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Bella lay in the dark, staring up at the ceiling, when two shadows blocked the small sliver of light yearning to flood under her closed door. A soft knock penetrated the wood of the barrier before the light came shining in. Clarice stood biting her lip as she peered inside. "I see open eyes."
"I can't sleep." Bella stated with a roll of her eyes at her mother's obvious statement. "I just keep thinking about the families. When they find out that the killer was actually after us, they are going to wonder why we weren't harmed at all. I don't even know how to answer that let alone put logic behind it."
Clarice walked over to the bed and laid down beside her daughter. "Bella, honey, you can relax. First of all, what happened to those girls is horrible, and I'm glad that you have sympathy for them and their families. But, you cannot blame yourself and wonder what would've happened if the killer came after us right away. It's going to haunt you if you allow it to."
Bella turned onto her side, facing Clarice. "Those girls' families will be haunted forever thinking that their daughters and sisters and mothers died because somebody couldn't just come kill the people they were mad at." Biting her lip, she met her mother's gaze. "The only people that make sense are Paul and Chet. Where those women were injured. . .it's a personal message. Chet made that loud and clear when I saw him today."
"Wait, what did he say to you?" Clarice asked with wide eyes.
Bella sighed and closed her eyes when Clarice started stroking her hair. "He came up behind me at the mall. He all but told me he was going to take what he wanted whether I liked it or not. When I threatened to hurt him, he threw the rumor of Hannibal being my dad in my face. He was so pissed off when I told him that I'd at least have more brains than him and Paul."
"You always knew how to dish it right back out." Clarice breathed. "He sounds like he's on the edge though. He hasn't ever flat out threatened you, has he?"
"No."
Clarice felt the anxiety building in her chest. "And, I can't keep eyes on you at the school. How many classes do you have with him?"
"Three, but he walks by my locker just to harass me between every class." Bella's voice slowly became quieter as sleep was starting to claim her. "He waits for me after dance practice too. Europe can't come fast enough."
"All good things to those who wait." Clarice whispered before Bella's breathing evened out.
Clarice leaned back heavily against her bedroom door after she closed it, isolating herself with Hannibal inside her room. Instead of finding him undressing at his side of the bed or sitting comfortably against the headboard, he sat in the corner chair still fully dressed. "What's wrong?"
"I believe it would be wise to create some distance." Hannibal stated, no emotions attached to the announcement. "If this Beer Can Killer is truly after me, I am only creating a dangerous environment for you and Bella. I have some resources at my disposal I can use to help identify who could possibly be behind this. The time away would also allow me to prepare some arrangements for our trip to Europe."
"You sound mechanical, Doctor." Clarice whispered. She sat down at the end of her bed, pulling one of her knees up to her chest. "Almost like you're trying to convince yourself that leaving is the best option."
Hannibal's maroon eyes met hers, almost glowing in the dark corner of the room. "I know it's the best option. It seems as though it's the option I would like to avoid despite my presence being a danger to you both. If I were to stay, I would at least oversee your safety. However, my sources are limited here, and I would hate to prove useless."
Clarice knew he was right. He always was even when she wanted him to be wrong. Cooped up in her townhouse was only going to make him stir crazy and could cause unforeseen challenges with their plans. This is what was needed, but it wasn't what any of them wanted. She still felt the heartache from eighteen years ago when she woke up alone in her bed after denying the chance to run away with him, and it wasn't a feeling she was hoping to relive. "You'll be back this time though."
Hannibal stood from his seat and crouched down in front of her, moving his palms over her hips. She leaned forward, pressing her forehead to his and draping her arms over his shoulders. His breath tickled her skin when he spoke. "Are you saying that to me or to yourself?"
"A little bit of both maybe." Clarice whispered before pressing her lips to his. "I'm just dreading waking up in the morning. You won't be here."
"In six weeks time, that won't ever be the case again." Hannibal replied, letting it cement into both of their minds. "I'll be keeping eyes on you though."
Clarice smiled. "I wouldn't expect anything less."
In and out. Putting on his second shoe, Hannibal's eyes fell to Clarice asleep under the sheets they had just shared, breathing in and out. The rise and fall of her chest was steady now, a drastic change from when she was moving her hips against his with legs wrapped around his waist. The image would be one to replay in the coming weeks when he longed to reach out and touch her. He would have something and someone to look forward to as long as that remained. In and out.
With his few belongings back in his pockets, he leaned over the bed and brushed a kiss to Clarice's temple. His nose moved the hair away from her face and allowed him one last view of her profile before he departed. Gently closing the door, he moved to the other bedroom on the floor to see his little bird fast asleep and curled up against large pillow shaped, one could presume, like a cartoon character.
In his mind, she was the image of pure innocence.
Silent with his footfalls, he sat down on the edge of her bed and gingerly took her small hand into his. He smiled fondly looking at them, reminding him of the hands of artists and performers. "My little bird, you were born to inspire." He whispered into her ear before kissing her head. "I shall be back soon."
His intentions on leaving halted when her hand tightened around his. He cast a glance to her face. She was still deep in sleep, but her grip on his hand only tightened. She stirred bringing his hand closer to her and mumbled in her haze a word that he never thought would correlate with himself. "Dad."
She hadn't said that word out loud to him since she found out. Her mind was ahead of what she was verbally willing to allow. Her mind already deemed him as her dad despite the years without him, but, while conscious, she hadn't allowed the word to enter her vocabulary. When her eyes were open, he was still Hannibal. Although he longed for her to call him that while awake, he was happy that she hadn't started calling him that just from the knowledge of knowing her DNA ran alongside his. It was an act of self preservation. Something that both her parents were artists in maintaining.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tape and the walkman that Clarice had used when Bella was born to play their conversation tapes. The tape he held now was new, and he hoped that it would ease Bella in the hard moments that were sure to come in the weeks before her grand farewell from the United States. He set the two items on her nightstand along with a small note before returning his gaze to Bella.
Her hand still held onto his, and he flashed to his nightmare, to his younger reality. Once he returned, he wouldn't allow anything or anyone else to let her or Clarice slip through his fingers. "Patience, my little bird. With me, the world will be at your complete disposal."
Bella groaned softly as sleep evaded her, the sun chasing it away as it aggressively prodded her eyes. She moved back out of the sunlight before she allowed her eyelids to pull back and give her sight. It was still early, enough time for another hour or so of sleep before Clarice demanded she wake up for school. Looking up to see the time on her alarm clock, the thought of more sleep vanished when she saw a paper with beautiful penmanship marking her name on top of the old walkman her mother used to carry around when she was young enough to still be reaching up to get something on the counter.
Her fingertips snatched the note and flipped it open to find more of the handwriting.
'Stay safe. I'll be watching you, my little bird.'
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