I'm Back! I appologize for the wait, but I moved across the country and couldn't find my writing notebook that had this chapter in it. I found it though, and after rewriting the ending its finally done!

I thank you though for the emails I have gotten lately filled with encouragement 3 I hope you like this chapter. I feel this story may come to a close in one or two chapters. As always please review! No flames, but feel free to send me a private message with suggestions =D

This is one of my favorite chapters

May 26th '07 9:30am

Gabrielle looked at herself in the vanity mirror as she towel dried her hair. She was dressed in a black, casual, dress slacks and a simple, light pink, semi fitted, mid cut, t-shirt and black socks. She was wearing her usual jewlery and light make-up. She decided to let her hair dry on its own so while it was damp she put in some light curling gel to help along her hairs natural loose Curls. Once that was done she grabbed her pair of black, light, sneakers and went across the hall to her meditation room. She left her bedroom door open to let Dr. Lecter know she was awake and quietly shut the door to her meditation room behind her.

She sat up her pillows and grabbed her incense burner. She had been doing this sends the second week she had been here. When she meditated in the morning it was just a quick one to make sure her head was in the right place. The incense acted as a timer for her since each stick took about an hour to burn, and seeings how that was the most time she needed in the morning it worked perfectly. She used her candles at night for her deep meditations because they last much longer.

She sat on her pillow, lit and incense stick, and put it in its holder, then went into her meditation. The first thing that popped into her mind was Victor. She liked him a lot and kissing and had been exhilarating, but there was a lot she wondered about him. What she really the only one he had taken as is equal? What made her different to him and others he had encountered? Was it because she would be leaving soon? If so, how many others came before her? Did her friend and sit her up for this? There were too many questions for her to answer at the moment so she made a mental note to write them down when she got the chance.

The next thing she thought of was how her mind had wandered at the club. She was afraid to think about it, 'cause she feared the doctor would know what she had been thinking about that night.

~*~ He's a psychiatrist NOT a mind reader.~*~ she thought to herself as she tried to convince herself to think about this... problem of sorts. ~*~ Oh for heavens sake! If he finds out he'll probably just think I'm a typical teenager.~*~ she thought with a sigh.

Then she brought the issue to the front of her mind. While she was at the club our mind had wandered to Dr. Lecter. It happened when she was dancing with Victor. It happened once when he kissed her. It also happened when Victor marked her. She quickly rationalized the last one to be because Dr. Lecter IS a canibal, so she figured that was natural. What she couldn't explain away with any of them was the way she felt when they each happened. She refused to think about that for fear of that happening again. She moved on without actually dealing with it. She thought of the fact that she would have to go home soon. She would have to deal with Becky and her new found "queendom". She would also have to deal with what the kids were going to say about are not staying with the group the whole trip. That is, if rumors weren't being spread it already.

Gabrielle hadn't had any contact with Becky in a while and since she and Dr. Lecter had moved she hadn't been able to see the girls from the hotel. She had called them a few times, but they never mentioned anything about her classmates. They mostly let her talk and ask her questions. Then something occurred to her; what if they're asking questions 'cause the police actually figured it out and they were trying to figure out if she was in danger and needed help? She strongly hoped that wasn't the case but kept it as a possibility.

She smelled the loss of incense and decided the rest could be dealt with later. She came out of her light meditation and put everything away. One she was satisfied that everything was in its proper place she put on her sneakers, left the room and went downstairs. She went into the living room and didn't find the doctor. She didn't smell coffee or breakfast, and a quick peek revealed her to assumption of him not being there was confirmed. She leaned up against the door jam and sighed. This wasn't the first time Dr. Lecter was absent in the morning. The problem she faced now was finding him. It occurred to her that he could be testing her. They had been training and honing her skills as part of the deal they made. She immediately opened her senses, noting sound, smells and things that may be out place. The one thing that caught her eye was the open back door behind the stairs. Aware that this could just be a diversion she kept her senses open to movement as she crossed the house. As she stepped outside she laughed at herself and relaxed. Dr. Lecter was sitting in the swing with a glass of orange juice in his hand staring out at the trees.

