Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or stories; Thomas Harris is the author and creator of 'Clarice Starling', 'Hannibal Lecter', 'Ardelia Mapp', and 'Paul Krendler'. These stories and any new characters are mine (although I will receive no profit from them). Please ask permission to archive.

These are short stories based on my story called, "The Path Not Taken". You don't necessarily have to have read it, but they will make much more sense if you do (and I'd really appreciate it). Each chapter is a separate story, in no particular order. Please read and review. Enjoy!

Story: "The Visit"

Author: Calico calico321@yahoo.com

Rating: PG-13 for language.

Summary: While Clarice is waiting in DC for the FBI to finish their investigation, she gets a visit from an old friend.

Clarice turned off the television set. There just wasn't anything on that interested her. She stood up from the couch in the living area of the hotel suite and began to slowly pace. Agents Black and Clemons had not told her she couldn't leave the hotel, but she was certain she'd be followed anywhere she went. She chose to face the boredom of these walls.

Dinner had already been ordered from room service and eaten. She was contemplating taking a long, hot bath when she heard a knock at the door. A shiver traveled down her spine as she for a moment suspected Agent Black had decided to place her under arrest after all. Shaking the pessimistic thought from her head, she walked over to the door and peaked through the eyehole. Her heart seemed to skip a beat; she could hardly believe her eyes. The tall African-American woman waited impatiently, her mouth a thin line of stress, chin jutted forward. She was even tapping her foot. Clarice just stood there and watched her for a moment, considering walking into the bathroom and shutting the door. She saw the other woman raise her arm to knock again and flung the door open.

"Ardelia Mapp," she said in way of greeting.

"I thought you weren't gonna answer," was the icy reply.

"I almost didn't. Please come in." She held the door open and gestured towards the sitting area. "Can I get you a drink?" she asked as Ardelia sat down on one end of the sofa.

"If you've got Black Label I'll have some." Clarice nodded and went to the honor bar to pour them each a glass. She handed Ardelia hers and sat on the other end of the sofa, facing her former friend and roommate. Ardelia took a contemplative sip then launched ahead. "I sold the duplex after I got your gift." She said the last word as if it had been anything but. "I've kept your half the money set aside for you."

Clarice stared thoughtfully into the golden liquid and said quietly, "That's was very kind of you Ardelia, but why don't you go ahead and keep it. For all the trouble you went through," she explained

"Not enough money in the world for that," she replied as she reached into her jacket and pulled out a piece of paper, throwing it onto the small coffee table in front of them. Clarice made no move towards it, but saw that it was a cashier's check written out to her in the amount of $80,000. She was mildly impressed that the duplex had apparently sold for considerably more than what they'd originally paid for it.

The two women sat quietly for a while each concentrating on their own glass. Clarice allowed her eyes to wander to the other woman's hands and noted the large green stone. Noticing her interest, Ardelia remarked, "I was gonna throw it into the Potomac when I got it, but then I decided I'd wait and give it back to you, face-to-face." Lifting her hand and letting the large emerald sparkle in the light she said, "Now I'm kinda used to it." She put her hand down without further comment. Clarice hid her smile and the two fell into the sort of companionable silence they knew before.

Ardelia's voice finally cut the air between them, "Why'd you do it Starling?"

Clarice found herself blinking at the woman, who was probably her closest friend in the whole world. Used to be, she reminded herself. She also had to remember that Mapp was still an active FBI agent. "Do what?" she said bleakly.

"Don't bullshit me, Starling. Why'd you go after Lecter, and why in God's name did you stay with him all this time? Rumor's goin' around the Bureau that you married the son of a bitch."

If Ardelia had noticed her own ring, she'd given no sign. Now Clarice lifted her left hand palm in. Ardelia's eyes traveled to the large diamond and ruby ring. Her mouth opened as she gawked at it, much as Clarice herself did when she first saw it, when he proposed to her.

"Ah crap!" was Ardelia's response. "God Dammit girl! I been practically pounding anyone who was spouting that nonsense, and now you tell me it's true! That bastard! What the hell did he do to you? You can't tell me you fell in love with that monster."

"Are you wearing a wire, Ardelia?" Clarice asked quietly.

"What?"

"Are you here to get more information out of me? Did Agent Black send you in? He's out for my blood, 'Delia. I think he'd like to try me for all the murders, even the ones that happened…" she trailed off.

"When you was a kid? Go ahead and say it girl. No point in pretending it wasn't true; he was practically old enough to be your granddad. But to answer your question, no I'm not wired. I'm here for personal reasons only." She bowed her head and said, "Nothing you say will leave this room, I swear it," she looked up, right into Clarice's eyes.

With a smile Clarice said, "Then I'll answer any question you have. But I warn you, you may not like the answers."

"Good. So then why'd you go save him?"

"That's the easiest one there is. Because it was the right thing to do. Lynch mobs are still illegal in this country the last I knew."

"Good God Clarice do you even hear yourself anymore." She shook her head sadly. "Well why did you stay. I've heard talk that you used some psychotropic drugs on you, made you hallucinate he was your daddy."

