AN - A huge thank you to Darkmoonsigel for this chapter. Wonderful woman took the time to walk me through a charity auction and all the little details those events entail for me to write this chapter with a little background knowledge because I suck when it comes to Google searches. 3

Also thank you to Sasunaruhaven for leaving me a review on the last chapter~3 I'm really happy to hear that you're enjoying the story thus far and that you enjoyed Sick Day, thank you for taking the 30 seconds to tell me you're enjoying the fic~3 3 3

02: Last Dance

He had to wear a bowtie.

Dressed in a Brioni tuxedo Will didn't want to know the cost of and Italian shoes he knew without asking had been imported he sat in the Bentley next to his Alpha as he drove them from their Baltimore home to the hotel Monaco.

From where he was sitting the old B&O railroad headquarters turned hotel made him think of a castle.
The building was a historical site, over a hundred years old and one of the more luxurious hotels the city had to offer. "Do they ever do these events in fire halls?" Will asked looking out his window and up the towering building side. It had been built in the French beaux-arts architecture style, giving the skyscraper an all stone exterior to contrast against its many glass windows.

"Some may, but none of the ones we will be attending." He parked the car by the curb side, directly in front of the doors.

"I'm going to have to make a point of taking you to one of the local kennels for fundraising bake sale sometime…" He muttered, combing fingers back through half tamed waves of curly hair before reaching for the door. It was time to let the night begin.

"Just a moment," Hannibal caught him, touching Will's arm to have him still before he could open the door to leave the car. Pausing he let Hannibal exit before him, the Alpha stepping around the Bentley to open the door for his mate, offering his hand to Will like the gentleman he knew him to be and help him out of the car and onto the red carpet.

It was an action that put the entire evening into perspective for the Omega. The people he would be drinking with, the behaviour that would be expected if he didn't want to embarrass his Alpha, this might be a charity but to Hannibal this was no small event. The red carpet Will had only ever expected to see on late night award TV programs was an addition he hadn't been expecting, the traditional red rug rolled out for them all the way to the curb in greeting. "You look very handsome this evening," Hannibal praised, kissing the hand he had taken before offering his arm; Will took it as expected and walked with him to one of the many men and women lining its sides of the carpet in anticipation of the necessary valet parking service that would be required for the evening.

It was with his newly gained confidence and composure, something built through his time with Hannibal, which Will took in the new and strange environment he was being brought into as Hannibal approached the nearest valet and offered his keys with the polite request for parking and a tip. "I think I prefer the opera." Will mentioned as they stepped through aged wood and glass double doors to be greeted by an attendant on the other side to check their invitation and allow them access into the rented hall for the evening.

"You prefer the seclusion of a private booth." The ability to take a break when overwhelmed by the masses, though Will had begun to do better with social excursions and public events, his empathy would always leave him tired and drained from excess social interaction. "We'll have a private table instead of a booth for this evening. It won't be the same, there will be other tables close by, but ours will be seated directly before the stage. Once the auction begins we'll have our privacy."

"As long as there will be a break at some point this evening," he would still feel the air of competition, but it wasn't the same as socialization. Looking around he took in the room, it was nothing Will was used to nothing entirely new, the few opera's he'd attended sharing a similar appearance. The room itself looked as though it had been carved from marble, towering pills and polished walls reaching up to a cathedral ceiling, the floors were laid in a blend of hard wood and textured carpet, a deep red with deep purple slashes. He wouldn't know for sure if the furniture had been bought in the style of antiques or if they had purchased a number of aged pieces for their antiqued value, but he was sure they would be expensive all the same.

Hannibal offered his own reassurance, touching the hand that held his arm and before stepping into the large rented hall. Hannibal slipped their invitation to a Beta greeting guests at the door and Will was surprised once more when their names were announcement as they stepped into a room more lavish than the entry they'd entered from.

Will was as far from his element of solitude and dogs as he was ever going to be and he nearly cursed Hannibal for having taken him there. This wasn't the same as attending the opera, there would be no private booth for them to disappear into during the night to give Will a break from the constant bombardment of the people around him pushing into his mind, he would be forced to mingle for longer periods of time and when the time of their seclusion finally came and they were seated at their table he would still be surrounded by the aggression of a competition auction. It was a greater stress then he'd been expecting.

