A/N: Big Boi chapter!

Amelia took in her surroundings as she neared Dr. Du Maurier's home. Her house was a modern mansion; she could see Hannibal having therapeutic conversations in a setting like this. So different from his decadence and dark color palettes, it would be impossible for him to not be more at ease in a lighter and more cheerful looking environment.

She knocked softly on the door, and the handle began to turn. Amelia suddenly felt very small. Nervous, even. As the door cracked open, a millisecond of pure panic overcame her.

"Amelia Hobbs?," the gorgeous woman asked in a silky voice.

"Yes, ma'am. It's nice to finally meet you Dr. Du Maurier."

Dr. Du Maurier gave her an affable smile.

"It's nice to meet you too, Ms. Hobbs. Please come in."

She opened the door wider to allow Amelia to pass her. Amelia was taken in by the coziness and homey feeling of the foyer and living room.

"Your house is lovely."

"Thank you. I try to keep a comfortable atmosphere for my patients. Please, sit down."

They sat across from each other in comfortable linen chairs; Dr. Du Maurier began writing in the notebook on her lap.

"Tell me about yourself, Ms. Hobbs."

"Okay, um… I'm twenty-nine years old and just moved to Baltimore after a divorce. I have a sister. I went to university to become a teacher, but ended up getting a secretarial certificate when I got married. I'm a fairly vanilla person."

"So tell me, Ms. Hobbs, what do you need from therapy?"

"Would you like the laundry list or the condensed version?"

"The condensed version will do for now."

"Well… My stepfather killed my mother and attempted to kill my half-sister. It's since been discovered he was cannibalizing other young girls he murdered. Then my husband divorced me. And now questions about my biological father are starting to bother me."

"That's… quite a situation. How have you been adjusting to the resulting changes from these events?"

"I would say fairly well. I miss my mother, but my sister survived and I see her often. Han- Dr. Lecter and our mutual friend Will have really been a help to me as well. I actually start working for Dr. Lecter tomorrow as his secretary. "

"It sounds like you've made great progress already. Which of those issues do you feel specifically is holding you back?"

"I've more or less come to terms with my mother's murder; looking after my sister is keeping me occupied. The glaring problem now is that I can remember very little of my life before my step-father. I see bits and pieces of memories, but they come to an abrupt halt before I can see a complete memory."

"That's often a sign of post traumatic stress disorder or even dissociative identity disorder. Do you have any remembrance of events that the beginning could be interpreted as physical or sexual abuse?"

"I'm not sure. There's snippets of times when my father was angry or extremely affectionate, so it's quite possible. In any case, since he abandoned my mother and me I have no desire to seek him out."

"That's understandable. He's never tried to make contact with either of you in the time he's been out of the picture?"

"No. At least not that I'm aware of."

"Was your relationship with your mother more stable and nurturing?"

"Yes, by far. Her and I left my father while he was gone at work one day and that was the end of it. Anytime I tried to ask her why we up and disappeared she would just tell me that my father wasn't a good person and didn't deserve children or a wife. So I assumed she was protecting me. Our relationship was very open and honest, and she never made me feel dread or fear like my father did."

"She sounds like a very nice woman."

"She was."

The room went dead silent as Dr. Du Maurier jotted down more notes. Amelia wondered if she was noting information or her impressions of her.

"I believe we can make further progress with recovering your memories; as well as any issues related to your family situation."

"There is another matter that is loosely related to my sister and a prospective boyfriend as well."

"And what might that be?"

"Dr. Lecter told me that our mutual friend, Will Graham, has dissociative episodes where he imagines killing my sister, Abigail. I'm very fond of Will, but if he's going to be a danger to either of us, I don't know if I should leave him be or pursue a relationship with him."

"Seeing as we don't have much time left this session, we can discuss that. Do you feel you're in danger when you see him?"

"No. I don't even feel uncomfortable around him."

"Has he ever said anything that sounded predatory or violent toward Abigail?"

"No. If anything he only says that he cares for her."

"Then balance your logic and your reasoning. Proceed with caution, but be weary."

"I think I can accommodate that. I just feel that Dr. Lecter is trying to look out for me, and I don't want to be dismissive of his opinion."

"... How is your friendship with Dr. Lecter?"

"Oh, he's wonderful. He's intelligent and refined and I just feel… cared for with him."

Dr. Du Maurier paled at her words.

