Chapter: Hades and Persephone
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….. A Week Later: …..
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"…by eating pomegranate seeds, Persephone had to return back to the underworld to Hades as eating the seeds from the underworld meant that she is a part of that place now. Therefore, when she returns to Earth to her mother, Demeter, that is when the Earth becomes warm and blossoms with life. We know it as Spring. When Persephone returns back to the underworld, we enter Winter." Anastasia explained as she pace back and forth very slowly while moving her hands about.
Back to teaching, Anastasia feels good. She has been restless without working or doing something other than hanging home with her dog, Hades. But then again, there is Hannibal appearing at her home, gracing her with his presence and his time.
Her students before her are her mythology class, who were all happy to have her back as they admitted that they enjoy learning more about ancient history. Most of the students are either majors or minors in Classics. They are sitting before her with their notebooks out, taking notes and their large paperback—few with hardcover—Greek mythology books out in front of them and open to the story she has discussed.
A hand raised in the air making her to stare at the back of the classroom where the hand is located. As she open her mouth to tell her student to speak, her eyes meet very familiar amber hazel eyes.
"Mr. Quinn."
"Isn't there like this famous statue about the mythology story of Hades and Persephone?" Quinn, a sophomore asked with a look of curiosity.
"Yes. The statue is known as The Rape of Proserpina sculptured by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It is a very beautifully done statue that I wish to go see again. If any of you go to Rome, go find that statue and look at the detail work. I cannot tell you enough how amazing the detail is."
Another hand raised up making Anastasia to nod her head.
"Why that title? Did Hades do that to Persephone because I didn't see such description or implication in the book?" Selena Rocks, a freshmen pointed out.
"Raptio, a Latin word means abduction. As you see, Hades abducting Persephone to marry her." Anastasia explained, leaning her butt against the table that is in front of the classroom and she lays her hands slightly behind her to keep her upright.
When another hand raised up, Anastasia grins upon seeing that it is Hannibal that is rising his hand.
"Yes, Dr. Lecter?"
The students look towards the back where Hannibal is sitting. Anastasia can already see the female population in her classroom instantly sit up straighter and check the impeccable man out. Seeing him in a three piece tailor suit that gives him a sharp and dominate look, Anastasia cannot blame people to check him out.
"Narcissus flowers is what lure Persephone in thanks to Zeus, correct?"
"Yes. Zeus was a part of helping his older brother, Hades in drawing Persephone away from her mother. From there, a hole appears and that is when Hades bursts out of the ground on his chariot to seize Persephone for himself." Anastasia said, slowly pulling herself up onto the table and crossing her right leg over her left.
Fixing the dress she is wearing to not flash her students, Anastasia eyes Hannibal before her eyes scan across the classroom. Glancing at the back of the room at the wall, Anastasia sees that class time is up.
"Alright, we will end this discuss for next class. Make sure you do your paragraph reflection of this story and submit it in our class folder online. That is all. Have a good day." Anastasia smiles as she watches her students pack up and leave the classroom.
A few coming up to talk to her about future readings.
Soon enough, Anastasia slides off the table and moves to the podium in the corner of the room to grab her backpack. Turning back around, Anastasia smiles as she is greeted with a single Narcissus flower.
"Are you Hades trying to abduct me?"
"Maybe." Hannibal smirked while letting go of the flower as she delicately takes hold of the single Narcissus flower in her left fingertips.
Picking her black pea coat from below the podium, Hannibal takes the flower and her backpack from her while she pulls her coat over her dress. The dress being a dark red with a fold over ascot collar style, sleeveless and just brushing the top of her knees, Anastasia loves how comfortable this dress is, especially entering the winter season. With knee high worn down high heel boots on, Anastasia keeps a classy professional look while staying comfortable.
"So tell me Hades, what's the surprise visit? And how did you know that I was going to talk about this particular mythology story today for you to be able to bring me a Narcissus flower?" Anastasia asked, eyeing him with playful narrow eyes as they walk side by side out of the classroom and now down the building halls.
"Your planner was wide open this morning and I saw the time of this class, but the topic you were going to discuss. I thought to stop by and thought of ways to abduct you." Hannibal told her with a small smirk making her to gently laugh underneath her breath.
