Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

A/N: Sorry this has taken so long. Thanks for all the reviews.

Peter Burke looked every bit like a tourist in Buenos Aires. He carried a tourist guide and had a baseball cap on, and a bag slung over his shoulder. His eyes betrayed him though. His eyes which could be seen through high powered binoculars from the second floor bedroom of the house he now watched. Hannibal Lecter, though hesitant at first, was now quite glad of Clarice's renewed acquaintance with her old roommate. Ardelia Mapp was a bit surprised when they had stopped for a visit with their, then, one year old son. She had nearly fainted in fact. Her love for her friend and her joy in finding her alive soon overcame all her anger and grief at Clarice's disappearance and supposed death. A way of communicating had been set up. Letters in both directions were sent through the Texas remailer so no link could ever be made. A coded voicemail box had also been set up. It was through this system that Ardelia had informed them of Agent Burke. After her neighbor had informed her she saw a man in her window after Agent Burke's first visit. Ardelia assured the woman it was her boyfriend who stopped by because he had forgotten something in her apartment. She had called the voicemail and Clarice had called her back through her computer account. They talked nearly twenty-five minutes before deciding what to do. Ardelia purposely moved the picture. When she returned home and discovered the piece of white thread she had placed inside the frame on the floor she made another call. She had watched Agent Burke over the next week and found out about his vacation request and over heard his conversations about heading to Texas. Ardelia had informed Clarice. Clarice and Hannibal came up with a plan. Ardelia had surprised the doctor on one of her calls by suggesting Agent Burke be the victim of a mugging gone wrong.

"Special Agent Mapp, are you suggesting killing a fellow agent?" Hannibal had asked.

"The man is a creep. I checked the case files. The tape and letter you told me about are gone. They even put in a false report of the raid and your death Doctor. Obviously they don't want her found. I can't think of any good reason why he would be looking." Ardelia replied. "Besides he broke into my apartment, putting his nasty hands all over my stuff."

"Delia, you can't just kill him." Clarice had replied. "If you got caught then you'd go to jail."

"Just let him come, Miss Mapp. We'll deal with the problem." Hannibal said with a smile.

Ardelia had requested the day after Agent Burke's departure off. She had let herself into his apartment and was surprised to find none of his research. She searched his computer and discovered a few deleted files. She removed them completely from the computer. The following day she checked his desk at work. She informed Clarice and Hannibal over her discovery, or lack there of, Hannibal wasn't surprised.

"He couldn't leave any trace of what he's been doing. He's probably defying orders by looking and as you said before, Miss Mapp, there is no good reason for him to be looking."

As the sunset Hannibal sent the servants home. It was a bit early but he told them he and his wife had plans for the evening and would not be requiring their services. They all left and the house was quiet. Hannibal had been especially careful to stay away from the front windows. Clarice picked up their son and made a bit of a show going around the house closing the curtains and turning off lights. She handed him over to her husband on the stairs who carried him to his bedroom near theirs in the west wing of the house. Clarice headed to the east wing. She entered the guest bedroom and flipped on the light. The sheer curtains were pulled closed but she could still be seen through the window especially with the binoculars Agent Burke was looking through. Clarice went through the motions as if she was putting her son to bed. She tucked in the doll she had bought a few weeks before, bent over and kissed its head. A night light was turned on then turning off the light she left the room. Walking into the room next door she turned on the light and appeared to be getting ready for bed herself. She closed the curtains and then turned out the light. Down the hall Hannibal put his already sleeping son into bed. He slipped out closing the door. He stood in the hall for a brief moment then retrieved a key from his pocket and locked the door. Clarice came quietly down the hall. From the window of their bedroom suite they watched and waited.

Agent Burke waited nearly an hour to be sure Clarice had fallen asleep. He stepped out of the alley and crossed the road. He felt confident in his task. Walking toward the house he checked the street discreetly before slipping through the gate. The gate had been closed but not locked. He inwardly berated Starling for her lack of attention to security as he closed the gate behind himself. He was halfway up the drive, keeping to the shadows, when the gate was locked by the hand of its owner flipping a switch inside. Agent Burke, focused entirely on the task in front of him, did not hear the sound. If he had it may have given him pause then again perhaps not. He stood now under a tree at the edge of the drive. The owners of this home waited patiently, well one waited patiently, the other was slightly less patient.

"Why don't we just go out and get him?" Clarice asked. "He's on our property. I have a silencer."

"No Clarice. He must come in on his own. He must think he's in control for as long as possible."

