Dedicated to Chuck
RIP
-o-
Hannibal watched as Abigail and Will headed out in his truck towards the nearest creek. He himself was left behind to manage the kitchen. Hannibal felt as though it would be easier to cook the fish at Wills instead of having Will drive all the way to their house and all the way back to his own home. Still the cooking conditions weren't the greatest. He slowly looked around at the kitchen area and tilted his head. It wasn't all that bad, but it wasn't ideal.
"Well… Let's get started." Hannibal said wrapping an apron around his waist as he rolled out his knife kit. As he started to redo the cleaning Will had attempted Hannibal let his mind travel to the night before.
"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.
His relationship with Abigail had turned more erotic as of late. There was Eroticism without sex, which he found very intriguing. The passion they shared needed no touch. Yes, kisses were exchange now and again, but they weren't needed. He could feel passion for her fulfilled just be being in her presence. His passion was most fulfilled when he witnessed her skillfully and artistically snuff out a life. Watching her kill was more intimate than any sexual relation could be. Still, now that she was over eighteen he wondered what it would be like to have her mind soul, and body.
"Focus on your task at hand…" He said to himself.
-o-
"Like this?" Abigail asked connecting the reel to her rod.
"Exactly like that well done…" He said with a smile. "Now to connect your fly, you did bring your flies yes?"
"I did." She brought out a container and opened them up. Will smiled instantly.
"Abigail, those are beautiful."
"Yeah?" she asked with a smile. "I've been practicing…" He looked over the beautiful flies in somewhat envy. They looked as though they had been crafted by a fly making master. As if she had been creating them for years.
"They're wonderful."
"I made you one." She said with a smile as she took on in hand. It hand tones of brown to it with little white flecks. "I'll call it the Graham cracker."
"You named it after me?" he asked.
"Mhm." She said with a smile.
"Thank you Abigail that was very kind of you." He said taking it hand. "Alright watch closely in how I attach this fly." She stood at his side in the water as she watched his fingers twirl a cord around the fly. "Do you have it?"
"One more time?" she asked and he nodded with a smile. She watched him and nodded as he snipped the remaining bit of chord as well.
"Like this?" She did exactly as he had and he smiled.
"Well done…" He said.
"So we're ready?" she asked.
"We are. Now swing it wide you don't want to hook your own ear."
"Have you ever done that?"
"No, but I did once hook my hand." He showed her and she winced at the scar between his thumb and fore finger.
"Ouch." She said.
"Ouch is right…" He said and she smiled. "Now before you launch it you want to name it after someone you cherish."
"Why?"
"Lore goes that if you catch a fish the person you named it after cherishes you back."
"Are you going to name yours Alana, or bloom, or go with the whole name?" He looked to Abigail to see she had a playful smile.
"You just dove right in there."
"I did I really did. Sorry about that." She said with a small laugh.
"Who are you going to name it after?" he asked.
"One of your dogs. Find out if they really hate me or not."
"My dogs don't hate you."
"Do to."
"Dogs don't hate."
"They do me." He couldn't help but laugh as he shook his head. "Maybe…" Her voice trailed off and she shook her head. "Never mind."
"No go ahead." She looked to Will.
"It's just dogs, they kind of have a sixth sense don't they?"
"Yes. I believe so."
"Maybe then they know."
"Know what Abigail?" Will asked looking to her.
"What I've done… You know, with my dad." He watched as her jaw gave a violent clench.
"You just need a proper introduction."
"You think?" She asked.
"I know." He said with a nod.
"Thanks for teaching me how to fish."
"It's no problem. At first I thought you wouldn't want to. That it may remind you of your dad.."
"No I'm just replacing bad memories with new more happy memories." She said with a smile.
"Good." He said with a nod and a smile. "Fishing is way different from hunting though."
"Especially the way dad hunted." She muttered and Will looked to her. "Sorry, I still say things when I probably shouldn't."
"You can be open and honest with me Abigail." She smiled softly.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Yes."
"Do you have nightmares about my dad?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Because I have nightmares about him." She said her jaw clenching. "Sometimes day shadows."
"Day shadows?" Will asked looking to her.
