Hannibal let his hands kneed deeply at a piece of dough. As he did his mind kept going to Abigail and the kill she had just accomplished. He was quite proud of her. Finally she had stopped denying her dark side, but embraced it completely. Embraced it she had. He smiled remembering how commanding she had been with Till. It was the most sure he had seen her in all his time of knowing her. He laughed to himself.

Hannibal 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…"

"What's funny?" He smiled before turning to look at Abigail who had walked in.

"Nothing I was just thinking of our outing." He said and she smiled softly.

"Can I ask a question?"

"Of course, anything." He said as he wiped his hands with a rag.

"How did you know he was sick?" she asked.

"I have a very acute sense of smell… I once was able to tell a teacher that he had stomach cancer."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to tell what's bad meat and what's not…" She said walking to him.

"I'll show you how." He said cupping her cheek. "First though… We need to talk."

"About?"

"You sneaking out." She tilted her head.

"Why?"

"Abigail I asked you not to do such things…"

"But-."

"No but… You promised you wouldn't sneak out anymore." He said with a point.

"I don't recall this…" She said looking off.

"No dessert for you for a week. Starting after tonight."

"Ah shucks." She said with a snap and he smiled. "You're not very good at this whole punishment thing." She said with a smile as she sat down on a stool.

"I have many more interesting punishments none of which are warranted for this minor offense." She wasn't sure why but she felt as though his words had a double meaning. One that made her heart flutter for a moment. "So how are you feeling?" he asked.

"Feeling?"

"You did just kill a man Abigail we know how you've reacted to that before."

"I feel…" She looked up in thought. "Relaxed." She said.

"You're not worried about being caught?"

"No." She said. "Even if they make the connection… Well I have an alibi."

"Indeed you do." He said handing her a cup of tea which she took in hand.

"Thank you."

"Of course." He said taking his own tea and sitting down beside her at the counter. He took a sip and nodded at the spiced notes that rose to the forefront of his pallet. "I would now like to talk about something else. May I speak freely?"

"Always." She said looking to him with her big blue eyes.

"You opened up to Till in a way you haven't opened up to me." Her eyes slowly danced over him, she didn't miss the hurt tone in his voice.

"What do you mean?" She asked putting her tea cup down. He turned in his chair to face her.

"You told him things, things you have never told me." She looked back on what had transpired.

"I don't think I did… I mean I talked about the rapes but you knew about those."

"You told him how felt about those rapes, you've never told me how you felt about them… Why is that?"

"Because… I knew I was going to kill him, and I knew my feelings would die along with him for no one else to hear or find out about." She said being incredibly honest.

"Why did you not tell me you felt helpless?"

"I thought you were smart enough to figure that out on your own." She said her jaw clenching.

"I would have liked to hear you admit such a thing to me… We live together and yet you hardly share anything with me." She looked to him.

"I just killed someone right in front of you, that's not sharing enough?" She asked. "And by the way it's you who isn't the sharer…"

"Abigail don't change the subject."

"What do you want to know?" she asked quietly.

"I want you to tell me how you felt about it…" Her jaw clenched.

"You heard me… I felt… Helpless." She shrugged. "At least with Doctor Clarkson, with the gang rape I was pretty well aware and I got a few good hits in, I mean I tried my best to fight them off and I'm quite proud of myself for that… Though there were feelings of helplessness with them…"

"But more so with Doctor Clarkson?" she nodded slowly.

"It took me a few sessions to realize what was happening… I started having these flashes, and he started to not be as careful as he was before and then I was kind of aware of what was happening but…" She shook her head. "It's hard to explain." She said looking at him. "I don't remember what he did to me but I know he did things to me… I remember him touching me, and him on top of me, I remember how I couldn't breathe and how his breath smelled like red hots… I remember how it burned my nostrils every time I breathed in… But I don't remember him raping me but I know he did because of how I felt afterwards…" She said quietly. "Once I realized what was happening to me and it took about four times I hated going to see him, and I tried to dodge the sessions but he always came to find me… I wish I knew how he drugged me… Did… Did he say how he did it before you uhm… Took care of him?" she asked turning to him. Hannibal remembered how the man had screamed at the top of his lungs, and tried not to smile.

"No I'm afraid not." He said and she shrugged.

