Chapter Title: Love Birds

Chapter Number: 4/28

Chapter Summary: Little Abigail gives her Daddy and Papa some crafty Valentine's Day gifts.

Characters: Will Graham, Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham's Dogs, Abigail Hobbs


Warning/Tags: Alternate Universe, Season One through Three, Hannibal Loves Will Graham, Will Graham loves Hannibal, Hannibal is still the Chesapeake Ripper, Will knows, Cannibal, The Chesapeake Ripper, The Dogs are in this one, Buster is still the best boy dog ever, Child! Abigail Hobbs, Abigail as a kid, Murder Husband Dads, Kids, Elementary School Kids, Please don't take this story too seriously, It's Just Fan Fiction, Fluff, Cuteness, Valentine's Day, Holiday, Holiday Drabbles, Drabble One-Shots, Writing Challenge, Holiday Writing Challenge, February Prompt Challenge


Disclaimer: I am not in any way affiliated with Hannibal; Hannibal the television (TV) series was created and developed by Bryan Fuller for NBC, was produced by Bryan Fuller and other producers of the television series. The novels of 'Hannibal' like others in its chronicle series ('Silence of the Lambs' and 'Red Dragon') were all written and created by its author and writer Thomas Harris. The characters contained herein are not mine. The only thing I own the rights to or creation is if any of my original characters are in this fan fiction story.

No money is being made from this fan-fictional story/fan fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only. I own nothing, Seriously! Thus, no need for a lawsuit!


Author's Notes:

Greetings Fannibals and Readers!

I hope everyone is having a positive day, enjoying themselves this weekend going into the new week, or keeping cool and hydrated with Summer heat wherever you are in the world and safe with these Covid-19 times. (It's been becoming hotter in my area of the west coast out here in Southern California, So I've tried to stay as hydrated with drinking water as much as I can while being beyond grateful for having a new AC plug-in unit to keep my bedroom-art studio space room cool-cold as can be this ending Summer season.)

This February Valentine's Day prompts of a month's long days of stories will be written and updated periodically as it comes along since I have other stories and fandom fanfiction I'm working on. So everyone's patience has been greatly appreciated for me with writer's block at times, and real-life taking over my free time sometimes.

Here's the newest story one-shot prompt with a few surprises in it.

Enjoy reading this story and future story prompts, everyone. This prompt is for "Birds".


Prompt/Drabble: Birds

Title: Children's Opinions on Valentine's Day


"Alright Class, we will continue working on your Valentine's Day gifts for either your parents, guardians, grandparents, or other relatives you plan on giving them to once our lunchtime and recess time is finished," Margot Verger, the teacher of the classroom spoke softly to all of her first-grade students who were all starting to stop either coloring, painting, gluing, or cutting their arts and craft buttons, feathers, paper punched little paper pieces.

"Look Ms. Verger at what I made!" a little boy with brown hair, hawk-like blue eyes, wearing his little school uniform of the issued white button-down shirt collar, and dark navy blue shorts perfectly, preening with proud excitement in his voice.

"Let's take a look at what you've made for your parents Mathew. Well, this is interesting. What is this with hearts you have painted in your paints with some crayon addition coloring?" Margot asked her student, little Mathew Brown who was holding up his still slightly drying thick painting paper masterpiece.

"It's two hawks who are happy being married. I colored the lady hawk to be like my Mamma and the man hawk to look like my Daddy with his mustache on his beak. They work at the city zoo in the birdcages with the birds like owls and hawks. Hawks are my favorite, you know." Mathew proudly explained, eyes excited with happiness.

"Very interesting and creative Mathew! I think this is a Valentine's Day art mixed medium gift that your parents will love getting, Especially giving them both their likeness in the hawk details of their eyes, hair, and jewelry. Well done," Margot smiled, always finding Mathew despite his moments in her classroom to have slight outbursts, running wildly on the playground during recess to be too much sometimes, to be a good nature kid.

Moving along, Margot went to the next child at the connected student desks next to Mathew's seat, focusing her attention on his neighbor, little Clarice Starling, the newest addition to her classroom who had moved to the Virginia state with her father, a police officer a few weeks ago.

