The room was silent, as no one dared to move, their bodies rigid as if awaiting attack at any given moment. Hannibal stood confidently, his eyes boring into Beverly's, then down to the tremors in her hands. She had taken to holding the gun with both hands as if that could give her any more protection if he chose to attack. Krissy took a cautious step forward, seeing how Beverly's eyes darted over to her, seeing the fear clear behind them. Hannibal would never let Beverly leave alive. She had to find some way to protect her friend.
"Go. Run. I'll make sure you get away" Beverly exclaimed, as Krissy broke their eye contact.
She looked over to Hannibal, who quirked an elegant brow, his lips twitching into a barely their smile, meant just for her. Beverly watched the interaction with confusion, gripping her gun a little tighter.
"Now, Krissy!" She insisted, causing Hannibal's smirk to widen.
"I fear you do not understand the gravity of the situation, Ms Katz. Krissy is exactly where she wants to be" Hannibal stated, his tone full of amusement.
The realisation slowly dawned on Beverly's face a moment later, her mouth going slack. Krissy shied away from the accusatory expression that grew on her friend's face then, biting the inside of her cheek. How could she explain their current situation when even she herself didn't understand it?
"You need to calm down, okay? Put the gun down" Krissy suggested.
"Y-you're…working with him?" Beverly gaped, as Krissy shook her head.
"No, it's not…it's complicated. Please, just put down the gun—" Krissy went on, taking another step forward, when Beverly suddenly whipped around, now aiming the gun on her.
Both of Krissy's hands immediately went up in the air, the shard of glass that she had broken from the mirror now hidden snuggly under her sleeve. If Beverly saw she had a weapon…there was no telling what she would do.
"What are you doing, Bev? Are you gonna' shoot me?" Krissy all but goaded, taking another step forward.
"If I have to" Beverly replied, in a shaky voice.
"Krissy…" Hannibal called out, his tone almost sounding concerned.
Her eyes flickered over to his for a moment, as he pursed his lips, but decided to stay quiet. Krissy's eyes told him that she knew what she was doing. He had seen first hand how capable his companion was.
"You're my friend. You said you came here to save me…so help me now. Put the gun down" Krissy told her.
"You've changed" Beverly frowned, sensing that there was something so different about the girl in front of her.
"Not as much as he thinks" Krissy muttered, pushing forward so that she was now standing just a metre away from Beverly.
"He's a murderer" Beverly stated, watching Krissy nod.
"And he'll kill you without a second thought" Krissy pointed out, and as if on cue, Hannibal took a step forward, causing Beverly to turn the gun back on him.
"Don't take another step" Beverly spat out, her attention now solely on Hannibal.
"I know what I am, Ms Katz. What are you?" Hannibal exclaimed.
"The one holding the gun" Beverly retorted, her finger itching on the trigger.
"He kidnapped me, held me here against my will for the past year. By all accounts, he deserves to die…" Krissy trailed off, as Beverly nodded, looking all but ready to put a bullet in the doctor.
"…But I can't let you kill him" Krissy announced, pulling the glass out of her sleeve in one swift motion.
Before Beverly even had time to react, Krissy had lunged forward, slashing the older woman's arm, and causing her to drop her gun. Krissy managed to grab the weapon before it hit the ground, before straightening up and placing her finger against the trigger. Beverly stumbled back a few paces, now clutching at her bleeding arm with wide eyes.
"You should just kill her now. It would be kinder than whatever your boyfriend has in store for her" Her brother's words echoed inside her ears, causing her brow to furrow.
"Krissy. Think about what you're doing. You…you don't want to do this" Beverly exclaimed, the fear clear in her tone.
"I don't think I know what I want anymore" Krissy muttered, looking down at the gun in her hand.
She hadn't heard Hannibal approach, but all of a sudden his hand was reaching out for hers. She didn't move as he slid his fingers over hers, slowly but surely pulling the gun from her grip. Krissy provided little resistance, her hand dropping to her side slowly, still looking at the ground. A moment later, Hannibal was leaning forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead, allowing his lips to linger for a moment longer than necessary. He then began to unload the weapon, taking out the ammunition which Krissy was grateful for. She heard a soft gasp from across the room, spotting Beverly who had backed herself up against a nearby wall, a horrified expression on her features after watching their embrace.
"What shall we do with you now, Ms Katz? We can't let you leave" Hannibal stated, turning his attention to the older woman.
