Krissy took a shaky breath before knocking on the large wooden door in front of her, not sure what to expect on the other side. Would Miriam Lass be a broken mess, sobbing in the corner of the room? Or would Hannibal have moulded her into someone cold and calculated? Which of the two was she, Krissy thought to herself. The door opened a second later, as Krissy came face to face with the blonde who had been locked away by the Chesapeake Ripper for almost three years. She gave Krissy a smile, the expression forced and pained. Miriam backed up a step, allowing Krissy to step through the threshold, finding it difficult to meet her eyes. Krissy's own gaze quickly fell on Miriam's prosthetic limb, covered by an FBI hoodie, only the hand visible. It looked good, the prosthetic limb would likely pass for the real thing.
"How are you finding it?" Krissy inquired, gesturing to the her arm.
She was surprised to see Miriam's smile morph into a genuine one, as she shook her head from side to side. Krissy panicked for a moment that she had said the wrong thing to the already traumatised woman. She seemed to have a talent for doing just that.
"You're the first person who didn't try to avoid the subject. Most people just stare instead" Miriam replied, walking over to sit on one of the seats in the room.
"Most people are dicks" Krissy stated, as a laugh escaped from Miriam's lips.
"You're just like the Guru always described you" Miriam exclaimed, as Krissy went to sit opposite her, a comfortable distance away.
"The Guru?" Krissy frowned, confused.
"Jack Crawford. He used to talk about you a lot. His daughter, off at nursing school, making a life for herself" Miriam explained, watching as Krissy's face fell.
"That seems like a long time ago now" Krissy mumbled.
"When the Gu...Jack told me there was another victim, I never thought it would be you—" Miriam began, but Krissy was quick to cut her off.
"I'm not a victim" Krissy insisted, in a tense tone.
"Right. It's hard, isn't it? Accepting what's happened to us" Miriam nodded, as Krissy's jaw clenched.
"Did he hurt you? The Ripper, I mean, more than..." Krissy trailed off, gesturing to her arm again.
"He treated me well. Right until the end. When he put me in the ground" Miriam told her, thinking of the well she had been found in.
"...Did he hurt you?" Miriam inquired, a moment later, as Krissy mulled over it.
"Only when I tried to escape" She shrugged.
"You...tried to escape?" Miriam asked, in a small voice.
"He let his guard down around me sometimes. I think he wanted to see what I was capable of" Krissy went on, as Miriam averted her eyes to the ground.
"More than me, that's for sure. I never even thought about running" Miriam sighed.
"Jack said you were drugged. Don't for a second think any of this is your fault" Krissy insisted, feeling a great deal of sympathy for the woman.
"Weren't you drugged too?" Miriam frowned, remembering what Jack had told her about Krissy's missing year.
"Like I said, he let his guard down sometimes" Krissy replied.
"I...uh, read that article about you. And the Ripper" Miriam confessed as Krissy went still under her gaze.
"Freddie Lounds wouldn't know what the truth is if it hit her in the face" Krissy huffed, leaning back in her seat.
"Regardless, it seems like you understand the Chesapeake Ripper more than anyone else" Miriam suggested.
"He's definitely a complex person" Krissy muttered, beginning to fidget with her hands.
"Why didn't he kill me? I keep thinking over and over about it" Miriam exclaimed.
"There's only one person who can answer that, Miriam, and it's not me" Krissy stated, as Miriam gave her a look.
"Then just guess, please. I just want...need to understand" Miriam all but pleaded.
"You're not his...type. You're a good person, polite, smart. The best of humans. He didn't want to kill you if he didn't have to" Krissy explained, as Miriam's forehead wrinkled.
"And you? From how Freddie Lounds described it...it sounds like you're exactly his type" Miriam went on, as Krissy huffed out a laugh.
"He saw something in me. Something other people never saw" Krissy mumbled.
"What's that?" Miriam questioned, curiously.
"Potential" Krissy replied, in a quiet tone, lost in her own thoughts.
