h3 style="margin: 6.45pt 0in; font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; background: #f4effc; vertical-align: baseline;" align="center"span style="font-size: 15.5pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #2a2a2a; font-weight: normal;"Course Eleven – Dessert/span/h3
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"Fynn sat on her porch which hung out over the ocean in a light tan wood, which contrasted the teal water perfectly. She wore a long floral dress that buttoned all the way down to her feet, though she left a few buttons open at the top and bottom. Her white sun hat sat perfectly on her dark red hair. She heard a noise, like footsteps on the walkway beside the house. When someone opened the gate and came up onto the back porch she tilted her head up, peeking out under the brim of her hat with her sparkling green eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"The man standing in front of her let out a breath and she knew she had some effect on him because he found her attractive, like he always had./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Well hello Will Graham," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Fynn, been a long time," he said sitting on the other white rocking chair on the other side of her perfectly crafted bistro table, made with love./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She traced her finger on the white wood, paint chipping after years of use, "don't tell him you came to talk to me, in fact don't tell anyone."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"Will swallowed, "I'm grateful you agreed to talk to me… believe me I won't tell him, don't worry you're safe."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She laughed, "honey, I'm not worried about my safety, I'm worried about yours."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You're not sacred of him?" he asked incredulously./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Why would I be scared of him?" she paused and smiled to herself, "he loves me."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You know he told me that you got married in Paris, after you got back, I guess he lied about that," Will said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""He didn't lie, I just never got a chance to turn in the license," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Why not?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You caught him," she smiled but it wasn't a kind smile./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I need to ask you some things," Will said, changing the subject./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""About Hannibal," she said, the name catching in her throat as she said it, even now, eight years since she'd seen him last./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I need to know if I can trust him, do you think he'd lie?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;" She laughed, "those aren't the same question, but you ask them like they are, which tells me you still don't understand him."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""And you sound just like him," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""What can I say he has a way of getting under your skin, and getting stuck," she said taking a sip of her vodka spiked lemonade./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I am sorry that you got hurt by this whole thing, but I had to arrest him, what other choice did I have?" he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I don't blame you Will, I really don't, that's why I allowed you to come here at great personal risk to myself… and others," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""So please tell me the truth, and not in riddles," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""It's not riddles, you just need to understand that Hannibal can tell you nothing but the truth and still be deceiving you, you should know this by now," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"He nodded, "how is it that I was the only patient he introduced to you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""He trusted you," she laughed harshly./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I didn't tell anyone about you, I still haven't, but I don't know why he even asked me not to," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Look where he is and why, he's got a lot of enemies, the reporters alone would be unbearable, the bride of monsters always get their own movies too, and they are always seen as monsters themselves, he didn't want that for me when the truth came out," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""But surely someone knew about you," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You and one other person alive on this planet knows about what we had, it used to be three but his aunt died, the other person is how he sends me letters and things, he sends them to her and she resends them to me, no one even really knows about his connection to her either, he keeps us taken care of," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""So, he hid you from everyone?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Yea, not that I had anyone in my life, no family, my one friend drifted off after college and got married, she's happy now, but he told me to tell her we broke up and I did," she laughed, "I used to think he was so controlling, and isolating me from everyone out of jealousy, but then you came along so that wasn't why."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""So why was he doing it?" Will asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Why? That question, the same reason he does most of what he does, he's protective," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You think he kills people because he's protective?" Will scoffed./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""What is revenge but protectiveness after the fact?" she asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""What good does it do after the fact? You can't bring people back so why get revenge?" Will asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I don't know OFFICER, what good does it do to arrest people if their victims are already gone," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I'm not the police, and I'm not really FBI anymore as you know since we quit at the same time, I'm sure you kept tabs on me, though I couldn't even find you," he sighed, "but you should arrest people, so they don't continue hurting people… and for justice for the victims," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""So how does that make the police any better than him?" she asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Are you defending him?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Of course not," she smiled, "I'm asking if you can defend the police."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"Will smiled but it wasn't friendly, "wow he really got to you huh?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""That's an understatement," she smiled back just as maliciously./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""So, he believed he was being protective of you…" he looked at her./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Not just me…" she started but a small voice interrupted them, "mommy!