"Excuse me Abigail I was just wondering where your restroom may be?" Freddie asked.
"Oh just down the hallway second door to your right."
"Thank you very much." She said and Abigail nodded as she watched Freddie head down the hallway. Abigail knew she wasn't using the bathroom but instead snooping for clues. She shrugged, as long as Freddie stayed away from the cellar Abigail didn't see the harm in letting Freddie do her investigative techniques. She smiled before turning back to the party. There were many people, more people then she had been expecting. It seemed Hannibal had invited some of his colleagues which was fine with her. After all, they had to keep up appearances.
"Abigail Hobbs?" she turned around feeling a light tap on her shoulder.
"Yes?" she asked with a pleasant enough smile.
"Hello there I'm Dr. Frederick-."
"Chilton, yes I know." She said with a smile.
"Oh you do?"
"I read your thesis of Dr. Able Gideon the man you thought was the Chesapeake Ripper." He smiled.
"How did you find it?"
"Well the parts I understood…" they both laughed. "Very intriguing."
"Hannibal tells me you wish to enter the psychiatric field."
"I do." She said with a smile.
"Any ideas where you might like to go?"
"Well at first Yale, but now it seems I may have a good chance at Johns Hopkins."
"I hear a very good chance." He said with a smile as his eyes slowly roamed over her. "Hannibal seems to have taken a deep interest in you."
"He's very kind." She said.
"How kind?"
"As kind as a man can be." She said feeling like this Chilton character was sizing her up.
"Oh…" Hannibal said handing Alana a glass of beer. "I have to go save Abigail from Frederick…"
"Yes please do." Alana said seeing their flawed Colleague talking to Alana in a hushed tone. Hannibal quickly moved and he tilted his head as he watched Frederick glide his fingers across her pearls for a split second.
"Such a lovely strand." He said.
"Oh uhm thank you. A gift from Dr. Lecter." She said.
"You still call him Dr. Lecter. Not just Hannibal?"
"Fredrick I see your glass of wine is empty." Hannibal said and Abigail smiled.
"Oh how rude of me, let me fill that for you, you had the Shiraz?" Abigail inquired.
"I did." Fredrick said.
"Be right back then." Abigail said taking his glass and walking away.
"Eighteen is a good age…" Fredrick said and Hannibal looked to him to see his eyes were following Abigail closely. "Considering she's a former bait to a madman serial killer… She's… Well beautiful."
"Yes she is." Hannibal said in a matter of fact tone.
"A lovely set of pearls you got her… Red is a rare color for them."
"They are indeed, but Abigail deserves the very best."
"So does she have interest in someone?" Frederick inquired before looking to Hannibal who had no expression what so ever.
"She's Eighteen Frederick."
"Eighteen is Eighteen." He said.
"Here you are Dr. Chilton." Abigail said handing him her wine glass.
"So Abigail, do you feel any different being eighteen?" He asked.
"I keep waiting to but no, not yet." She said with a smile.
"Well… You shall have to let me know when you do…" he winked at her before walking away. Abigail walked to Hannibals side with a pleasant smile.
"Was he hitting on me?" she asked quietly.
"Attempting to yes… Quite rude of him…"
"What's to be done about that?" Abigail asked with a devilish smile as she walked away from him. Hannibal watched her with a smile of his own before checking over his cufflinks to make sure they were still in place.
"What indeed…" He said to himself before he spotted the last of the guests to arrive. "Ah Jack, Bella welcome." Hannibal said walking to them. "What can I get you both to drink?"
"Red for me as always and white for Bella." Jack said.
"Of course." Hannibal turned to see Abigail walking over with the glasses.
"I guessed." Abigail said with a smile. "White for you Mrs. Crawford." She said handing it over.
"Thank you so much." She said taking it.
"And Red for you Agent Crawford."
"Thank you very much Abigail." He said and she smiled.
"So you are The Abigail Hobbs My husband swore up and down was a deranged maniacal killer?" Bella asked.