"Well, you may take me away, but first I need to go back to my office to pick up my laptop. How has your day been going thus far?" Anastasia asked him as they walk outside into the frigid air.
"Stimulating."
"Stimulating?" Anastasia eyes him with raised eyebrows before looking forwards as they dodge a group of students.
"What happen to make your day stimulating? Does it have to do with a certain Mr. Graham?" Anastasia questioned and knowing she hit the nail on the head upon seeing Hannibal eyes get that familiar twinkle in them.
That twinkle is one of excitement and pleasure in doing something that makes him intrigued. A twinkle that something has perked his interest.
"I only had one appointment today; thus, I was leaving to come here early, but when I went to leave, Will was in the waiting room with no idea how he got there." Hannibal told her as he holds the door open to the building that her office is in for her.
"No idea? Is his job getting to him? What if he gets in too deep with thinking like a killer and starts to be one himself."
"Exactly." Hannibal said, letting her go first up the stairs before trailing behind her.
With Anastasia thinking this way, Hannibal knows that she can deeply think the way that he does if she wanted to. But her pointing this out, Hannibal wanted to tell her that is what he wants to happen to Will. He wants to see Will commit crimes like the killers he goes after so that Jack starts to believe that it is Will as the Copycat and not Hannibal. Will is like a scapegoat for Hannibal.
Getting to Anastasia's office, Hannibal sets her backpack down on one of the chairs before her desk. He watches her as she unplugs her laptop from the wall, wraps it up and pick up the laptop too.
Anastasia walks to the chair that Hannibal set her backpack down and she slides the laptop with the cord into the bag. She zips it up and turns to see if she needed to grab anything else when Hannibal grabs her wrist. Her eyes flicker up to stare at him.
"I can do this, now that I have you." Hannibal tugs her close then bends down to lay a feathery kiss upon her lips.
Pulling back, Anastasia opens her eyes to stare into Hannibal half-lidded eyes.
"Not one to publically show affection, Hannibal?" Anastasia purred, pulling away from him as she went to grab her backpack. Instead, of her grabbing it, Hannibal grabs her backpack and he holds out the flower to her.
Taking the flower, she smiles as she gazes upon it while Hannibal slings one of the straps over his shoulder and he makes a gesture to the door for them to leave, her first. Once out of the office, Anastasia locks it up before turning to walk and Hannibal resting his left hand on her lower back.
Together they left the building and decided to go to her home to sit back and relax as it is the weekend.
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….. Few Days Later: …..
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"She is doing what!?"
Hannibal eyes follow Anastasia as she begins to pace back and forth in front of her king size bed.
It is about ten o'clock at night when Will had texted Hannibal that Abigail wants to go through with Freddie Lounds writing her life story. However, Abigail wants to add everyone in her life in the book too, such as, Will, Hannibal and Anastasia.
Eyeing Anastasia dress up in a black silky nightgown, her long dark brown hair flowing behind her and twisting around every time she sharply turns to pace the other way. Hannibal glances down to himself to see that he is in black silk pajama bottoms and no top. An amuse thought of how Anastasia and him appear to be on the same track as of late. The through of her class teaching on Hades and Persephone comes into mind as he can see how together they are their own dark couple.
"Why would she want to go through with that red headed viper? I mean she is most likely going to twist her words around and then there is the people that read the book. Do you think they'll feel pity for her because of her father? Yeah right." Anastasia blurted out, her anger making her become bluntly honest.
"Ana, Will and I are going to talk with her tomorrow."
"Oh really? She's lucky that I have classes and office hours tomorrow because I will give her a piece of my mind."
"For someone who doesn't associate with her, you are getting violently defensive."
Pausing in her pacing, Anastasia looks at Hannibal with narrow darken pale green eyes that appear to be turning dark emerald in color. Hannibal only raises his hands up slightly with an innocent look making Anastasia to sigh and look away from him, staring at her bookshelf in her bedroom.
"I just don't need her using my name for her own needs when she doesn't even know me. All she knows me as is the aunt that doesn't want to take her in. Thus, I'm not going to have a positive image in the book and I don't need that effecting my career or my life." Anastasia told him, glancing at him to see that Hannibal slowly nods his head in understanding manner.