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"A child with dark curly hair and brown eyes came running up the beach, "school was so fun," he started but stopped in his tracks when he saw Will./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Come here sweetheart," she motioned for him to come to her, he did, "Will, this is Simon," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Hi," Simon said to him shyly, moving behind her to hide./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Hi there," Will said, then he looked at Fynn obvious questions in his eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"Fynn turned to her son, "go inside and play and I'll be in shortly and you can tell me about your day alright?" He nodded and didn't take his eyes off Will as he went in the back door. She turned back to Will./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""So…" Will started./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""That's my son," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""And he's uhh?" he asked but didn't./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""He's eight years old," she said taking another sip of her screwdriver and looking at him intently. She saw him working out the math in his head, he became uncomfortable and she was ashamed to enjoy it./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I should… uhh, I can come back or I shouldn't have come," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Whatever you say," she said, purposely seeming unfazed./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"Will left in a daze and thought back to the weeks he had spent in the hospital after what Lecter had done to him. How could Fynn see the same person so completely different than he did. Then again he had been in her shoes at one time too, and he wouldn't have believed what Hannibal was capable of if he didn't have the literal scars to prove it. He remembered leaving the hospital for the first time and going straight to Hannibal's condo. He would have went directly there to find her right after the arrest had he been able. It had been months and he didn't know why he expected to see her there, lounging on the balcony looking beautiful when Jack had told him that she disappeared from work for no reason. Will kept his promise not to tell anyone about their involvement, it was the last thing he Hannibal had said before he passed out and Will had called for backup. Will ran to the condo and burst in, there were no locks it was blocked off with police tape, even months later. He went in yelling Fynn's name until someone walked out of Hannibal's room. An older Asian woman./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""She isn't here, she won't be coming back," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Where did she go?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" "Are you Will?" she asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" "Yes, and I would have come sooner but I almost died, I wanted to get rid of any evidence that she knew him but…"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I already took care of it, Hannibal had asked me in the event of his arrest to rid the world of any existence of her and her connection to him, I sensed it coming so I followed them home from their last visit to Paris," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Is she safe?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""She is with family," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""His family?" Will asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She looked at him and didn't answer./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Who are you?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You aren't to come here again, you aren't to speak of her ever again, if you try to find her, if you even search for her on the internet, I will kill you," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I could have you arrested," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Hannibal has ways, do not cross him, arresting him was your job and he understands that, but if you put her in danger he will make you suffer, one way or another," she said. So, he had let it go. For years he tried to forget about her amazing green eyes and wild red hair. Then Jack had come to him begging him to talk to Hannibal again. And all he saw when he looked at Lecter was their time together with her. Without thinking he had driven all the way to Lecter at the asylum. He knew it was a bad idea to see him right after leaving Fynn's but he couldn't stop himself, they both were still deep under his skin./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"After their talk, Will went back to his hotel and rested a while, the next thing he knew he was waking up and it was the next day. Jack Crawford had called him eight times. Will called him back and then rushed to move Molly and Josh to an undisclosed location. Lecter had given his address to the red dragon. Once that was settled Will went back to the bay to see Fynn. She was working it the garden with a lovely short sundress, it was white with little pink flowers. Will watched her toned legs and arms glisten in the sun as she worked. He swallowed hard, trying not to remember what they felt like wrapped around him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Hey," he shouted to her from the fence./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She looked up and then took her gloves off and walked over to him. She leaned on a fence post. She was inches from him and he could smell her shampoo and her sweat. It wasn't a bad smell, she smelled sweet and delicious. And he was thinking like Lecter after having him on his mind so much lately./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Can I help you?" she smiled, it was more genuine than last time./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I saw him again," Will said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Oh? Did he help you any with the dragon?" she asked. She had obviously been checking in on him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""The opposite actually, he told the dragon my home address, I had to move my… family."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She shook her head, "I'm sorry Will."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Do you know why he would do that?" he asked. She looked out over the bay and thought for a moment./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She looked back at him, "he knows."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""He knows what?" Will asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""He knows you talked to me, he's not happy about it," she said blowing a hair out of her face casually like they were chatting about the weather./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""How would he know?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You went right after you saw me?" she asked and he nodded, "well he have noticed my scent on you," she said, Will blushed and she continued, "or he sensed it from you, you were a bit kinder to him, he could smell your guilt."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I don't feel guilty for arresting him," Will said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""But you do, even if it's just a little bit maybe not for him, but for us, because you took him from us," she said motioning to a tire swing in her small front yard where a little boy was swinging, Will hadn't even noticed him there when he walked up./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I didn't…" Will started to say./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She stopped him, "I don't blame you I'm just telling you this is how you feel, because you can't help yourself, you're a good guy, maybe the best one honestly."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"He couldn't hide his smile, "I thought you were mad at me."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""No, I do like messing with you a bit because he always made it seem fun but mostly to get you to understand how he operates, he took you coming here as a threat, not an intentional threat but a careless one, you carelessly came to me and put us in danger to get what you wanted, that's why he's mad at you and when you see it from his perspective he's totally justified in retaliating." /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""In sending a psycho after me?