Gabrielle quietly went back into the house and went to the kitchen to start breakfast. He was in his memory palace, she could tell by the "far away" look on his face. This wasn't the first time she had seen him while he was there, what she was happy to see there wasn't pain on his face is time. The only time she never seen pain on his face was when he was in his memory palace. Being the person she was, she always wanted to ask and see if she could help, but the reality of it was that not only would she not be able to help but it also definitely NONE of her business. She would be putting the line she wasn't allowed to cross on a cliff and jumping off it, the end result is not good in the slightest. She kept to her thoughts as she made waffles and bacon. She set the table and put the pitcher of the orange juice on the table as well. She safely assumed that was the drink for breakfast because the doctor was already drinking it.

Out on the balcony Dr. Lecter wandered around his memory palace. He had added things to the room he made for Gabrielle, including a picture of the outfit she was wearing last night. It intrigued him how she wore clothes that fit her ever changing mood and personality. He was beginning to be able to read her outfits and what mood of the reflected on her. In the middle of his organization he caught a whiff of her sent and realized he hadn't stored it yet. Though, like are close, it changed with her mood. The scent was gone almost as quick as it came, which meant she had found him and decided to leave him be. He put a bottle of her sent on a shelf and made and no to label it with the correct mood later. He left his memory palace and got up from the swing.

~*~ Let's see how she is today.~*~ he thought to himself as he walked through the house.

Gabrielle faintly heard the door close and knew he was in the house. She counted out 25 seconds because she knew that's what was the time needed to get from the back door to the kitchen. After the allotted time she knew he was watching her because he had yet to say anything but she had heard him taking swallow of his orange juice. She smiled to herself and continue cooking.

"Good morning doctor, I hope you don't mind a simple breakfast. I couldn't think of anything else to make." Gabrielle said without turning to look at him.

"Smells wonderful to me Gabrielle." Dr. Lecter answered with a smile.

He wasn't surprised she had known he was there. The back door was in very quiet and her skills were advancing nicely. He took in her outfit, gauged her mood, and labeled the scent he had stored acordingly. He watched as she expertly moved around his kitchen without a word. It was a comfortable silence for him and he sensed her contentment with it as well. Dr. Lecter sat at the table and poured himself in other glass of orange juice. Gabrielle finished making breakfast and brought it to the table. She sat down as Dr. Lecter served her and she poured herself a glass of orange juice.

"So do we have any plans today doctor?" Gabrielle asked and took a bite of her waffles.

"Nothing in particular." Dr. Lecter replied, "Is there anything you need or want to do today?"

"Well I was kind of wondering if there was a town nearby town had some sort of incense store. I'm almost out and I could use another lilac candle because that one is almost gone too."

"I'm sure we can find a local store." Lecter replied as he took a sip of juice, "If not we can take the trip into Paris and go to the store you like there."

Gabrielle shuddered slightly and thought to herself ~*~ That's the last place Hannibal should be right now. Not till I know for sure...~*~

"Gabrielle?" Lecter asked pulling her out of her thoughts, "Are you alright?"

"Huh? Yeah I'm fine. I'd rather not going to the city if we don't have to though."

Hannibal chuckled ~*~ then she is finally caught on to what her friends had been trying to do huh?~*~

With the last handful of weeks Dr. Lecter had been listening in on her calls with the girls from the hotel. He had figured out a while ago that her conversations with them or not only being recorded, what they were also trying to trace her and find them. This is why he wasn't startled by what happened at the barn. Now her concern was written all over her face and he was pleased at the reinforcements that she was indeed happy to be spending this time with him. He only hoped that that she would leave willingly when the time came. He didn't want to have to scare her off.

"Alright then, I'm sure we can find a shop around here." Dr. Lecter replied with a smile.

"Thank you Doctor." Gabrielle breathed a sigh of relief.

They finished eating, talking about this and that. After Gabrielle brushed her teeth and made sure she was ready while the doctor cleaned up the kitchen.

