I have no clue where I'm going with this story. I wrote chapter five at seven A.M. That's what happens when I try to write in the morning. So I didn't really focus on the chocolate ice cream stain - and do not ask me where that came from. I have no idea. So sue me. Anyway, on with the story... c.
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Clarice's hand flew to her mouth. She opened her mouth in attempt to say something, but no words came out. Girlish giggles, however, did. She bit her bottom lip, trying to stifle the giggles. She knew Lecter would not be quite so amused. Clarice gasped a breath and attempted to talk. "Oh my gosh . . . I am so . . . ." She broke off once again in laughter.
"Well, my dear, I'm glad you find this so amusing; as I most certainly do not. Soiled clothing is not in any way humorous to me."
"I know." She tried hard not to smile. "But it really IS your fault. You snuck up on me. You could have given me a little warning before just -"
"Before just doing this?" His arms slipped around her waist and he pulled her close. "Tell me, Clarice, are you afraid of me? Does our closeness frighten you?" She shivered at the tone of his voice. Honestly, sometimes he could be so . . . scary.
"No. But the fact that you've got ice cream all over your shirt doesn't really make it all that pleasant, either." She looked down at her shirt, now stained with ice cream as well. He smiled.
"Please forgive me."
"Oh please. You actually think I care about the way I look?" She sincerely hoped that he didn't notice the earrings or makeup right now.
"Well, my dear, you certainly wouldn't have worn these earrings if you really felt that way." He reached up and gently touched one of the rubies. "I remember making this purchase for you, Clarice. How I couldn't wait for you to see them, to try them on. Perhaps you feel guilty about how much I spent on you. Perhaps that's why you're wearing them. Or perhaps you genuinely like them if you're wearing them without my influence."
"Who says I'm without your influence?" She snapped. She immediately regretted saying that. How could she be so stupid? He didn't need to know that he was constantly on her mind. If he didn't already, that is.
"Hm. So I am frequently in your thoughts. How very interesting." Clarice looked to his face, trying desperately to find some sort of emotion. She was disappointed to find that his eyes remained passive. She noticed that darkness had fallen.
Oh great. Now I'm standing in the dark with a madman. A madman who loves--STOP THAT!
"Well, Doctor, you did say that you'd send for me. I couldn't help but think about that."
"Does that mean that you've come to a decision, Clarice?" His voice was soft and undemanding. A faraway look came over her face. She sighed. "Clarice?" he prompted gently. Now tears filled her eyes. For a moment, she thought she detected a sad look in his eyes. Tears spilled out of her eyes and ran down her cheeks. "Now, Clarice, don't cry." He gently wiped the tears from her face. "And don't be afraid to tell me the truth. Are you going to come with me?" She sighed heavily. "Ah." He somehow knew that this was her answer. "I see." Her eyes widened at that.
"No, you don't, because I want to come with you . . . if the invitation still holds . . . and if you were serious . . . ."
"My dear, why would I lie to you?" She shook her head.
"I don't-I don't know. You wouldn't, I don't guess."
"No. I would not. Nor would I ever hurt you, Clarice." She sighed. Boy, was that a first. It seemed like everyone was out to get her, out to destroy her.
"I know you wouldn't. That's why I trust you and what you say." Lecter smiled. "And I know that you . . . ." Her voice trailed off. She decided that she didn't need to put words in his mouth. Not yet, at least. She'd done it once before, when Lecter and Crawford had that little 'incident', as she referred to it. But she was a little out of it then. She had an excuse then. Not now.
"Love you? Why, yes. I should think that it was painfully obvious." He smiled. Not a frightening smile, but one of total love and understanding. "Now, my dear, the question is, do you love me?" His forewardness surprised her for a moment. She debated answers in her head. A simple 'yes' would never do. He'd want to know why. She opened her mouth, and yet, like many times before in this evening, no words came out. Tears filled her eyes once again. She knew that if she answered honestly, there was no going back. She could never undo it. But that was a risk Clarice Starling was prepared to take.