"Are you alright, Dr. Du Maurier?"

"Yes, forgive me. I was just a little lightheaded."

"Think nothing of it," Amelia said with a small smile.

"Do you spend much time with Dr. Lecter?"

"Not as much as I would like."

"He's a very… unique man. It's very easy to like him. I'm sorry if this seems like a forward question, but do you have an attraction to Dr. Lecter?"

Amelia took on a look of deep concentration.

"Um… well… I think he's very attractive and charming; however, I do find him a little hard to relate to, though."

"Yes, he's a very complicated individual."

"I also feel like I could never have a chance with him. Whenever I imagine Hannibal with a woman, if you'll forgive me saying, she's a lot like you."

Dr. Du Maurier let out a pencil-thin smile.

"He has never really had a type. He's selective, but his tastes are… person to person," she explained with a sickened look.

"Are you sure you're okay? You seem a little uncomfortable."

"I assure you, I'm okay."

"As long as you're sure."

Dr. Du Maurier finished a note, then looked up at Amelia.

"I'm afraid we're out of time for today."

"Already?"

"Time flies when you're productive."

"I suppose that's true."

"When would you like your next appointment?"

"How often will I need appointments?"

"Every other week for the foreseeable future."

"Could we set up Friday evenings at… say six o'clock?"

"That is doable. I'll see you out."

Both women rose from their seats and filed to the front door.

"Thank you, Dr. Du Maurier. I look forward to working with you."

"And I you. And please, call me Bedelia," she requested with a wink and a smile.

"As long as you call me Amelia. Have a good day, Bedelia."

"You too, Amelia. I'll see you in a couple weeks."

Bedelia watched as Amelia strolled back to her car and took off. She turned back to head back into the living room. Hannibal was sitting where Amelia was formerly seated.

"You're a good friend," he said proudly.

"I'm an accomplice," Bedelia sighed sadly, "What are your plans for her?"

He gave her a chilling grin.

Bedelia shivered in fear for the poor unwitting young woman.

"Why her? I don't believe she can even have the capacity to be a bad person. She seems way too innocent to reflect your nature."

"She is. For now; her naivety is also why she will be accepting of me when I reveal my true self to her."

"Amelia is a caring and good young woman. I beg you to spare her your particular brand of… shaping."

"She's far too wonderful an opportunity to miss. She has so much potential to become something great if I can guide her; and keep Will Graham from getting too close."

"And how do you plan to carry out these "plans" of yours?"

"Don't you worry, I'm always three steps ahead. You know what a… coercive fellow I can be."

Bedelia slowly closed her eyes and willed away the nauseated feeling growing in her stomach.

"You've fed her, haven't you?"

A mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Bedelia."

A stab of anger lanced through her, but she dared not confront him.

As Amelia drove home, she felt the tug of war between keeping Will close or keeping him distant going strong.

She knew Will was harmless and he had never made her feel unsafe.

I'll do as Bedelia suggested. I don't have to be completely deprived of him; Abby is never even around him.

She felt her mood begin to lift. Her phone rang.

Speak of the devil…

"Hello William."

"Amy."

"How are you today? I haven't heard from you for a few days."

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"Now I'm more curious…"

"Well… That call I got that morning while we were having breakfast? It was about a family homicide, but one of the children was missing. It turned out he was abducted by a woman who was trying to start a family by stealing children from families she murdered. We followed her all the way to South Carolina and took her down."

"Oh my God! That's insane! Are the kids alright?"

"They are now. At least as well as they can be for being put into the foster care system."

"Poor little buggers. At least they're away from a murderer. Anyway, aside from that lovely story, what are you up to?"

"Giving a class then coming up to Baltimore for a session with Dr. Lecter. Would you like me to stop by?"

"I would love for you to stop by! If you want to, that is."

"I'll see you around seven."

"Cool, I… I can't wait to see you."

Will was eerily quiet after the sentence left her lips.

"And I… can't wait either."

Amelia felt her heart flutter like a hummingbird.

"What would you like for dinner?"

"Surprise me."

"Will do. See you in a bit."

"See you soon."

They hung up as she was pulling into her parking space. She hurried out of the car and took two stairs at a time getting up to her apartment. She swung the door open to find Abigail sitting on her couch.

"How… How did- what are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you about the Nick Boyle situation."

"Okay. What do you want to say?"

"I fixed it."

"... How?"

