(A/N: Finally done!! And yes, I've finally decided that there will be a
sequel. This epilogue is fairly short, but the sequel, if I end up using
all the ideas I'm planning to use, is promising to be fairly long, so be
warned ;-) Anyways, enjoy!)
Give Me Darkness, Give Me Light
Epilogue: Never Forget
*3 months later*
At an airport at Buenos Aires, a young woman named Lilith Anna Mackenzie bought a first class ticket to Cairo, Egypt. With her to see her off were an older man and woman. The man bore a striking resemblance to Lilith.
Setting her down onto the polished floor, Lilith and the couple talked in lowered voices to each other.
"Well," Lilith, who's also known as Jadis Lecter, said, "I guess this is goodbye."
Clarice gave her a playful pat on the shoulder. "Only for now kid," she replied.
After their encounter with Silversted the three left for Buenos Aires almost immediately. During the three month period they were together all three of them had to adjust to their new lifestyles. Now Jadis felt confident enough to go off on her own and, after getting her father's help with establishing a new identity and learning enough Arabic that she was now quite fluent, decided to head off to Cairo.
Dr. Lecter and Clarice, on the other hand, decided to stay in Buenos Aires for the time being. Jadis had watched their relationship grow stronger everyday. She had never seen anybody else so meant to be together nor Clarice so happy. Jadis decided that they deserved to be alone together, seeing as how all three of them had been living under the same roof for the last few months. She wished them nothing but the best.
"You sure that you'll be alright on your own?" Clarice asked her for the hundredth time.
Jadis chuckled. "Trust me, I'll be fine. If anything goes wrong or whatever I promise I'll call."
She had made that promise to them the night before. She thought that it was highly unlikely that she would need to phone them, considering that she was fairly well disguised, but it was good to be prepared she had decided.
Looking up at her father, she spoke, "And I promise that I'll come back from time to time to visit."
"I'll be counting on that," Dr. Lecter responded.
Jadis smiled. It had taken some getting used to, but she and Dr. Lecter had managed to establish a sort of father-daughter relationship between them. Although it's far from normal, their bond had grown very strong. Jadis suspected that it might be due to the fact that the FBI was after them, but she kept such thoughts to herself.
The two locked eyes, Dr. Lecter's blue contacts meeting Jadis' deep violet ones. She faintly wondered how long it would be until she saw him and Clarice again, and hoped that it wouldn't be long.
The two seemed to hesitate for a split second, as if not sure of what to do. Giving in, Jadis found herself wrapping her arms around Dr. Lecter's neck and resting her head on his shoulder. For a minute she wasn't sure if that action was a good idea on her part, but her fears were quickly diminished as her father, in turn, wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close.
"I'll miss you," Jadis quietly said.
"As will I," Dr. Lecter told her in return.
The two stayed like that for a few minutes before breaking the embrace. Jadis turned to Clarice next and gave her a hug as well.
"Stay out of trouble," Jadis said to her.
"You know me," Clarice responded, grinning.
Jadis looked at her. "That's exactly what I'm talking about," she joked.
The two women shared a small chuckle. A few minutes of silence followed until Jadis' flight to Cairo was announced throughout the airport.
Jadis sighed. "Well, that's my flight." Picking up her luggage, she stole one more look towards Clarice and Dr. Lecter. "See you guys around, I guess."
Turning around to leave, she was stopped by Dr. Lecter's voice. "One more thing Lilith," he said, remembering not to use her real name in public.
Facing him once more, a puzzled look was plastered on her face. She could see Clarice grin, as if in anticipation of something. Dr. Lecter's face, on the other hand, remained unreadable even as he handed Jadis a small box.
"Something to remember us by," he told her as she took the box. It felt very light in her hand as she slipped it into her jacket pocket.
"Thanks," Jadis said. "I'll open it on the plane." Picking up her luggage again, she breathed deeply. "I guess this is goodbye then."
Clarice smiled. "Until next time Lilith. You make it sound like we're never going to see each other again."
Jadis grinned at her friend. "You never know," she joked. Looking around, she sighed. "Well, I should leave before I end up missing my flight." Turning around, she gave them one last wave before disappearing into the crowd.
Settling down into her seat, she had almost forgotten about the box Dr. Lecter had given her. Fishing into her pocket, she had to dig deep to find it again. As she pulled it out, Jadis had to resist the urge to shake it and try to guess what was inside.