"He wasn't far off." Abigail said with a soft expression. "I'm glad Agent Crawford pushed and pushed as he did, if he hadn't the truth probably would have never come out. Thanks to him those girls families get to know the truth of what happened. He's a genuine American hero."
"Still, I do owe you a huge apology if there's ever a way to make it up." Jack said.
"Well there is one way." Abigail said.
"Name it."
"If ever someday you see a student application come across your desk with my name on it, and my picture… Don't right me off right away but give it some thought?" She asked.
"Abigail if ever your application comes across my desk it will get my stamp of approval and backing right away."
"Oh no not that either. Don't make it easy on me." She said and he laughed.
"Good. I like that you don't like the easy way either."
"If you think I'd be good in the field then approve me if not then shred the file but at least I'll know you considered me."
"Indeed." He said and she smiled.
"Now… If you'll excuse me I have to uhm…" She cleared her throat. "Get something out of the way before the time passes us by…" They nodded and she walked away over to the piano. Hannibal tilted his head as he watched her fingers dance across the lightest keys drawing attention.
"Seems she has something planned." Bella said.
"Hello everyone." She said as they turned to her. "Uhm… I'm not very good at public speaking so bear with me here…" they nodded. "Before tonight's delicious festivities commence." They smiled. "I just wanted to say a few words to tonight's host, my guardian, Dr. Lecter." He smiled. "I haven't known much kindness in this world… That was until I met you. You took me in without a second thought which not many people would have done considering my uhm… Interesting background." Many laughed. "I know your birthday isn't for a few months but I still wanted to give you a gift, something to show my appreciation… At first I thought a portrait but if anyone has ever Seen Dr. Lecters art they would know that anything else next to it including the finest of Da Vincis would look like chicken scratch." They laughed and Hannibal smiled. "Then I thought maybe something material… But what do you get a man who has everything… Then it hit me… Dr. Lecter is a man of the arts, he engages in most all of them except music… So… Tonight that's my gift to you. Music… I composed a tiny song for you… I hope it speaks to you everything that my lack of public speaking skills keeps me from saying openly."
"She plays?" Alana asked Will quietly. Hannibal smiled as he watched Abigail sit down at the piano. Her hands set across the keys and she took a deep breath. Slowly her fingers began to hit the keys and a slow beautiful tune began to form. Hannibal looked around the room and smiled at the surprised impressed faces of the guests. He slowly walked over to the piano and sat by Abigail's side as she continued to play for him. Her eyes were set on the keys, she was in complete concentration and he saw she was working hard to play the tune perfectly for him. The truth of the matter was, was that her fingers could stumble over themselves and he would still find her song perfect. He would still find her perfect.
It was a technical piece, but he could still hear the beauty and the emotion in it. In a way the song painted the story of them. Slow in the beginning then fast paced in the middle before it slowly turned into a dizzying swirl of beautiful dark sounding notes. It sent shivers spreading through his body, which truthfully hadn't happened in years. When her hands came to a halt he found himself wishing for her to play more but the applause of everyone in the room reminded him that they weren't alone. How he wished they were alone. Abigail looked to him with a soft expression.
"I call it The Guardian." She said and he smiled.
"I'm very touched Abigail." He said with rare emotion and she smiled softly. "With that beautiful song I think it appropriate to announce, Dinner is served." Hannibal said and instantly people headed to the Dining room. Abigail and Hannibal were in the back of the crowd and when no one was looking, Hannibal raised the back of Abigail's hand to his lips and placed a chaste kiss. "Very touched…" he said and she smiled as she linked her arm with his. Hannibal and Abigail waited to take their seats. On the dishes before everyone sat a printed menu of the five course Italian themed meal. Abigail took her seat but tilted her head when Hannibal didn't follow suit. Instead he picked up his glass of wine.