"Hi, Clarice, what have you made for your Daddy for Valentine's Day?" Margot asked the little dirty blonde-haired girl as she lifted her little face to glance at her with a teeth-kid friendly smile.

"I drew my Daddy and me in a pretty field with flowers and lambs. He likes lambs, he grew up with my Uncle on a sheep farm when he was little like me a long time ago. Though he'd like some sheep with us in my picture I made him in colored pencils and crayons." Clarice explained, pointing to the colored doodle of herself she'd drawn, next to her police uniformed doodled Father, Police Officer Lenient Starling, the two in a green grassy field with white fluffy sheep surrounding them.

"Very adorable Clarice. He will love your portrait. Keep up the great work. Let me go see how Jean, Joe, Abigail, Adam, and Nigel are all doing at their table. Hopefully, Nigel isn't trying to retaliate concerning against another war at Freddie, Francis, and Elisabeth...it's been a great day so far today," Margot sighed quietly to herself as she moved across the classroom to the two group tables where some of the worst and best of her students were sitting.

Little Joe Connor, with his messy locks of brown hair, was sitting next to Jean Le Chiffre, the boy with slicked comb back hair, with two different colored eyes, one intense brown, the other glass milky white. Both boys were coloring their Valentine's Day drawings on paper with crayons and push paint push-painting. Like some children, Joe and Jean were attached at the hip, being close as best friends paired up together happily.

"Are you making cards to give to your whole family Joe?" Jean asked, looking interested in every paper card Joe had neatly stacked by his supplies.

"Yes. There's one for my Mummy, One for my Daddy, and all three of my sisters. You make one drawing for both your guardians?" Joe nodded, looking over to the nicely placed glued and cut papers forming a basic heart on a solid sheet of pink pastel paper, with white fabric craft lace ribbon pieces glued to the paper's edges Jean was working on.

"Correct, it's for my guardians now parents Mr. Bond and his partner "Q". It feels like it's been forever now since they found and adopted me from that awful orphanage in Albania when they were traveling together for 'business' whatever they do for job-jobs," Jean shared quietly, " I'm glad they wanted me and loved me. I like being with them as their son. They are good people. Father's been teaching me self-defense and karate at home for sport, while my Dad who's "Q" his fiance' is really smart and knows a lot about everything tech, He loves playing card games like blackjack with me.``

"I'm glad they adopted you and moved here to Jean, or we wouldn't have met in Kindergarten here than when we were in Ms. Bloom's kindergarten class together." Little Joe smiled, while Jean nodded with a warm smile back.

Sitting across from the two was Abigail Graham-Lecter, with her brown hair done up in long hair braids held together at the end with soft satin blue ribbon bows matching her pullover dress school uniform. Abigail looked to be content with cutting up paper pink, purple, red, green, yellow, and blue hearts for her art project on her desk table. Her Valentine's Day project gift for her parents was going to be a collage of sorts centering paper cut out shaped hearts surrounding some glued paper love birds which were cut out of watercolor paper. Previously she had days prior at home, drawn and colored with the help of the drawing pencils and watercolor paint set. (Her Papa loved catering to her art supply needs, spoiling her with the best quality art materials for a girl her age when it came to quietly training her in the ways of fine arts drawing and painting at home as a hobby.)

The chair next to Abigail's seat was occupied by a dark brown-haired girl, with her eyes occupied by a stack of plain white construction paper with some art materials of tying craft string, a wooden bamboo stick, and colored pencils on her desk.

The girl, Elisabeth Buchwald, who demanded to be called "Beth" by some of her friends in other classes and on the elementary school playground with the rest of the first grade glanced over to the other table not too far from them with an unhappy frown.

At the other table sat Francis Dolarhyde, a tall bull-like boy who was quiet, making paper cut out like dragons holding hearts in their clawed hands. Earlier that week had told Margot that he was planning on making a special gift for his foster parents Mrs. and Mr. Fredrick Chilton for the holiday as thanks to them for having taken him in after the death of his grandmother a year ago. Ms. Verger had felt like his teachers before that Francis was quite special, talented in paper arts and crafts for a boy his age. He even amazed Abigail like the rest of his classmates (though some of the kids like Jean, Beth, and Freddie weren't ones to admit to admiring Francis and his paper skills.)