She held the tiny package in her hand for a few minutes, not sure if she should open it yet or wait a little bit longer. As she contemplated her decision, the temptation to open it became stronger and stronger. She hadn't asked for anything before leaving, and she certainly wasn't expecting a gift.
As the plane rose into the sky, curiosity finally got the best of Jadis. Slowly slipping off the top and carefully unraveling the delicate light purple tissue paper. Her camouflaged eyes went wide with surprise.
Taking her time, Jadis slowly lifted the small, shining, silver necklace from the box, taking the time to admire its beauty. She raised her hand to the small pendant, trying to get a better look at it. She saw that it was a small ancient Egyptian ankh with a tiny green jade stone imbedded in it.
Jadis took a few minutes to take in the sight before finally deciding to slip it around her neck. She almost didn't see the small note that came with the gift until she was fastening the necklace close. Picking up the small piece of paper, she immediately recognized the fine handwriting as her father's.
The note simply read:
To Jadis-
Never forget who you really are.
-Clarice and your father
Jadis found herself choking back a tear. She ran a finger over the jade stone, set into the ancient symbol of life. She knew what was meant by the pendant and the note, she shouldn't be ashamed of who she is. All these years whenever she thought of herself, all she saw was the daughter of the cannibal. She still saw that, but now she also saw so much more, and wasn't ashamed of it or afraid to face it.
'Thank you, Clarice,' she thought while making a mental note to call them to tell them this one-on-one. 'Thank you, Father.' Even though she still hadn't gotten up the courage to call Dr. Lecter that to his face, she was starting to find it more and more comfortable to think of him in that light.
Leaning back into the seat, Jadis found herself gradually falling into a peaceful sleep. Quickly checking to make sure that the make-up that was covering her scar wouldn't rub off, she rested her head against the wall and shut her eyes. Unpleasant thoughts such as Silversted or her mother's death hadn't plagued her dreams in a long time, and for that she was grateful.
'I wonder how long this peace will last for us,' was Jadis Lecter's last thought as she dozed off into a deep, serene slumber.
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(A/N" 'Tis done!!! How you all have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it! As always, many many thanks for all the great reviews! So, until next time, ta ta for now!)
-SP
Give Me Darkness, Give Me Light
Epilogue: Never Forget
*3 months later*
At an airport at Buenos Aires, a young woman named Lilith Anna Mackenzie bought a first class ticket to Cairo, Egypt. With her to see her off were an older man and woman. The man bore a striking resemblance to Lilith.
Setting her down onto the polished floor, Lilith and the couple talked in lowered voices to each other.
"Well," Lilith, who's also known as Jadis Lecter, said, "I guess this is goodbye."
Clarice gave her a playful pat on the shoulder. "Only for now kid," she replied.
After their encounter with Silversted the three left for Buenos Aires almost immediately. During the three month period they were together all three of them had to adjust to their new lifestyles. Now Jadis felt confident enough to go off on her own and, after getting her father's help with establishing a new identity and learning enough Arabic that she was now quite fluent, decided to head off to Cairo.
Dr. Lecter and Clarice, on the other hand, decided to stay in Buenos Aires for the time being. Jadis had watched their relationship grow stronger everyday. She had never seen anybody else so meant to be together nor Clarice so happy. Jadis decided that they deserved to be alone together, seeing as how all three of them had been living under the same roof for the last few months. She wished them nothing but the best.
"You sure that you'll be alright on your own?" Clarice asked her for the hundredth time.
Jadis chuckled. "Trust me, I'll be fine. If anything goes wrong or whatever I promise I'll call."
She had made that promise to them the night before. She thought that it was highly unlikely that she would need to phone them, considering that she was fairly well disguised, but it was good to be prepared she had decided.
Looking up at her father, she spoke, "And I promise that I'll come back from time to time to visit."
"I'll be counting on that," Dr. Lecter responded.
Jadis smiled. It had taken some getting used to, but she and Dr. Lecter had managed to establish a sort of father-daughter relationship between them. Although it's far from normal, their bond had grown very strong. Jadis suspected that it might be due to the fact that the FBI was after them, but she kept such thoughts to herself.