"Esteemed guests welcome." He said and they all raised a glass to him. "Right now seems the best time and most appropriate time to make a toast to the subject that this party is being thrown for. I don't have a song for you I'm afraid but I hope my words will do justice." He said and many smiled. "You said just a few minutes ago that you hadn't known much kindness in the world. Which is a shame because in the months that I have known you I have found out that you hold more kindness in you then well… Most my patients…" They laughed. "Most people in fact. You are kind, intelligent, talented, and there is nothing in the world that you cannot obtain and that I will not help you obtain… I wish you all the happiness in the world, but most of all I wish you all the kindness in the world… To Abigail."
"To Abigail." Everyone chimed as they toasted.
"Thank you." She said toasting back. With that Hannibal sat down and the first course was served. A spinach salad with candied walnuts and pears in a maple rum reduction sauce.
"Abigail those pearls are beautiful." Bella said and Abigail smiled as she touched them almost shyly.
"Thank you so much, they were a gift from Dr. Lecter."
"One hell of a gift." Jack said with a smile.
"Oh hush. She's eighteen years old. She should have had a string of pearls long before this." Bella said. "Every young lady needs them."
"Very true." Alana said. "My first string of pearls was when I was sixteen."
"Mine as well." Bella said.
"I didn't have pearls until well into my twenties." Freddie said.
"I've never had pearls." Will said and Abigail laughed softly making him smile. She seemed to be the only one who ever laughed at his jokes.
"Will and I are going fishing tomorrow." Abigail said.
"Should make for an interesting boat ride…" Frederick said as he looked from Abigail to Will.
"Indeed." Jack said as he looked over Will.
"So Abigail…" She looked to an older Gentleman by the name of Hawthorne, a friend of Hannibals from med school. "I hear you have an extremely good chance at attending Johns Hopkins in the fall."
"It's set in stone, just not on paper." Hannibal said.
"I'm trying not to jinx it." Abigail said with a smile.
"What field do you want to go into?" Hawthorne asked.
"Psychiatric." She said.
"Ah Hannibal has turned you into one of us." He said.
"I've always had an interest."
"Well living with the intelligent psychopath that your dad was must have forced you to take an in depth look into the mind and what causes it to do the things it does." Frederick said.
"Yeah that could be it." She said with a smile as most people glared into Frederick.
"What are your ultimate goals?" Bella asked.
"Hopefully become an FBI Profiler."
"All comes down to the psych tests." Frederick said and Hannibal tried not to glare into him.
"I think Abigail would do just fine with her psych tests. After all it was her father who was the raging lunatic not her." Jack said and Abigail smiled softly.
"Of course." Frederick said.
"Thank you." Abigail mouthed and he nodded with a smile. Hannibal smiled as he watched this, just as he had asked of her Abigail had made fast friends with Jack.
-o-
"Abigail it was an absolute pleasure to meet you." Bella said.
"You as well." Abigail said. "You have a good night."
"You too." She said.
"Oh before I go, If you ever want to talk about what will be expected of you in the FBI… I'd be willing to have a dialogue." Jack said.
"Maybe one of these nights you join us for dinner, I suppose now you'll be joining us." Hannibal said.
"Yes I definitely will." Jack said with a smile.
"I'd love to talk whenever you have the time." Abigail said with a smile.
"Excellent. Excellent." He said. "Good night you two."
"Good night." They said before closing the door. Abigail smiled as they walked back into the living room where Alana and Will waited.
"Bet they won't be talking." Abigail said.
"Who?"
"Dr. Bloom and Will." She said.
"Oh no they won't be talking…" Hannibal said and she smiled.
"When do you think one of them will make a move?"
"When do you think one of them will make a move?" He asked in return.
"Either Alana can no longer handle the quiet, or Will realizes that Alana finally sees just how unstable he is, and decided to break the quiet himself." Hannibal looked to Abigail as he came to a stop making her do so as well. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No." He said. "I'm just very impressed with your observation."
"Think it's right?"
"I think it's very right." He said before they continued on into the living room.