"Please…" Beverly panted, tears welling in her eyes as Hannibal began to stalk towards her.
Before he could get too far, a cold hand wrapped around his wrist, tugging him back with a surprising amount of force. The hand then reached up to take a hold of the collar of his shirt, causing his eyes to connect with Krissy, who was glaring up at him.
"I swear to God if you hurt her I'll fucking skin you alive" Krissy threatened, watching Hannibal's lips twitch.
He liked her when she acted this way, they both knew it. When she let go of her inhibitions and let out whatever it was she was feeling.
"…Very well. What would you have me do?" Hannibal asked, leaning a little closer to her.
While they appeared distracted, Beverly took a deep breath and took off in a sprint, praying that she could reach the kitchen door in time. Before she even got to the doorway of the kitchen she felt a strong hand pull her back and suddenly the same arm was wrapped around her neck, cutting off her oxygen. Beverly struggled viciously, arms flying in all directions as she struggled to breathe. All too soon, her vision was fading, and she could feel herself weakening before everything went black, and her body flopped to the floor.
The next thing she knew, a bottle of water was being pressed to her dry lips, which she drank down eagerly, her throat feeling painfully dry. Her eyes flickered open as they connected with Krissy's, who was kneeling down in front of her. Beverly pulled back in a panic, realising she couldn't move her arms. She looked around to find she had been tied to a chair, now in an unknown dark room, which was almost completely bare. It could have been a cellar, it certainly appeared to be underground. A small bandage had been wrapped around her arm, as the memory of what had happened slowly came back to her. Beverly's eyes darted around, expecting to find Hannibal coming out of the shadows, but he never appeared.
"How's your neck?" Krissy asked, earning nothing but a glare in response.
"I'm sorry, Bev. I had to stop you. He never would have let you leave—" Krissy began but was quickly cut off by the older woman.
"You could have helped me!" Beverly insisted.
"He had a knife. Left trouser pocket. His aim's not perfect but he would have thrown it before you got a clean shot. And then you'd be dead right now" Krissy explained, making Beverly huff.
"And this is supposed to be a better alternative?" Beverly muttered, straining against her bindings.
"I swear to you, if it's the last thing I do, I will get you out of here. You just need to trust me. I have a plan, okay?" Krissy told her, as Beverly shook her head, ruefully.
"Trust you?! You could have shot him, Krissy! Stopped all of this!" Beverly hissed.
"I…I couldn't. I tried, before. I just…I can't do it" Krissy admitted, pushing herself to her feet, running a hand through her hair.
"Then let me go" Beverly exclaimed.
"You won't get far. This is what happened the first time I tried to escape…" Krissy trailed off, pulling up her shirt to reveal the stab wound that Abigail had given her so long ago now.
"So, what's the alternative?" Beverly questioned, with wide eyes.
"Survive. I'm just doing what I've always done" Krissy stated.
"If you can't beat him, join him? Is that it?" Beverly gaped, as Krissy gave a half shrug.
"It's kept me alive so far" She replied, bitterly.
"…You said you had a plan?" Beverly inquired, after a few moments of silence.
"We're going to leave. I don't when, but I imagine it will be soon. Hannibal's already started burning his bridges. Once we're gone, he'll let you go. I'll make sure of it—" Krissy started, but Beverly stopped her.
"That's it? You run away with a serial killer? How the fuck is that a solution, Krissy?" Beverly pushed.
"It keeps him away from the people I care about" Krissy shrugged.
"And what about you? How long until he turns on you too?!" Beverly exclaimed, in disbelief.
"I should have died with I was a kid. I'm used to living on borrowed time" Krissy explained, but Beverly still didn't seem convinced.
"You need to do what he says, alright? Don't try to escape and stay as far away from Abigail as you can. She's not the innocent victim she pretends to be" Krissy warned.
"Neither are you" Beverly muttered, watching hurt flash across Krissy's face for a moment.
"I'm sorry. But I will get you out of here. I promise" Krissy stated, firmly.
"Why? Why can't you kill him? I deserve to know why" Beverly insisted, as Krissy let out a long sigh.
"Because without him…I'm alone" Krissy confessed.
"…He really has got into your head, hasn't he?" Beverly realised, watching Krissy's forehead wrinkle.
