Authors Note- Hi guys. Thank you for all the reviews!! I am a very naughty girl when it comes to those cliff hangers, Hmmmm? I almost left this chapter at a cliffy, too. But I was feeling merciful and decided to behave myself. Enjoy…

If I Could Save Just One

Chapter two: The Beginnings Of Destruction

February 1991

For the fist time in the five years that he'd worked at the Baltimore State Hospital For The Criminally Insane; Barney actually dreaded having to go down to Doctor Lecter's cell. Usually, he looked forward to their talks-- when Doctor Lecter chose to speak. But now…

Doctor Chilton had stepped things up to a whole new level now. And Barney wasn't sure he could bring himself to be a part of it. In fact, he knew he didn't want to be.

He knew what his orders were concerning Doctor Lecter. He also knew what his conscience told him. Needless to say the two conflicted. This confliction is what made it exceedingly difficult for him to take each step down the hall that brought him closer to the Doctor's cell.

In front of the glass now; Barney raised his brown eyes to meet the Doctor's face, and was instantly confronted with his incisive, blue eyed gaze. Doctor Lecter was still in the restraints. Doctor Chilton had ordered that he remain that way until further notice. Barney exhaled a tense breath before stepping through the open doorway to enter the cell. "Good Morning, Doctor Lecter." He greeted; trying to sound as cheerful as possible.

"Good Morning, Barney." Doctor Lecter replied pleasantly. Even going so far as to flash a warm smile that reflected in his eyes. The Doctor had purposely remained alert since Chilton's departure… waiting for Barney; and Barney had figured he would be. He wasn't surprised that the Doctor had chosen to speak with him now. "I assume, from the I.V. you've brought," he gestured his head toward the contents of Barney's right hand " that the vapid Dr. Chilton wants me to stay like this until I've learned my lesson." his smile converted form warm to cynical.

"You got it, Doctor Lecter." Barney spoke sadly; his eyes averting again.

"His unoriginality is more tedious than the actual punishment." He watched Barney for a moment. "Oh, come now. I can see you're being far too hard on yourself. You're only doing what you're told, after all." the Doctor reassured " You wouldn't want to lose your job, now would you, Barney."

"No, Doctor Lecter. I wouldn't." He said, then went about the painstakingly difficult task of transferring the Doctor to the cot, restraining him, and hooking up the I.V. "This isn't really necessary," Barney said as he removed the hockey mask. It's the least I can do…

"Thank you, Barney." he offered kindly.

Barney considered; The Doctor needed a shave, but he decided that it would have to wait until later. When he had more time. Or maybe he just wanted to get out of there before any questioning began. Thankfully, up until now, the whole procedure had gone by in a strangely comfortable silence. Satisfied that he had finished his job here, Barney turned to make his way back out and to the nurses station. At the threshold of the door; he thought he was home free.

"Oh, Barney?" Doctor Lecter called innocently.

Barney stopped, head bowed with a sigh, his hand still rested on the glass door frame. "Yes, Doctor Lecter?"

"Pity about poor Agent Starling… isn't it?" he said; apparently without emotion.

Here we go… Barney sighed. Without turning around he weakly answered "Yes, it is." He had heard the real question that the Doctor had just asked of him, and Barney thought Doctor Lecter deserved the truth; at least from him. And besides, few people could convincingly lie to the Doctor; Barney knew he was not one of them.

But Doctor Chilton had told him how he wanted any such question from Lecter answered.

Fuck it… Barney thought as he spun on his heels to face the Doctor again. Cautiously wondering if there was still a bug in the room; he walked back over to where Doctor Lecter lay bound to the cot and bent close but not too close to him, as though he were checking the strap that held his wrist. He casually leaned toward the Doctor's ear and, almost inaudibly, whispered: "She's fine…"

A slow breath escaped the Doctor as he heard the words he hadn't realized he'd longed to hear. He blinked slowly as Barney stood up and watched him; gauging his reaction for a moment. It occurred to Barney that he'd seen more emotion from this monster in the short time since Agent Starling had graced the front of his cage than in all the years he'd been here combined. Doctor Lecter hid it well, though. A lay person would not have perceived this change-- this shift. But Barney had caught it.