"Well I think I'll be taking my leave now." Will said a tub-o-ware full of left overs in hand, courtesy of Hannibal.
"Yes I do as well." Alana said.
"Are you guys sure?" Abigail asked.
"Yeah, besides we've got fishing tomorrow. You have to be at my house promptly at 12 remember. I want you to bring some of those fly's you've been talking about."
"All packed up and ready." She said with a smile.
"I'll walk you both to the door." Hannibal said with a smile. As he walked them out of the room Abigail shifted on her feet. She had, had an uneasy thought plague her since awakening earlier that day. Abigail took a deep breath and turned to see Hannibal standing in the doorway. She looked at him for a long moment. He motioned for her to follow him as he turned and walked out of the room. That one movement made the fear that had been creeping up on her all day come to light in her head.
I'm eighteen now… It's no longer Illegal… He's going to want to… He's going to want us too… I mean it's not wrong because I'm eighteen but… Am I ready? I mean I want to but… Am I ready?
"Abigail?" she looked up quickly to see him in the doorway. "It's rude to keep me waiting."
"I'm sorry." She said instantly and he smiled.
"I was kidding…" She smiled. "Don't worry it doesn't happen very often…" She laughed softly. "Come on." She nodded as she watched him walk out of the room. She straightened out her clothing before going to follow him.
I don't know if I'm ready but… I can imagine seeing myself with him… But that doesn't mean I'm ready… If I'm having to have this conversation with myself then I'm not ready.
"Abigail where are you going?" She came to a stop at the study and looked inside to see Hannibal by the piano. She then looked to the wall that held the hidden stairwell that led up to their bedrooms. "Abigail?" She laughed instantly before looking to Hannibal.
"I'm sorry." She said.
"Where were you going?"
"Nowhere." She said instantly as she walked in. The second she reached him Hannibal tilted up her chin. He smiled at the deep blush that resonated across her high cheeks.
"That is a lovely shade of red on you." He said and he smiled as he watched the blush grow even more. "Oh just when I thought there was no deeper shade of red." She smiled as she moved away from him. "Where did you think we were going?" She smiled to herself.
"Here."
"Yet you almost walked right past the study…" He tilted his head. "Are you going to start keeping things from me again Abigail?" she looked to him, not liking the sound of what she could only recognize as disappointment in his voice.
"I thought…" She laughed and he could tell she was completely embaressed with herself. "Can I just keep this one thing to myself?" she asked laughing again.
"How about I guess?"
"Okay…" she said her fingers dancing across the keys of the piano.
"You thought… I wanted to bed you tonight."
"To bed me is a way better way of putting it then I was going to."
"How were you going to put it?"
"That I thought you wanted to have sex with me now that I'm eighteen, but to say you wanted to bed me sounds far better." She admitted quietly. "Let's just forget about it…" She said with a small laugh before sitting down at the piano. Before she could play Hannibal closed the lid to the keys. She felt his weight rest down beside her on the bench and she slowly looked to him. He had sat down the opposite way then she was. His legs on the other side of the bench then where her legs were positioned. "We're going to talk about this aren't we?" he smiled at the sound of dread in her voice.
"You are a lady Abigail." He said.
"Am I?" She asked and he looked to her.
"You don't think you are?"
"I just ask because… I don't know. I'm trying really very hard to be a lady… One of society, culture, and grace." He smiled. "Sometimes though I don't feel like much of a lady."
"Why?"
"Do Ladies help their guardians kill and eat people?" She asked.
"Nice change of subject."
"I'm not trying to change the subject I'm really asking…" She said quietly and he saw only truth in her eyes. He slowly nodded and looked forward.
"A true lady of society is not only a master of culture and grace but that of art as well…"
"I already engage in art… My music, my sketches…"
"But what we do together Abigail… That's the highest art form…" She sighed and looked off. "You don't agree."
"What you do is art…" She said with a genuine envious tone. "What I did to that reporter." She laughed. "There was no art in that… I could have done better." He looked to her.