Turning on the balls of her heels, Anastasia walks over to the end of the bed and she begins to crawl up it. She plops herself down beside Hannibal on her stomach and she buries her arms underneath her pillow before turning her head to stare up at him. He looks over to the nightstand that is on his side and he reaches over to grab his iPad that is presently on the charger.
Unplugging the iPad from the charger, Hannibal turns it on while Anastasia turns away from him and pushes herself up onto her hands to reach over to the nightstand on her side to grab her laptop. Turning onto her back and pushing herself up against the headboards, Anastasia opens up her laptop and the screen comes on to show her on a site where she can read over her students work and grade them. Before Hannibal had told her of Abigail plans with Lounds, Anastasia had been correcting her students' reflection paragraphs.
If anyone is to see the image of the two on the bed, on their electronics reading and doing work, anyone could easily make the assumption that they are a couple. Especially since they are dressed in black and silk, matching in a way.
Every so often, Hannibal will glance over at Anastasia to see her typing every so often before leaning forwards, staring at her laptop screen and her mouth slightly open and moving as she reads her students work. A small grin makes its way onto his lips as he cannot help but stare at her concentration and the slight mumbles of compliments or not compliments towards her students work.
About an hour past before Hannibal looks over to Anastasia again to see that she is lying back and passed on the pillows. Her laptop dangerously hanging over the edge of her side of the bed. Slowly moving over her, Hannibal grabs her laptop and pulls it away from the edge of the bed.
Shutting the laptop, placing it on his side of the bed nightstand with his tablet, Hannibal looks at the digital clock on her nightstand to see that it is near eleven thirty. Upon seeing the time, a yawn creeps it way out of Hannibal mouth while he slides out of the king size bed.
Before laying down, he went to the bathroom then came back and begin to shut off the bedroom lights. Walking back over to the bed, Hannibal manages to pull the blankets out from underneath Anastasia. Slipping underneath the blanket and pulling them over both Anastasia and him.
A low groan escapes her and Hannibal soon finds her nuzzling up against his body like a cat. Wrapping his right arm around her waist, he presses her close to his body and bows his head to bury his face into her hair, breathing in her heavenly scent that soon lulls him to sleep.
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….. Early Next Morning: …..
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Flushing the toilet, Anastasia lowly mumbles swears underneath her breath at how she wish that the sound was softer, especially being five thirty in the morning. Washing her hands and then she shuts off the lights behind her before making her way across the dark bedroom to go back to bed.
Upon sliding back, an arm tugs her forwards making a low 'eep' to escape her mouth and her heart to race.
"Forget I was here?" A lowly groggy accented voice brushes against her ear.
"You caught me off guard."
"That's a first." Hannibal mumbled, his face burying into her chest making Anastasia to stare down at him with slight raise eyebrows upon his action.
The hand drifting down her thigh then sliding up underneath her night gown makes her breath to get caught up. Her eyes flickering open, not realizing that she had shut them earlier and she stares into half-lidded shut eyes of Hannibal. When her eyes adjusted to the dark, she cannot help but stare into Hannibal's eyes that appear to be a maroon red color.
Reaching up with her right hand, the fingertips caress underneath his right eye as she keeps staring into his eyes.
"Such interesting color eyes you have in the darkness, Hannibal."
"Do they frighten you?" He asked, his hand drifting over her behind as he feels she isn't wearing anything underneath the nightgown.
"Never."
Slowly, Anastasia lies back as Hannibal comes to hover above her. His right hand still moving up to push up her nightgown while her hands drag down his bare chest and her legs brushing against his hips as he falls in between her legs.
"Are you afraid of me?"
His hand clenches her side before dragging up more, slowly her nightgown is pull off and thrown across the room into the darkness. The drifting of one of her hands tugging down his pajama bottoms makes Hannibal to get a small smirk upon his lips.
Bending closer to her to take a nip of her lower lip and then pulling slightly back to stare into her eyes, he finds her giving him a cunning grin.
"Never."
Smirking, Hannibal bends back down to consume her lips and let their hands wander over their bare bodies.
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….. Few Hours Later: …..
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Meeting with Will at the psychiatric building in Baltimore where Abigail was staying, Hannibal is standing in the foyer of the building with his winter coat tucked over his left arm. Hannibal already signed in for Will and him about them being here to visit Abigail for a small amount of time.