"I wish… I wish I had been there…" He tilted his head.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because… And I want you to know that when I say this that it's not that I don't trust you…" She said with an honest look. "Because I trust you more than I've trusted anyone else in my life…" He nodded. "But sometimes right when I'm about to fall sleep I swear I can smell the red hots on his breath… And feel him on top of me… Maybe if I had been there when you killed him I would know that he was really dead and wouldn't live in constant fear that he would come back." She felt something slip into her hand she looked down to see Hannibal had taken her hand in his. She slowly looked up at him and he smiled.

"I've been waiting for this…" He said as he stood making her do so as well. "Come with me Abigail." She followed him over to one of the secret doors in the kitchen.

He pushed it open and revealed a stairwell. She stared down into what she viewed at that moment as an abyss. It was dark and she could only see three steps leading down before the stairs were engulfed by the dark. Hannibal began to lead her down and as he did dim lighting flickered to life. She thought some light would make her feel better. But it wasn't a bright light which filled the stairwell. It was instead a dim eerie luminescence that set her teeth on edge. She felt Hannibal's hand tighten around hers, and the action put her at ease, but only a little. They stopped at the edge of the stairwell where darkness spread through what Abigail assumed as a basement. She took a deep breath as she heard a clanging sound followed by a soft beeping.

"Hannibal?" She asked softly and he turned to face her. One hand held onto hers as the other hand cupped her cheek.

"I know when your father showed you what he was doing he asked you not to scream." Her eyes grew wide. "I will not ask this. If you want to scream you scream." His hand moved away from her cheek and he flipped on a light that clicked loudly Abigail slowly turned and looked out into the basement to see a strange sight. One she didn't understand at first. Hannibal watched as Abigail tilted her head before she took a deep breath and her hand tightened around his.

"Hannibal…" She said softly as she moved closer to him. Her eyes moved over a nude male body which was suspended by numerous meat hooks through the back. The man was hooked up to a heart monitor and a ventilator one which was working hard to keep him alive. She took a deep breath seeing that the man was missing his right forearm and part of his buttocks on the left side. He also had a huge cut down the middle of his chest. The mans eyes suddenly opened and Abigail jumped.

"It's alright you're very safe…" Hannibal said. Abigail took a deep shaky breath. At first with the grey skin which clung to hard bone she didn't recognize the man not until his eyes flickered to hers and he made a pained noise.

"Is that Doctor Clarkson?" She asked softly and the man started to scream making her jump once more.

"Wait right here…" Hannibal said moving away from her and he stopped feeling her still holding onto his hand. He looked back at her with a soft expression. "It's okay Abigail…" he said and she slowly nodded relinquishing his hand. She watched as he pulled a syringe and slowly injected it into the mans neck. Instantly he calmed down. Hannibal smiled and went to look at Abigail only to find she was gone. He looked back to Dr. Clarkson. "See what you did with your screaming?" he asked. "You scared her off… Very rude indeed. I shall be taking your thigh next for that…" With that Hannibal went to leave but stopped seeing Abigail standing at the bottom of the stairs his eyes flickered down to her hand to see a knife. She went to move forward and Hannibal wrapped his arms around her. "No."

"Let me go!" She yelled as Hannibal pulled her back. "Let me go!" He pulled her up the stairs as she struggled against him. "I'll bathe in your blood Clarkson I'll bathe in it!" Hannibal pulled her out of the basement. Hannibal backed himself up against the door. "Move aside." She said and he tilted his head.

"What makes you think you can order me about?" he asked.

"He deserves to die and you're standing in my way!" She yelled her eyes welling up.

"You're angry."

"That doesn't even cover what I feel towards that asshole!"

"Language Abigail!" he barked.

"Let me in that room Hannibal." She said her eyes flashing. "I want him dead!"

"And you'll get your chance…" he said with a calmness that fueled her rage more.

"How could you keep him alive?" she asked. "You promised-."

"I knew you would want to see him again, I knew you wouldn't get over what he did to you unless you ended it yourself…"

"No… No you just wanted to see my reaction." She threw down the knife before running out of the kitchen. Hannibal took a deep breath before walking over to the knife and picking it up in hand. It was true he did want to see her reaction. But he had also kept him alive for the greater good. His head tilted seeing blood over the blade. He quickly put it down before rushing to the secret stair well and moving up the stairs.