"Then he'd better move his ass. There's peanut butter cup ice cream in the freezer calling my name."

"We really need to have a discussion about these cravings of yours."

"They're not cravings."

This conversation was interrupted by movement outside. Agent Burke had finally decided to make his entrance to the house. He approached the front door. The security cameras were displayed on the T.V. that hung on the wall. They showed front door opening and closing quietly. Hannibal and Clarice stood side by side watching the screen.

Agent Burke stopped at the bottom of the stairs to listen for any sounds. Hearing none he flashed his flashlight around and located the stairs. He made his way up slowly. Reaching the top he stopped again. The house was quiet. The two figures in the west wing watched as the flashlight looked in their direction for a moment then moved towards the east wing. Agent Burke stood beside the two doors then to their surprise entered the first. As soon as Agent Burke disappeared through the door Clarice was out of the bedroom with her husband close behind. They reached the door and Clarice threw open the door without thought or hesitation. They had decided to not tip their hand so to speak. Hannibal's status among the living was to be kept secret until the last possible moment. Since his wife had realized Agent Burke's intention and reached the door before he could stop her, the Doctor decided he would stick to the plan as much as possible and wait in the hall though his wait was not very long at all.

Agent Burke had turned quickly when the door opened. Clarice Starling stood in the doorway. He had never considered her to be of any worth. No thoughts were ever given to her strengths or abilities, no deliberation on the Doctor's choice of phrase, warrior. In the mind of the man that stood before her she was simple-minded. She had run away, she had been used and manipulated by the monster and bore his child. He had come to the opinion that the only way she could have possibly killed Hannibal Lecter was luck brought on by familiarity. He truly believed that the once feared Hannibal Lecter had gotten too complacent with his captive and it had been his downfall. She was weak but standing in the room, illuminated only by the glow of the nightlight, she looked fearsome indeed. Agent Burke had considered this moment many times over the past two years, several more times while waiting across the street in the alley, and after seeing Clarice with her child he had decided what he would do. He decided to throw her off guard.

"Hello Miss Starling." he said pleasantly, keeping his voice quiet as to not wake the figure in the bed.

"You are aware you are in a child's room, are you not?" she replied. She matched his tone and volume though there was something underneath, a hint of something that made Agent Burke uneasy for the first time since he began his quest.

"Yes, I am very aware. I had hoped you would sleep through this part."

"This part?"

"You know what this child is Miss Starling. You cannot deny it."

"What exactly do you think he is?"

"He's the demon's spawn, an abomination."

"What would make you think such a thing of an innocent child?" she asked calmly.

"His father was a murderer. If he's allowed to live he will be the same."

"So you think I will stand by and allow you to harm my child."

"You have no choice." he replied. A second later a knife appeared. He plunged it into the center of the figure on the bed. Agent Burke thought Clarice would try to stop him. When he turned back to her he expected her to scream or cry but she stood watching him.

"She must be in shock." he thought to himself. He took a step towards her.

"I'm sure you are in pain, the shock must be horrendous but I can offer you one consolation. It will be short lived." He moved closer as he spoke again. "You will be united with the good part of you child while the demon will take back what's his."

He was very close to her now. The open door was behind him now but he spared it not a single glance.

"There are some things you don't know Agent Burke." Clarice said. His eyes widened at the use of his name. She smiled. "The demon, as you call him, is very protective. He is also very territorial and despises trespassers."

Agent Burke looked at her curiously for a moment. Only for a moment though because in the next he was being relieved of his air supply. The Doctor had approached quietly and now had the younger man in a very effective choke hold. It lasted less than a minute as they only wanted the man unconscious and not dead.

"Once he wakes up I'm going to cut out his tongue with his own knife." Clarice stated. "Then we're going to have some real fun."

"Really?" her husband asked with a devilish grin on his face.

"Did you hear what he said about Anthony? Do you see what he was planning to do?" she said gesturing to the bed. Hannibal glanced at the bed. The knife still protruded from the doll.

"Once we get the answers we need you may do as you please, my love." he replied. "I'll be happy to assist in any way you wish."

She nodded looking at the figure on the floor.

"Why don't you check on Anthony while I get our guest settled?" he said pulling her to him. She nodded and he kissed her. She returned it with equal passion. When they broke apart he passed her the key from his pocket. She looked at it then at him.

"It was a precaution my love. I did not want our curious little fellow waking and wandering out to look."

She nodded then left the room without a backwards glance to the figure on the floor. Her husband listened for the close of the door down the hall then lifted their guest and made his way downstairs.