"Would you like a drink?" Hannibal asked, pulling Will away from his silent musing of murder against his mate and back to the present. He looked to the hand touching his own and the deep wrinkles forming in Hannibal's suit jacket beneath his fingers.

"Not champagne, something stronger." He said searching the crowd of beautifully dressed Alpha's, Omega's and Beta's in search of his vice.

Will spotted his oasis near the door, a bar set just to the right of the entry. Manned by a couple of lovely Omega woman, the pair were pouring champagne and shaking martini's fast enough Will almost had to wonder if they knew who they were serving anymore. The little bar was overrun, with enough patrons standing around and waiting for drinks to have Will second guessing how badly he needed his own.

"This way," Hannibal encouraged, leading Will away from the cluster of waiting socialites and through the dance floor toward the seating area of the auction and stage. They passed another two bars as they progressed toward the back of the room, both nearly as crowded as the first. One sat invitingly between the auction tables lining the left wall, the numerous settings containing the many items that would be for bid that evening; the other sat to the right, just to the side of a large squared area that Will could only assume had been reserved for mingling and dancing. The music for the evening was supplied by a small orchestra of seven and their conductor playing for the crowd.

Will didn't envy any of them the task of playing for the few hours that would last before and after the auction during mingle and payment.

"We've passed three bars." Will pointed, deciding that he needed the beverage enough to battle his way through the masses.

"We're almost there." Hannibal assured as they stepped through the array of tables making up the auction area set before the back wall stage. Each table held a folded triangle of thick stationary, the name of the patron to be seated for the evening scrawled across in fine calligraphy and accompanied by a numbered paddle.

Hannibal slipped his hand to the small of Will's back, bringing the anxious Omega closer as he steered them toward the fourth and final bar. It held the smallest cluster of men and women circling its front for drinks; placed the closest to the stage it was obviously meant to keep the patrons sated while they threw their money away in the name of charity. Will didn't doubt that it would be the busiest of the four bars once the auction proceedings began.

"What would you like?" Hannibal spoke into his ear as he led Will up to the counter, collecting his wallet from the inner pocket of his jacket.

"Gin martini?" He wanted something potent and martinis were nothing but three ounces of pure alcohol. There was the bonus of Hannibal possibly appreciating him not drinking his usual cheap whiskey while walking around to look at junk while feigning interest for a few hours.

"And I'll have champagne." The bartender nodded and Hannibal produced several bills, leaving a handsome tip for the Beta behind the counter. "Not whiskey?" He asking handing Will his chosen drink as they began to wonder past the numerous listed items displayed along the tables.

"More liquor without seeming greedy and asking for a double." He explained casting a curious look to a series of odd nesting dolls listed as being older than a number of states. "Are you actually interested in buying any of this stuff?" He asked examining the odd series of dolls; they looked like something that would have been haunted, found in the attic of a home where the family had all mysteriously died.

Hannibal smiled around a sip of bubbly, deep maroon answering for him with a look that had Will wondering what disturbing garbage would be coming into the house. "Nothing creepy in the bedroom," Will demanded, watching the Ripper's small smile widened. The micro pull of lips at the corner letting Will know his opinion had been heard and most likely dismissed in regards to any and all decorating of their home.

Hannibal had left one room for Will to do with as he pleased and after an assortment of small ugly dog ornaments had been arranged on the mantelpiece and windowsill he hadn't allowed Will to partake in the decoration of any other room since. "If you buy something that's going to watch me in my sleep I'm going to burn it."

"And release the evil spirits trapped within?" Hannibal teased, bringing a crooked smile to Will's lips. He loved that smile, the playful curve that pulled farther on one side than the other, a smile seen by seldom but him. That smile disappeared when his attention shifted from the beautiful empath to the small cluster of socialites that approached.

Will noted the turn of attention from himself to something over his shoulder and took a small breath to steal himself against the onslaught of Hannibal's friends before turning to meet the small swarm.

