Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clarice was just starting to wonder how much longer their little trek through the woods would be taking when she suddenly noticed the lack of roots under her feet that had been trying to make her fall for last two days.
She quickly looked up to see a grand looking cabin. It was the epitome of a winter home. She turned to see Dr. Lecter smirking next to her.
"You never do anything half-way do you?"
"You only have one life to live fully, Clarice. Why spend it doing anything less?" Lecter answered simply, leading the way up to the property.
However instead of going up to the main house, he circled it and started walking towards a smaller version of the cabin located behind it.
Lecter rapped on the door. When Clarice was just about to say that she highly doubted anyone was inside, the door opened to reveal an old man.
"Hello, who's there?" The man said.
Clarice looked down to see he was holding a cane and looking up at nothing in particular. It took Clarice a moment to realize that the man was blind.
"Hello Victor. It's nice to see you after all of these years."
"Mr. Davis?! Is that you?" The old man's face broke out into a large smile.
"It's been so long, I never thought I'd see you again to tell the truth."
"Well plans change, but I'm happy you're included in them now, Victor. So, you've still got the key to the main house I presume?"
"Oh yes, yes." The man said and quickly went back inside to retrieve the key.
After talking for a bit and introducing Clarice to Victor, Dr. Lecter bid his friend good night, promising to say good bye before he left again.
Clarice followed Dr. Lecter back up to the main house.
Dr. Lecter opened the door for her and Clarice stepped inside.
Dr. Lecter immediately went to start a fire on the hearth located in the sitting room off to the right.
Clarice started wandering around. It was furnished well, but obvious that someone hadn't lived in it for a very long time.
"Okey dokey then." Lecter said as he rose and brushed some ash off of his hands.
"Well, first things first. We need to get some thing together before we leave."
"How long are we staying here?" Clarice asked as she followed Lecter up the stairs.
"One day, two at the most. Just long enough to rest before we leave the country."
"Where are we going?"
"I was thinking about leaving that up to you, Clarice. I have other permanent homes in Buenos Aires, Berlin, Paris, Ontario, and London. However, I am sure we will be able to find adequate housing in any other country if you wish."
"How about Florence?" Clarice asked, barely containing a laugh.
"Clarice, anywhere else in the world, and you choose there? I promise in about five years we'll be able to go back there again. But for the time being I must ask you to limit yourself to the rest of world."
"Oh Darn." Clarice replied casually.
Finally Dr. Lecter stopped in the middle of the hall way and pulled out a drawer Clarice hadn't noticed before.
She stepped up next to him to look down in to it.
There were several compartments. The first contained a large stack of American bills and several other smaller stacks of foreign money. The second contained several passports under different identities and other forms of identification.
Dr. Lecter pulled out duffle bags and handed one to Clarice after stowing away several hundred dollars in the side pocket.
He did the same with his own bag, including the identification. After closing the drawer he opened up the second one, this time revealing several types of weapon.
He immediately reached for his favored harpy and quickly tucked it into his pants pocket. Most of the weapons were knives but there were several fire arms.
"I know you favor these more, Clarice. But do try and not use them until all other forms of evasive action are lost." He added winking, as he handed her a gun with several rounds of ammunition.
Clarice rolled her eyes, after all it wasn't her fault that shooting first and asking questions later wasn't really the best approach for a fugitive on the run.
Lecter closed the drawers and led Clarice to another room. The wallpaper was faded but still held a simple elegance.
"This was the room of my patient's younger sister. Although the clothes are old, they'll have to do for now."
Clarice nodded and went to look through the bureau.
"Dinner will be ready in a couple of hours. Whenever you're ready feel free to come down."
"Of course." Clarice replied, already looking forward to a warm shower after two days of hiking.
Lecter smiled slightly as he left Clarice. He then quickly left to his own rooms. After showering and dressing, Dr. Lecter went to pay a visit to his old friend, Victor. This time in pursuit of food. If he remembered correctly, Victor's wife had a keen eye and hunted year around. Surely she wouldn't mind parting with some of the meat she gained from her escapades.