"Thank you, Barney." The Doctor spoke softly "Thank you…."

Recognizing that Doctor Lecter had finished speaking for now-- and maybe for a while-- Barney left the cell.

Alone now with his thoughts; Doctor Lecter considered. The fact that Doctor Chilton had been the source of such turmoil, with his lies, had been disarming. But it was quickly clear to the Doctor that the source of the turmoil had not been Chilton at all; it had been Clarice. That was twice he had been blinded by her; if only indirectly. First, with the phony offer of a first class ticket to Anthrax Island. And now this. She threw him off. It had been true since the start. Miggs's discourteousness had infuriated him when it had come to Clarice. Where had his control been then? Hmmm? The whole situation had begun to trouble him. He decided to tuck it away for now; before he began to dwell.

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April 1991

Two months after his attempted escape, two weeks after her graduation from the Academy; Clarice Starling, alive and very well, pulled her Pinto into the parking lot of the Baltimore State Hospital For The Criminally Insane.

She had fought no inner battle in deciding to come here. It was the right thing to do; coming to thank Doctor Lecter for his help. And perhaps, in the far reaches of her mind where she dare not tread, she hoped to have a more social conversation with him. Where quid pro quo's were not involved. He intrigued her; much to her colleagues and superiors chagrin. She hadn't tried to hide the fact that she had gone to Baltimore on this cold, cloudy day in April. She didn't feel she needed to. It's was her day off. Her time. And she would do with it as she pleased. National Tattler and Bureau rumors be damned. This was the right thing to do. It didn't matter to Clarice what everyone thought of her. Little did she know that it did matter to her career. But Starling was still young.

Inside the building now; Clarice was allowed to pass easily through the halls. Knowing her way around by now, recognized by the guards. She stopped at Chilton's office and hesitated before knocking; getting the shudder of disgust at having to get through him first out of her system. She took a deep breath and rapped gently on his door.

"Come" the muffled voice from the office said.

Opening the door only enough to step through and lightly closing it behind her; Clarice approached Doctor Chilton's desk where he sat in the swivel chair behind it doing paperwork. He had yet to look up at her.

"Doctor Chilton?"

Not recognizing the female voice immediately, the prospect of a girl in his office captured his attention right away. Upon looking up and seeing who was standing there, his gaze darkened. "Oh, it's you." He leaned back in his chair, tossing his pen to the desk in annoyance. "What do you want now? I didn't think I'd be seeing you around here anymore, Miss. Starling."

Completely put off by his rude greeting, Clarice somehow managed to hold her tongue-- hold back all the things she had wanted to say to him from the beginning. She cleared her throat "Actually, it's Agent Starling now, 'Doctor' Chilton." she settled "However, I'm not here on business today." her voice was cold; her dislike of him obvious. "I want to see Doctor Lecter."

"No." he said simply; looking back down at his paperwork and dismissing her.

Ohhhhhh no. I don't think so… Astonished at his brusqueness, she stared at him a moment; unmoving. "Excuse me?"

"I said you can't see him. Have a good day, Agent Starling." he said without bothering to look up again.

"Wait a minute right there, Doctor Chilton." Clarice had begun to loose patience with the man and it showed in her tone of voice " Doctor Lecter has rights and so do I." She stepped up closer to his desk " As an inmate here, the Doctor is entitled to visitors. And as a civilian, I'm entitled to visit him."

He stared at her now; in his mind, fishing for excuses. "Well, you'll have to come back during regular visiting hours, then."

But Clarice had come prepared for this one "It just so happens, Doctor Chilton, that I read up on you're hospital's visitor policy before I came. Visiting hours are 1p.m. till 4 p.m. It's…" she looked at her watch "2:45 now. That gives me plenty of time." Clarice had to suppress a self-satisfied grin; proud of herself for thinking ahead.

"That policy doesn't apply for the violent ward." he said, grasping at straws.

"That's bull shit, and you know it." Why is he so hell bent on keeping me away…

"Nevertheless, you can't see him."

