Ch. 10

Once Will got home from the after prom party, his father was, of course, out of the house. Given that is was a Sunday, there was little doubt in Will's mind that his dad was out fishing or drinking with buddies. Will was exhausted and took a shower, put a bit of Neosporin on his cuts, and finally went to bed.

He expected to have nightmares and have trouble falling asleep, but Will slept like a baby for the first time in months. When Will thought about it after waking up, he assumed it was because he hadn't looked close enough at the crime scene to take in any details that could haunt his subconscious. Besides that, his torture felt like it absolved him of any guilt. In a way, Tobias knowingly sealed his own fate by hurting Will, and Hannibal's actions appeared just. To Will, everything evened out; there was no guilt to be felt.

When Will dragged himself from bed, it was about noon. He got up and went to get a glass of water from the kitchen, still only in his boxers. Will ambled back to his room, and was contemplating going to sleep again when his cellphone began to ring. Will grabbed his phone, grumbling in annoyance until he saw that it was Hannibal calling.

"Hello, Hannibal…how are you?" Will wasn't sure if he should mention Tobias on the phone.

"Quite alright Will, thank you for asking. I was calling to see if you were awake yet and if you'd like to come over for lunch. I'm making a delicious meal. I think you would like it; it's not tongue or any of the other organs I usually make. I thought you might be tired of that, so I'm making simple steaks." Hannibal chuckled to himself as he admired the Tobias steaks he had marinating throughout the morning.

"Oh, yes, I'll definitely come over for lunch. Thank you for inviting me. I need to get dressed still, but I should be there within an hour. Good bye." Will waited for Hannibal's reply and hung up.

Will dressed in his usual comfortable clothes and didn't bother brushing his hair. He might have felt inclined to dress up to have lunch with Hannibal, but, despite their kissing last night, Will didn't consider this lunch a date. It never crossed his mind that their kiss had marked a change in their relationship. Even though Will was slowly coming to realize in just how many ways he cared about Hannibal, the only word that came to mind at the thought of Hannibal was "best friend".

Hannibal was pleased to welcome the well-rested Will into his home, eager to feed him their mutual enemy. Will greeted Hannibal with a large smile, already putting thoughts of Tobias out of his mind. Hannibal was excited, Will trusted him most out of anyone and depended on him, even now. Tobias's death couldn't have been better planned; he made himself a target just as his terrorizing of Will was no longer necessary to keep Will attached to Hannibal.

Will happily followed Hannibal into the dining room and sat down to what looked like a feast. Sure there was steak, but there was also a beef stew and meat pie for desert. Not that Will was complaining, quite the opposite. The food was delicious and Will ate until he feared he would burst. Hannibal stopped eating now and again to admire Will's appetite; it made him extremely happy to watch Will devour the cuts he'd selected from Tobias.

After lunch they retired to Hannibal's library. Abigail trotted behind them eager to be near the humans. Hannibal continued reading his book from earlier in the week, and Will curled up next to Hannibal with Abigail on the arm rest, content to be near the humans. Normally Will would nap, but he felt too well rested for a nap just yet. He ended up shifting so he was on his back with his head in Hannibal's lap. Hannibal held his book in one hand and stroked Will's face absentmindedly as he read.

Will basked in the attention and studied Hannibal as he read. He started out admiring Hannibal's perfectly groomed hair, but his eyes soon traveled down Hannibal's face, as if cataloguing every detail to recreate later. Will's eyes lingered on the faint little crow's feet on either side of Hannibal's eyes. Will realized he had no idea how old Hannibal was. Will tugged lightly on Hannibal's sleeve as he stroked Will's cheek. Hannibal paused his reading to peer down at Will.

"Hannibal, how old are you?" It never occurred to Will that is might be rude to ask, and fortunately Hannibal wasn't offended.

"I am thirty-one. Why do you ask, Will?" Hannibal watched Will process the information; he was rolling the number around in his mind.

"That makes you twelve years older than me." Will smiled, pleased that Hannibal thought him worthy of his friendship despite the age difference. "I wonder what I'll be like in twelve years." Will wondered aloud as he absentmindedly reached out and stroked Hannibal's tie, tracing the paisley pattern.

