Over the coming weeks, Hannibal invited Alana over to the house more and more, to the point where Krissy was sure he trying to goad her into acting. He didn't lock either Krissy or Abigail in their rooms when Alana visited, allowing them to roam around the house despite the risk. Hannibal clearly didn't see Alana as a threat. Neither did Krissy for that matter, but she didn't want to see the woman dead, so she hid away. However, over time her curiosity got the better of her, interested to see how Hannibal acted around Alana, how much of his person suit he allowed her to see. They were sitting at the dining room table, their chairs almost touching as Krissy peeked through the ornate doors, careful not to make a sound. Alana's back was luckily turned to her, but she had a good view of Hannibal. Krissy had to swallow down a scoff when she found they were talking about Will, wondering how Alana didn't see Hannibal's obsession with the framed man for what it was.
"I can't forgive Will for what he's done…I just want to walk away from all of it" Alana admitted, as Krissy strained to hear Hannibal's muffled response.
"What does walking away leave us?" Hannibal questioned.
"Each other" Alana replied, as Hannibal gave her a small smile.
Alana was leaning in a moment later, pressing her lips against Hannibal's, making Krissy's eyes widen a little. The older man didn't appear shocked or displeased by Alana's reaction, returning the kiss, and bringing his hand to the nape of her neck to pull her closer. Hannibal lived his life with passion, from his cooking to his love for the finer things, but the way he was kissing Alana seemed almost robotic, devoid of any emotion. Like he was on autopilot. Krissy tensed when Hannibal's eyes suddenly snapped open, connecting with her own, as if he had sensed her watching. As if he knew she had been there the whole time. Hannibal kept his eyes on her as he deepened the kiss, parting his lips, revealing a flash of his tongue. He moved his fingers to tangle into Alana's hair, giving a light tug and receiving a moan from his colleague. Alana seemed to notice the sudden change in the kiss, desire that wasn't there before, as she began to unbutton his shirt. Despite the distance, Krissy had seen how Hannibal's eyes had dilated, seeming almost black in the dim lighting. Hannibal pulled away a little, his teeth tugging at her bottom lip as he did, still gazing intently at Krissy. The brunette's mouth went dry, a flush rising over her cheeks as she stumbled backwards a step. Krissy let out a startled sound when she collided with something, whipping around to find Abigail standing there, tilting her head. Krissy's eyes flickered back to Hannibal for a split second, seeing his lips twitch into a smirk, allowing Alana to continue to unbutton his shirt. Krissy turned back to Abigail just in time to stop the younger girl from speaking, pressing her palm against Abigail's mouth and practically dragging her away from the dining room. She didn't remove her hand until they were safely inside Krissy's room, as she then went to quietly shut her door.
"Were you spying on them?" Abigail gaped at her.
"No! I was just…making sure he hadn't started carving his dinner early, if you catch my drift" Krissy muttered, still trying to calm her racing heart.
"Do you think they're actually going to…you know?" Abigail questioned.
"Fuck?" Krissy responded, as Abigail gave her a scandalised look, but nodded, nonetheless.
"I guess even serial killers need to blow off steam sometimes" Krissy shrugged.
"Gross" Abigail mumbled; her nose wrinkled.
"What are you doing out your room, anyway?" Krissy inquired.
"I heard you walking around. I thought…well, I wouldn't really put anything past you anymore" Abigail admitted.
"Yeah, the feelings mutual" Krissy scoffed, indignantly.
"Why does he keep inviting her around? Do you think he actually likes her?" Abigail gossiped as if they were two girls at a slumber party.
"As an alibi? Yes. As a person? I seriously doubt it" Krissy went on, running a hand through her hair.
"You're wearing nail varnish" Abigail frowned.
"You're very deceptive this evening, huh?" Krissy replied, sarcastically.
"Where did you get it?" Abigail pushed, her eyes focused on the red polish coating Krissy's nails.
"My latest treat for being a good girl these past few weeks" Krissy huffed.
"He never gives me gifts like that" Abigail muttered, in a childish tone.
"That's because he wants different things from us, Abigail. He wants me all dressed up and pretty. As for you…that's for you to figure out" Krissy explained, walking over to sit down on her bed.
"…Your room's bigger than mine" Abigail stated, after a few seconds.
"No. This is not happening, okay? We're not gonna' start captive bonding or whatever. You stabbed me. I don't like you. End of story" Krissy retorted.
"Aren't you lonely?" Abigail inquired.
"It's not exactly a new emotion for me" Krissy admitted, her eyes downcast.
"You don't think she saw us, do you?" Abigail asked, as Krissy shook her head.
"Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing if she did though" Krissy exclaimed, a thought coming into her head.
"What do you mean?" Abigail frowned.
"Alana Bloom going missing would certainly raise a few eyebrows. And if she turned up like one of the Chesapeake Ripper victims, that would put a lot of doubt into the case against Will…" Krissy trailed off.
"Hannibal's smart. If he killed Alana, I doubt he would make it look like his other victims" Abigail pointed out, as Krissy pursed her lips.
"…Unless I got to her first" Krissy announced, as Abigail's eyes widened.
"You're talking about killing and mutilating someone just to help Will's case?" Abigail realised.
"It wouldn't be the worst thing I've ever done—" Krissy began, but was cut off as her bedroom door suddenly sprung open, revealing Hannibal standing in the doorframe.
Krissy jumped to her feet instinctively, as the older man entered the room, a smug smile on his lips. His expression seemed like the definition of the cat who got the cream. Abigail had shrunk against the wall, slamming her mouth shut and looking down at her feet.
"If you'd like to follow through with your plan, Alana is unlocking her car outside. If you rush, I believe you'll still catch her" Hannibal offered.
The challenge was clear behind his words, making Krissy nervous as she wondered if he was already one step ahead of her again. Trying to understand Hannibal's motivations was becoming exhausting. She took a second to compose herself before responding, ignoring the fact that his shirt was almost entirely unbuttoned, revealing flashes of his tanned chest.
"It's rude to eavesdrop, you know" Krissy stated, dismissing his comment.
"As is spying on a private engagement" Hannibal exclaimed.
"A private engagement? More like playing with your food" Krissy scoffed, as Hannibal quirked an eyebrow.
"It didn't seem as though it was Alana I was playing with" Hannibal replied, enjoying the way Krissy's cheeks reddened.
"Get out of my room" Krissy snarled, her lips upturned.
Hannibal's tongue darted out to wet his lips before he gave a curt nod, pivoting around and exiting the room. Abigail had a frown on her face, realising that she seemed to be missing something. Krissy grit her teeth, refusing to think too much into Hannibal's words, or their strange encounter. She really needed to get out of the house before she lost her damn mind.
"And this one?" Hannibal questioned, placing a surgical instrument in front of her.
"A Kilner Cats Paw retractor" Krissy answered, twiddling the metal instrument between her fingers.
"Very good" Hannibal nodded.
It was a few days after the incident with Alana, and Hannibal had spent most of the afternoon testing Krissy on her surgical knowledge. He was quietly impressed by how much she remembered from her surgical placements while training to be a nurse. Although it was becoming increasingly clear she would have rather been anywhere else at that moment.
"And how long is a Monocryl suture's half-life?" Hannibal inquired, as Krissy dropped her chin onto her palm.
"Seven to fourteen days" Krissy mumbled, her eyes darting over to the clock on the wall.
"What day is it?" Krissy asked, a few moments later.
"July 18th" Hannibal responded, not missing how Krissy's face contorted at the information.
"Are you planning to let me outside at some point? I wouldn't mind being a free-range prisoner" Krissy pointed out, as Hannibal's lips twitched into a smile.
"Can you promise me you wouldn't run?" Hannibal questioned.
"Would you believe me if I said yes?" Krissy replied.
"I think it would be very unwise of me to do so" Hannibal explained, making Krissy purse her lips.
"Can you at least tell me how my dad is then? Is…is Bella even still alive?" Krissy asked.
"She is. As for your father, he remains on compassionate leave from the bureau" Hannibal clarified.
"Then what is he doing all day?" Krissy pushed, knowing her father's life was his work.
"Drinking, mostly. I believe he rarely leaves his bedroom" Hannibal went on, watching Krissy grit her teeth together.
"You've destroyed his life. You really don't feel any guilt for that?" Krissy scoffed.
"If destroying Jack Crawford's life was my main goal I would have killed you in front of him" Hannibal informed her, matter-of-factly.
"Well, never say never, right?" Krissy muttered, turning back to the medical book in front of her.
"How could I ever waste your potential in such a way, Krissy?" Hannibal replied, reaching out to brush some of her hair behind her ear, making the younger girl flinch.
"And what about Will? You've been letting him rot in jail for months now. How is that not a waste?" Krissy challenged, leaning away from his touch.
"I imagine you are missing him a great deal" Hannibal suggested, earning no response.
"He believes you to be dead. It has been eating away at him for some time…wouldn't you like to change that?" Hannibal asked, as Krissy gave him a suspicious look.
"And how exactly would I do that?" Krissy questioned.
"I could facilitate it" Hannibal responded.
"What, out of the goodness of you cold, dead heart?" Krissy scoffed, as Hannibal let out a low chuckle.
