AN: I write what I write I take no prisoners… I know a few of you were a little upset by the course their relationship took and how their romance budded. But I do have my reasons. I really do. If you know my writing you know that I always have a reason for what I put into my stories…
Oh also sorry for the lack of update but thanks to a marathon watching of Hannibal I now know how this story can continue on into season 2!
-o-
Hannibal walked into the house with a smile. He would be lying if he had that morning he had thought he would be coming home to an happy one. But he and Abigail had reconciled. Reconciled with a kiss no less. He smiled as he shrugged out of his coat and put it on the hanger. He stopped when he realized Abigail's coat and scarf weren't hanging up next to it. She always hung up her scarf and coat. He looked down to see her shoes were missing as well. She always kicked off her shoes at the entry way. He looked off into the house.
"Abigail?" he called.
He knew she was home, he could smell her sweet scent. He headed up the stairs and stopped. The scent was stale. She hadn't been upstairs yet. He slowly headed towards the kitchen and stopped. He looked to his knife block to see one of his instruments missing. Instantly he walked to the cellar door. He really hoped she hadn't snapped and gone to kill Clarkson. That would disappoint him after being so proud over the fact her first kill under his tutelage had led to an FBI investigation. He slowly opened it up and calmly walked down the stairs. He stopped seeing Abigail sitting up on the prep table right beside a knocked out hanging Clarkson. His eyes drifted to the knife in her hand.
"Abigail?" he asked seeing her eyes casted to the drain in the middle of the floor. She didn't say anything just took a deep breath. "Abigail." She quickly looked to him.
"Oh… Hi Hannibal." She said with a soft expression.
"You didn't kill him." He said motioning to Clarkson as he walked to her.
"I didn't come down here for that." She said simply as she looked her rapist over.
"What did you come down here for then?" He asked genuinely interested.
"The silence." She said honestly.
"Then why the knife?" he asked touching her hand which held it.
"In case he wakes up and somehow manages to untangle himself from those machines and meat hooks…" She bowed her head forward. "That sounded very stupid saying it out loud."
"Your fear is valid after what he did to you…" He said with a soft smile. "The house is very quiet, why would you feel the need to come down here for silence?"
"The house holds silence, but not the serene kind… It holds the kind that buzzes loudly in your ears as you close your eyes and try to think…" She looked around the cellar with a soft expression. "This place though, even with the sound of the respirator and the beeping of the heart monitor, it holds true silence…" She never ceased to surprise him. One moment she as a normal teenage girl, the next moment she was a very enlightened young woman.
"Why did you need the silence of a breathing corpse?" He asked.
"When I came home Freddie Lounds and Mark Hilt were waiting for me…" Hannibal's jaw clenched. Freddie Lounds was starting to become a thorn in his side.
"How was that for you?"
"He has brown hair and blue eyes… He's an architect, so he draws…"
"You're finding many similarities between yourself and him." Hannibal said and she smiled as she looked to him.
"I am but… I don't have any real want to know him." He tilted his head. "I tried to convince myself that I did… Because he's my Bio dad and I should feel something for him shouldn't I? I mean we share DNA that means something doesn't it?"
"To some people."
"Clearly I'm not one of those people." She said.
"You shouldn't feel bad Abigail." He said.
"No I don't feel bad… It's just… Alana I know is going to want to see how I am with him… If I tell her I don't have any want to get to know him I'm afraid what she might think of me. I need to start being as normal and as not suspect as I can be."
"You can't make a one eighty that would be more suspect…" She looked to him. "I think you should tell Alana truthfully how you're feeling about Mark Hilt…" She slowly nodded before laughing softly.
"I wish I was more like you." Abigail admitted.
"How so?" he asked.
"You fly so easily under the radar… No one suspects you of anything… People suspect me of everything, and rightfully so…"
"You'll get there eventually." He said. "Though I do have some news… Till was found." She looked to him and he saw a spark go off in her eyes.
"Will is investigating?" She asked and he smiled.
"You pieced that together quite quickly." he said and she just smiled.
"Did he say anything?" She asked.
"He said he couldn't see the killer."
"Good." She said with a smile.
"He had to leave your crime scene though to go investigate another one." He said wanting to see her reaction. "A totem pole made of bodies." She looked off.
