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A Match Made in Heaven

Will Graham struggled to ignore the larger sweat droplets pooling to form from the tiny beads on his upper lip. Though they tickled and were a tremendous distraction he was actually glad for it. It gave him something on which to focus aside from the thousand reasons he should not be sitting in the same room where he was nearly killed with the cannibal who tried to kill him.

I think I'll eat your heart.

Will's voice was slightly elevated to offset the volume of his blood pressure which now pulsed so loudly within his ears that it dulled his hearing.

"Pearsall was asked by the White House to find a covert way to evaluate your mental health. They are obviously concerned since that last episode during your captivity."

"Episode?" Hannibal questioned although he fully understood the euphemism.

"It's a reference to the deaths of your captors."

Hannibal smiled a very wicked smile, "Ah, I see. Based on that, what suppositions have they made?"

"They believe that should you choose to remain in the United States the odds of recidivism have escalated. Of course now that they need firm answers, Bloom was called in."

"Of course…I understand." Hannibal stood very still, his hands clasped behind his back.

Will was transfixed by the man's elegant bearing both regal and savage. His heart skipped a beat the moment he imagined where on Hannibal's body the Harpy was hidden.

Imagining the unforgiving blade in Lecter's hand he swallowed hard before continuing.

"Bloom mentioned to me that he believed you might be an unfit father. He is genuinely concerned that your son is at risk or at least he has himself convinced of his genuine concern. I think he has motives that he isn't willing to admit…Not even to himself."

Graham waited for a response or a reaction from Hannibal but there was no change in his expression. He simply smiled politely and nodded his head. Graham was getting very little feedback and absolutely no emotion from the good doctor and though he had expected as much he found it disconcerting.

"He has always considered himself to be competitive with you on a professional level. I'm curious what you think of him, Doctor Lecter?"

"Think of him professionally? He is a small man whose professional reach has exceeded his talents. Had I not promised Clarice that I would refrain from my previous habits, I would have paid him a visit by now. Needless to say he would not have enjoyed being in my company and the stay would have been brief. Excruciatingly brief. "

Graham loosened his tie. His heart pounded as he imagined being flat on his back with Hannibal moving like a panther over him. The room began to spin.

Hannibal could see Graham's unease and moved away from him walking quietly across the room. He sat at his desk with his hands clasped, his index fingers steepled. He pressed his fingers to his lips as he waited patiently for Graham to continue speaking. Hannibal then nodded as if acknowledging that he was prepared for Graham to proceed.

Hannibal's silence encouraged Graham to continue, though it unnerved him as well. Graham's voice reflected only the slightest tremor but he wasn't self-conscious about it. There was no use trying to hide it. He was well aware that Hannibal could smell the fear on him.

"Of course Pearsall doesn't know a thing about Bloom's intentions. He's as clueless as he ever was. I considered drawing his attention to it but thought as apathetic as Pearsall is…he would give Bloom permission anyway so why waste my breath on him."

Hannibal's mind had already processed a variety of scenarios, alternate options to those scenarios and possible outcomes to each. He had considered taking Clarice back to Argentina to have the baby but knew she would be unhappy with that alternative. It was her first child. She needed to feel safe.

Graham shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He paused and waited.

Hannibal spoke very softly understanding that Graham was uncomfortable placing trust in him. Will was obviously afraid, but he had reached out and was offering key information that he knew would be helpful to Hannibal. Now Hannibal would have to ascertain the motivations behind this assistance.

"What do you think of this, Will? I am curious and would appreciate your opinion," Hannibal questioned, making direct eye contact with Graham.

Graham stared into Hannibal's eyes for a moment. They were softer than he remembered. The maroon irises had a warm glow like low embers of a fire, not the flames of hell conflagration he saw blazing back at him as the linoleum knife did Hannibal's bidding.

Swallowing hard, Will choked back the memory and answered, "You promised me my son would be safe from you. It's only fair that I make sure your son stays safe with you."

"And you have no concerns about my ability to adequately parent my child?" Hannibal tested.

Graham shook his head, "It isn't up to me to decide whether or not you'll be a fit father. My opinion is that Bloom is overreaching his authority and I told him that to his face. I thought as the interested party you had the right to this information."

Hannibal's eyes were intensely focused, like maroon laser beams they scanned Graham for any inconsistencies in his explanation. He stood again and began to pace alongside his desk.

