Chapter 1: Recovery and reuniting

"Achilles wished all Greeks would die,

So that he and Patroclus could conquer Troy alone.

Took divine intervention to bring them down."

The pair fell, muscles relaxed, no need to fight the fate that they had always been destined for. Their relationship was based on death and sorrow, their end was bound to be the same. It wasn't a surprise to either of them. They held each other through the descent, blood oozed out of their open wounds, soaking into one another's clothes.

"Goodbye." Will whispered, barely audible over the slicing sound of the wind. His head was draped over Hannibal's shoulder the entire fall.

"Goodbye, Will." Hannibal breathlessly replied, milliseconds before they succumbed to the frigid water.

The power of the crashing waves separated them from each other's embrace. It was as if an explosion occurred between their bodies, forcing them apart. Waves crashed over their heads, they were barely able to catch their breaths in between the mountains of water striking them. They didn't fight the waves, just allowed it to push and pull them to their demise. They had fought everyone and everything so hard, but no one can fight nature, not in their condition.

That's when they heard it. It was the sound of mercy and punishment; Sirens. A strange combination of emotions washed over them, it was as if the waves were replaced with crashing feelings. Relief and panic, victory and defeat, the gift of life with a death sentence.

Flashing red and blue lights reflected on the rippling water, crackling walkie talkie voices grew closer and yet began to fade into the backgrounds of their heads. They were minutes from their end.

Hannibal awoke on the waters edge, already being handcuffed. Water dribbled down his chin as he coughed. His vision began to focus again. Medical teams were working on his wounds, but that didn't matter. He turned on his side carelessly, forcing the medical team to pause what they were doing. He scanned across the beach, until he spotted Will. His relief was short-lived, as he soon processed the situation, a paramedic was performing CPR.

The last bit of adrenaline surged through Hannibal and he sat up. "Will!" He yelled out as best he could. His words were gargled from water still filling his lungs.

Hannibal fell back choking on the excess water that stung his throat and nose. He squeezed his eyes shut, considering praying for Will's survival. God had never been kind to Hannibal, but if there was one thing he could pray for, it was this, he needed this. Just one thing he would beg for.

There was a weak cough that turned into full choking. Hannibal could hear the sounds of water sputtering out of Will's mouth. Eyes still shut, his face softened and he allowed himself to relax. Pure relief overcame him, and a smile grew across his face.

"Get him to the prison hospital." A stern voice demanded. It was Jack Crawford of course, standing menacingly over Hannibal.

Hannibal's grin lingered, but now it had become cruel, he fluttered open his eyes to stare into Jack's glare. "Jack, it's really a pleasure, I truly thought I'd never see you again." His tone was cold, yet his smile grew.

"Yeah, I bet you did." Jack returned the same smile, before giving a smug nod to the surrounding officers.

A pair of officers grabbed the doctor and pulled him up to his feet roughly. He winced in pain, as he was nearly dragged into the back of an ambulance and handcuffed to the bed. He managed to lift his head up from the gurney, desperate to see Will. The ambulance doors slammed shut, before he could find Will in the crowd of police officers, medical staff and onlookers. He laid his head back down, feeling utterly defeated.

Will

After what felt like an eternity of drowning, Will was able to finally breathe, choking on water that spewed out as he did so. His cheek wound burned from stomach acid and salt water hitting it.

"Where's Hannibal?" He groggily asked, beginning to get up. The medical personnel quickly tried to relax him, but he eagerly shook them off. "Where. Is. He?" He demanded through his teeth, grabbing a paramedic by the collar.

"Will, he's gone back where he belongs." Jack Crawford slowly marched over, hands tucked in his pockets casually. He had a smug look on his face, Will narrowed his eyes. "And if you know what's good for you, you'll keep your mouth shut and leave it that way or you can end up in the same jumpsuit."

Will relaxed his face, trying to hide his rage. His eyes glossed over, he was processing so much. Frustration, guilt, and devastation swirled in his head, he instinctively looked up, trying to wish away the tears. A single drop rolled down his cheek, and without a word, he pulled himself off the ground and made his way into the ambulance beside him.

"Will." Crawford called out to him more gently now, taking his hands from his pockets. His mouth hung open with slight disbelief. "You should be thanking me." He almost pleaded.

Will sat on the edge of the gurney, scowling before turning his gaze away from Jack. Another tear falling into his lap. As the doors shut, he heard Jack call out to him in anger, he never liked to be ignored.

Will

3 weeks later…

"You, Mr. Graham, are officially free." A nurse innocently smiled, as she finished signing a form. "And don't forget about cleaning and changing the bandages."

"Yeah, I'm an expert at this kinda thing now." Will replied with a half smile, while gathering his things.

Not only was Will in the hospital for his injuries, but Crawford requested he be evaluated. By some miracle Will was cleared, he felt more clear-headed than ever. He knew exactly where he needed to go first: BSHCI

Will didn't have his car with him and resorted to calling for a taxi. He fidgeted with his hands and began to pace, waiting for the car to pull up. The taxi hadn't even stopped before Will began yanking on the backdoor handle. He practically fell into the backseat, flinging his few belongings onto the ground. The large middle-aged driver sent a glare into the rear view mirror.