"Why didn't I think of that?" she asked and he smiled, he had had the same thought. "So is my case being dropped by the FBI?"
"No they'll be investigating both." He said.
"Still mine got bumped down…" She muttered looking off. "I don't know how to feel about that…"
"We'll put more thought into your next one and make sure it doesn't get bumped down by some mediocre show of macabre." He said and she nodded.
"I told Freddie I'd call her about the book deal tomorrow."
"You should invite her to dinner." Hannibal said walking up to Clarkson who was still hanging from his meat hooks.
"Going to prepare something special?" Abigail asked and Hannibal looked to see she was smiling softly.
"Yes I think I will… Maybe something from the thigh area." He said looking over Clarkson before turning and heading up the stairs. Abigail instantly followed him out of the cellar. She smiled as she watched him walk over to his recipe box while she closed the door.
"Can I ask a question?"
"Anything." He said flipping open the recipe box.
"How do you choose what parts of the body transfer well into your recipes? I mean nothing in your recipe box says human thigh, it will say something like pork lion." He looked up at her with a smile as he watched her shrug out of her coat and scarf.
"A very good question." He said as she walked up to him. "May I?" he asked motioning to the knife she held.
"Of course." She handed it over. He flipped the dull edge over so he wouldn't touch her with the sharp side.
"We'll start with the arms…" he took her hand in his and lifted her arm up. "Upper arm is much like that of Lamb shanks because it requires a very slow cook…" she nodded. "Forearm…" he touched it with the knife. "That's a very tough meat so you'll want to use it in soups to help break it down." He slowly put the arm down and moved behind her. "The meat on the neck." He pushed her hair over her shoulder and Abigail took a deep breath as she felt the cold steel of the knife touch her skin. "It needs to be diced finely I like to use it in pastes or goulashes." She nodded. "Then…" Hannibal moved the knife down to her shoulders. "Shoulders Blades, it can mimic that of steak, but it takes a lot of work to make it tender."
"What else?" she asked quietly. Hannibal slid the knife down the middle of her back before stopping right above her buttocks. Her eyes drifted closed at the sensation.
"This long strip, the top is good for mimicking all Barbeque steaks. The middle is especially good for fillets. The lower part I feel resembles the meat of a good T-bone." He turned her around slowly to face him. "Now my favorite cut is the Eye Fillet."
"My eyes?" she asked.
"No dear." He said with a smile. "It's what I call the non working muscle that sits just above your bowel." He pointed the knife at her lower abdomen and drew it across slowly. "It holds the most flavor, resembles that of a prime rib." She nodded as he brought the knife up to her side and made a circling motion. "Now for actual ribs… including the floating ribs… Much like that of Barbeque ribs." She nodded.
"What else? Liver?"
"You have to be careful with the liver." He said letting his eyes roam over her and Abigail in that moment very much felt like a piece of meat he was getting ready to carve. Oddly enough she didn't find herself scared, rather very intrigued.
"Why?" She asked softly.
"It's full of vitamin A."
"Vitamins are good aren't they?" he smiled.
"Indeed but too much of a good thing is bad Abigail." He said with a soft expression. "Too much Vitamin A is toxic… I learned that the hard way."
"What about Kidneys?"
"Kidneys are always good." He said and she nodded with a smile. "Also…" he made an X motion over her chest. "Lungs… They're full of Iron which is always a bonus." She watched as Hannibal slowly knelt before her. He set one hand on her hip as his eyes went over the five inches of flesh that was shown thanks to her skirt and her thigh high stalking's. "The legs…" Her eyes drifted closed for a moment feeling his hand resting high on her inner thigh. "Below the knee is very tough meat, it requires slow cooking, so I usually use it in stews… Then the thigh…" her eyes opened feeling the dull end of the knife drag across it. "It's tough as well but if you get it tender enough it can be quite delightful…" She looked down at him as he gazed up at her.
"What's your favorite cut of meat?" she asked quietly, feeling her heart race.
"The one I've yet to mention…"
"Which is?" she asked as he slowly stood.
"The buttocks…" she felt his hand slowly cascade down her back. "Always needs a slow cooking, but… The flavor is unmatched." His hand rested just above it. She slowly looked up at him as she took a deep breath. "You would make quite a meal Abigail." She smiled softly and he tilted his head. He hadn't expected that reaction from her.