At the end of her rope, Clarice snapped " LISTEN, By law, I CAN see him. And if I have to go through the courts about this, I will. I'll make it nice and public, too. The press will just love it. Your failure in Tennessee is the hot topic right now, Doctor. I'm sure they'd jump at the chance to print more dirt about you." She was angry and determined now.

The horrified look on his face showed that Doctor Chilton didn't doubt for a minute that she would do it. Apparently she didn't care what that kind of publicity would do to her very new career; or maybe she just wasn't aware of the damage it could cause. Chilton sighed in resignation " Fine." He opened a draw in the desk to retrieve a visitors pass and slid it across to her. "You know your way down. I'll call Barney and tell him you're coming."

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Descending the stairs, down the halls, and through the many gates where she had to be buzzed through by the guards on the opposite side; Clarice made her way to the dungeon.

At the nurses station now, Barney buzzed her through. "Hey, Barney." she greeted; her voice sounded tired from the battle she had just undergone with Chilton. Barney picked up on it right away.

"Hello, Clarice." He smiled "Did Doctor Chilton give you hell for wanting to come down here?"

"Yup."

"Well, I hate to say it, but you might have gone through all that trouble for nothing." he told her as she was hanging her coat on the hook.

"Why?" she turned back to face him with a questioning in her eyes.

"Well," he began slowly "Doctor Lecter hasn't spoken in nearly two months. He's been catatonic."

Clarice's eyes grew wide "What?"

"Actually, the last time he talked to me, he…" Barney started softly, but then trailed off; feeling like he was about to compromise the confidence of a friend. Like a secret was going to be reveled if he completed the sentence. But it was no secret he had been asked to keep. "The last time he talked to me, he was asking about you."

"Oh," she said in a small voice. There is something that floors you when a man stops speaking, stops moving all together, and his last vocalized thoughts are of you. Or maybe she was just reading too much into it. Besides, she didn't even know what he had said about her. Clarice decided she didn't want to know. Which worked out well, because Barney was reluctant to tell her what Doctor Chilton had led Lecter to believe.

"Maybe you can snap him out of it." Barney offered hopefully.

"Maybe," Clarice spoke through her light West Virginian accent "But I won't get my hopes up." she said with a disappointed smile as Barney opened the gate to the violent ward. It slammed shut behind her and she was quickly buzzed through the second one.

As on the first time she had taken this long walk down the hall flanked by the mad; she walked slowly, but with more confidence now, to the last cell on the left. All the way down to the end where they kept the man she found to be quite sane-- in her opinion anyway. Doctor Lecter knew exactly what he was doing, at all times. He knew exactly what he had done in the past. But in our society there is no other explanation for a man who could eat the flesh of another human being without remorse and without dire necessity. He must be insane. But it was only her opinion, after all. And, for some reason, she hoped no one of any importance ever decided to agree with her. If he was ever found sane, Doctor Lecter would face the death penalty for Multiple First Degree Murder.

Clarice realized that the door to his cell was open. She furrowed her brow in confusion as she continued walking. What she found when she reached his cell appalled her. Doctor Lecter was restrained to his cot, an I.V. in his arm; indicating to her that he had been this way for quite some time, or that they intended to leave him like this. His eyes stared straight out ahead of him to the ceiling; unblinking. "Doctor Lecter?" her voice, thankfully coming out stronger than she felt at the moment.

No answer.

"Doctor Lecter?"

He inhaled deeply through his nose then, and began to blink slowly. "I could smell you coming, Clarice." His eyes closed for a moment and he tilted his head. When they opened again his gaze was fixed on her. "I can see you've decided to wear the perfume today." he smirked. "How've you been?"

"Better than you, apparently." She stepped a little closer to the open doorway of the glass, but did not step inside. "How long have you been like this? Restrained, I mean."

"Who can say." He spoke with a casual air; as though they had just sat down to tea " I tend to lose track of time during Chilton's inconsequential torments." not once during this exchange did he take his eyes off of her.

"So this is punishment for trying to escape?" her voice had raised an octave in her outrage. "That would mean you've been there for almost two months!" Her mouth stood agape now, and in her aggravation she failed to notice how amused the Doctor was at her concern. "This is ridiculous! I'll be right back." She told him, then quickly made her way back down to the nurses station.

