AN: The more reviews i get the more I update... Lol Please do also check me out on Tumblr under the screen name karategirl666
-O-
Hannibal looked over everything in his office to make sure it was all straight. Alana and Will would be arriving any minute to discuss handling Mark Hilt, Abigail's true father. He had asked Abigail to stay behind because he had a meeting. It wasn't a lie, he did in fact have a meeting, he just didn't tell her it pertained to her. He heard a knock and straightened out his suit before walking to his door and opening it up.
"Do come in you two." He said stepping aside.
"Will says you've been filled in?" Alana asked walking in taking off her scarf and coat as she did.
"Yes and here let me take your coat and scarf."
"Oh thank you." She said handing them over and he nodded as he hung them up on his coat rack which Will was hanging his coat on.
"This guy is serious about getting Abigail into his greedy hands, I guess that reporter Freddie Lounds found him."
"What history do we have?" Hannibal asked as they all sat down.
"Apparently he and Abigail's mother had a heated affair, when she got pregnant she wanted nothing more than to leave but she was too afraid of her husband, she told him she had an abortion and a few weeks later she moved away with Garrett Jacob Hobbs." Alana said. "I mean at first I was thinking he was after the money and honestly I still am he mentioned the book deal Freddie Lounds is setting up… But the DNA checks out and this morning he wondered if he was rushing things and doing more harm than good to Abigail… He doesn't want to seek custody right away he just wants to meet her, and give her a birthday present…"
"So he's changed his tune on taking her away…" Will said.
"That's comforting." Hannibal added.
"How are we going to approach this with Abigail?" Alana asked.
"She may be excited to know her true father isn't a serial killer." Hannibal said.
"Maybe but how do we break the news to her?" Alana said.
"We could not tell her…" Will said.
"Abigail is not a child." Hannibal said. "We just sit her down and tell her."
"I think we can all agree…" Alana began. "That after all Abigail has been through she is a bit unstable…"
"I've seen Abigail's strength." Hannibal said. "I've seen it and it's unwavering, she can handle this… But maybe I should break the news."
"She does trust you more than any of us…" Will said as he cleaned his glasses.
-o-
Abigail smiled as she finished cleaning the kitchen. She had gotten bored waiting for Hannibal to come back from his meeting. She had dove into his cook book and decided to bake. Something he always encouraged. She smiled as she turned and looked over her fresh chocolate croissants.
"Not bad Abigail." She said congratulating herself on her hard work.
"Something smells good." She smiled as she turned to Hannibal and he looked over her proud expression.
"I present to you the most perfect first try chocolate croissants you'll ever see." She stepped aside and Hannibal smiled as he walked to the counter and looked them over.
"They're perfect."
"Aren't they, it's a shame we'll have to eat them…" She said tilting her head. "Just kidding they're going to taste awesome. I think. Well I hope. What if they look good but taste awful?" she asked looking to him.
"Impossible everything you make is golden." She smiled before looking to him.
"Oh how did your meeting go?" she asked walking over and getting the glass of ice water he always had right when he got home.
"It was… Interesting." He said and he smiled as he watched her open the vose water and pour it over ice before adding a lemon slice.
"Interesting how?" she asked handing the glass over.
"Thank you, and I was meeting with Will and Alana."
"Oh another crime?" She asked sitting down next to him at the counter. "Or can you not say?"
"No it wasn't about working on another crime… It was about… You."
"Me?" she asked sitting up. "Does Jack want to arrest me again?"
"No." he said. "A man named Mark Hilt has come forward."
"Mark Hilt?" She asked and he tilted his head.
"You know him?"
"Not really but my mom knew a guy named Mark Hilt." She said walking away. "Is it the same guy?"
"Maybe." He said. "Who was Mark Hilt to your mother?"
"Just an old friend from when her and my dad lived in Missouri." She said walking back with her own water where she sat back down. "She talked about him sometimes, but from what I understand they had lost contact after she left."
"How did she speak of him? Fondly?"
"Yeah…" she said with a shrug. "I guess, but I mean is it him?"
"Yes… I'm certain it is." He said putting his glass down as he looked at it for a moment trying to choose his words carefully. "Abigail, this Mark Hilt called Jack Crawford about you." He looked to her.
"About me? Why?" She was genuinely clueless.
"He says he's your father." She laughed.
"Really?" she asked. "You know Freddie warned me about this. She said a bunch of people would come out of the wood works and say things like they know me or they're related to me… But a lie about being my father that's kind of a radical claim."
"They ran your DNA which was on file against his… It's a match Abigail." She stared at him for a moment.
"What?" she asked.
"This Mark Hilt is your father."
"But that would mean that my mom-."
"Had an affair… Yes." She slowly nodded as she looked off. "This doesn't seem to shock you all that much."