"Sort of." Clarice took a sip, looking at the watercolor on the far wall and thinking back. "He did use hypnotherapy on me to get me to really let out my feelings about my father and his death. At first I didn't know what was going on, but then I did. And I didn't care for a while. It was like floating in a world far away from here, my own private Wonderland. Then something happened, the catalyst so to speak. I had to wake up, and I had to make an important decision. You see his intentions for me weren't exactly what you think. I won't get into the details, but he wanted me to become someone else, someone from his past. I decided it was time for what I wanted, and you see it had become clear to me that I wanted him." She looked at her friend finally, and smiled. "He is, was the only person who really ever saw me, not just the body, but the whole person, and I knew that that other person he wanted back, well she couldn't ever exist again and he'd just be disappointed. He needed me, 'Delia. We needed each other."

"But did you have to start screwing him and run off to become a cannibal?" Time seemed to stand still as the two women faced each other over the center cushion of the sofa. Ardelia was afraid she'd royally pissed Clarice off, and briefly wondered what sorts of fatal things Hannibal the Cannibal had taught his young wife. Then a sound split the air and for a minute Ardelia thought she herself was hallucinating. There sat Clarice Starling doubled over and laughing. "What the hell is wrong with you girl?" she demanded.

Clarice gulped for breath and managed in between gasps to say, " 'Become a cannibal'?" gasp, "You make it sound like a lifestyle choice," gasp, "like joining a club or something." Hard laughter. "Like joining the Elks Club!" she practically wheezed with laughter. She wrapped her arms around her as she released the tension that she had held inside for half a year.

Ardelia couldn't help herself, the laughter was so contagious she started giggling at the picture of a 'Cannibals Club'. The friends laughed together for a time. Ardelia said, "You're right! Like, was there some sort of initiation?"

She continued to chuckle for a few moments after Clarice had straightened up and said quite seriously, "Yes, there was."

With a nervous smile she said, "You're still joking, right girl?"

Clarice took a couple of deep breaths to make up for the lack of oxygen during her fit of amusement the pressed on with the most difficult thing she had to say to her old friend. "Paul Krendler. Hannibal brought him to the house where we were staying. He was drugged and felt no pain. Um, Hannibal cut the top of his skull off and cut slices of his brain, which he sautéed and fed to me, all while Paul was still very alive and conscious." She turned her head away shamefully. "I'd really like to blame the drugs he gave me, but I can't. You should have heard him 'Delia, the things he said to me. For the first time I felt I had power over him, power over myself." She looked back at her friend's appalled face. "I swear to you it was the one and only time, although I can't honestly say I regretted it."

"Damn girl." She just sat and processed the information. Paul Krendler had been an A-1 dickhead, but did that make it ok? Then again she had believed that Lecter should have been left to Verger's insane version of revenge, just because of who he was. Finally she just agreed to forget it. Looking at the woman next to her she remembered all the reasons she'd liked her. And found she really wanted to like her again. Why the hell not? "What was he like?" she inquired, nudging Clarice's foot with her own.

"Like how?" Clarice's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Girl, you know. What was he like?"

A knowing smile spread across Clarice's lips as she said, "My God he was incredible!" She threw her head back and let out a low howl. "'Delia he had the stamina of a man half his age and the experience of a man twice his age."

Ardelia slapped Clarice's knee, "Go on with your bad self." They grinned at each other for a moment. "Did he make you happy?" Ardelia asked soberly.

"Every single day."

Ardelia lowered her eyes and said, "They say he killed and you knew all about it."

Clarice caught her breath, and then began shaking her head emphatically. "God no! I didn't know Ardelia. I mean I didn't know for sure." She brought the back of her hand up to wipe her mouth.

Ardelia sensing the growing distress reached over and patted her knee. "It's ok Starling. I understand. You really loved him, didn't you?"

The sadness that entered Clarice's eyes worried her for the long moments after the question had been asked, until she finally answered, "There isn't a word in any language on this planet that describes how deeply. A part of me died with him, 'Delia. Sometimes I think I can't breath. I have no idea what I'm going to do now." She shook her head slowly.

Ardelia got an idea in her head. "Clarice, how are your skills girl? You still got your edge?"

Clarice just gave a dry laugh. "I spent eight years dodging international authorities with the world's most wanted criminal. I think the edge is still there. Why?"

"I've been thinking for a while I'd like to get out of the Bureau and, you know, go solo. There's plenty of good work out there in the private sector for experienced people. Lots of women get into it because there's no old boys club. You could join me." There, she'd said it. It hung in the air like a day old helium balloon. Maybe it'd been too long. Ardelia prayed desperately she hadn't insulted her.

The slow smile came with a brief nod. "That sounds wonderful, 'Delia. Thank you for thinking of me. I've got to do something out of the country after I'm done in DC, that is if Agent Black doesn't hang my ass in jail. When I get back I'd like to call you and we could discuss it further. Ok?"

"Sure thing Starling." She wrote her number on the back of the cashier's check and stood up. "And I don't want to get anymore information about you second-hand," she said sternly.

"Deal." The women walked to the door and Clarice offered her hand. Ardelia looked at it bemused for a moment, then she used it to pull her into a hug.

"I missed you girl," she whispered.

"Me too." Clarice waved at her friend as she got into the elevator, then closed the door and leaned against it. Maybe she could step back into life. Clarice Starling, PI had a nice ring to it.

The End