"It's what mom used to call them. It's like a day dream only it's a nightmare. She used to call them day shadows."
"What kind of day shadows do you have?"
"Sometimes… I'll think I see him out of the corner of my eye… Or I'll hear him walking up behind me…" He saw a haunted expression come over her expression. "He had such a distinctive walk. One you could hear coming."
"Does this happen all the time?" he asked.
"No." She said. "It used to happen all the time at the asylum. Then when I moved to Hannibal's it become further and farther in between. I haven't seen him in months but I swear at least once a day I hear his feet shuffling up behind me…"
"I see him too sometimes…" She looked to him. "Everyday actually."
"I'm sorry." He looked to her. "I wish you never had to do what you did…"
"I would do it again." She looked to him. "I'd do it again Abigail. I don't regret saving you."
"Someday Will, I'll make it up to you. I promise."
"Is that why you're joining the FBI?" he asked.
"No." She said.
"Then why do you plan on joining?"
"My dad and I… We…" her voice shook. "We did some terrible things Will…" he looked to her. "I have to set that right. I couldn't save those girls, heaven knows I tried but I couldn't save their lives. But maybe… Maybe someday by being an Agent of the FBI I'll get the chance to save countless other lives… Maybe in the end it will balance out."
"Maybe." Will said with a soft expression.
"But maybe not."
"Maybe not." He said.
"We'll always wonder."
"Indeed we will."
"Will?" Abigail asked and he looked to her. "If I asked you, would you do something for me?" He merely nodded.
"I want to be as great as you are."
"I don't understand."
"I want to do what you do…"
"You want me to mentor you in the way of psychopaths…"
"I want you to mentor me in the way of seeing psychopaths."
"So you'll be a great a profiler."
"So I can avoid them…" He looked to her. "Alana says I run the risk of falling for someone like my dad… That I'll fall for him and not even know or see what he is… I want to live a happy life Ryan which means someday finding someone I can share my life with…" He nodded. "I want to make sure I don't share that life with a mass murdering prick, excuse my language." Will couldn't help but smile. "I want to see them Will." He looked to her for a long moment. "I want to see them so I can stop fearing that I won't see them."
"A good enough reason. But I'll want to talk to Hannibal about this first."
"Of course." She said with a smile before nudging him. "Thanks. Now one more thing."
"What is it?"
"I think I got one." She said and he looked to her quickly to see her line had indeed been caught.
"Yes!" He said and this was the first time she saw him genuinely excited. "Okay okay, let's pull this one in together." He said.
"How do I reel in?" she asked and he moved behind her quickly.
"Whatever you've caught it's big! Now start reeling it in!"
"I don't know how that's why I just asked!"
"Oh right!" Abigail couldn't help but laugh as Will took her hands in hers and started to guide them into what needed to be done. "Here we go here we go!"
-o-
"Here they are." Hannibal said looking out the window to see the truck driving back. He felt like a doting housewife in that moment waiting for her husband and child to return. Hannibal looked off and shook his head. He was glad he hadn't said such a feeling out loud. It would have sounded preposterous.
He watched as Abigail hoped out of the car care free. She looked to the window he was standing in and waved with a brilliant smile. He waved back and she smiled before walking to the back of the truck and helping Will lift out a big cooler most likely full of fish. Hannibal walked over to his messenger bag and pulled out a camera before heading to the front door. He opened it up and smiled as the two came in.
"Alright I want you both to take out the biggest fish and hold it up for a photo." Hannibal said.
"That would be the first one she caught, which we will not be eating but instead I will be taking to a taxidermist." Will said as he opened up the cooler. "I can't believe she reeled in such a huge fish on her first try."
"What did you call it again Will?" Abgail asked as he hoisted a huge fish from the cooler.
"An oar fish." He said.
"That has to be at least four feet." Hannibal said with an impressive look.
"Indeed it is." Will said.
"Looks like our Abigail is quite the hunter…" Hannibal said and Abigail looked to him with a soft expression.
"Indeed indeed." Will said not hearing the subtext in anyway.
"Alright hold it up you two, in your arms." Hannibal said and Abigail did as he said. "Will arm around Abigail." Will did as he said. "Say fish."
"Fish." They chimed, smiling as he snapped the photos.