"I don't get why Adam likes sitting with 'him' of all the boys in this class and school..." Beth sighed loudly purposely in an unhappy tone as she turned back to the handmade and written storybook about love and raccoon's that she was going to gift to her parents for Valentine's Day.

"Maybe Adam just likes sitting next to Nigel because they're best friends," Jean said sternly in his Albanian accented little voice while giving Beth a hardened look like her complaint against Adam and Nigel being friends and desk mates had somehow 'offended' him.

"I don't think Adam does, I mean...I was his best friend first since Kindergarten when he had no one who wanted to talk to him or sit with him at lunchtime and trying to help him be normal and make other friends with his problems." Beth tried to argue as her table mates all eye her with looks of either annoyance, disbelief, and slight-anger.

"What's wrong with him now being best friends with Nigel? Nigel might be a little 'hot-headed' like my Papa would say sometimes my Daddy gets but Nigel's a good guy. He looks out for Adam, helps him calm down when he has 'panic shakes' like Ms. Verger says can happen with his Asperger Syndrome and Autism Spectrum. And Adam likes Nigel," Abigail pointed out, trying to stick up positively for Nigel who she had considered one of her friends like she did Adam Raki.

"Abby's right, and Nigel isn't a bad boy Beth. He's nice to everyone else even if he has funny ways of showing it when he's loud and laughs funny, or only hangs out with Adam or Abby here. You're never nice to Nigel wanting to play with him when Adam tries to invite you to go build sand buildings in the sandbox or play on the swings with them. And always trying to make Adam o stop playing or hanging out with him, wanting him to only play with you and your other boring friends in Mrs. King's class at recess." Jean nodded, sticking up for Nigel as well.

"You're so jealous of Nigel," Joe quietly pointed out, adding to the conversation, still coloring.

"I don't! I'm not mean to Nigel! He's just got no manners and is a bad influence like grown-ups say to Adam. And I'm not jealous! Adam needs to find better friends and normal kids to be friends with and not stupid Nigel!" Beth tried arguing, glaring back at the three, before throwing herself into her book-making project on her desk, face fuming red.

"It's not nice to be jealous or judge anyone because that's rude like my Daddy and Papa both always tell me about being polite Beth. Maybe if you're nicer to Nigel then Adam will want to play with you again or let you sit with him, Nigel, and me at our table at the picnic table outside at lunchtime by the cafeteria." Abigail said, shrugging as she went back to working on the paper gift she was making for her Fathers.

"Humph, Well what do you know Abigail?! You're just a stupid girl that got adopted by two strange men that only felt sorry for you cause you were an orphan. You're not even their real kid! They'd take any kid from the orphanage because that's what my Mommy and Daddy told me! Gay men are always desperate to have any kids or babies!" Beth snapped back angrily at Abigail, not caring that while the other girl started to cry silently and their other table mates looked at her in horror.

"ELISABETH! Come over here right now! Now young lady, Start marching! I cannot believe what I had just heard come out of your mouth! What have I told you and everyone else about how bullying isn't tolerated in this school, much less being mean and saying mean things to hurt others in this classroom? You've just earned yourself not only an in-class written trouble citation, but you're going to pull your green color card from the student behavior wall colors card to an orange color card. Furthermore, I'll be calling your parents to inform them of your rude behavior towards another student after we step outside to talk a little walk to see the principal..." Ms. Verger sternly spoke, eyeing Beth with an upset and very disappointed hard stare, while the rest of the students watched on silently at what was unfolding in their classroom.

While little Beth looked put off, biting her bottom lip sourly, as she dragged her feet over towards their teacher, Abigail was being comforted by support from her band of friends of Joe, Jean, Nigel, Adam, and supportive hugs surprisingly from all the students in the room, Francis and Freddie.

"Anything that stupid Beth says is lies and just mean words because that's all she knows Abby," Joe tried to comfort his friend, while Jean nodded in agreement with a quiet hmm.

"O'Connor's right, She's what my new Daddy Mr. Chilton would say is a 'troubled brainwashed' mean-spirited girl being raised by h-homophobic monsters who have their own mentally disillusioned beliefs of religion and things. He's a doctor like your Papa is Abigail..." Francis quietly shared as he spoke with his stutter, as the brunette girl smiled softly at him nodding, wiping away her tears.

