Disclaimer: All characters in here belong to Thomas Harris.

This is going to be a quiet chapter :) They deserve a break, don't they?

Chapter Three

When Dr. Chilton finally decided to pick up his phone and find out what all the fuzz was about, most of the day had already passed and Hannibal Lecter was sleeping when his psychiatrist arrived at the Asylum. He was slipping into a nightmare when he heard the shouting,

"ARE YOU MAD!" Dr. Chilton's voice broke through the haze that clouded his mind. "Get that mask on him. NOW!"

Hannibal blinked as he felt someone press the mask over his face and he tried to focus on the face above him. It took a moment, but by the time Barney lifted his head to secure the straps, Hannibal had already recognized his big form.

"Barney..?"

"I'm sorry Dr. Lecter." The big orderly mouthed. "Dr. Chilton has arrived."

Barney gestured to the door and Hannibal followed his gaze. It was quite right. Dr. Chilton was standing there with fumes coming out his ears as he growled at the orderly called Jim.

"I want to see that tape, now!" Jim went running down the hall at those words, and Hannibal could sense what would happen next. "Barney, stand outside…"

Hannibal saw his friend frown but do as he was bid, leaving Hannibal Lecter alone with Dr. Chilton. The door closed behind him and Hannibal watched in silence as Dr. Chilton looked down at him with contempt.

"What did you do now, Lecter?" Chilton leaned down, his nose nearly touching his mask. Hannibal wanted to turn his head away from his mint breath, but he forced himself to stare straight into his eyes. Chilton sighed and sat on the chair beside him without an invitation. "You have five broken ribs; three on you left side and two on your right side. You have severe bruising covering most of your chest, upper thighs and you face. On top of that you have a split eyebrow. Now, tell me Hannibal, was it worth it?"

Hannibal wondered vaguely if Chilton would have asked him the same question if he'd seen the tape first. He was assuming that Hannibal had provoked the guards somehow, and even if he'd watched the tape, Hannibal thought, he'd probably blame him anyway.

"What did you say to them Hannibal? I'll know in a minute anyway, but I'd like to hear how your twisted mind perceives this." Chilton poked him in the side, sending a flash of pain through Hannibal's nerve system and he swallowed hard to stop himself from hissing. He saw the satisfied look on Chilton's face. Someone knocked on the door and Chilton told him to come in. It was Jim.

"I have the tape sir…" Jim was smaller than Barney but he gave off the same intimidating aura with his burly frame and dark skin.

"Good, now go fetch a TV…" Chilton drawled. "I want Hannibal to see why he should do as his guards tell him to do."

"Sir…" Barney stuck his head into the room as Jim left. "I don't think it would be a…."

"You don't think what, Barney?" Chilton cut him off. "Go stand outside like I told you to, or I'll have you fired for incompetence."

Barney sent Hannibal an apologetic look. He tried to give him a smile, but had to nod in return, as he remembered that he was wearing his mask. Jim wheeled in the TV from one of the rooms down the hall, and Chilton rose to put in the tape. Hannibal looked out of the window as the tape started playing. He could see the top of a tree, but it was starting to get dark outside and not a single bird flew by. Hannibal felt a hand on his chin, forcing him to look at Chilton.

"Watch the tape…" Chilton leaned back in his chair with a smile and Hannibal turned his eyes to the small screen. He could hardly see anything as he was still lying down and his feet were in the way, but he could still hear it. The screen was dark, showing nothing, and for a while everything was quiet, until he heard his own breathing grow faster. He heard a groan and then the sound of his feet hitting the floor. The water turned on and then the light. It was as if someone had turned the screen on, and Hannibal turned his head away, opting to watch Chilton, who was watching it transfixed. Despite his own suffering, Hannibal could feel the glee creeping into his mind, as Chilton's face changed. The smile dropped as the events unfolded; it turned to doubt and disgust, until it settled on something akin to shame.

Hannibal watched with fascination as Chilton turned off the tape as the guards left the picture. The foolish psychiatrist's chest was moving up and down as he breathed in, trying to control his emotions. He wasn't succeeding very well. Chilton turned his head to Hannibal and their eyes met. There was pity in them and Hannibal did not want pity. It made him sick. He wanted to be feared and respected. He could feel his lips turn into a cruel smile and Chilton snapped his head away. Goood.

"Is something amusing you Hannibal?"

"Just you Dr. Chilton." Hannibal kept smiling as Chilton rose from his chair with pure anger on his face and stormed out of the room. Hannibal's smile grew wider. As long as he could get a rise out of Chilton while he was lying in the med wing… well, everything is fine then, is it not?

"One day you'll give him a heart attack…" Barney said as he wheeled in the food cart.

