Author's Note: So sorry for the delay, I actually misplaced the disk I have this story on! I found it so all is not lost. I want to thank Lecter-in-love for the nice review. I'm glad some people are reading it. Oh and also all those from the Studiolo who are reading this, Thank you! This chapter for your and particularly my convenience has been split up into three parts. Enjoy!
Chapter Five: Revelations
Part I
Clarice walked out of her house pissed off at the world and not knowing what she was going to do next on the case. When driving to the bureau, she noticed for the first time a black sedan four or five cars back following her. She parked in the parking structure across the street and walked into the building. Her office was still in the basement. It was no longer referred to as Hannibal's House as she was taken off the Doctor's case. She was all by herself. No one wanted to work down there. Clarice sat at her computer, looking at all the clubs around where the victims lived. She made phone calls to all the friends and families again asking what clubs the victims frequented. The name that was on all the list was the Vibe.
The Vibe was located in the shady area of town. She phoned the club and was told the times that it was open. She asked to speak with the owner but was told he was out of the country on vacation. 'Typical,' she thought. She wrote out a new report detailing all the new leads Dr. Lecter had given her. She made sure she didn't slip up and mention his name. That would make things very complicated. At half-past nine she drove home in her Mustang.
She loved her car. It gave her a release from the world when nothing else would. She listened to the engine roar as it hit 5800 rpms. She let the clutch out slowly, listening to the gears grind. On the road she decided to scout the club. Who knows, she might get lucky like the time she found Jame Gumb otherwise known as Buffalo Bill.
The house was dark when she drove up. She walked into her home wondering whether Dr. Lecter was still there when she saw her table was lit with two candles. The bright flowers of the morning were gone and in there stead was two dark red roses laying on the table. Two bowls of hot soup were also there. Clarice saw movement out of the corner of her left eye. Dr. Lecter pulled out her chair for her and motioned for her to sit.
"I hope you like it," he said while pushing her in.
She nodded. It smelt so good. There was stewed carrots, cabbage, and potatoes with small pieces of beef in it. It was a very light meal which she needed.
Dr. Lecter did not speak for the whole meal. He sat patiently waiting for Clarice to start the conversation. He could practically taste the tension emanating from her. She was sitting as taunt as a copper wire in her chair. He stood up after finishing and walked behind her.
"What are you doing, Hannibal?"
She gave him an accusatory glance. Her shoulders set more rigidly.
"Shh...you need to relax," he said softly.
He placed his hands on her shoulders and felt her tense even more. He began rubbing hard circles with his thumbs into her neck. She gasped at the feeling but slowly let herself relax. Dr. Lecter pushed her soup bowl out of her way so she could lay her head down on her arms. He gently moved his hands lower, massaging her back.
Clarice was in heaven. His ministrations felt so good. She moaned into her arms and felt the doctor's hands abruptly leave her.
"Please continue, Hannibal," she said, not moving from her current position. He put his hands on her upper back and made his way down. She felt him move her hair to the side, away from her neck. She then felt the softest of kisses placed there. She froze again, not knowing what on earth she was going to do. He kissed her neck again a little below her earlobe this time. His hands had stopped moving and now rested on her shoulders.
"Dr. Lecter-"
"What are you feeling, Clarice?" he whispered, his lips grazing her ear.
" I don't know," she said. Her heart beat quickly and she couldn't think about anything. She only knew she had to be alone. She stood up suddenly and tried to sidestep him. Dr. Lecter grabbed her wrists and held them to her side.
"Why all the running?" he growled.
She stared straight into his maroon eyes. The smell of very good and expensive aftershave wafted into her nose. He stared directly into her eyes, searching them. She closed them as an attempt to shut him out; to stop him from looking into her very soul. She felt him step closer, their bodies barely an inch apart.
"Why, Clarice?" he breathed.
She trembled against him. Dr. Lecter let go of her wrists but gently ran his hands up her arms. She let out a shaky breath.
"I'm scared...of you...of failure..."
She opened her eyes to see him with a very serious look on his face. He leaned in and place his lips chastely on hers. She moved her hands to his chest and tried to push away.
"I can't do this," she said against his lips. Dr. Lecter held her closer, his hands traveling from her waist to her back.
"Why not?" he said, kissing the corner of her mouth.