"I hope you will be through with school and working on your career. I think you would be a good criminal psychology professor." Hannibal looked contemplative. "Will, you never did tell me what university you got into."

"I got into George Washington University, I'm going to study forensic science. Well, that's if we even have enough money to pay tuition." Will frowned.

"Surely you got a scholarship, with your grades." Will recognized the hidden question.

"I was offered a scholarship worth half of the tuition for four years, but I'm not sure that is going to be enough for us to be able to afford still. I've applied for other scholarships, but so far no luck." Will saw an idea forming behind Hannibal's eyes and had a feeling Hannibal was about to do something extremely generous.

"William, would you allow me to set up a savings account for you? It would be just enough to be sure you could get through your studies without any worries, nothing too extreme. You'll start working soon enough, and I'd prefer for you to be able to keep that money, rather than have to pay off loans for years to come." Hannibal could see the arguments forming in Will's mind.

"That's way too good of you, Hannibal, I can't let you pay for my schooling. It's too much! I could never pay you back, you've already been so kind to me." Will started to sit up in protest, but Hannibal pushed him back down with a gentle, but firm hand on his chest.

"Relax Will, it is a small sum for me to pay to see you happy. It would hardly put a dent in my lifestyle. My teacher's salary isn't my sole income; I have an inheritance from my family in Lithuania. Please, allow me to do this for you." Hannibal saw Will's face soften marginally as he contemplated the pros and cons of the situation. "What if I am sent to prison? I'd want you to be able to be free of any monetary worries since I wouldn't be able to help you in any way once I would be behind bars. I took the liberty of altering my will earlier. I am trusting you with my house, my cat, and all of my funds. Let me pay for your educations as a thank-you-in-advance should you have to manage my estate." Hannibal knew Will would agree now.

"Please don't talk like you are already going to prison, I'm sure no one will even notice Tobias is missing." Hannibal knew Will had agreed. He smiled and put his book down.

"Well, come on Will. Why don't we go to the bank now? I'd like to have things arranged as soon as possible. Just in case. Oh, and before we go, here, I got you some concealer. I don't want people thinking I abused you." Will hesitated, but finally sighed and followed Hannibal out to his car once he covered up his facial bruises.

Hannibal took Will to his bank, and the teller immediately led them to a separate room to handle his business. Will smiled nervously at the bank teller, a short blonde woman who looked anxious to please. She kept staring at him curiously and Will didn't know what to do. He hoped the makeup wasn't too obvious.

"Dr. Lecter, how can I help you today?" The woman took a seat at a large desk and motioned for them to sit opposite her.

"William needs to open an account, and I would like to transfer a sizeable sum to that account." Hannibal pulled out Will's chair, and only sat down once Will was comfortably seated.

The woman nodded and began to fill out an online form as she asked Will all the necessary questions. It didn't take long and then she turned to Hannibal and asked how much he was transferring to Will's account.

Hannibal wrote a number down on a notepad he passed to her. She glanced up quickly at Will, who smiled sheepishly, and then she proceeded to transfer the amount. Once it was all taken care of she gave Will a business card, in case he had any questions, and walked them out of the office.

When they returned to Hannibal's home they passed most of the rest of the day petting Abigail and enjoying one another's company. Will had a dinner of leftovers with Hannibal before he finally headed back to his house. After all, he still had school tomorrow. One more week of school and then he was graduating. Will could hardly wait.

School the following day was uneventful, except for Freddie choosing to sit near Will and Beverly and the boys in all they classes they shared. Will was surprised; he had assumed Freddie would pretend not to know them anymore after prom. They didn't talk much, but it was nice to have someone willingly sit by him. When Dr. Bloom saw Will and Freddie sitting together she almost thought she was seeing things. But once she saw that Freddie and Will were getting along, she was immensely pleased with them both for overcoming their scene from earlier in the year.

When Will got home in the evening he was surprised to find his dad was home. He greeted his dad and put his schoolbag away before coming out into the living room again. Mr. Graham was sitting on the couch looking through some papers looking very sullen. Will sat down and tried to see what the papers were.