"Hannibal get in here." Will said and Hannibal walked over.
"Are we taking a selfie?" Abigail asked.
"Is that what the cool kids are calling it?" Will inquired.
"That's what the insane kids were calling it at the asylum." She said with a laugh. Hannibal held out the camera for them.
"Say fish." He said.
"Fish!" they chimed smiling for the shot.
"Speaking of fish can I put this thing down, it's slimy." She said and Will laughed as he took it from her.
"I'll go put it in the freezer after I wrap it up, then I'll take it to the taxidermist." He said.
"It can go above your fireplace." Abigail said.
"Indeed it can." He said with a smile.
"I said he could keep it." Abigail said to Hannibal.
"Very kind of her to allow me such a trophy. I plan on lying to everyone and telling them I caught it." Abigail laughed softly. "That's a nice camera by the way." Will commented.
"Freddie Lounds gave it to me." Abigail said as Hannibal handed it over. "For my birthday."
"Have you opened all your birthday gifts yet?"
"Not all of them."
"Good because that means you didn't notice one of them was missing." Will said. "I'm afraid a very bored jack russel got into my paper and I couldn't wrap it in time for yesterday's festivities so I left it at home. It's on the table." She looked and smiled. "Go ahead I know you're itching too." She smiled as she rushed over and took the box in hand.
"Oh…" she looked to will. "Is it a pony?" she asked and Hannibal smiled while Will gave a small laugh.
"Yes it is indeed a pony, a tiny tiny pony."
"Then you should probably know you didn't put any air holes in this." She said holding it up.
"You should probably open it quick then." He said with some urgency to his voice and she laughed as she shook her head and slowly opened the box up. "Alana helped me pick it out. I figure you'll need this come the fall for school." She opened up a small box and smiled down at a rose gold pocket watch. It had the silhouette of a beautiful woman etched into its cover. She popped it open and smiled seeing the inner workings of the clocks in the face behind the hands
"This is lovely…" She said with a smile. "Thank you so much Will."
"I got you the pocket watch because I didn't want you constantly looking at time on your wrist but only looking at time when you need too, like when you think you may be late for class… You must never be late for class Abigail…" he looked off with a dark expression. "I hate when students are late, I don't get to be late why do they get to be late?" he muttered his hands slipping deep into his pockets.
"I won't ever be late to class promise." Abigail said with a smile as she hugged him. Hannibal watched as Will stayed there for a moment before slowly returning the embrace. Abigail smiled brilliantly before moving to Hannibal.
"See?" she asked.
"I do, it's very lovely."
"Alana has good taste." Will said with a smile.
"Abigail why don't you get changed for dinner, then you can come down and-."
"Will someone is here." Abigail said turning to face the door.
"Are you sure?" Will looked out the window to see no one.
"I can hear the car." Just as the words left her mouth a car came into view.
"It's jack…" He said as his dogs ran to his side. Hannibal eyed Abigail for a long moment. Like he had an incredible sense of smell it seemed one of Abigail's sense were heightened as well. Her hearing.
"A case?" Abigail asked.
"I hope not." He said and he watched as Jack leapt out of his car. "With that walk though, yeah it's a case." Jack knocked on the door quickly and Will opened up.
"It's the ripper." Jack said before his eyes flickered over Wills shoulder to see Abigail and Hannibal. "Abigail I'm going to give you some insight into being an agent." Jack said walking in. "Your first lesson is now, are you ready?"
"Is it to know when to keep my mouth shut about things I hear?" She asked.
"Precisely." He said.
"Then I didn't hear anything. I'm actually quite deaf." She said with a bright smile.
"You may make agent yet." He said with a smirk and point.
"Come on Dr. Lecter we should pack up, head out." Abigail said.
"If you have time Will, come by the house for dinner." Hannibal said.
"Thank you Hannibal." Will said and Abigail could tell he was upset.
"Oh uhm Agent Crawford?" Abigail asked.
"Yes?"
"Thanks for the fountain pen, it writes like a dream."
"Of course Abigail." He said and she smiled as she and Hannibal headed out. Abigail waited until she and Hannibal had driven a long way away to smile.