"Yes," she nodded, "I love you." He knew it, but simply wanted to hear the words from her concious mouth. Streetlamps flooded the area with light. This was something Starling had just noticed. They were standing directly in the middle of a circle of light. It was as though they were in their own production of Romeo and Julet. No one else existed in the world for either of them. "I love you," she repeated softly.
"And I love you," his softness matching hers. Lecter leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. Clarice looked up at him.
"Well, what now? I mean, where do we go from here?"
"But Clarice, are you honestly ready to leave? I understand very well that you love me, wish for us to be blissfully settled together, but will you doubt yourself later? Will you toss and turn all during the night, wondering what could have been with your precious FBI?" Lecter felt her muscles tense as he mentioned the FBI. After all that they'd done do her, why would she want to stay? What person in their right mind would stay and take that kind of tourment? He continued, "Would you regret it?" She looked up at him, her eyes full of confusion.
"What?" Clarice hadn't heard a word he'd said. What she did know, however, was that she had to make a decison. Fast. She could feel her brain giong in all different directions. "Oh, why couldn't this be easy?" she mumbled. He wasn't really meant to hear it, but he did.
"My dear, life's choices are never easy. That is why one must select the choice that they believe will have the most positive outcome." She sighed and nodded. "You'll have as much time as you need to make your decision. I'd never pressure you into something like this."
"I've made my decision. I know what I want, and I want you." His heart swelled. Finally, after all of these years, he would get the one thing in life that he wished for.
"I must admit that I wanted to hear that answer, Clarice." Once again, he kissed her forehead. "Now, how about we take you home to gather your things?"
"Alright. While we're there, I guess we could . . . clean your shirt." She grinned. By now, the dark stain had dried and set.
"I've got no objections. We'll go in my car." With that, he escorted her across the parking lot to his large black luxury car.
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Okay, well, there's chapter six! I should have chapter seven up by AT LEAST the end of the week, hopefully sooner. Thank you all for being so kind to review my story. It's my first...*giggle* :)
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Clarice's hand flew to her mouth. She opened her mouth in attempt to say something, but no words came out. Girlish giggles, however, did. She bit her bottom lip, trying to stifle the giggles. She knew Lecter would not be quite so amused. Clarice gasped a breath and attempted to talk. "Oh my gosh . . . I am so . . . ." She broke off once again in laughter.
"Well, my dear, I'm glad you find this so amusing; as I most certainly do not. Soiled clothing is not in any way humorous to me."
"I know." She tried hard not to smile. "But it really IS your fault. You snuck up on me. You could have given me a little warning before just -"
"Before just doing this?" His arms slipped around her waist and he pulled her close. "Tell me, Clarice, are you afraid of me? Does our closeness frighten you?" She shivered at the tone of his voice. Honestly, sometimes he could be so . . . scary.
"No. But the fact that you've got ice cream all over your shirt doesn't really make it all that pleasant, either." She looked down at her shirt, now stained with ice cream as well. He smiled.
"Please forgive me."
"Oh please. You actually think I care about the way I look?" She sincerely hoped that he didn't notice the earrings or makeup right now.
"Well, my dear, you certainly wouldn't have worn these earrings if you really felt that way." He reached up and gently touched one of the rubies. "I remember making this purchase for you, Clarice. How I couldn't wait for you to see them, to try them on. Perhaps you feel guilty about how much I spent on you. Perhaps that's why you're wearing them. Or perhaps you genuinely like them if you're wearing them without my influence."
"Who says I'm without your influence?" She snapped. She immediately regretted saying that. How could she be so stupid? He didn't need to know that he was constantly on her mind. If he didn't already, that is.
"Hm. So I am frequently in your thoughts. How very interesting." Clarice looked to his face, trying desperately to find some sort of emotion. She was disappointed to find that his eyes remained passive. She noticed that darkness had fallen.
