Normal disclaimer apply's.
Another chapter as promised my dears. Keep the reviews coming; it draws me to the keyboard, lol. (Screaming lamb: I'm building up to something, but thanks for the advice, it's always appreciated. I love your fics by the way! Keep em coming!")
He waited. Silently. Sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, he blended into the shadows. Listening to her steady deep breathing was almost hypnotic, and an infinite sense of calm fell over him. He had sat like this for over an hour now, watching her wrestle with her dreams, watching her body move under the thin cotton sheet he had placed over her sleeping frame. He wanted to hear her voice. Even in anger it was a rare pleasure, and he wanted her warm accent to wash over him once again.
It had been two hours, ample time to lift some of the fog from her mind, he thought. She was sleeping deeply, in that place where dreams couldn't touch her, and the outside world seemed a lifetime away. So it was with great reluctance, and a little selfishness, he admitted, that he rose and flattened the crinkles from his trousers with his palms, and approached the side of the small bed.
He reached out a warm hand and held it slightly above her contented face, before lowering it and cupping her cheek. She pressed her face into it, turning slightly causing his fingers to drag across her parted lips. "So soft" he whispered. It was Clarice's turn to stir, as she ever so slowly returned from her safe haven. He quickly retracted his hand and watched as she stirred, stretching her arms above her head, almost cat like, the rest of her body catching up and stretching too. He backed up a couple of steps, standing beside the window, his back touching the cool blinds.
Clarice could feel the world slipping back to her, as she stretched the kinks out of her still weary body. Her eyes still closed, she tried to remember where she was. She felt warm and comfortable, almost safe.
"Clarice…"
It was a whisper, but she heard it as though it had been shouted across the room. The memories came flooding back and with a roll she was standing at the side of her bed, looking desperately around the room, finally letting her eyes settle on the dark silhouette at her window. The moon was high now and she guessed she must have been sleeping for a while.
" Dr Lector…"
He was glad to hear that her voice had returned to the calm, respectful pitch it was the last time they spoke.
" I find that I must apologise Clarice"
She was glad to hear that his tone had returned to the calm, gentle pitch that always soothed her somehow.
" If I had known of your obvious distress, I would have came a lot sooner"
It wasn't what she had expected him to say. Although in hindsight she should have known better. He never apologised for anything that the darker side of him did.
" You don't have to come running every time I have a bad day Dr. You must appreciate the position it puts me in." she stated softly, having regained most of her demeanour back.
He found himself smiling at her comment. There was no dis-respect there, only a sense of her misplaced duty to her badge, and, was that concern in her face?
" Indeed special agent Starling, if I didn't know better id say that you were looking out for my welfare. It seems we find ourselves on similar grounds."
"With all due respect Dr, I don't need anyone looking out for me. I am quite capable of looking after myself"
He chuckled. A rich sound in the confines of the room. She seemed to be back on form. Goody Goody.
" It would seem to the common observer Clarice, that things aren't all well. What was it you were trying to block from your mind tonight? "
"Why do you presume to know me so well Dr? "
"Why, is that evasion I hear Clarice? Something to hide perhaps?"
"Why do you insist in trying to psychoanalyse my every mood Dr? My every thought?"
They were playing his game, and she was falling into the trap nicely he thought.
"I do not have to look any further than your face my dear Clarice to know that something is a miss"
There was a moment of silence that seemed to stretch out, as she thought of her next move.
He could see her thinking of what to do next; it's all in the face he whispered to himself.
She couldn't see his face, but she could see that his armed were folded across his chest and he held his weight on one leg, the other crossed over it.
"I didn't ask for your help Dr lector," she said a little unevenly, crossing her arms over her chest in a protective manner.
He noticed the change, the classic defensive posture he had seen so many times. She obviously wasn't to give him any straight answers, well, he thought to himself; I better stick to what I'm good at.
"Tell me Clarice" His voice adopting a tone of casual conversation
"Just as a matter of curiosity, when was the last time you visited your fathers grave?"
He saw the change almost instantly. Her arms unfolded from her chest, instead held tight against her sides, her fists clenched. Her eyes narrowed, well used creases forming across her forehead. Her jaw locked, teeth grinding against each other.
"Curiosity killed the cat Doctor, you'd do well to remember that." She said slowly, evenly, and quietly.
Without missing a beat, he continued,
" Why do you think that is Clarice hmm? Could it be that you can't stand what you have become? The fact that you don't want your father to see what his little girl has grown into?"
"Don't," she whispered into the darkness, taking a threatening step towards him, it wasn't quite as confident as her last statement.
"What would he think of you now Clarice? Do you think he's smiling down on you from the heavens? Watching his little girl make one bad mistake after another? Another failure to add to the growing list?" His voice remained calm and controlled. Dragging the symbols of each word out.
While he was speaking, she didn't notice the single tear slip down her cheek, didn't notice the trembling in her fists, and didn't notice that she had started very slowly towards him.
