AN: Thanks again for the new followers and people who've favorited and/or reviewed. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.


Three days had passed and so far nothing. Sherlock had talked to Lestrade and he had agreed to lend a few men to watch the area around and near the hotel. However, he had made it clear that he couldn't do this for long without eventually putting it on record.

Now it was night and Hannibal sat in a chair, watching over Will. He had quickly discovered that he couldn't sleep.

Though he did not dream often, Hannibal's mind conjured up things most people would consider nightmares. Often enough, they would be him reliving the moments when he killed his food, watching the light leave their eyes. He actually enjoyed these types of dreams; they amused him.

However, on the first night after meeting Moriarty, Hannibal had woken up with a blanket of sweat covering his body. Neither Abigail nor Will had stirred and for that, he was thankful for.

Not a day had gone by where he hadn't thought of Mischa, his little sister. Those thoughts had been of happier times though. Hannibal, using all the might he could muster, had locked away every bad memory concerning his sister, putting bolts and locks and metal bars across the door in his mind. Moriarty had blown it all down in those few words.

What did she taste like? Was she sweet?

With legs crossed and a book in his hand, Hannibal went through another sleepless night. He could remain awake for very long periods of time but Hannibal knew that he was still human and he would eventually have to go to sleep again.

Though it looked very much like he was reading, Hannibal was actually in his mind palace at the moment. He was in his mother's room. Despite all the places he had gone, all the things he had seen, he still considered his mother's room the most beautiful place ever and it was still the first room you had to go in to enter his palace.

Hannibal walked down the large open hallways that stretched through the space. Over the years, his palace had grown considerably larger and it wasn't uncommon for him to visit it during uneventful days.

He had created a maze to make it harder for the darker memories of Mischa to escape and yet they had. Now Hannibal made his way, trying to round them up, to lock them away and never look at them again. The events of that dark winter started to circle him.

Hannibal stood in front of his little sister, protecting her sick and fragile form from the larger men. He was only eight though and with a simple back hand he was on the ground. He jumped back up, trying to reach out to Mischa but one of the men grabbed him from behind, holding him back.

"Mischa!" he screeched, trying to get closer to her but unable to. "Mischa!"

Her eyes, wet with tears as her little hands reached out to her brother. She was to young. So very very young. Her little voice cried out, still unable to say Hannibal's name correctly.

"'Annibal!"

Hannibal reached for her but she was to far away. Another man came forward, the bowl in his hand that had, only days ago, held the blood of a deer.

"Mischa!" he cried out again and again.

She was held down on the table, held still even though she tried to thrash back and forth. The ax seemed to glint in the sunlight as it was hefted over someone's shoulder. The man got ready to bring it down.

"'Annibal!"

"'Annibal!"

"Hannibal!"

Hannibal rapidly blinked, only to find Will and Abigail in front of him, both with worried looks on their faces. Will was covered in sweat, making it obvious that he had woken from a nightmare once more. However, there was no fear in his eyes like there usually was after a dream, only worry for Hannibal.

"Are you alright Will?" Hannibal asked, ignoring the way they were looking at him. A sheen of sweat covered his face that he quickly wiped away.

"Me? Hannibal, I should be asking you if you're alright. You wouldn't respond for nearly two minutes," Will said.

"Yeah, Will was having a nightmare so I came to check on him but once he was awake I realized that it appeared that you hadn't heard him," said Abigail. "I thought you were asleep but your eyes were still open."

"I have been known to sleep with my eyes open," Hannibal replied, pushing himself up and going to where he'd stored his spare cloths. "I am perfectly fine. You can both go back to bed now."

Will made it look like he wanted to say something but Hannibal had already closed the bathroom door and started the shower.

The shower he took was quick but it helped to wash away the memories to. Hannibal remembered that as a child, he'd often wake, screaming Mischa's name. He was happy that he no longer made a noise. He didn't know how he'd explain that to Abigail and Will.

Finishing in the shower, Hannibal put on the new cloths and dried his hair. He walked out of the bathroom and was disappointed to find that Will and Abigail were both waiting for him. They sat on Will's bed, their faces making it clear that they weren't going to move until they had an answer.

"Really Abigail, you should be in bed now," Hannibal said, taking the book he had had before and sat in the chair again.

"Hannibal, what's wrong? I've never seen you do that before," Abigail replied instead.

"I am perfectly fine Abigail. Simply memories."

"Memories of what?" asked Will.

Hannibal glanced over and could easily imagine Will's horrified face if he told him the truth. He said, "Maybe I'll tell you one day."

Will frowned, not wanting to be pushy but also wanting to know what was wrong with Hannibal as well. "Please, tell me something. Was it, like, a nightmare?" It was hard to imagine Hannibal having a nightmare, but that was partially because Will didn't know anything of his pass.

With a sigh, Hannibal decided that telling a small piece of the truth would at least satisfy them. "it was about my sister."

He was shocked. Will had never thought of the possibility that Hannibal might have siblings. "A sister? Do you have any other—"

"No. She was several years younger than me. Her name was Mischa."

"Was? Hannibal is she—" Abigail tried but she was stopped.

"Yes, she is dead," Hannibal replied simply, "and that is all you'll get out of me tonight."

"But—"

Hannibal looked them both straight in the eyes. "No," he said softly, almost deadly. Abigail quickly saw that she had stepped her boundaries and began to retreat. Will on the other hand still seemed unaware of his.

"Hannibal what happened to her? What—"

"You said my first name," Hannibal interrupted, partially because he was surprised and also to get the subject away from his sister.

"Oh! I did. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"

"Dear William, I have used your first name plenty of times. I do believe it is about time you used mine as well," Hannibal replied simply.

"Are you-I mean-okay," Will finally finished.

Hannibal smiled and then said, "Now, I think it is time for both of you to go to bed. It is late and there is no need to stay up. We are fine."

"Even if you won't talk to us—"

It appeared Hannibal's deception hadn't worked as well as he'd thought.

"—I'm still not going to sleep. I'll have another nightmare again," said Will.

"You're tired, what little sleep you can manage you should take gladly," Hannibal replied.

Will shook his head and muttered, "I'd rather not."

"Then how about I read to you?" asked Hannibal.

"Can I listen too?" Abigail questioned.

"Of course."

Will seemed a little hesitant once Abigail agreed, especially when she jumped up beside him on the bed. However, see seemed happy enough so he didn't say anything and tried to make himself comfortable.

"Have you ever heard of E.M. Forster?" asked Hannibal as he pulled the chair closer.

"No," said Abigail and Will in unison.

"Well we must fix that then. He was an English writer in the early twentieth century. He wrote several novels, this one being called Where Angels Fear to Tread."

Hannibal began to read and despite saying he didn't want to fall asleep, Will soon did and Abigail as well. When he was sure both were asleep, he stopped reading to simply look at how peaceful they looked. It was a sight that Hannibal hadn't been able to see until then.

Hannibal began to read again, silent now, but stopped once he saw Will beginning to fidget. Before he could move to much though, Hannibal was already up and ready to help him. Running his hands through Will's hair, causing the younger to calm down, Hannibal began to think to himself.

I couldn't protect Mischa. I couldn't save her.

In her sleep, Abigail moved closer to Will.

I will not fail in protecting what is mine again.