"Baltimore state hospital." Will stammered, finally unclenching his jaw.

"This is the Baltimore hospital." The man seemed even more annoyed now.

"For the criminally insane." Will managed to mumble, he hadn't wanted to finish the title.

The balding driver now turned his head to stare at Will over his shoulder. He studied his face, checking for any hint of a joke. There was none. The driver sighed and began the route. Normally this was when he would have a casual conversation with his occupants, but he had figured that this was an exception. The drive was agonizingly long, not because of the distance or traffic, but because of the tense silence. They both let out a sigh of relief when the car finally pulled up next to the large building.

"Thanks." Will quietly passed up a few twenties, giving a generous tip as an apology for his uncomfortable presence as a passenger. He had already slammed the door shut before the driver could respond.

A strange sense mauled him as he entered the building. It was a familiar torture, sweet and restricting. Every emotion he had ever experienced while incarcerated or visiting came rushing in. Anger, resentment, contempt, bliss, a true palette of human nature. This time was different though, he no longer associated those past traumas with Hannibal. It was as if a sliver of Hannibal's persona had betrayed Will so long ago, but was discarded. He tore up that sliver of self-serving for Will.

"I'm here to see Hannibal Lecter." He forced a monotone voice.

An older woman sat before him, staring up with a peculiar look. She shuffled papers around her desk, until discovering a sticky note amongst the clutter. Will's eyebrows furrowed, licking his lips in preparation to ask a question.

"Will Graham?" She lifted her eyebrows almost amused. He was caught off guard, trying to process why and how she knew. "I'll take that as a yes. I was given a warning you'd be by and told not to let you in." She sighed.

Will wet his lips and opened his mouth again to respond, but was interrupted in thought once more. "However," The lady pushed her glasses up and checked left and right, "I am not legally obligated to enforce this request. So today you will be checking in under…?"

A smile formed on his face, he was grateful. It was strange to receive a favour without obligation to give one back. "Uh, Winston...Buster?" He watched as the lady checked him under his new name. He could only think of his dogs when deciding on an alias.

A guard appeared from another room to lead him, but it wasn't necessary. He already knew where Hannibal could be found. His cell was luxurious for its purpose, much nicer than Will's had been. His eyes wandered the cell room until he found Hannibal. He was sitting at a desk, back facing him. He had been very focused, not noticing the new presence, or pretended not to. He waited until the guard had shut the door before peering over his shoulder.

"Always that dreadful cologne." A cunning smile grew. He stood up and cleaned charcoal off his hands before making his way to the glass wall.

"Dr. Lecter." Will emphasized his title, shifting his eyes to the camera in the room. The building was always recording. Will knew that he had to be careful with his words. The doctor simply nodded his head, acknowledging the limited privacy. "You don't seem surprised to see me."

"You've always been resilient, you ring Death's doorbell often and have yet to be invited in." Hannibal chuckled, hands folded behind his back. "I always anticipate your return, as you would mine."

Will hid his joy from the surveillance, turning to face away from the camera's lense. The scruffy profiler felt embarressed, he had never been predictable to anyone until he met Hannibal. They both took a moment to study each other, it was the first time they had gotten a chance to in weeks. They were littered with bruises, most hidden beneath fabric. Hannibal's eyes wandered to Will's cheek, there were still some stitches left and severe discolouration hidden beneath his stubble. Will felt the gaze on his most prominent injury and clenched his jaw.

"How are you feeling, Will." His gaze flickered away from Will's wound and back to his eyes.

The profiler gave a tight smile, "my name is 'Winston Buster' today." He laughed, glancing at the ground, feeling dumb for his chosen alias. "But, I'm fine."

Hannibal examined Will's face, he knew that he was lying, but he knew he shouldn't prod, especially when they only had a limited time together. He nodded slowly. They both knew that neither one was fine.

After a few seconds of silence, Will stepped closer, nearly pressed against the glass. Hannibal pressed his ear close to listen. "I'm going to get you out of here." He whispered.

Hannibal leaned back, a somber look washed over his grin. He unfolded his hands, clasping them and then fidgeted his fingers slowly. He contemplated his response, Will felt a pit grow in his stomach, dreading the next words out of Hannibal's mouth.

"I can never be a free man again." Hannibal spoke slowly, and attempted to mask his anguish with a forced smile. He watched Will's body language alter, almost crumbling. Both of their eyes began to well with tears.

Will shifted, hand covering his mouth in deep thought and grief. He shook his head back and forth, closing his eyes as he did so. "No. We can figure this out, we always figure it out."

Hannibal pressed his palm against the glass, still trying to fake a neutral face. He knew it was best not to argue with a defeated man, he simply nodded. Will raised his hand against the opposite side of the glass wall, feeling the warmth from Hannibal's.

"Perhaps, Achilles and Patroclus could have conquered the Greeks if they were gifted a second chance at life." His accent was soothing.

"Maybe god regrets intervening." Will replied quietly, remembering a conversation from so long ago.

"Perhaps, we are god."