"All ready Gabrielle?" Dr. Lecter asked as they entered living room at the same time.

"Yup all set, wait new found a place already?"

Dr. Lecter tap the side of his head and replied, "found a place in town about 25 minutes from here."

"Well that's good, it's nice and warm today can we have the top down?"

"Absolutely." Lecter replied as he opened the front door for.

Dr. Lecter's memory palace never cease to amaze Gabrielle. She thought she would have to wait at least a little while he checked the computer in his office, but he just pulled it out of his head like they had just bend to that town yesterday. She hoped to be able to do that one day. For now she listened to the radio and enjoyed the beautiful day that it was. The town was small enough that they could park next to the post office and walk around without having to go very far. They bought ice cream and window shopped for a while. Dr. Lecter noted a few things that caught Gabrielle's interest, and thought about coming back later to get them. When they found the shop they were looking for they entered and Gabrielle took in a deep breath. He love that she got the most enjoyment out of the little things, like a scent or a picture. He waited by the register as Gabrielle picked out the various items she needed, and some new ones she wanted. When she was done, despite her objections, Dr. Lecter paid for her things and they left to walk around the town once more.

As much as she wanted to, Gabrielle couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched. Though she did her best to disguise it, her eyes were constantly scanning for anything out of place. She found it. In front of her was a gorgeous woman sitting at a small table, sipping coffee, and reading the paper. Two things were wrong with what she saw. First, the paper she was reading was purely in English. Second, instead of a fancy watch to go with the rest of her outfit, the woman was wearing what looked like a hiking or diving watch.

"Dr. Williamson, I think I might like to go home now. All this fresh air has seemed to tire me out." Gabrielle said with a meek smile, "I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry." The Doctor replied with a look that said he understood her true meaning, "After all, this trip was for you. We can come back later if you wish."

Gabrielle exhaled with a smile. Dr. Lecter responded just how she hoped he would. Her asking to go home first was her way of showing, whoever was watching, that she wasn't being held against her will. Dr. Lecter's response was the icing on the cake. It showed she was allowed to do as she wanted. As they walked back to the car, Gabrielle noticed a poorly hidden GPS receiver under the rear, passenger side wheel-well.

"Tag, you're it Doctor." She whispered as Dr. Lecter opened her door for her.

Dr. Lecter understood what she was hinting at. He had seen it too. The house was too close for them to get rid of it without causing suspicion. Luckily he had another plan. He had sensed people move closer to the car, so he knew at least one agent was in earshot. He made his next few sentences quite deliberate.

"You've gone through some tough memories this week. Why don't we go on a little picnic, I know how much you love those."

Gabrielle's face beamed, "Oh could we please?! Its been so rainy all week, and we haven't gone in a while."

Dr. Lecter smiled and nodded, "A picnic it is then."

The excitement Gabrielle felt was genuine, for what she said was true. Plus she was starting to miss their games of "hide, seek, and disable" they have in the woods. Shortly after they left town, she fell into a light sleep. Dr. Lecter was very pleased to see that they weren't being followed in any physical manner. About half way to their picnic site, Dr. Lecter woke her up.

"Gabrielle, wake up please."

"Yes Doctor?"

"I need you to grab the gloves from the center console and remove the tag from the car."

Gabrielle's eyes went wide, "Why can't we just stop and take it off?!"

"If we were to do that, whoever is tracking us would know we found it, and come after us immediately. If it just stops while we're in motion, they will assume it simply fell off and bicker for a while."

Gabrielle gave a defeated sigh, she knew the answer right after the question left her mouth, "Alright then, you're the boss."

"Thank you."

Gabrielle took off her shoes, grabbed the gloves by the cuff, and crawled into the back seat while Dr. Lecter kept driving. She then wrapped the center seat belt around her left calf and made her way out to wheel-well. Just as she predicted, the seatbelt reached its end right as she reached her destination.