The truth was Krissy wasn't sure where her own thoughts began, and Hannibal's did. She wondered if he felt the same. Is that why he had kept her alive all this time?
Hannibal was busying himself with cleaning up the dining room when Krissy appeared, a sullen expression on her face. She had felt guilt over plenty of things in her life, but perhaps nothing as much as locking up her friend and walking away. But she still believed it was the only way to keep Beverly safe. That was the only reason, wasn't it?
"You appear lost in thought" Hannibal announced, suddenly standing by her side.
"Just mentally adding another name to the list of people I've betrayed" Krissy muttered.
"Most important things in life do not come without sacrifice" Hannibal suggested, causing Krissy to purse her lips.
"So, how come it seems like I'm the only one who ever has to sacrifice anything in this house?" Krissy retorted, looking up at Hannibal.
"I am choosing to let you go, I can think of no greater sacrifice" Hannibal argued, reaching out to brush her hair over her shoulder, with a gentle touch.
"Where's Abigail?" Krissy frowned, causing Hannibal to drop his hand.
"Recovering in her bedroom. She lost a great deal of blood. The scars from this night will haunt her for the rest of her life" Hannibal told her, an oddly proud expression on his face.
"Tell me, what did it feel like to have her at your mercy?" Hannibal asked, his eyes boring into hers.
"I felt…I felt powerful. Like I had nothing to fear. Like I could do anything I wanted to…" Krissy trailed off.
"Your rebirth has already begun" Hannibal smiled, watching the way Krissy flinched.
She had lost a part of herself that night, and she wasn't sure what she had built back up with. Was it a part of her brother? A part of Hannibal? Or maybe just some dark part of her she had hidden away for so long?
"…I hate you" Krissy exclaimed, in a quiet voice, watching Hannibal's eyes grow just a fraction wider.
"I know" He replied, his tone thick with emotion.
A second later, she was leaning forward, pressing her lips to his, hearing how he inhaled sharply. He was quick to move his hand to her jaw, his thumb caressing the skin there as he deepened the kiss, seeming to savour the taste of her mouth. Krissy broke the kiss soon after but refused to pull away as Hannibal's finger hooked under her chin. He pressed one last chaste kiss to her lips a second later, seeming unable to stop himself.
"Will you miss me?" Hannibal questioned, as Krissy found herself nodding before she could stop herself.
Seeming satisfied with her answer, Hannibal lowered his hand to connect with hers, stroking the back of her hand with his fingers. She didn't have to ask him the same question, the answer already clear in his eyes.
"Come to bed" Hannibal told her, giving a gentle tug against her hand as he began leading her down the corridor.
It felt strange walking into Hannibal Lecter's bedroom, despite the fact that she had already spent many nights wrapped in his sheets. They dressed for bed in silence, with Hannibal opting to pull a pair of pyjama bottoms on, but leaving his top half bare. He passed one of his white shirts to Krissy, who was quick to rid herself of her own clothes and pull the shirt around her, which finished midway up her thighs. She decided she preferred it to her usual sleeping clothes. It smelt faintly of his cologne, giving her the sense of having him wrapped around her. She crawled onto the bed first, still remaining silent as Hannibal soon followed. He seemed a little taken aback when she instantly reached for his arm, pulling it tightly around her, linking their fingers together. Hannibal settled behind her, his chest flush against her back, chin resting in the crook of her neck. She heard him inhale deeply, before pressing a soft kiss to her neck, allowing his lips to linger there, causing a content sigh to leave her lips.
"If I lived to be a thousand years old, I would not forget this moment. The feel of your hand on my own, the taste of your skin, the softness of your hair…I will keep this memory for myself. Always" Hannibal mumbled, making her heart beat a little faster.
"I don't think either of us will ever be able to forget" Krissy replied, before shutting her eyes, feeling Hannibal's arm around her tighten just a fraction.