Two hours later found Dr. Lecter rifling through the old kitchen's meager supply of spices in order to complete his dish. Dr. Lecter's impromptu dinner was simple yet bound to be very tasty.
Just as he was finishing, Clarice came down to greet him. He was happy to see she still had her gun clasped against her leg in the holster he had provided.
Lecter had already set the table and placed their dishes. Leaving only the wine, which out of the whole pantry was what was most plentiful.
After pouring Clarice's glass and refilling his own, Lecter led her to dinning room. Which although nothing when compared to the sleek, impressive, marble rooms he was most used to occupying of late, still did possess a quiet comfort not found in most homes.
Clarice sat down and calmly sipped her wine before looking down warily at the slice of meat before her. Seeing this, Lecter smirked slightly.
"I assure you Clarice, our old friends out there are still quiet alive and will never come near any knife of mine."
"Any other people around here that have upset in the last two hours?"
"Still don't trust me, hmm?"
"No, I trust you. It's just, I know how much you love to play with words. And although you tell the truth you only said that Victor and wife were alive and well, how do I know that doesn't go for any other of your enemies that may have cropped up?" Clarice countered.
Both of them knew that even if Dr. Lecter wanted, he would have been hard pressed to find a person in this desolate area, kill them, dispose of the body, and prepare this meal within the last two hours. But that didn't take away from the fact that they both enjoyed the playful banter always present in their little arguments.
"Fine, Clarice I will give a straight answer for once. The meat is not human flesh, happy?"
"Why, yes I am thanks for asking." Clarice said as she cut her meat with a flourish, happy for once that she had won one of their little disputes.
Their conversation continued in their usual easy going manner for a couple of hours before Lecter removed their few dishes.
Both, although tired were not really in any hurry to sleep. They retired to the living room instead. The fire that Lecter had started previously was just starting to die down before he restocked it once more.
While Lecter contented himself with idly staring into the flames, Clarice was more restless. She walked over to the bookshelf that lined one wall and lazily looked through their titles. Finding nothing that warranted her immediate attention there, Clarice walked to the other side of the room. It was taken up by a small table on which rested a chess set and in the corner stood a small piano.
After looking at the chess pieces for a moment, she heard Dr. Lecter rise.
"Care for a game Clarice?" He asked.
Clarice was just about to say yes when she caught the mischievous look in his eyes.
"um..no that's o.k." Clarice answered, quickly putting back the pawn in it's original position.
"Why not? You're obviously bored. Such a pity, two nights together and things have already become tedious between us?" Hannibal as he took another step towards her.
Clarice stepped back, thinking that her rapidly increasing heart beat was enough to attest to the fact that his last statement was completely false.
"No, it's just...Chess isn't my thing." Clarice answered quickly.
"Then what would you like to do?" Hannibal asked, his eyebrow raised as he closed the gap between them.
Clarice desperately wanted to reach out and embrace him but that stubborn part of her mind reminded her of the last time she had been especially close to him.
The feeling of frustration she felt as he had left her in the bathtub that first day was not lost upon her.
Clarice called that feeling up as she resolved to not be played around with. She wasn't going to bend to his whims whenever he wanted.
"What do I want to do?" Clarice asked as she quickly stepped to her left so that the piano bench was now separating the two of them.
"Yes, that is what I asked." Hannibal replied, eyeing her warily as if trying to determine what she was planning on doing.
A moment before she had been staring at him eagerly and now she was looking around to anywhere else. His Clarice never did cease to surprise him, but that was what he liked about her. So it seemed he would have to put up with the inconvenience of not being able to predict her behavior.
"I would like to..." Clarice looked around the room once more...there wasn't much to do here she knew.
"I'm waiting, Clarice." Hannibal said quietly as he looked down at the piano bench, no doubt thinking about kicking it out of the way. Now that it was the only thing that separated him from Clarice.