~*~Well at least I know I won't fall…~*~ Gabrielle thought, ~*~ As long as the Doctor doesn't make any sudden turns…~*~

She put on the gloves and looked quickly for the tracker. When she found it, she gave it a swift yank. It wasn't as secure as she thought it was, and before she knew it she lost her grasp on it, dropping it down in front of the wheel. She heard is crunch as it got run over and saw it in pieces on the road behind them. She smiled and carefully made her way into the safety of the back seat.

"Well there's no need to worry 'bout the GPS anymore Doctor." Gabrielle called out as she untangled herself from the seatbelt.

"Oh, and why is that?" Dr. Lecter asked as he peered at her from the rearview mirror.

Gabrielle plopped herself into her seat, "Because you just ran it over."

"Nothing in the wheels?"

"Nope, all on the road."

"Nicely done Gabrielle"

"Thank you"

Feeling calmer know they were no longer being tracked; Gabrielle fell back into her nap. Dr. Lecter still kept a close eye out as he drove. He was a little concerned that Gabrielle had spotted the agents in town before he did. At the same time however, he was quite pleased with her ability to spot them. She woke up as they parked and got out before Dr. Lecter had a chance to get to her door.

She noticed the funny look on his face and laughed, "What? I thought it might be more efficient to meet you at the trunk, so I could help you unpack."

The doctor just shook his head and pulled blankets out of the trunk. As he walked away he told her to grab the basket. Highly confused, because she thought it was empty, she grabbed the basket. She became more confused when she found that it was rather heavy. They set up the blanket in their usual spot and Dr. Lecter grabbed a water bottle for each of them and some fruit. Gabrielle saw that there was more in the basket, but the Doctor closed it when he saw her trying to peek. She sprawled out on the blanket and ate her peach in silence. Dr. Lecter cracked open his water and watched her finally start to relax for the time being. After about an hour, Gabrielle got restless of watching birds playing in the trees. She got up, threw the remainder of her second peach as far as she could across the field, and stared walking towards the woods.

"That's littering Gabrielle" Dr. Lecter quipped.

"Not its not. I just fed the earth and planted a seed." She responded with a smile.

Dr. Lecter smilled and the sarcasm was evident in his voice, "Have it your way then, but don't come crying to me when the cops arrest you."

"Hmm, see, there's a more valuable shark in this pond that those poachers wanna catch so…"

Gabrielle's words were cut off by a harpy at her throat.

"Tsk tsk Gabrielle, we were having such a good day." His eyes were dark and testing.

"I'm disappointed in you Doctor." Gabrielle responded while putting a hand lightly on his chest. Her words were soft, gentle, and without fear or judgment, "I'm saddened to learn that you have no faith in the little fish. That you don't think that little fish wouldn't kick up as much sand as possible to insure the escape of the shark. Poachers be damned."

A single tear rolled from the corner of her eye and down her cheek. She kept still, making no effort to remove it.

They stood in silence while Dr. Lecter processed everything his senses were showing him. Gabrielle was happy for the tree he had slowly backed her against. Her legs had become weak. Not from fear, but from the sadness she felt in the knowledge that he thought (after all he knew about her, after all he pulled out of her during the therapy sessions) that she would give him up to the cops at the first chance she got. She was angry. She was angry at whatever made this man so unable to trust someone who knew his secret. He saw this…

He watched her, their eyes never wavering from one another. He watched the tear fall. He watched as she let it. As long as she has been with him, Gabrielle still hated to let him see her cry. This tear wasn't because of him; it was for him, though it wasn't born from pity. She was completely relaxed against the tree, a warm hand still rested on his chest, and the Harpy at her throat didn't seem to matter to her. He saw the anger rise up in her, but it wasn't aimed at him. He realized in that moment that the one wall he had been trying to break down since she came to live with him had just fallen.

Care, protectiveness, respect, and something else shined brightly through the anger in her eyes. It was the one he had yet to place and didn't dare allow himself to assume what it could be. He was staring at the one part of her soul she kept private and tucked away. Yet, as hard as he searched, he still found no fear. Deep down she truly wasn't afraid of him… He recorded everything, storing it away in the room he had built for her. He even went so far as to create a new room off the first for this moment. He then withdrew his harpy and wiped the tear from her face. She smiled as happiness and understanding lit up her face.