Shortly after Miriam's reappearance, it was publicly announced that all charges against Will Graham would be dropped. He wasn't the Chesapeake Ripper, that was clear for everyone to see. Abel Gideon's disappearance had solidified that, just as Hannibal knew it would. The moment Krissy heard he was being released she went to Baltimore State Hospital, insisting that she should be the one to take him home. As no one else had turned up, it was reluctantly agreed upon. Will clearly hadn't been expecting to find Krissy waiting for him outside his cell. He wavered for a moment, seeming as lost for words as Krissy was. Deciding actions were better than words, Krissy rushed forward suddenly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, and pulling him into a tight hug. It took a few seconds, but after letting out a shaky breath, Will slowly moved his hands to rest on the small of her back. Her hands gripped onto his jacket as if she was scared he would be ripped away from her again at any moment. She hadn't realised until that moment just how much she had missed him. Will always made her feel safe. Content.
"Are you okay?" Krissy inquired, as she went to pull away.
Will's hands quickly wrapped around her tighter, clearly not wanting the embrace to end. She wondered how long it had been since anyone had even touched him. And it was all her fault.
"I'm sorry I didn't get you out sooner" She mumbled, guiltily.
"You're not to blame" Will retorted, as she shook her head.
"I let you down, Will. I should have stayed away from Hannibal, from all of this and then maybe we'd..." Krissy trailed off, as Will reluctantly ended their embrace.
"Still be together?" He finished for her, a sad look behind his eyes.
"Well, when you put it that way, you probably had a lucky escape" Krissy muttered, gaze dropping to the floor.
"Krissy—" Will began, but she cut him off.
"C'mon, I saw Frederick when I walked in, you wanna' go rub this in his smug little face?" Krissy suggested, with a grin, reaching out to take his hand in her own.
She watched as Will's eyes flickered to something behind her shoulder, a conflicted expression growing on his face. She turned to follow his gaze, finding Alana standing there, a dog lead in her hand, seeming surprised to find Krissy beside him.
"Are you ready, Will?" Alana asked, as Krissy dropped his hand instantly.
"I just need a few minutes" Will answered, as realisation quickly dawned on Krissy.
"You already have a ride home, huh?" Krissy murmured, trying to keep the bitterness from her tone.
Will's eyes darted between the two women, a sheepish look on his face, probably having never expected to be in this position. Krissy felt her cheeks beginning to flush with embarrassment, wondering how she could have been so stupid. Of course, Will would have moved on. She just wished it wouldn't have been with Alana. It hadn't been long since Hannibal had rejected her, so how did she already have her claws in Will? She must have been playing them both at the same time...
Just like she was, Krissy thought to herself. Hannibal had brought them onto his chessboard but their decisions were theirs to make. Their mistakes.
"The dogs will be getting restless" Alana spoke up, her tone causing something ugly to stir within Krissy.
"I see it didn't take you long to move on from your heartbreak, Doctor Bloom" Krissy exclaimed.
"Heartbreak?" Will frowned, as Krissy huffed out a laugh.
"Oh, she didn't tell you? She was lying between the sheets with our mutual friend only a few weeks ago" Krissy informed him, as Will's eyes snapped up to Alana's.
"I doubt I was the only one" Alana snapped back, anger laced into her voice.
Krissy quirked an eyebrow in the older woman's direction, satisfied at getting a reaction from her. The whole thing was starting to feel too much like teen drama for Krissy's liking. Reaching out to touch Will's hand again, she gave a soft squeeze, catching his eye.
"Take care of yourself, Will" She exclaimed, before leaning forward.
Will was a little taken aback as she pressed a kiss to his cheek, lingering there for a moment before whispering something into his ear. Alana watched with a frown from across the room, noticing how Will had tensed after whatever Krissy had said. The younger girl was quick to pull away, shooting him a small smile before turning on her heel to walk away.
Will was better off without her. They all were.