"Thank you, Francis, everyone. Beth's just a mean person who has got lots of growing up to do as my Dad would say. My Papa would just say she's a 'rude one'." Abigail nodded, thanking them as she felt more comforting hugs from her friends and classmates as she watched Ms. Verger take Beth outside of the classroom, clearly to privately talk to her with a "lecture", no doubt like how her own Papa would go about grown-up lecturing Buster or Zoe if they were being misbehaving naughty doggies.

"I bet you all a week's worth of Twinkies and Zingers that Ms. Verger's going to drag Beth's snot nose all the way crying to Principal Crawford's office before she calls her parents," Nigel smirked mischievously, looking quite pleased that Beth was finally getting what had been coming to her at long last of her bullying and being a spoiled brat.

"You're on Nigel!", Freddie, Mathew, and Jean all shouted at once together, willing to take him on the Hostess dessert treats betting pool.

"Nigel, You shouldn't bet on people getting in trouble. It's not nice," Adam tsk'd looking with a slight frown at 'his' Nigel, while the other boy just shrugged with a toothy grin as he started making betting wagers with the other three students.

Abigail couldn't help but smile at that, While she politely accepted a tissue from Clarice, who came over to give her one from the class tissue box from Ms. Verger's desk.


"What are you going to do with your parents for Valentine's Day today?" Nigel asked Abigail as he and Adam sat with her as that was their routine together on the bus ride home after school had let out hours later.

"We always have Valentine's family dinner together at home. Just the three of us. Papa said he used to take Daddy out on special romantic dinner dates for the holiday at fancy restaurants before I came along. But he and Daddy like having special at-home dinners with me, So I'm not stuck at home with a boring babysitter who'd just look after me and all the doggies," Abigail explained, with a warm smile and shrug.

"Does your Papa cook something fancy for you and your Daddy?" Adam asked, leaning into Nigel's side as the taller boy stroked his hair comfortingly.

"Sometimes. Papa will make fancy-style surf-n-turf of shrimp, lobster tails, crab legs, and lots of steamed veggies all cooked in a fancy copper pot. Or he'll make fancy steaks or lamb rib racks for us with side dishes. But this year, Daddy's going to be cooking...well, ordering what I want for Valentine's Day dinner because they said I get to pick what we eat this time. So, I picked KFC!" Abigail grinned, remembering how happy Daddy had been at her dinner request, While her Papa...well, he had only stared slightly frown-face with a twitch in his eyes before suddenly smiling and saying quietly that it was 'perfectly fine for dinner.' (Abby still wasn't sure what that was all about exactly. She and her Daddy loved KFC, it was one of the best American fast food takeout restaurants, How could her Papa not enjoy or love it was beyond her.)

"That's nice. I had their macaroni and cheese once when my Dad and I with Uncle Harlan got it for us one time when we used to live in New York City. It's good, their cheese sauce is acceptable. My Dad and I are going to watch Charlie Rose on his talk show interviewing actors on the PBS channel. Dad's making what we always have: baked grilled chicken, sides of green beans, string an,d mac-n-cheese." Adam shared quietly, with a nod.

"Sounds cool Adam. What about you Nigel?" Abigail asked the Romanian boy, as they watched as other kids got off the school bus at their destination stops for home.

"My parents and I didn't celebrate Valentine's Day much back in Romania. It's more popular here like Canada and England do it my Tata says. Tata usually will at least then and now that we're living here in America, He'll come home with some small gifts for my Mama, He gets her some wild fresh or mixed colorful flowers and a small box of chocolates. Those handfuls of store-bought flowers and the little box of variety chocolates will make Mama smile, blush, and just very happy when Tata surprises her. Mama usually makes a nice Romanian stuffed meat roast with hearty potato and noodle dough dumplings, and stuffed cabbage rolls that my Mama had learned from Tata's Mama's family," Nigel shared, smiling his teeth as usual.

"Yummy. I love stuffed cabbage rolls! My Papa makes some with a tomato pasta red sauce and minced meats in them with rice when we have stuffed lamb or chicken roasts. Does your Mama make dessert?" Abigail asked, her mind and mouth already watering at Nigel's story of his family's holiday tradition of routine.

