"So, what are you doing?" I say to Will. He called me over his house, which somehow feels more quaint and isolated at night.

"There's an animal stuck in the wall. I've been trying to get it out, but what I've been doing hasn't really been working."

"Can I see?" He nods and I look through the hole he made. "I don't see anything there. When was the last time you heard it?"

"About five minutes ago."

"Will, I'm not going to lie to you. I don't think that what you heard is really there."

"This means I'm crazy, doesn't it?"

"No. You could be sleep-deprived."

"I suppose. I'm lucky if I get five hours of sleep some nights." He runs his hand through his hair. "I need a drink. You want something? I have whiskey."

I'd been through this so many times. They get you drunk and one thing leads to another and you're ashamed of yourself in the morning and you never see them again. Will didn't seem like that though; so I took the whiskey.

"Did you think this was a date?" I'm about to answer but he interrupts. "Never mind. I'm too broken to date."

"You're not broken."

"Then why do I have a psychiatrist? Why does Jack have to keep me on a leash when I'm out on the field? Why am I alone?"

"You don't have to be broken to have a psychiatrist. You're not in an asylum, Will. I can't answer why Jack does what he does; but a lot of people aren't in a relationship. There's nothing wrong with not being in one."

"I know." He sighs. "But I keep thinking that maybe I need that I need that in my life. A stability that I can't make myself. I need someone else…"

"Not all relationships are stable. If you pick the wrong person, it can make you a hell of a lot worse rather than better."

He nods. "I bet you left someone back in Oklahoma."

"That's a story for another time," I say as I smile.

"I'd love to know. I'm sure it wasn't the standard high school relationship."

"It was anything but that."

"Dating anyone now?"

"What are you implying, Will?"

"Not a thing, Elizabeth."

"Really? Sure seemed like you were implying something."

"Maybe I was."

His hand that was on my wrist travels up slowly to my shoulder. He plays with my hair for a few minutes as we sit there in silence, staring at each other. He takes me by surprise as he suddenly kisses me.

"I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have." He says after he pulls away.

"Um, it's alright? You shouldn't really be sorry for that."

"Now what are you implying?" He laughs. "Don't answer that. I think I've got an idea."

"Which is?"

"You've got a thing for unstable FBI agents."

"No. I've got a thing for a certain unstable, if we must use that word, FBI agent."

"Well, who could that be?" He says mockingly.

"Should I give you a hint?" He actually seemed happy, and I hadn't seen him this way yet. If I really am the reason he's feeling even a little bit better, I was going to keep at it. I wanted to help him even more now.

"Please." He says, so I lean into kiss him then. "I've got an even better idea now." He smiles. "Look, I know I'm a mess. Please don't contradict that. It's the truth. But when this is over, when Jack doesn't need me anymore, if you stick with me through this, I will make it up to you then. I promise. I really like you, Elizabeth. Probably too much for my own good. But I haven't felt this way about anyone in a long time…"

"I will. I'll stay for as long as you need me, Will." And I meant that. At this point, I wasn't thinking about Hannibal and how I was cheating. I was thinking about Will. There was something about him that drew me in and kept me staying for longer than I meant to. Maybe I needed him too. Love does have to work both ways.