The next morning came sooner than either of them wanted. Their plan slowly came into place. Abigail was still locked away in her room, with Hannibal tending to her facial wounds, while Krissy said her goodbyes to Winston. He licked at her face, not having any idea that it would be some time until he saw her again. It was too much of a risk for Hannibal to let him go now. There was too much to link the dog back to Hannibal, be it on his fur, or perhaps the food he was fed, there would likely be something that came back to him. Next Krissy began to shower in surgical scrub, applying the strong-smelling lotion to anywhere that could leave a trace of her time in Hannibal's house. She massaged the pink gel into her hair until her fingers began to ache. Her bandages had to be re-applied soon after her shower, but they seemed to be healing well, with little blood now flowing from them. Krissy didn't eat that morning, her nerves too frayed. Before she knew it, it was time to leave where she had called home for the last year. Hannibal brought her outside, already donned in his riding gear, a helmet in his hand for her, a new bike on the driveway, which Krissy imagined was likely stolen. If they were somehow found travelling on the road, their helmets would hide their identity and the bike would not be traceable. She enjoyed the ride to the woods, relishing in the way the wind whipped her hair behind her shoulders, and the sun warmed her under the leather she wore. They journeyed deeper into the woods after that, far away from any people. Hannibal came to a sudden stop, where he removed his helmet and Krissy did the same. She threw her helmet to the ground and was quick to strip off her leather jacket, enjoying the feel of the cold air. Hannibal gave her a slight nod, before she shoved him roughly in the chest, causing him to fall onto his back with a thump. Still, they did not speak as Hannibal removed a vial of red substance from his pocket, dropping a few droplets onto a nearby rock. As he picked himself up, he was glad to see there was a clear outline of where his body had fallen. The plan would soon come together.
"I…I don't know if I can do this" Krissy admitted, in a quiet voice.
"I have a great deal of faith in you, Krissy. I always have" Hannibal told her, watching her take a deep breath.
"Nothing will be like it used to be, will it?" Krissy frowned.
"Endings bring forth beginnings, and ours will span for a long time to come. This I can promise you" Hannibal told her, as she nodded.
"…I'll see you soon" Krissy exclaimed, giving him a small smile, which he quickly returned.
Then without another word, she took off in the other direction, sprinting through the woods as fast as her legs could carry her. It wasn't long before she was panting heavily, her legs aching with overuse, but she kept going. She wasn't sure how long it was until she reached the end of the woods, and almost fell out onto the road in front of her. She stayed frozen to the spot for a few moments, twisting around to look back into the dim forest, looking for any sign of Hannibal following her. She almost felt disappointed when she found none. She took off running again then, dodging past the oncoming traffic, knowing where she needed to go. She must have been running for almost an hour when she finally reached the entrance of Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. She recognised the building vaguely, finding it seemed like a lifetime ago since she had last been there. She raced up the steps, past the large stone pillars and through the oak door, collapsing as soon as her feet entered the building. There were people rushing to her aid a second later, causing her to flinch as their hands came into view, panicked voices surrounding her. She could vaguely hear someone shouting to get the hospital administrator, as another hand reached out for her shoulder.
"M-my name is Krissy Crawford. I…" Krissy trailed off, her thoughts conflicting with each other.
She had a choice. She could tell these people who the Chesapeake Ripper was. She could be free. Truly free. But…
What about Hannibal? After everything he had done, would the FBI shoot him on sight? And Beverly? He might use her as a human shield, or just use her as his final masterpiece to get back at Krissy for talking. No. She had to stick with the plan. Their plan.
"I…I need help" She stuttered, through her panting breaths.
"My God" A familiar voice gasped, as Frederick Chilton came into view, looking as if he had seen a ghost.
She was taken to the bureau as soon as the police arrived, taking in the shocked expressions on all their faces. It seemed that no one had ever expected to find her alive. She was taken to a part of the building she had never been before. Where they kept the criminals, the victims. Which one was she?
"I need you to remove your clothes. Place them on the plastic sheet, please" A voice announced, as Krissy broke out of her thoughts.
Luckily no one had asked many questions yet, their priority was to gather as much physical evidence first. She did as she had been asked, slipping out of her clothes, as the woman in front of her handed her a thin sheet of paper-like material to cover herself. The pictures began soon after. She flinched at the bright flashes as her wounds were catalogued. Some scars that even she had forgotten. The woman didn't ask before she pulled off the bandage that covered Krissy's ankle, not hiding the grimace on her face as she took a few pictures of the wound. That expression only grew on her face as she pushed Krissy's hair back, snapping further pictures of the bite and teeth marks that had Hannibal had left there a few days ago. It was clear what the woman was thinking.
"Do you require a rape kit?" She questioned, as Krissy shook her head.
"Now is the time to ask for it" The woman insisted, quirking an eyebrow.
"I don't need one" Krissy replied, firmly.
"Uh-huh" The woman all but scoffed, clearly not believing her.