He then pushed himself to his feet, retreating from the room, only to come back a few minutes later with a brown file in his hand. He placed the document in front of Krissy, gesturing for her to open it. The look of excitement on his face instantly made her feel uncomfortable. Cautiously, Krissy opened the file, finding a picture of a man she had never seen before, feeling goosebumps rise over her skin. There was something wrong with the man, something in his eyes, hiding just below the surface.
"A fascinating ability" Hannibal murmured, as she gave him a confused look.
"To be able to tell a killer by a picture alone" Hannibal clarified.
"Who is he?" Krissy frowned, finding his name was dotted over the documents underneath the photo.
"Daniel Holden. The killer in the latest case I have been asked to consult on for the FBI" Hannibal explained.
"You're really trying to take Will's place, huh?" Krissy murmured.
"They are big shoes to fill, but I believe I am up to the challenge" Hannibal grinned, as Krissy rolled her eyes.
"Why are you showing me this?" Krissy insisted.
"I said he was the killer in the latest case…I never said the FBI had caught him, or even realise who he is" Hannibal went on.
"And how do you know he is the killer?" Krissy pushed.
"I have been watching him…" Hannibal trailed off, pulling out a photo from the back of the file.
Krissy felt bile claw up the back of her throat as she gazed at the photo, finding the man in question was positioning what was clearly a dead body in an alleyway. How Hannibal had been able to take the picture without being seen was beyond her. She squinted as she noticed a strange marking over the corpse's shoulder, trying to make out what it was.
"The finished product" Hannibal exclaimed, bringing another photo out, which seemed to be an official FBI photograph.
Krissy's nose shrivelled in disgust as she realised what the marking was on the dead body. Stitches. The arm on the corpse…did not belong to the dead woman. In fact, it appeared none of her limbs belonged to her. She had her arms and legs sawed off and someone else's limbs stitched on. She looked away from the photo when she saw the same stitching on the woman's neck, realising her head wasn't even her own. Krissy had a strong stomach, but looking at the mutilated corpse was enough to turn even her stomach.
"The body parts belong to four different women. I believe this killer is trying to create his perfect woman" Hannibal went on.
"Congrats, Doctor Lecter. I think you might have found someone almost as repulsive as you" Krissy stated, making the man in question grin.
"It appears he realises his time is limited. I believe he plans to flee the country" Hannibal informed her.
"Then tell the FBI, do something good for once" Krissy scoffed.
"What an incredibly dull idea" Hannibal said, in a disapproving tone.
"So, you're just going to let him run?" Krissy challenged.
"Quite the opposite. I propose a hunt" Hannibal smirked, baring his pointed teeth.
"…You can't be serious—" Krissy began, but Hannibal quickly cut her off.
"Does he not fit your preferred victim pool?" Hannibal pointed out.
"Have you lost your fucking mind? I'm not going to help you kill someone!" Krissy exclaimed, standing from her chair, with a look of disbelief.
"You would rather let this stain on society walk free?" Hannibal asked.
"That's on you, not me. You could hand him into the police, but instead, you just want to play your stupid games. It's sick" Krissy spat out.
"You asked how Will could be informed of your survival. I am simply answering your question" Hannibal replied, making Krissy grit her teeth.
"What, I become your partner in crime and you hint to Will that I'm still kicking? Your manipulation skills could use some work, Doctor. I think you're losing your touch" Krissy huffed, backing up a step.
"I will give you some time to make your decision" Hannibal announced, before walking over to her, placing his hand on her shoulder, as if it was a comforting gesture.
Krissy was quick to shrug away from his touch, feeling intimated under the older man's intense gaze, and stormed out of the room. She didn't have much control over her life anymore, but refusing to kill a man, no matter how monstrous he was, was something. She couldn't fall into that darkness again. Her brother had never come out the other end, she wouldn't let herself become like him.
Will raised a hand above his head, shielding his eyes from the blazing sun as he felt arms slowly wrap around his waist from behind. A grin quickly grew on his lips as he heard a familiar laugh, brunette hair flying around in the wind, tickling his cheek. He went to spin around, the smile still on his face when he heard a scuffling sound and opened his eyes. Reality hit all at once. Will's eyes widened as he found the reason he had been pulled from his thoughts, a familiar pair of eyes staring back at him.
Jack.
He hadn't seen the older man in months, expecting he would never want to see Will again. Who would anyone want to visit their daughter's killer? Will allowed his gaze to survey Jack's appearance, finding he looked ten years older, his eyes sunken, and grey hair sprouting over his scalp. He looked awful. Defeated.
