:) I'd just like to say thanks for the encouraging reviews. I thought this story was pretty awful...but I guess it's not! :) Thankya! Oh yeah - sorry it took me so long to get this chapter posted...I really am sorry. :)
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"So,"Clarice asked once they were safely inside the car, "Where are we staying, exactly?"
"Oh, a very nice hotel." His voice was silk.
"Mm." She wondered why he couldn't have gone into more detail, but decided not to press the issue. Her train of thought was interrupted when he spoke.
"You're sure you have brought everything you'll want with you?" Clarice made a mental search of her bag.
"Mhm. Positive." Lecter smiled at her.
"Good. I'd hate for you to leave something important behind." He glanced at her to see her reaction. There was none. Not visible to him, anyway. "You look tired, Clarice." And she did. The glow to her face was dim. It seemed to Lecter that Clarice just wished to call an end to the day; to throw her hands up and say, "I give up!", but she didn't. "You'll be able to rest when we arrive," he told her. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. Clarice couldn't accept defeat. She couldn't simply admit that she was tired and needed sleep. Her body betrayed her mind. Within five minutes, she had fallen asleep.
She awoke as Lecter was picking her up and carrying her into the hotel. They had reached the lobby when she first opened her eyes. The lobby was empty. Her first reaction was to fight whoever was holding her, but she quickly remembered what was going on and found no need to object. "Just sit here, darling." He put her down in a plush chair. How comfortable it was! It was the best she'd felt all day. Lecter approached the front desk and she heard him say something about a Dr. and Mrs. Stroud.
Must be our new aliases. Not bad. Wonder what my first name is.
After thanking the clerk, he turned to her. "I'm going to give you the key and accompany you to our room. Then I'm going to come back and get our things." She was silent. "Is that alright?"
"Yes, of course." As they stood in front of their room door, Clarice wondered what it would look like inside. Would it be as grand and luxurious as she hoped?
Oh well. Guess I'll find out soon.
Lecter took the card-key from his pocket and unlocked the door. He and Clarice stepped inside. It was beautiful. It was huge. It was . . . wow. Clarice's eyes grew large. "What do you think? Will it do?" She was speechless.
"It's wonderful!" He knew that this was probably the fanciest place Clarice had ever stayed for pleasure. She wasn't exposed to these kinds of things. He decided that he would have to change that.
"I'm going to go and get our bags. Will you be alright until I come back?"
"Yes, I'm fine-I'll be fine."
"There's a very comfortable bed there." He nodded toward the king-sized wonder. "You should rest. You're obviously very tired." She hesitantly sat on the bed. Lecter smiled. He walked over and kissed her gently. "I'll be back in just a moment."
"Okay." Clarice waited until the door shut behind him, then she stood and began to inspect the room. It was nice, just as she'd told Lecter before. But she noticed one thing that bothered her a bit. There was only one bed. Only one. The words hit her hard.
Clarice was suddenly nervous. She was sure that he'd knowingly checked them into a room with one bed. What were his intentions? She knew that he loved her and was willing to spend the rest of his life with her. She was much too tired to think anymore. Clarice removed her shoes and layed on the bed. Soon she was cold and got under the covers. She was asleep within five minutes.
Lecter waited patiently as the elevator rose to the third floor. As it came to a stop, he stepped out. Though he had several bags, both his and Clarice's, he was the perfect image of grace gliding down the hall. Lecter had no problems using the card-key to get into the room. As he did, he noticed that it was strangely silent. Darkness filled the room. For an instant, his heart dropped. Clarice had left him. His pulse hastened as he reached for a lamp. Then he heard something. He froze. It comforted him more than anything could at that moment.
"Hannibal," she whispered urgently.
He breathed heavily. She wasn't gone. He turned on a soft lamp. She was asleep. He smiled. She was so beautiful in her sleep. She turned over to face him, sighing softly. He walked closer to the bed.
"No, please! Don't leave! You can't leave me!" Clarice cried. Lecter turned to her quickly. "No! Please, no . . . ." she wailed. He sat down on the bed beside her and shook her gently.
"Clarice," he said softly, "Clarice, wake up. Everything is alright." She jolted awake and grabbed at him. "Clarice?"
"Hannibal!" She didn't even notice that she had used his name without permission. The sound of his name on her tounge pleased him greatly. He pulled her close and allowed her to cry into his chest. "You'd never . . . leave me, would you?" Something seemed to hit him then. This was why she was so hesitant to leave with him. This was what she was afraid of. He decided to take care of that immediately.
"Clarice," he said, lifting her head, "I want to tell you something right now." His voice was soft and kind. "I would never dream of leaving you." Her eyes met his. "Not in a thousand years." Tears of joy and happiness filled her eyes. Never again would she worry. She had no reason to in the first place. "Now, get some sleep so you'll be rested for tomorrow." He kissed her and tucked her in. Then he walked to the other side of the bed where a comfortable chair sat. Lecter reclined in it and watched Clarice sleep.
