Okay..here's chapter eight. I apologize for the nasty little cliffhanger I left you with last chapter...but it was fun:) Anyway...I felt no need for a disclaimer, as you all know that these people are not mine. They never were, and they never will be. So there. c.
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Crawford looked away from the TV as the door slammed. The room was dark and he had a little trouble making out who these people were. "Mr. Crawford?" Clarice asked again. His jaw dropped.
"Clarice?" His breathing became heavier. Clarice wondered if he'd seen Lecter yet. He was wearing a dark suit and blended nicely with the walls. "Who's that?" He pointed at Lecter. Clarice opened her mouth, thinking of the best way to put this.
"Um . . . well . . . ." Crawford waited anxiously for an answer. Lecter decided he didn't need to prolong the wait. After all, he and Clarice needed to leave as soon as possible.
"After all those years trying to catch me, I'd think you'd be able to recognize me, Jack." Crawford's eyes widened. "Perhaps I'm asking too much of you," Lecter added passively. He continued, "Perhaps you've lost your touch, Jack." His eyes twinkled as he smiled. "I'd hate to think that, though, so I'll give you one more chance." Crawford couldn't speak. He gasped, realizing that Clarice was with this monster. Clarice had approached Jack's bed, wondering what to say and how to say it. She sighed.
"Clarice, what happened? What is going on?" He spoke in an offical tone, one rarely used with Clarice. "Why are you with him? I want to know. Right now." He drew out the last two words, letting Claice know that he was serious and he wanted answers.
"Well, Jack," Lecter began, "Clarice has come to a very important decision with me."
"Decision? What decision? Somebody better give me some answers, and I mean now."
"I've decided to go away with him," Clarice blurted.
"WHAT?!" Clarice could have killed herself for putting it to him like that.
"Now, Jack, we must remember to use inside voices," Lecter said mockingly. "If we can't do that, then we'll have to sit in time out." Crawford glared at Lecter. His mouth moved, but no words came out. "Having problems finding our voice, are we?"
"No," Crawford spat.
"Jack," Clarice began, "I-I'm sorry-I'm sorry that you had to find out like this. I didn't mean for this to happen. I came to tell you good -"
"You didn't mean for this to happen? You didn't mean for this to happen?! Then why come see me?! What the he-" Crawford was cut off.
"I don't know what I was thinking," Clarice said in a whisper.
"Obviously not!" Crawford's tone was cold and unforgiving. It brought tears to Clarice's eyes. She reached out and took his hand.
"Jack, how would you have prefered to find out? By us coming to say good bye, or turning on the TV one day to see that 'Hannibal the Cannibal' had kidnapped me? Answer honestly."
"What do you think? I can't stand to see him here. With you. It makes me sick. I'll admit it. I can hardly stand to be here right now. If I didn't absolutely have to be, I'd get up and walk out right now. If I had the choice of never seeing you again or seeing you with him, I'd choose never to see you again." Clarice let out a choked sob. She let go of Crawford's hand and allowed Lecter to pull her into his arms. Crawford turned away in disgust.
"Get out."
"What?" asked Clarice.
"Get out now and I won't say anything." She could tell how much this hurt him. She could see it in his eyes.
"Thank you." Clarice walked over to his bed and he took her hand. Crawford lifted it to his lips and kissed it lightly. He sighed.
"I just want you to be happy," he said with a bittersweet smile. "That's all."
"I will be. I promise. I love you, Jack, and I'll never forget you. Never." She bit her bottom lip, trying to hold in the tears. Crawford kissed her hand one last time and gripped it tightly.
"I love you, Clarice. If you ever need me, you know where to find me." With that, she and Lecter turned to the door. Clarice placed her hand on the knob. A sob escaped her throat and Lecter wrapped his arms around her.
"Shh, don't cry," he said, escorting her out the door. Crawford heard Lecter comforting her as they walked down the hall. He listened to Lecter. He could have sworn he heard "I love you" from him.