"Dr. Lecter, sorry if I kept you waiting."
Turning away from staring out the window at the greenhouse in the back of the building, Hannibal turns to see Will walking up to him.
"Good morning, Will. I haven't been here long. I actually got her about five minutes ago." Hannibal admitted as they begin walking down the hallways, not needing a nurse to lead them since they been here many times before.
"Really?" Will cannot help but say this in a questionable tone because he knows that Hannibal is the type of man that is about twenty minutes early before the exact time.
"Yes. Hades found it amusing to hide my shoes underneath the living room couch." Hannibal told Will, glancing at him in the corner of his eyes to see what Will's reaction will be.
It was a simple lie about Hades taking his shoes. Rather, Anastasia wouldn't let Hannibal out of bed and he can say that didn't complain about it either. It was very hard to get out of bed and get ready for the day.
Seeing Will's eyebrows come slightly together and his lips tightening then relaxing, Hannibal feels a small sense of satisfaction upon getting a reaction. He can tell that by him mentioning about Hades, it shows that he has been with Anastasia. Hannibal wants not only Will, but anyone to know that Anastasia is with him.
They walk through the hallways until they came to this room where there is plants, books and seats around the room. A table and seats is where they see Abigail sitting with an open book.
"Morning." Abigail gives them a small smile making Will to nod and Hannibal to say a 'good morning' back before walking towards the plants.
Standing near the windows with the plants, Will stares around the room before looking at Abigail. Hannibal walks over to a pot that has a Rubber plant growing out of it. It's different shades of green and the hard rubbery feeling makes Hannibal to break the top of the plant off and rub it between his fingers to feel the texture.
"I'm trying to be understated when I say that this is a bad idea." Will said, getting right to the point and taking his glasses off to stare Abigail down.
"Freddie Lounds is dangerous." Hannibal added on, rubbing the piece of the plant he broke off on a desk to see if it makes anything. Letting the piece go, he stands up straight and turns to face Abigail to see what her response will be.
"She said she wanted me to write about you guys in the book."
That makes Will and Hannibal to glance at one another before glancing away as Will bows his head while setting his folded up glasses to hang in his shirt pocket. Hannibal can feel Anastasia in the back of his mind saying 'I told you so' when it comes to Abigail wanting to put them in this said book.
"You would be forfeiting your privacy and ours." Hannibal pointed out, flexing his jaws.
"This, all of this will change. Whatever you're feeling now, that won't last. Things change. Things are changing for me, too." Will tried to reason with her, but the last part was more to himself as he moves unsteadily on his feet.
Slowly, Will begins to walk forwards towards Abigail to get closer as he continues to speak.
"I've been doing some accounting of what's important in my life and what isn't. You are important, Abigail." Will said, stopping in walking and staring down at her sitting at the table.
"Just because you killed my dad doesn't mean you get to be him." Abigail lowly retorted, glancing up from the table to stare at Will with a blank expression.
"Abigail, we've been through a traumatic event, and no one more traumatized than you, Abigail, but we went through it together. What you write, you write about all of us." Hannibal said, walking forwards and coming to a stop beside Will, who has a slight hurt expression on his face from Abigail's comment earlier.
"I don't need your permission." Abigail strongly stated, standing up from the table and crossing her arms over her chest.
Maintaining perfect calm composure, Hannibal eyes the teenager standing before Will and him, acting like a disobedient child. If Anastasia had been here, Hannibal feels as if she would treat Abigail like a child and mostly shut her down until Abigail has nothing left to fight with. That is something Hannibal likes about Anastasia. She makes whoever she is fighting with, verbally or physically, to shut down and unable to defend themselves anymore. Leaving them defenseless.
"And you don't need our approval, but I hope it would mean something." Hannibal fires right back, eyebrows only rising for a split second before his expression goes back to an emotionless state.
The body language of Abigail changes to one of being uncomfortable and knowing that Hannibal will not tolerate any of her foolishness.
"I know what people think I did. They're wrong. Why can't I tell everybody that they're wrong?" Abigail voice shaking and her eyes becoming moister.
"You have nothing to apologize for." Will strongly said.
"Yet." Hannibal blurted out causing Will to take a glance at him then looks away as Will trusts Hannibal to reason better with Abigail then himself.