"Will, I don't know how we can pay for university. I know you really wanted to go, but is it really necessary? I mean, I've done alright and I don't have a degree." Mr. Graham looked hopefully at Will. Will frowned, he knew his dad didn't value his education much, but it always irritated him when his dad made it so obvious.

"Don't worry about it dad, I have the money. I just accepted another scholarship today. I can go and it won't be any expense to you."

Mr. Graham was caught off guard. He looked at Will, curiously, as if he smelled a lie, but then shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright then college boy, do what you want. Oh, and I remembered to iron your gown for graduation. Don't say your dad doesn't care; I'm glad you finished high school." Will felt a little guilty and smiled at his dad. "Oh, one more thing. We had a new neighbor, but the police came by today saying he never showed up for any of the music lessons he teaches and they are keeping an eye out for him. By tomorrow morning he is a 'missing persons' or whatever. If there are people being kidnapped I want you to be on guard, ok?" Mr. Graham patted a stunned Will and then went out to drink with a friend until late.

Will sat on the couch, panicking. Finally, he was able to raise himself from the couch and get his phone from his room. He called Hannibal.

"Hannibal! Oh god, what are we going to do? Tobias was a music teacher! Hannibal, his students reported him missing and now the cops are going around asking questions!" Will took deep breaths to try to calm himself down.

Hannibal waited for Will's breathing to relax before he tried to speak.

"Don't worry, there shouldn't be any way that he can be traced back to us. Besides, you have to be strong and prove to the police, if they come to you with questions, that you are innocent. Which you are. I have to be the only person they will suspect, if they ever suspect anyone of killing him. Whatever happens, Will, you must not interfere. Understand?" Hannibal's tone remained calm until the end, and then he spoke urgently. He didn't want Will to behave rashly if he was taken in by the police for questioning.

Will nodded repeatedly as if to convince himself of the correct response before he finally said, "yes, ok. I understand. All right, well I'm going to make a grocery run. I'll see you tomorrow. Good bye." Will felt agitated, but once he got in the car he calmed himself down and went to run errands. Will briefly wondered how his dad would survive when he went off to college; the man never went to the store.

The next day, Will was in his first class when police officers came to the school and asked to speak with Dr. Lecter, and asked students over the intercom to report anything suspicious that had happened while at prom. Will broke out in a sweat, but he knew no one else knew about Tobias, so he stayed silent and tried to act like nothing was wrong. It wasn't until Will got to Hannibal's class and found Dr. Bloom was the substitute for Hannibal on her free period, that he realized Hannibal was going to be caught.

Dr. Bloom saw Will balk in the doorway, starring at her like his worst nightmare. She walked over and led Will into the room to Hannibal's couch. Alana glared at the class until they went on finishing essays on Crime and Punishment while she spoke to Will.

"William, I'm sorry to say this but Dr. Lecter is a suspect in a murder case. I know how attached you have grown to him, and I care about him too. I'm sure he is innocent and all of this will pass, but until then I will be the substitute for your English class. If you need to talk, I am here for you. Ok?" Will nodded dumbly and went to his seat. Dr. Bloom didn't bother reprimanding him when he only stared at his desk rather than work on the essay assigned.

Will passed the rest of the day wondering how they had linked Hannibal to Tobias's death. Will's only comfort was knowing that he was the only person who knew Hannibal had killed Tobias, so surely they couldn't convict him.

Hannibal was irritated to find that Tobias had left a note in his home before he left to attack Will. The note read that if he was found dead or missing, Hannibal Lecter was to blame. The police followed up on the lead of course. Hannibal knew that wasn't good enough proof to put him in jail, but he also couldn't risk them searching his house, or more specifically, his kitchen.

He admitted to killing Tobias, saying the man had been stalking him, and he lost his temper when he saw him at prom. "He was a threat to the students too", Hannibal explained. The police officers questioning him wondered how such a composed man could lose his temper, but they jotted down his confession nevertheless. Fortunately for Hannibal, Tobias had taken a few photographs of him walking around, but none showed him during any of his kills. It helped support his claim that Tobias was a stalker, even if it didn't absolve him of guilt.

