Abigail and Hannibal got out of the car and looked around the sleepy Baltimore village.
"This place is quaint." She said.
"Here the market is down the street I have some business to take care of if you would start gathering the items for dinner tonight." He said handing her the list.
"Sure." She said with a smile before she headed off the heels of her boots clicking as she moved. Hannibal watched her until he saw her enter the store safe and sound. He looked forward at the music store ahead of him and smiled softly before moving forward towards the door. It was time to pay a visit to Mr. Budge and invite him for dinner that night.
Abigail smiled as she pushed the cart through the store and grabbed the items needed. There was no mistaking what she should get and what she shouldn't. The grocery list Hannibal had written was very specific. She picked up a bottle of olive oil and looked it over. She put it back before looking over at the other oils. She didn't see the one he asked for. She looked around before spotting a young man around her own age who seemed to work for the store.
"Uhm Hello…" She said and he turned to her before smiling. He had blonde hair and deep brown eyes. She instantly knew he was one attractive guy. "Hi…"
"Hi." He said with a smile as he walked up. "Need help?"
"Yes I don't see the Olive oil I need…" she handed the list and pointed out the one she needed.
"Oh we carry that in the back you just need a bottle?" he asked.
"Yeah just one please."
"You sure that's a 32 dollar bottle of Olive Oil."
"Yes I'm sure."
"Alright then…" he said with a smile before looking her over and heading away. A few minutes later he came back with a bottle wrapped in plastic paper and tied off with a gold ribbon. "This stuff is fancy." He said.
"Yeah the guy I live with has fancy taste." She said.
"Wow I thought you were like my age…"
"How old are you?" she asked.
"Seventeen."
"Same here." She said with a smile.
"And you live with some guy?" he asked with a smile.
"Oh he's my guardian… It's not anything… Like that… Like a boyfriend." He slowly nodded as he looked her over.
"So… No boyfriend then?" he asked.
"Uhm… No." She said with a small smile as she tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear.
"Want one?" he asked and she laughed as did he.
"What's so funny?" She turned to see Hannibal.
"Nothing… Uhm David…" she said reading his name label. "Was just helping me with the olive oil you wanted." She said handing him the bottle.
"Well…" He said looking it over before looking to the young man. "You've helped."
"That's my queue to leave isn't it?" he asked and Hannibal nodded. "Alright then, maybe I'll see you around sometime Abigail."
"Maybe." She said and Hannibal eyed her as the young man smiled and backed away.
"Bye then." He said with a small laugh.
"Bye." She said and he laughed again before disappearing around a corner.
"I sent you hear to get groceries not flirt…" Hannibal said and she eyed him.
"I wasn't flirting, I was being flirted with… Totally different. Besides that's the last of the items." She said with a smile.
"Let's check out then." He said as she pushed the cart away.
When they got to the car with the items. Hannibal as usual opened her door and let her slip in before going around the car and getting in himself. Abigail noticed how quiet he was as he revved the engine and drove away. After a half an hour of driving she took a small breath and looked to him to find he was glancing at her. She looked back at the road a little startled.
"Did you like that young man?"
"What?" she asked looking to him.
"The young man, David, back at the store. Did you like him?"
"I don't know… He was okay I guess…" She said. "Kind of cute and funny."
"Cute and funny, that's what you look for in a partner?"
"I'm not really looking for a partner as someone I may want to pass the time with on weekends or something." Abigail stated with a shrug.
"We pass the time."
"You know what I mean…" She said looking down at her hands.
"No I don't…"
"Well I mean have a fling with, I can't have a fling with you, you're too old… No offense." She said quickly looking to him. "You know it's just it's illegal."
"Only for another month and a half." She sat up and looked him over. Before she could ask what he meant he looked to her. "Speaking of which what do you want to do for your birthday?"
"Oh uhm… I don't know." She said with a shrug. "Maybe dinner with you Will and Dr. Bloom… Something like we usually do with them… Only maybe with cake or something."
"That sounds like a fine evening." He said with an approving nod.
"When is your birthday Hannibal?" She asked.
"A while from now."
"What month?"
"A while." She laughed and he smiled.
"You're not going to tell me really?" she asked. "How will I know when to get you a present?"
"You don't have to get me a present."
"Sure I do." She said with a smile. "Can I at least know how old you are?" She asked.
"I'll be 37." He said.