"Abigail?!" he called going to her room, he walked inside and looked all around before spotting her in her bathroom her hand under the faucet. "Abigail are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine leave me alone." She said as he walked into her large bathroom. He saw the water running over her hand where a deep cut lay across her palm.

"That's a deep cut."

"I'm fine." She repeated her jaw clenching and he watched as a tear dripped down off her cheek.

"Let me tend to you." He reached for and she slapped his hands away.

"Don't touch me. I can't believe I trusted you."

"I have lost your trust again, what did I do this time?" he asked tilting his and she set a fierce glare upon him.

"You lied to me you said he was dead."

"I was going to tell you the truth eventually."

"Yeah you're always planning on telling me the truth eventually Hannibal." He pulled her hand from the faucet while grabbing one of her hand towels.

"Let go of me…" She said trying to pull her hand from his.

"Let me help you that's a deep cut-."

"I've had worse."

"It could use stitches." He said as she continued to hold her hand in his.

"Hannibal let me go."

"Who are you to think you can tell me what to do?" he asked making her stop struggling. His demeanor had completely changed in that moment. His eyes had grown dark. His lips were set in a firm line as his jaw clenched. "Now it's my turn to talk and you will not interrupt me." Her jaw clenched, and Hannibal found her silent rebellion fascinating and alluring. He slowly began to unwrap her hand to begin its examination. "You were right in assuming I kept Clarkson alive to see your reaction… But not in the way you may thing. I wanted to see your reaction while viewing my work… You're not the only one who worries about rejection Abigail." Her eyes flickered over him. "You were right about me lying, but how can you get so angry at me about lying when you do it all the time?"

"No I-." A loud crack sounded and Abigail's head whipped to the side. She took a shaky breath realizing that Hannibal had just hit her. He had moved so fast and so quick she hadn't seen it. But he had just smacked her across the face.

"I'm fairly certain I said no interruptions." Hannibal said his jaw clenching. He hadn't meant to do that. He had instantly regretted it. He knew in that moment any trust she had, had for him had begun to dissipate completely. He wanted to go on with what he was saying but the redness that was starting to fill her cheek stopped him. Her jaw clenched and she slowly turned to face him once more. His eyes darted down to her lip to see he had split it.

"Get your fucking hands off of me." She said in a dangerous tone. He slowly nodded and let go of her injured hand before taking a step back his hands held up.

"Abigail… That was very wrong of me." He said.

"You want me to be completely honest with you Hannibal?" She asked and he nodded. "Alright I'll be very honest with you then." She said locking eyes on him. "I have suffered worse hits then that at the hands Garrett Jacob Hobbs… Beatings that lasted hours… But none of them hurt as much as that smack did."

"Abigail… I apologize for my actions… That was very wrong of me." He said with a serious expression.

"I really want you to leave now." He nodded.

"I understand completely…" he instantly walked out of the bathroom. When Abigail heard the door to her bedroom closed she covered her mouth and let out a sob as she sunk to the floor.

Hannibal leaned against the bedroom door his jaw clenching as it did. He really had never planned to hit her. He had never planned to ever lay a harmful hand on her at all. The thought had never entered his mind, ever. Yet that's what he had done. It surprised him and horrified him because he thought out every single thing he did in life before doing it. Even facial expressions. Something about Abigail though made him lose that control. His head bowed forward before he slowly walked down the hallway. He needed to make it right.

Abigail slowly stood up and wiped the tears away. She winced as her hand brushed over her cheek which had gone scarlet thanks to the impact of his hit. She tried not to look at it as she unwrapped her hand to look down to see it had stopped bleeding. It would sting for a week or so, but it would heal. She wondered if Hannibal was right though, did she in fact need stitches. She heard the door to her bedroom open once more and slowly walked out to see Hannibal setting up some objects on her foot stool by her bed. She had told him to leave, what was he doing coming back?

"Uhm… Hannibal?" She asked her jaw clenching. He turned with a soft expression. He walked over to her and Abigail flinched away from his touch as he reached for her face.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said cupping her cheek in hand. She watched as he raised a bag of ice and set it against her cheek. "Hold that in place." He said before leading her over to the bed. He sat her down on the edge and she looked over her footstool to see a stitching kit along with a syringe. He pulled a chair over near the edge of the bed and took her injured hand in his as he sat down. She didn't know what to say in that moment as she held the ice to her slightly swelled cheek. What was he trying to do? "This is Novocain." He said holding up the syringe. "It will numb your hand so I can stitch it."