Clarice followed his line of sight to the piano bench and realized that if she didn't pick something to do soon, Hannibal would decide for her. And although she would most likely enjoy his ideas, Clarice was loath to give in that easily.
"I...would like to...Play the Piano." Clarice said quickly then with more conviction,
"I want you to teach me how to play it."
Lecter looked up at her, clearly that was not the response he expected.
After considering her for a moment, Hannibal smiled.
"Okey dokey then, I shall teach you a song or two tonight."
Clarice stared at him, why was he smiling? He must be planning something. Although what, Clarice had no idea.
Hannibal motioned for Clarice to take a seat on the left side of the piano bench. They would be playing a duet.
Clarice's part consisted of several notes repeated over and over, nothing too hard for a beginner.
"Now Clarice, just make sure that you repeat that same sequence continuously. A clear steady beat is of the utmost importance."
Clarice nodded, thinking that maybe this wasn't so bad, quite fun actually.
She started her part and Hannibal let her go on by her self for a couple measure before adding his own part.
The deep sound of Clarice's repeated sequence contrasted nicely with the interwoven light theme that Hannibal was playing.
Before long the song was finished and Clarice was smiling, happy that she hadn't royally butchered her first attempt at a duet.
"Congratulations Clarice, now for something a little more difficult, hmm?"
"Like what?" Clarice asked suspiciously as she saw the now familiar glint return to his eyes.
"Oh nothing too bad...I promise." Hannibal said as he got up and motioned for Clarice to move to the middle of the piano bench.
Just as she did, she felt his arms slide underneath hers. She stiffened immediately.
"What are you doing?"
"Teaching you how to play, now place your hands on top of mine."
Clarice grudgingly did so, reminding herself not to be swayed so easily this time. She followed his hands for a couple of measures, but was too concerned with trying to ignore his breath on her neck for her to really pay attention.
"Relax." Hannibal intoned quietly, noticing she was still tense. At that word, Clarice only became more rigid, remembering that was the exact thing he had said that day too.
Ever the observant, Lecter noticed this.
"Oh, now I see what this is, Clarice." Hannibal chuckled as he nuzzled his head into the base of her neck.
Clarice snatched her arms back from underneath his hands.
"What is it?" She asked as she forced herself to stand up and disentangle herself from his arms.
Hannibal, now facing her, leaned forward and whispered in her ear.
"You, my dear, are angry with me. For leaving you unsatisfied in the bath that day."
Clarice colored slightly.
"I most certainly am not." Clarice said, although she was in truth. Not like she was going to admit to something so seemingly petty though.
"Clarice, I tolerate anger, not dishonesty. Now, I apologize for my abruptness that day, but we were in a hurry-"
"It's not that, well not exactly."
"What is it then, Clarice?"
Clarice sighed, not really used to putting her feelings into actual words.
"It's just...that it's not fair. You seem to have all the control, you know where we're going, what we're doing. You snap your fingers and I feel like a pool of mush. But you...you're just so unaffected and resilient. It's not fair."
"I have hidden my emotions for many years now, Clarice. But believe me, I am just as affected by you as you are of me, no matter how well I might try to hide it. And I know I am a controlling person, but I never want to control you. Understand?"
Clarice nodded and as if on impulse she stepped towards him and hesitatingly kissed him. And for once, Hannibal allowed her to lead the motion. Smiling gratefully, Clarice pulled him closer to her.
After a couple of moments, Hannibal's reservoir of restraint was running low. He wrapped his arms around her back to bring her closer, happy when she didn't resist.
Pulling out of the kiss Hannibal said breathlessly into her ear.
"Clarice, I'd never force anything upon you but if you want to stop...Now would be the time to say so."
Clarice smirked and replied easily, though just as breathlessly.
"A friend of mine once said that all good things come to those who wait. I think we've waited long enough, don't you?"
Hannibal smiled and kissed her once again in response before leading her up to the bedroom.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well that was easily the hardest chapter I've written so far. I'd very much enjoy your feedback. And comments or criticisms are always welcome. A special thanks to all of my previous reviewers it really helps me to continue.