Hannibal walked over to his oak desk in his office, pulling the chair back, his shoulders tense. He hadn't heard from Krissy in over twenty-four hours and knew she would now be aware that Miriam Lass was still alive. He doubted her reaction would be favourable towards him. Perhaps this was his punishment, for her to remove herself from his game. Something that he wouldn't allow. It was at that very second a familiar scent caught his attention, a mixture of roses and heat, something that made the predator in him stir. Just as he opened his mouth to call out to his companion, a knife was thrown through the air, narrowly missing his hand lounging on the desk. He let out an indignant sigh as he saw how the blade had pierced the expensive desk in front of him, ripping the knife out of the wood, canting his eyes upwards.
"That was very rude, Krissy" Hannibal exclaimed, finding her leaning against his bookshelves on the upper floor.
"I felt it was a reasonable way to express my feelings towards you right now" Krissy retorted.
"Violence can be good for the soul. In moderation" Hannibal suggested, as she pushed off from the bookcase.
"You know, you always manage to surprise me, Hannibal. No...actually, that's not the right word. Disappoint me is the better term" Krissy snapped.
"Will has earnt his freedom. I was under the impression this would please you" Hannibal stated, making her scoff.
"How many women have you abducted over the years, Doctor Lecter? Should I be expecting any of your past conquests to jump out of the shadows?" Krissy went on, as Hannibal stood from the desk.
He watched closely as Krissy straightened up, her eyes quickly darting to the ladder to the upper floor. She was debating whether to push the ladder away, to keep him far away from her. That wouldn't do.
"Would you have preferred if I had killed Miriam Lass?" Hannibal asked, making his way towards the ladder.
"I'd have preferred if you didn't kidnap and psychologically torture women" Krissy muttered, cautiously approaching the top of the ladder.
"Is that what I've been doing?" Hannibal replied, innocently.
"You took her arm to, what? Piss of my dad? Do people really mean that little to you?" Krissy pushed, as he reached the bottom of the ladder.
"You mean a great deal to me, Krissy. Do not forget that" Hannibal stated, as he began his ascent to the upper floor, watching as Krissy stumbled back a step.
"If you cared about me at all, you'd stop lying to me. You'd stop keeping secrets" Krissy insisted, as he reached the upper level.
"Is that truly why you are so upset by this?" Hannibal pushed.
"What other reason is there?" Krissy huffed, as he took a step closer to her.
"Jealousy is a difficult emotion. It encompasses a person completely, seeping into their every thought. It can be hard to fight against" Hannibal explained, as she shook her head.
"Right. Because I'm so jealous that you haven't chopped my bloody arm off yet" Krissy snapped, anger laced into her words.
"To answer the real question that is on the tip of your tongue...there is no copy of you. No replacement. Miriam Lass was a means to an end. You are far more than that" Hannibal explained.
"Well, the problem is that I don't know if that's true. I can't tell when you're lying anymore. I don't think I ever could" Krissy mumbled, as he came to loom over her, breathing her in.
"...How was Will? Does his fury still burn so bright?" Hannibal inquired, noticing the way his scent clung to her.
"Now who sounds jealous" Krissy retorted, as Hannibal's lips twitched into a smirk.
Gritting her teeth together, she went to shove past Hannibal, but his hand shot out to catch her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. It seemed an almost instinctive move, rather than one played out in his mind. He kept his fingers wrapped tightly around her wrist, his eyes boring into her own, telling her not to leave.
"You want to hear some truth, Hannibal? You need me a hell of a lot more than I need you" Krissy told him, as he huffed out a laugh.
"Is that so?" Hannibal replied, the challenge clear in his voice.
In response, Krissy ripped his hand away from her wrist, but instead of running away, she jumped up onto the creaky railing separating them from the steep descent below. She could see the way Hannibal tensed at this action, not liking that he couldn't interpret her next moves.
"You're just as lonely as I am. Just as scared" Krissy mocked, seeing the shift in Hannibal's features.
