Chapter 22: Celebrations
Clarice Starling walked through the door of the town house and was met by the delicious aroma of barbeque wafting in from the back patio. She smiled and dropped her briefcase onto the floor next to the door. As she strode through the living room, she stripped off her suit jacket, dropped it onto the couch as she passed, stepped out of her high heel shoes in the doorway to the kitchen, and began to unbutton her blouse. She had come to detest work clothes and they were the first things off once she came through the door at home. She chuckled as she thought that more often than not she was helped out of them eagerly by Will.
Continuing to unbutton her blouse, Clarice stopped in the doorway of the backdoor and smiled as she spied Will through a plume of smoke from the barbeque. He was standing over the grill, tongs in hand, surveying the grilling shrimp with a serious look on his face, clad in khaki shorts and a white tank top. She cleared her throat loudly and he glanced up. Will grinned at her, put the tongs down, and limped slowly to where she stood. He put his arms around her waist and kissed her.
"You should have stayed there," Clarice whispered in his ear. "I could've come to you."
"It's fine," he said. "Besides, you know the doctor says I've got to work the muscles as much as I can." He looked down and viewed her white lace bra beneath her fully unbuttoned blouse. "Hey," he grinned, "you didn't wait for me to help."
Clarice giggled and threw her arms around his neck, squeezing him close. Everyday she reminded herself of how close she had come to losing him. Everyday she reminded herself just how lucky she was to have him. Will held her tightly and then let her go.
"The shrimp's gonna burn," he said and limped slowly back to the barbeque to turn the jumbo shrimp.
Clarice watched painfully as he limped and noticed the several attempts to grasp the tongs before he was finally successful and her heart went out to him. It had been eight months since Will Graham had been released from the hospital. Eight months of countless orthopedic surgeries on his wrists and feet at Johns Hopkins medical center to repair his broken bones, tendons and nerves. In addition to the surgeries, there had been and continued to be painful rehabilitation to learn how to use his hands and feet again. Through the rehabilitation and his determination, Will had regained most uses of his hands and feet. Occasionally he dropped something or had trouble gripping and he still walked slowly and usually with a limp but he had given up using a cane months ago saying that he refused to be an old man and Clarice had been so proud of his accomplishment. His broken nose and ribs had healed nicely although the ribs ached whenever the weather changed. The cuts on his face had also healed, although one left a small scar above his right eyebrow and he now had numerous scars across his back from the whip cutting into him. Clarice loved to tease him by telling him that the one on his forehead made him look rugged and dangerous now instead of like such a pretty boy. He would always roll his eyes at her and feign outrage.
Will had told her that the hardest thing to learn to cope with was the fact that he only had nine fingers now. Just as many amputees had proclaimed, he could still sometimes swear that he felt his left pinky finger there. Quite often his hand would ache at the base where the finger should have been and Will would grimace and flex his hand and rub it with his right one until the pain subsided. In addition to the formidable challenge of learning how to re-use his hand, Will also had to learn how to grasp things with his left hand without the use of his pinky finger. All in all, his surgeons and doctors were enormously pleased with his progress, after all, it was not everyday that someone in the U.S. was crucified, and they often proclaimed him to be a medical miracle. Will would smile politely and tell them he'd certainly had enough of being referred to as a savior or a miracle to last him three lifetimes.
Will had been extremely careful in taking his prescription medication for pain. In the hospital, the doctors had been made aware of his former addiction and they monitored his usage very closely and he came through without a renewed addiction with Clarice by his side offering support the entire time. Clarice and Will had made the decision to share a residence shortly before Will had been released from the hospital. Will made arrangements to get rid of most of his shabby belongings and moved his clothes and other few personal items into Clarice's home. They had been living together for nearly eight months now and could not be happier.
Joshua Graham had been released from the hospital the day after his father had awakened although he and Molly had stayed in Baltimore for another week until Will's condition had been upgraded to good and it was certain that he would recover. During that time, Clarice had tried to avoid Molly as much as possible but the times she had spent with her had been relatively pleasant. Privately Clarice teased Will that she could see her and Molly becoming really good friends. Will would groan and jokingly tell her that would kill him when the crucifixion had not. Josh had apparently made a full recovery from his heroin overdose at the hands of Dr. Hannibal Lecter and had finished out his senior year with no problems. He had helped lead his basketball team to become regional champions and had graduated with honors. Both events had been proudly attended by his father and Clarice.