"I take that as a compliment."
"You should…" he said as he set the knife down on the counter. Abigail grabbed her coat and scarf.
"I'm going to hang these up." She said before turning and walking off. Hannibal walked to the doorway of the kitchen and watched as she hung up her coat and scarf before bending over undoing the zipper on her boots before doing the other one. Hannibal smiled as he watched her skirt ride up on her thigh slowly. She slipped out of her boots before taking them in hand and going to the false wall. Abigail stopped seeing Hannibal watching her closely. She smiled softly before heading up the stairs.
Hannibal was starting to worry that she knew exactly what she did to him.
-o-
After Abigail had come back downstairs. They had eaten a light meal together. Cleaned the dishes. Made sure the kitchen was pristine and then as they usually did went into the study to spend the night until the proper time came about to sleep. Hannibal now sat on the end of the couch. Abigail sat on the other edge her feet curled under her as she faced Hannibal. Her drawing pad was in hand a pencil skimming over the paper slowly as her eyes flickered down from the white sheet to his face.
"Are you making a study of me Abigail?"
"In a sense." She said with a small smile. "I'm on my fifth attempt to draw you…"
"May I see?" he asked turning to look at her.
"No." She said instantly and he smiled.
"Why?"
"Because it's my fifth attempt and I can already tell there's going to be a sixth, probably a seventh." He smiled as she laughed softly.
"Let me see, maybe I could help."
"No you'll hate me for butchering your maddeningly perfect symmetrical face…" She said tilting her head as she looked down over her drawing. "You know I can draw you fairly well from profile but when I have to put it all together I lose you somewhere…"
"Lose me?" he asked. "An interesting way to put it, what do you mean by that?"
"It doesn't look like you… Just looks like a drawing of you…"
"Well now I have to see."
"You're not going to give this up are you?" she asked looking up at him.
"No, so you mine as well hand it over."
"Fine…" She handed it over and he reached for it. She pulled it back quickly. "But you've been warned."
"I have." He said and she slowly nodded before handing it over. Hannibal took the sketch book in hand and slowly looked over the sketch. Her technique was flawless, it was the best drawing of him he had ever seen, in fact the only drawing of him he'd ever seen. "I don't see a problem here."
"You're very sweet." She said moving across the couch to his side. "I can't get your eyes right see?" He looked them over.
"They're perfect."
"Exactly, there's no room for life." She said her chin resting on his shoulder as she continued to look the drawing over. Hannibal let his eyes travel over her serene expression for a long moment. "I'll get it eventually…" she said quietly. Hannibal turned and cupped her cheek in his hand. Abigail took on a soft expression as she felt his thumb graze across her cheek.
"Does it hurt?" He asked.
"Hurt?" She inquired.
"Where I hit you?"
"No… It's fine now." She said quietly. He could tell she was still angry at him for it. The truth was he was still angry with himself. He hadn't liked at all how their romanticism had started. Still he found it interesting that it had started with a smack. In the end this boiled down to phycology. Abigail was a creature of violence. So it made since that romance would have to spur from a spark of vehemence. The truth was one of the synonyms of violence, was passion. As he looked to Abigail now he could feel that passion for her. It was a passion he had only felt when engaging in his art. The art of carving flesh.
"What is it?" Abigail asked. Hannibal let his hand moving down from her cheek to push her hair over her shoulder. She took a deep breath as she felt him set his hand on her neck. His thumb brushed over her scar lightly.
"You haven't been wearing the scarves I've gotten you inside as much as you did before."
"I have no reason to hide from you… Do I?"
"To say such a thing makes me think you see that scar as an example of your core being."
"Isn't it?" She asked. "It's a sign of violence… Isn't that what I am at my core being… Violence?"
"Do you think you are Abigail?" He asked.
"Yes." He slowly nodded.
"Would you like to know what I think?"
"Yes."
"I think you're a Chironex Fleckeri."
"A what now?" she asked and he smiled.
"It's the scientific name for box jelly fish." He said getting up and heading to his book case. He returned with a book of science and animals. "Also known as the sea wasp... Have you ever heard of it?" She shook her head as he sat down next to her and showed a picture.
"It's beautiful…" She said as she looked the photograph over.