"No I mean my parents were married but, they weren't married… they weren't mean to one another but distant…" She looked to him with a soft expression. "I mean, sometimes I didn't think my dad knew a thing about my mom and likewise."
"They weren't close?"
"No they were like…" She looked up in thought. "Roommates." She said. "Civil roommates who slept in the same bed from to time." Her jaw clenched. "Maybe this explains why my dad had to kill girls who looked like me… Because he couldn't stand the sight of me… Because… I wasn't his." Her jaw clenched. "Which means I'm not a monster because it's in my DNA but because… I just am…"
"You're not a monster Abi-."
"I liked killing Tobias." He looked her over. "I enjoyed every second of it, and think fondly about it often." He slowly nodded.
"You think fondly of it because you saved me." He said. "You were a hero that day, the last thing people think of when they look at you. I know you didn't enjoy killing those girls or Nicholas Boyle."
"I may have regretted killing Nicholas Boyle but I still got a thrill out of it…" Hannibal smiled as he looked her over, she was really coming into her own. "No I didn't enjoy killing those girls but maybe that's because they looked like me and well who wants to kill versions of themself?" She asked looking to him.
"You have made a big step today Abigail."
"I have?" she asked blinking as he patted her back.
"Yes indeed… I'm very proud." She smiled warmly. "So… What is to be done about this Hilt?" He asked.
"What does he want from me?" She asked.
"Just to meet you… And apparently give you a birthday present."
"He acts as if he cares about me…" She muttered.
"He does."
"Then how come I've never met him until now?"
"Your mother told him she had, had you aborted and then she moved away with Garrett Jacob Hobbs swiftly… He never knew you existed…"
"Does he want custody?"
"It doesn't matter if he does, you turn eighteen in a week…" Hannibal said. "But yes he does want you to move in with him."
"I don't want to… I want to stay here with you."
"You're welcome too…" Hannibal said as he looked her over. "I would never kick you out." She looked to him with a soft expression as he pushed a strand of her red hair behind her ear. "Do you want to meet with him Abigail?"
"No…"
"Do you want to tell him so, or do you want me too?"
"You too." She said quickly before shaking her head. "No…" he smiled. "No I should do it…"
"That's my girl…" Hannibal kissed her temple before getting up and walking away. As he moved her gaze followed him.
"Hannibal?"
"Yes?" he asked looking over the delicious looking croissants.
"I want to help you kill Till, the reporter." He slowly looked up and stared out the window. He hadn't expected her to say it. He slowly turned and looked to her.
"Why?" he asked as he tilted his head.
"The way I see it…" She said getting up off the stool she had been sitting on. "You are skilled in many things. Cooking, Art, Culture, and I learn those things from you willingly… Why should I not learn the craft in which you are most skilled at? I'm your protégé in everything else, why can't I be your protégé in this?"
"In killing?" he asked.
"Yes…" He walked over to her and cupped her cheek in his hand.
"Before you were horrified with the murders you had committed."
"I just explained that…" she said. "Besides, there are some people in this world who don't deserve to live."
"Very true…" He said with a soft expression. "But I'm not looking for a protégé in this…" He kissed the top of her head before walking away. "So what do you want for dinner tonight?" She blinked her jaw clenching as he smiled. He wanted to see what she would do.
"Honestly I'm no very hungry." She said calmly as she turned to look at him. "I'm not feeling very good today. The only reason I baked was because I was bored."
"You're not feeling well?" he asked turning to look at her.
"No." he walked to her.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm a little achy."
"Your joints?" he asked.
"Yeah and my head hurts a little bit."
"You may be coming down with something…" His voice trailed off. "You didn't get a flu shot this year."
"Uhm no I left the asylum before they did it." She said.
"You're probably getting the flu, I want you to head up stairs right away and get in bed. If we start treatment now we can stop the major symptoms."
"No I'm-."
"March young lady." He said and she nodded with a smile.
"I think I'm just going to go to sleep can we start treatment tomorrow?"
"We'll have to." He said. "I won't be able to get the doctor here until tomorrow."
"I'm not going to get you sick am I?" she asked.
"Not at all I already had my flu shot." She yawned as she stretched.
"I'm glad those guys came and fixed my window today…" she said as she headed through the false wall. "Good night Hannibal."
"Good night Abigail." He said. When the false wall closed Abigail smirked to herself and headed up the stairs. She closed the door to her room and locked it before walking over to her desk and grabbing a card. She smiled as she pulled out a burner cell from her desk and dialed a number.
"Thomas Till." A voice came over her phone.
"Hello Mr. Till my name is Amber Kilns, I was a friend of Abigail Hobbs. She told me you talked to her about doing a story."
"Uhm yes." He said quickly. "Yes I did." Abigail smirked.