Clarice finally stepped away from him and couldn't meet is eyes when she answered.
"I'm a Special Agent of the F.B.I. whose sworn duty is to protect the nation and its people. Your one of the ten most wanted criminals who I'm supposed to hand in!"
"The F-B-I, the abusive master whom you serve with unswerving loyalty, who betrayed you when you brought shame to it. They don't give a damn about you, Clarice! Why do you care about them? They hate everything you stand for. They despise you for your honesty and incorruptibility. You despise them as much yet you go back to them...Your father is dead, he would be proud of you regardless of where you worked!"
"This isn't about the F.B.I. or my father!"
"Then what is it about?"
Clarice stood there, her eyes still trained to the floor. What was it really about? She didn't know. She can't deal with this right now. She turned away from his smoldering gaze and walked upstairs to her room. She still had to go to the club and that's all her mind focused on.
Part II
Knowing the type of club the Vibe was going to be, she put on her skimpiest outfit (which by society's standards wasn't very skimpy). She wore a whit halter top shirt with a black skirt that fell just above her knee. She spent about ten minutes looking for appropriate shoes but ended up settling for the Gucci pumps Dr. Lecter had boughten her a year ago. She put her wallet, gun, and badge into a small leather purse. Grabbing her keys, she walked back downstairs and straight to the front door. She didn't see Hannibal anywhere. 'Dr. Lecter,' she chided herself mentally. She drove straight to the club. She parked a block down from it and walked until she saw a long line of people waiting at the door. She was about to get in line when the bouncer waved her over to the front. He was a very muscular man, a bodybuilder by the look of him.
"Hey babe, you all by your lonesome self?" he asked in an extremely deep voice.
"Yes, sir. If you let me in I'll promise to save you a dance when you get off your shift," she said coyly, her West Virginian accent becoming thicker. The bouncer nodded and let her in. The music was deafening. Her ear drums pulsed along with the beat. The Vibe was so dark that she could barely make out the faces on the dance floor. A thick layer of smoke hung over them, too. Hundreds of people packed the club. The only lighted area was the bar which she walked to immediately. She mimed to the bartender to get her a water but he brought her a beer instead. 'Hell with it,' she thought as she paid for it and took a long pull. She watched as people came, ordered drinks, and left again. Only one man stayed by the bar the whole time she was there. He was dressed all in black with shockingly white blond hair. He, too, had a beer and turned to see who was looking at him. Clarice made eye contact with him briefly and turned toward the dance floor, a blush creeping up her cheeks. The man was incredibly handsome. 'Damn it, Starling! Concentrate on finding something suspicious, not on that guy.'
"May I join you?" The man had walked right up to her chair.
"Of course," she said loudly, making sure she could be heard over the music. He sat down in the chair next to hers and shook her out-stretched hand.
"What's a nice lookin' girl like you doing at a club like this?"
"Just getting away for a bit," she said not entirely lying.
"Some get away, huh?"
"You can say that."
Clarice scanned the club again and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. She checked her watch and saw that it was already going to be one in the morning.
"I have to go. It was nice talking to you."
She was trying to shake him off. Something felt...creepy about him.
"It was nice talking to you, Ms.-?"
"Starling."
"Charmed. Michael Talivaldis."
"Thank you, Michael. Good-bye."
Clarice walked back to her Mustang feeling like she had missed something.
Part III
Starling opened her front door with trepidation. She didn't know what to expect from Han- Dr. Lecter. The house was dark and cold. She turned on a couple of lights but saw no sign of the doctor. Did she really expect him to be here when she returned? Yes she did. She didn't want to hide behind the F.B.I. or her father anymore. She walked through the rest of the house but found nothing. She went to her bedroom and found a note on her bed. She stared at the piece of paper, a hard lump forming in her throat. She swallowed hard, picked it up, and read.
My dear Clarice,
I am sorry to leave you with no chance of saying good-bye. It is better this way, you know. I feel that I have overstayed my welcome at your home, and I beg your forgiveness. I do not regret, however, any of my words or actions nor will I ever. I'll be gone out of your life finally, Special Agent Starling. It has been fun.
Regards,
Hannibal Lecter, M.D.
Clarice folded the note again and stuck it in one of her drawers. The rest of the night she sat on her bed, tears running down her face, looking out towards the moon.