"Also very dangerous." He said and she looked to him. "Just like you." His eyes turned to her and she took on a soft expression. "It floats through the sea, tranquil, and elegant minding its own business until a predator comes a little too close." She looked down at the picture. "Or gets in their way… After what needs to be done is done it continues on floating, tranquilly, elegantly…" He looked her over. "Beautifully." Her eyes went to his and he smiled softly as he closed the book. "There are some differences between you and this creature though."
"Like?"
"Well for one you're incredibly intelligent, while these little creatures aren't…" She laughed softly. "I'm not kidding they're incredibly stupid." She laughed again and he smiled. "Also if I had to speak honestly I think you're far more beautiful." She looked to him with a soft expression.
"Very smooth Hannibal…" She said and he smiled.
"You think I'm playing with you?"
"Alana warned me that you could be flirtatious."
"I think we moved passed flirtation Abigail."
"I'd say we blew right past it in fact." She admitted looking off as she took her sketch book in hand.
"Do you wish there had been more?"
"More?" she asked.
"Flirtatious moments?"
"No." she said with a smile. "I'm not skilled when it comes to that kind of conversation."
"That's good… It means you're a lady."
"So what does that tell me about you, seeing as you're so good at it?" she asked with a smile.
"That I am not a lady." She laughed softly and he smiled. She had a wonderful laugh, one that rang like an innocent bell. He hoped she never lost that. "I was wondering if you might stay here tomorrow…" She looked to him.
"You don't need me to help you out tomorrow at the office?"
"Of course I always need the helping hand but I have things to do tomorrow, after work… And I don't have time to drive you home, and I don't like you taking the Cab service." She looked at him for a long moment.
"Are you-."
"I won't be leaving you out of my…" He smiled. "Private affairs… Not when you've shared your own with me…" she nodded. "I'm going shopping, for your birthday."
"You don't have to get me anything." She said instantly.
"Of course I do." He said.
"No you've already given me so much…"
"It's rude to protest to a gift Abigail."
"No, I'm not protesting…" She said with a soft expression. "I'm just trying to convey to you that you don't need to bestow me with gifts… You've already given me so much, and I'm so grateful…" He smiled softly. "I feel bad sometimes."
"Why would you feel bad?"
"Because…" She said looking down at her sketch pad. "I don't really give you anything in return."
"You give me companionship." She looked to him and he smiled. "I just saw how you took that…" She smiled softly while he laughed. "I was… Very alone before you came along Abigail… To be honest when we first met appropriately after you woke up from your coma I never thought what has developed would have developed in the first place. I did know though that I felt very protective of you, and that I wished you to be in my life. Now that you are here I don't wish that to change. You have fulfilled my life in a way that I never knew possible. You give me a lot Abigail I don't wish you to ever feel as if you don't." She nodded with a soft expression. "Do you still think I'm using you?" She took a deep breath as she looked off.
"Would you be terribly upset if I said I was afraid you might be using me, but no longer truly believe you were?"
"No I find your admission honest and acceptable." He said and she looked to him slowly.
"Sooo… What are you getting me for my birthday?" She asked changing the subject.
"I can't tell you that it's a surprise."
"Oh come on…" she said getting on her knees beside him on the couch. "It's a pony isn't it?" he laughed.
"Would you like a pony?"
"I'd like a puppy."
"We're not getting a puppy." He said instantly.
"Why not?" She asked her bottom lip puffing out slightly.
"Do you want a puppy?" He asked and she shifted.
"Kind of…" He sighed as he looked off.
"How about a cat?" He offered.
"How about a puppy?" he laughed while she smiled. "I'm just kidding." She said nudging him and he smiled.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah I mean the first time I was ever around dogs was with Will and they didn't seem to like me much…" She shifted and he looked to her. "Do you think animals can tell things about us?"
"I think Animals like Humans can have their reservations about people." Hannibal said and she nodded.
"Do you think Wills dogs will warm up to me?"
"I do." He said with a smile.
"Good…" She said with her own smile. "Seriously though, what are you getting me?" He laughed.
"I'm not going to tell you..." The phone rang and instantly Abigail hoped off the couch and near skipped across the room to the phone. She picked it up and smiled. "Dr. Lecters residence." She said and Hannibal smiled. "Oh… Mr. Crawford…" she looked to Hannibal. "Let me check if he's home from the office yet sir…" she looked to Hannibal and he nodded. "He just arrived home, I'll get him for you, just hold on for a second." Hannibal walked over and she handed the phone off. She went to leave the room but Hannibal held onto her hand stopping her. She looked to him and he shook his head.