"I exhumed his body and left him where he could be found."

"That really doesn't seem like "fixing" anything, it makes it sound like you made things worse…"

"How?"

"Because now, when Crawford gets a hold of his body, he's going to make you examine it to see if you break into hysterics and confess. You should have left him."

"And how would you have had me fix it?"

"I don't know; I don't know."

"Well, the damage is done already."

"You know you put Hannibal at risk by doing this too, right?"

"Why are you so worried about him? You got a crush on him or something?," she snapped.

Amelia looked down at the floor and tried to stutter out a response, but couldn't.

"Oh my god, really?"

"I can't help it, Abby; he's just so… genteel. It's difficult to be a woman getting away from an idiot husband and meeting someone like him."

Abigail looked down in sorrow.

If only you knew, Amy, if only…

"Anyway, that was a reckless thing to do."

"Noted. Can I stay for dinner?"

"Sure, I suppose," Amelia sighed, "Will will be joining us."

"Oh… Maybe I'll skip tonight then."

"Hannibal told me about what you said about Will… Why didn't you tell me?"

"You already get unreasonably worried about me; why would I intensify it?"

"Point taken, but still… Has he tried to hurt you or made you feel like you were in danger?"

"No, not really. The fact he can empathize with dad so well though, that worries me."

"He hasn't killed anyone because of his ability, so why are you on edge?"

"I can't explain it. Everything will make sense soon though, I promise."

"I believe you, now hurry back to the hospital before they realize you're gone."

Abigail nodded and left without another word.

Amelia went to the kitchen to begin preparing pork chops for them, when her phone rang. It was Will.

"Hello?"

"Hey. I'm sorry, but I have to cancel on you for tonight. We just had a case come up."

"Oh well, duty calls. Let me know when you're free."

"Thank you for understanding. I promise we'll get together soon."

"Good luck catching the bad guys."

"Let's hope. Talk to you later."

"Bye."

Well, that's annoying, she thought as she put her phone down. It's very possible that Will is so busy with work that he won't have time for me anyway. But, I know someone who would make time for me…

She picked her phone back up and dialed Hannibal. She felt dread at the possibility that Hannibal would turn her down for the evening as well. The phone rang once and he answered.

"Amelia, what a nice surprise," he answered with enthusiasm.

"Good afternoon, Hannibal. I was wondering if you would like to come over for dinner tonight."

"I'm going to the gala at the art museum tonight."

"Oh," she said with disappointment.

"However, I do have an extra ticket… Would you like to join me?"

"I would love to!"

"Excellent. I'll pick you up at six o'clock. We can have a late dinner afterwards."

"I'll be ready."

"Perfect, see you then."

"See you in a bit."

Amelia felt like she was floating as she set about getting ready. She decided neutral makeup with a dramatic dress would be fitting for where they would be going. She plucked a knee-length black dress with gold floral print from her closet and laid it on her bed.

She began curling her hair in loose ringlets and pinning them into place. She took her time preparing for her evening out, when Will called her.

"Hello, Will."

"Hey. So it turns out I'll have a little time off this evening. Is your dinner invitation still good?"

"I'm sorry, but I have new plans for the evening. We can get together another time."

"Okay…," Will sighed.

"Have a good evening, Will. And get some rest, will ya?"

"I will. Goodnight, Amelia."

"Goodnight."

She finished her makeup and slipped into her dress just as there was a knock at the door. She quickly spritzed some perfume on, and went to peek at who it was. Sure enough, Hannibal was standing in the hallway; looking like the epitome of high society in his perfectly tailored and pressed tuxedo.

She opened the door stepping to the side to allow him in.

"Good evening, Hannibal. You look very handsome."

"Thank you, Amelia; and you look-," Hannibal was astonished as he turned around and took in the vision of Amelia in a formal and very form-fitting dress, "absolutely divine," he breathed out.

She looked down with a blush overtaking her cheeks.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

He always found her modesty to be one of the things that attracted him to her the most. And starting tomorrow, they would be practically glued to each other when she started as his receptionist.

"I'm ready to go if you are."

"Of course. I'm very excited to finally be getting out and spending the evening with you."

"Me as well," he replied, his ego inflating.

They smiled at each other and walked out, Amelia locking the door behind her. They walked side by side to his car; he opened the door for her and gently helped her slide into her seat. He took his place in the driver's seat and they were off.