Krissy couldn't help but think of how Hannibal would have probably killed the woman for her rudeness. Taking her tongue seemed like the appropriate thing to do. Her forehead wrinkled a moment later, growing uncomfortable at how easy those thoughts appeared in her mind.
Fibres and swabs were taken all over her body then, her fingernails scraped clean, and her hair brushed for any evidence. They wouldn't find anything. Krissy was sure of it. Her body was a crime scene now, and Krissy had first-hand experience of how to clean one. She was grateful when a pair of joggers and a thin FBI hoodie were handed to her, despite the fact that they were both a size too small. She was led to an interview room after that. Then there was nothing to do but wait. She was playing with the frayed hem of the hoodie when the door was suddenly ripped open, and her eyes connected with a face she feared she would never see again.
"Dad" She exclaimed, immediately pushing herself to her feet, feeling a broad smile growing on her lips.
A laugh tinged with sadness left her a second later, as Jack collided with her, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. She could feel the way his chest was heaving, her shoulder growing wet as she realised he was sobbing. She clung to his back, feeling her own body shaking with relief. For the first time in so long…she felt safe.
"You're alive. You're alive" Jack kept repeating over and over, like a prayer.
"I'm sorry, Krissy. I'm so sorry" Jack cried, pulling away and cupping her cheeks with his hands.
"It's okay, Dad. I'm…I'm fine" Krissy insisted, in an unconvincing tone.
"What happened, honey? Where have you been?" Jack asked.
"He took me. The Chesapeake Ripper. He locked me up. I tried to get away. I really did…but he kept pulling me back" Krissy exclaimed.
"You're here now. You're back and that son of a bitch will never be able to touch you again. I promise" Jack told her, as if that was something he could really make sure of.
"Is Bella…is she still…?" Krissy trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence.
"She's alive. She's fighting it" Jack replied, as Krissy nodded, slowly.
"Who took you, Krissy? Who is the Chesapeake Ripper?" Jack questioned.
"…I don't know" Krissy mumbled, averting her eyes to the ground.
"You can see why we find this hard to believe, Miss Crawford. You've spent an entire year with this man…how is it possible you've never seen his face?" One of the two FBI agents pushed, ten minutes into questioning her.
She had her father on one side of her, and the lawyer he had hired that morning on the other. It was clear that the FBI agents opposite her were planning some pathetic attempt at the good cop, bad cop. It would be funny to watch if it wasn't so tedious.
"He kept me in the dark a lot. Drugged me. Sometimes I think…I think he wore a mask" Krissy told them, in a soft tone.
"What about his voice then? Did he have an accent? A deep tone?" The agent insisted.
"He had an American accent. It might not have been real though" Krissy stated.
"So, to recap. All you've been able to give us about the Chesapeake Ripper is that he's a man. Possibly with an American accent and likes to hide in dark places?" The FBI agent went on, in an unimpressed tone.
"I wasn't aware I needed to do your job for you" Krissy bit back, watching the man's jaw clench.
"Let's talk about your escape again" The female FBI agent interjected.
"He offered to take me on a ride. We had done it a few times before, always to secluded places. Where he didn't have to worry about meeting anyone. We were deep in the woods when we heard something. I think he thought someone might have followed us…so I took my chances. I shoved him; he fell over. I think he might have hurt himself because he didn't get up straight away and then I started to run. I didn't stop until I reached the hospital" Krissy explained.
"It must have been quite the shove to incapacitate such a dangerous criminal" The male FBI agent suggested, with narrowed eyes.
"Would you like me to show you a reconstruction?" Krissy scoffed, as her lawyer waved her hand in the air.
"My client has been through a year of trauma and abuse, she isn't—" Her lawyer began, but Krissy was quick to cut her off.
"I haven't been abused" Krissy stated, firmly, as the two FBI agents shared a look.
"You've been kidnapped and held against your will. Your body is littered with wounds and scars. What would you call that?" The female FBI agent pointed out, as Krissy pursed her lips.
"I just…don't like being categorised as a victim" Krissy muttered.
"Would a partner be more accurate?" The man opposite her accused, as Krissy's eyes snapped up to his.
"Don't you dare speak to my daughter like that!" Jack all but growled, his hands balling into fists.
"We're merely trying to find out the truth, Agent Crawford. If you have a problem with that, you can leave the room" The male FBI agent retorted, smugly.
