Right. Copyrights always and forever apply. Will be 11 parts plus the epilogue. Should you have the urge to flame, go ahead, but I'd appreciate if you do it via e-mail. Otherwise, it's rude. And forgive me the possible mistakes with the language, I'm not native English.

Enjoy the ride.

Misch

The End of The World

The evening had been a success. Well, what else can you expect when one of the richest households in Argentina decides to throw a dinner party to their closest 500 friends?

Among the guest, enjoying the splendid evening, were Hannibal Lecter, MD and ex- special agent Clarice Starling. After the dinner they had spent their time dancing, making most of the other guest, who lacked their skills, green with envy. They were truly stunning in their appearance. Dr. Lecter in his perfect suit, hairs combed back and graciousness mixed with strength in his every move made many of the women at present sigh from sheer lust. Clarice, on the other hand, was like will-o'-the-wisp in men's eyes; unattainable in her beauty. When near her, the most respectful men in leading positions in society acted like schoolboys with a crush.

After several dances, giving much material for daydreams for many, they had decided to get some fresh air for a change. They stood on the terrace where the music coming from the large living room was heard. The soft darkness brought by the night was all around them disturbed only by the light coming from the windows and opened door behind their backs. The scent of flowers was overwhelming in the warm night of Buenos Aires.

A few other guests were on the terrace, too, but it being the size of a small house it didn't bother significantly. Clarice and Dr. Lecter stood by the railing, a couple of meters away from the other people. They could hear their chatting but kept their own voices so low knew they couldn't do the same.

"Getting ready to leave, Clarice?"

Dr. Lecter made sure no one heard him; his voice was so silent it was difficult for even Clarice to hear it. But she did, and his voice had the power on her it still held after all these years. The soft 's' made shivers ran down on her spine like it had done back in Baltimore a time which felt like an eternity ago.

Clarice smiled in the darkness; Dr. Lecter could see how the light coming from inside strengthened itself from the whiteness of her teeth.

"Not yet, Hannibal. I want to stay for just a little while."

Dr. Lecter raised his hand and let his index slid down on her back, which was bare due to the quite daring cut of her dress. Her skin was soft and the light tan created an illusion of an inner glow.

Clarice was surprised over his touch. He seldom touched her in a way like this when in a public place.

"What was that for?"

Dr. Lecter put his arm around her waste and pulled her close to him. Clarice observed his face but, not surprisingly, couldn't tell what was going on. They had been together for almost five years and still, he was a total mystery to her when he wanted it to be so. There were times when she was able to see through him, but those events were short of number. This certainly wasn't one of them his face being completely unreadable. Yet, she didn't feel uncomfortable. Far from it; she willingly let herself drown in the stare of his maroon eyes and in the strong hold of his arms.

Hannibal Lecter wasn't a young man anymore, though his excellent physical condition took away several years from his true age. He was aware of it as he was of the age difference between him and Clarice. It had never bothered them, true, but man isn't immortal.

Lately, he had came to realize that.

"Clarice, do you have regrets?" The tone of his voice was kind and almost curious.

Clarice couldn't help smiling. "What?"

"Do you have regrets?"

"I heard you the first time, Hannibal. What do you mean?"

"Do you wish you would have chosen otherwise?"

Clarice didn't understand what he was talking about. But since he obviously didn't mean the choice she had made a couple of hours ago whether to take fish or meat but something more important, she answered only with a questioning look in her eyes.

Dr. Lecter released the hold of his arms around her waste and took her face between his hands. Clarice responded by placing her hands over his. She sensed the change in the atmosphere and didn't feel comfortable anymore. She was afraid something bad would happen.

"Clarice, I believe there is no need for me to tell you how much I love you. You are the most precious thing to me on this planet and there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. You complete me in a way I never thought to be possible and just being here with you, breathing the same air you do and standing on the ground your feet are touching makes me overjoyed. But you know all this, at least that is what I hope."

He paused for a moment as if to think what he would say next. He looked over her shoulder into the darkness and, for a second, Clarice felt he wasn't mentally at present. Then, he was back behind his eyes, in which was now something that could be defined as sorrow.

He looked into her eyes and spoke with a soft, sad voice. "What you don't know is that it has to end."

He could have just as well stab a knife into her heart, only then the pain would have been much more tolerable. Disbelieved and shocked, Clarice searched some kind of explanation from his eyes only to discover the awful truth; he wasn't joking and his words held no hidden meanings of any kind. The word "end" filled her every thought with its desperate and final echo, it was all she could focus on though she wouldn't have wanted to. She wished this wasn't happening, not for real.

"What… Hannibal, no! Why?"

Her voice trembled, and though silent held a power coming from pure fear. Fear of loosing.

The overwhelming feeling of desperation took over her whole body; she felt how her skin got gold and the beating of her heart fastened. And all he did was stare.

"Answer to me!" Her voice was just a whisper, colored by the tears that were already burning somewhere behind her eyes.

The look in Hannibal's eyes was far from what he was actually feeling. It was neutral and calm.

"Clarice… Don't make this any more difficult than it already is."

"What? Make what more difficult?"  Her question was useless. Deep inside she already knew what he was going to say.

"I'm leaving, Clarice. For good."

 It felt like a slap in her face. Dazed, she felt how he took his hands from her face. The warmness left by them quickly disappeared. Like looking through a fog she saw how he took a step backwards. The distance between them was only a meter or so but for Clarice it was eternity. That of loneliness and despair.

"I'll be damned if I'm going to lose you tonight…" Her voice was the voice of a person with a lethal wound.

Dr. Lecter looked at her and for a while, she thought she saw a tear in the corner of his eye. The image was soon gone.

"Clarice, I'm sorry. I am. I love you. Goodbye." With that, he turned around and walked away.

The glass in Clarice's hand fell to the ground and broke into thousands of pieces. The sound was the sound of her breaking heart.