"You're not as old as I thought."
"How old did you think I was?" he asked and she just smiled cheekily making him smile.
"It's the hair I think."
"What's wrong with my hair?"
"Nothing it's fine." She said with another smile.
"Are you giving me a hard time?" She laughed and he smiled. "Very nice Abigail…"
"I thought so." She said with a smile. When they got to the house they carried in the items to the kitchen and as usual put everything away before taking out the items they needed. "Let's get to cooking." Abigail said with a smile as she watched Hannibal sharpen his knives.
-o-
Hannibal watched Abigail disappear behind the hidden wall before he opened the door. He smiled with a nod as his eyes set upon Tobias.
"Good evening Dr. Lecter." He said.
"Good evening Tobias do come in." he said as he stepped aside. As Tobias walked in he looked all around.
"You have a beautiful home."
"Thank you…" he said.
"It's… Warmer than I expected it to be, in feeling, not in temperature. Franklin says your office is a bit cold I thought your home would mimic the feeling."
"Well Abigail has helped brighten things up a bit."
"Yes she was a bubbly child I doubt that has changed much." Tobias said.
"Shall we?" he asked motioning to the dining room. They walked in and Tobias stopped seeing only two plates.
"Will Abigail not be joining us?"
"No she's over at a friends' place tonight." He said.
"Ah teenage girls do like their sleep overs."
"Yes they do." He said. "Wine?" he asked.
"Please." Tobias said as he sat down and Hannibal poured him a glass. "She's grown up a lot… Abigail… I never made the connection when Franklin said his therapist had a new receptionist named Abigail… It would make sense she would be your charge considering the work you did on the Hobbs case."
"You seem to know a lot about the Hobbs case…" Hannibal said as he sat down and took a deep inhale of his wine.
"I'm an avid reader of crime sites." He said.
"As am I."
"People like us usually are…" He said before taking a bite of baguette. "That is exquisite…"
"Thank you, Abigail helped me make it." He said.
"She will be a fine cook under your tutelage no doubt…" He said. "I see you had a piano in your living room, does Abigail ever play for you?"
"I'm afraid not…" He said. "Was she talented?"
"She was, she had a true gift and natural ear…" He said. "If she were to start up again we could possibly salvage her potential, I teach Piano as well you see."
"A man of many talents…"
"You have no idea." He said. The dinner went on and all the while they danced around the subject of the murder of the trombone player. Still Tobias would leave hints here and there, hints that in all honesty were wearing Hannibal thin.
"More wine?" he asked over their dinner.
"Yes please." Tobias said. "Is it French?"
"Virginian…" He said. "I was skeptical about trying a Virginia wine but I find the grapes quite pleasant." He said.
"It's not Oaky considering it's a Chard."
"They make it in steel barrels…" Hannibal said as he sat down. "Tobias I hate to be blunt but did you kill that Trombonist?"
"Do you really have to ask me that Dr. Lecter?" he inquired with a near smirk.
"No of course not, I just wanted to change the subject, and get to why we're both really here." Tobias smiled.
"I see Franklin gave you my message."
"You know that the murder is being investigate by the FBI, and that they will find you." He said as he took a bite of his food. Abigail had made the sauce all by herself and he found it quite pleasing to his pallet. He looked to Tobias plate to see he had hardly touched it. "You're not eating… It's quite rude… Abigail worked hard on this dish…"
"The FBI can come and when they do I'll kill them and then Franklin and I'll disappear." Hannibal took a moment to mull over his words as he looked over his wine.
"Don't kill Franklin…"
"Why not?"
"He has one of the most expensive spots on my list, it would be hard to fill his time slot." Hannibal said. "I do hate being inconvenienced."
"But I've been so looking forward to it." Tobias said making Hannibal look to him. "In all honestly I was going to kill you."
"I know… I'm lean… Lean animals produce very tough gut, perfect to make strings out of." He said. "What stopped you?"
"Well then I saw pretty thin Abigail." Hannibal put his fork and knife down as his jaw clenched and he raised his eyes to Tobias who was smirking.
"What stopped you from killing her? You've had a few chances to do so…"
"I've been waiting for this." Tobias said.
"I see…"
"Also I've been thinking twice about it for the reason I stopped thinking about killing you… You see I followed you one night to a lonely road, and then to a bus yard…"
"Very reckless Tobias…" Hannibal said as he took another bite of food.
