The next day Clarice went to work and hated every second of it. She just wanted to get out and see Hannibal. Amy had been a good distraction. She kept her busy talking Clarice's ear off.

During her lunch hour she called, what felt like, every lawyer in the yellow pages. Almost all of them weren't interesting in repersenting Hannibal. It was when she was giving up hope that she finally got one. A lawyer by the name of Robskin said that she would do it.

"Thank you!" Clarice cried into the phone. "I'm pretty sure the files were first filed in Pairis. I think it would have been in the fifties."

"Alright," Robskin said. "I'll call France today and see what I can pull up. I'm warning you this is going to be rather expenise. You'll have to cover the cost of the phone calls and more than likely many more."

"I'm ok with that," she said. "When can I see you?"

"I have an opening at four thirty today," the lawyer said. "Would that be good?"

Clarice quickly agreed and hung up the phone. She couldn't beleive how well it was going. It was almost as if it was going too well.

"Good news?" Amy asked.

"The best," Clarice said happily and went back to work.

---------------

A couple hours later when Clarice let work for her lawyer's appointment she swore she was being watching. When she turned around and looked she noticed a policecar sitting a little distance away.

From the distance away she could swear it was the same policeman who had been following her before. She had half a mind to walk right up to him and ask him what he was doing but she thought better of it.

If the guy had any grounds for arresting her he would have done it. He was watching and just looking for a reason it seemed. She got in her car and drove straight to the lawyer.

The policecar didn't follow her as she drove across town to the lawyer's office.

She got there a little early but she would rather be early then late. she checked in at the desk and took a seat in the waiting room. A couple of people were staring at her. She couldn't go anywhere without people staring at her. She was actually starting to get used to it.

Clarice picked up a magazine and started to read it not paying anyone attention. She didn't look back at them they would stop staring after a while. She didn't get very far into the magazine before she was called in.

She sat the magazine down and went through the door. Robskin was sitting behind her desk going over a file.

"Miss Starling?" Robskin asked still looking at the file. "Have a seat."

Clarice sat down in the chair infront of her desk. She noticed the file had the small amount of information Clarice had given her in it.

"Hannibal Lecter," she said looking up a Clarice. "I never thought I'd be handling a case like him. I called Pairis police. They said they would fax the information over as soon as they get it. To really handle this case I'm going to need five hundred dollars upfront."

"Would you take a check?" Clarice asked digging in her purse. "I usually don't keep the kind of money on me."

"A check is fine," Robskin said smiling.

Clarice pulled out her checkup and used a pen from Robskin's desk to fill it out. She wouldn't tell Hannibal how much this had cost her. He would want to repay her and she couldn't have him doing that. This for all of them.

"Do you honestly think this will get him off?" she asked handing the check to the lawyer.

"Seeing your sister getting killed and eaten is pretty serious stuff," Robskin said putting the check in a drawer of her desk. "If I work hard I can get him out of jail time. He'll have a pile of community service, constant thearpy for years, and I doubt they would let him practice medicine ever again."

"All he cares about is his freedom," Clarice explained. "That is all he wants."

"Tell me about your relationship with him," Robskin said picking up a pen. "How did you two meet? Has he ever been violet towards you? I need to know everything."

Clarice opened her to her. She told her everything from the time they first met when she come to talk to him up to her finding out she was pregnant.

"Congratlations," she said jotting all of it down in her notepad. "How far along?"

"Nine weeks," Clarice said smiling. "I've always wanted a baby."

"Well," Robskin said setting her pen down. "I think I have everything I need right now. I'll call you as soon as I get that fax from Pairis."

"Thank you," Clarice said getting up from the chair. "You have no idea what this means to me."

"You are welcome," she said with a small laugh. "Don't you worry with the trama that man suffered we can make this work."

Clarice said thank you again and walked out of the office.

---------------------------

Back at Clarice's house Hannibal had let himself in. He was standing in the kitchen making something to eat for Clarice and him. He thought it would be a nice surprise for Clarice to come home to a cooked meal.

Her refrighater didn't hold a lot of options. He decided on steak with corn and mashed potates. He couldn't help but think that he might be on the path to being a free man. They idea was too good.

If all charges were cleared he would be able to marry Clarice and raise his child. Of course he wouldn't be able to resist a little kill here and there. As long as the police never got word of it he would be fine.

Hannibal barely had the food done before he heard Clarice's car pull up. He quickly set the table and got a couple of cans of soda from the refrigartar. He took a seat at the table and waiting.

A few momments Clarice walked into the kitchen.

"Aw," she said smiling. "You cooked."

"Anything for you," He said nodding towards the food. "Sit down and have some."

"You don't have to tell me twice," she said sitting down at the table.

"So what did the lawyer say?" Hannibal asked he began to cut up his food.

"She is almost one hundered percent sure she can get you out of jail time," Clarice explained. "You'll be facing a lot of thearpy, community serivce, and they would watch you pretty close."

"That is fine," he said eating a peice of stake.

"Do you want a boy or girl?" Clarice asked in an effort to change the subject.

"I haven't thought about it," Hannibal admitted pausing his eating. "A little girl would be nice."

"A little girl would be nice," she said let out a dreamy sigh. "When I'm twenty weeks I'll get the gender ultrasound. Hopefully we'll see what it is and can talk about names."

Hannibal smiled at her. He really was at a lose when it came to what to say next. The momment was just so perfect. He didn't want to ruin it.

The two of them didn't say another word until dinner was gone.

"I know you'll have to leave soon," Clarice said pushing her plate. "So why won't go up stairs and celerbrate having got such great news from the lawyer."

"I'm all for that," Hannibal said taking her hand.

The two of them walked upstairs and disappered into the bedroom.