Eyes of Maroon, Just like you

A/N: Thank you to those who have reviewed and for the spelling correction by Allofmysecretfantasies. I really had no idea of how to properly spell the good Doctor's name. So thanks for pointing it out. On with the story!


Hannibal looked back at the small child that clung to Barney, smiling softly. Children and women had never been his targets. They were innocent, and it was rather rude to prey upon those who could not properly fight back.

"Hello Miss Morgan, my name is Dr. Hannibal Lecter. No need to be frightened, you're in no danger with me… That I promise you." Hannibal spoke softly; almost inaudible to the other two men standing in the room but it was crystal clear to the girl. Luna looked at Dr. Lecter oddly; he was very scary to see him even behind glass. But curiosity got the better of her as she approached the glass slowly until she was within an inch from it; slowly she pressed her hand to the glass and looked up at him.

Hello Dr. Lecter, I am Luna Morgan… but you already know that don't you?

This man was incredibly tall, frightening, muscled, and had the same pigmentation in his irises as she did. But something about him called to her it wasn't just his eyes. There was an odd connection between them as the large man behind the glass brought his hand down to meet hers from the other side of the glass. It must be so horrible to be trapped behind this wall, to be able to see everyone and everything on the outside, but never being a part of it all. Just like me.

"Would you like to talk with me Miss Morgan? Or would you prefer I call you Luna? You may call me Hannibal if you like, but I do prefer Dr. Lector, but whichever one you are more comfortable with is fine."

Luna stared at this man's eyes fascinated that they shared the same color. So many were afraid of her eyes, but this man… they were the same. She was no different from him. It was surreal. Unconsciously she raised her other hand to her own eyes and moved to touch his as if she could reach through the several inches of glass.

"Yes, little one, we have the same eyes… though I must say, they look much better on you then they do me." Hannibal spoke dryly and it caused Luna to smile up at him, showing her whiter than average and shaper teeth. Hannibal mimicked her smile to reveal the same oddities with his own jaw, the same overly white and strangely pointed canines and other teeth that for some reason were more pointed then normal. Luna was fascinated…Things she had been out casted for, her strange teeth and eyes…. this man, Dr. Lecter shared with her. She wasn't alone… she wasn't alone.

But why are you behind glass, like an animal at the zoo? You are not an animal. Are you Dr. Lecter?

She wanted to reach out and touch him, almost to be sure he was real… but this glass was in the way… But why? Why was this man behind it? Was he stuck? Was he dangerous? Was Dr. Chilton punishing him?

Luna smacked her hand against the glass; it didn't make the same sound as when she hit her hand against a window at her home…. It made a different deeper sound. There was something inside the glass…. It sounded more like when she hit her hand against a car windshield. Luna smacked her hand against it again, a little harder and she heard the sound she was looking for. The small vibration of a plastic like substance and she knew it was safety glass, just like the glass walls at the zoo, just like a car windshield. But this was a deeper sound still. There were several thick inches of it.

Hmmm, but where is the door, they have to be able to get in and out, and they had to get you inside somehow… but I do not see any hinges….

Hannibal smirked as he watched the wheels in Miss Morgan's head turn at a rapid pace as she tested the strength of the glass against her own. The way she paced back and forth in front of the glass wall of his cell told him exactly what she was doing or what she was looking for to be exact. A way in.

Careful little one, once you find a way in, Dr. Chilton may just decide to keep you there.

Hannibal thought dryly, only to lift an eye brow as Luna froze and looked directly at him. Almost as if he had spoken out loud. She could sense his thoughts, he realized. She knew immediately when his attention towards her slipped away and drifted elsewhere. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as she explored the short distance between the two walls of his cell.

But even as she watched him, she also watched Dr. Chilton intently as he franticly scribbled down notes in that navy blue binder of his observing her actions along with Lecters. It seemed the only one she wasn't watching or maybe was unable to watch was Barney, but she was tracking him with her ears. Clever girl, she knew how to use all of her given senses and how to use them at their full capacity. Her motions were deliberate as well as inquisitive, strange for a child of her young age to be so intensely aware of all that went on around her.

Yes, she had seen something when her father had been murdered, even if she had not physically seen everything she certainly knew with complete accuracy of all that happened that day. Oh yes, she was the key to the entire investigation. Nothing could have escaped her knowledge, but Hannibal wondered even if she knew of something, if her mind was advanced enough to comprehend it.

