Hannibal stood silently in front of Will hoping that it would push the man into words. When stillness sat between them, Hannibal tipped his head to the side slightly in question and study of Will. This seemed to break Will, just as he knew it would.

"Hannibal, what are you doing?" Will asked darkly. Hannibal seemed to stand taller. The undertones of Will's voice had told him all he needed to know: Will remembers. A shadow of a smile graced his lips.

"Waiting for an opportunity." Hannibal stalked up to Will. "As are you. Together, when the opportunity is here." He let that hang in the air, eyes meeting in understanding and knowing. Will began to protest, head shaking slowly, disconnected.

"No, Hannibal. We can't. They're innocents."

"This is about survival, not us and what we are." Hannibal knowingly paired the two of them together. Did Will notice? The time they spent together and he missed what was in front of him. Even at the house with Dolarhyde when Will met Hannibal's eyes and they were more connected than ever. Did Will see it? They were a pair and nothing would separate them again.


The white walls reflected glaring sun and piercing pain in Will's head. Soft fabric around him lulled him into a sense of security. The murmuring voices told him it was okay to fall asleep. Where was he? Wanting to get up, wanting to wake up, his body had other plans. He felt the dark, lazy pull of unconsciousness drag him back under.


Will's hazy eyes returned to the moment and met Hannibal's. While his words said one thing, Hannibal could read something else in his body language. It was something dangerous and twisted and bloodthirsty. How cunning he is. Hiding his monster under the innocence he presents. Does he even hide it from himself?

"And what are we, Hannibal?"

"We are whatever you need us to be, Will."

"What is that?"

"Family."

"No. See, you gave me family once before and then you ripped it away." Will stepped closer to Hannibal. Anger seeping from him as he stared down the man in front of him. "Is that your plan here? Do you want to rip it all away again?" Something akin to regret washes over his features.

"I wish I hadn't." A soft whisper passed between them. "We could have left together. Been something, the three of us. I wanted that."

"Bedelia said as much." At that, Hannibal became stone.

"What did she tell you?" Hannibal moved up to Will.

"She implied that she was not the last of your wives." Will told Hannibal the half truth while his eyes glinted he was holding back.

"What did she tell you, Will?" Hannibal demanded again.


The large windows only showed the night sky filled with millions of stars. Will, barely able to open his eyes, saw a blurry image of the moon shining down into the room he was resting in. Was Hannibal nearby? Forcing himself to his feet, he made his way out of the room. A figure sat at the desk.

"Hannibal?" The darkness crept in again and Will collapsed to the floor. Hannibal leapt forward in an attempt to catch Will's head before it collided with the ground. Reaching him just in time for his hand to slide under Will's falling body and gently laid his head down.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Hannibal asked the sleeping and broken man.


Another glazed look returned to the present. Will stalked around him and paused to say quietly.

"Perhaps, when this boat is ours, I'll tell you." A smile playing on his face. He rather enjoyed being to one to play than being the one played with, especially when Hannibal was his focus. Before exiting the cabin, Will leaned over and whispered into Hannibal's ear just as his body had started to relax.

"I. know." His words dripped with hidden meaning. The room lost sound as Hannibal's human veil dropped at those words. He radiated danger, becoming as still as a predator. The implication left for Hannibal to decipher; so many possibilities and only one truth. Will smirked before walking out. Time to get to work. Playing can wait.


Hands pulled the blankets back over Will. He was once again in the room and it was once again daytime with blinding light and piercing pain. Soothing words filled his ear.

"Sleep, Will. It's not time for you to wake yet. Sleep." Will listened to the voice and allowed sleep to take him once more.


Hannibal rolled his shoulders, letting the words meant to make him stumble fall away. Will wants to play? He'll play. Bedelia should have stayed quiet. Nevertheless, one day he will find her and that will be the end of that. In the meantime, he had a boat to take and information to extract. Bedelia would just have to wait. Another roll of his shoulders and he slid into the passageway. Surveying his surroundings, Hannibal saw he was alone. Time to play. Stalking his way back to the galley, it was vacant with the exception of one individual. Did the rest go to the main deck? What is Will planning?

Not letting himself go too far into the possibilities, Hannibal paused for a moment. Only a moment to locate what he needed for the next stage of what he was about to do. He lunged forward, grabbing the crew member by the back of the neck while simultaneously grabbing her arm and twisting it. Pushing her forward, he guided her face into the sink and pinned her arm between the cabinets and his body. She began to struggle when he flipped the faucets on and water started to rise. Hannibal reached up and grabbed the container of salt. Pouring it into the water, he knew it would fool investigators but it might deter them momentarily. The water level continued to rise and the woman's struggles began to falter until her body went lax. Releasing her neck, she slumped to the floor and Hannibal walked away to look for Will. One down, three to go.