"Jack, what can I do for you this evening?" He asked.
"There's been a development in the Hobbs case I need you here at FBI quarters right away."
"Shall I bring Abigail?"
"Yes."
"We shall be there in two hours' time."
"Thank you."
"Of course." He hung up the phone and Abigial took a deep breath.
"Is this about Till? Do they know it was-." He set his fingers against her soft lips stopping her from speaking.
"Here comes another lesson from your tutor, are you ready?" she nodded as she stared up at him doe eyed. "Never mention your kills when you think you are under suspicion."
"Not even to you?"
"To me is fine." He said and she slowly nodded.
"Am I under suspicion?"
"Not for Till, No. This is about Garett Jacob Hobbs." She took a deep breath as she looked off.
"Yay another fun evening in an interrogation room with Jack Crawford…" She muttered before walking off. Hannibal watched her for a long moment. One minute she had been happier then he'd ever seen her, the second later after a mentioning of Garrett Jacob Hobbs all that happiness had slipped away. He felt as though he still didn't have the whole story. He wondered if he ever would.
-o-
Abigail took a deep breath as she thumbed the hem of her blood red scarf as they drove down the highway. It had been incredibly quiet but she hadn't noticed. It had been Hannibal who had noticed though. He kept stealing peeks at Abigail who was chewing on her bottom lip. Something she only ever did when she was truly nervous.
"Everything is going to be fine Abigail."
"What if they found evidence linking me to the crimes of my father?" She asked. "I handed that cold storage place right over to them, what if my dad hid something in there other than the meat of his-our victims."
"You didn't kill those girls."
"I may have not pulled the trigger but I did help make them the target." She said.
"We'll cross that bridge if it presents its self." She slowly nodded.
"I won't go to prison. I won't be caged again."
"No one is going to put you in a cage… I wouldn't allow it." She looked to Hannibal who gave her a near soft expression. "Do you trust me Ab-."
"Yes." She said instantly and he nodded before smiling as he looked out at the road ahead.
"Good." He said.
When the pulled into the parking lot of the FBI headquarters Abigail took a shaking breath seeing Alana and Will waiting at the front doors. Agent Crawford was nowhere in sight. She let her eyes dart around for any other agents but saw none. She knew it should calm her nerves. Knowing that she wasn't instantly going to be arrested for any possible evidence found linking her to the murders of all those doppelgangers of hers. Abigail sat up straight and took another deep breath seeing a man she didn't recognize walk straight up to Abigail and Will.
"Who is that?" She asked.
"That's my lawyer, and now your lawyer… I called him and told him to meet us here before we left." Hannibal said looking down at his watch. "He made good time. I like a punctual man." He looked over at Abigail to see she was shaking slightly. "You need to calm yourself."
"I have this terrible feeling…" She said softly.
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you." She looked to him with her wide sapphire eyes.
"Hannibal-."
"You said you trusted me."
"I do. I do trust you." She said instantly.
"Then trust me now that nothing is going to happen to you whilst you are at my side." She felt something and looked down to see their hands entwined. Somehow, it made her feel better. "Ready?" he asked and she slowly nodded.
"You won't leave me?" she asked looking to him.
"No. No, I won't leave you Abigail." She smiled softly and nodded before letting Hannibal get out of the car.
"Here she is." Alana said watching Hannibal open the door for Abigail who stepped out into the cold nights air.
"Head up high Abigail." Hannibal said and she instantly did as he said. "Like you own the place."
"How about like I'm renting it? I think I can pull off acting as if I'm renting it." He laughed softly. Even under extreme pressure she could still make a joke. It was a quality to her that he admired.
"Abigail." Will greeted and she smiled softly.
"Will." She greeted. "Dr. Bloom." She said as Alana moved forward and hugged closely.
"It's ridiculous for him to call you out at this hour."
"I can make that work for us if need be." A man said walking up to her. He was around Hannibals height and a few years older. He had near brown ginger hair and deep brown eyes. He was very professional looking. "My name is Connor McCoy." He said with an accent that sounded from the south.