"Do you think I'm stupid?" She asked.

"Abigail I'm not going to do anything to you… It will hurt if I don't numb it."

"I don't care."

"Abigail…"

"If you think I'm going to allow you to stick me with a needle after seeing what I saw downstairs then you really are out of your fucking mind."

"Fair enough…" he said setting the syringe aside. "Also… Language… It's not lady like to curse." Her jaw clenched as she looked off. "This is going to hurt." He said.

"It's not the first time I've been stitched without Novocain…" He looked her over to see she wasn't looking to him.

"What were you stitched without Novocain before?"

"I'm not really in a sharing mood…" She said quietly. Hannibal punctured the skin with the needle and he watched as she didn't even so much jump. She really had been stitched before without any numbing. They were silent for the rest of the process. When he was done Hannibal grabbed his used supplies and threw them away. He walked back over to the chair and sat down in front of Abigail who was looking over her palm.

"It should heal nicely." He said. "Not even a scar." He watched her jaw clench as her eyes casted down while removing the ice from her cheek. Hannibal took a deep breath. He had bruised her. She had a bruise on her perfect porcelain skin. Then there was the split lip. He tilted his head. The blood was still wet. It had yet to clot. His hand slowly moved forward and once again she moved away from his touch. "Abigail…" Her jaw clenched as she held still while he set his hand on her cheek. "I'm sorry." Her eyes flickered to him and he felt her jaw pulse beneath his touch.

"It's fine…"

"No it's not…"

"There's nothing you can do now… It's done… We'll just…" she looked up in thought while taking a deep breath. "Move past it."

"You don't trust me."

"I don't trust any man, don't take it personally."

"I held your trust just an hour ago."

"It is fine…" she said looking him right in the eye for the first time since he had hit her. She winced as his thumb went across her cheek.

"I'll make it up to you…"

"There's no need." She said quietly.

Hannibal hadn't be able to keep his eyes off her split lip. More so the tiny bit of blood which was there. His eyes had been flickering to it ever sense he had noticed it. He titled his head as he let his hand slip more to her chin, allowing his thumb to brush under her bottom lips slowly. Abigail took a deep breath as she felt him do this. He wasn't looking her in the eyes. He was instead staring down at her lips with a look she didn't understand.

"Hannibal…" She said quietly but it didn't seem to draw his attention at all.

Her eyes closed for a moment as she felt his thumb glide across her bottom lip. Hannibal in that moment smiled feeling her blood glide over her bottom lip. He could smell it. Sweet and intense, like a fine aged wine. Abigail watched as he slowly moved forward. She instantly moved back and his eyes shot to hers. There was no defiance in her eyes, no reluctance, just uncertainty.

He moved forward once more his lips delicately brushing against hers. Abigail's eyes drifted close as she felt the kiss intensify. She had thought about this. Once or twice, anyone would with a man as Handsome as Hannibal. Still it was overwhelming. She couldn't handle this. She didn't understand why he was doing this. Hannibal did nothing without gaining something, what did he gain from this?

Hannibal let his tongue slide across her bottom lip. That's when he tasted it. Her blood. He could practically taste her innocence, and it drove him further. She may have been raped, but never had she willingly had a man, and to him that made all the difference. To know that he could be the first, and the last was exciting. He had always felt a sort of tenure over Abigail. Knowing though that there was a possibility he could actually make her his in every way possible was very tempting.

Just as he was beginning to relish in the embrace contact was lost. His eyes opened and he watched as Abigail quickly walked out of the room. Hannibal took a deep breath as he bowed his head forward. He looked down at his thumb to see her blood still resided there. He slowly brought it up to his lips and tasted her blood for a third time. It was so sweet, so balanced.

He wasn't even sure how to describe it other than intoxicating. Abigail was very lucky she was his protégé because if she hadn't been he would have made a meal out of her indeed. He slowly stood and looked to the forgotten bag of ice on her bed. He took it in hand before walking out. When he reached the main part of his house he stopped and looked all around.