Hannibal was there for appearances. Will had established long ago that though Hannibal enjoyed the majority of the events he attended, a number of them were simply because the life style he had chosen to pursue held certain expectations. Among those expectations would be a certain amount of socialization with people he may not always care to share his free time with and others he would indulge in dinner parties because he found a certain level of enjoyment in being in their company.

Of the group approaching Will recognized three he had seen at the Opera before, two that which had attend several of Hannibal's dinner parties as guests and one he had witnessed Hannibal slip the business card of into his rolodex. Whether or not there was anything Hannibal actually desired to bid for he would most likely end up purchasing something if only to say that he'd made his contribution to the charity and be invited to the next social event. It made a statement of monetary value and social standing that Will knew his Alpha deeply enjoyed having applied toward his image.

The whole thing reminded Will of high school.

"Good evening," He shook hands with their future dinner and two other guests before motioning toward Will, "you all remember my mate Will. He accompanied me to the Opera this past spring." He urged his empath forward to join the small social gathering, the hand that resettled on Will's back grounding him as he met each set of eyes with a polite smile and incline of head in greeting. Social protocol of an older day would have forbidden Will from making the casual eye contact with any Alpha but his own, a custom he was pleased to see buried with the turn of the century. But the bowing had seemed to remain. Beta's and Alpha's shook, Omega's offered a token of submission with a simple incline to the higher genders.

"Yes, how could we forget Dr. Lecter's elusive lover." Mrs. Komeda commented with a wire smile, "you're quite the center of gossip these days you know." She was a tall slender Omega, one of Hannibal's society friends he usually enjoyed the small talk and company of, "Hannibal has been sought after as a mate for years, you absolutely must tell us how you managed to lure him."

Will smiled, it was small and practiced and not nearly as natural as the ones he shared with Hannibal, he was better than he had been, used his empathy for the advantage of hunting without hating it nearly as much as he used to, but there were still moments like these when he was surrounded by too much all at once and found himself relying on Hannibal and the grounding reassurance he brought to him, "You could say it was a…" he paused, let the tension draw as though searching for an appropriate word for their mating, "happy accident." It was met with a round of light hearted giggles and chuckles from the group at the suggested salacious meeting between the two. A look from his Alpha let Will know it was an acceptable answer.

"Do we really need to get into detail?" Hannibal gave each a look, a playful curl touching his words to end the topic of conversation with a humored note as the music playing came to an end and the orchestra changed tune to the gentle lulling music of a more familiar waltz.

Attention gained by the change in music Hannibal turned his attention to the empath by his side, "Will, might I have this dance?" He couldn't have looked more grateful for the small reprieve. Taking Hannibal's hand to let the Alpha lead him away from the group and out toward the filing dance floor, their drinks abandoned for a busser to gather at their leisure.

"You know I have absolutely no idea how to dance." Will informed him as they found a place on the dance floor, taking one of the emptier areas to the back.

Hannibal hadn't expected him to know. Not with his background of growing up a poor fisherman's son. "It's not difficult," He assured, "I'll teach you as we go." Taking one hand into his own he placed the other to Will's waist, "place your hand on my bicep, near the shoulder," more were filtering out onto the dance floor now, a small flourish of spinning dresses and elegantly dressed men stepping and turning to the sound of a tune written nearly 200 years ago. But the swell of dresses and flawless practiced movements of those born into money around them were nothing compared to the nervous man standing in his arms, "Left," he began, leading Will in the slow movement of the dance, "back, right, forward," they stepped in a box, the most basic waltz, a beginner step beneath Hannibal's own skill at the aged dance, excluding the flourish of dips and spins he knew as intimately as he knew how to harvest a sounder. But for Will these simple steps would be his beginning and Hannibal would allow him to grow as he had allowed the killer within him to grow.

"One, two, three, four, one, two, three, -" He whispered the count for Will to follow, the Omega set on not stepping on his toes as they danced their simple square. He knew there would be gossip, further interest in the man he had taken for his own who knew so little of the world Hannibal had built his life within.

"If I'm going to be attending these events I might need to take a dance class." Will muttered once he felt confidant he wouldn't be stepping on Hannibal's toes mid dance.

"You plan to attend more?" He added a turn, rotating their square as they danced and forcing Will's mind to split once more between speech and footwork, the movements not nearly as second nature to the empath as they were to the killer.