It was so slight it could hardly be seen, but his jaw was clenched, his eyes narrowed. She had angered him, something few could do, she thought smugly. Before he had the chance to say anything, she was leaning back against the railing, her heart beating fast in her chest. Just as she was about to slip and fall to the ground below, Hannibal's arm suddenly reached out to grab her, clutching at her shirt. For just a split second, his face was an expression of pure panic. Krissy couldn't stop the laughter that spilt out of her lips, placing her hands back on the railing. She hadn't realised just how little she cared for her own life anymore, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. Krissy had made her point, one that Hannibal could clearly understand.
"Stop playing games with me. You won't win" Krissy exclaimed, hopping off from the railing, bringing her close to his chest.
"Nor will you" Hannibal stated, as she quirked an eyebrow.
"I don't need to. I don't need to beat you, Hannibal. I just wanted to be with you" Krissy confessed, surprising herself somewhat.
"Miriam Lass will point the finger at Doctor Chilton. It was necessary to release her at this time" Hannibal informed her, as she watched his eyes soften.
"And was it really necessary to take her arm?" Krissy pushed.
"...No" Hannibal admitted, his brow furrowed.
"You just have to let me in, Hannibal. That's all I want" Krissy replied, reaching up to cup his cheek.
With a small nod, he lent down to press a kiss to her lips, relishing in the feeling. Krissy had a soft smile on her face when he pulled away, her eyes bright. Perhaps she was right. Perhaps he could let her see past his person suit. All the way.
"Will is going to come for you. Soon" Krissy warned him.
"I would expect nothing less" Hannibal replied, not appearing concerned.
"He still wants you dead" Krissy warned, as Hannibal placed his finger under her chin, meeting her gaze.
"I can handle Will Graham" Hannibal informed her, tracing his finger down her jaw.
"You underestimate him, Hannibal. He thinks he hates you" She challenged, bringing his attention back to her words.
"Such a fine line between love and hatred" Hannibal stated, as Krissy huffed out a laugh.
"Trust me...I know" Krissy murmured, leaning up to kiss him, her hand reaching up to the nape of his neck to bring him closer.
Krissy left his office later that evening, inhaling deeply as the cool night air hit her, feeling as if she could breathe for the first time in hours. Whenever she was around Hannibal, it felt like her heart was seconds from beating out of her chest. She just wasn't sure which emotion caused the reaction anymore, fear or something else? She had witnessed a shift in Hannibal over the past few weeks, his own emotions becoming clearer to her each day. But was that what he wanted? How could she be sure he wasn't faking those emotions like he faked almost everything else in his life?
"I often find myself leaving this building in a similar state" A feminine voice announced, bringing Krissy to halt on the porch of Hannibal's office.
A beautiful woman stood in front of her, dressed in a smart suit, her brunette hair braided to one side. Krissy's eyes flickered to the sling she wore, her fingers flexing in their leather gloves. The woman's arm was guarded close to her side, her jaw tense, still clearly in pain. A recent injury then. Krissy didn't know much about designer clothing, but she could tell an expensive suit when she saw one. She expected the gold necklace the woman wore cost more than what most people earned in a month. The woman raised a delicate eyebrow when Krissy still hadn't replied, too busy surveying the stranger's appearance.
"You're in therapy with Doctor Lecter?" Krissy inquired, as the brunette nodded.
"Court-appointed" She confessed, as Krissy mulled over her next words.
"...Well, a little bit of advice patient to patient...find another psychiatrist" Krissy warned, before walking past the woman, whose brow had furrowed.
"Wait. You can't just leave after saying something as ominous as that" The woman stated, fast on her heels.
"How long have you been in therapy?" Krissy inquired.
"A few weeks. Yourself?" The woman questioned, walking close beside her.
"Half my life" Krissy shrugged, as a smile grew on the other woman's lips.
"Aren't you going to miss your appointment?" Krissy pointed out, as they crossed the road away from Hannibal's officer.
"I'm early. I like to spend some time in the waiting room. You never know who you might bump into" She explained, as Krissy came to a halt.