Over the last eight months, Clarice Starling had painfully come to grips with the fact that she had killed Dr. Lecter. He had been buried at King Memorial Park cemetery in Baltimore. His headstone read simply, "Dr. H. Lecter" and the dates of his birth and death. The simplicity of the headstone and the non publicized site of burial were done in the hopes that fanatics would not exhume his body or desecrate the site. So far, it had worked. The media coverage after the incidents at the old Baltimore State Hospital had been intense with countless interview requests pouring in daily to Will, Clarice and Josh. Even now the media frenzy had yet to die down, especially after the media had discovered that Clarice and Will had moved in together; they had had a field day with that. Two months ago, Clarice and Will had hired a contract attorney and had sold the book and movie rights to their story and they commanded a huge sum of money which Hollywood gladly forked over. They had given half to Joshua and put the other half into an account to collect interest. Each of them thought it immensely funny that within the next two years they would see themselves on the big screen and they laughed over the thought of which actors would actually portray them.
Clarice tried to go once a month to visit Dr. Lecter's gravesite. Occasionally she brought flowers and she wondered if anyone else ever visited him, although she highly doubted it. She always told Will when she had gone as they kept no secrets from one another and she always noted the shadow that passed over his face when she told him.
After his release, Clarice had told Will again of her feelings for Dr. Lecter and had assured him over and over that her love for the doctor had been merely plutonic, as a child for their parent. Will had listened to her patiently but had said that he would never quite understand the relationship between her and Dr. Lecter. He held no romanticized or idealistic feelings for the man, only hatred, especially after what Dr. Lecter had done to Josh, Clarice, and him.
Hannibal Lecter's protégé, Zachary Matthews, in a much publicized trial in which both Clarice and Will had to testify, pled not guilty by reason of insanity and the jury actually believed him. Just as Will had predicted, Zachary took the stand and cried over his alleged abuse at the hands of Dr. Lecter. He claimed he was coerced and feared for his life if he did not follow the doctor's exact instructions. While the abuse charge against Dr. Lecter was deemed by the judge inadmissible in court because there was no corroborating evidence and ordered any such testimony to be stricken from the record, the damage was still done. The jury heard it and while they were officially instructed to disregard the statements, the young man's words remained with them and they were touched by his courage. In the end, the jury indeed found him not guilty by reason of insanity however, by order of the judge, Zachary Matthews was ordered to the Walter P. Carter in- patient psychiatric facility in Baltimore where he would undergo treatment until he was well enough to be released.
Eventually, Clarice had shed tears at Dr. Hannibal Lecter's gravesite although it had been some time before she did. She had knelt on the ground next to his headstone, put her head in her hands, and wept bitterly. But she came to realize that the tears she cried were not tears of sorrow or of guilt, they had been tears of relief, relief that he was finally out of her life, relief that she was finally free from his emotional and physical grasp. When she had come home that night, Will had seen her tear stained face and had known where she had been. She had smiled through fresh tears as she had told him that finally she knew her dreams would be free of fear and specters and he had smiled back, hugging her close.
Now as she watched him turn the shrimp, Clarice smiled contentedly to herself. She could not remember having been this happy since before her father had been killed. It was so nice to come home to Will every evening. Now she finally understood the old adage, "Home is where the heart is." She kept "normal" working hours at the Bureau and spent her evenings and weekends with Will. Clarice had come to relish family time with him and Josh. Josh Graham had ended up coming to spend one weekend a month with them during the school year and now that it was summer, he was arriving tomorrow to stay for two months before reporting to UCLA for the fall term. Tonight would be the last night for two months that they would be alone in the house and Clarice planned to make it memorable.
"I'm gonna go change," she called to Will who nodded through the smoke.
She turned to walk back through the kitchen and noticed the candles on the table and a bottle of wine chilling in the ice bucket and smiled. Apparently Will had the same idea as she did on making the night special.
'Two great minds think alike,' Clarice thought and smiled.