"Are you accusing my client of something, Agent?" Krissy's lawyer asked, raising her hand in the air to stop Jack from speaking further.
"We've been looking over the evidence we have so far. It seems that we have no fibres, no trace evidence, absolutely nothing. You're clean, Miss Crawford. A little too clean. And the pictures of your wounds paint quite the picture…" The male FBI agent went on, as he opened up a file on the desk.
He placed two pictures in front of her, one of the slight scar just above her collarbone and the other of the reddish burn that still remained on her arm. From the first fight in Hannibal's kitchen. It seemed like so long ago now. She could see from the corner of her eye how Jack had paled instantly at the sight of them.
"Our experts tell us these wounds would have happened around the same time. Likely not long after you were kidnapped. These, however, are much more recent" The man exclaimed, pulling out another picture, watching how Krissy grit her teeth.
She looked down at the picture of the marks that still marred her neck, knowing there was no question what they were. She could practically still feel the way Hannibal had nipped at her neck, the pleasurable chill that had gone down her spine.
"It appears that at some point your relationship with the Chesapeake Ripper has changed" The man continued, as Krissy saw her lawyer give her a questioning look.
"This is quickly turning into an interrogation rather than a questioning—" Her lawyer was once again cut off by the male FBI agent.
"Do you deny the sexual nature behind these marks? If you truly weren't abused…then that would mean these were consensual, right?" The man pushed, almost gleefully.
Krissy still hadn't looked up from the pictures, now gritting her teeth so hard she feared they might break. Whatever she said in response, she would be dammed. Deciding it was time the interview ended, she brought her sock-clad foot to rub against the bandage that covered her ankle wound. She pressed her toe roughly into the wound, grimacing as she felt pain radiate up her ankle. Her eyes flickered down to see the wound had begun to bleed, already starting to soak through her bandage.
"I need my wounds re-dressed" Krissy announced, bringing her ankle up to rest on her lap, showing her lawyer the bleeding, who appeared close to throwing up.
"I suggest you get my client some medical attention unless you want a lawsuit on your hands" Her lawyer insisted, as the man huffed.
"We'll restart after you're seen to—" He started, but Krissy cut him off immediately.
"No. No, I'm not talking until I see Will. I need to see him" Krissy exclaimed, turning to her father.
"It's not that easy, Krissy" Jack replied, as she gave him a doe-eyed look.
"Please, Dad" She all but begged, seeing how Jack silently relented.
"…We can continue with this interview tomorrow" Jack nodded, as the male FBI agent shook his head, ruefully.
She continued to glare at the agents until they had left the room, with her lawyer following soon behind. Jack was talking about the precautions they would have to put in place, how Will hadn't even been told she had been found. Krissy was barely listening, too excited at the prospect of seeing Will again. She had become worried she would forget what he looked like soon and couldn't wait to put a face to her memories. Would he have missed her? Would he hate her now—
"Krissy?" A familiar voice called out, as Krissy's head snapped up.
Her eyes connected with Hannibal's hazel eyes, strangely feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders as soon as she saw him. It may have only been less than six hours since she had last seen him, but her skin already itched to be touched by him again. She wasn't sure when the co-dependency had occurred, but she couldn't find it within her to care anymore. She was on her feet in an instant, rushing into his arms, as he pulled her into a tight embrace, his hand coming to rest on the back of her head.
"We've been so worried about you" Hannibal exclaimed, allowing his eyes to shut for a moment, enjoying the feeling of her in his arms once again.
Krissy gave a small nod, resting her face in the crook of his neck, her fingers gripping at his back. She knew if they kept holding onto each other for much longer it would look suspicious.
"I planted the seed…" She whispered close to his ear, so quietly that only he could hear.
"I will do the rest" He replied, having pressed his lips against her head.
"I'm sorry for how I was acting before…I, I was confused. I think the Ripper might have been drugging me…" Krissy stuttered, putting on a performance.
"It does not matter now. You're back where you belong" Hannibal smiled, running his hand down her arm.
With me, the words went unsaid.
Krissy turned back to her father who had been watching their embrace with slight confusion, remembering vividly how Krissy had warned him about the man before her disappearance. He shook his head at the thought, deciding she was simply happy to see a friendly face. He knew they had been close friends once.
"Take me to Will" Krissy exclaimed, in a shaky tone.