"That would be a pity…" Hannibal smirked. "He's just my taste."

The big orderly tried to contain a smile but failed miserably. Hannibal watched him as he placed the tray with food on the table. He worked in silence, adjusting the bed so Hannibal sat upright and carefully propping a pillow behind his back. Hannibal had to snap for air as his ribs protested against his new seated position. Barney frowned but didn't say a word. He wheeled the table over, so the food was right under his nose.

"We eh…" Barney started. "We're going to remove your mask and your right handcuff so you can eat, but we'll be watching you and we'll have the tranquilizer gun as well. Okay?"

"Quite understandable Barney." Hannibal said politely. "At least you're not feeding me…"

"No Dr. Lecter." Barney chuckled. "Dr. Chilton did suggest it. Jim and I talked him out of it."

"Oh, what did you say?"

Barney stopped smiling and avoided his eyes. "It was nothing personal Dr. Lecter…"

"Well, what did you say Barney?"

"Well… we suggested that you might… that you might take a bite out of us if we got near you while you were eating…"

Hannibal's face broke into a smile as he snorted in laughter. It hurt more than he'd anticipated and his smile became a mask of pain until he managed to get himself under control. Barney looked positively relieved.

"I assure you that I'd never do that to you Barney, but if you keep feeding me this… whatever it is, I just might…" Hannibal smirked at the look of uncertainty on Barney's face at his words and added. "I'm joking Barney… I've heard that it's healthy."

"Oh…" The big orderly replied, chuckling halfheartedly.

"Now Barney, where's my dinner, you do know how I get when I'm hungry…"

"Clarice Starling!"

Her name was called out by the receptionist and Clarice took her time getting up. It had been three days since she'd visited the Asylum to see Dr. Lecter and it had been precisely a week since she'd last been to the doctor's. A week ago she had planned to go in there and say that she wanted an abortion. Three days ago, she'd changed her mind. Clarice placed her arm protectively around her stomach as she crossed the room. The doctor was sitting behind her desk.

"Hello Dr. Creed." Clarice greeted, entering the room.

"Miss Starling." She smiled, putting her at ease. "Please have a seat."

"Thank you."

Clarice did as she'd been told and glanced nervously at the doctor, who was watching her from across the desk. Nothing in the room had changed since last time and Clarice forced herself to concentrate on the situation.

"Have you had enough time to think about your situation Miss. Starling? I'm afraid there is a timeframe on how long…"

"I changed my mind!" Clarice blurted out, cutting off Dr. Creed's voice. The doctor took it very well and smiled her first genuine smile that day. "I… I want to have the baby…"

"Oh, that's wonderful news Miss. Starling." Clarice found herself smiling widely at the doctor's words. Yes, it was wonderful. Actually, she couldn't imagine why she had considered anything else. It felt weird to think about it. She, Clarice Starling, was going to be a mother. It wasn't as if she'd never considered it, but it had just seemed so… farfetched somehow. Dr. Creed continued talking. "What made you change your mind?"

"I had a talk with someone…"

"The father?"

Clarice looked at the ground. Her heart had started racing at the moment her mind landed on him.

"Yes." She said. "But I didn't tell him. He's not… he's not in a position to be a father."

Clarice glanced up and saw the pity in her eyes.

"He must be something special then, if you want to have his baby even though he can't help out."

His baby? No, the doctor had it all wrong. It was her baby, but Clarice just smiled and nodded.

"Now, you need to find a doctor who will follow you all the way through your pregnancy and, if available, even deliver the baby. Unless you have someone in mind; I can do that."

"I'd like that, thank you." Clarice didn't really care about who her doctor was, but she guessed that in this way she didn't have to go searching for one.

"Good, now I want to see you here at least once a month. We'll check the baby's heart rhythm and its growth. Here's my private number in case anything should happen or if you have questions." Dr. Creed slipped a card over her desk. Clarice pocketed it without looking at it. "I have a list of books you might want to read and the name of an excellent prenatal vitamin. It's very important that you refrain from drinking alcohol, do drugs and if you smoke, you should consider quitting as well. That includes being near people while they smoke, understood?"

"Yes, understood." Clarice already knew those things, but she didn't say anything as the doctor handed her a list with books and other necessities. By that time, Clarice was more than ready to leave the room and she was relieved when she was dismissed with the words that she had to return next month for a checkup.