She walked into the bedroom and peeled off her blouse. It was early summer and already the humidity was stifling. Clarice dreaded the coming hot months. She dropped the shirt into the clothes hamper and sat down on the bed. She ran her hand along the smooth bedspread and smiled. Will made the bed every morning almost religiously. It was one of his "exercises" to work the repaired tendons in his hands. His rehabilitation doctor had recommended early on that he look for everyday tasks that would at first challenge his hand flexibility and coordination through use and repetitive motions and promised that they would in time help his hands regain their use. Will and Clarice had found that making the bed, washing dishes, sweeping, and doing laundry all helped his hands tremendously. Clarice smiled wider as she thought how his helping her remove her clothes helped his hands as well. She began to roll off her thigh-high nylons from beneath her skirt. She pulled them off her feet, threw them at the open hamper and smiled when they went in.
"Two points," Will smiled from the doorway.
Clarice laughed. She had not noticed him watching her. Will limped into the room and sat on the bed next to her.
"You know I would've been perfectly happy to help you do that," he grinned and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her neck, just behind her left ear.
"Well, I'm still wearing clothes that do need to come off," she purred.
"I'm always happy to help," Will chuckled.
Their open mouths met and soon everything was a blur of removed clothing, roaming mouths, and moving limbs.
"The shrimp is going to burn," Clarice whispered breathlessly into Will's ear as he gripped her hair and pulled it back gently to tilt her head so he could nibble her neck although she knew there was no way he would leave now.
"It's already done and in the oven to stay warm," he said softly. "No worries."
Clarice smiled and met his mouth with hers.
Several hours later after dinner had been finished and the dishes cleared away, Will and Clarice sat curled together on the couch with the bottle of wine half finished and open in front of them on the coffee table. Clarice's head lay on Will's shoulder and she closed her eyes, happy, as he ran his hand through her hair.
"Clarice there's something I need to tell you," Will said quietly.
"What is it?" She replied contentedly.
"I just want to be honest with you about something that happened while Josh and I were being held by Lecter."
Clarice sat up and looked at him. He had not talked much about the days spent at the mercy of Dr. Lecter and now that he wanted to, she was determined to be very supportive of him no matter what he said.
"Go ahead," she smiled gently.
Will sighed and she watched as he ran his hand through his hair like he always did when he was nervous or uncertain about something. He turned so that he was fully facing her.
"I said some very ugly things about you to Dr. Lecter at one point," he said softly and looked her in the eye. "I did not mean a word of any of it but I said it merely to goad him into coming after me," he paused and grimaced at the memory of pummeling fists. "He was going to hurt Josh and I had to stop him. That's not an excuse, just an explanation."
"Will it's alright," Clarice said and took his hands in hers. "I figured something like that when Josh told me in the hospital that you had said some things about me to Dr. Lecter." She paused and smiled again. "I understand and it's okay."
Will shook his head. "It's not okay, Clarice. I should not have said what I said about you regardless of the situation. It was not right."
"You said what you said to save your son," Clarice said softly. "Any good parent would do the same and I admire you for that." She paused. "I must admit though, I am curious as to what you said."
Will met her gaze and shook his head again. "No way," he said. "I promised myself I would never repeat those words. Ever."
"Well, I can imagine what you said," Clarice said. "If it was directed at Dr. Lecter I'm sure it was something about you and me and sex."
Will closed his eyes momentarily and sighed again. "Something like that yes." He paused and looked at her. "I won't tell you what I said but I just wanted you to know about it. We don't keep things from each other and I needed to clear that off my chest before I ask you something."
"What is it?"
"I hope you know how much I love you," Will smiled. "You are my life, you are my breath, you are my entire world and I could not imagine life without you in it. I am the luckiest man in the world to be loved by you. You amaze me everyday with your strength of character and your kind heart. I only hope you will do me the honor and be my wife." Will paused and pulled a ring out of his pants pocket. "Clarice Starling, will you marry me?"
Clarice's eyes watered and she smiled. "Of course I will." She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed.
"I love you so much," he whispered into her neck.
"I love you too, Will Graham," Clarice said happily.
Will slipped the ring onto her finger and smiled. Clarice gazed at it. It was a princess cut diamond and it looked to be about 2 carats. It was set into a band of braided gold. It must have cost him a fortune. She looked up at him.
"It's absolutely beautiful," she smiled.
Will leaned in and kissed her. "You're absolutely beautiful," he whispered.
He planted small kisses down her neck, over the strap of her tank top, and across the top of her shoulder. Clarice smiled.
"I have something to tell you too," she whispered in his ear.
Will sat up and looked at her. "What is it?"
