Chapter Nine: There's No More Talking In This Scene
Clarice woke up under covers and feeling oddly warm and safe, a feeling she hadn't had in years. Will was by her bed stroking her hair.
"Finally sleepyhead!" Will said teasingly.
Clarice felt like she had been hit by a ton of bricks.
"How long was I out this time?" she asked without thinking.
"Not too long. And what do you mean by this time? Has this happened before?"
Oops. She sighed. "Yes, it has happened before."
"Do you know why?" Damn.She thought. He asked.
"They're panic attacks." she said. "And I'll save you a question or two. No, I have not always had them, yes they are courtesy of the combined terrors of Jame Gumb and Dr. Lecter."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"It's kind of embarrassing." She admitted. "Like I couldn't handle my first case and now I'm emotionally 'scarred'."
"More embarrassing than fainting dead away into my arms?" He asked chuckling.
"Well yeah, now that you're being a prick about it. And I didn't faint in your arms. As evident by all my aches and pains, I fell onto the ground" she said swatting his arm.
"Ow!" He exclaimed. "I'll get you for that!"
Soon enough Will was on top of Clarice and they were both out of breath.
Without realizing what he was doing, he lowered his face onto hers and kissed her.
"I'm sorry" he said after they broke free. "I didn't-"
"Shh." Clarice whispered and rolling him onto his back, she kissed him back.
Chapter Ten: Tell Me A Beautiful Lie
The moments before Will woke, he was contemplating his actions. He shouldn't have screwed her. Even in his sleep, he knew that. He was so worried after he found Clarice on the floor, more afraid than he had let on. And later, she had looked so beautiful, so amazing that he couldn't resist.
He disgusted himself. She had just fainted for Pete's sake and what had he done? He had taken advantage of her. More than once he thought.
Will woke up to a gentle tickling sensation. Clarice was tracing her fingers along the scar that Lecter had given him. He wished he could shield her from that ugliness, she shouldn't have had to see that.
No one will ever be safe around you... Will's shaking head to Hannibal's words alerted Clarice that he was, in fact, awake.
"Is this the one Lecter gave you?" She asked, fully knowing the answer.
Damn. He thought. The last person he wanted to talk about had just wormed his way into their conversation.
"Yes." He replied quietely.
"What was he like when you knew him?" she questioned.
Will sighed at the loaded question. He flirted with the idea of lying to her, telling her that even then he was a monster. But he quickly rejected that idea. She'd know, and moreover, he didn't want to lie to her.
Will finally spoke. "He was charming. Diplomatic and charismatic." he added.
Clarice looked disappointed, but not surprised.
"What? Not the answer you were expecting?"
"No, it was exactly the answer expected and feared at the same time."
"You wanted me to say that he was evil. A monster."
He understood.
"At least then it would be easier to hate him."
Will held her in his arms for awhile before starting to ask questions.
"Why did Dr.Lecter give you that lamb figurine? You never told me."
"He's just throwing the past back into my face." Will remembered the robin redbreast he saw outside of his window after he looked up from the letter. What were these lambs to her?"
"You said that you didn't stay in West Virginia. Where did you go?"
"To live with my cousins. They had a ranch."
"With sheep?" Will inquired.
"Yes." Dangerous ground Clarice thought.
"What happened?" He was being very blunt.
"Why do you assume that something happened?"
"Look, if you don't trust me then that's fine, but-"
"I do trust you. I'm just not very comfortable talking about it."
"Because of him? Did he know?"
"Yes, and yes."
"How? Did you tell him?"
She gave a sheepish nod. "Yes."
"Why?"
"He promised to help me with a case if I did."
"You gave him insight and he exploited it." He knew what could happen if you gave Lecter personal information.
They were quiet for a moment until Will got the nerve to ask the question he really wanted the answer to.
"Did he know about your past? Jack, I mean" hastily he added seeing her confusion.
"No."
"Clarice, what would've happened if you didn't have a troubled childhood?"
God, now Will was starting to sound like a shrink. "What do you mean?" she asked defensively.
"Would Lecter still have given you the information if you didn't have a captivating story to tell?"
"Probably not." Will could see the wheels turning in her head.
"Did Jack ever tell you why he picked you to see Hannibal? I mean you were only a trainee."
"The question crossed my mind once or twice." she admitted. "What are you getting at?"
"I think that Jack checked your records and used you specifically to get to Lecter."
"Why would he do that? He barely even knew me!"
"But think about it. The trainee he just happened to send created a soft spot in Lecter. It's not a coincidence."
Clarice was devestated. Will went on and on, but she tuned out. Would Jack really so that to her? Besides Ardelia, he was her best friend. And now Will was saying he was the one who had set this whole thing up. She couldn't deal, for the second time since she'd gotten here she needed out. So in Will's boxers and t-shirt, leaving him naked and alone, Clarice ran.