"I thought what you did was very poetic." She looked to him. "A reporter who spilled his guts… Literally." She laughed and he smiled at the care free sound.
"It's… Funny… Not poetic…"
"It was a funny kind of poetic justice." She laughed again and he smiled as he looked to her. "You'll get your chance again to show your art… Very soon."
"I don't care if it's soon… I don't care if it's tomorrow or six months from now or six years from now… What I do care about is that when it does happen it lives up to your expectations…" He looked to her to see she was staring into the piano. "I want it to be so beautiful that when Will sets his eyes on it he sees elements of the Chesapeake Ripper. I want him to know that the Chesapeake Ripper is out there, and I want him to know that he has a devoted student…" Hannibal smiled as he slowly stood.
"Come with me Abigail… I have one last gift for you…" She followed him out of the study and to the front door where he held her coat out for her.
"We're going for a drive?" He only smiled and she slowly nodded before stepping into her coat with the help of Hannibal.
-o-
Hannibal took a deep breath as he stared out at an empty road before he and Abigail. They had pulled into a lining of trees a good ten minutes before. Abigail hadn't said anything yet. Hadn't asked him what they were doing there, what they were waiting for. Or more so who they were waiting for. He looked to her to see she was calmly sitting in the passenger side, her hands in her lap her eyes set on the road before them.
"You're not going to ask?" he inquired.
"If you're inquiring as to if I'm going to ask you what we're doing here, what we're waiting for, or more so who we're waiting for. I'm not." He smiled.
"Because you trust me."
"Completely." She said.
"We could be waiting for nothing. It could be just I waiting. Waiting to kill you perhaps."
"You could be." She said.
"That doesn't bother you."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because you're not waiting to kill me."
"How can you be so sure?" She smiled softly as she looked to him.
"Because I'm far too polite for you to kill." He smiled. "Not to mention I'm way too adorable for you to kill."
"Are you now?"
"Come on don't deny it. I'm adorable." He couldn't help but laugh. She smiled softly as she looked back to the street.
"I do love your laugh Hannibal." She said and he smiled. "And your smile." He smiled even more which only made her give a light hearted laugh. Instantly it stopped when she saw a car drive by them. She felt their car move forward and sat up in attention. "I'm guessing that's who we were waiting for."
"Indeed." He said before pulling out onto the road and starting to follow. "I've noticed whenever we go down to the specialty market down town this one young man… Every time we pass his stand he ogles you makes up scene hand gestures."
"What?" She asked. "I haven't noticed."
"You wouldn't. You don't seem to notice when men find you attractive, even when it's in a vile sense. I don't mean that to sound as if that's bad, because it's not. It means you're humble." She nodded. "But this man does in fact find you attractive and shows his affections towards you in the vilest ways… That needs to end don't you think?" She nodded.
"Oh." She said seeing the cars emergency lights flipping on. "I think he's having car trouble."
"Indeed he is." She looked to him.
"You caused that?"
"I did." He said and she smiled as she looked back to the street. The car came to a stop and so did Hannibal. "Ready?" He asked.
"What do want me to do?"
"Distract him."
"You want me to be bait." He looked to her knowing how that must make her feet.
"To say you were bait would suggest someone else was the fisherman. Tonight it's all you Abigail. I'm just here as your back up…"
"Like before." She said remembering the reporter.
"Like before…." He said and she smiled before looking out at the road where the young man was getting out of his car.
"You know… I've always wanted to try a liver patte." He smiled as he watched her get out of the car. "Hi there!" she asked and he watched as the young man turned to look at her and smiled instantly. Hannibal slowly got out of the car himself.
"Hey you're… Never mind." The young man said instantly.
"Car trouble?" Abigail asked flashing him a brilliant smile.
"Uhm yeah." He said. "I think I hit a rock, my gas tank has been gouged." He said and she looked to see it was dripping. "Oh no." she said. "That's too bad." He smiled as he looked to her.