"Well how about I tell you everything you want to know?"
"What do you know?"
"I'm her best friend… Girls talk."
"You know everything?"
"You want to know how those girls died? I'll tell you."
"Why would you tell me?" Abigail looked off trying to lie quickly.
"I'm too scared to go to the police, and… The guilt is killing me..." There was silence for a moment.
"When do you want to meet?"
"Can you meet tonight?"
"Name the place."
"You can't tell anyone you're going or come with anyone no one can know I'm telling-."
"I'll come alone and no one will find out…" Abigail nodded with a smile.
"Good… Meet me at the Westford Docks." She hung up the phone smiling to herself. She heard a knock on her door and quickly headed to the bathroom turning the shower on. "Yes!" She asked.
"Abigial I brought soup."
"Uhm thank you really but the symptoms have started to kick in I don't think I can eat!" She called.
"Understood, rest, I'll see you in the morning."
"Night Hannibal!" She called.
"Good night Abigail."
Hannibal carried the soup back down stairs before walking Into the kitchen. It was too bad she was sick, the soup would have been just what she needed. He felt responsible for not catching that she was getting sick. He was her guardian after all. After putting a few items away he went to the sink and washed his hands. He looked out the window and tilted his head seeing tracks in the snow.
"Clever girl…" He muttered to himself.
-o-
Thomas looked around the docks. He had been waiting a half an hour for the girl who called herself Amber. His jaw clenched, how long did she think he was going to wait? He sighed, he knew he would wait all night if that's what it took. The story on Abigail Hobbs was one every reporter wanted after, if he got it first it could go national and it would mean a huge payday for him. That is if he didn't get the book deal Dr. Lecter had ordered.
"Psst." He turned quickly looking to a ware house. "Yeah you I'm in here." He heard a young woman whisper.
"You really want to be secretive…" He said with a smirk. Abigail smiled to herself, that wasn't exactly true, she just didn't want to be insight of any of the dock cameras that may still be online. Though she was sure most of them were just for show. As Thomas Till entered the warehouse she backed up into the shadows, little did she know someone else was within those shadows watching her every move.
"Amber?" Thomas asked as he fixed his glasses. "Amber I'm Thomas Till the rep-." Abigail moved forward and slammed her elbow into the mans throat knocking the wind out of him and silencing any of his potential screams. She then kneed him in the stomach knocking him backwards down onto the ground. The man clutched at his throat as he rolled onto his stomach and tried to crawl away. Abigail took a deep shaking breath as she stared down at him.
"You asked me if I thought it was karma… The rapes. Pay back for what my father and I had done to those girls…" She said softly. "You asked if I felt helpless." She walked to his side and kicked him in the side making him flip onto his back as he silently screamed as his ribs snapped. "Truth is… I did feel helpless… And…" She took out a knife and she watched as his eyes welled up. "I will never allow anyone to make me feel like that again." She put a knee on his chest holding him down with her weight. "You Thomas Till… Made me feel very helpless when you confronted me and asked those awful questions in front of everyone." Her jaw clenched. "You have to pay for that."
"No… Please…" he whispered regaining his voice.
"No… Please…" She mocked before laughing softly.
"You don't want to do this…" He said coughing.
"You know what…" she said looking up in thought. "Actually I do…" she looked back down at him. "And that no longer scares me." She smiled softly. "Thank you Thomas Till… For allowing me to become who I was always meant to… I'll always remember you for that."
"Abigail." She got up quickly turning to see Hannibal right behind her, she had never heard him coming.
"Please… Help me!" Abigail turned dropped to one knee grabbed onto Thomas shirt and pulled his throat right into her elbow. She looked him over her jaw clenching.
"That wasn't needed." She said before pushing him back down to the ground as he gasped for air. Hannibal smirked, this was a new side of Abigail that he had only gotten glimpses of before. She slowly turned and faced him with an unsure look.
"Feeling better?" he asked.
"When you denied my protégé request I knew it was because you wanted to see what I would do… So I wanted to prove to you I was worthy, to do that I needed to sneak out of the house, to do that I needed to act sick."
"Which you did quite convincingly." He said as he walked to her side. He tilted his head as he watched Thomas reach for him. Before he could make contact Abigail stomped down on the mans hand pinning it to the ground.
"Don't touch him…" She said. "You'll wrinkle his suit…" Hannibal smiled as he looked over Abigail. "I can't let him live…" She looked to Hannibal. "There are two options in which I can see… I can either kill him my way or-."
"The way you were taught is not sophisticated…" He said. "You are a lady, one of sophistication… You should kill like one… But until I figure out a way for you to end a life in a sophisticated lady like manner I will have to do this. So… you will just have to watch." He tilted his head as he looked her over. "You're not pleased."