"I love you too, Clarice," Crawford whispered. "I always have. I always have." Nightmares would be with him tonight.
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Okay. There you have it. Only a few more chapters to go. :)
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Crawford looked away from the TV as the door slammed. The room was dark and he had a little trouble making out who these people were. "Mr. Crawford?" Clarice asked again. His jaw dropped.
"Clarice?" His breathing became heavier. Clarice wondered if he'd seen Lecter yet. He was wearing a dark suit and blended nicely with the walls. "Who's that?" He pointed at Lecter. Clarice opened her mouth, thinking of the best way to put this.
"Um . . . well . . . ." Crawford waited anxiously for an answer. Lecter decided he didn't need to prolong the wait. After all, he and Clarice needed to leave as soon as possible.
"After all those years trying to catch me, I'd think you'd be able to recognize me, Jack." Crawford's eyes widened. "Perhaps I'm asking too much of you," Lecter added passively. He continued, "Perhaps you've lost your touch, Jack." His eyes twinkled as he smiled. "I'd hate to think that, though, so I'll give you one more chance." Crawford couldn't speak. He gasped, realizing that Clarice was with this monster. Clarice had approached Jack's bed, wondering what to say and how to say it. She sighed.
"Clarice, what happened? What is going on?" He spoke in an offical tone, one rarely used with Clarice. "Why are you with him? I want to know. Right now." He drew out the last two words, letting Claice know that he was serious and he wanted answers.
"Well, Jack," Lecter began, "Clarice has come to a very important decision with me."
"Decision? What decision? Somebody better give me some answers, and I mean now."
"I've decided to go away with him," Clarice blurted.
"WHAT?!" Clarice could have killed herself for putting it to him like that.
"Now, Jack, we must remember to use inside voices," Lecter said mockingly. "If we can't do that, then we'll have to sit in time out." Crawford glared at Lecter. His mouth moved, but no words came out. "Having problems finding our voice, are we?"
"No," Crawford spat.
"Jack," Clarice began, "I-I'm sorry-I'm sorry that you had to find out like this. I didn't mean for this to happen. I came to tell you good -"
"You didn't mean for this to happen? You didn't mean for this to happen?! Then why come see me?! What the he-" Crawford was cut off.
"I don't know what I was thinking," Clarice said in a whisper.
"Obviously not!" Crawford's tone was cold and unforgiving. It brought tears to Clarice's eyes. She reached out and took his hand.
"Jack, how would you have prefered to find out? By us coming to say good bye, or turning on the TV one day to see that 'Hannibal the Cannibal' had kidnapped me? Answer honestly."
"What do you think? I can't stand to see him here. With you. It makes me sick. I'll admit it. I can hardly stand to be here right now. If I didn't absolutely have to be, I'd get up and walk out right now. If I had the choice of never seeing you again or seeing you with him, I'd choose never to see you again." Clarice let out a choked sob. She let go of Crawford's hand and allowed Lecter to pull her into his arms. Crawford turned away in disgust.
"Get out."
"What?" asked Clarice.
"Get out now and I won't say anything." She could tell how much this hurt him. She could see it in his eyes.
"Thank you." Clarice walked over to his bed and he took her hand. Crawford lifted it to his lips and kissed it lightly. He sighed.
"I just want you to be happy," he said with a bittersweet smile. "That's all."
"I will be. I promise. I love you, Jack, and I'll never forget you. Never." She bit her bottom lip, trying to hold in the tears. Crawford kissed her hand one last time and gripped it tightly.
"I love you, Clarice. If you ever need me, you know where to find me." With that, she and Lecter turned to the door. Clarice placed her hand on the knob. A sob escaped her throat and Lecter wrapped his arms around her.
"Shh, don't cry," he said, escorting her out the door. Crawford heard Lecter comforting her as they walked down the hall. He listened to Lecter. He could have sworn he heard "I love you" from him.
"I love you too, Clarice," Crawford whispered. "I always have. I always have." Nightmares would be with him tonight.
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Okay. There you have it. Only a few more chapters to go. :)