"You want me to come." He answered, "I still won't be attending everything, you're far too social for me to keep up, but I'll try to join you a couple of times a month." He wouldn't promise once a week, not yet at least, that was something he'd work his way up to, but he'd get there. He'd make a point of it, for Hannibal.

"Thank you," he kissed him, accepting the sentiment for all that it was before they were startled to a stop by the sound of doors flying open and the storming of combat boots over carpet and hardwood as a swat team of officers charged into the hall.

It was by instinct that Hannibal moved his mate behind him, shielding Will from the encroaching danger with his body, as a drive to defend and protect shifted his weight to the balls of his feet and coiled hard muscle, readying the killer to spring.

"Jack Crawford, FBI." The voice of an all too familiar Alpha boomed, the man who had once been Will's boss making his presence known as the crowd parted before him like the Red Sea. "Hannibal Lecter," He stopped at the edge of the dance floor, his own gun in hand and trained on the killer dressed as a man, "you are hereby under arrest for the murder of Thomas McKenzie."

Head canted in a tilt, surprise took the killer as keen eyes narrowed taking in the demanding Alpha before him. He kept his sights trained on Jack as the supporting officers closed in around him, an audible gasp filling the room with whispers of gossip and surprise, "Will, I would you to get back please."

"Why?" He didn't want to leave him, "What are you doing?" He didn't move, his grip on Hannibal tightening as the armed men closed the distance between them, his own instinct to protect his Alpha driving him toward a rare need to attack and defend, a direct contrast to the normal Omegan urges to surrender and hide.

"Even I only hold so much control over my instincts Will, if they should harm you during my arrest..." He didn't need to finish the sentence, Will knew he would attack and the men would be forced to fire.

Not even the Ripper could win a fight against a small army armed with guns.

Reluctantly, he released the fabric he'd held clenched between fingers tight enough to ruin and stepped away, his every instinct battling against his mind for having abandoned his Alpha.

"On the ground Hannibal,", Jack instructed, watching as the killer slowly shifted to his knees, hands held open to his sides as he lowered himself to the ground and placed his hands over his head.

They were on him in an instant; thick steal rings snapping around his wrists as every friend and colleague Hannibal knew watched in awe at his complete humiliation. "You have the right to remain silent," Jack began, "anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law." A hand in his hair twisted his head back and making the Alpha grunt with discomfort as a leather mask wrapped around his face, preventing the injury to the officers by the Alpha's razer teeth, a common procedure.

It wasn't until he was standing, hands cuffed before him and mask secured that he turned to Will. Deep maroon eyes drinking in the ocean of fear consuming his mate as he watched his Alpha prepare for escort out of the building and out of his life.

Something snapped, something wild and fierce Will he hadn't realized he'd harboured, something stronger than the darkness that had bloomed with his becoming. Forged from the fear he had known all his life and the desperation to keep something good. Life had taken too many things form him, too many good and beautiful things from him. He wouldn't let Hannibal be another grain of sand to slip between his fingers.

He didn't make it three steps before hands were on him, fingers digging into his arms hard enough to bruise, preventing him from reaching his Alpha. They pulled him back and he kicked, jerked his arms to throw them off and recalled his police training like an ingrained instinct to land an elbow to the officer trying to detain him and loosen their grip to twist free before the harsh crack of a baton came down across his shoulders and he was tackled to the ground.

There was no warning when Hannibal twisted from the hands that held him to drive a knee into the gut of one officer and slipped from the grip of the other with a violent turn to nearly knock them to the ground, every savage instinct driving to the surface as he watched another Alpha attack his mate and pin him to the ground. With nearly inhuman speed he swept the short distance across the floor and hurled the officer pinning Will from his back with the impact of his shoulder.

Eyes savage with the promise of death he rendered a scream when the points of a Taser pinned in his back, dropping him over Will; despite his quick scramble to grab and hold the man who had fought to save him they were separated at once, Will quickly flipped to his stomach to have his hands brought behind his back and rings of steal snapped in place as he watched his unconscious body of his Alpha dragged from the auction hall.

OoOoO

TBC