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I didn't say I agree just that that's how he sees it," she shrugged./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""So, he was never mean to you, like when I wasn't around?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""No… but will, now that he knows you contacted me, you and everyone you love is in danger," she said touching his shoulder lightly./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Where did you go?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I'm right here," she giggled./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I mean back then, you just disappeared, I looked for you until I was told…" he trailed off./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Lady Murasaki, she rescued me, took care of me, she's gone now like I said," she looked down, a tear escaping./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""And the other one, the other person?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She put her hand on his cheek, "you're so cute."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"He rolled his eyes, "I need to find out who all he's connected to, so they don't hurt my family."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Don't worry about her, she's not after you, that's why he sent the dragon, he's heartless, Chin- umm our mystery girl is useful for helping not hurting, unless it's self-defense of course," she said. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You sure?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I'm positive," she smiled./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"He smiled back, "gosh, if I could forget all of this… the things that smile used to do to me."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Will, I'm sorry," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You didn't do anything wrong," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I didn't stop it either, I knew about him way back in college. Well I knew he avenged his uncle's and sister's death; I didn't know the extent of it or that he didn't stop but still… when we started investigating the ripper… I didn't know, but I knew, does that make sense?" she asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You suspected but you didn't want to believe it?" he offered./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She laughed, brushing a hair off her forehead, "yea something like that."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""And if you had faced the truth? Would you have turned him in?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She looked down at the ground, "I wish that I could say that I would have."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You still love him don't you?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She looked up and she was crying, "more than anything."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"He leaned in close, "don't tell anyone but… I do too."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""We sure know how to pick them don't we?" she laughed through tears./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""No, you're right, he's not like the other ones, he's not like anyone, I don't know what he is really," Will said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Stay for dinner? Get to know Simon?" she asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"Will looked over at the boy and stared for a while. Then he said, "he has my hair but Hannibal's eyes."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She laughed, "that's impossible."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I know but he does," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""If I needed someone to father him I would have called you, I'm not saying he's yours and I'm not saying he isn't… I'm just saying, I know you'd have been there to take the roll so don't start feeling like you abandoned us… I left, not you."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I know, I didn't ask, I won't ask, it's better this way," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She nodded and hugged Will before he left, "be careful," she whispered./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"Fynn sat on her porch which hung out over the ocean in a light tan wood, which contrasted the teal water perfectly. She wore a long floral dress that buttoned all the way down to her feet, though she left a few buttons open at the top and bottom. Her white sun hat sat perfectly on her dark red hair. She heard a noise, like footsteps on the walkway beside the house. When someone opened the gate and came up onto the back porch she tilted her head up, peeking out under the brim of her hat with her sparkling green eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"The man standing in front of her let out a breath and she knew she had some effect on him because he found her attractive, like he always had./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Well hello Will Graham," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Fynn, been a long time," he said sitting on the other white rocking chair on the other side of her perfectly crafted bistro table, made with love./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She traced her finger on the white wood, paint chipping after years of use, "don't tell him you came to talk to me, in fact don't tell anyone."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"Will swallowed, "I'm grateful you agreed to talk to me… believe me I won't tell him, don't worry you're safe."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She laughed, "honey, I'm not worried about my safety, I'm worried about yours."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You're not sacred of him?" he asked incredulously./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Why would I be scared of him?" she paused and smiled to herself, "he loves me."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You know he told me that you got married in Paris, after you got back, I guess he lied about that," Will said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""He didn't lie, I just never got a chance to turn in the license," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Why not?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You caught him," she smiled but it wasn't a kind smile./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I need to ask you some things," Will said, changing the subject./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""About Hannibal," she said, the name catching in her throat as she said it, even now, eight years since she'd seen him last./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I need to know if I can trust him, do you think he'd lie?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;" She laughed, "those aren't the same question, but you ask them like they are, which tells me you still don't understand him."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""And you sound just like him," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""What can I say he has a way of getting under your skin, and getting stuck," she said taking a sip of her vodka spiked lemonade./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I am sorry that you got hurt by this whole thing, but I had to arrest him, what other choice did I have?" he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I don't blame you Will, I really don't, that's why I allowed you to come here at great personal risk to myself… and others," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""So please tell me the truth, and not in riddles," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""It's not riddles, you just need to understand that Hannibal can tell you nothing but the truth and still be deceiving you, you should know this by now," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"He nodded, "how is it that I was the only patient he introduced to you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""He trusted you," she laughed harshly./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I didn't tell anyone about you, I still haven't, but I don't know why he even asked me not to," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Look where he is and why, he's got a lot of enemies, the reporters alone would be unbearable, the bride of monsters always get their own movies too, and they are always seen as monsters themselves, he didn't want that for me when the truth came out," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""But surely someone knew about you," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You and one other person alive on this planet knows about what we had, it used to be three but his aunt died, the other person is how he sends me letters and things, he sends them to her and she resends them to me, no one even really knows about his connection to her either, he keeps us taken care of," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""So, he hid you from everyone?