Authors Note- Here it is!! The last chapter and an epilogue. I have to say, this one was the most enjoyable to write. I was up until 3AM the other night getting it all down. Thanks again for all the great reviews!! I'll definitely be writing again.

Oh, and I'm sure you noticed I added on my pen name. I realized there were about 12,567 other authors called 'Sadie' (Slight exaggeration) So I changed it to be the same as my screen name.

PAWN

Chapter four: When the game is over

Hannibal Lecter's eyes moved over Clarice's face; she had the look of someone who had been thoroughly kissed. But her eyes reflected her shock and anger at Paul's interruption. Her legs were still wrapped around his. Her hands still on his back, reluctant to let him go, as she glared at Paul who stood behind him; holding the gun to the back of Doctor Lecter's head.

"How'd you find us, Paul?" Clarice spat at him. She leaned back from the Doctor a bit; clutching her shirt closed against Paul's leering gaze.

"I live here, Starling." He said with what looked to Clarice like a smile of triumph.

Her eyes turned back to the Doctor's "Paul Krendler's house? You've been staying in Paul Krendler's house??" she asked; annoyed. Astonished at how brazen he'd been to do something like this.

"It's his summer home, actually, Clarice." he corrected.

"Oh, well, that makes it alright then." she rolled her eyes. "What were you thinking??"

" As a matter of fact, Clarice, I had a lovely dinner party planned for you and I. And Paul was to be the guest of honor."

"I'm flattered." came Paul's monotone voice from behind.

The Doctor turned his head slightly to address him "You should be, Paul. Your frontal lobe was on the menu for the main course."

Paul was silent. Clarice watched as he turned turn five shades of pale. It pleased the Doctor to see a smug smile of satisfaction on her face.

"Though I don't think you would have missed it much, Paul." the Doctor continued. He turned back to Clarice " Unfortunately, Paul's ill timing has forced me to throw out my plans."

Finding his voice again; Paul spoke directly to Starling. "I'm actually surprised at you, Starling. When I planted that phony love letter in your office I never would have guessed you were really fucking him." He released a humorless chuckle "And here I thought you were a lesbian when you turned me down. Turns out you just have issues and would rather screw a psychopath."

An idea rushed into Clarice's mind then. "What's the matter, Paul?" The momentary flash of devise on her face had gone unnoticed to him, but had not been lost on the Doctor. "You jealous?" Her face had adopted a seductive, teasing smile that she kept trained on Paul as she leaned close to Doctor Lecter again. Her eyes moved to him now, and he read her loud and clear: Work with me.

Her right hand slid around to rest at the back of his neck, her lips meeting his in a fervid kiss, as her left hand slid unnoticed into his front right pocket; well, unnoticed by Paul anyway Mmmm… It seems Clarice has found something in my pants other than the obvious… Her fingers retrieved the harpy; it was easily concealed in her hand, beneath the long sleeve of his shirt that she wore. Clever girl

"ALRIGHT, that's enough!" Paul declared. He went ignored and it infuriated him. Finally, Clarice pulled back from the Doctor, and Paul addressed her "Why would I be jealous, Starling?" he spoke in a calm, self satisfied tone now "I already told you that Washington is full of corn pone country pussy. Why would I waist my time with a sick bitch like you?"

Krendler's objective may have been to get to Clarice with his statement, but it didn't exactly have the desired effect. Clarice saw the rare sight of the Doctor agitated. Which, it turns out, isn't so rare after all when it comes to his Clarice being treated poorly. She knew he was a step away from turning around and attacking; like any predator would in defending it's mate, even when the odds were against him. Clarice's eyes pled with him not to make a move PleaseDon'tTurnAround! At that close range he could blow your brains out before you could rip his throat out. Now is the time for that trademark self control, Hannibal. …since when did he become 'Hannibal' ? Mmmm Maybe when I started making out with him…. Or was it before that? Krendler was shouting again…

"DID YOU HEAR ME? I said get your hands behind you head and lay face down on the floor. If you don't I'll pull this trigger and YOUR frontal lobe will splatter all over MY walls!"

Doctor Lecter's body tensed as he prepared to turn on Krendler. But a cool hand griping his wrist stopped him. His rage seemed to subside as he took in the panicked look on Clarice's face

"Please, Hannibal," she said quietly

Everything else melted away, and there was nothing but Her.

"Stop," …I don't want to lose you so soon… "If you loved me you'd stop." Her voice came out calm but inside she was deathly afraid for him.

But he stopped. He did exactly as Krendler instructed; hands behind his head, he got on the floor. It was an extremely disturbing place for him to be. He hadn't been this closely confronted with apprehension and captivity since Will Graham had brought it upon him eighteen years ago.

Clarice, closing her eyes briefly, exhaled a relieved breath. Clearing her throat, she quickly put her mind back on the task at hand, and addressed Paul Krendler " So now what are you going to do with him, Paul?" She spoke with an amused smile.