"Take your time." he called after her.

"Barney" she called as she approached the first gate. "BARNEY" The gate opened and closed behind her.

"What is it, Clarice?" He spoke to her through the bars of the second gate.

"Doctor Lecter's been restrained for two months?" it was half question, half outraged statement. "What's going on?"

He opened the gate and closed it behind her " Doctor Chilton's orders." Barney said; his voice reflecting the shame he felt at having to be the one to carry them out.

"SCREW Doctor Chilton's orders!"

Doctor Lecter heard that one all the way back down the hall in his glass cell, and chuckled.

A little embarrassed that she was yelling, and at the wrong person no less, Clarice lowered her voice "Barney. I want you to get him out of those, right now. Please."

He held her eyes for a second before looking to the floor, shaking his head "I'm sorry, Clarice, but my hands are tied." he looked up at her again, holding his palms open in gesture. " I have to do what the Director of the hospital tells me, or I could lose my job."

"Fine. Then get Chilton down here."

Fifteen minuets later, waiting for Chilton to grace the lower levels of the building with his presence, he finally arrived. "What is it now, Agent Starling?"

Okay, Clarice, we'll start with being civil " I want you to take Doctor Lecter out of restraints. Two months of 'punishment' is overkill and abuse."

"Oh, spare me the drama, Agent Starling. He's not abused."

"Then take him out of restraints."

"No."

"Pardon me? I couldn't hear you over all the racket in this ward. But I think Doctor Lecter should be released form the restraints, sir, before that 'abuse' story is the one the press hears." she took a step closer to him, in an attempt to appear threatening "Now, I'm sorry I missed what you were saying before." she said in a falsely pleasant tone "Want to start over?"

Chilton, glaring at Clarice, exhaled an exasperated breath. He turned to Barney "Get him cleaned up, and let him loose." Chilton left without another word.

The edges of Barney's lips curled up in a congratulatory smile directed at Clarice Starling. He turned to head over to the Doctor's cell, but Clarice grabbed his arm and he turned back to her "Hey, I'm sorry I yelled before, Barney."

"Oh, Don't worry about it, Clarice. You did what you had to do." a grin still on his face; seeing Chilton squirming like that was priceless. The gate slammed shut behind him and he glanced back at Clarice who waited at the nurses station for him to finish.

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Fifteen more minutes waiting for Barney to get Doctor Lecter up and presentable, and she walked again down the hall to his cell.

"Good afternoon, Clarice." Unfettered but locked down behind the glass; Doctor Lecter sat at the table that was bolted to the floor.

"Doctor." She said in greeting.

" I have to thank you for getting me loose, Clarice. Though I must say, the scene you've made on my behalf has made the past days of immobility well worth it." he said with amusement.

"I would have done the same for any one."

"Yes, I know." he said in a low voice, then inhaled deeply and continued in a more conversational tone "It's your fixation with helping the helpless. Should I take this to mean I've become one of your lambs, Clarice?" He said with a sly smile.

"No," she denied his hypothesis "No, I'd hardly say you're helpless, Doctor Lecter." She held his eyes for a moment longer then turned to retrieve the folding metal chair that leaned against the wall. The one she'd been using all along. When she sat, Clarice found herself at eye level with him.

"I have to admit, Clarice, that I am surprised to see you again."

"Is that because you thought you would be free by now?" she asked; referring to his failed attempt at escape.

"No." he said "I was aware of the variables when I tried to escape. I knew I may end up right back here." It was clear to Clarice that he did not look for pity. Not that he would have found any. The Doctor had accepted this turn of events and realized there was no point in wishing it had turned out otherwise. Clarice wondered if she would ever be able to experience that sort of mind set: a complete lack of regret. "But I would have thought," he continued now "that once you had finished…" he paused and smiled "pumping me for information, You'd have no reason to return." He regarded her with intensity "Why are you here, Clarice?"

She began to chew on the nail of her pinky finger.

"Biting you're nails is a bad habit, Clarice."

"So is eating people." she continued to chew on her nail.

"Touché." he winked at her. " But we stray from out topic of conversation. Why are you here?"

"I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?" he played dumb.