"You know, I've never been to an art museum."

"Really?"

"Yeah, my ex-husband thought they were too stuffy and for the elite."

"That's a very antiquated notion; elementary school children go frequently."

"I know, I tried to explain that to him and he just claimed I was insinuating I was better than him."

"He sounds like a real class act," Hannibal said with sarcasm.

"He really was. I'm so glad I met you, Hannibal; I feel so at ease around you."

"What are friends for?"

They soon arrived at the museum; Hannibal left his keys with the valet and they made their way inside.

"The concert portion doesn't start for half an hour if you want to look around; I can point out the best pieces for you."

"That sounds good!"

They weaved in and out of the crowd, Hannibal grabbing her hand so she could keep up. She began to get flustered as he firmly grasped her small hand in his large one; Hannibal smiled triumphantly as she gave his fingers a light squeeze.

They roamed the labyrinthine halls, Hannibal curating as they wandered around. He drew her attention to several classical pieces; Botticelli, a couple lesser known Da Vinci paintings, and several sculptures and statues.

"And this one is my personal favorite piece on display here; the Rape of Prosperina, or the Roman version of Hades and Persephone, with Pluto taking the place of Hades."

Amelia took in the details of the statue; Prosperina, unwilling to give up her life on the surface, while Pluto had a pleased as punch look on his face at acquiring a very resistant queen. Her eyes briefly flickered to Hannibal's chiseled features, entertaining the thought that he resembled Pluto in the way he carried himself and had such a demanding presence and demeanor.

Hannibal's eyes gravitated toward her, loving the way she stared at Pluto with the slightest hint of admiration.

"What are you thinking? You seem to be very focused on the "villain"."

"I won't lie, I am. He may have been devious, but to me he was just a lonely man who craved companionship and understanding. I mean, he shouldn't have kidnapped a woman and forced her to be his queen, but at the end of the day he was just a man."

Hannibal could feel the black hole where his heart should be begin to fill. He even felt, dare he say it; elation.

She's so like Will and yet… she's not.

He cleared his throat and motioned back to the atrium.

"The concert is about to start; let's get to our seats."

She nodded, linking her arm with his as he held it out to her with a smile. He gently placed a hand on top of hers, savoring the feeling of her petal soft skin.

As they walked, Amelia could feel eyes on them. She didn't know who or from where, but she got a distinct feeling they were being closely observed. The feeling continued as the lights began to dim and a lovely woman in a gold dress took the stage.

The accompaniment started, and her voice carried throughout the room. The seats nearly vibrated with the power of every note she carried. She looked to Hannibal and noticed he was completely enraptured, even crying.

She debated on holding his hand, reaching towards it then withdrawing.

Hannibal smiled in amusement watching her trying to decide what to do; he reached his hand up and grasped hers, bringing it to his cheek.

Amelia fought to keep her pleased smile hidden, but failed miserably. The feeling ebbed as she looked around and noticed two men's eyes on her and Hannibal. She made eye contact with them; one was the man who entered Hannibal's office as she left that one day, and the other she didn't recognize. They both were polite enough to acknowledge her with nods, which she returned. She tried to refocus on the rest of the performance, but she felt… foreboden.

Her attention returned to the woman as she sang probably the highest note she ever heard in her life, her throat feeling sore at even thinking about how strained her vocal cords must have been. When the music stopped, she and Hannibal were the first to give a standing ovation, quickly followed by the man she remembered, whose name (she was fairly sure) was Franklyn.

She reached into her clutch and extracted a kleenex that she extended to Hannibal. He dabbed his eyes and stuffed it into one of his pockets.

The room began to disperse with everyone meeting in the foyer to sip drinks and socialize. A group of people began to gather around her and Hannibal; an older woman, so older men who were no doubt colleagues, and various others.

"Who is your lady friend, Hannibal? She's lovely!"

"Is this a new lover?"

"Did you finally choose a wife?," the woman said, eyeing her like competition.

Hannibal just chuckled and shook his head.

"This is my new friend Amelia. She and I are just getting to know each other. Amelia, this is Mrs. Komeda, Winston Lester, a colleague of mine, Henry Mailhot, and Dr. Donald Sutcliffe, one of the finest neurologists in Baltimore."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," she greeted them with an outgoing smile.

"It's very nice to meet you too, my dear," Mrs. Komeda replied, shaking her hand.

