Rachel felt weird going back to work, but she knew that there was no other option. She had to keep paying her way in life. Alana had been kind enough to let her stay with her while Will was away. She had even taken the dogs in and the two women mainly spent their evenings wandering the vast field outside of Alana's house with the dogs. Alana knew full well that Rachel was doing everything in her power to help Will. She had listened to Hannibal tell her what had happened. She had listened to Jack tell her how he had found Will aiming the gun at Hannibal.
Hannibal had done everything in his power to work his way back into Rachel's life after she had so vehemently defended Will against him. He had cooked for her, often offered to take her for coffee after work, but he seemed unable to bring her out of the slump she was in. Although, he had to admit that a part of him was impressed. Rachel's loyalty to Will Graham was unwavering and Hannibal confessed himself bemused with that. He doubted there was anything he could do to make her question Will Graham and his motives. She was besotted. But that wouldn't stop him trying. It was all in the game.
"You are aware that Will is claiming that I am the one who committed the murders, are you not?"
Rachel had found herself agreeing to grab coffee with Hannibal one evening after work. She looked down into the hot chocolate she had while Hannibal sipped his coffee. His gaze remained on her as she struggled to look him in the eye. It was a moment or two before he saw her chew down on her bottom lip and notice that she had been doing that quite often due to the sight of damaged skin.
"I have asked Jack to investigate me," Hannibal informed her and she looked up then, clearly in shock at what he had just said. "I am innocent, Rachel."
"I…I just don't understand," Rachel admitted to him. "Why would Will accuse you?"
"Because he is mentally unstable. We both know that."
"But that is too much, Hannibal," Rachel said with a shake of her head. "Accusing you of murder? I just don't understand why he would do that. I want to see him. I want to ask him, but Chilton is making it difficult. Visiting hours are always while I am at work."
"Will Graham has asked to see me," Hannibal admitted to her. "Perhaps you could come with me?"
"Do you think so?"
"I think it might be best for you to see him," Hannibal said. "Everything is a mess. I trust you know that there is an internal investigation going on? Alana has hurt Jack. I assume you know that she has filed a report about him bringing Will into the field."
"Good," Rachel said. "Will's life has been destroyed and it was destroyed because Jack brought him back into the field. That should never have happened. He should never have been brought back in."
"But it was still his choice, Rachel."
"He felt as though he didn't have a choice," Rachel said with a firm shake of her head. "Will did what he did because it was the right thing to do, in his opinion. Jack was the one who kept on pushing."
Hannibal's brows furrowed. "You intrigue me, Rachel," he said to her. "The evidence stands right in front of you, yet you dispute it. Will clearly believes I did this, yet you dispute that. Tell me, what is it that you truly believe?"
Rachel moved to her feet and left. Hannibal clucked his tongue at her behaviour, considering it rude that she just stood up and walked out. He followed after her, his coat under his arm as he walked towards the door and found her in the parking lot by her car. She was unlocking it as he called out to her, urging for her not to run away.
"Rachel," he spoke her name in a gentle tone.
She turned to look to him, tears streaming down her face as she shrugged in his direction, her cheeks red and her hair sticking to her face. The blue coat she wore was still hanging open and revealing her white blouse tucked into her black straight leg trousers. No doubt she was freezing.
"What do you want me to tell you?" Rachel demanded from him. "He couldn't have done this, but you couldn't have done this. Do you want to know how I sit up at night and read through the evidence, trying to find a hole in it? I sit up and everything goes around in my mind…everything that has happened…Will…you…and none of it makes sense. None of it makes any sense because I know Will. I know who he is and he is not the man who you think."
Hannibal said nothing. Instead he stepped forwards and took hold of her by the face, his hands cradling her cheeks as she continued to cry gently. It was another moment before he ran his thumbs under her eyes, wiping away the tears.
"We go into denial when it is the ones we love," Hannibal said to her. "Alana, Beverly, Jack…all of them care for Will, but all of them know what happened."
"But I don't," Rachel said. "You didn't hear him. He was adamant that he was being framed and I believe him. I have to believe him."
"And if you don't?" Hannibal asked. "Rachel, I know how you love Will. You are loyal, but you are not blind."
"No," Rachel said with a shake or her head. "Because if I admit it then I turn my back on him. I cannot do that."
"Or you help him," Hannibal responded. "You speak the truth and you help him come to terms with what happened."
"I don't know," Rachel sighed, closing her eyes as Hannibal dared to wrap his arms around her, drawing her closer to him as his hand held the back of her head and she continued to sob. Once he had her come round to his way of thinking, then he will have managed to get away with everything.