Keeping his back to Graham, Hannibal probed, "And you believed you might be able to use that information to your advantage?"

Will perceived the nuanced question and side stepped the implications, "I believed you had the right to the information. You had the right to know and I wanted…no I needed information as well therefore I considered it an equal exchange. I was not seeking advantage I was seeking assurances. You are an intelligent and pragmatic man. As was the case in each of our past associations, I believed you would agree to an exchange of information that would be mutually beneficial."

He wheeled around on his heels to face Graham, "That is rather slippery of you, Will."

Hannibal then circled behind Graham and continued talking purposely staying out of the younger man's periphery. Will could hear him and could feel his presence but could not make eye contact and as such could not ascertain Lecter's intentions. Graham's reaction was as Hannibal intended. His heart rate and respirations increased dramatically. Hannibal was somewhat entertained by the stress he was creating.

Seeking to shift the power and throw Graham off balance, Hannibal manipulated his voice. It became raspy as he spoke and now barely registered above a whisper, "You have offered me the information. I have offered you assurances regarding the safety of your family. How can you be certain that I will not go back on my word?" Hannibal questioned with a threatening edge to his voice.

He was emotionally probing Graham…seeking weakness. Seeking some hint that he was being deceptive. Hannibal wanted to be sure that he was not being manipulated in some way. That Graham wasn't a pawn in a larger game.

Graham paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. He continued when he was certain of his position, "What would be the point of that, Doctor? No, you may be a lot of things but you've never been a liar. If you promise me that you have no plans to hurt me or my family I'll take you at your word."

Moving back into Graham's visual field Hannibal leaned in uncomfortably close and hissed in the nervous man's ear, "And as such you expect me to take you at yours?" Hannibal enlisted that metallic hiss, the dungeon voice seeking to shift Graham's mindset from his office back to the basement at Baltimore State.

Though his stomach was quaking from horrifically intrusive memories of Hannibal's hot breath on his neck as the linoleum knife tore his flesh, bravely Will stood his emotional ground.

"Hell from where I'm sitting it looks like I'm the only game in town but if you've gotten a better offer, Doctor Lecter I'd like to hear it."

Hannibal did not respond but stepped back, folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head slightly as he studied Graham carefully. Righteous indignation Will… You may be telling me the truth after all.

Willing to consider that Graham was being truthful, Hannibal sought to set his mind at ease. He leaned against his desk, his arms still crossed, "I appreciate your efforts on my behalf, Will."

Seeing his discomfort, Hannibal assumed the unusual position of advisee, "I have been considering removing myself from the household. There is virtually no circumstance I can think of by which they can declare Clarice unfit. What are your thoughts?"

"That's true but why should you miss the birth of your first born son? Would you let them take that from you?" Graham's comment was both heartfelt and sincere.

True…why should I miss the birth of my own son? No… when Bloom shows his cards…I will play my hand. If he moves to take my son…I will take all from him.

"Yes, I guess I must agree. I cannot consider that as it would hurt Clarice far too much and I refuse to cause her a moment's pain. Not for Bloom. Not for anyone."

Hannibal again took the seat behind his desk. He tipped slightly in the large antique leather chair. He appeared confident and was obviously comfortable in this space.

Graham questioned Hannibal's response seeing past the explanation, "I think missing the birth of your child would hurt you as well or are you unwilling to admit that?"

Hannibal was unperturbed by the challenge, "I am perfectly capable of admitting my desire to witness the birth of my child. If you are curious I will also offer to you that I am very much in love with my wife and have equal love for my unborn son. Does it surprise you to hear that?"

Will nodded his head vigorously, "Yes…It surprises me very much."

Hannibal failed to understand why that would be Graham's position, "Why? I am a man, no different than you."

Will laughed out loud at Hannibal's response, "You may be a man but like it or not you're very, very different from other men."

Hannibal was not pleased by Graham's reaction and sought an explanation, "Before I decide whether or not to take offense I would ask that you please clarify your meaning."

Will leaned forward crossing his forearms on his thighs, "I mean absolutely no disrespect. It's a compliment not a criticism. Moral judgment and your criminal history aside your intellect sets you apart. When I'm with you I sometimes feel as if I'm more in the presence of a god than a man and don't take that as an appeal to your intellectual vanity. It's a statement of how I feel. To me you've always come across as being…omnipotent. Frankly you're goddamned scary and incredibly intimidating to be around and yet I see the people you've surrounded yourself with now and I'm shocked."