"How long have you known Hannibal?," Mr. Lester asked.

"Oh, about a month."

"How did you two meet?," Mr. Sutcliffe inquired.

She and Hannibal exchanged looks before she vaguely answered, "Through a mutual friend."

The answer seemed to appease the group.

They all turned to Hannibal.

"It's been too long since you've properly cooked for us, Hannibal."

"Come over and I will cook for you."

Amelia began to slightly panic when she noticed Franklyn and his friend approaching them. They stood on the opposite side of Hannibal, just outside his peripheral vision.

"I believe this young man is trying to get your attention, Hannibal."

He turned in Franklyn's direction, keeping a polite smile.

"Hello," he ground out, shaking his hand.

"Hi, it's nice to see you! And you too, Ms…?"

"Hobbs," Amelia finished for him, reaching out to shake his hand, when he unexpectedly brought it to his lips.

She was very uncomfortable with how easily he familiarized himself with her.

"And this is my friend, Tobias."

The other man stepped forward and shook both their hands.

"Good evening," Hannibal greeted.

"How do you know each other?," Mrs. Komeda wondered.

"There should be some mystery to my life outside of the opera," Hannibal teased.

"I'm one of his patients," Franklyn exclaimed with pride.

Amelia could tell Hannibal was becoming very annoyed with Franklyn's enthusiasm; and to be honest, so was she.

"Did you enjoy the performance?," Hannibal asked, quickly changing the subject.

"I loved it! Every minute."

Hannibal smiled lightly.

"Don't say too much. You must leave us something to discuss next week. Franklyn, good to see you; Tobias," he shook their hands again, dismissing them.

As they walked away, Amelia started to get a tight feeling in her guys that Tobias was up to no good, the way he looked at Hannibal grimly.

Hannibal turned back to the group, "Who's hungry?"

They all shared light laughter and moved on to more banal conversation.

As the evening drew to a close, Amelia found herself intrigued by Franklyn. And Tobias. As they waited for the valet to bring Hannibal's car around, she voiced her concern.

"Hannibal?"

"Yes, my dear?"

"This may seem like an impertinent question, but does Franklyn have a… "thing" for you?"

"I don't know if I would go that far, but he desperately tries to copy me as much as he can; granted, this time It's dangerously bordering on stalking."

"Was it just me, or do you feel that Tobias gave off a threatening aura as well?"

"He certainly wasn't the friendliest person; but I don't know if I would classify him as "threatening". Why? Did you feel uncomfortable?"

"Slightly. The way he had an expressionless face and then looked at you with a grimace was odd."

"Yes, very. I'm not worried about it at the moment however, so don't worry your pretty little head either."

"You're right; I'm just being paranoid. I guess feeling like I failed to protect Abby is weighing on me."

Hannibal's eyes became soft and sympathetic.

"How well you wear your expertly tailored person suit," Dr. Du Maurier would say.

"I know, Amelia, I know. Feelings of guilt are always the most difficult to overcome."

"How would you know? You're perfect," Amelia blurted out, completely bypassing her filter.

Her face began to heat up with embarrassment, but Hannibal just looked at her with a lopsided smirk.

"Is there, uh, any chance you can forget what I just said?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said dismissively, albeit with the same smug look.

"ANYWAY, what are we having when we get to your place?"

"I prepared something small; caviar, spiced figs, roasted garlic hummus, and heart tartare."

"Wow, thank you for taking such good care of me, Hannibal," she praised, beaming at him with crystal-like orbs.

She looked at Hannibal like he was a God; he fully intended on being a sculptor, and her his clay.

When the car rolled around Hannibal opened her door as he always did, except he held onto her hand a moment longer than usual.

As they began the ride back to his house, Hannibal was curious how she felt being part of his world for an evening.

"How did you find the art museum?"

"Oh, it was wonderful! I'd never seen classical art in person before, but it was… humbling; if That's the right word."

"I believe it fits. Seeing such detail and skill in the flesh, especially when done by a master artist, is very abasing."

"The soprano was incredible as well. To be able to sing like that must give one a powerful feeling."

Hannibal's mind flashed to the way Amelia was so shy about touching him; it gave him a thrill to know that she held him in such high regard.

"And how did you feel about my acquaintances assuming you were my wife?," he asked, feigning curiosity when all he wanted to do was tease her.

"Oh, well, I- uh… heh," she stuttered and gave a nervous chuckle.

