Chapter 3: Fancy Seeing You Here

Will's POV

Will wasn't fond of guests. Why would he be? He especially hated unexpected visitors. But that's exactly what he got when an uninvited, albeit attractive woman rang his doorbell.

"Whatever you're selling miss, I'm not buying."

"Well that's good because I'm not selling anything" she replied. She stuck out her hand. "I'm Clarice Starling-"

Why does that name ring a bell? he thought to himself.

"Jack Crawford told me where you were," she finished.

Aw hell he thought.

"So Jack sent you. Need me to endanger myself and my family again for him, is that it?" he raged. "Well you can just tell him to-"

"You misunderstand me," Clarice cut in. "I don't work for the FBI, at least not anymore. Jack and I remained friends after I..." she squirmed uncomfortably. "Quit."

"Well if you're not here on Jack's behalf, why are you here?" Will asked, not trusting her.

Again, she squirmed. "Well I just wanted to ask you some questions about..." she trailed off.

"Hannibal?" he finished. "I thought I was old news! Last I heard he was getting cozy with some rookie FBI agent." He snorted to himself. Rookies.

Clarice looked deeply offended. "How many times do I have to tell people that I was not sleeping with him! You interview a guy for a month and suddenly we're screwing!"

Then poof, it hit Will like a ton of bricks. Clarice Starling, the FBI trainee who caught an infamous serial killer with the help of Dr. Hannibal Lecter. He stood there speechless for awhile before managing to realize that he was freezing. He had forgotten that he wasn't wearing a shirt. With an open mouth, he was able to invite her inside. He immediately went into his room to put on a shirt.

"So, you're the girl" he shouted while buttoning up his shirt and throwing on a sweater.

"What do you mean?" she called back.

He joined her in the living room where she seemed to be scrutinizing his tiny house. Will was suddenly very painfully aware of the fact that his house was very messy.

"You're the one who opened up Hannibal."

"Yup."

Will decided to cut to the chase. "So why are you here, really?"

She looked suprised. " I just wanted to let you know that I was in town, so if you wanted to talk, I'm here" she finished lamely.

He sighed. Maybe she really did only want to talk. Right, and maybe angels would fly out of his ass. But he might as well find out what she was looking for.

"Where are you staying?" He asked.

"I don't really know, this trip was kind of last minute."

So he offered her a room. It was the only gentlemanly thing to do, wasn't it?

Clarice's POV

Clarice was so nervous when she rang Will's doorbell. But when the door opened she wasn't ready for what she found.

He was around 36 and he wasn't wearing a shirt. Her eyes rested on a thin pale and raised scar that made its' way across his torso. His face, which she could tell had been handsome at one time, was lined with scars as well.

"Whatever you're selling miss, I'm not buying."

His comment snapped her back to reality.

"Well that's good because I'm not selling anything" she replied. She stuck out her hand. "I'm Clarice Starling, Jack Crawford told me where you were."

Will, who had been shaking her hand dropped it abruptly at hearing the name Jack Crawford. He had a look of pure venom in his eyes.

"So Jack sent you. Need me to endanger myself and my family again for him, is that it?" he raged. "Well you can just tell him to-"

"You misunderstand me" Clarice mid rant. "I don't work for the FBI, at least not anymore. Jack and I remained friends after I..." she squirmed uncomfortably. "Quit." She hadn't meant to lie, it just popped out.

"Well if you're not here on Jack's behalf, why are you here?" he demanded.

Again, she squirmed. "Well I just wanted to ask you some questions about..." she didn't know how to bring it up.

"Hannibal?" he sneered. "I thought I was old news! Last I heard he was getting cozy with some rookie FBI agent."

That was it for Clarice. She prided herself on keeping work and private life separate. And with Lecter! She knew it was pricks like the guys she worked with who started that rumor. "How many times do I have to tell people that I was not sleeping with him! You interview a guy for a month and suddenly we're screwing!"

Then Clarice realized that Will didn't know who she was. Until now. She hadn't wanted him to find out like that if she had a choice.

Will just stood there for a moment before he found his manners and invited her in. He instantly went to a room off of the living room.

"So, you're the girl?" he asked, his voice sounding nearby.

"What do you mean?" she said, knowing full well what he meant.

When he joined her in the living room he asked the question again.

"You're the one who opened up Hannibal."

"Yup." she could hear his unasked question, 'how?' How did this girl have what it takes to deal with Lecter?

You say you don't know why Crawford helps you- do you know why I did?

No, tell me.

Do you think it's because I like to look at you and think about eating yo up- about how you would taste?

Is that it?

No.

"So why are you here, really?" he asked. Clarice could hear the distrust in his voice.

" I just wanted to let you know that I was in town, so if you wanted to talk, I'm here" she finished awkwardly.

She turned to go but stopped at the sound of his voice.

"Where are you staying?" He questioned.

"I don't really know, this trip was kind of last minute."

"You could stay here" he offered. Clarice weighed his offer. Stay? It didn't sound safe.

"Okay."