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"So,"Clarice asked once they were safely inside the car, "Where are we staying, exactly?"
"Oh, a very nice hotel." His voice was silk.
"Mm." She wondered why he couldn't have gone into more detail, but decided not to press the issue. Her train of thought was interrupted when he spoke.
"You're sure you have brought everything you'll want with you?" Clarice made a mental search of her bag.
"Mhm. Positive." Lecter smiled at her.
"Good. I'd hate for you to leave something important behind." He glanced at her to see her reaction. There was none. Not visible to him, anyway. "You look tired, Clarice." And she did. The glow to her face was dim. It seemed to Lecter that Clarice just wished to call an end to the day; to throw her hands up and say, "I give up!", but she didn't. "You'll be able to rest when we arrive," he told her. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. Clarice couldn't accept defeat. She couldn't simply admit that she was tired and needed sleep. Her body betrayed her mind. Within five minutes, she had fallen asleep.
She awoke as Lecter was picking her up and carrying her into the hotel. They had reached the lobby when she first opened her eyes. The lobby was empty. Her first reaction was to fight whoever was holding her, but she quickly remembered what was going on and found no need to object. "Just sit here, darling." He put her down in a plush chair. How comfortable it was! It was the best she'd felt all day. Lecter approached the front desk and she heard him say something about a Dr. and Mrs. Stroud.
Must be our new aliases. Not bad. Wonder what my first name is.
After thanking the clerk, he turned to her. "I'm going to give you the key and accompany you to our room. Then I'm going to come back and get our things." She was silent. "Is that alright?"
"Yes, of course." As they stood in front of their room door, Clarice wondered what it would look like inside. Would it be as grand and luxurious as she hoped?
Oh well. Guess I'll find out soon.
Lecter took the card-key from his pocket and unlocked the door. He and Clarice stepped inside. It was beautiful. It was huge. It was . . . wow. Clarice's eyes grew large. "What do you think? Will it do?" She was speechless.
"It's wonderful!" He knew that this was probably the fanciest place Clarice had ever stayed for pleasure. She wasn't exposed to these kinds of things. He decided that he would have to change that.
"I'm going to go and get our bags. Will you be alright until I come back?"
"Yes, I'm fine-I'll be fine."
"There's a very comfortable bed there." He nodded toward the king-sized wonder. "You should rest. You're obviously very tired." She hesitantly sat on the bed. Lecter smiled. He walked over and kissed her gently. "I'll be back in just a moment."
"Okay." Clarice waited until the door shut behind him, then she stood and began to inspect the room. It was nice, just as she'd told Lecter before. But she noticed one thing that bothered her a bit. There was only one bed. Only one. The words hit her hard.
Clarice was suddenly nervous. She was sure that he'd knowingly checked them into a room with one bed. What were his intentions? She knew that he loved her and was willing to spend the rest of his life with her. She was much too tired to think anymore. Clarice removed her shoes and layed on the bed. Soon she was cold and got under the covers. She was asleep within five minutes.
Lecter waited patiently as the elevator rose to the third floor. As it came to a stop, he stepped out. Though he had several bags, both his and Clarice's, he was the perfect image of grace gliding down the hall. Lecter had no problems using the card-key to get into the room. As he did, he noticed that it was strangely silent. Darkness filled the room. For an instant, his heart dropped. Clarice had left him. His pulse hastened as he reached for a lamp. Then he heard something. He froze. It comforted him more than anything could at that moment.
"Hannibal," she whispered urgently.
He breathed heavily. She wasn't gone. He turned on a soft lamp. She was asleep. He smiled. She was so beautiful in her sleep. She turned over to face him, sighing softly. He walked closer to the bed.
"No, please! Don't leave! You can't leave me!" Clarice cried. Lecter turned to her quickly. "No! Please, no . . . ." she wailed. He sat down on the bed beside her and shook her gently.
"Clarice," he said softly, "Clarice, wake up. Everything is alright." She jolted awake and grabbed at him. "Clarice?"
"Hannibal!" She didn't even notice that she had used his name without permission. The sound of his name on her tounge pleased him greatly. He pulled her close and allowed her to cry into his chest. "You'd never . . . leave me, would you?" Something seemed to hit him then. This was why she was so hesitant to leave with him. This was what she was afraid of. He decided to take care of that immediately.
"Clarice," he said, lifting her head, "I want to tell you something right now." His voice was soft and kind. "I would never dream of leaving you." Her eyes met his. "Not in a thousand years." Tears of joy and happiness filled her eyes. Never again would she worry. She had no reason to in the first place. "Now, get some sleep so you'll be rested for tomorrow." He kissed her and tucked her in. Then he walked to the other side of the bed where a comfortable chair sat. Lecter reclined in it and watched Clarice sleep.