Her car was parked under a tree on the outskirts of the parking lot. The May sun was shining and it felt like summer. Clarice got into her car and started driving down the road. The green pamphlet was still on the passenger seat but it no longer bothered her at all. Clarice could see her own reflection in the side mirror and she noted that she looked much better. The dark circles under her eyes were gone and her hair had got its shine back. It was amazing how much three nights of undisturbed sleep could do to you. She was five minutes from her home when an idea occurred to her. Her eyes had been trailing the shops on the street when she saw the baby articles in one of the windows. She pulled into the nearest free parking space and glanced around nervously as she stepped out of the car. What if someone saw her? There were plenty of people on the street, but she didn't see anyone who seemed familiar. And if she did see anyone… there was nothing illegal in walking into a baby shop…

The shop was filled from floor to ceiling with all kinds of things. There were baby carriages, books, clothes, toys and shelf after shelf dedicated to teddy bears in all shapes and colors. Clarice smiled shyly at the plumb woman behind the counter and went for the books. There were more of them than she'd imagined, but as she picked out three she recognized from Dr. Creed's list and felt compelled to buy even more, she started to understand why. There was one on baby names that really caught her interest and she put it in the pile she'd collected. She scanned the shelf and smiled as she picked out a thin, black book; Pregnancy and Superstitions.

Superstitions, really Clarice? The Doctor's voice sounded in her head and her heart beat faster. He wouldn't like her reading something as ridiculous as that, and she bit her lip.

Yes, really Doctor. The book went in the pile and she tried to stifle a laugh, failing miserably. The woman behind the counter just shook her head and returned to a book she was reading, while Clarice hurried down the aisle to the baby clothes. There were tiny shoes and socks, jumpsuits, dresses, jeans and shirts. She probably shouldn't buy any of those things yet, but her eyes landed on a dark, blue jumpsuit that reminded her of the Doctor's. It had buttons on the front, just like his, and had the exact same shade of blue, though it was made of a softer material. She hesitated. It was for boys, really, but Clarice knew that if she had a girl, she'd probably wear boys' clothes anyway. She touched the material lightly and put it on top of the books.

Before she went to the counter though, she stopped by the teddy bears. There were all sorts and she noticed the old fashioned ones in brown. She'd had one of those as a child, but it must have been lost when her father died.

It would be quite nice, wouldn't it Clarice? Clarice frowned. It would be just the sort of thing the Doctor would buy; a traditional toy for a well-mannered kid. She searched the shelves and her eyes landed on a green bear. It had big, plastic eyes and a pink nose. It was quite sweet, really, and much cheaper that the traditional ones. It was very soft compared to the others. This was a teddy bear that the baby could actually use and probably ruin without causing her much distress. She took it, ignoring the Doctor's voice. This is quite childish Clarice…

Yeah, right, she thought as she went to the counter. The woman smiled and helped her as Clarice nearly dropped the books.

"Never mind, dear." She said, smiling. "I see you've bought the basic books, did you just find out?"

Clarice, who'd actually planned to say that it was for someone else, found her cheeks burning. "Umm, yes, how did you guess?"

"The books are all on the list that you get at the doctor's."

"Oh, yeah."

"When are you due?"

Wait… when was she due? She had no idea. Why hadn't Dr. Creed said anything about it? Clarice tried to calculate in her head and managed to answer before her silence became too embarrassing.

"By the end of October…" Clarice found herself smiling.

"Still a long time then, now."

"Yeah…" Clarice said, handing over enough cash to cover the price.

"Thank you. Have nice day sweetie."

The plumb woman handed Clarice a bag filled with books and the green teddy bear sticking up the top. With a smile she left the shop. The weather was still quite good and she wondered if Dr. Lecter was looking out his window in this moment. Yes, he probably was. Distaste filled her mouth as she remembered that she had to go to work tomorrow. Jack Crawford had requested that she worked with the BAU a few hours a month. This meant that she had to watch the security tape of Dr. Lecter's assault and visit him in a few weeks. She was getting paid for it and she had to write a rapport to Mr. Crawford on her progress with Dr. Lecter. It made her feel bad. It was as if she was spying on him somehow, but she didn't complain. As long as she didn't have to add the details of their conversations in her rapport, she was fine. In this way she could keep an eye on him. She wondered if there had been any signs of the guards' intentions.

Probably, but Dr. Lecter would never complain, at least not to anyone who could do anything about it. Maybe Barney had known something was amiss… Clarice sighed as she opened the car, dropping her bag on the passenger seat. She would make sure nothing like that ever happened again. That was a promise.

"Do you need a hand Dr. Lecter?"

Barney's voice came through the bathroom door where Hannibal was currently trying cross the room to the sink. Everything had gone smoothly until he had to walk by himself unsupported. He gritted his teeth and took the three steps, nearly collapsing in pain as he reached the sink. His ribs were throbbing and his eyes stung with the effort.