"But if you open this door, Abigail, you won't control what comes through. Are you ready for that?" Hannibal asked with a challenging look as Abigail and he have a stare down.
They stood in silence making Will to clear his throat and Hannibal to peal his eyes away Abigail to glance at Will before looking back at Abigail with the same blank expression.
"I believe it's time for us to go." Hannibal stated making Will to nod.
Will is the first to walk out of the room while/ Hannibal pulls on his coat as he walks to the door. He glances back over his shoulder to give Abigail one last look before leaving altogether.
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….. Hours Later: …..
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"So, now I can ask this as I didn't want to bring it up during dinner, but how did it go today with the whole Freddie Lounds thing?"
"I feel as if she is going to do something rash." Hannibal answered, lifting his wine glass to his lips and taking a sip.
After dinner, Anastasia and Hannibal find themselves sitting in Hannibal's living room with a warm fire from the fireplace.
"You mean stomp her foot like a four year old until she gets attention on her but it might get her in trouble in the end, sort of thing?" Anastasia said, glancing at Hannibal with raise eyebrows.
He glances at her with a slight nod of his head.
"You were right about her wanting to put all of us in her book."
"Told you so."
"Yes, I know. I had pointed out how not only she is exposing her private life, but our lives too. Being rebellious, she begin to get defenses about not wanting to hide and not have society view her as a murderer's daughter."
"Was she getting all choked up and tears in her eyes too?"
Hannibal looks at Anastasia with raise eyebrows once again and a look of surprise at Anastasia sharp, honest comment. Anastasia simply looks at him and shrugs her shoulders while taking a sip of her hot chocolate.
"No sympathy for her?"
"If she messes up, it's more on her than us."
"True statement." Hannibal couldn't help but agree as he mostly said the same thing to Abigail about the results of what the book might do.
"She wants to play the big girl part, let her play it, Hannibal. Once it comes back to bite her in the behind then she'll come back into Will and your arms looking for help to nurse her wounds. I hold no sympathy for her or her father." Anastasia lowly muttered the last part, glaring at the fire blazing bright warm colors and the crackling of the wood splitting.
Eyeing Anastasia the whole time, Hannibal slowly takes his eyes off of her and he stares into the fire.
"So cold, Ana." Hannibal said with a hint of amusement.
"We got a fire to keep us warm, Hannibal. Right here." Anastasia dryly said and nodding her head towards the fireplace causing Hannibal to chuckle.
"Admit it Hannibal, you are thinking the same thing."
Looking away from the fireplace and setting her hot chocolate mug aside on a table in between the two armchairs that Hannibal and Anastasia are sitting in, she stares at him with her left eyebrow raised.
Taking another long sip of his red wine, Hannibal pulls the glass from his lips and stares into the dark blood red substance, swirling the glass to make the liquid slosh around.
"Amazing how alike we are to one another, Ana."
Connecting eyes contact with one another, they held each other gaze and the hint of mischief grins begin to twitch upon their lips.
"When you're around someone who can bring out the true you, you sometimes realize how alike you are. If they can bring the true you out, would that mean that you are similar with each other? That you know how to play with each other strings." Anastasia questioned, crossing her right leg over her left.
"Very intriguing view, Ana. The way that you phrase that makes to see each other in having a connection."
"Like Hades and Persephone?" Anastasia smirked, picking up the mug of hot chocolate in her right hand.
"Yes, we become accustom with one another to the point of no return and stand by each other sides." Hannibal replied, smirking and transferring his wine glass from his right hand to his left.
Keeping eyes connected with matching smirks, they clank their drinks together before taking a blissful sip.
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Hi Everyone,
Here is another chapter!
I hope everyone is enjoying the story thus far. I have been trying to mix in the TV series and whatnot. (Also, if I making Anastasia come off as a cold-hearted person towards Abigail, I apologize. I see it in this chapter). But the way I imagine Anastasia as a mysterious yet mischievous woman with an attitude that doesn't back down from a fight and doesn't tolerate with the whiny, sappy things.
Also, I apologize if any sort of historical information is wrong and such.
Anyways, keep on Reviewing, especially to get to the next chapter. I appreciate all the reviews! Keeps motivation up to keep writing.
Thank You!