Mischa Lecter

Chapter 14: You Too

"HE'S ALIVE?"

Hannibal looked up from the book he was reading and looked curiously at his daughter. She was flushed and her shoes had been dropped by the door. A few short pieces of her hair had fallen out of her pony tail and in all she looked a mess.

"What are you talking about?"

"Hamal. He's Alive?"

"Mischa, your brother died in Italy."

"Not according to this!" She threw a printed pieces of paper onto the table between them. Hannibal watched his daughter, not even glancing at the papers.

"What do you expect to do about it?"

"I... I don't know! I'm a bit to mad to think right now!" she yelled snatching the paper back up, "16 year old Hamal Richard Starling is expected to be released from the hospital this week after suffering 5 gunshot wounds in Florence, Italy. Hamal is expect to walk out of the hospital even though his doctors, when he had first arrived, said he would never walk again." The tears that were forming in her eyes made her voice shake, "Why didn't you tell me Papa? Why?"

"We didn't think it would be good for you."

"WE? Mom was in on this too?"

"Yes."

Mischa let her tears go and she threw the countless sheets of paper on the floor, "HOW COULD YOU! HAMAL IS ALIVE! You lied to me! You've lied to me since the second I woke up! Everything! Everything you've ever said to me was a lie! Why didn't you tell me? What prevented you? And good for me? What kind of bullshit is that? GOOD FOR ME? No, No What was good for me was for me to know that my TWIN BROTHER was ALIVE!" she took a deep breath, glaring at him before quickly exiting the room, shoving Masumi aside. The door to her room slammed, making the house shake. Hannibal took a deep breath and returned to his book.

"Where are you going?"

"Home." Mischa stated as she pulled her suitcase down from the top of her closet, "To see my brother, to help him through this like real family does."

"Then you're going to need this." he said handing her a passport and a credit card, she took it her tear stained eyes looking at him curiously, "If they trace it then it'll go through an account in Russia. There's enough on there for a trip there for you and Masumi."

"What... What about back?" she asked hesitantly, looking down at the papers instead of up at him.

"There's enough in there for that too."

She nodded and put them on her bedside table, returning to packing. After some of her clothes were shoved in she dragged the suit case down the hall to the door. A driver was already waiting and carried her bags the rest of the way.

Masumi followed the driver and waited by the car. Mischa looked up at Hannibal, "Um..." she said awkwardly, "I... Thanks for this. And... um... You know, I'm sorry. About what I said, I didn't mean it. I was just... Angry I guess."

He smiled and nodded a little.

She grinned and hugged him tightly, "I'll be back in a week or two. Maybe less. Love ya Papa." she said as she hurried out the door and into the cab.

"Go ahead and put those on the counter or something. You know the drill."

"Got it Ma." Hamal said as the door closed.

"Hey, Who's bag is..." Clarice's eyes looked up to the top of the stairs where her daughters smiling face greeted her.

"Baby." she whispered, Mischa nodded in reply.

"Hey, Ma. Are there anymore... What are you looking at?" Hamal asked as he too turned to look up at the top of the stairs. His heart stopped, "Banana?"

"Hey, H." Mischa said tears springing to her eyes.

"I thought you were..."

"You too." she said as she quickly hurried down the stairs and rushed into his arms.

Hamal's intake of air became rather loud and ragged as Mischa cried on his shoulder.

Clarice stood back and watched, silent tears rolling down her cheeks as the twins were reunited.

"God I missed you little sister." Hamal said as he pulled back and placed both hands on either side of her face.

"Only by a few minutes." She said as he wiped a tear or two away from her face.

He laughed and so did she before he pulled her back into another hug.

"It's really cute actually. They're both laying on the couch wrapped up in a blanket, they haven't left each others sides yet. Thank you for letting her come."

"She was going to go, whether I wanted her to or not. She found out on a website and came home furious, determined to see him."

"Well, I think it did them both good."

"I suppose."

"So where exactly are you?"

"Mischa knows, she'll get you back when you want."

Clarice sighed and laughed a little, "Alright. Well, I'm going to bed." She glanced at the two sleeping teens on the couch, "I miss you."

"I miss you too." Hannibal answered smiling.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, my dear."

She hung up the cell phone, silently turned off the lamp next to the couch and went to her room upstairs.