Hannibal leaned across the desk, "Why is that I wonder?"

"All of your friends are in the F.B.I. your wife was in the F.B.I. It seems you would've had your fill of law enforcement by now." Graham's body language was beginning to show ease…comfort even.

Hannibal shook his head, "Aside from Clarice the person I am closest to in this world is Barney and he isn't in law enforcement."

Will, his confidence growing, tapped his palm on Hannibal's desk to reinforce his point, "No he's in medicine now but he was your goddamned keeper at the asylum. Aren't you seeing a pattern here?"

Hannibal laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back in the chair which creaked from the exertion. Hannibal was leading Will to a series of conclusions. He was amused that Will failed to notice.

"You have my attention, Will. Thrill me with your acumen."

Graham sat all the way forward on the edge of his chair, now comfortable enough to rest an arm on Hannibal's desk, "They controlled your life. Now to a great extent, you control theirs. You dominate those who for a time had total dominion over you. They feel familiar with you. They aren't afraid of you. They don't see you as a threat. In that sense you've taken their power from them. Either you are completely cured or you are one brilliant son of a bitch."

Again, Hannibal led him like a bull by a nose ring, "And what is your assessment…your diagnosis of me as it were?"

"I think you're one brilliant son of a bitch."

"Meaning…" Hannibal probed.

"Meaning that I don't think what you had or have can be cured."

"I'm listening…continue."

"You'd have to admit what you did was wrong. You'd have to see it as an aberration."

"Was it wrong?" Hannibal questioned, "Do you believe I see it as such?"

"I don't think you've ever admitted to making a mistake in your life. I don't know why you would now. No, I'm sure you don't see it as being wrong." Graham commented as he watched for a reaction.

Hannibal's expression remained a blank canvas.

"What if I said I would not admit it was a mistake because I did not believe it was? It was a series of choices. Had Clarice been in my life sooner the choices may have been different. She is a magnificent woman and I am humbled in her presence. I will do any and all to keep her."

Graham was fascinated by the relationship between Hannibal and Clarice, "Humbled? I find it hard to believe that you can be humbled. I do believe that you would do almost anything to keep her. Does that include permanently giving up cannibalism?"

Hannibal was decidedly aloof at mention of this normally taboo topic, "That is no great loss. It is a simple dietary restriction…no more, no less. It is a modification to my lifestyle that she requested as one of the requirements of our marriage. It is a very small sacrifice and one that my bride is both deserving of and exceedingly well worth."

Will Graham was assuredly unconvinced.

Hannibal couldn't have cared less what Will believed.

Graham continued, "And killing people? Giving that up too?"

"I would do so now only to protect my wife, my child or to protect my own life. I have killed recently. If it is justifiable, my Clarice finds it acceptable. She would do no less to protect our family."

"A match made in heaven?"

"If there is such a place…Yes, it is."

Hannibal's attention shifted away from Graham. His nostrils flared as he searched the air. He was soon smiling widely, "My wife approaches."

Graham was curious, "How do you know? I don't hear a thing."

"Her scent is quite specific."

"It's true then…you really can identify people by smell?"

"Yes…absolutely."

There was a light tapping on the door, "Hey, H…I'm starving. You can talk some more after lunch."

"Yes, my Love. We will be along presently."

Clarice walked across the room and kissed Hannibal on top of his head. Without another word she left the room, Graham watching the interaction with rapt attention. Hannibal noticed.

"I don't understand how but I love her more with each passing day. She is magnificent, is she not?" he beamed with pride.

"She is…you are a very lucky man, Doctor Lecter."

Hannibal stood invigorated from his wife's kiss, walked over to Graham and slapped a hand cheerfully on his back. "Come my friend, it's time for lunch…and Will…"

"Yes Doctor Lecter?"

"Please…Call me Hannibal."

Graham stared blankly at Hannibal. The invitation to address him by his given name caught him totally off guard.

"Okay…Hannibal." Will agreed as he followed Hannibal into the dining room for lunch. He shook his head to himself as he walked.

This is surreal…absolutely fucking surreal.

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Until the Next Chapter my Friends!

LH