"Abigail?" he asked. He could smell her cherry and almond scent. So he knew she hadn't snuck out. He heard a noise and walked towards the kitchen. His eyes went to the counter where the knife had resided to see it was gone. He then looked to the secret door which lead to his cellar. He ran to it and went to open it to find it was locked. "Abigail open the door." He ordered.

Abigail sat at the bottom of the stairs the bloody knife in hand. She could hear him banging on the cellar door. Asking her to open it but she didn't want to see him. She just wanted to be alone. This was the only place in the house she could be alone. Then again that wasn't entirely true. She wasn't actually alone. Dr. Clarkson still lay suspended in the air. It's why she had grabbed the knife. Just in case he woke up and somehow managed to get unhooked from his machines and meat hooks. She buried her head in her hands.

She didn't understand what had just transpired between her and Hannibal. What was he playing at? What did he want from her? Had that been a play on her emotions for her to forgive him for smacking her. Because Abigail hated to admit it but it had worked slightly. She thought she didn't trust him anymore, but she seemed to have trusted him enough to kiss her. Kiss her when before the thought of doing such a thing with a man made her feel sick thanks to the rapes.

"Abigail open the door." She looked over her shoulder up at the cellar door.

Hannibal stared at the hidden door. He wasn't sure why she had run to the basement of all places to get away from him. After all why would she run to a place that held her rapist after he had kissed her? Why would she go to the most torturous place possible after a moment of happiness? He knew she wasn't traumatized by it. He could tell by how she responded in kind to him kissing her.

"Abigail it isn't healthy to be down there…" he said turning and leaning against the wall beside the cellar. He really didn't care if she killed Clarkson, even though he had been looking forward to killing him together. He looked down at the door when he heard a click. It slowly opened and he watched as Abigail walked out.

"I'm going to bed." She said quietly before walking off as she did she set the bloody knife on the counter. Hannibal slowly walked down into his cellar. When he walked into the open area he stopped when he saw Clarkson hung completely untouched. Hannibal smiled. He was very proud of Abigail in that moment. She had shown extreme control by not slitting his throat, or gutting him, which seemed to be her favorite method of killing. He nodded with a smile before shutting off the lights and heading up the stairs.

-o-

The next morning Abigail slowly walked down the stairs. She had oddly enough gotten rest. She had truthfully wanted to stay in her room all day. But she knew Hannibal expected her to still come into work at the office with him. The second she hit the main part of the house she smelled it. Sticky buns. Her jaw clenched.

"Bastard…" she muttered looking off. He knew she loved sticky buns, more than life its self.

Hannibal stood up straight as he heard the light footsteps of Abigail moving across the floor. She was trying to be quiet. He smiled, he thought it endearing that she thought she could sneak up on him. He turned and faced the doorway as Abigail slowly walked in. He smiled, it seemed she had planned on going to the office. She was wearing black stalking's a short red plaid skirt and a black v neck sweater. Her arms crossed over her chest as she eyed the sticky buns on the counter.

"Orange Rolls?" she asked.

"Your favorite." He said with a smile. She slowly walked over to them. "Also…" he pushed a cup towards her and she eyed it. "From scratch, Godiva hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows." She thumbed the cup for a moment before Hannibal slowly slid over a sticky bun to her.

"Thank you…" she said quietly and he smiled. They ate in silence that morning, and it was the first time since he came to live with her that he did so. He found he missed the conversation. As she always did Abigail washed the dishes after they had finished eating before drying them and putting them away.

"Ready?" Hannibal asked she only nodded and walked past him. He watched as she put on her black pea coat along with her red scarf. They walked out to the car together and as always Hannibal opened the door for her before she slipped in and closed it herself. Hannibal stood for a moment. Something had shifted, and he didn't like it not one bit.

-o-

Hannibal looked over Abigail as they sat at the table in his office. Despite whatever was going on in her head. She had been pleasant and happy when it came to his patients. She gave them the brightest smile she always did while offering them water with cucumber slices. Now though she sat across for him waiting for him to finish his nightly work, she hadn't met his gaze. Not at all. She hadn't even before during lunch. In fact she had touched the lunch he had prepared at all.

"Something wrong with the food today Abigail?" he asked.

"No… I've just wasn't very hungry… Lost my appetite."

"This won't do." He said. "I'll have to prepare a big meal for dinner to make up for your lack of having lunch."

"I'll probably skip dinner tonight."

"We don't skip dinner in my house."