Krendler tore his eyes from Lecter for a split second to look up at her dumbly.

She laughed "Your incompetence really amazes me. Do you even have a pair of handcuffs?"

Without chancing to look up at her again, Paul held the gun on Lecter with one hand as he used the other to retrieve a set of cuffs from the pocket of his expensive suit. He chuckled as he dangled them for her to see "I may be better at the politics than the field work, Starling, but I'm not an idiot. I knew you two were in here. I parked in back and saw the Jag. I came in prepared." Paul crouched down and snicked one cuff around Lecter's wrist. "Look's like you were wrong about me."

"No Paul. I've been wrong about a lot of things…."

Her voice came from directly behind him now and he hadn't even heard her approach. Startled, he turned to point the gun at her but she caught the wrist of the one hand he held it in .

"…but never about you." Clarice relished the feel of jamming the harpy into his jugular and ripping it across his throat. Blood spilled out onto the front of his expensive suit, soaking through to the cheap tie and shirt underneath. He made a kind of strangled, gurgle noise before the gun fell from his hand and hit the floor. Clarice yanked the harpy from Paul's neck before allowing him to fall to the floor in a heap.

For a long while Clarice just stared at the pool of blood Paul's still form was releasing onto the white kitchen floor. "You forgot to check the corner, Paul." she told him. That's the reason you're dead

She looked up finally and her eyes focused and locked with Hannibal Lecter's. He stood several feet away from her now, just across the growing sea of red. He was breathing heavily as his eyes took in all of her. His bloody weapon held naturally in her hand. The splashes of red that covered his white shirt that she wore. She was his, in a way. But when he looked at her face, instead of seeing the regret for taking a human life that he'd expected, he saw her face flush from the kill and her eyes clear and confident. No. No, she belonged to no one now. The windows in her mind had aligned and now she was free.

All control, reason and sentient thought abandoned the Doctor. He wanted nothing but Her.

Doctor Lecter gracefully stepped over the pile of Paul Krendler, but that's where the grace ended. Grabbing Clarice by the shoulders, he pushed her roughly against the Frigidair. She gasped and the bloody knife fell from her hand. Clarice smiled wickedly at his need for her "I take it you've finished teasing me for now?" she asked in a seductive voice.

"I'm through playing games." he growled before his lips claimed hers. She moaned into his mouth; the force with which everything was happening overwhelming her senses. Breathless, she said his name when his mouth finally left hers, allowing them both the oxygen that they, unfortunately, needed. His lips moving across her jaw, down her neck at a fevered pace. Her arousal taken to incredible new heights. "Hannibal--" moaning out his name now. He released her shoulders and adeptly unzipped her pants as she toed off her boots, kicking the whole bunch across the floor to land on dead Krendler.

Clarice quickly showed Hannibal the same courtesy and released the fly on his pants as well. She wrapped her arms around his neck; her bloody hand streaking his face before reaching its destination. Hannibal gripped her thighs firmly; lifting her off the floor to straddle him so he could take her against the antique Frigidair.

And again on the dinning room table.

And again on the landing at the top of the stairs.

But he made love to her in the bed.

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Clarice opened her eyes to a bright, sunny bedroom. She was sore, in a VERY pleasant way… and she was alone.

Alone?

She sat up quickly to look around, the feeling of sinking in her chest; like something heavy was resting on it. She began to breath quickly as she got out of the bed; ignoring the morbid animal head mounted on the wall behind it. Remembering her nakedness, Clarice grabbed the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around herself. Who knows why I bother since I'm. completely. ALONE!

She walked out into the hall way and turned the corner, headed for the stairs.

And bumped into Hannibal.

Clarice shrieked.

"You should really watch where you're going, Clarice." he pointed out; smiling at her.

"You ASSHOLE. You scared the shit outa' me." and she didn't just mean because she'd been startled, either. Clarice held a hand to her chest. "Where did you go?" calmer now. She took in his appearance: The street clothing worn the day before replaced by a fine Italian suit.

"I had to see Mr. Krendler out, and I also went to buy you this." He handed Clarice a shopping bag from a designer store that she had heard of but never been in for monetary reasons.

Clarice looked inside to find several tasteful outfits in her sizes. "Oh…." She looked up at him "Thank you"

"That will hold you over for now. we'll go shopping once we get out of the United States." He considered her present attire "Unless, of course, you'd rather wear the sheet to the airport." he said; amused.

"Oh, so I'm going with you, am I?" Clarice smiled "That's very presumptuous of you, Doctor Lecter." She folded her arms across her chest "You know, you can't just buy me some shoes and clothes and expect to sweep me off my fee--"

He halted her game of hard to get with a slow kiss against the hallway wall.

You'd think that such an intense love affair would tremble to begin.

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