"You haven't ripped anyone have you Hannibal?" she asked. "Like, behind my back?"
"No."
"Do you think you have a copy cat?"
"I think I have a student." He said before looking to her and she smiled. "We should celebrate. You accomplished what you wanted, they see the ripper in your killings."
"Jack sees the ripper at least for a second in all the murders he investigates. He can't help it, you made sure of that." He nodded with a smile. "I won't celebrate until Will sees you in my killings."
"He will, if not this time, next time."
"Speaking of next time…" She said looking to him. "I need to learn how to expertly extract the organs out not rip them out like I did…" He nodded.
"Agreed." Hannibal agreed.
"We have a perfectly good corpse to practice on in the cellar."
"Dr. Clarkson isn't dead yet Abigail."
"Sure he is." Hannibal looked to her. "He just doesn't know it yet." Hannibal smiled.
"It won't be easy Abigail."
"The best things usually aren't."
-o-
"He's shaking." Abigail said as she tried to sever the lines of the right kidney of Dr. Clarkson.
"They'll do that when just under a local." Hannibal said.
"I want to do this right…" Hannibal set his hands on her shoulders.
"Deep breaths Abigail you're doing wonderfully…"
"Should I cut it?"
"Do you think you should?"
"I don't know…" She said.
"Cut when you think it's right…"
"How do I know when it's right?"
"When it feels right…" she took three deep breaths and Hannibal smiled as he watched her flick her wrist and cut the organ out beautifully. She held it up and laughed. "I did it." She said. "I did do it right? I mean correctly."
"You did beautifully." He said kissing her cheek and taking the organ in hand. She smiled before a loud steady sound emitted. She looked to Dr. Clarksons heart monitor.
"He's dead…" She said.
"I can bring him back." Hannibal said.
"No." She said setting her hand on his before he could grab a shot of adrenaline.
"You have nothing to say to him?" He asked.
"Any parting words? Aren't you afraid you don't won't have closure?" he asked as they disposed of their gloves.
"I took his life, he knew that… That's all the closure I need." Abigail said as her eyes went over her former doctor.
"What is it?" Hannibal asked.
"How did someone so pathetic and weak ever hurt me?" She asked her jaw clenching. "How did I ever allow that to happen?" Hannibal turned her so she'd face him.
"I'm only going to say this once Abigail. So listen carefully." She nodded. "If I ever hear you say anything along those lines again, you will be a very sorry young lady do you understand me?" she shook her head. "What don't you understand?"
"Why you're angry."
"Well Abigail it makes me very angry when I watch a young, brave, strong young woman belittle herself as you just did."
"Belittle?"
"You know to demean oneself-."
"I know what it means Hannibal."
"Then you know you just did it."
"I was just thinking aloud."
"I'm bringing him back." He said moving her aside.
"What? It's too late."
"I wasn't aware you had a medical degree Abigail."
"I wasn't aware you were so sassy Hannibal." He couldn't help but smile at the jab. "Why are you bringing him back?"
"Because he's going to tell you something."
"Hannibal we've taken most his organs, he's not going to be saying anything when you wake him up. He's just going to scream."
"It's surprising how a human can function with nearly all his or hers organs gone." Abigail eyed Hannibal as he readied a needle.
"What's that?"
"The god drug."
"Which is?"
"Adrenaline. I always keep some on hand." He slammed the needle down into the chest and Abigail jumped at the sound of the needle hitting the breast plate. Dr. Clarkson sat up and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Told you." Abigail said and she jumped as Hannibal slapped Dr. Clarkson across the face silencing him immediately. Dr. Clarkson fell back to the slab as his chest rose and fell quickly with rushed breaths.
"Fuck!" He yelled his eyes wide as he stared at them. "Fuck I was dead!"
"Yes you were." Hannibal said looking him over.
"You should have left me that way."
"I may send you back soon if you answer something to my protégé here truthfully." Hannibal said and Abigail couldn't help but smile. He had said it. His protégé. She felt a lot of pride in that moment.
"What do you want to know?" he asked shaking violently as sweat poured down his face and blood leaked from his mouth.
"Was it any fault of Abigail's what you did to her?" Abigail took a deep breath as her eyes truly met Dr. Clarksons for the first time.