The officers also found a few photographs of Will, but all they did was tell a startled William that Tobias had been stalking him, and now he didn't need to worry because the man was dead. Will feigned surprise quite well, using his shock over being told Hannibal had admitted to the crime as a cover.

Then came the tricky part. They asked Hannibal where he had hidden the body. Hannibal said he burned the body and spread the ashes in his garden. He'd had the foresight to burn the parts of Tobias that he didn't wish to consume, and the ashes were around his garden. Hannibal just hoped the ashes were enough to keep them from searching the house.

Luckily, it was enough and no one investigated the contents of Hannibal's kitchen.

Wednesday found Will crying in a heap on the floor in Hannibal's classroom as Dr. Bloom tried to explain that Hannibal had admitted to murder and was awaiting trial. The trail was to take place in three days.

On the day of graduation.

Dr. Bloom tried to soothe him, but failed, possibly because she herself was very upset.

Alana was able to offer Will a small comfort, saying she'd be going to the trial and would testify that Hannibal was a good man, and that surely the circumstances should show that he was not a threat to society. Mr. Crawford was also going, and he planned to show all the teacher award Hannibal had won and explain that he was not some coldblooded killer, but a man who cared deeply about his students. She promised to tell Will when she knew the verdict, she hoped he'd get a greatly reduced sentence. The only thing against him was that he killed a man and then tried to get away with it.

Will passed the rest of the week in a stupor. Fortunately his grades couldn't suffer, all the assignments were done for the year and seniors had a few free days at school. Beverly, Freddie, Brian, and Jimmy did what they could to console him, but honestly, they thought Hannibal was sort of creepy and didn't understand Will's attachment to him.

Will dressed in his cap and gown for graduation, not feeling at all excited for the ceremony. He got to school in time to see Dr. Bloom and Mr. Crawford leaving to attend Hannibal's trial. Will hugged Dr. Bloom and Mr. Crawford patted him on the back as they passed by.

Will followed his group of friends to their respective places and tried to focus on the ceremony. He fidgeted nervously in his seat, hoping to receive a text from Dr. Bloom saying what was happening in the trial. He had to hide his phone in his sleeve when he was called up. He accepted his diploma and shook the principal's hand. Will was touched that his dad had a camera ready to take a photo of him, and smiled, before rushing off the stage.

The ceremony felt like it took forever, but then the students tossed their hats in the air, and Will was free.

He found his dad and they stayed chatting with Beverly's family until Freddie, Brian, and Jimmy's families all joined together. Will felt his phone buzz and looked down. Dr. Bloom had sent a text. Will excused himself and went off to the side a bit to read the text with more privacy. It read, "Hannibal got a reduced sentence. We had enough mitigating factors. He might have gotten 3 years, but the aggravating factors: he didn't report Tobias stalking him, and he destroyed evidence. He has 5 years for voluntary manslaughter. "

Will felt like someone had punched him in the gut, he fell to his knees and began to cry. His dad rushed over in a panic, with no idea what was going on. Will clung to his father and sobbed. Mr. Graham didn't know what to do; he excused them and helped Will to the car. While Mr. Graham drove home, Will cried in the passenger seat.

When they got home, Mr. Graham led Will into the house and left him crying on the couch. Will's dad had no idea how to comfort his son, so he just patted his hair and sat next to him. Will appreciated his efforts, even if they didn't really help. Will's tears where finally drying by the time someone knocked on the door. Mr. Graham looked at Will confused as to who would be at their door. Will only shrugged back.

Mr. Graham opened the door and welcomed someone in. Will perked up, hoping against all odds that Hannibal was there to see him. Will was disappointed to see Dr. Bloom walk in. She smiled, despite her own puffy eyes, and sat next to him. Mr. Graham felt out of place and excused himself to go meet some fishing buddies. He missed the incredulous expression on Dr. Bloom's face when he dismissed himself to fish while his son cried on the couch. She turned back to Will.