"Krissy Crawford" She exclaimed, watching as the woman's green eyes grew a fraction.
"Margot Verger" She replied, as recognition flashed over Krissy's features.
Margot.
She remembered Hannibal speaking of her before, stating the woman wouldn't need much persuasion to carry out her desires. She wondered if he had been right. There was something dark behind the older woman's eyes, something clawing to get out. She could see why Hannibal said Margot reminded him of her. An idea came to her mind, as she held out her left hand for Margot to shake, waiting to see what Margot's reaction would be.
"Clever. Trying to see whether I've really broken my arm or if I would instinctively reach out with my right hand. Are you always so distrusting?" Margot asked as Krissy gave a small shrug.
"Pretty much" Krissy admitted, holding her other hand instead, as they shook hands, Margot's fingers lingered for a moment.
"I believe you and I have a great deal in common" Margot suggested.
"I highly doubt that" Krissy retorted, pulling her hand back.
"...I tried to kill my brother. Hence the court-appointed therapy" Margot admitted, as Krissy gave her an appreciative look.
So, Hannibal's manipulation had worked then. How many people had been hurt or even killed due to his 'therapy'?
"I'm guessing you know exactly who I am then" Krissy realised.
"I may have looked at Doctor Lecter's calendar at a prior appointment" Margot confessed, as Krissy raised an eyebrow.
"Some would call that stalking" Krissy pointed out, making Margot smirk.
"I simply thought you'd be an interesting individual to meet" Margot replied, innocently.
"Do I live up to expectations?" Krissy inquired.
"Most definitely" Margot flirted, allowing her eyes to trail over Krissy's body for a moment.
"You still haven't convinced me to find myself a new psychiatrist" Margot added, in a curious tone.
"Hannibal Lecter's therapy isn't for everyone. His techniques can be rather...unorthodox" Krissy confessed, as they began walking once again.
"Ah, yes. I realised that once he suggested that I try to kill my brother again" Margot replied, as Krissy huffed out a laugh.
"Let me guess, if you don't at first succeed, try, try again?" Krissy exclaimed.
"Something like that" She murmured.
"Well, if you ever want some more advice..." Krissy trailed off, taking a pen out of her pocket.
She then reached out for Margot's uninjured arm, removing her leather glove with ease. The older woman watched as she wrote a list of numbers on her palm, realising it was Krissy's phone number, as her smirk grew.
"I'll bear it in mind" Margot grinned, showing no rush to pull her hand away from Krissy's grasp.
The next morning, Krissy was back at Hannibal's office, putting the next part of their plan in place. Now that Miriam had been found, she had numerous tests carried out, which Hannibal of course, knew the outcome of. By that afternoon, sodium amytal would be found in her blood, leading them back to Frederick Chilton, who had already used the substance on Will Graham. In the past six months, for reasons Krissy didn't know at the time, Hannibal would insist on injecting her with the drug, something he suggested would help with her therapy. At the time, she hadn't exactly been in a position to say no. And that meant that the medication could still be found in her hair follicles, which was the reason she had suggested to her father that they take samples for more obscure medications, one of which was sodium amytal. Everything was falling into place, just as Hannibal had predicted. Krissy groaned as she tightened the tourniquet on her arm, aligning the needle towards a vein in her arm. She had stated that Hannibal was more than capable of taking blood when Jack had suggested she come to the lab to have the samples taken. She had half said it to piss her father off, but also because she hated the thought of anyone coming towards her with a needle now. Hannibal had drugged her so many times, that she found she couldn't even trust a lab technician only trying to help her. Of course, that now put her in the difficult position of trying to take her own blood, something that was practically impossible.
"Almost got it...son of a bitch" She cursed, as she missed the vein, the needle piercing uselessly into her skin.
"May I take over?" Hannibal exclaimed, pushing off from where he was sitting by his desk.
"I thought you'd like this. Doesn't it appeal to your sadism?" Krissy suggested as Hannibal gave her an unimpressed look.