Dr. Lecter was about to apologize, when Gabrielle shook her head and stating in the same soft tone as before, "There's no need to apologize, when there's nothing to forgive. I get it, it's alright."

Her hand slipped from his chest as she made her way back to the blanket to grab a drink of water. That private part of her soul was dark to him once again, and he found himself knowing he would most-likely be the only one to ever see it. He looked back at the blanket only to find that Gabrielle was already half way to the woods.

"You've got fifteen minutes, Gabrielle." He called to her, "Make it count."

She turned and looked at him with a mischievous smile plastered on her face, "Oh don't worry. I will."

And with that, she took off running. Dr. Lecter sat and drank his water. He organized the basket so it would be easier to set up their meal after the game. Once everything was to his satisfaction he got up and made his way to the woods.

Upon entering he whispered, "Ready or not here I come…"

Dr. Lecter opened his senses and he was able to locate Gabrielle's scent rather quickly. There was a light breeze, and he chuckled for this gave him a large advantage. The spastic zig-zag of Gabrielle's scent pattern told him that she was aware of this too. It was futile, but she was trying to use the wind to her advantage. The idea was that with the breeze spreading her scent Dr. Lecter may be unsure where to look first. Unfortunately he had too many years of tracking people to be fooled by the attempt.

Gabrielle had decided to hide in a pine tree, hoping its scent was strong enough to mask her own. Her deodorant was unscented, but she was wearing a light perfume and she knew the incense was still hanging on her. It took him longer than she thought it would for him to find her, but luckily she had seemed to spot him first. Quite gingerly (so as not to shake the branches too much) she climbed further up the tree, into the thicker cover of branches. The tree was rather large and when she got nearer to the top she noticed a nearby maple's branches pushing their way towards the center. When she found it was strong enough to hold her, she climbed across into the maple and froze in the first safe place she found. She was high enough that she might be shielded by the tree cover if the Doctor looked directly up into the tree, but her pink top would give her away if he looked at it from a distance.

Dr. Lecter stopped when he got to the pine and looked around a bit. When he looked up into Gabrielle's tree she held her breath and went stone still. He didn't seem to see her, and after looking around once more he left the way he came. Assuming that he had gone to retrace his steps, Gabrielle quickly and carefully climbed to the bottom. She barely made any sound as she hit the forest floor, and was rather pleased with herself for it. She stayed in a crouch and looked around for the Doctor before she decided to move forward through the forest.

Dr. Lecter heard her hit the ground, but only just. If he hadn't seen her come out of the tree he might have mistaken the sound for an animal. He chuckled at the way her head darted back and forth looking for him before taking off. He followed her, and managed to get in front of her. The look of determination on her face was rather amusing, but the look of shock on her face would be an even sweeter to see. He followed behind her at a distance, slowly closing in on her. He was happy to be down wind this time. Eventhough he only used very little, Gabrielle had an nack for picking up his cologne. They were almost out of the woods, and he thought he had her now that he was only inches away, but once again she surprised him.

She turned suddenly and jumped him, pinning him to a tree with her harpy at his throat. He didn't remember seeing her pull her knife out so he gave her points for that.

"Did you really think you had me Doctor?" She asked with a smile as she cut his throat only slightly, "You're dead."

Gabrielle stepped back and dropped her harpy to her side. She knew it wasn't smart but she turned away from Dr. Lecter and started walking towards the edge of the woods again. Dr. Lecter disregarded the cut he received. She never cut deep enough to cause worry. He grabbed her left wrist, spun her around, lifted her slightly, and pinned her to a tree with his knee between her legs. The attack was too sudden for her to process, but when she felt herself hit a hard surface she knew she was done for. When she finally got her bearings she saw what he had done to her, and also noticed that the Doctor's harpy was at her throat. It was the look in his eyes that she wasn't prepared for. It was the one he kept guarded. The one that always seemed to bring them a little closer everytime she saw it.