"I was offered a job today," she smiled.
"Yeah?"
"Yes, Section Chief of Behavioral Science," she replied proudly.
Will smiled broadly. "Clarice, that's wonderful. I'm so proud of you." He hugged her tightly for a moment then pulled back and looked into her face. "You said yes right?"
She laughed. "Yes, I said yes. Assistant Director Wegener practically begged me to accept the position. Apparently the interim chief they brought in after Kendra died is just not up to the task. Poor guy, he's from the Organized Crime division and he's in way over his head in Behavioral Science." She shrugged. "They wanted someone from the inside this time, they said. They want me."
Will hugged her again. "That is so wonderful sweetie."
Clarice nuzzled his neck and kissed his earlobe lightly. "So it would appear we have two things to celebrate tonight."
"Indeed." Will glanced at his watch and grinned at her. "And we only have 12 hours until Josh's plane lands. We better get to celebrating."
Clarice smiled at him, put one leg over his lap, and straddled him. He leaned forward slightly as she pulled his white tank top off of him and then she leaned down to kiss his chest. As she felt his heart quicken and heard his breath catch, Clarice Starling thought how she would never get tired of him.
To be continued. Please review.
Shattered: Just to clear one thing up; the GD was not dead at the end of the chapter where Clarice shot him, he did have a pulse. You're not supposed to care about Will? LOL! I'm using my magic powers to make you care!! Thanks so much POI junkie for all your wonderful reviews, I absolutely love them.
Kurt: LOL! Super Maximum Strength NoDoz? LOL! Well, time will only tell what was injected into his IV. Yes, I liked that one line in particular myself (the ex-husband line!). And yes, this tale is winding down, just a couple more chapters I reckon. Thanks so much for your great reviews.
LoT: LOL yes, I assume I will be dodging Harpys for the next few weeks or so for killing the GD. As always, thank you so much for your fun reviews.
Jenny: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing.
guber: As far as the reasons behind Will and Josh surviving, everything will make sense in the next chapter. I did toy with killing them off as well for several weeks. Thanks again for your review.
ducki: Aww, thank you so much for the compliment. Thanks for reviewing.
Dark Topaz: LOL, here you go! More! Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Clarice Starling walked through the door of the town house and was met by the delicious aroma of barbeque wafting in from the back patio. She smiled and dropped her briefcase onto the floor next to the door. As she strode through the living room, she stripped off her suit jacket, dropped it onto the couch as she passed, stepped out of her high heel shoes in the doorway to the kitchen, and began to unbutton her blouse. She had come to detest work clothes and they were the first things off once she came through the door at home. She chuckled as she thought that more often than not she was helped out of them eagerly by Will.
Continuing to unbutton her blouse, Clarice stopped in the doorway of the backdoor and smiled as she spied Will through a plume of smoke from the barbeque. He was standing over the grill, tongs in hand, surveying the grilling shrimp with a serious look on his face, clad in khaki shorts and a white tank top. She cleared her throat loudly and he glanced up. Will grinned at her, put the tongs down, and limped slowly to where she stood. He put his arms around her waist and kissed her.
"You should have stayed there," Clarice whispered in his ear. "I could've come to you."
"It's fine," he said. "Besides, you know the doctor says I've got to work the muscles as much as I can." He looked down and viewed her white lace bra beneath her fully unbuttoned blouse. "Hey," he grinned, "you didn't wait for me to help."
Clarice giggled and threw her arms around his neck, squeezing him close. Everyday she reminded herself of how close she had come to losing him. Everyday she reminded herself just how lucky she was to have him. Will held her tightly and then let her go.
"The shrimp's gonna burn," he said and limped slowly back to the barbeque to turn the jumbo shrimp.
Clarice watched painfully as he limped and noticed the several attempts to grasp the tongs before he was finally successful and her heart went out to him. It had been eight months since Will Graham had been released from the hospital. Eight months of countless orthopedic surgeries on his wrists and feet at Johns Hopkins medical center to repair his broken bones, tendons and nerves. In addition to the surgeries, there had been and continued to be painful rehabilitation to learn how to use his hands and feet again. Through the rehabilitation and his determination, Will had regained most uses of his hands and feet. Occasionally he dropped something or had trouble gripping and he still walked slowly and usually with a limp but he had given up using a cane months ago saying that he refused to be an old man and Clarice had been so proud of his accomplishment. His broken nose and ribs had healed nicely although the ribs ached whenever the weather changed. The cuts on his face had also healed, although one left a small scar above his right eyebrow and he now had numerous scars across his back from the whip cutting into him. Clarice loved to tease him by telling him that the one on his forehead made him look rugged and dangerous now instead of like such a pretty boy. He would always roll his eyes at her and feign outrage.