…
Hannibal finished his call with Alana, informing her that he would be allowing Rachel to stay at his house that evening. She had been in no fit state to drive home. Instead she had sat in the passenger seat of Hannibal's car as he told her that this was necessary. He had helped her out of her coat and hung it up before leading her to the formal living room. He had then seen her look to his piano before she settled down at the stool. She had let her fingers dance on the keys and then chuckled.
"I am terrible," Rachel said to him. "I always have been terrible. I took some lessons while I was in school, but I never was any good."
"How long did you learn for?" Hannibal wondered as she shrugged.
"A few months," she responded as Hannibal took a seat next to her, his thigh brushing against hers. "My parents couldn't really afford it once they had the twins so I gave it up. I knew they had other things to spend money on…and they were saving up for my college fund."
"Have you spoken with your parents at all?"
"Not recently," Rachel said. "My entire family want me to go home. They don't think I should be anywhere near Will. They think that he is dangerous and that I'm…well…foolish for staying with another man who isn't right for me."
"You are admirable, Rachel," Hannibal nodded. "But that can only take you so far. There will come a time when you need to realise that what Will did was because he was seriously ill. There is no doubt that he is struggling to remember what happened because of the swelling on his brain. Every time I speak with him or Alana speaks with him, he does not remember what happened. He does not remember committing the murders, but he does not remember not committing them."
Rachel looked down and let out a shaky breath as Hannibal moved a hand to the small of her back.
"I am here should you want to talk, Rachel," Hannibal whispered to her. "I have been your friend for as long as Will Graham has been your boyfriend. You can trust me."
"I know," Rachel said to him.
Hannibal moved a hand up to her face, sweeping her hair behind her shoulder as she turned back to the piano and began to press down on keys as Hannibal kept on watching her. His face was unreadable as he kept the back of his hand against her neck, feeling her pulse quicken as he wondered just how far he could push her.
…
Rachel chose to go on her own to see Will. Hannibal had found himself being investigated by the FBI and had also been asked to work on a case. Alana had informed Rachel that Will had pleaded to see her when she had visited him for an evaluation in an attempt to help him regain his memories. She had entered the asylum at the same time Beverly was leaving, the two of them bumping into each other.
"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked from her.
"Working a case," Beverly said. "I…people are going missing and I thought that Will could help."
Rachel almost felt her teeth grind together. "Will is in this position because he worked the cases. Are you trying to push him further?"
"No, of course not," Beverly said with haste. "I just know that Will is good at what he does."
"He is too good and that is why he is here," Rachel snapped, shaking her head. "Does Jack know? Was he the one who sent you?"
"I don't think he would be shocked to find that I came here," Beverly responded. "Jack's going through a hard time at the moment, but we both know that. Will wasn't well and Jack pushed him too hard. I blame myself for not spotting it sooner."
"I just…I can't do this right now…" Rachel said in a small voice, shaking her head. "I need to go and see Will."
"He is having lunch right now. Chilton dragged him out. No doubt he will make you wait."
"That's fine," Rachel said and stepped into the asylum.
She signed in and had her bag and coat checked and taken from her. She didn't know why she had made such an effort to look nice that day. She had spent half an hour trying to find an outfit before realising how stupid she was being. She wasn't going on a date. She wasn't doing anything that warranted her having to look nice.
"Ah, Miss Rachel Roberts."
Looking to the side as she sat in the waiting room. She looked to the man approaching her, dressed in a fine dark suit with a blue tie. His dark hair was slicked back and he looked to her with intrigue as she looked up to him and he offered her his hand.
"A pleasure to meet you," he said. "I am Doctor Chilton. I am taking care of Will."
"When can I see him?" Rachel demanded to know.
"Will is currently being transported to the interview room. I had suspected you would rather see him there than in his cell alongside the other…well…unsavoury characters."
"How thoughtful of you," Rachel said dryly as she followed Chilton down the twisting corridors and noticed a small smirk on his face.
"Will Graham maintains his innocence and rarely talks to me. He won't answer questions about you, however," Chilton said. "The only thing that he keeps saying is that he remembers you being the only real thing in his life."
"Our relationship is private," Rachel said haughtily.
"Not according to the newspapers and Tattle Crime," Chilton muttered. "Although I would not read those if I were you. I have to say that they do not paint the most flattering picture of your relationship."
"Don't worry, I tend not to listen to idle gossip."
"Good to know," the man responded with a nod of his head while Rachel rolled her eyes and followed him down the steps and through a large room that held a few different cages.