"Don't worry I won't tell anyone what I saw you do that night… And do…" he laughed. "Very well if I may say so… Tell me does Abigail know what you are?"
"I'm going to ask you politely to stop talking about my young charge." Hannibal said his eyes narrowing on the man.
"Why?"
"Your lips don't deserve to speak her name." he said and Tobias smiled softly. "You're doing reckless things reckless things that draw attention to not only you…"
"I could use a friend… Someone who looks at the world the same way I do…"
"I know exactly who you feel… But I do not wish to be your friend Tobias…"
"Then why did you invite me here for dinner. Was it just to restring your harpsichord?"
"Because I wish to kill you more then to have your friendship Tobias." His eyes glanced to the food. "That would be too obvious, besides I would never do that to the food Abigail worked so hard to help me prepare…" A door bell sounded and they both didn't remove their eyes from one another.
"Expecting someone?"
"No…" He said.
"Better get it…" Hannibal sighed before walking off. He walked to the door and opened it to see Will covered in snow.
"I kissed Alana." He said.
Abigail tilted her head as she watched a familiar form disappear through the snow. She wondered why Hannibal hadn't told her it was Tobias who was coming to dinner. She watched the man stop and turn to look at the house. He looked straight at her and she froze as a chill shot up her spine. He smiled at her in a way that was not kind before running to his car. She slowly pulled her curtains close and look around her room.
-o-
Hannibal walked down the hallway to check on Abigail as he did every night. He opened the door and stopped seeing the lights on. He looked to see Abigail sitting up on her bed a notebook laid in her lap as she ran a pencil over the page.
"It's nearly one in the morning, what are you doing up?" He asked and she looked to him.
"I couldn't sleep…" She said as he walked over.
"Do you want something to help you? I had a light sedative that might work." she shook her head. "Will you promise to at least try and sleep?"
"Why didn't you tell me it was Mr. Budge who came to dinner?" he looked her over for a long moment.
"How did you know? Eves dropping is rude Abigail…"
"I wasn't eves dropping I was looking outside while trying to draw the trees and I saw him racing through the garden in the snow… He stopped and turned and looked right at me… I could easily recognize him even if it was dark."
"What did he do when he saw you?"
"Gave me this kind of… Twisted smile." She said. "The kind Dr. Clarkson and my dad used to give me." He slowly nodded. "Why didn't you tell me it was him coming to Dinner?"
"I know that you find him creepy… I didn't want you to worry."
"You're lying to me." She said and he sat up. No one had ever been able to tell that he was lying to them. "If you didn't want to say you could have just said you didn't want to say. It's rude to lie Hannibal…" He smiled softly as he looked off.
"I didn't want to say." He said as he looked back to her.
"Oddly enough that's a lie too…" She muttered as she looked over her drawing. "Can you help me with this I can't get the branches right and it's keeping me awake." She handed him her drawing, thus changing the subject.
"Sure…" he said with a smile as he took her pencil in hand. "I'm going to have to give you a scalpel to sharpen this with…" he said looking over the dull pencil.
"Scalpel?" she asked.
"The only way to sharpen a pencil." He said with a smile.
-o-
A few days had passed since that night with Tobias. Hannibal had seemed on edge, and in so being, he had put Abigail on edge. Still she sat smiling softly at her desk as she ran over a sketch book Hannibal had given her with a freshly sharpened pencil. A pencil she had sharpened with an actual scalpel, which had also been given to her by Hannibal. The door opened and she stood.
"Good morning Mr. Debrow, if you'll take a seat Dr. Lecter will be with you shortly, can I get you some water?"
"No thank you Abigail." Franklin said with a smile as he sat down. "You know you say the same thing to me every time."
"It's what Dr. Lecter wants me to say every time." She said with a smile.
"You know I never got to apologize."
"Apologize?" She asked perking up as she looked him over. "What for?"
"For my friend Tobias."
"Mr. Budge?" she asked. "What did he do?"
"You know… Mentioning your dad at the opera… That wasn't Okay."
"Its common knowledge Mr. Debrow it's fine." She said with a smile. The door opened and Franklin stood as Hannibal smiled.
"Franklin do come in…" He said as he stepped aside. Before walking in the office himself Hannibal walked over to her desk and looked over to look at Abigail's drawing of his office.