Will had told her that the hardest thing to learn to cope with was the fact that he only had nine fingers now. Just as many amputees had proclaimed, he could still sometimes swear that he felt his left pinky finger there. Quite often his hand would ache at the base where the finger should have been and Will would grimace and flex his hand and rub it with his right one until the pain subsided. In addition to the formidable challenge of learning how to re-use his hand, Will also had to learn how to grasp things with his left hand without the use of his pinky finger. All in all, his surgeons and doctors were enormously pleased with his progress, after all, it was not everyday that someone in the U.S. was crucified, and they often proclaimed him to be a medical miracle. Will would smile politely and tell them he'd certainly had enough of being referred to as a savior or a miracle to last him three lifetimes.
Will had been extremely careful in taking his prescription medication for pain. In the hospital, the doctors had been made aware of his former addiction and they monitored his usage very closely and he came through without a renewed addiction with Clarice by his side offering support the entire time. Clarice and Will had made the decision to share a residence shortly before Will had been released from the hospital. Will made arrangements to get rid of most of his shabby belongings and moved his clothes and other few personal items into Clarice's home. They had been living together for nearly eight months now and could not be happier.
Joshua Graham had been released from the hospital the day after his father had awakened although he and Molly had stayed in Baltimore for another week until Will's condition had been upgraded to good and it was certain that he would recover. During that time, Clarice had tried to avoid Molly as much as possible but the times she had spent with her had been relatively pleasant. Privately Clarice teased Will that she could see her and Molly becoming really good friends. Will would groan and jokingly tell her that would kill him when the crucifixion had not. Josh had apparently made a full recovery from his heroin overdose at the hands of Dr. Hannibal Lecter and had finished out his senior year with no problems. He had helped lead his basketball team to become regional champions and had graduated with honors. Both events had been proudly attended by his father and Clarice.
Over the last eight months, Clarice Starling had painfully come to grips with the fact that she had killed Dr. Lecter. He had been buried at King Memorial Park cemetery in Baltimore. His headstone read simply, "Dr. H. Lecter" and the dates of his birth and death. The simplicity of the headstone and the non publicized site of burial were done in the hopes that fanatics would not exhume his body or desecrate the site. So far, it had worked. The media coverage after the incidents at the old Baltimore State Hospital had been intense with countless interview requests pouring in daily to Will, Clarice and Josh. Even now the media frenzy had yet to die down, especially after the media had discovered that Clarice and Will had moved in together; they had had a field day with that. Two months ago, Clarice and Will had hired a contract attorney and had sold the book and movie rights to their story and they commanded a huge sum of money which Hollywood gladly forked over. They had given half to Joshua and put the other half into an account to collect interest. Each of them thought it immensely funny that within the next two years they would see themselves on the big screen and they laughed over the thought of which actors would actually portray them.
Clarice tried to go once a month to visit Dr. Lecter's gravesite. Occasionally she brought flowers and she wondered if anyone else ever visited him, although she highly doubted it. She always told Will when she had gone as they kept no secrets from one another and she always noted the shadow that passed over his face when she told him.
After his release, Clarice had told Will again of her feelings for Dr. Lecter and had assured him over and over that her love for the doctor had been merely plutonic, as a child for their parent. Will had listened to her patiently but had said that he would never quite understand the relationship between her and Dr. Lecter. He held no romanticized or idealistic feelings for the man, only hatred, especially after what Dr. Lecter had done to Josh, Clarice, and him.
Hannibal Lecter's protégé, Zachary Matthews, in a much publicized trial in which both Clarice and Will had to testify, pled not guilty by reason of insanity and the jury actually believed him. Just as Will had predicted, Zachary took the stand and cried over his alleged abuse at the hands of Dr. Lecter. He claimed he was coerced and feared for his life if he did not follow the doctor's exact instructions. While the abuse charge against Dr. Lecter was deemed by the judge inadmissible in court because there was no corroborating evidence and ordered any such testimony to be stricken from the record, the damage was still done. The jury heard it and while they were officially instructed to disregard the statements, the young man's words remained with them and they were touched by his courage. In the end, the jury indeed found him not guilty by reason of insanity however, by order of the judge, Zachary Matthews was ordered to the Walter P. Carter in- patient psychiatric facility in Baltimore where he would undergo treatment until he was well enough to be released.