"I'm not here to fight. I don't have any left in me" Jack murmured, taking a step forward.
"I feel the same" Will replied, his eyes downcast.
"I just need one thing from you. I think you owe me that" Jack exclaimed, as Will nodded.
"Her body. That's all I want just…just tell me what you did with her body. She deserves to be put to rest" Jack stated, tears beginning to well in his eyes.
"I can't—" Will began, but Jack quickly cut him off.
"You want to make a deal? I can do that. Whatever you want. Just tell me where her body is" Jack insisted, as Will ran a hand over his face.
"I don't know. I wish I did" Will admitted.
"You want me to beg? Is that it?" Jack pushed.
"I can't help you, Jack. I'm sorry" Will shook his head, turning away from the older man.
"Please, Will. She's…she's my little girl. I need to do this for her" Jack wept, rushing forward to clutch at the bars on his cell, hearing a door open down the corridor.
"Then you should have listened to her when she warned you about Hannibal. We both should have" Will mumbled, through gritted teeth.
He kept his back turned as he heard the guards forcibly remove Jack, scrunching his eyes shut as he heard his former friends' sobs. Will knew the awful truth was there may not have been anything left of Krissy's body. Hannibal would have seen to that. He would have consumed the evidence.
"He was here again yesterday. I don't suppose your stance has changed" Another voice announced a few minutes later, as Will turned to Doctor Chilton with a scoff.
"I would rather stick pins in my eyes than be in the same room as Hannibal Lecter" Will answered.
"If you keep refusing to engage in therapy, you might be forced to do just that…the latter, of course" Chilton smirked, before turning on his heel, his cane knocking against the floor as he went.
"You need to come with me" Abigail exclaimed, the anxiety clear in her voice.
Krissy looked past the book she had been reading, finding the younger girl standing at the foot of her bed, dressed in a strange plastic suit, covering her from head to toe. She noticed there was a speck of blood on the sleeve of the suit, barely noticeable. Krissy was quick to sit upright, discarding the book, as she gave Abigail a distrustful look.
"What the fuck are you wearing?" Krissy frowned.
"He made it for me. You should really come with me now" Abigail insisted, as Krissy pushed herself off the bed.
"Where?" She asked.
"To the basement," Abigail told her, seeing how Krissy froze.
"What's going on, Abigail?" Krissy pushed, tensely.
"It's better if I show you" Abigail informed her, before making her way out of the room, the plastic suit creaking the whole way.
A cold sweat coated Krissy's face by the time she reached the basement entrance, having never been down there before. She hadn't wanted to. Not after seeing the last basement Hannibal Lecter owned. She could hear Abigail's footsteps somewhere in front, as she cautiously made her way down the wooden steps. Her mouth went slack as she quickly spotted Hannibal standing by a surgical table, clad in a similar plastic suit as Abigail. Two trolley's full of surgical instruments were laid out in front of him, shining under the bright light in the basement. Krissy's eyes were quickly pulled to the body on the surgical table, surprised to see the rise and fall of a chest, his hands and legs tied with rope. The man was still alive. She instinctively backed up a step as she recognised the captive's face. Daniel Holden. It looked like Hannibal had decided to act after all.
"How good of you to join us, Krissy" Hannibal smiled, marching over to her.
"What the hell is this?" Krissy questioned, her voice quivering uncharacteristically.
"I believe it is quite self-explanatory" Hannibal stated, gleefully.
"I already told you, I don't want any part of this" Krissy exclaimed, as Hannibal nodded.
"I know…this is not intended to be our first kill. That accomplishment is Abigail's" Hannibal informed her, turning to the younger girl.
"Would you like to carve?" Hannibal grinned, wheeling the table of surgical instruments over to Abigail.
"I…I wouldn't know where to start" Abigail stuttered, with wide eyes.
"I'll teach you" Hannibal replied, holding up a large blade and placing it into Abigail's palm.
"Abigail, you don't have to do this. It's wrong, and you know it!" Krissy insisted, marching over to her, and grabbing her arm.
"I'm just playing the game, remember?" Abigail hissed, wrenching her arm free.
"If you do this, there's no going back" Krissy pointed out.
"Why would Abigail wish to go back to the scared child she used to be?" Hannibal challenged, as Krissy turned to glare at him.
"She still is! It's just you that she's afraid of instead of her father!" Krissy yelled.
"And what of you, Krissy? Are you still determined to hide in your brother's shadow? To refuse what you already know to be true?" Hannibal went on.
"What are you talking about?" Krissy questioned.
"That doing bad things to bad people makes you feel good…don't you want to feel good again?" Hannibal mumbled in a low tone, taking a step forward so that he was looming over her.