"Nice to meet you Mr. McCoy my name is Abigail Hobbs." She introduced. "Are you my lawyer?"
"Indeed I am… Before we go in I'd like to talk to you in private." She looked to Hannibal. "Your guardian is welcome to join."
"Abigail doesn't need me." She took a deep breath and slowly nodded as they all headed into the FBI building where Jack was waiting. Before he could say anything Abigail was lead into a waiting room where the door closed.
"Who is that?" Jack asked walking over.
"That's Abigail's lawyer." He looked to Hannibal quickly. "Sorry Jack but having us drive out here at near 2 in the morning sends a message to me that she needed one."
"Trust me when I say…" he shifted on his feet. "She doesn't." Hannibal tilted his head as he looked him over.
"Jack what is this about?" Alana asked.
"You'll see…" He said his jaw clenching as he watched Abigail take a seat inside the waiting room. Instantly McCoy walked up to the window and gave a cheeky smile before drawing the blinds removing her from their sight. Hannibal took a deep breath, instantly he wished he had accompanied her.
"Alright, now that it's just us with no prying eyes, how are you feeling?" Connor asked.
"Well Mr. Mc-."
"Call me Connor all my clients do." He said.
"Okay uhm… Connor I feel okay."
"You can tell the truth to me dear, I promise it won't get out."
"I'm scared out of my mind that Jack Crawford is going to nail me to a cross made of wood my father gathered and put together." She said instantly and Connor smiled as he nodded.
"I'm glad you said that because if you truly did feel just Okay about this I was going to think you a very stupid young lady. Turns out you're the opposite though. You're quite intelligent. The truth is you need to be scared of Jack Crawford. The man has a reputation for not letting things go. He's obsessive. Personally I think it's ridiculous he's trying to lay the crimes of your father on you… Though I do have to ask."
"Did I kill those girls?"
"Yes."
"No." she said.
"You can tell me the truth."
"I can honestly say I did not kill even one of those girls." She said.
"I believe you…" He said sitting back in his chair as he looked her over. "I don't usually believe my clients when they say they're innocent."
I didn't say I was innocent… She thought as she looked off.
"Still, you are hiding something… I don't need to know what it is now I should think." He stood up and Abigail looked to him.
"Before you say anything to Jack Crawford, Alana Bloom, Will Graham you look to me to give you the go ahead. I will nod if it's safe to speak or shake my head and say something for you." She slowly nodded. "Understood."
"Yes." She said standing. "If at any time you want the conversation to end… Just say so, and I'll end it."
"I feel a lot more confident now that you're here Connor."
"Good." He smiled as he led her out of the room. "Miss Hobbs is ready to see you now." He said to Jack who only nodded and walked off.
"Follow me." Abigail was more then surprised when instead of going to the interrogation rooms they walked to the morgue. Her jaw clenched as they walked past a room full of slabs filled with random pieces of meat. Meat she knew was human.
"You know I can hang you for merely exposing my underage client to such horrors which are laid out like trophies in this morgue." Connor said his jaw clenching.
"It's nothing she hasn't seen." Jack muttered as they walked into a back room where a large plasma screen was set up linked up along with pictures of many girls. Girls who looked just like Abigail.
"What's with the dramatics?" Connor asked as Abigail tried not to look at the pictures of her and her dads victims.
"I have to thank you Abigail." Jack said turning to look at her.
"Why?" She asked softly.
"Remember what we talked about…" Connor said into her ear quietly and she slowly nodded realizing she hadn't looked to him for permission to speak.
"Because thanks to you and that cold storage unit you handed over we've been able to find a few pieces of nearly most of your father's Victims… It means their families will soon be able to burry or cremate some part of their loved ones…" She looked to Connor who nodded.
"You're… Welcome?" she asked still having a bad feeling.
"We found something else though…" Jack said. "Hidden inside a frozen stomach." He locked eyes with her. "A DVD." Connor stiffened his jaw clenching while Hannibal looked to Abigail. "Do you know what's on it?"
"Don't answer that Abigail." Connor said and she took a shaky breath.
"It's a video recording of all your father's victims…" Abigail was confused instantly. Her father never recorded anything. He despised technology to the point he even hated flip cell phones.
"If you're planning on playing a video of her father murdering those girls I won't be party to it." Alana said.