Eventually, Clarice had shed tears at Dr. Hannibal Lecter's gravesite although it had been some time before she did. She had knelt on the ground next to his headstone, put her head in her hands, and wept bitterly. But she came to realize that the tears she cried were not tears of sorrow or of guilt, they had been tears of relief, relief that he was finally out of her life, relief that she was finally free from his emotional and physical grasp. When she had come home that night, Will had seen her tear stained face and had known where she had been. She had smiled through fresh tears as she had told him that finally she knew her dreams would be free of fear and specters and he had smiled back, hugging her close.
Now as she watched him turn the shrimp, Clarice smiled contentedly to herself. She could not remember having been this happy since before her father had been killed. It was so nice to come home to Will every evening. Now she finally understood the old adage, "Home is where the heart is." She kept "normal" working hours at the Bureau and spent her evenings and weekends with Will. Clarice had come to relish family time with him and Josh. Josh Graham had ended up coming to spend one weekend a month with them during the school year and now that it was summer, he was arriving tomorrow to stay for two months before reporting to UCLA for the fall term. Tonight would be the last night for two months that they would be alone in the house and Clarice planned to make it memorable.
"I'm gonna go change," she called to Will who nodded through the smoke.
She turned to walk back through the kitchen and noticed the candles on the table and a bottle of wine chilling in the ice bucket and smiled. Apparently Will had the same idea as she did on making the night special.
'Two great minds think alike,' Clarice thought and smiled.
She walked into the bedroom and peeled off her blouse. It was early summer and already the humidity was stifling. Clarice dreaded the coming hot months. She dropped the shirt into the clothes hamper and sat down on the bed. She ran her hand along the smooth bedspread and smiled. Will made the bed every morning almost religiously. It was one of his "exercises" to work the repaired tendons in his hands. His rehabilitation doctor had recommended early on that he look for everyday tasks that would at first challenge his hand flexibility and coordination through use and repetitive motions and promised that they would in time help his hands regain their use. Will and Clarice had found that making the bed, washing dishes, sweeping, and doing laundry all helped his hands tremendously. Clarice smiled wider as she thought how his helping her remove her clothes helped his hands as well. She began to roll off her thigh-high nylons from beneath her skirt. She pulled them off her feet, threw them at the open hamper and smiled when they went in.
"Two points," Will smiled from the doorway.
Clarice laughed. She had not noticed him watching her. Will limped into the room and sat on the bed next to her.
"You know I would've been perfectly happy to help you do that," he grinned and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her neck, just behind her left ear.
"Well, I'm still wearing clothes that do need to come off," she purred.
"I'm always happy to help," Will chuckled.
Their open mouths met and soon everything was a blur of removed clothing, roaming mouths, and moving limbs.
"The shrimp is going to burn," Clarice whispered breathlessly into Will's ear as he gripped her hair and pulled it back gently to tilt her head so he could nibble her neck although she knew there was no way he would leave now.
"It's already done and in the oven to stay warm," he said softly. "No worries."
Clarice smiled and met his mouth with hers.
Several hours later after dinner had been finished and the dishes cleared away, Will and Clarice sat curled together on the couch with the bottle of wine half finished and open in front of them on the coffee table. Clarice's head lay on Will's shoulder and she closed her eyes, happy, as he ran his hand through her hair.
"Clarice there's something I need to tell you," Will said quietly.
"What is it?" She replied contentedly.
"I just want to be honest with you about something that happened while Josh and I were being held by Lecter."
Clarice sat up and looked at him. He had not talked much about the days spent at the mercy of Dr. Lecter and now that he wanted to, she was determined to be very supportive of him no matter what he said.
"Go ahead," she smiled gently.
Will sighed and she watched as he ran his hand through his hair like he always did when he was nervous or uncertain about something. He turned so that he was fully facing her.
"I said some very ugly things about you to Dr. Lecter at one point," he said softly and looked her in the eye. "I did not mean a word of any of it but I said it merely to goad him into coming after me," he paused and grimaced at the memory of pummeling fists. "He was going to hurt Josh and I had to stop him. That's not an excuse, just an explanation."