"I never did anything to-." Dr. Clarkson screamed and Abigail stared wide eyed as Hannibal brought a butcher knife down onto Dr. Clarksons wrist severing his hand from his arm.
"Don't. Lie. To her." Hannibal said with a deadly tone.
"I wanted to fuck her okay!?" he yelled. "She was pretty and smelled nice and I wanted her to be mine! Please kill me!"
"Is there anything she could have done to stop you!?"
"No! No! I drugged her! The first time she fought back! So I upped the dosage! She was basically comatose!"
"Thank you for your honesty Dr. Clarkson." Hannibal turned to Abigail. "Any parting words Abigail?" Dr. Clarkson seemed to calm down, knowing his end was nearing. That the pain would finally end. "Anything to say?" Hannibal asked again and Abigail slowly nodded before walking to Dr. Clarkson. She set her hand on the Doctors face. She gave him a soft expression. One Hannibal thought resembled that of an angel.
"The pain you've endured under my hands is more than I ever endured under yours…So I'm sorry…" Hannibal tilted his head as tears rolled down Dr. Clarksons cheeks. "Not because I hurt you… But because…" she smiled softly. "Well… You still have hell to look forward to…" his eyes widened. "Goodbye Dr. Clarkson."
"No…." He said. "No please!" he yelled. Hannibal watched as Abigail took an ice pick in hand and a medical hammer in the other. "What are you doing?!" He asked as she neared the icepick to his eye. "What are you doing!?"
"Stop shaking I haven't done this before." She said and Hannibal smiled as he slowly backed away. If she could pull this off he'd be very pleased, and very proud.
"Please I'm sorry! I want to live!"
"You know, I didn't want to be raped by my psychologist, but we don't always get what we want do we Dr. Clarkson?"
"I don't want to go to hell!" He screamed as she slowly twisted the ice pic down into his inner eye making him scream in agony.
"You won't at first… No first, after a few slight taps to the back of this ice pick, you'll be sent to a limbo of sorts. All the pain your feeling right now won't go away but you won't so much care about it. This is the only kindness I grant to you… Because when your heart finally does stop beating you'll be going to a place where I expect you'll care very much about the pain you're in."
"I'm sorry!" he yelled shaking. "I'm sorry!" blood slowly trailed down his cheek. "I'm sorry Abig-." She tapped on the back of the ice pic and his voice gargled. She gave another tap and his eyes went wide. One more tap and his body stopped shaking and he went silent. Abigail set the hammer down and slowly and carefully scrambled things about. Hannibal took a deep breath as he slowly sat down on the stairs. He watched as Abigail extracted the ice pic before setting it aside and setting two fingers against Dr. Clarkson neck
"Is he still alive?"
"If you can call it that…" she said softly. She slowly turned and looked to Hannibal to see he was reaching a hand towards her.
"Come sit with me… We'll watch him die together." She nodded with a soft expression before walking to him. He took her hand in his and held it as she slowly sat down at his side. "I'm so very pleased and proud with you Abigail."
"Thank you…" She said with a soft expression. He kissed the back of her hand as their eyes glued to the steadily breathing Dr. Clarkson.
"What will we do to him once he's dead?" She asked softly.
"He doesn't deserve our art…" Hannibal said. "He will simply disappear." She rested her head on his shoulder and Hannibal turned and kissed the top of her head. He expected her to feel something more at Dr. Clarksons death. Now that she had finally said all she wanted to say, and now that Dr. Clarkson had admitted all that he had needed to admit.
The heart monitor kept to a steady beat for near an hour before it quite suddenly dropped off. Dr. Clarkson let out a ragged breath. A steady tone sounded as his heart finally gave out. They didn't move though. Hannibal and Abigail stayed seated on the stairs. Listening to the tone of death mix with the silence of the cellar.
Two hours passed before Abigail slowly stood and walked over to the dead body. She slowly released the monitor from his finger before turning off the monitor. She took a deep breath as she looked over Dr. Clarkson. He was dead, and there was something beautiful about that. She felt loss in that moment. Dr. Clarkson was gone, and she should feel better about all that happened to her but the truth was, was that she felt the same. She took a deep breath and turned to face Hannibal. She found him standing right behind her. She slowly gazed up at him and he set a hand on her cheek. Her eyes drifted closed and she nuzzled against his palm.