"Maybe not…" he said looking her over for a long minute. "I'm James… Cafgrey."
"James." She said shaking his hand.
"Aren't you going to tell me your name?"
"My name?" she asked with a smile. "I would…"
"But you're not?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Well James because you're not going to be around long enough to learn it." He tilted his head before his eyes suddenly rolled into the back of his head and he slumped to the ground, Abigail still holding onto his hand as he did.
"Pressure point…" Hannibal said walking over. "Very impressive Abigail."
"Thank you." She said with a smile. "Help me drag him into the woods?"
"Do one better." Hannibal easily lifted the man up over his shoulder and carried him into the dark woods.
"Thanks."
"Of course." Before Abigail was going to follow she spotted the mans keys on the ground and picked them up. As she did she caught sight of something inside the back of the truck. She smiled softly before reaching in and grabbing the items.
"Abigail?" Hannibal asked looking over his shoulder to see her nowhere in sight. "Abigail?" he asked louder and she broke through a line of trees.
"Sorry." She said with a smile.
"Where have you been?" Hannibal asked seeing her hand holding onto a leather case full of arrows and the other holding onto a Bow.
"Seems this guy was a hunter." She said.
"What are you going to do with them?"
"You'll see." She said with a mischievous smile.
"Where do you want him?"
"Up against the tree." She said and Hannibal put him up against the tree as Abigail looked over her leather gloves. She then walked over to James and took his pocket watch from its holster. Hannibal watched as she used it to cut the leather strap from the arrow case. She used it to tie James hands behind the tree.
"Wait… What… What the hell?" James asked groggily.
"I was hoping he'd stay asleep." Abigail said walking around the tree to Hannibal.
"Here." Hannibal handed her a fresh scalpel.
"Thank you." She said with a soft expression as she took it in hand.
"What the hell?" The man asked again wide eyed as he started to struggle against his restraints. "Let me go! Untie me." He ordered as Abigail walked up to him and ripped his shirt open. "Hey!" He yelled. He started to shake as he watched her set her leather glove clad hand on his stomach as she raised her scalpel. "Hey hey hey hey! What are you doing!?" She set the scalpel against his skin. "Stop!" He said jumping away. Abigail moved away from him and sighed heavily.
"Look you're really going to have to stop struggling like that, I want this to be a clean cut and that won't happen if you keep leaping around like a scared little bunny rabbit." Hannibal smiled at her words. "So… Please?" she asked.
"You're insane."
"To say I was insane would insinuate that I have no actual reasoning or awareness of what I'm doing. When in fact, I actually have full reasoning and awareness of what I'm doing."
"So what you just go around carving up guys!?" he asked pulling at his restraints.
"I don't just carve up guys… Well I do as of now. I have no problem carving up woman, I just haven't gotten the chance yet. Okay can you stop talking you're distracting me from what I'm supposed to be doing."
"You're insane!" He screamed.
"Didn't we just go over this?"
"Abigail…" Hannibal said in a scolding tone. "Don't play with your food…" She smiled softly as she looked over her shoulder at him.
"Sorry." He only nodded at her with a smile as she turned back to James. "Let's get this over with shall we?" She asked walking up to him. The man suddenly kicked at her and she dodged the hit easily. "Now that." She said her voice dripping with venom. "Was uncalled for." She rushed forward and placed her fingers beneath the mans jaw. Instantly he began to stutter.
"No no no no-."
"Shhh…" she said. "Don't fight it." Hannibal tilted his head seeing her calm tone of voice as the mans face began to grow red as his oxygen levels began to deplete. "You'll fall asleep never to wake, and that's fine… Because when they find your body, pierced with your weapons of choice, missing organs of my choice, you will become much more then you could have ever hoped to be. They'll be talking about you in every paper, on every news station, and on every crime reporting website there is… You'll become Famous James…" He looked at her for a long moment as his vision began to blur. "Don't you want to be famous?"
