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"Bella!" Clarice called into the house as she nearly bolted inside. She dropped her purse onto the table and walked into the living room to see Bella standing with a large knife in one hand while the other handled a rested rack of lamb. Hannibal stood behind her and used his hands to guide hers.
They both looked up when Clarice entered the room. A moment of silence passed between the three. The current situation was one that could've been happening for nearly eighteen years, and it looked as if it were the norm. But, Clarice could see the anxiety in her daughter's eyes and Hannibal's own nervousness around his daughter. The two sets of matching eyes continued to stare at her as she slowly approached the counter. "Bella, I thought I told you I was going to pick you up. Ardelia is expecting you tonight."
Bella looked back down when Hannibal moved her hands, thankful for the distraction he prompted her with. She began cutting into the lamb with his help. "You didn't tell me who was coming over. So, I figured I would swing by to see. I had no idea you would have the famous Dr. Lecter in our house."
"We were just preparing dinner." Hannibal explained before walking around the island and pulling out a barstool for Clarice to sit on. He quickly moved back to Bella to observe her knife work with the meat. "Bella was quick to help me. She's been doing well, a real natural."
Clarice failed to hide her smirk at Hannibal's comment. "She didn't get that from me." She ignored the glare Bella sent her way. "Honey, if you really wanted to know who was here, you could've just asked to stay home."
Bella rolled her eyes. "I asked who came. You were evasive. You made plans for me without asking. Your mind was made up. Besides, this was more fun." She put down the knife when the two lambs were sliced. "What else is there?"
Hannibal grinned as he set down three plates. "Eager. Good girl." He grabbed a pan from the stove and began dishing out the yellow veggies onto each plate. "Place three of those lamb slices over each plate. Then, we'll put on the sauce." Bella quickly followed behind him with the lamb, placing the medallions over his work. He quickly grabbed the other pan with the sauce. "Now, we want the sauce on the meat, but not on the outer coating. Just like this." He demonstrated for her before handing her the pan and spoon. "Try it."
Clarice watched Bella carefully finish off the plates. "If I knew you could cook like this, I wouldn't have ordered so much take out over the years."
"We've never had lamb in the fridge before." Bella stated when she finished the last plate. When Hannibal rested a hand on her back, she was surprised with herself when she didn't flinch or tense. "Wow."
Hannibal chuckled before taking the pan and spoon away from her to place back on the stove. "I couldn't have done better myself."
Clarice bit her lip. "Bella, why don't you go wash up and change for dinner? I'll let Ardelia know you will not be coming tonight." She cocked an eyebrow at her daughter as she hurried out of the room, her footsteps quick on the staircase.
Her attention quickly drifted back to Hannibal who was moving about her kitchen as if he had designed it himself. Outside of shared sheets, it was the most relaxed she had ever seen him. "You're enjoying this."
"She's an exceptionally fast learner." Hannibal replied with a swift nod. "Besides, can you really blame me for enjoying myself with my little bird? She may not know I'm her daddy yet, but she reacted to me in much the same way as you did when we first met. Cautious, but open. She could have fled up to her room or outside and called the authorities. Instead, she accepted my invitation into the kitchen and assisted me while preparing our meal." They both glanced towards the ceiling when they could hear Bella walking around her room. "You mentioned that you wanted to talk to her about my being her father alone. Would you like me to excuse myself for the night?"
"No," Clarice sighed and dropped her elbows to the counter, cradling her chin in her left palm. "I should go talk to her."
Hannibal reached over and squeezed her other hand. "I'll keep dinner warm."
Clarice knocked softly on Bella's door before pushing it open. Bella sat at the head of her bed with a pillow hugged to her chest. She had changed from her dance clothes in a t-shirt and jeans, not exactly what Hannibal would want for a dinner as decadent as lamb. But, her pained expression caused Clarice to worry more. "Bella, honey, are you okay?" She sighed when Bella glared at her again. If a look could kill. . . "I know this must seem weird."