"I am not a sadist" Hannibal retorted, as he grabbed another needle, kneeling down beside her.
"The way you present your victims would say otherwise" Krissy pointed out.
"You are not my victim" Hannibal stated, catching her eye, as he reached out to take her arm.
Krissy couldn't stop the way she flinched, remembering all too well what would happen when Hannibal approached her with a needle. It was strange, he could be holding a gun to her head, and she wouldn't even twitch. But this was different, this scared her.
"Your fear is unnecessary" Hannibal murmured, running his thumb over the veins in her arm, finding them easily.
"I don't fear that you could kill me anymore. I fear what more you'll take from my mind" Krissy admitted, as he found a vein, and inserted the needle.
"You fear being vulnerable around me" Hannibal added, as she slowly nodded.
"It's a shame I don't have a therapist to talk to about it" Krissy teased, as he took two bottles of blood from her arm.
Hannibal's lips twitched into a smile at the comment, before retracting the needle and placing a piece of gauze against her arm. His muscle memory served him well, despite not having taken blood for many years.
"Do you ever think about how we could have met differently? If you were still a practising medical doctor? You could have helped train me, maybe I'd even be pursuing a career as a physician" Krissy went on, as he wiped away a drop of blood with the gauze.
"I can't imagine it would have ended well. Workplace relations are still frowned upon" Hannibal smirked, as she quirked an eyebrow.
"Oh, because you're so irresistible, huh? I probably wouldn't have even given you a second glance" Krissy teased, leaning closer to him.
"I believe I could have won your favour" Hannibal replied, as Krissy's eyes dropped to his lips.
"Well, Doctor Lecter...why don't show me how?" She grinned, before crashing their lips together, hands grabbing onto the lapels of his suit.
The tension had grown between them ever since the dinner party, their kisses needier than usual, as Krissy pulled him closer. She could never get enough of his kisses, of his touch, the way he seemed to want to consume her completely. She let out a gasp when his hands dipped down to grip her thighs, before he was pulling her up, allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist. He was quick to drag them over to his desk, dropping her down on the oak surface, his lips never leaving hers. Not wanting to waste any time, Krissy pulled his jacket away from his shoulders and began to unbutton his shirt. Hannibal's hands tangled into her hair, pulling lightly on her brunette locks, forcing a light moan from her mouth. As soon as she had his shirt unbuttoned, she was running her hands over his chest, trailing her fingers down the wisps of hair there. Pulling her lips away from his, she began kissing her way down his neck, her hands having reached the buckle of his trousers. She used her teeth to nick at the skin below his ear, hearing him groan in response, as her hand dipped underneath his trousers. Her eyes snapped up when she heard a ringing from her pocket, cursing under her breath as she realised someone was phoning her. Krissy bit her lip when she saw it was her father ringing, half debating throwing it across the room, sick of being interrupted whenever she was close to Hannibal.
"It is likely about Chilton" Hannibal pointed out, as she reluctantly accepted the call.
"What?" She snapped; the irritation clear in her voice.
"We're bringing Chilton in. Doctor Lecter too" Jack answered, making her frown.
"Why? Didn't Miriam Lass already definitively say he isn't the Chesapeake Ripper?" Krissy muttered.
"That was before new evidence came to light" Jack stated.
"What evidence?" She questioned.
"A certain recorded conversation between yourself and Will Graham" Jack replied, as Krissy went still against Hannibal.
"You and I need to talk. Now" Jack all but ordered, his tone tense.
What did he know?
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Sorry about the long time in between updates, but I caught covid last week so I wasn't feeling well enough to write. I've been planning out what I want to do for Season 3 with this story and let's just say, it's going to be explosive! Please leave a review:)
sleepinglionzz32: Thank you for the reviews:) I'm really glad you're liking the story so far, thanks for the support!
BrittStar1199: Thank you for reviewing! The tension between them is definitely heating up, that's for sure. I think they're both about to throw caution to the wind, haha. We'll have to wait and see whether Jack can save his daughter or not.