"No I wouldn't show her that… Because she's already seen it." Jack looked to Abigail who took a deep breath. "You saw all of it didn't you?" He hit the button of the DVD player.
"Stop." Abigail said instantly.
"Stay quiet Abigail." Hannibal and Connor said at the same time.
"Jack this is ridiculous!" Alana said instantly.
"You will be quiet or I'll have you escorted out." Jack said instantly.
"Please!" A girl screamed in the video. "Please! Let me go!"
"That's Jessica Raynes… The second missing girl…" Will said.
"Please!" Abigail's eyes shut tightly as she watched herself peek into view.
"Shh…" Abigail said on the video feed.
"Oh my god…" Alana instantly looked to Abigail while Hannibal stared wide eyed at the video.
"If you're not quiet m-my dad, he might hear you, you h-have to be quiet okay?" Abigail asked visibly shaking on the video. "I'm going to get you out of here…" Hannibal tilted his head. He hadn't expected that. Jack looked to Abigail with a near remorseful look. "But you have to be quiet or we'll both be in trouble…" She brandished a knife and instantly the girl screamed. "No no no!" She rushed forward and covered her mouth. "I'm not going to hurt you Jessica this is for you to run with and defend yourself." She said handing the knife over to her. "See?" She asked. "Why would I give you the knife if I was going to hurt you with it? Now please… Please be quiet I don't know how far my father is from the cabin…" She instantly took out a ring of keys from her pocket as she knelt by the bare foot girl. "Now I need you to focus Jessica, All I can do is free you I can't go with you, I have to keep my dad here and throw him off your trail do you understand?" she asked as she tried key after key to unlock a metal ankle clasp that kept her chained to the ground.
"Why are you doing this?" The girl asked wiping tears away. "You helped him get me here."
"I know… I'm sorry but you're not the only one scared of my dad… Besides I knew if I could get you here I'd earn his trust and he'd leave me with you so I could get you free… God where's the fucking key!?" She asked in a panic her hands starting to shake.
"You tried to free her…" Alana said looking to Abigail whose eyes were glued to the picture of Jessica.
"I tried…" She said softly a tear slipping down her cheek and dripping off her chin.
"Not a word Abigail." Connor said and her jaw clenched.
"It's okay you can do this…" Jessica said.
"Once I get you out of this I need you to stab me with that knife as far to the side of my stomach as you can, take my coat and my boots. My phone has GPS." She handed it off to her. "I have it already set to the nearest ranger station which is a mile away."
"Oh my god…" the girl said with a relieved laugh as tears fell down her face.
"You tell them about my dad, and also you need to tell them about a girl before you. I don't know her name. She was already dead when he showed me her… She's in the freezer here in the cabin. You have to bring them to this Cabin Jessica. Yes!" She unclasped the ankle restraint and helped her stand. "Here." She took off her coat instantly and put it on the girl before kicking off her boots. "They may be tight but they'll keep your feet warm from the snow." She said instantly. "Okay now… Use the knife. Stab me." Abigail said holding her arms out. "Quickly Jessica he could be back any minute!"
"You want me to stab you?" She asked.
"I've had worse, I can take it." Abigail said her hands shaking despite her words. "Please… I need my dad to believe you escaped, not that I let you go..."
"I can't…"
"He'll kill me if you don't please!" Abigail begged. "This is how we both survive please!"
"I can't-." Abigail grabbed a hold of the girls hand and thrust the knife into her side.
Alana jumped at the sight. "Oh my god." She said instantly taking a hold of Abigail's hand.
"Go!" Abigail yelled out as she pulled the knife from her side and handed it over to Jessica. "Go!" Jessica went to run from the room. "Don't stop running!" Abigail said as she dropped to her knees blood gushing out her side. Jessica screamed as Garret Jacob Hobbs rushed into view.
"What the hell is going on he…" His voice trailed off. "What did you do to my daughter!?" He slapped Jessica to the ground and kicked her in the stomach making the knife fly out of her hand.
"Dad stop!" Abigail said getting onto her feet. "Dad stop it!" She screamed watching him kick her over and over again. Abigail rushed forward and grabbed a hold of the knife on the ground before tackling her father to the ground. "Jessica run!" She screamed and the girl did so instantly with much difficulty.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Garrett Jacob Hobbs yelled.