He would find out very shortly with a little test. If the media had it right, this child had somehow learned and from his own observations could accurately communicate through music, with or without lyrics to help get the message across. If she could do that, what else could she do? Maybe this silence of hers wasn't as recent as everyone thought. Perhaps she knew of other ways to communicate without speaking. He tapped on the glass twice, very lightly to gain the majority of her attention. Luna looked at him fully, keeping track of Barney and Chilton with her ears, glancing at the Doctor quickly when he stopped writing and fell silent. Very clever girl, even if she was a little paranoid.

Hannible held up both of his hands and spoke slowly in time with them as she used the American Sign Language to help get his message across and to discreetly test his theory of just how advantaged this child's mind was.

"Miss Morgan, can you speak using sign language?" Hannibal spoke slowly as he used his hands to repeat the same message. Instant recognition flooded Luna's eyes as she immediately nodded her head and proceeded to respond in the same manner as he had, minus her voice of course.

Indeed I can speak using the American Sign Language, quite fluently, actually. And please, Dr. Lecter, call me Luna. You do not need to use such formalities.

A gasp of complete shock came from Dr. Chilton who went back to franticly scribbling his notes in his binder and Barney smiled and chuckled softly in amazement, both of them however were all but ignored as Hannibal continued to speak to Luna using his hands. He nodded as he realized that both he and Barney could call her by her first name as they had earned the right to do so, unlike Dr. Chilton who had not done so. And in Hannibal's mind, probably never would.

"Very well, I shall call you Luna. But why did you not tell anyone that you could communicate like this? The police need your testimony to help solve your father's disappearance."

No one ever asked me if I could. They just kept asking the same questions over and over again. And my father hasn't disappeared, he was murdered. I may be a child Dr. Lecter but I am not naïve. I know my father is not coming back. But I am afraid even though I know I saw and heard everything that happened that day… I would be unable to be of any help to the police. I cannot use my voice at all, I have tried on several occasions and nothing comes out, nor can I remember anything that happened that day of the murder. It's all just blank. All I can recall of that day is my father answering and opening the front door, and then a police officer pulling me out of the kitchen cabinet. The several hours that lie in between those two events are completely gone as is my voice and I have no idea as to why.

Luna signed back and Hannibal froze. Her mind was by far more advanced then he had realized. Luna knew and understood exactly what was going on. Her mind was hiding the knowledge she knew she had but seeing as that very knowledge was so traumatic her brain had shielded itself and disallowed Luna the ability to recall it. Repression was the brains natural defense against horrific events and that is what Luna was suffering from, this also now explained her silence. Luna on some level that she was unaware of, her mind thought she was still in danger from the events that had already passed.

Though the rest of her conscience mind knew and accepted that the events were over that last part of her brain was still processing those events as if they were still happening. If Hannibal's hunch was correct, before the events had happened, Luna had somehow been instructed to remain silent by her father and to remain hidden. Even though the events were over and she was no longer hidden, Luna would still have the in-ability to use her voice at all until that last part of her brain deemed it safe to allow her to speak once again. Hannibal guessed it was a mixture of both defenses causing her silence and not Luna's choice to remain so like so many others thought it was. Hannible glanced up and saw Dr. Chilton was now on his cellphone making a call to the board most likely, and not at all paying attention. Quickly he looked at Luna intently to get across that this part was extremely important and only for her, as he only signed the final part of his message as he knew Dr. Chilton would never allow such a thing to happen.

I understand Luna; we are going to figure this out. I promise. I will help you speak again and remember all that happened. But you will have to work with me. It may be hard and it may hurt, but trust me and believe that it is all for a good reason. You will have to bear with Chilton though I'm afraid. We'll throw him a bone every once in a while to keep him from getting suspicious. But together, we will get your memory and voice back.

Luna glanced up at Dr. Chilton to make sure he was not looking, he had his back turned to them and was talking loudly and excitedly to someone on the other end of the line. Luna nodded back at Dr. Lector and signed back as quickly as she could.

I understand, thank you Dr. Lecter. But I do have a question. Why are you behind a glass wall?

Hannibal couldn't help but chuckle at her question and smiled before he answered he question out loud, still greatly amused.

"Because my dear Luna, much like you, I have been deemed too insane to be trusted around the grand masses of society. I am behind this wall for your protection, more so than mine."

Why?

Chilton hung up his phone with the board to announce his break through with the child and looked back and frowned. The two of them seemed to be having their own silent conversation between themselves.

What were they talking about now? Chilton thought angrily.

He would find out, one way or another, he would know exactly what this psychopath was planning. There was no way Lecter would ruin his chances to advance himself this time. This was HIS moment to shine. Lecter would not steal this from him. He would kill Lecter himself before he would allow THAT to pass…