Oh great. Now I'm standing in the dark with a madman. A madman who loves--STOP THAT!
"Well, Doctor, you did say that you'd send for me. I couldn't help but think about that."
"Does that mean that you've come to a decision, Clarice?" His voice was soft and undemanding. A faraway look came over her face. She sighed. "Clarice?" he prompted gently. Now tears filled her eyes. For a moment, she thought she detected a sad look in his eyes. Tears spilled out of her eyes and ran down her cheeks. "Now, Clarice, don't cry." He gently wiped the tears from her face. "And don't be afraid to tell me the truth. Are you going to come with me?" She sighed heavily. "Ah." He somehow knew that this was her answer. "I see." Her eyes widened at that.
"No, you don't, because I want to come with you . . . if the invitation still holds . . . and if you were serious . . . ."
"My dear, why would I lie to you?" She shook her head.
"I don't-I don't know. You wouldn't, I don't guess."
"No. I would not. Nor would I ever hurt you, Clarice." She sighed. Boy, was that a first. It seemed like everyone was out to get her, out to destroy her.
"I know you wouldn't. That's why I trust you and what you say." Lecter smiled. "And I know that you . . . ." Her voice trailed off. She decided that she didn't need to put words in his mouth. Not yet, at least. She'd done it once before, when Lecter and Crawford had that little 'incident', as she referred to it. But she was a little out of it then. She had an excuse then. Not now.
"Love you? Why, yes. I should think that it was painfully obvious." He smiled. Not a frightening smile, but one of total love and understanding. "Now, my dear, the question is, do you love me?" His forewardness surprised her for a moment. She debated answers in her head. A simple 'yes' would never do. He'd want to know why. She opened her mouth, and yet, like many times before in this evening, no words came out. Tears filled her eyes once again. She knew that if she answered honestly, there was no going back. She could never undo it. But that was a risk Clarice Starling was prepared to take.
"Yes," she nodded, "I love you." He knew it, but simply wanted to hear the words from her concious mouth. Streetlamps flooded the area with light. This was something Starling had just noticed. They were standing directly in the middle of a circle of light. It was as though they were in their own production of Romeo and Julet. No one else existed in the world for either of them. "I love you," she repeated softly.
"And I love you," his softness matching hers. Lecter leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. Clarice looked up at him.
"Well, what now? I mean, where do we go from here?"
"But Clarice, are you honestly ready to leave? I understand very well that you love me, wish for us to be blissfully settled together, but will you doubt yourself later? Will you toss and turn all during the night, wondering what could have been with your precious FBI?" Lecter felt her muscles tense as he mentioned the FBI. After all that they'd done do her, why would she want to stay? What person in their right mind would stay and take that kind of tourment? He continued, "Would you regret it?" She looked up at him, her eyes full of confusion.
"What?" Clarice hadn't heard a word he'd said. What she did know, however, was that she had to make a decison. Fast. She could feel her brain giong in all different directions. "Oh, why couldn't this be easy?" she mumbled. He wasn't really meant to hear it, but he did.
"My dear, life's choices are never easy. That is why one must select the choice that they believe will have the most positive outcome." She sighed and nodded. "You'll have as much time as you need to make your decision. I'd never pressure you into something like this."
"I've made my decision. I know what I want, and I want you." His heart swelled. Finally, after all of these years, he would get the one thing in life that he wished for.
"I must admit that I wanted to hear that answer, Clarice." Once again, he kissed her forehead. "Now, how about we take you home to gather your things?"
"Alright. While we're there, I guess we could . . . clean your shirt." She grinned. By now, the dark stain had dried and set.
"I've got no objections. We'll go in my car." With that, he escorted her across the parking lot to his large black luxury car.
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Okay, well, there's chapter six! I should have chapter seven up by AT LEAST the end of the week, hopefully sooner. Thank you all for being so kind to review my story. It's my first...*giggle* :)