death. I haven't fully decided on that last one, but I do think at least one character from the aforementioned list is on the chopping block (no pun intended). Abigail's deformity (as well as Will's stomach scar) will be addressed as well, so don't think I've forgotten about them. I figured a legit heart-to-heart would be WAY too soon for their reunion, so that will all come much later.

Since this chapter was murder for me to write/get inspiration for, I'm hoping your reviews will lend me all the inspiration I need. Normally they do, but I'm just praying I can pull this one off. I'm really excited about some of the future plot points, but the trouble is getting there!

INDIVIDUAL THANK YOUS:

melinder: Well thank you very much, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! :)

Abigill Fan: Aww, well thank you, I really appreciate that! I hope Will's reaction met with your approval, because I know I'm certainly dissatisfied. :/ I'm terrible with reunion scenes.

viciouslittlething: I DID, I DID! (Now I want to say "I DID see a puddy tat!" Sorry...too much pop culture xD) A Lithuanian spy? That's way more bad-ass than what I have planned, hahaha. But Abigail's definitely skilled in other ways. ;) -wink wink nudge nudge- lol Anyway, I'm so sorry for taking so long to update...I'm sure the excitement has long since worn off by now!

Aww, it's not a problem! You told me you'd be out of town, so I figured it was something like that. :) Thanks so much for reading, dahling!

10millionpeople: lmao! That made me laugh... See? I'm a sadist! I'm laughing at your pain! xD hahaha Awww! -flails- That's so sweet, I really appreciate that! It made me hug myself! :P I hope this chapter wasn't a disappointment, because I swear, I feel like it sucks SO much. BAH! I know it'll get better in future chapters (or at least, I hope so!), but yeah...GRRR. WRITER'S BLOCK SUCKS!

Lyledebeast: Thank you! :) And oh yes, of course. ;) Where would I be without writing for our darling Will? haha

madscientistproduction.01: Haha, thank you! :) I'm sorry it took me so long...I'm super slow with reunion scenes, for whatever reason. I've never been good at them! :(

Straight Edghe: Oh, you're definitely not the only one. ;) Will x Abigail may be small compared to Will x Hannibal and Hannibal x Abigail, but we DO exist! -fist bump- Anyway, I'm so flattered that you think so! -hugs-