"Yes…" he breathed before his head slumped forward and he passed out.
"Then famous you'll shall be…" She said setting her hand on his side. "My gift…" She set the scalpel against his skin. "To you." She made an incision and instantly blood began to flow as James took a sharp breath his body leaping to life. "Famous remember James? Famous." She said and he shook as he took rushed breaths. "Don't look…" She said as she reached in. Hannibal smiled as she watched look up her eyes closing as she felt for the organ of her choosing. He couldn't have been more proud in that moment. He watched as she extracted the liver and pulled it out of the mans body.
"Oh god… Oh god… Oh god…" James eyes rolled into the back of his head as he slumped going into shock instantly as his body began to convulse.
"Well done Abigail…" Hannibal said.
"Did I do alright?" she asked bringing the organ over to him.
"You tore one of the connectors, but the meat is still good."
"I didn't want to tear anything." She said with some distress.
"It's a job well done for your first extraction." He said as they bagged organ. He placed the organ and the scalpel into his leather insulated messenger bag before looking to Abigail. She was upset with herself, and he could tell. "Abigail the small mistake you have made is on my shoulders… I should have taught you by now how to extract organs. So don't be upset with yourself. Be upset with me."
"I can't be upset with you." She said.
"Don't let this small hiccup ruin your art…" She slowly nodded before looking to James. "Finnish your masterpiece Abigail…" she slowly nodded and walked over to the bow and arrows. She took them in hand and Hannibal watched as she walked a few paces away. She turned to James and smiled as she raised the weapon.
Hannibal tilted his head as he watched her take aim. She had perfect form. Absolute, perfect form. He watched her let loose the arrow. He wasn't sure what she was trying to do until she let loose the second arrow, then the third, then the fourth then the fifth. As she let more arrows loose she moved all around the space making the arrows hit James in different calculate spots. She smiled softly as she looked over James who was taking his last breaths as tears rolled down his cheeks. Hannibal watched as she pulled one last arrow and walked close to James and crouch to the floor. She pulled back the arrow and pointed it to hit just under his chin and fired. The arrow slammed up under his jaw and out his fore head for her desired effect. She took a deep breath as she slowly stood before looking to Hannibal.
Hannibal wasn't looking to her though. He was instead looking at James. He stared into James like an art collector staring at his latest addition to his collection. He did this for some time before smiling and nodding.
"Mantegna." He said.
"St. Sebastian." She said loving that he understood what she had tried to do.
"You elevated him Abigail." He said before looking to her. "Why make a saint out of a savage?"
"Everyone should get the chance for some sort of redemption… Don't you think?" He nodded.
"A kind thought…" He said before checking man's pulse. "That last arrow killed him…"
"That was the desired effect." He smiled before looking to her.
"I'm… Very proud of you Abigail." She smiled instantly. "Now come, let's head home, we have a very precious piece of meat to package."
-o-
Abigail smiled as she walked into the house. She stretched before taking off her coat and slipping out of her heels. Instantly she hung up her coat while taking her heels in hand.
"Head upstairs, and get ready for bed…" He said. "We have to be up early to head to Wills. It's already very late."
"I can't sleep… I can never sleep after a kill…" She said.
"Why not? Nightmares."
"No…" She said. "I just get this… Kick from it. That makes me sound deranged."
"No it makes you sound very normal. You did an extreme thing and to be able to do so your body kicked your adrenaline into high gear." He said.
"So you feel this way too after killing someone?"
"I do." He said as they walked to the kitchen. She watched as he took the food vacuum out and began preparing the organ. She slowly shook her head as she watched this.
"What is it?"
"I hate that you do this out in the open…" Abigail said quietly. "You should have a space for your art."
"I have the cellar."
"It's cold down there… Also the door leading to it is far too out in the open… You need somewhere more secret…"
"I've been thinking the same thing…" Abigail walked over to a pantry and opened it up seeing it was large, and a walk in. much like an actual room.