"I'm fine!" He yelled through the door. He knew there were at least three orderlies out there and it embarrassed him. He couldn't even go to the bathroom in privacy. He was used to it though and he glanced at himself in the mirror as he washed his hands. It didn't look very pretty. Bruises covered most of his face and he could see where Timothy's boot had hit him above his eyebrow, splitting it. He dried his hands and touched it tentatively. His skin was far too sensitive and it sent a stick of pain through his body. He put the towel under the cold water and pressed it to his face gently. It felt good and he closed his eyes for a moment. With a deep breath, he reminded himself of the men outside.

"Give me a minute Barney…" Hannibal supported himself on the wall as he went back to the toilet, where he had left his mask. He'd hung it beside the toilet paper and he picked it up, placing it back on his face, securing the straps. "Coming…"

He pushed the door open slowly. The room was bright with the sunlight streaming in from the window, and he stopped for a moment, letting his eyes adjust. Jim was standing with the tranquilizer gun and Barney had a pair of handcuffs ready. A third orderly was on the other side of the bed, holding another pair of handcuffs.

"Now, walk to the bed slowly and lie down. Hold your hands out to the side bars so we can secure you with the handcuffs, understood Dr. Lecter?" Barney said with his calm voice.

"Yes, quite so Barney."

He took the three steps to the bed, holding his breath as his ribs complained loudly. He sat on the bed slowly, swinging his legs over. He exhaled his breath with a controlled motion as he lay down. He could feel the third orderly cuffing his hands to the side bar as quickly as possible. It wasn't very gently. Barney took his time though and Hannibal felt quite grateful when he ordered the others to leave the room.

"Do you have everything you need Dr. Lecter?"

"Yes Barney, quite, but would you mind staying for a while? I do get bored…" Hannibal sent his most charming smile and Barney nodded in return.

"Of course Dr. Lecter."

"Take a seat Barney." The orderly did as he was told. "Now tell me, how much did you hear of my conversation with Agent Starling the other day?"

Barney's mouth fell open and Hannibal noticed his pupils dilate. The big orderly shifted his gaze away from him.

"It was a private conversation Dr. Lecter. I wouldn't know."

"Oh, but you do. I'm sure it wasn't your intention to eavesdrop, but you had to stay close. I know you're not allowed to leave her out of earshot." Hannibal felt his lips curl into a smile as Barney shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"Well, I guess I couldn't avoid hearing some…"

"Good Barney. That's the truth…" Hannibal contemplated what to do. He knew Barney didn't want to seem like he'd done something bad. It was only his job after all, but Hannibal really needed to know exactly what Barney had thought went on between them. "Tell me, what did you hear?"

"Well…. You said she was beautiful and that you… that you could only think about kissing her."

"Before that?" Hannibal held his pulse down. "What did you hear before that?"

"I was talking with Jim for a while…I didn't hear anything. But when she left… when you were silent, did she kiss you?" He was speaking the truth. Hannibal wasn't sure what he should do. Was Barney required to report it, if he said yes? Probably. He remained silent instead. Even if Barney didn't have to report it, it still wasn't right that he told him.

"Do you love her?" Barney asked instead, taking his silence for a yes.

"They say I can't feel love." Hannibal said as a matter of fact.

"But what do you think Dr. Lecter?"

Hannibal blinked twice. Clarice had once asked him to take a look at himself, and he'd done so, plenty of times. "I feel love Barney. I feel love just as strongly as any other man. I remember being in love for the first time as a young boy, but I also know that my love doesn't go to just anybody. I can love someone Barney… but I can't feel compassion for a stranger. Do you understand?"

"I think so…."

"It means that I could never kill you or eat you Barney, that is, unless you forced me to do it."

Barney frowned and looked away. Hannibal knew he had made him uncomfortable, as he watched his friend squirm under his gaze.

"Thank you Dr. Lecter." Barney rose from his seat. "I have to go…" He mumbled something about dinner and left the room.

Did I say something wrong?

A/N:

This was a quiet chapter.

I introduced my version of Dr. Chilton. He's just as much an asshole as all ways, but I wanted him to seem more human. Chilton is not a psychopath and should feel uncomfortable watching the tape.

I liked writing Clarice's scene in the shop. She did the exact opposite of what she thought Lecter might do, but at the same time she bought the blue jumpsuit. That was sweet :D

I don't really like Dr. Creed that much… I just can't put my finger on her.

BTW, I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again. These few chapters have come pretty quick because I took a break from studying. I have an exam soon and should really hit the books :S After that I have little over a week before I go to Spain for a month without internet access. I'll have plenty of time to write but little opportunity to upload it :(

If there's pressure on, I might be able to borrow a computer somewhere or find an internet café...

Please tell me what you think. I like to hear your thoughts :)

Firebolt