"I won't let you do this!" Abigail shouted going to stab her father only to have him grab a hold of her wrist grab onto her throat and threw her across the room. "We will be discussing this!" He said as he backed out of the room.
"It doesn't matter…" She said locking eyes with him as she grabbed a hold of an antler and lifted herself up onto her feet. "She got away." Abigail said tears rolling down her cheeks. "She got away and they're going to put you away you fucking psycho!"
"You think she got away?" He asked getting to the doors. "I double locked all the exits before I left…"
"What?" she asked as her father slammed the door to the room. There was silence before a shrill scream sounded. "Jessica!" Abigail screamed at the top of her lungs as she raced to the door and tried to open it. "No! No!" She threw herself against it in panic leaving blood stains every time she did. "Dad please! Dad I'm sorry! Kill me not her! Take me please! Dad!" The video paused and a dead silence filled the room.
"I've watched every single minute of this DVD, and seen every single time how you tried over and over again to save those girls…" Jack said walking to Abigail how took a shaky breath before letting out a sob. "You were terrified of him and still you tried to help those girls even though you knew when he caught you what he would do to would be worse than if you had just helped him get rid of them."
"Please don't play that part of it…" She said gasping for air. "Please don't play that part of it…" she begged and Jack took on a near soft expression. "I'll tell you anything you want please don't play that part of it." Alana moved and wrapped her arms around Abigail who held onto her tightly. "Please I don't want to see it, please don't play it… Please don't play it. I'll say and sign anything please…"
"It doesn't matter what she says." Connor said making Jack look to him. "I show the jurors this video of her stabbing herself to save that girl and she'll walk that same day."
"I'm going to be sick…" Abigail said visibly pale as she looked around.
"I'm sorry Abigail." Jack said. "I'm sorry that I even insinuated you were anything like him… It turns out you weren't a monster at all, just a survivor."
"No… No I'm not…" She said. "You have n-no…" She shook violently. "No idea what I did..."
"What matters is that you tried to save them despite the fear you held towards your father and the abuse you sustained at his hands for doing so…" Jack said.
"You're not going to arrest me?" She asked. "I'm on tape." She said pointing to the screen. "I'm right there with the girls. You heard her say I bated her I'm responsible for their deaths!"
"No Abigail you did everything in your power to stop them from being killed." Jack said.
"I still baited them!"
"Because the fear you had for your father-."
"So!?" she asked. "I'm the reason their dead if I had never baited them he would have never gotten his hands on them!"
"Yes he would have… In a more violent way I imagine which is why you baited them in the first place." Jack said. "I understand your pathology now Abigail… As much as you want us to believe you're a monster and are responsible for the deaths of those girls the truth is you're not. Your father was…" She looked off her jaw clenching as she did.
"What happens now?" She asked softly. "What happens to me now?"
"We start clearing your name and begin building a case against the FBI."
"What?" Jack asked.
"Come Abigail we're going home." Hannibal said wrapping an arm around her shoulders and leading her off. "Don't look at the girls…" she moved her head against his chest and let her eyes shut tightly as he led her past the rooms filled with the body parts of her fathers victims.
"A case against us why us?" Jack asked.
"The emotional strain you have put that young girl over has near broken her, not to mention you have smeared her name and character to the point that she will never be able to live a normal life! My client deserves compensation for such and she will get it." Connor said before going after Hannibal and Abigail.
"She deserves compensation and her name clear Jack." Will said.
"I know it." He muttered.
"You were right all along Alana." Will said. "She was hiding something about the murders, just not what Jack was hoping for."
"Disappointed Jack?" Alana asked her jaw clenching.
"Yes." He said. "Now those girls will never have justice. God knows Abigail Hobbs tried though.
-o-
AN: So I got a PM asking me what songs I use to write for Hannigail here they are
Daughter- Candles
Daughter-Run
The Fountain Motion picture soundtrack – Death is the road to Awe
The Village Motion Picture Soundtrack- Gravel Road
The Smiths- Asleep
Natalie Lungley- Secrets
Perfect Circle- Count Bodies Like Sheep To the Rhythm Of War Drums
Jen Titus- Oh Death
Lorde- Gore and Glory
Krezip- Sweet Goodbyes