Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, I am only borrowing them for entertainment purposes.

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The sudden bright light illuminated the tiny underground room. There were four concrete walls, the only gap being the staircase that led up to the false, tree-door. In one corner of the room was a small double bed, with plain beige sheets which were stained with what looked like droplets of blood. But what really astonished Clarice was the ceiling. Every square inch of it was covered with photographs of what Clarice could only assume were Verger's victims. All of which had the same kind of terrified look in their eyes. Besides the bed, the tiny night table next to it, and the photographs, nothing else adorned the room. Clarice knew Verger had created this hidden room for the sole purpose of carrying out his sick fantasies.

Not feeling comfortable with sleeping on the strained bed, Clarice decided to curl up at the base of the staircase. And despite the uncomfortable surroundings and position, she was fast asleep within moments. Hours later, although it only seemed like minutes to Clarice, she woke up to sound of tapping. She leapt up and ran to the door, and was about to push it open, until she remembered that it might not be Dr. Lecter. She stood at the door, listening as she had the night before.

"Clarice?" said a voice that, honestly, Clarice did not expect at all.

"Ardelia?!" Clarice asked incredulously.

"Clarice?! Oh thank God you're actually here. I had thought the worst. Now come on out here quick so we can get out of here."

Clarice swung open the tree-door quickly and briefly hugged Ardelia.

"How'd you know I was here, 'Delia?"

"Long story, come quick. Dr Lecter said to get you out of here as quick as possible."

"Dr. Lecter? You met him, what's happened to him, is he o.k.?" Clarice fired these questions off one after the other as they ran from the clearing, deeper into the woods.

"He's alive, now hurry, my car's parked right ahead." They ran in silence and finally came to Ardelia's car parked on the outskirts of the forest.

Ardelia started the car, and in no time they were driving down the freeway.

"Ardelia, we're fine now, tell me what happened!"

"o.k., o.k. Hold your horses, girl. And afterwards I have a couple of questions to ask you."

"Fine, what has happened?"

"Well last night I got home late. And while I was making some tea to help me go to sleep, I heard your door opening and closing. I knew it wasn't you, of course. You never come home that late, and even if you did, it didn't sound like you. The footsteps were somehow more...well, just different. Of course I thought, it was just a no-good thief, so I got my gun just in case, you know." Ardelia smirked and continued.

"Anyways I tip-toed to your side of the apartment. And then suddenly I found myself pinned up against a wall with a knife pressed tightly to my neck. And then I heard a voice, a voice which I knew only from those old tape recordings that you used to play." Ardelia stopped, took a deep breath, as if she wanted to tell this part of her story exactly as it was.

"And if I remember correctly, he said, "Ardelia, correct? Well I think you know who I am. And I would like you to remember, when the time comes, that I could have murdered you here, right here...and still I chose not to. Now, if you value the life of your friend Clarice, you will listen to me carefully." I felt his grip loosening, he was growing weaker I could tell. And then he went on. "I am going to release you, do you promise not to do anything foolish?"

"Yes, I promise." I said. And then he told me that if I didn't want to see you in prison for the rest of your life, to go directly to the Verger estate. Luckily I was able to find the tree he described. He also made sure to tell me that it was the of the

"utmost importance that I not inform the police or FBI of his or your whereabouts."

Yes, that is what he said. And he said that you would convince me he was telling the truth. Can you, Clarice?" Ardelia started to get angry. "Well you better, because I risked letting a serial killer loose in my apartment, just to make sure you were all right!"

Ardelia turned off the freeway and started driving through the city streets towards their shared apartment.

"Ardelia, I can explain. Just tell me, is Hannibal all right?"

"He looked fine enough, by what I could tell in a dark room. But as I said before, he seemed to get weaker, the longer we spoke. He's still in my apartment actually, he asked if he could stay there, before I left to get you. Quite polite actually. But I believe I was asking you the questions now, Clar-."

"Wait! pull over, Ardelia now!" Clarice shouted.

"What, what is it?" Ardelia asked as she pulled the car over to the side of the road. Clarice ducked down as a police car came past and headed towards their house, only about a block away.

"Ardelia, I promise I'll explain everything. I'll meet you inside, I'll have to get in through the back so the police won't see me. And whatever you do, don't let them inside! They won't have warrants yet, so just stall as long as you can. See you soon." Clarice said as she ducked outside and disappeared into some brush on the other side of the street.

"Damn, what have you gotten yourself into?" Ardelia muttered to herself as she drove on towards her house, and the awaiting authorities..

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What ever could happen? Could Clarice and Hannibal actually make it out of this one all and well? Well I hope so! As always, reviews are appreciated. Special thanks to my previous reviewers, whose positive feedback helps me to continue!