She gulped at the sight of them before they came to a small room. Chilton opened the door and Rachel felt slightly light headed as soon as she saw him in the room. His hands were cuffed and the chain looped into a metal holder to stop him from moving far. He wore a dark blue jumpsuit, a white top underneath it. His hair was still dark and unruly and he clearly hadn't shaved in a while.
"I have your girlfriend here to visit," Chilton announced as Will kept focused on Rachel. "An armed guard is waiting outside. Remember, no touching."
Chilton backed out the door and Rachel rolled her eyes as she slipped into the chair, her hands resting on her lap as she looked Will in the eye. Will kept his gaze on her, noticing that she wore a floral dress, her legs covered in thick tights and ankle boots. The sleeves of her dress came down to her elbows and she had her blonde hair hanging in unruly curls down her back.
"You look beautiful," Will said and Rachel managed to smile at hearing that.
"It doesn't feel right," Rachel said.
"What? Me paying you a compliment?"
"Acting as though nothing were happening," Rachel said to him.
"Because you know the truth, yet I know that you stayed at his house the other night. Do you know how dangerous it is, Rachel?"
"Will, stop it," Rachel urged from him.
"Alana told me how Hannibal had driven you back to his house. He is trying to manipulate you to his way of thinking, Rachel. He is trying to turn you against me," Will said and Rachel shook her head.
"Will, nothing will turn me against you," she said to him with haste, moving to grab hold of his hand, forgetting about Chilton's stupid rule considering no one could see them at that moment in time. "I do not believe that you did this, but I do not believe that Hannibal did it either."
Will shook his head. "Rachel, listen to me," Will urged from her, his fingers lacing tightly with hers. "I know why you would think Hannibal is innocent. He is good. He acts as a friend. He leaves no evidence. He is too good to be caught."
"There is no evidence, Will," Rachel said.
"No, because he has made sure that all the evidence points to me."
"I…Will…I read through the files. Jack sent them to me because he wanted me to understand the full picture. The evidence is so intricate and detailed. There is no gap that I can find. There is no gap that I can find that points to Hannibal."
Will let go of her hand then, dropping it to the table. "If you cannot find no gap then you do not think I am being set up."
"I never said that," Rachel said defensively. "I just said that none of the evidence pointed towards Hannibal. I don't know why you think it would be him."
"Because I know it."
"But how?" Rachel urged from him.
"I…I have no memories, Rachel, but I know it."
"But you know how ludicrous that sounds, right?" she urged from him. "You are telling me to blame a man who has been a friend to us. You are telling me to blame him based on nothing but your instinct."
"I can trust my instinct," Will said.
"I thought that once too, Will, and I ended up with a man who abused me for months on end," Rachel said.
"This is different," Will said. "Rachel, I need you to stay away from him. I need to keep you safe and Hannibal Lecter is not safe. I…I have an idea on how to get the evidence I need, but I need you to stay away from him."
"What are you going to do?" she enquired from him.
"Play him like he played me," Will said. "And…I think it might get dangerous eventually. I don't want you involved."
"It's a bit too late for that," Rachel said with a small scoff. "I love you, Will, you know that. I…I've trusted you explicitly…I always have done and I always will do, but I think this one time you are wrong. I don't think Hannibal is involved and there is nothing pointing towards him being involved. I don't think you did this, but I also don't think Hannibal did this."
Will let out a deep breath and grabbed her hand once more, this time in sheer desperation. "Listen to me," he urged from her. "I need you to stay away from him. I need you to be safe. Hannibal has ruined my life. If he takes you from me then he has destroyed it completely."
"He won't take me from you," Rachel said, moving her hand on top of his to hold onto it tightly. "No one is taking me from you. I want to help you…just let me do that."
Will looked down, his expression softening before he looked to her. "You know, the only thing that helps me sleep at night is the memories I have. Sometimes I pretend that you're next to me."
"I miss you too," Rachel whispered.
"I thought that I had a future with you," Will whispered. "I thought that I could be happy with you."
"I know," Rachel muttered back.
"I want that back, Rachel."
"And I am going to try everything that I can to get it back," Rachel said, moving from the table and towards Will, well and truly forgetting Chilton's rules as she bent down and kissed him hastily as Will's lips engulfed hers and he longed to touch her, but his hands wouldn't move. She pulled back after a moment, her hands holding his cheeks in her grip. "I'm going to get you a lawyer and we're going to prove you're innocent."
Will moved once more, his head jutting out as he went to kiss her once again, relishing the feeling of contact. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before pulling back and looking to her.
"Just stay away from Hannibal Lecter," he urged one final time from her.
…
A/N: Do let me know what you think!