Gabrielle smiled at him mischievously and swung her free arm. As she predicted, Dr. Lecter blocked with the hand that had his harpy. She evaded and grabbed his wrist. He hesitated for a second and she used his wrist to pull him closer. She swung her legs up and wrapped them around his waist. She had to stretch a bit because the Doctor still had her arm pinned. He eased up a little, not wanting to actually hurt her. She used this to manipulate her body weight to knock him over. She let go of his wrist to cushion the back of his head as he fell, and because he still had hold of her their faces were inches apart when they hit the ground.

"You just had to go and try again, didn't you Doctor?" Gabrielle asked with a smile.

"If at first you don't succeed, try try again."

She shook her head and asked, "Are you ok? You hit the ground pretty hard."

"Nothing that will do more than bruise Gabrielle."

The way he said her name made her shiver, and she knew he felt it because that look in his eyes got stronger.

"Well that's good to hear." Gabrielle said quietly, trying very hard to ignore their closeness, "Will you please let go of me so we can get off the ground?"

"As you wish."

Lecter released her and she rolled off of him. She stood, brushed herself off, and straightened her clothes. They made their out of the wood and Gabrielle watched a couple birds fly around eachother in a tree ahead. They were about to step out of the treeline when she turned to ask Dr. Lecter a question. Walking backwards, her heel hit a tree root and she started falling. She tried to catch herself, but when she realized it wasn't going to happen she closed her eyes and prepared to hit the ground. She was ready to roll when she felt a strong hand on her back. Hey eyes flew open as she was pulled to her feet faster she could take in a breath.

"Oh my God." She whispered as she exhaled.

"Don't scare me like that Gabrielle. It's not very nice." Dr. Lecter practically growled.

"I'm sorry Hannibal…..I mean Doctor Lecter. That was not my intention, I promise you that." Gabrielle answered as she noticed their closeness.

She had a hand hold on the back of his neck to steady herself. The other was clinging to his shirt from the adrenaline. Their faces were a little less than an inch apart, and she couldn't help but notice the strength in his arms as held her tight. It was like he was afraid she would crumble if he let go. Their eyes were locked, and she found that she was very glad for being held so tight. His eyes always seemed to penetrate the deepest corners of her soul, and the sensation usually threw her off balance. It didn't help that he had that look in his eyes again. Her hand instinctively curled around the hair at the base of his neck. She felt her face get hot as she realized what she was doing and let go of his neck entirely. His hold on her wasn't relinquished, but loosened for a more comfortable space.

"Do you think you can make it to the blanket before you fall again?" Dr. Lecter asked with playfully mocking tone, "Or am I going to have to carry you back?"

Gabrielle stuck out her tongue and answered, "I was prepared to roll when I hit the ground you know. I would have righted myself."

Gabrielle moved out of the Doctor's grasp slowly, almost reluctantly, and started for the blanket.

Dr. Lecter was replaying the game in his mind when she turned to him. Her eyes grew wide as she tripped and fell away from him. Without second thought he closed the gap between them and caught her. He felt his body react to her gasp and the way she clung to him. He was aware of their closeness immediately and was curious as to how she would react once she realized it too. He watched her emotions fluctuate, and then stop dead in their tracks. There was that look again; the one he saw earlier before their game. When she left his grasp, he could have sworn he felt reluctance.

Gabrielle layed down on the blanket in a sun spot and the doctor rested against the tree. She was rather tired, both emotionally and physically; it wasn't long before she was completely out. Dr. Lecter chuckled and set to work removing the rest of the food from the basket and setting it up for their lunch. A cloud rolled over the sun and without a second the doctor put the extra blanket over Gabrielle so she wouldn't wake. Today they would be having a nice, crisp salad full of romaine, arugula, a variety of fruits, and walnuts. He also had raspberry lemonade that she was very fond of seeing as how he did not allow her to drink wine.

"No you can't. I won't let you." Gabrielle mumbled in her sleep.