"For your help with Jame Gumb." Clarice spoke in all seriousness. "I never would have got to Catherine Martin in time if it hadn't been for you." she said in a softer voice. "No one would have."

" You do yourself little justice, Clarice." he spared a vague complement for her. "And if you simply wanted to thank me, you could have written a letter and saved yourself all of this bother with Chilton. Does good old Jacky Boy know you're here, little Clarice? He may get upset."

"He knows I'm here. Why wouldn't I tell him? If I'd kept this a secret it only would have served as something for Doctor Chilton to use against me."

"You're quite right."

"Besides, I'm here on my own time."

"Am I to understand, Clarice, that this is a social call? Mmmmm, It's a good thing, then, that you managed to talk Fredrick into letting me loose. I don't imagine I'd be a very good host bound to the cot." Doctor Lecter watched as Clarice shifted in her chair. "By the way. Barney tells me you've graduated form the Academy."

"Barney told you? I thought you've been catatonic."

"That doesn't mean I don't experience selective hearing. Tell me, Clarice, has good old Jacky boy offered you a place in the B.S. Section yet? I would think you'd be a shoe in. You were the one to bring down Buffalo Bill, after all."

Clarice looked to the floor for a moment, and Doctor Lecter knew he had his a sore spot "No," she said finally "No, he hasn't." She looked back up at him "But that doesn't mean I'll never get there. I just need more field experience, that's all."

"I see." And he did see. He saw a great deal of things. He saw her beautiful, expressive eyes shining with a naïve faith in a system she still knew very little about. He saw that same earnestness in her that he had seen the first day they met. "And on a related subject, Clarice; How are you enjoying your fifteen minuets of fame for killing Jame Gumb?"

"What makes you think it will only last fifteen minuets?"

"Oh, come now, Clarice. Even you can't be that innocent to the inner politics of the Bureau. The good you've done will be forgotten, in time. And those who remember will do so only because they are jealous of it, and are in a position to hurt your career because of it." he told her.

Clarice shook her head halfheartedly in denial.

"And what do they have Special Agent Starling working on now?"

She hesitated before answering "Wire taps."

"You see," he gestured with his hand as though he had pointed out something blatantly obvious "It's already begun."

"You're wrong."

"We'll see."

The clang of the gate at the beginning of the hall pulled Clarice back to reality from where she had been; lost in their conversation. As it was for the majority of their discussions, Clarice often found herself forgetting that they were separated by thick glass. Forgetting that they sat in the dark basement hallway of a mental institution. And simply enjoyed the fact that she was having a stimulating conversation with an interesting man. It was a pleasant break from the way men usually treated her. Like nothing more than a prize to be won. Expected to simper and bat her eyelashes. And when she didn't she was quickly dismissed as a cold fish. However, all of this forgetting was something she knew she shouldn't be doing.

She looked down the hall in the direction of the noise to see Barney approaching. "I'm sorry, Clarice," he began when he got close enough. "but Doctor Chilton just called down." Barney looked over to Doctor Lecter, whose eyes were still trained on Clarice. "He said that visiting hours are over."

Clarice looked at her watch. It was four o'clock on the dot. " That man is a pain in my ass." she slipped before she could catch herself. She looked back to Doctor Lecter who had an eyebrow raised in amusement. "Sorry." she apologized for the language.

The Doctor quickly raised a palm in dismissal "By all means, Clarice. It's quite alright." he grinned "I happen to agree with you wholeheartedly."

Clarice reluctantly stood form her chair, and Doctor Lecter, being the gentleman that he is, stood as well. "Good bye, Doctor Lecter."

Doctor Lecter smiled wryly "See ya round, Clarice." he said. It felt far less final than their parting in Memphis. Like he might just see her by chance on the street later that day. They both knew that was impossible. But Doctor Lecter also knew that he would see her again. Yes, she would come back. And he really was sure of that.

Their eyes held for a second before Clarice tore away and walked down the hall with Barney.

As Barney escorted her out of the violent ward, taking in all he had seen, he dealt with the feeling that he had just witnessed the beginnings of ruin to the formal structure surrounding this dark relationship.

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To be continued…..