The two locked eyes, Dr. Lecter's blue contacts meeting Jadis' deep violet ones. She faintly wondered how long it would be until she saw him and Clarice again, and hoped that it wouldn't be long.
The two seemed to hesitate for a split second, as if not sure of what to do. Giving in, Jadis found herself wrapping her arms around Dr. Lecter's neck and resting her head on his shoulder. For a minute she wasn't sure if that action was a good idea on her part, but her fears were quickly diminished as her father, in turn, wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close.
"I'll miss you," Jadis quietly said.
"As will I," Dr. Lecter told her in return.
The two stayed like that for a few minutes before breaking the embrace. Jadis turned to Clarice next and gave her a hug as well.
"Stay out of trouble," Jadis said to her.
"You know me," Clarice responded, grinning.
Jadis looked at her. "That's exactly what I'm talking about," she joked.
The two women shared a small chuckle. A few minutes of silence followed until Jadis' flight to Cairo was announced throughout the airport.
Jadis sighed. "Well, that's my flight." Picking up her luggage, she stole one more look towards Clarice and Dr. Lecter. "See you guys around, I guess."
Turning around to leave, she was stopped by Dr. Lecter's voice. "One more thing Lilith," he said, remembering not to use her real name in public.
Facing him once more, a puzzled look was plastered on her face. She could see Clarice grin, as if in anticipation of something. Dr. Lecter's face, on the other hand, remained unreadable even as he handed Jadis a small box.
"Something to remember us by," he told her as she took the box. It felt very light in her hand as she slipped it into her jacket pocket.
"Thanks," Jadis said. "I'll open it on the plane." Picking up her luggage again, she breathed deeply. "I guess this is goodbye then."
Clarice smiled. "Until next time Lilith. You make it sound like we're never going to see each other again."
Jadis grinned at her friend. "You never know," she joked. Looking around, she sighed. "Well, I should leave before I end up missing my flight." Turning around, she gave them one last wave before disappearing into the crowd.
Settling down into her seat, she had almost forgotten about the box Dr. Lecter had given her. Fishing into her pocket, she had to dig deep to find it again. As she pulled it out, Jadis had to resist the urge to shake it and try to guess what was inside.
She held the tiny package in her hand for a few minutes, not sure if she should open it yet or wait a little bit longer. As she contemplated her decision, the temptation to open it became stronger and stronger. She hadn't asked for anything before leaving, and she certainly wasn't expecting a gift.
As the plane rose into the sky, curiosity finally got the best of Jadis. Slowly slipping off the top and carefully unraveling the delicate light purple tissue paper. Her camouflaged eyes went wide with surprise.
Taking her time, Jadis slowly lifted the small, shining, silver necklace from the box, taking the time to admire its beauty. She raised her hand to the small pendant, trying to get a better look at it. She saw that it was a small ancient Egyptian ankh with a tiny green jade stone imbedded in it.
Jadis took a few minutes to take in the sight before finally deciding to slip it around her neck. She almost didn't see the small note that came with the gift until she was fastening the necklace close. Picking up the small piece of paper, she immediately recognized the fine handwriting as her father's.
The note simply read:
To Jadis-
Never forget who you really are.
-Clarice and your father
Jadis found herself choking back a tear. She ran a finger over the jade stone, set into the ancient symbol of life. She knew what was meant by the pendant and the note, she shouldn't be ashamed of who she is. All these years whenever she thought of herself, all she saw was the daughter of the cannibal. She still saw that, but now she also saw so much more, and wasn't ashamed of it or afraid to face it.
'Thank you, Clarice,' she thought while making a mental note to call them to tell them this one-on-one. 'Thank you, Father.' Even though she still hadn't gotten up the courage to call Dr. Lecter that to his face, she was starting to find it more and more comfortable to think of him in that light.
Leaning back into the seat, Jadis found herself gradually falling into a peaceful sleep. Quickly checking to make sure that the make-up that was covering her scar wouldn't rub off, she rested her head against the wall and shut her eyes. Unpleasant thoughts such as Silversted or her mother's death hadn't plagued her dreams in a long time, and for that she was grateful.
'I wonder how long this peace will last for us,' was Jadis Lecter's last thought as she dozed off into a deep, serene slumber.
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(A/N" 'Tis done!!! How you all have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it! As always, many many thanks for all the great reviews! So, until next time, ta ta for now!)
-SP