"Straighten those lines Abigail." He said pointing them out and she fixed them. "Good." He said with a smile as he patted her on the back and headed into his office. The door closed and Abigail smiled as she looked over her drawing. Hannibal had suggested she work on some architectural drawings seeing as she had gotten so good at Portraits of animals, people, and nature. After a while of drawing the door opened and she stood. Before she could do her usual greeting she stopped.
"Mr. Budge?" She asked seeing Tobias looking around the office. "You're not on the schedule… Oh you must be here to wait for Franklin." He looked to her and she froze before grabbing a napkin for the waters. She walked to his side her eyes wide. "Mr. Budge you're bleeding." She went to reach for him only to have him smack her hand away before gripping onto her arm. "Mr. Budge-."
"Shut up." He said before walking to the office door.
"No you can't come in here when he's seeing patients." She said quickly as he burst through the door. "Mr. Budge this is very rude." She muttered as Hannibal and Franklin stood. "I'm sorry, Hannibal he just barged in." she said.
"Remove your hand from her arm." Hannibal said his eyes narrowing on Tobias.
"You were saying Franklin about turning me in?" Tobias asked calmly as he threw Abigail to the floor.
"Tobias you can't throw people like that." Franklin said as Abigail slowly got up. "Abigail are you okay?"
"I'm fine…" She said more to Hannibal who was looking at her with concern.
"Tobias oh my god, is that blood, is that your blood?" Franklin inquired.
"I've come to say goodbye… I've just killed two men… The police and an FBI specialist came to ask me about the murder of the trombonist.
"Will?" She asked.
"Yes his name was Will…" Tobias said glancing to her. "Will Grahm…"
"What did you do to him?" She asked her eyes narrowing. He just smiled and she took a deep breath.
"Look Tobias…" Franklin said. "This plane… It's going down… Let it have a controlled landing… We can get you up in the air again…" Abigail slowly moved backwards towards a phone. "There's rehabilitation for everyone."
"Franklin I want you and Abigail to leave now." Hannibal said.
"Franklin don't move a muscle and Abigail." She froze as Tobias looked to her. "Make one more move towards that phone and I will cut you down where you stand…" She quirked an eyebrow in what seemed like challenge and Hannibal tilted his head as he looked over the expression.
"You've done something horrible Tobias…" Franklin said and Tobias looked to him. "I know that you wish you hadn't, that you'd do anything to change it… But you can't…" Abigail looked over Franklin. He had no idea what he was doing or saying. He wasn't soothing Tobias he was just pissing him off more. She looked to Hannibal to see he was smirking lightly, and she wondered how he could be so cool in this situation. Her heart was pounding a hundred miles an hour in her chest. "I know you probably feel alone… Scared-."
"I'm not alone." Tobias said taking a step forward.
"No… No you're not." Franklin said with a smile as Abigail watched Tobias lock eyes with Hannibal who started to walk up behind Franklin. "You have done nothing to ruin our relationship-." Abigail jumped as Hannibal snapped Franklins neck dropping him still to the ground.
"Oh my god…" She whispered her hand going to her chest.
"I was looking forward to doing that Dr. Lecter." Tobias said.
"Well, I saved you the trouble, besides I've had to listen to his drabble for near a year now, I think I deserved it a bit more then you…" Abigail looked to him with wide eyes. "Abigail run. Now." Hannibal said. She went to make a move only to have Tobias catch her and throw her back. She rolled across the ground her head hitting the wall and knocking her out cold. "You really shouldn't have done that." Hannibal said seeing blood on her forehead.
"She's a waste of talent once I'm done with you." He threw his jacket away to reveal a piano wire connected to handle in his hand. "I'll rip the guts from her still breathing body…" He started to swing the wire all which way before lunging at Hannibal.
Abigail slowly took a breath. Her head was pounding. So loud and so hard she could feel it pumping in her ears. She took a breath as she ran her fingers through her hair only to find her hand grow sticky. She pulled it back to see red crimson covering her fingertips. She slowly sat up and her eyes went to Franklin who still lay dead and still on the ground. She heard a loud crash and jumped before looking to Hannibal and Tobias who were locked in a fight that wasn't going to end without one of them dying. She watched as Hannibal head budded Tobias before throwing him onto his desk where Tobias grabbed his letter opener as Hannibal tackled him off the piece of furniture.