She chose her words carefully.

"I… would be lying if I said I wasn't flattered," she peeped bashfully.

She breathed a sigh of relief as they pulled into his driveway. Hannibal, however, was becoming more and more infatuated with her every moment.

They got out of the car and Hannibal unlocked his front door, letting her in first. He came up behind her, helping her out of her shawl. As he went to hang it up, he breathed in her perfume on the back of the collar. It was floral and citrus with a hint of lilac; something about it triggered a primal urge inside him to make her his.

He walked toward the kitchen to find her sitting at the island, her head snapping in his direction as he neared her.

He took his place on the other side, taking everything out of his refrigerator and sitting it in front of her. He poured them both a glass of wine, and they began pecking at the food.

She took a sip of wine, her lips slightly puckering from the dryness.

"Hannibal?"

"Yes, dear?"

"You know plenty about me, but I feel like I know hardly anything about you… Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"

For the first time in a long time he felt uneasy.

"What are your hobbies? Do you have any siblings?"

"My story isn't a particularly pleasant one."

Amelia's heart sank at the thought of Hannibal being unhappy.

"Oh, I'm sorry; if you don't want to talk about it, we can change the topic."

He took a deep breath.

"I was born in Lithuania to Count Andrius Lecter and Simonetta Sforza- Lecter; when I was five years old, my sister Mischa was born. A few years later, the Russian army was being withdrawn from the country, as at that time we were being illegally ruled by their government. As things escalated, we took refuge in a hunting cabin to try and wait out the conflict. The Lithuanian army found us, and as my parents were conversing with them a bomb was dropped on the heavy artillery. They both died in front of my sister and I."

Amelia was on the edge of her seat, tears beginning to well in her eyes as Hannibal recounted his traumatic childhood.

"We were on our own. Not too long after, a group of Russian deserters found us and kept us prisoner in our own house. Everyone was starving and they were getting desperate. My sister fell ill with tuberculosis and they decided to…," Hannibal struggled to get the last words out, but Amelia put her hand on his arm.

He turned to her and saw she was close to sobbing. She laid her head on his shoulder and cozied up next to him.

"Oh, Hannibal… I'm so sorry that happened to you," she said quietly, sniffling.

He placed a hand over hers.

"I've had time to come to terms with it."

"The thought of you being put through all that just makes me feel so upset and angry for you…"

Hannibal felt very vulnerable at that moment; and, in some bizarre way, he liked it.

Amelia raised her head and wiped her eyes, taking a sip of wine.

Hannibal nudged the plate of minced heart toward her.

"Why don't we enjoy our food?"

"Good idea," she giggled softly.

Hannibal spread some of the meat on a soda cracker and handed it to her before making one for himself.

Amelia waited until Hannibal lifted his to his mouth before she took a bite. Her taste buds lit up with flavor, and her eyes closed in pleasure.

Hannibal still sat next to her, watching her face as she savored the dish.

"What kind of meat is this?"

"... Pork," he said in a rumbling voice, his eyes black as pitch.

Amelia was suddenly very aware of the thick sexual tension in the room.

"Well… it's delicious," she complimented.

She tried to ignore the way Hannibal was looking at her, but every fiber of her being was burning with pride at how she had captured his attention. Her stomach was fluttering with butterflies made of steel as her hormones began hitting her full force.

Hannibal could smell the change in her body chemistry as dopamine exuded from her.

Amelia wasn't sure now was the time to act out on such impulses.

"This evening has been wonderful, Hannibal, and I'm very grateful. I'm getting tired though, would you mind taking me home?"

Hannibal never felt such disappointment until that moment. Nevertheless, he smiled his affable smile.

"Certainly."

She wrapped herself back in her shawl and they hopped back into his car. Thankfully the drive was only about ten minutes, but it was a nerve wracking ten minutes.

Hannibal pulled into the lot and put his car in park.

"Would you like me to walk you up?"

"If it would please you."

They marched up the stairs and Amelia unlocked her apartment door. When she stepped through the threshold, she turned to Hannibal.

"Goodnight, Amelia," he said softly.

He began walking toward the stairs, and Amelia began to panic.

I shouldn't do it. Not now… F*ck it.

"Hannibal!," she called, racing toward him.

He turned, and she halted a breath away from him. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

She took hold of his lapels and smashed their lips together, not caring if anyone would see.