Author's Note: Manda Panda2, Don't worry about the typo! I had reread the review a couple of times, but then kind of shrugged it off. We all make mistakes! I'm glad you liked the GD's humor! I've always thought he was really funny, also. I love that accent he does, too...Well thanks to everyone who has been reading and everyone who has taken the time to review also! It's very much appreciated. The story is almost completed. I think I will probably only have three more chapters. This is my first Hannibal fic so I'm going to be sad posting the last chapter! Hope you readers enjoy this one!

Chapter Twelve: Emerald Eyes

Michael was making good time. He had landed in Vienna and spent only two days enjoying the sites. He loved the angelic music that they played. He knew the FBI had no clue where he was going. His plan was to travel to Munich, cross the Danube into Stuttgart, and take a train to Berlin. After another day or two there, he would cross into Poland and not stop until he made it to Rucava, his hometown. It was located in Latvia on the border of Lithuania and adjacent to the Baltic Sea. He longed to see it again. He hadn't been there in ten years...

Starling was hot and felt suffocated in the small conference room. She studied all the maps of this part of Europe but she couldn't pinpoint the exact route theCrusader was going to take. She hoped he had flown as far south as Vienna. If he flew to Warsaw, then they were out of luck and should be packing their bags. If he flew to Vienna though... He would have to cross Germany's borders in order to by pass the Czech Republic. It was too dangerous for him there. She was certain he would not try to cross their borders. It was suicide. The main train routes went through Munich and then all the way back north to Berlin. A cup of ice water appeared in front of her. Agent Lugo stood next to her.

"You'll work yourself to death," she said as she sat down next to Clarice.

Sophia Lugo was a only two years younger than her but had a certain quality about her that made her seem older to Starling. She was much taller than her, being a height of 57. She was a thin woman who wore her long thick black hair in a bun. She was one tough lady though when it came down to getting her hands dirty. Starling always admired her for that.

"Thank you," said Clarice while taking a sip gingerly.

"You might want to be careful. I've noticed you haven't slept since we got here."

"I'll be fine once all of this is over."

"Is it true that your leaving the bureau?"

"Yes." With no hesitation and no looking back.

"I hate to see a good woman like you go, Starling. Jesus knows we need good honest people in there."

Lugo went back to her desk that she had placed in the corner. Starling felt dejected that she would never she these people again. She would never see Ardelia again. She wouldn't be able to visit Jack Crawford's grave again. She couldn't. Agent Deming walked in at that moment, a slight sneer on his face. Now there's one person I'm happy to never see again. Another Agent walked in after him. Matthew Ratcliffe was a tall lanky man with no personality. How he ever made it through the academy, Starling never knew.

"Do you have anything new, Starling?" asked Deming in a condescending tone.

She felt a great urge to be petulant and role her eyes, but she controlled herself. She flexed her fist once and then answered him.

"No as I've already told you, Deming. Quit asking. Go and do your own work."

She spoke in clipped sentences to reign in her anger. For the couple of days that she got to know him, she discerned that she hated him only a little less than Krendler. He thought he was hot shit. He never knew when to keep his mouth closed and get back to work.

"You can't order me around, Starling. We're on the same playing field here. You have no one to protect you or," he lowered his voice, "kill off your enemies."

She stared straight into his hateful brown eyes, daring him to say another word. Her eyes flashed dangerously.

"How dare you."

"Not everyone has forgotten your little stint with the cannibal," he said clearly wanting to enrage her. He smirked.

"To find the cannibal was my job. I did it. It's over and done with." She hated talking about Dr. Lecter like this but it was the only way people would not become suspicious.

"Yeah, you did your job and look where it got you. I was suprised the bureau kept such a liability."

"You asshole. You have no clue what your talking about."

"I don't? I read the case file you wrote. Not a lot happened between the two of you. Odd. I always thought of him as a lecherous old monster hiding behind the gentleman."

Agent Deming fell to the ground clutching his face. Starling had gotten up so fast and punched him in the eye. Lugo and Ratcliffe were restraining her. She was breathing hard. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her body.

"Starling! Get a hold of yourself!" Lugo said.

"I always knew you were a crazy bitch!" Deming said from the floor.

Starling pulled herself from Lugo's and Ratcliffe's grasp and walked out of the room. She didn't trust herself to stay in there with him. She walked out of the building and onto the street. She didn't know where she was going but she just knew she couldn't stay here. She walked down it. She felt ashamed that she had let Deming get to her. He was an utter bastard and had goaded her. The air was cool, but smelt of cigarettes. She accidently bumped into someone.

"Sorry," she muttered and looked up.

Her eyes widened as they met those icy emerald green ones whose owner she was going to catch.