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Yea, not that I had anyone in my life, no family, my one friend drifted off after college and got married, she's happy now, but he told me to tell her we broke up and I did," she laughed, "I used to think he was so controlling, and isolating me from everyone out of jealousy, but then you came along so that wasn't why."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""So why was he doing it?" Will asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Why? That question, the same reason he does most of what he does, he's protective," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You think he kills people because he's protective?" Will scoffed./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""What is revenge but protectiveness after the fact?" she asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""What good does it do after the fact? You can't bring people back so why get revenge?" Will asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I don't know OFFICER, what good does it do to arrest people if their victims are already gone," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I'm not the police, and I'm not really FBI anymore as you know since we quit at the same time, I'm sure you kept tabs on me, though I couldn't even find you," he sighed, "but you should arrest people, so they don't continue hurting people… and for justice for the victims," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""So how does that make the police any better than him?" she asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Are you defending him?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Of course not," she smiled, "I'm asking if you can defend the police."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"Will smiled but it wasn't friendly, "wow he really got to you huh?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""That's an understatement," she smiled back just as maliciously./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""So, he believed he was being protective of you…" he looked at her./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Not just me…" she started but a small voice interrupted them, "mommy!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"A child with dark curly hair and brown eyes came running up the beach, "school was so fun," he started but stopped in his tracks when he saw Will./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Come here sweetheart," she motioned for him to come to her, he did, "Will, this is Simon," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Hi," Simon said to him shyly, moving behind her to hide./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Hi there," Will said, then he looked at Fynn obvious questions in his eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"Fynn turned to her son, "go inside and play and I'll be in shortly and you can tell me about your day alright?" He nodded and didn't take his eyes off Will as he went in the back door. She turned back to Will./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""So…" Will started./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""That's my son," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""And he's uhh?" he asked but didn't./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""He's eight years old," she said taking another sip of her screwdriver and looking at him intently. She saw him working out the math in his head, he became uncomfortable and she was ashamed to enjoy it./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I should… uhh, I can come back or I shouldn't have come," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Whatever you say," she said, purposely seeming unfazed./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"Will left in a daze and thought back to the weeks he had spent in the hospital after what Lecter had done to him. How could Fynn see the same person so completely different than he did. Then again he had been in her shoes at one time too, and he wouldn't have believed what Hannibal was capable of if he didn't have the literal scars to prove it. He remembered leaving the hospital for the first time and going straight to Hannibal's condo. He would have went directly there to find her right after the arrest had he been able. It had been months and he didn't know why he expected to see her there, lounging on the balcony looking beautiful when Jack had told him that she disappeared from work for no reason. Will kept his promise not to tell anyone about their involvement, it was the last thing he Hannibal had said before he passed out and Will had called for backup. Will ran to the condo and burst in, there were no locks it was blocked off with police tape, even months later. He went in yelling Fynn's name until someone walked out of Hannibal's room. An older Asian woman./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""She isn't here, she won't be coming back," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Where did she go?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" "Are you Will?" she asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" "Yes, and I would have come sooner but I almost died, I wanted to get rid of any evidence that she knew him but…"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I already took care of it, Hannibal had asked me in the event of his arrest to rid the world of any existence of her and her connection to him, I sensed it coming so I followed them home from their last visit to Paris," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Is she safe?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""She is with family," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""His family?" Will asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She looked at him and didn't answer./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Who are you?