"I won't eat it." She said and his eyes narrowed for a moment.

"How long do you plan on wallowing if I may ask?"

"Until my eighteenth birthday where upon I can get the hell away from you." He blinked as he stared at her. He hadn't expected that to come out of her mouth. She slowly looked up and smiled at him.

"Is your new found malice towards me due to the smack or the kiss?"

"How about a mixture of both." She said.

"That's fair."

"What do you want from me?" she asked.

"I don't understand your question."

"Hannibal I know very little about you… I'm very uncertain of who are as a person… The man you show to me is the man you wish to show me." He sat back, she had already learn so much of him. "One thing I am certain about is that everything you do is thought out and calculated. So you smacking me, and you kissing me was all very thought out and calculated-."

"Wrong." He said.

"Wrong?" she asked.

"You are right that I think everything out... That I calculate everything I say… What you are wrong about is that I did not thinking about striking you before I hit you… It just happened and I am very sorry for it Abigail… Also when I kissed you-."

"Oh don't lie you totally thought that out." She said. "You weighed the pros and cons and you went for it. You just made the wrong choice."

"It was wrong of me to kiss you?"

"I'm 17 it's a crime."

"Not where I come from."

"Yeah and where do you come from again?" she asked and he only smiled.

"Besides you are almost 18… Your birthday is in just a few short days… If I had waited would you have felt better about it?"

"No…"

"So then your age isn't what's bothering you about it… Perhaps it is the history of your rapes." She instantly got up and went to the door. Abigail went to open it but froze finding it was locked. Her jaw clenched and she turned to look to see Hannibal was at his desk pushing the button that automatically locked the doors for security reasons.

"Unlock it." She said.

"I think we should have a session Abigail." He said and her eyes narrowed more.

"I'm not your patient." Her voice shook for a moment.

"No you're not." He said. "But you won't open up to me as a friend-."

"I'm your friend?" she asked.

"Am I not yours?" She only looked off.

"I've never seen you as a friend." She said. "I've seen you as more then that… A… Mentor."

"Which I truly became last night when I helped you with Till." She looked to him for a long moment.

"Yes you were my Mentor in every way and then you did what you did." Hannibal tilted his head.

"I fell off my pedestal in your eyes." Her jaw clenched.

"You weren't supposed to use me like everyone else has." She said looking to him. "Ever since I was born I have been used… I was used by my mother to make my father think we were a complete family… I used by my father to bait girls to their death… I was used by the assholes who raped me for their own sexual gratification… Alana is using me right now for a fucking study she's writing… Hell even Will uses me to ease the regret he has for killing my father…" She said softly. "You though…" She looked to him. "You weren't supposed to do that to me… You were supposed to be… Perfect. You are-were perfect. You were supposed to make me perfect…" Hannibal walked to her. "You weren't supposed to hurt me…" Abigail dodged him before he could wrap his arms around her. "Don't touch me." She said going to hit the button.

"Abigail…" he wanted to resolve this. He wanted to get back to the way it had been. More so he wanted to be up on his pedestal once more. He walked up behind her and grabbed her arm before she could hit the button. Abigail wheeled on him parried his hand away before hooking her leg behind his and pushing him down to the ground while gripping onto his tie. She landed on top of him and looked him dead in the eye. "Abigail?" He asked staring up at her. It was like she wasn't seeing him but seeing past him. "Abigail?" he asked again. Abigail slowly looked around her jaw clenching for a moment. She instantly got up and backed away from him.

"I… I am so sorry…" She said and he could tell she was genuinely horrified with himself. "I don't… I didn't mean to…" Hannibal straightened out his suit as he stood. He slowly walked over to Abigail and cupped her cheek in his hands while checking her pulse. Her heart rate was flying far faster then was healthy.

"Where did you just go Abigail?" he asked.

"Just… Don't sneak up on me like that and grab me…" She said her jaw clenching.

"Was it the gang rape, Dr. Clarkson, or something else?" She stared off and Hannibal shook his head. "Abigail we can't afford to not speak to one another…" she slowly looked to him. "Not anymore."

"My father used to sneak up on me like that… It's how I always knew something bad was going to happen."

"How you knew he was going to hurt you?"

"I always tried to run, but he always caught me…. And he always made me pay for him catching me…" She shook her head while laughing.

"What's funny?" he asked.