Abigail saw a bloody piece of piano wire with two handles and grabbed it as she heard Hannibal yell out in pain. She Jumped to her feet and rushed forward as she watched Tobias slam Hannibal onto his desk and raise the knife above his head. Hannibal caught the hand but before he could do anything else Abigail jumped onto Tobias back and wrapped the wire around his neck.
"Get off of him!" She yelled as Tobias fell backwards slamming his full body weight onto hers. Hannibal jumped to his feet as Tobias rolled onto his knees Abigail still on his back. He choked as he grabbed onto the back of her shirt and threw her forward her back slamming into the ground. Before Hannibal could do anything Tobias slammed the knife into her shoulder making her cry out in pain as he pulled back and went to do it again.
"No!" Hannibal caught onto his arm knocking the knife from his hand. Abigail watched as Tobias leapt onto his feet and slammed his fist across Hannibal's face. Before she could do anything Tobias turned and kicked her in the stomach sending her sprawling across the ground as her cheek smacked against the hard wood floor. She smiled softly as she grabbed a hold of the phone which had been knocked off the desk and dialed for help.
"Nine one one assistance what can I do for you?"
"Please we need help this man is trying to kill us-." The phone line went dead and she looked to see that in the scuffle the line had been torn from the wall. "God damn it."
"I'm going to kill you and then I'm going to kill that pesky little bitch!" Tobias yelled as he kicked Hannibal in the stomach slamming him into the wall. She watched as he grabbed onto Hannibal and threw him to the ground before taking the piano wire off his own neck and wrapping it around Hannibal's.
"No…" Abigail grabbed the letter opener and ran at Tobias stabbing him in the shoulder. He stood up quickly and grabbed her by the collar of her blazer before punching her across the face and slamming her up against a wall.
"You die first hear me!?" he bellowed his hand gripping around her neck as he pushed her up the wall strangling her as her feet dangled above the ground.
She stabbed the letter opener into his arm again and he yelled as he grabbed it with his free hand and went to stab her in the side. She blocked it before kicking him in the stomach causing her to the drop the ground. As she struggled to regain her breath he kicked her in the stomach and she cried out as she flew a good two feet into the wall.
"You always were such a stubborn child." Tobias said as he took the bloody knife in hand once more. Before he could move to slit her throat Hannibal moved forward and knocked it from his hands.
Tobias turned and slammed his fist over and over into his face before pulling his head down into his knee and round house kicking him in the stomach. Hannibal stumbled back into the ladder of his office. Tobias went to punch him but Hannibal parried the hit with the use of the ladder snapped the arm against the wood before slamming his fist into the mans throat. Tobias buckled to the ground as he gasped for air, his hand over his own throat.
Abigail opened her eyes just in time to watch Hannibal bring a massive stag statue down over Tobias's head. Instantly killing him as he fell forward to the ground dead. He dropped the statue and knocked over its stand before quickly turning to look at her.
"You won…" She said as he rushed to her side. He put a blue handkerchief he had been holding to her side which was bleeding profusely. "I'm fine." She said gradually sitting up against the wall. She slowly cupped his cheek and he looked her over. "You on the other hand look like hell." He laughed and she smiled.
"You haven't seen you…" he said seeing a shiner across her cheek and her lip and eyebrow split.
"Trust me I've had worse…" She said softly.
"Why did you jump in?" he asked after a long moment. She suddenly grabbed the letter opener and Hannibal froze as she stabbed it past his head. He slowly looked to see Tobias over his shoulder his eyes wide as the letter opener stabbed him in the middle of his neck.
"Know when you're beaten…" Abigail said and Hannibal watched as she twisted the letter opener blood instantly flowing from his neck as Tobias fell back to the ground well and dead. Hannibal slowly looked to her to see her hands steady as they could ever be. She looked at the dead body before sighing heavily.
"How am I going to explain that?" She asked. "How are we going to explain any of this?"
"We're going to tell them everything that happened." He said as he set his hand on her cheek.
"Even you killing Franklin?" his eyes locked on hers as his thumb brushed against her bottom lip which had blood on it.
"No…" He said.
"Tobias did that." She said. "Then he tried to kill us."
"Exactly…"
"Hello?" Hannibal looked over his shoulder to see a police officer.
"Come quickly she needs help!" Hannibal called. He looked back to Abigail to see she had a soft expression as she looked him over.
"That's three times you've saved my life now… How am I going to repay you?" she asked.
"You already have."