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You aren't to come here again, you aren't to speak of her ever again, if you try to find her, if you even search for her on the internet, I will kill you," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I could have you arrested," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Hannibal has ways, do not cross him, arresting him was your job and he understands that, but if you put her in danger he will make you suffer, one way or another," she said. So, he had let it go. For years he tried to forget about her amazing green eyes and wild red hair. Then Jack had come to him begging him to talk to Hannibal again. And all he saw when he looked at Lecter was their time together with her. Without thinking he had driven all the way to Lecter at the asylum. He knew it was a bad idea to see him right after leaving Fynn's but he couldn't stop himself, they both were still deep under his skin./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"After their talk, Will went back to his hotel and rested a while, the next thing he knew he was waking up and it was the next day. Jack Crawford had called him eight times. Will called him back and then rushed to move Molly and Josh to an undisclosed location. Lecter had given his address to the red dragon. Once that was settled Will went back to the bay to see Fynn. She was working it the garden with a lovely short sundress, it was white with little pink flowers. Will watched her toned legs and arms glisten in the sun as she worked. He swallowed hard, trying not to remember what they felt like wrapped around him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Hey," he shouted to her from the fence./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She looked up and then took her gloves off and walked over to him. She leaned on a fence post. She was inches from him and he could smell her shampoo and her sweat. It wasn't a bad smell, she smelled sweet and delicious. And he was thinking like Lecter after having him on his mind so much lately./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Can I help you?" she smiled, it was more genuine than last time./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I saw him again," Will said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Oh? Did he help you any with the dragon?" she asked. She had obviously been checking in on him./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""The opposite actually, he told the dragon my home address, I had to move my… family."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She shook her head, "I'm sorry Will."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Do you know why he would do that?" he asked. She looked out over the bay and thought for a moment./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She looked back at him, "he knows."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""He knows what?" Will asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""He knows you talked to me, he's not happy about it," she said blowing a hair out of her face casually like they were chatting about the weather./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""How would he know?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You went right after you saw me?" she asked and he nodded, "well he have noticed my scent on you," she said, Will blushed and she continued, "or he sensed it from you, you were a bit kinder to him, he could smell your guilt."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I don't feel guilty for arresting him," Will said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""But you do, even if it's just a little bit maybe not for him, but for us, because you took him from us," she said motioning to a tire swing in her small front yard where a little boy was swinging, Will hadn't even noticed him there when he walked up./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I didn't…" Will started to say./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She stopped him, "I don't blame you I'm just telling you this is how you feel, because you can't help yourself, you're a good guy, maybe the best one honestly."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"He couldn't hide his smile, "I thought you were mad at me."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""No, I do like messing with you a bit because he always made it seem fun but mostly to get you to understand how he operates, he took you coming here as a threat, not an intentional threat but a careless one, you carelessly came to me and put us in danger to get what you wanted, that's why he's mad at you and when you see it from his perspective he's totally justified in retaliating." /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""In sending a psycho after me?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I didn't say I agree just that that's how he sees it," she shrugged./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""So, he was never mean to you, like when I wasn't around?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""No… but will, now that he knows you contacted me, you and everyone you love is in danger," she said touching his shoulder lightly./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Where did you go?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I'm right here," she giggled./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I mean back then, you just disappeared, I looked for you until I was told…" he trailed off./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Lady Murasaki, she rescued me, took care of me, she's gone now like I said," she looked down, a tear escaping./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""And the other one, the other person?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She put her hand on his cheek, "you're so cute."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"He rolled his eyes, "I need to find out who all he's connected to, so they don't hurt my family."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Don't worry about her, she's not after you, that's why he sent the dragon, he's heartless, Chin- umm our mystery girl is useful for helping not hurting, unless it's self-defense of course," she said. /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You sure?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I'm positive," she smiled./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"He smiled back, "gosh, if I could forget all of this… the things that smile used to do to me."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Will, I'm sorry," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You didn't do anything wrong," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I didn't stop it either, I knew about him way back in college. Well I knew he avenged his uncle's and sister's death; I didn't know the extent of it or that he didn't stop but still… when we started investigating the ripper… I didn't know, but I knew, does that make sense?" she asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You suspected but you didn't want to believe it?" he offered./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She laughed, brushing a hair off her forehead, "yea something like that."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""And if you had faced the truth? Would you have turned him in?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She looked down at the ground, "I wish that I could say that I would have."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""You still love him don't you?" he asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She looked up and she was crying, "more than anything."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"He leaned in close, "don't tell anyone but… I do too."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""We sure know how to pick them don't we?" she laughed through tears./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""No, you're right, he's not like the other ones, he's not like anyone, I don't know what he is really," Will said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""Stay for dinner? Get to know Simon?" she asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"Will looked over at the boy and stared for a while. Then he said, "he has my hair but Hannibal's eyes."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She laughed, "that's impossible."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I know but he does," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""If I needed someone to father him I would have called you, I'm not saying he's yours and I'm not saying he isn't… I'm just saying, I know you'd have been there to take the roll so don't start feeling like you abandoned us… I left, not you."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;""I know, I didn't ask, I won't ask, it's better this way," he said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"She nodded and hugged Will before he left, "be careful," she whispered./p