"It is insane." Bella breathed. Her own interactions with Dr. Lecter blew her away the most. She had imagined meeting the man for years. Never would she have thought that they would cook a meal together in her own home. Never would she have believed that she would yearn to hear his praise of her or feel protected in his presence. "He's a serial killer. He should be in prison."
"I know." Clarice whispered, sitting down at the foot of her daughter's bed.
Bella took a deep breath as she gazed at Clarice. "Why isn't he in jail?"
Clarice brought her entire body up onto the bed, mirroring her daughter's position with legs crossed over one another. "The case file of Dr. Lecter in my office, you know of the incident involving Krendler, yes?" Bella nodded. "I reported what happened at the dinner table and when he trapped my hair in the fridge. I even wrote down how I cuffed his hand to mine, how he slit open his own wrist and used his blood to slip out of the cuffs. That was all true."
Bella frowned. "That still doesn't explain why he isn't in jail."
Clarice gulped, playing with her hands for the second time that day. "After I gave my statement and was sent home, I found Dr. Lecter here waiting for me." She could remember the day like it was yesterday. "I bandaged up his hand, and we talked. I don't know what changed between dinner and that moment. I don't know what happened, but something snapped between us. Something came together. I. . .we slept together."
"Ew!" Bella gagged, covering her mouth with her pillow. "He's a killer, a cannibal."
Clarice rolled her eyes. "He wouldn't kill me. I know he wouldn't. He wouldn't kill you either."
"Because, I'm your daughter. Is it a hereditary loyalty gene or something? He doesn't know me. Killing me wouldn't bother him." Bella spat back.
Clarice felt her chest ache. Her daughter was hurting, and so was she. "Bella, he's not going to kill you. Ever. You're his legacy." She bit her lip, seeing the confusion on Bella's face. "Five weeks after we slept together, I found out I was pregnant with you. He's your father."
Bella felt like a pin had dropped and blew up her entire life in that second. Those three words were like the key she had been missing for years. But as soon as everything was put together, it was too much and it all shattered into thousands of pieces that seemed impossible to put back together. The little information she had gathered about her father from Clarice over the years was making sense now. Her odd classical tastes that didn't seem to match anyone she or her mother met. She had always sworn that her eyes looked like Dr. Lecter from his file pictures, but didn't dare go to the conclusion that he could be her father.
She still didn't dare to fathom it.
"No, that's not true." Bella shook her head. "That can't be true."
"I just told him today." Clarice whispered. "I know that I haven't exactly stuck up for him, but you didn't know. And, how could I tell you? How could I tell you that your father was a top ten most wanted serial killer without exposing you to some kind of danger? Paul was on my case before Hannibal attacked him. It got worse once he healed. If he even got the impression that you could be his daughter, I don't want to think about what he'd try to do or what he'd send Chet to do. What about the FBI? The police? If they knew you were Dr. Hannibal Lecter's daughter, you'd be wired for the rest of your life. I didn't want that for you. With all your friends knowing of his crimes, it got even harder to attempt telling you."
Bella only heard the ringing in her ears. She felt sick to her stomach. "You told me you loved my father."
Clarice reached out to try and comfort Bella, but she only flinched at the contact. "I do love him, baby. He asked me to run away with him that night. And, I wanted to. I just thought that my life was meant for law enforcement at the time. If I had known you were going to come along, I would've gone. I woke up the next morning and regretted saying no to him anyway. If I could do it over again, I would've left with him."
Bella swallowed hard, the sensation nearly straining her throat. "But, you would still sleep with him."
"How could I not? That night gave me you, and I wouldn't change you or trade you for anyone in the world, including Hannibal. You are the most important person to me. And, we're the most important people to him." Clarice could see Bella closing in on herself. This conversation was only going to push her over the edge if it continued. "Let's just put a pin in this for now. There's a nice home cooked meal waiting for us downstairs. Whenever you want to talk about this again, we will talk. If you want Hannibal to be there, he'll be there. I promise you that."
Bella continued to stare at Clarice, a feeling of dizziness making her sway slightly. But, she didn't let Clarice say anything before she stood up and bolted from the room.
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