"Hmm, Mama used to make her kind of coffee-flavored desserts but said I'm too young. Coffee in Romania is too strong for kids, she says. But she makes kind of Apple Pie like all the Grandmothers and Moms all on television shows here do. Tata likes her baking pies and cobbler desserts and says it makes us fit in a little better as new Americans. It's why he works for America being a 'Proper American Trucker' driving long haul trucks out here, not doing his old job for 'important families' back in our homeland. It's better here, Better this way and my Mama doesn't have to work in pubs or bars anymore like she used to have back home. She can rest and relax at home with me and our pet cats like Tata says." Nigel nodded but straightened up with Adam as Abigail's stop on the bus route appeared just then.

"Cool. Maybe I can ask my Daddy and Papa if your Mommy and Tata can come over to visit and socialize as they do with my Aunt Bevy for a luncheon. Then you can come over to play with me and our dogs Nigel. Adam, you're invited with your Daddy too. I'll ask them," Abigail nodded, determined to plot and plan a playdate for her and her friends to have together soon on a weekend.

"Okay, Good luck giving your gift to your Dad and Papa then Abby. I'll let my parents know about play plans. I'm getting off at Adam's stop since Mama and his Dad already are fine with us hanging out to play and do homework together. His Dad always has the best American snacks at their house, with better cable television than we got in our apartment." Nigel agreed, giving who he had considered his only female best friend a goodbye hug, Adam did the same.

"Cool. Thanks, Nigel, Adam thanks for both of you having my back when Beth was being mean." Abigail said, looking appreciative of their loyalty and support.

"Beth needs to learn to stop being mean. Being in the principal's office and getting in trouble with her parents being called is a consequence like my Dad says for bullies. Happy Valentine's Day Abby." Adam smiled, giving his own thoughts on everything that had happened with his once former best friend, but didn't see having lost Beth as a loss, since he had both Abby and Nigel as his best-est friends now.

"She'll learn after having to sit alone in the 'uncooperative table' in class next week for a while like Ms. Verger said that is what is going to happen for her and her having to write an apology letter to me. Glad Ms. Verger said she'd call my parents to let them know too. Goodbye Nigel, Adam. Happy Valentine's Day to you two too." Abigail grinned, waving bye to them as she left to get off of the yellow school bus, to the side of the road next to the dirt path driveway and trail that led to her home in the Wolf Trap area.

Little Abby as she walked, carrying her Scooby-Doo metal lunchbox, her Bat Girl-themed school shoulder book bag, caught sight of Buster, Zoe, Winston, and the other dogs of the family pack sitting on the front porch. Waiting with them all was her Daddy, Will who was sitting in the porch wooden swing chair that had been built and painted by him. She watched her Dad, dressed in his regular wear of a plaid unbuttoned collar shirt over an old faded band shirt, casually worn jeans, and sandals smiling as he got up from the swing, waving in greeting to her lovingly.

"I might be a weirdo but unlike Beth, At least I'm loved by great Dads who love me and my oddness like they do all of my dog brothers and sisters. That's all that matters." Abby told herself with a nod.

She was going to look forward to tonight's Valentine's Day with her family, KFC for dinner that she'd go pick up with her Daddy, while her Papa stayed home to prepare whatever surprise dessert he had planned for them. Hopefully, they wouldn't be too upset over the phone call her teacher had to make earlier that day.


The End


Romanian to English Translations:

Mother/Mom = Mama

Father/Dad = Tata.


Author's Ending Notes:

Another Valentine's Day prompt story/drabble completed.

I apologize if anyone reading felt that this prompt one-shot was a little short. Sorry, but sometimes some stories, prompts, or drabbles can't always be longer. Sometimes they like or want to be written short or not a little too long word or lengthwise in page numbers.

I hope nether-the-less that you all enjoyed reading this one with some of the HEU characters who had made surprise appearance cameos in this story.

Feel free to leave any comments or feedback, kudos or likes, or favorite this story or follow it.

Positive or kind feedback or constructive criticism is always welcomed, while negative comments will just be ignored.

Until the next prompt for this series of Valentine's Day February month stories, please be safe out there everyone, and I'll catch you in the next story.