"Will, I know you cared deeply for Hannibal, and I am sure the feeling was mutual. I don't know what all went on between you, and I suppose at this point it might be better I don't know, but he has specifically requested that you have control of everything that was his while he is in prison. He did, however, ask that I take care of his home while you are away at university, though you are to consider it your home. Hannibal told me to tell you that he wants you to take Abigail with you to Washington and that you should buy a house near campus for yourself. There was something about an inheritance that is now yours while he is not allowed access to it, do you know what he meant?" She waited for Will's nod and then continued, though she was starting to wonder just how close Hannibal and Will had become. "I was told to help you move in to his house today, and you are welcome to stay until you have to move for University. That is, assuming you want to stay, it is your house now."

Will sat for a while, processing the information. Finally, he got up and nodded. Alana patted his arm and helped him toss his belongings into a few suitcases. Will didn't bother with furniture; he just needed his clothes, books, and other items. They filled Alana's car, and Will's. Will left his dad a note on the refrigerator saying he was going to stay at a friends house all summer and that he'd stop by and say goodbye before going to Washington. He figured his dad would be just fine with the arrangement.

Will led the way to Hannibal's house, and Alana tried not to think too hard about the fact that Will had clearly been to the house before. She helped him move all his stuff into the bedroom across from the one that was obviously Hannibal's. Will refused to have the room altered; he wanted to keep it just as Hannibal left it. Alana helped Will move his books to an empty shelf in Hannibal's library and then they took a break to sit in the living room.

Suddenly, Alana turned to Will.

"Isn't there supposed to be a young woman here? Hannibal said you'd have to help look out for Abigail, I assumed she was his daughter and needed special care or something." Will tried not to laugh. He ended up smiling anyways.

"Abigail is Hannibal's cat. Though you're right, it's strange that she hasn't shown up yet. We should go look for her." Will led Alana around the house as they called for Abigail. Will finally heard a little "meow" behind the door of one of Hannibal's many rooms. Will had never been in there, and felt like he was intruding, but he couldn't leave Abigail.

Will and Alana both gasped when they entered the room. It was clearly an art studio. On a desk were many charcoal drawings of buildings, Abigail, and a number of drawings of Will. A large easel was set up, and Hannibal had been half way through painting a life-size portrait of Will sleeping on the library couch. Will was embarrassed to have Dr. Bloom see it, but dismissed the feeling when Abigail rushed over to rub his legs.

Will cradled Abigail, and almost left the room, but he heard a light whining sound. Then it stopped. Will listened again, and there it was again. That time Dr. Bloom had heard it too, and she and Will crept to the other side of the desk that was sitting in the middle of the room.

Behind the desk was a dog kennel, complete with a little gold puppy, whining louder now that it saw the humans. Will picked up the note off of the top of the kennel.

"Dearest Will, I know I will be in prison for a while, and so I cannot go with you to pick a dog. I believe you should have a dog, it will not dishonor Frank's memory, and I like to think you will have something around to protect you. Abigail surely won't. I have taken the liberty of acquiring a puppy for you. May he grow to love you and keep you safe in my absence. His name, I was told, is Winston.

Much love, Hannibal"

Will got teary eyed and passed Abigail to Alana. He opened the cage and Winston ran forward to sniff him immediately. Will picked up the puppy and cuddled him, relishing the puppy smell he carried. As Will petted the puppy, he noticed brindle patches in his golden coat.

Alana stroked the purring calico in her arms as she waited for Will to dry his eyes. She wondered if Will even noticed he was crying as he cradled the puppy.

Dr. Bloom ended up staying with Will through dinner, and they had some of the left over steak and stew Will had eaten with Hannibal. Once Dr. Bloom left, Will curled up on the living room couch and cuddled Winston to his chest. Abigail curled up on top of Will, pointedly ignoring the puppy. Will fell asleep in his new house for the first time on the couch.

This next chapter is giving me some trouble, so I probably won't be getting it to y'all as soon as I'd like. Thank you for the follows/favorites/reviews, it really helps motivate me! I've never written anything with chapters before, and certainly not published it so this has been a good experience.