"What's funny is that he said it was training for when or if the time ever came that the cops came for us… That I would need to know how to run and defend myself… In the end though instead of allowing me to run he just slit my throat."

"That training wasn't for your benefit it was to give him an excuse to hurt you Abigail."

"What will your excuse be?"

"I'm never going to hurt you again Abigail…" Her jaw clenched and she slowly brought her eyes to his. "I promise." She didn't say anything. Hannibal slowly wrapped his arms around her and smiled when he felt know resistance. She laid her head on his chest her eyes drifting closed as his calming scent surrounded her. "Also Abigail, I don't have to make you perfect… You already are."

"No I'm not… But thank you for saying it." He smiled, she was still very humble.

"Someday you'll see…" He said as he rested a hand on the back of her head. "I'll make you see…" She pulled back and looked up at him. He pushed a strand of her red hair behind her ear and away from her eyes. He smiled softly before kissing the top of her head. "I'm going to kiss you now, and just like last night, it isn't because I want anything from you but because I wish to do so…"

"Do I get a say?" she asked.

"Only if you don't want it." He waited for a long moment before moving forward and kissing her gently. He wouldn't progress it further like he had the night before. Despite what Abigail thought, her rapes were a factor in how she had responded to him. He had pushed her, and that wasn't something he could do with her History. She suddenly pulled back.

"Hannibal…" she said and he could tell she hadn't stopped the kiss because she didn't want it but because of something else.

"What is it?" he asked. She slowly turned and looked to the door.

"Someone is in the waiting room…" She said softly. Hannibal tilted his head, he couldn't smell through the large oak doors his office had. He slowly walked over and opened it up. He tilted his head seeing a familiar man. Abigail smiled and walked to Hannibals side.

"Will?" She asked with a smile. He didn't move. She slowly walked out into the waiting room and Wills side. Hannibal watched as she took on a soft expression. "Will?" She asked. When he didn't move she looked to Hannibal in confusion. He walked over to her.

"He does this sometimes when he's very deep in thought…" He handed her some money. "Why don't you call a cab and I'll meet you at the house…"

"Okay…" She said nodding slowly. Will jumped making her do as well. He slowly looked around before looking to Abigail.

"Ab-Abigail."

"Hey Will." She said with a smile, and Hannibal tilted his head at the reaction. She wasn't even looking at him strangely. In fact she was looking at him like nothing had happened.

"I uhm…"

"Are here to see Hannibal?" she asked with a smile and he slowly looked around seeing he was in the office.

"Yes…" he said before smiling at her. "Yes I am…" He turned and looked to Hannibal.

"Come in Will." Hannibal said stepping aside.

"See you later Will." She said with a smile.

"See you later Abigail." Will said with a smile before walking in.

"Will, this is a pleasant surprise." Hannibal said closing the door.

"How did Abigail get the shiner?" Will asked running his fingers through his hair. Hannibal thought about it for a moment before sighing heavily.

"Poor Abigail this morning took a nasty fall while walking out to the car… Slipped on some ice, I'm going to have to convince her to stop wearing those high heeled boots."

"She wasn't wearing high heeled boots."

"That's because I took her into the house and told her to change out of them while I got her some ice. We were nearly late for my first appointment…" Will only slowly nodded. "Is everything alright Will?"

"Well one second I'm on a beach in Grafton West Virginia the next second I wake up and I'm in your waiting room only I wasn't asleep Hannibal!" He said starting to panic.

"You lost time, that's nearly 3 and a half hours from here."

"There is something seriously wrong with me." He said.

"What happened today?" he asked. "What set this off?"

"Set it off?" he asked.

"Stress brings these episodes out in you." Hannibal said. "So what crime scene did you visit today?"

"Actually, I visited two, the first one was cut short by the second one though I am working both cases."

"Two cases at once?" Hannibal asked. "What was the first one?"

"The first one was here in Baltimore… In a warehouse." Hannibals hands slipped down into his pockets. "Some reported got hung upside down and gutted like a pig." Hannibal tried not to smile. Abigail's first kill under his tutelage and the FBI was covering it. He couldn't be more proud of her. "That's when I noticed some trouble…"

"What trouble?" Will looked up at him.

"I couldn't see this killer."

"You couldn't associate yourself with him?" Hannibal asked.