Hannibal watched this with a tilted head. His expression softened feeling her jaw clench against his paw. His eyes watched as a single tear fell down her cheek and cascaded over his hand. He brushed it away kindly before putting his arms out. Abigail moved forward and wrapped her arms around him. She held onto him for dear life and Hannibal smiled as he set a firm hand on the back of her head.
"It's not better." He said and she let out a heart wrenching sob. Hannibal glared into the body of Dr. Clarkson. He hated that such a pathetic pig had brought Abigail so much pain and suffering. "I wish his death could bring you some solace for all he did to you…" she buried her head into his chest. "I feel though as if you may never find solace for all he put you through." Her eyes shut tightly. "But know that I will always be here for you. To help you through the pain and the nightmares…" she took a calming breath. "I promise you this Abigail. No one is ever going to hurt you again. No man will ever lay an unwanted hand upon you. Because if he tries I will cut it away from his wrist. I will protect you Abigail. For as long as I breathe I will protect you." She pulled back and looked up at him. He brushed any tears away and smiled softly. "I will not abandon you Abigail…" Any sorrow in her expression slowly slipped away and she took on a soft expression. Hannibal slowly moved forward as he tilted her chin up. His mouth captured hers in a slow and steady kiss. Her eyes drifted closed as he wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her body close to his. He pulled back his forehead resting against hers.
"It's late… Go up to bed, I'll finish up here."
"I can help."
"You've already done so much…" He kissed the top of her head. "Up to bed…" She nodded and slowly headed past him. "Tomorrow morning we'll have cinnamon rolls." She smiled softly and Hannibal smiled when he heard her laugh. When he heard the door to the cellar close his eyes narrowed on Dr. Clarkson. He slowly stalked towards him. "You don't deserve my art… But you do deserve the indignity of what I'm about to put you through…" Hannibal said his jaw clenching as he grabbed another shot of adrenaline. He didn't know if it would work a second time but he hoped it would as he took a scalpel in hand and hovered it over the crotch of Dr. Clarkson.
-o-
Abigail took a deep breath as her eyes slowly opened. For the first time in a long time she had, had a restful night. One without nightmares. She hadn't even had regular dreams. She had just rested. She hadn't realized how much she had just needed rest. She got up and walked to her window. She smiled softly seeing Hannibal walking to the end of the driveway to grab the newspaper. He looked it over before turning and catching sight of her. She waved with a smile and he smiled back before waving himself with a smile of his own. She turned away from the window and tossed her hair up into pony tail before heading out of her room and down the stairs. She exited out into the foray just as Hannibal walked by. He kissed her on the cheek as he past and she smiled as she watched him move into the kitchen.
"Good morning." He said.
"Morning." She said following him. As she walked to the counter she eyed the cellar door.
"It's been sealed." She looked to him.
"What has?" she asked.
"The cellar. I sealed it last night. The contractor comes today to talk about that new basement idea."
"You're really going to heed my words then?"
"Why should I not?" he asked. "It's a brilliant idea." He said flipping open the newspaper. "Well… Would you look at that…" he slid it over to her. "The Ripper Rips again." She only tilted her head. "Not satisfied."
"Not until I know Will saw the Ripper." She said her jaw clenching.
"May I inquire something?"
"Anything."
"Why do you want people to think you too are also the ripper?" Hannibal asked.
"Because I want your legacy to live on in me. When you're gone I want to carry on your art in your name." He nodded taking the paper back and smiled.
"A fine reason indeed." He said with a smile.
"Even if Will doesn't completely see the ripper, I hope he'll see a student, one willing to carry on the art of the Ripper."
"What do you think they'll call you?" Hannibal asked and Abigail only smiled and shrugged.
"I don't know but it's exciting to think about. It's funny, but I love when I see Jack Crawford, Alana, and Will… I like being able to stand next to them and know that I'm the cause of the deaths that they study and investigate, and to know that they have no suspicion of me."
"It's a powerful feeling."
"Addicting really…"