"Will it's alright," Clarice said and took his hands in hers. "I figured something like that when Josh told me in the hospital that you had said some things about me to Dr. Lecter." She paused and smiled again. "I understand and it's okay."
Will shook his head. "It's not okay, Clarice. I should not have said what I said about you regardless of the situation. It was not right."
"You said what you said to save your son," Clarice said softly. "Any good parent would do the same and I admire you for that." She paused. "I must admit though, I am curious as to what you said."
Will met her gaze and shook his head again. "No way," he said. "I promised myself I would never repeat those words. Ever."
"Well, I can imagine what you said," Clarice said. "If it was directed at Dr. Lecter I'm sure it was something about you and me and sex."
Will closed his eyes momentarily and sighed again. "Something like that yes." He paused and looked at her. "I won't tell you what I said but I just wanted you to know about it. We don't keep things from each other and I needed to clear that off my chest before I ask you something."
"What is it?"
"I hope you know how much I love you," Will smiled. "You are my life, you are my breath, you are my entire world and I could not imagine life without you in it. I am the luckiest man in the world to be loved by you. You amaze me everyday with your strength of character and your kind heart. I only hope you will do me the honor and be my wife." Will paused and pulled a ring out of his pants pocket. "Clarice Starling, will you marry me?"
Clarice's eyes watered and she smiled. "Of course I will." She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed.
"I love you so much," he whispered into her neck.
"I love you too, Will Graham," Clarice said happily.
Will slipped the ring onto her finger and smiled. Clarice gazed at it. It was a princess cut diamond and it looked to be about 2 carats. It was set into a band of braided gold. It must have cost him a fortune. She looked up at him.
"It's absolutely beautiful," she smiled.
Will leaned in and kissed her. "You're absolutely beautiful," he whispered.
He planted small kisses down her neck, over the strap of her tank top, and across the top of her shoulder. Clarice smiled.
"I have something to tell you too," she whispered in his ear.
Will sat up and looked at her. "What is it?"
"I was offered a job today," she smiled.
"Yeah?"
"Yes, Section Chief of Behavioral Science," she replied proudly.
Will smiled broadly. "Clarice, that's wonderful. I'm so proud of you." He hugged her tightly for a moment then pulled back and looked into her face. "You said yes right?"
She laughed. "Yes, I said yes. Assistant Director Wegener practically begged me to accept the position. Apparently the interim chief they brought in after Kendra died is just not up to the task. Poor guy, he's from the Organized Crime division and he's in way over his head in Behavioral Science." She shrugged. "They wanted someone from the inside this time, they said. They want me."
Will hugged her again. "That is so wonderful sweetie."
Clarice nuzzled his neck and kissed his earlobe lightly. "So it would appear we have two things to celebrate tonight."
"Indeed." Will glanced at his watch and grinned at her. "And we only have 12 hours until Josh's plane lands. We better get to celebrating."
Clarice smiled at him, put one leg over his lap, and straddled him. He leaned forward slightly as she pulled his white tank top off of him and then she leaned down to kiss his chest. As she felt his heart quicken and heard his breath catch, Clarice Starling thought how she would never get tired of him.
To be continued. Please review.
Shattered: Just to clear one thing up; the GD was not dead at the end of the chapter where Clarice shot him, he did have a pulse. You're not supposed to care about Will? LOL! I'm using my magic powers to make you care!! Thanks so much POI junkie for all your wonderful reviews, I absolutely love them.
Kurt: LOL! Super Maximum Strength NoDoz? LOL! Well, time will only tell what was injected into his IV. Yes, I liked that one line in particular myself (the ex-husband line!). And yes, this tale is winding down, just a couple more chapters I reckon. Thanks so much for your great reviews.
LoT: LOL yes, I assume I will be dodging Harpys for the next few weeks or so for killing the GD. As always, thank you so much for your fun reviews.
Jenny: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing.
guber: As far as the reasons behind Will and Josh surviving, everything will make sense in the next chapter. I did toy with killing them off as well for several weeks. Thanks again for your review.
ducki: Aww, thank you so much for the compliment. Thanks for reviewing.
Dark Topaz: LOL, here you go! More! Thanks for reading and reviewing.