Dr. Lecter turned his attention towards her. This wasn't the first time he had heard her talk in her sleep. Infact there had been a few incidents where had had to breech the private space that was her room in order to wake her from a nightmare, which had had her screaming in her sleep. She still hadn't told him what they were about, but he was starting to get a picture of what they might be.

"Don't! You promised!"

Dr. Lecter placed himself next to her as her breath became shallower. He sensed a scream coming on.

"no…nononono…." Tears were starting to run down her cheeks.

"Gabrielle wake up." Dr. Lecter spoke softly, shaking her a little, "Gabrielle, you're dreaming. Wake up."

"NOOOO!" She screamed, as predicted.

Her own screams woke her, and she sat up like a bat out of hell. She gasped for air, breaking into sobs that sent her into a coughing fit. When she saw the doctor she nearly fell into another sobbing fit. He wrapped his arms around her snuggly trying to give her a sense of safety.

"It's alright Gabrielle; your monsters can't hurt you. It was only a dream."

"These nightmares make my heart hurt so much." She said as she took several deep breaths.

She knew he wanted to know about her nightmares but she just couldn't tell him. Why? Because they were about him. Not about him hurting her, but about him being killed. Violently. In every instance there was nothing she could do to stop it or even save him. It wasn't that she didn't want him to know that she cared about his safety, they already covered that today. She was trying to spare him from caring too much. She knew that he cared about her well-being at least on some level. He did after come to her aid when that stable hand came after her. It was the fact that he was a fugitive, and in being so, he couldn't be burdened by such dangerous emotions. Emotions like worry and too deep a caring for another could cloud his mind, creating a mistake that could get him caught. She though herself foolish for thinking she, of all people, could ever cloud his mind. The doctors had dubbed him psychotic and she had seen how methodical his mind worked. Still, she wasn't going to take any chances. Staying with him had already caused enough risk. The cops had almost caught him twice. Then like a ton of bricks realization hit her.

"Only 11 more days….." Gabrielle whispered.

"Untill what Gabrielle?" Dr. Lecter asked.

He knew the answer, but he was curious about how she would word it.

"In 11 days you can run and be safe again." She responded, "Though at the same time I could go back to the hotel with my class, and you could run tonight. They got far too close today for….."

Gabrielle trailed off and fell into thought and turning her gaze from the doctor. She couldn't let him see how worried she truly was for him.

"How can I leave when I'm not done with you yet?"

Gabrielle's gazed whipped back to his. There was a mixture of confusion, mild fright, curiosity, and….that emotion he had yet to place.

"Not done with me?" She asked as she tilted her head.

"Yes, don't you remember when I took you to Versailles for the winter ball? I told you I would give you a grand tour of Paris."

"I remember. For more than one reason, but I remember."

"Then you know I can't return you to your teachers until after the Masquerade Gala." Dr. Lecter said with a smerk.

Gabrielle's eyes went wide. She had completely forgotten about that. Though it now answered the question in her mind about why she HAD to have the gown from the museum. Then she chuckled and smiled. The good doctor hadn't seen the dress yet. This should be fun.

"Something amusing Gabrielle?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh nothing really." Gabrielle replied, but she couldn't keep from grinning like an idiot.

"Gabrielle."

The way Dr. Lecter growled her name made her even more determined to keep her secret. The fact that she had something to surprise him with was rare and she was fully intent on savoring the moment

"We wouldn't want to spoil the surprise now would we Doctor?" She asked, mischief dancing in her eyes.

"You have a surprise for an event that you completely forgot about?"

Gabrielle just nodded.

"Please, indulge me on how that happens."

"Let's just say I acquired this surprise back when I remembered."

Dr. Lecter was about to answer when Gabrielle's stomach growled loudly. The look of astonishment on his face made Gabrielle crack up laughing. Dr. Lecter shook his head, sat against the tree once more, and they ate.

Again, I hope you like it! Please leave a review so I know it wasn't a total bust... Kinda hoping I was able to get our good Doctor at least a little more in character. I know I have failed at that in the past...