"Does the cellar span the length of the house?" she asked.
"Nearly, yes." He said looking to her. He watched as she looked around the walk in pantry before looking to him. "We could make this into a prep room… No one would think it strange for you to have a prep room… then we put a trap door in the floor one which leaders to one of those in ground wine cellars… but we put another trap door in that one. One you can climb down into a reach the cellar…" Hannibal smiled as he vacuumed closed the bag around the liver.
"I shall call my contractor tomorrow." He said before putting the organ away in the fridge and walking over to the sink.
"You're not joking are you?"
"It's a fine plan…" He said.
"Do you have a contractor you can trust?"
"I do." He said. "Besides he won't be setting up my…" He looked up in thought searching for a word.
"Studio?" Abigail offered and Hannibal smiled.
"Yes my studio, we will. We just need him to do the handy work to get to it." He said as he washed his hands before drying them. He turned and looked to her. "Play me something would you?" he asked. She nodded and headed off to the study. Hannibal leaned against his sink as he heard a soft tone come over the house from the piano. He shook his head and slowly walked to the study.
"No." Abigail instantly stopped feeling him standing right behind her. "My song…" She smiled softly and slowly started to play it. She took a deep breath as she felt his hands set on her shoulder. "Relax Abigail…" he said.
"I want to play it right…" She explained quietly.
"You will… Just…" his hands moved from her shoulders and down her arms where his strong hands rested over hers. "Relax…" he said his mouth resting next to her ear. "Take a deep breath…" he said and she istantly did so. "Eyes closed."
"I have to see the keys-."
"Eyes closed." He said in a tone that told her not to argue. She slowly let her eyes drift close.
"Once more… Deep breath…" she did as he said. "Now…" his hands moved off hers. "Play." Instantly she did so and in truth it sounded far more beautiful than it ever had. She smiled softly as she kept her eyes closed and continued the song. Hannibal smiled as he slowly took a seat beside her. After a long while her playing came to an end and Hannibal slowly let his eyes drift over her. She was smiling to herself her eyes still closed.
"I would be happy to just sit here and play my life away…" She admitted quietly.
"What does music offer you that regular life doesn't?" he inquired and she smiled softly her hands still resting on the keys.
"Control… I control the keys, I control the notes, I control the music… And that never changes… not ever."
"Do you feel out of control Abigail? Do you feel as though I control you?"
"You don't control me… You create me… You create me in your image." He smiled softly as he reached out and took her red hair in hand before moving it over her shoulder to reveal the scar on her neck that rested above her pearls.
"How does that make you feel?" he asked as he moved forward.
"Privileged…" her eyes slowly opened as she felt his mouth set against her neck.
"You are not my creation Abigail…" he said quietly as he pulled away and she slowly looked to him. His hand set on her cheek his thumb moving over a soft blush.
"Then what am I?" she asked her voice barely above a whisper. He moved forward and captured her mouth with his in a heated kiss.
"My prize…" he said his lips brushing against hers as he spoke.
"To say I'm a prize would suggest you won me… How did you win me?"
"I won your trust in so doing I won you…"
"What makes you think I trust you?" she asked softly and instantly she sat up as she felt his arm wrap around her waist bringing her in close as his mouth crashed against hers. She sighed contently as her body pressed against his.
"Would allow me to handle you in such a way if there was no trust?" he asked pulling back slightly.
"I guess not…" she admitted quietly. He pushed a strand of her red hair behind her ear as his thumb brushed across her bottom lip. He suddenly pulled away from her and instantly Abigail missed the contact.
"We have an early start tomorrow… We need to be out of the house by eight. I suggest we both head to bed."
"Okay." She said with a soft expression as she slowly stood. "Good night Hannibal…" he took her hand in his and kissed the back of it.
"Goodnight Abigail."
-o-
AN: Alright guys hope you liked it. If you all have a tumblr hit me up at my Tumblr blog under the name Karategirl666. It's a great way to connect with me.