"I wanted to kill him… For making me feel the way he did." She said softly as she stared down at the squirming man. He slowly nodded, understanding that this was important to her.
"Then so you shall… What was your plan?'
"I was going to suspend him by his ankles with this chain, slice open his belly, and watch everything inside fall like confetti." The man whimpered and Hannibal smiled. Abigail really did have a way with words sometimes.
"Then… Proceed." She looked to him. "But after this you will learn a lady like manner in which to do things like this… Also I don't want you using that hunting knife." He took it away from her. "Use this." He handed her a scalpel.
"It's… So tiny." She said.
"It is more affective then this barbaric blade I can tell you that." She slowly nodded as she looked over the sharp edge.
"Okay…" she said tucking it into the pocket of her jacket before grabbing onto Thomas's legs and dragging him back he clawed at the ground weakened from his broken ribs and bruised wind pipe which was only pulling in half the air it should. Hannibal watched as she grabbed a chain and wrapped it around the mans legs securely before walking over to the end of the chain and pulling on it. With the help of a pulley she slowly raised the man up into the air. Her jaw clenched as she struggled to raise him higher and higher. Before the chain could slip Hannibal grabbed onto it.
"Hannibal…" she said looking to him.
"Can't a mentor help his protégé?" he asked and she smiled softly.
"Right." He helped her pull the chain before also helping her secure it so Till wouldn't fall.
"All yours." He said and she slowly nodded taking out the scalpel. She took a deep breath as she held it at her side and slowly stalked towards Thomas whose sweat was dripping to the floor below.
"Pl-." She pointed the scalpel at his throat and he stopped before he had even begun to scream.
"If you make a noise I will slice your throat open and pull her tongue through for all the world to see."
"You're going to kill me anyways…" he whispered.
"Well you kind of left me no choice you know." She said. "I mean making threats, shouting my dirty laundry for all of this cities society to hear… How am I supposed to start my life over when people like you keep digging at my past?"
"I have a family."
"No you don't." she said with a laugh.
"Abigail… Don't play with your food." She smiled softly at Hannibal's words as Thomas stared wide eyed at him.
"What the hell is wrong-." Abigail slammed her elbow into his neck again cutting him off.
"I really hate it when they scream like that." She muttered. "It's not very impressive Thomas it's actually just pathetic." Hannibal watched as she started to unbutton the mans shirt. He tilted his head, unsure of why watching her do such a thing put him on edge. She opened the shirt up and started to feel his stomach. "What should I take from him?" she asked looking over her shoulder at Hannibal.
"The liver." He said. "I've been wanting to try out a new recipe." She nodded before looking back to Thomas who was shaking so violently she could hear the chain clatter. She took a deep breath as she stood to the side and set the scalpel against the skin.
"Be careful that will go easier through the dermis then your butcher knife… You don't want to ruin the meat Abigail."
"Okay…" she said and he could tell she was nervous.
"Steady hands Abigail…" She looked to him and he nodded approvingly. "You can do this…" She gave a soft expression before looking back at Till.
"Please…" he whispered and she in reply pushed the scalpel into his dermis and sliced it across his stomach easily. She stood back and tilted her head. No blood fell not for a few seconds until the clean line opened and blood began to trickle down the body as the heart pumped it right out of Thomas. She watched as the color drained from Thomas's face as his eyes rolled into the back of his head as quarts of blood began to fall. She moved out of the way as it pooled on the ground, not wanting it to hit her shoes.
"I should have thought this through…" she said softly as the pool spread farther and farther. She took a deep breath as she backed right up into Hannibal's chest.
"You're doing wonderful Abigail." He said his hands resting on her shoulders.
"The blood is everywhere, if I go for the liver I'll leave footprints."
"Excellent deduction…" He said with an approving nod.
"If I don't get anything from this though, it is simply murder… I have to honor the body."
"You couldn't have honored him anyways… He's sick… Or was." Hannibal said picking up notes of cancer in the air. "Besides some people aren't deserving of being honored Abigail." They watched as everything within his belly came tumbling out. It fell to the ground in a massive heap. Abigail tilted her head as she watched steam rise off the viscera and let off into the cold nights air. She smiled softly as she took a deep breath, her eyes drifted closed as she took in the metallic scent which had filled the room.
"You know…" She said opening her eyes. "It's… It's kind of beautiful."
"In his death, you created art…" She turned and looked to Hannibal. "Well done Abigail." She smiled before blinking as Hannibal moved forward and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled warmly into the embrace. Hannibal looked down at the top of Abigail head. Even amongst the scent of cancer, and blood, Abigail's sweet sent reigned supreme. "I'm so very proud of you…" She pulled back and looked up at him as he cupped her cheek. "Let's head home and celebrate." She nodded with a smile as they began to walk off Hannibal's arm wrapped around her shoulders.