Disclaimer: I own nothing. Literally. Much thanks to Holly and Kate and Red
IV for help with idea's for formatting.
A/N: I know the last chapter was short, but this one isn't! I hope you enjoy! And don't worry, this isn't the end! If, that is, you were worried about that. I'm not sure how much longer this is going to be, but expect lots of e-mails from Hannibal and maybe not as many from Clarice. I'm sure you'll understand once you read the story.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dear Dr. Lecter,
I know that you enjoy your "petty torments", but I certainly don't. You asked me out on a date, set a time and a place that I agreed to, and then made me find you? By using a cell phone? And then you wouldn't let me do anything to you. You talk about how you hate rude people and I wonder how you tolerate yourself. You are undoubtably the most arrogant person I have ever known, and I wish that I didn't. So, Doctor Lecter, good bye.
Clarice Starling, F.B.I.
Ps. If you try to contact me again, I will involve the F.B.I.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Clarice walked into La Maison Rouge wondering what to do. She didn't have to wait long, however. A waiter dressed in a black suit came up to her almost instantly.
"Would you like any help, ma'am?" he asked in a French accent. Clarice wondered if the manager of the restaurant required all the waiters to be French.
"Yes, please. I have reservations under the name of Arthur Sauroff. I think he's already here," she said, remembering the phone call just before she left, telling her what to say.
"Let me go check," he said and walked over to a booth. He looked at a large black book edged in gold with spidery handwriting on it. "No, he's not here yet. Would you like me to seat you now or would you prefer to wait?"
"No, now's fine," Clarice said slightly worried. The doctor said that he'd be there early so she could follow his lead. Apparently he wasn't and that bothered her.
"Right this way, Madame," he said and led her to a table in a corner. She was grateful for this because it meant that no one would be looking at her.
"Thank you. When Arthur comes, could you tell him that I'm already here?" she asked.
"Of course. If there anything else you want? Some water, perhaps?"
"No, thank you," Clarice said. The waiter bowed and left, leaving Clarice to worry about Dr. Lecter. She sat fidgeting for a few minutes until she felt a vibration coming from her lap. She quickly opened her purse and took out her cell phone, thinking that if whoever was on the other line didn't have a good reason to be, she would kill them. She put the small speaker in her ear and pushed the talk button. "Hello?"
"Good evening, Clarice," a metallic voice said, clearly identifiable as the doctor.
"Where are you?" she said, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice.
"Right here, of course. I would never be late," he said.
"Dr. Lecter, don't play games with me," said Clarice, not bothering to keep the annoyance out of her voice.
"But it's so much fun, Clarice. Don't you think so?"
"No, I certainly don't. Please, just tell me where you are."
"You should be able to see me."
"Well, I can't."
"Look harder. I'm right here."
"Doctor, if you don't tell me where you are soon, I'm going to leave."
"Clarice, I told you not to threaten me," his voice hardened and Clarice smiled. She finally found something she could do that will bother him as much as he's bothering her.
"And what will you do to me?"
"Don't toy with me."
"After everything you've done to me, and are doing to me now, how can you say that?"
"Because it's what I do." Clarice took the phone out of her ear and stared at it, disgusted. She pushed the button to hang up, probably harder than she could've and stood up. She walked as normally as she could until she got outside and then ran to her car, shoving the phone back into her purse. She couldn't believe how arrogant he was being! If he had expected her to put up with that, he was quite mistaken. She had let him before, for god knows what reason, but this was just too much. She opened the door of her car, sat down heavily, and slammed the door. She stared at the steering wheel and would've driven home, but her vision was clouding with unshed tears. Clarice couldn't believe it. After what he had done to her, how could she be so upset? She looked back at the doors of the restaurant and saw a dark shape walking out that she could instantly tell was him. She sat there for a few minutes until he was about ten yards away from her car and finally got it together again. She started the car and drove off, not bothering to look back.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* End Flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: I know the last chapter was short, but this one isn't! I hope you enjoy! And don't worry, this isn't the end! If, that is, you were worried about that. I'm not sure how much longer this is going to be, but expect lots of e-mails from Hannibal and maybe not as many from Clarice. I'm sure you'll understand once you read the story.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dear Dr. Lecter,
I know that you enjoy your "petty torments", but I certainly don't. You asked me out on a date, set a time and a place that I agreed to, and then made me find you? By using a cell phone? And then you wouldn't let me do anything to you. You talk about how you hate rude people and I wonder how you tolerate yourself. You are undoubtably the most arrogant person I have ever known, and I wish that I didn't. So, Doctor Lecter, good bye.
Clarice Starling, F.B.I.
Ps. If you try to contact me again, I will involve the F.B.I.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Clarice walked into La Maison Rouge wondering what to do. She didn't have to wait long, however. A waiter dressed in a black suit came up to her almost instantly.
"Would you like any help, ma'am?" he asked in a French accent. Clarice wondered if the manager of the restaurant required all the waiters to be French.
"Yes, please. I have reservations under the name of Arthur Sauroff. I think he's already here," she said, remembering the phone call just before she left, telling her what to say.
"Let me go check," he said and walked over to a booth. He looked at a large black book edged in gold with spidery handwriting on it. "No, he's not here yet. Would you like me to seat you now or would you prefer to wait?"
"No, now's fine," Clarice said slightly worried. The doctor said that he'd be there early so she could follow his lead. Apparently he wasn't and that bothered her.
"Right this way, Madame," he said and led her to a table in a corner. She was grateful for this because it meant that no one would be looking at her.
"Thank you. When Arthur comes, could you tell him that I'm already here?" she asked.
"Of course. If there anything else you want? Some water, perhaps?"
"No, thank you," Clarice said. The waiter bowed and left, leaving Clarice to worry about Dr. Lecter. She sat fidgeting for a few minutes until she felt a vibration coming from her lap. She quickly opened her purse and took out her cell phone, thinking that if whoever was on the other line didn't have a good reason to be, she would kill them. She put the small speaker in her ear and pushed the talk button. "Hello?"
"Good evening, Clarice," a metallic voice said, clearly identifiable as the doctor.
"Where are you?" she said, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice.
"Right here, of course. I would never be late," he said.
"Dr. Lecter, don't play games with me," said Clarice, not bothering to keep the annoyance out of her voice.
"But it's so much fun, Clarice. Don't you think so?"
"No, I certainly don't. Please, just tell me where you are."
"You should be able to see me."
"Well, I can't."
"Look harder. I'm right here."
"Doctor, if you don't tell me where you are soon, I'm going to leave."
"Clarice, I told you not to threaten me," his voice hardened and Clarice smiled. She finally found something she could do that will bother him as much as he's bothering her.
"And what will you do to me?"
"Don't toy with me."
"After everything you've done to me, and are doing to me now, how can you say that?"
"Because it's what I do." Clarice took the phone out of her ear and stared at it, disgusted. She pushed the button to hang up, probably harder than she could've and stood up. She walked as normally as she could until she got outside and then ran to her car, shoving the phone back into her purse. She couldn't believe how arrogant he was being! If he had expected her to put up with that, he was quite mistaken. She had let him before, for god knows what reason, but this was just too much. She opened the door of her car, sat down heavily, and slammed the door. She stared at the steering wheel and would've driven home, but her vision was clouding with unshed tears. Clarice couldn't believe it. After what he had done to her, how could she be so upset? She looked back at the doors of the restaurant and saw a dark shape walking out that she could instantly tell was him. She sat there for a few minutes until he was about ten yards away from her car and finally got it together again. She started the car and drove off, not bothering to look back.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* End Flashback*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~