More soon!
Another chapter as promised my dears. Keep the reviews coming; it draws me to the keyboard, lol. (Screaming lamb: I'm building up to something, but thanks for the advice, it's always appreciated. I love your fics by the way! Keep em coming!")
He waited. Silently. Sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, he blended into the shadows. Listening to her steady deep breathing was almost hypnotic, and an infinite sense of calm fell over him. He had sat like this for over an hour now, watching her wrestle with her dreams, watching her body move under the thin cotton sheet he had placed over her sleeping frame. He wanted to hear her voice. Even in anger it was a rare pleasure, and he wanted her warm accent to wash over him once again.
It had been two hours, ample time to lift some of the fog from her mind, he thought. She was sleeping deeply, in that place where dreams couldn't touch her, and the outside world seemed a lifetime away. So it was with great reluctance, and a little selfishness, he admitted, that he rose and flattened the crinkles from his trousers with his palms, and approached the side of the small bed.
He reached out a warm hand and held it slightly above her contented face, before lowering it and cupping her cheek. She pressed her face into it, turning slightly causing his fingers to drag across her parted lips. "So soft" he whispered. It was Clarice's turn to stir, as she ever so slowly returned from her safe haven. He quickly retracted his hand and watched as she stirred, stretching her arms above her head, almost cat like, the rest of her body catching up and stretching too. He backed up a couple of steps, standing beside the window, his back touching the cool blinds.
Clarice could feel the world slipping back to her, as she stretched the kinks out of her still weary body. Her eyes still closed, she tried to remember where she was. She felt warm and comfortable, almost safe.
"Clarice…"
It was a whisper, but she heard it as though it had been shouted across the room. The memories came flooding back and with a roll she was standing at the side of her bed, looking desperately around the room, finally letting her eyes settle on the dark silhouette at her window. The moon was high now and she guessed she must have been sleeping for a while.
" Dr Lector…"
He was glad to hear that her voice had returned to the calm, respectful pitch it was the last time they spoke.
" I find that I must apologise Clarice"
She was glad to hear that his tone had returned to the calm, gentle pitch that always soothed her somehow.
" If I had known of your obvious distress, I would have came a lot sooner"
It wasn't what she had expected him to say. Although in hindsight she should have known better. He never apologised for anything that the darker side of him did.
" You don't have to come running every time I have a bad day Dr. You must appreciate the position it puts me in." she stated softly, having regained most of her demeanour back.
He found himself smiling at her comment. There was no dis-respect there, only a sense of her misplaced duty to her badge, and, was that concern in her face?
" Indeed special agent Starling, if I didn't know better id say that you were looking out for my welfare. It seems we find ourselves on similar grounds."
"With all due respect Dr, I don't need anyone looking out for me. I am quite capable of looking after myself"
He chuckled. A rich sound in the confines of the room. She seemed to be back on form. Goody Goody.
" It would seem to the common observer Clarice, that things aren't all well. What was it you were trying to block from your mind tonight? "
"Why do you presume to know me so well Dr? "
"Why, is that evasion I hear Clarice? Something to hide perhaps?"
"Why do you insist in trying to psychoanalyse my every mood Dr? My every thought?"
They were playing his game, and she was falling into the trap nicely he thought.
"I do not have to look any further than your face my dear Clarice to know that something is a miss"
There was a moment of silence that seemed to stretch out, as she thought of her next move.
He could see her thinking of what to do next; it's all in the face he whispered to himself.
She couldn't see his face, but she could see that his armed were folded across his chest and he held his weight on one leg, the other crossed over it.
"I didn't ask for your help Dr lector," she said a little unevenly, crossing her arms over her chest in a protective manner.
He noticed the change, the classic defensive posture he had seen so many times. She obviously wasn't to give him any straight answers, well, he thought to himself; I better stick to what I'm good at.
"Tell me Clarice" His voice adopting a tone of casual conversation
"Just as a matter of curiosity, when was the last time you visited your fathers grave?"
He saw the change almost instantly. Her arms unfolded from her chest, instead held tight against her sides, her fists clenched. Her eyes narrowed, well used creases forming across her forehead. Her jaw locked, teeth grinding against each other.
"Curiosity killed the cat Doctor, you'd do well to remember that." She said slowly, evenly, and quietly.
Without missing a beat, he continued,
" Why do you think that is Clarice hmm? Could it be that you can't stand what you have become? The fact that you don't want your father to see what his little girl has grown into?"
"Don't," she whispered into the darkness, taking a threatening step towards him, it wasn't quite as confident as her last statement.
"What would he think of you now Clarice? Do you think he's smiling down on you from the heavens? Watching his little girl make one bad mistake after another? Another failure to add to the growing list?" His voice remained calm and controlled. Dragging the symbols of each word out.
While he was speaking, she didn't notice the single tear slip down her cheek, didn't notice the trembling in her fists, and didn't notice that she had started very slowly towards him.
More soon!