"No it's like there was a block." Hannibal smiled. Will was far too close to Abigail to see her as anything but a surrogate daughter.

"What was the second crime scene that stole you away from the first one? It must have been something big to knock the other one down."

"A totem pole…" Will said running his fingers through his hair. "A totem pole of bodies." Hannibal's jaw jutted out. It didn't sound very artistic. Now Abigail's kill that had been artistic. With the steam rising off of the blood as it hit the cold ground.

"Any trouble seeing this killer?"

"None." He said and Hannibal slowly nodded.

"I think I need a brain scan Hannibal… I'm losing time, sleep walking, having delusions…"

"You need to stop looking in the wrong place for answers Will…"

-o-

"Thank you." Abigail said handing the cab driver some money.

"Thanks doll." He said with a smile and she nodded before getting out of the cab and looking up at the house. She instantly stopped seeing a familiar figure standing up at the doorway with a man she didn't know. She tilted her head as she grabbed her keys and slowly headed forward. She watched as Freddie turned to her with a big smile.

"Hello Abigail." She said with a smile. "Long time no see."

"Miss Lounds." She greeted shaking her hand in greeting.

"You dyed your head… I must say I liked the shade."

"Yeah, uhm I'm recognized less with it… I'd be lying if I said I didn't take some inspiration from you, you don't mind do you?"

"Not at all I prefer you as a red head." She said with a smile.

"So uhm…" She looked over her shoulder. "Who's that?" she asked seeing a tall man with braod shoulder and dark brown hair and blue eyes.

"That mans' name is Mark Hilt he's your-."

"Father…" Abigail said softly.

"You know?" Freddie asked.

"I was informed…"

"Would you like to meet him?" Abigail looked off. She hadn't decided truly if she wanted to meet him yet. She felt as if she did that would betray Will and Hannibal in some way.

"I… I don't think I should without my guardian…"

"I can understand that…"

"Abigail?" She perked up hearing his voice for the first time. He slowly walked to her and she found she didn't move back. Abigail took a deep breath seeing his eyes, she had seen those eyes every day when looking into the mirror. "I uhm…" Freddie moved to the side. "I didn't think you'd have red hair…"

"I dyed it recently… It's really brown…"

"Your mom was blonde."

"And you're brunette…" She said softly and he smiled.

"I'm Mark Hilt."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Hilt."

"You could just call me Mark." She looked off taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry I didn't want to intrude on you."

"This was my idea." Freddie said.

"Maybe we could go inside…" Mark said. "Talk?" She found herself wanting to but took on a soft expression.

"I wish I could invite you in but it isn't my house… Dr. Lecter asked me to not just invite people in without him being there… He's my guardian and I need to respect his wishes…"

"Of course." Mark said. "When you're ready to talk uhm please give me a call." He handed her a card. She looked down at it and smiled. "You're an architect…" she said.

"Yeah." He said with a smile.

"You draw then?"

"A lot actually, all sorts of things…"

"So do I…" she said quietly.

"Well maybe I could show you some of my art sometime and you can show me yours." She looked up at him and only nodded.

"Do… Do you have any children?"

"Two sons, twins, Jayce and Jason." He pulled out a picture and showed her. "Brown hair, blue eyes." He said.

"They look nice…" she said.

"They uh… Want to meet you someday." She only nodded.

"I should head inside."

"Of course." He said taking a step back.

"It was nice to meet you." Abigail said with a soft smile. "Freddie, uhm I'm sorry I haven't called about setting up a meeting about the book something's have been going on."

"Yes I heard about the attack at Dr. Lecters office… I heard you saved his life."

"It makes me sound more heroic then it was." She said quietly. "I will call though… Tomorrow?"

"That would be lovely." She said with a smile. Abigail turned and looked to Mark.

"And uhm… I'll call you as well…"

"There's no pressure." He said with a soft expression.

"I'll talk to you guys later…" She walked away and took a shaky breath as she headed to the house.

"Abigail?" she turned and looked to Mark. "I'm sorry about your mother… She was a wonderful woman." She smiled softly.

"You're the first person to say that… Thank you…" She said softly before heading into the house and locking the door behind her. She took a shaky breath as she looked off. She didn't know how to feel in that moment.

AN: Wow that took forever to write I'm so freaking sorry but I'm already working on the next chapter sorry about this guys!