"…You're sick, Hannibal. You're both sick" Krissy spat out, before shoving past him.
"You can't run from who you are, Krissy. Not forever" Hannibal called after her, but she refused to turn around.
Krissy's heart was still beating fast as she slammed her bedroom door shut, trying to ignore the vivid images that grew in her mind of what Hannibal was doing downstairs. She rushed to her en suite, cowering over the basin as she splashed some cold water in her face. Would they eat the man in front of her tonight? Would Hannibal find some way to force her into joining his cannibalistic ways?
"I suppose it is one way to deal with the population problem" A familiar voice exclaimed, as Krissy's head shot up.
Her eyes connected with her brothers in the bathroom mirror, before running a shaky hand through her hair. Not now. She couldn't deal with him at a time like this.
"You're not here" Krissy exclaimed, racing out of the bathroom, finding him close on his heels.
"Does it really matter? It's just more evidence that you've gone off the deep end" Ken suggested, as she grit her teeth.
"I'm not helping them—" She began, but Ken quickly cut her off.
"You're not exactly stopping them either. C'mon, Sis. He's a killer. He doesn't deserve to live" Ken insisted.
"It's not just killing! They're going to…" Krissy trailed off, not even being able to finish her sentence.
"So, you can excuse murder but draw the line at cannibalism? Wow, who raised you?" Ken scoffed, sarcastically.
"I don't…I don't kill people anymore. I don't want to" Krissy retorted.
"You realise your only lying to yourself, right? Think of all the killers, rapists, abusive pieces of shit walking around now because you're too pathetic to act—" Ken challenged, only to be cut off mid-sentence.
"Stop it" Krissy murmured.
"You always were a fucking coward" Ken mocked, as Krissy lunged forward, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.
"Shut up!" Krissy exclaimed, angrily.
"If you're not going to blow off some steam, then at least use your brain. He's distracted. Now's your chance to escape" Ken suggested, as Krissy shoved the hallucination away.
"I think you're forgetting about this. Hannibal can knock me out anytime he wants" Krissy pointed to the tag on her ankle.
"…Not if he's already dead" Ken announced.
The sibling's eyes connected for a moment before Krissy was turning on her heel, ripping her bedroom door open and marching down the hall. For once, her hallucination may have had a point.
"So, how are we going to do this? A knife? Slice or dice?" Ken asked gleefully, following her close behind.
Krissy didn't respond to him but quickly made her way towards the kitchen's, thinking that was the best place to find a weapon. She came to a halt as she entered the dining room, a large crash from across the room making her jump. The whole room had been thrown into disarray, with chairs and ornaments thrown all around the room, a body lying close to Krissy's feet. Abigail stared up at her with panicked eyes, her shirt been half ripped, blood oozing out of a wound on her arm. Krissy looked over to where Hannibal was fighting with his intended victim, who appeared to have the upper hand. The rope that had been used to tie the man's hands was now wrapped around Hannibal's neck, choking the life out of him.
"Looks like someone's beat you to it" Ken whispered in her ear.
The killer, Daniel, still hadn't noticed her, too eager on murdering the man who had abducted him. Hannibal was making awful choking noises, his hands clawing at the rope, but he still didn't appear panicked. Krissy moved to place her hands other her ears, feeling her chest tighten at the gasping sound.
"All you have to do is let him die, and you'll be free" Ken stated, as Krissy's hands balled into fists.
Before she knew what she was doing, Krissy had grabbed a decanter from the table, marched her away across the room and lunged forward. She slammed the glass down onto the man's head, forcing him to stumble forward, losing his grip around Hannibal's neck. The decanter shattered in her hand, glass pieces clattering to the floor, only a small amount staying in her hand. With a growl, the man spun around, his hands outstretched, ready to attack. Without thinking, Krissy's hand shot forward, slicing into the killer's neck with the glass. Her other hand moved to grip the nape of his neck, holding him in place as she pressed harder into his flesh. She cut a jagged line along the fragile skin, cutting through the artery, muscle, even the windpipe, as blood sprayed over her. The man shook for a few seconds before flopping to the floor, having died almost instantly. Krissy let out a shaky breath as she saw her bloody reflection in the glass she was still holding, quickly dropping it on the floor, on top of the corpse. Her breathing grew erratic as she realised what she had done, a pool of blood growing by her feet. Hannibal slowly pushed himself up, rubbing against his sore neck, as a smirk graced his lips.
"Tau taip gerai sekėsi" Hannibal exclaimed, his tone laced with excitement as he reached out to brush his hand against her cheek, wiping some of the blood away.
She had never seen Hannibal look as proud as he did at that moment.