Monday and Tuesday Will regarded as mostly uneventful. He taught a few classes and lived his way through normal daily routines. The only unusual moment he experienced was an incident Tuesday afternoon when he thought a dog had been attacked near his home. He had called Alana over for assistance but they'd found nothing. Wednesday morning, however, he heard the sounds of an animal scratching around in his chimney. With the need to set the animal free, he took a hammer to his wall, pulling away the stones and finding nothing. As he was wondering what it possibly could've been, his doorbell rang, prompting him to set down the hammer and walk away from the issue for a moment.

"Alana?" Will said as he opened the door. "What, um, what are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood, thought I'd stop by to check in on you, especially after yesterday," she said, a kind smile on her face.

"Oh, uh, come in," Will said, opening the door wider and stepping aside.

Alana walked in, passing him, but paused a few feet in when she noticed the gaping hole in his wall. "What happened here?"

"I heard an animal scratching around. I thought maybe a raccoon?" Will said with a slight shrug as he closed the door and joined her at her side, staring at the hole in his wall.

"And did you find anything?" Alana said as she looked up at him, her expression one of genuine concern.

Will reached up with his right hand and rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, no. It might've gotten itself free."

Alana stared at him with doubt in her eyes and he felt that doubt in himself. What he heard hadn't been real. He didn't want to admit it, but it was true. He was hallucinating, he was losing his mental faculties, and he didn't know how to cope with it. He dropped his hand from his neck and he saw Alana's eyes widen, but it wasn't until she caught his hand in hers that he realized what she saw.

"What is this," Alana said, turning his hand over until his palm was up for both of them to see.

Will ripped it from her grasp, his face flushing a deep red. "I—just… It's nothing," he said, fumbling for words as he curled his hand into a tight fist.

Recognition lit up her eyes and she gasped. "No. No way. You and Dr. Chilton?"

Will's panic levels rose and his eyes widened as he stepped back, holding up his hands in surrender. "No, no. I—I never. I don't know what you mean."

"That mark I saw on Dr. Chilton's hand the day we were interviewing Gideon, that's what it was," she said incredulously, eyes wide with shock. "I knew the two of you were acting strangely!"

Will stumbled over to a chair and sat down, covering his face with his hands. When he looked up, Alana stood there staring at him expectantly. "I… I didn't want anyone to know. I wasn't ready."

"I'm sorry, Will," she said sympathetically. "So, it's just the two of you and me who know?"

"And Hannibal and Jack," Will said with a nod. "I've discussed our odd relationship in therapy and Jack has been kind enough to forget it ever happened."

"I just can't believe it, it's all so strange. You and Chilton," she said as she wandered over to the nearest chair and sat down as well.

"I know, it doesn't make sense and yet, here we are," Will said with a nervous laugh.

"How has that been? How long has this been going on?"

"Um, almost a month and it's been rocky, to say the least, but I don't hate him," Will said as he leaned back and ran a hand through his hair. "I, uh, actually like him. A lot."

"Even with all we know about what he did to Gideon?" Alana said, looking worried.

"That's been the rocky part and we didn't really talk for a few days but he… well. I've mostly forgiven him."

Alana frowned, her brow creasing. "Will…"

"I know he isn't the best human being in the world, Alana, but that doesn't change how I feel," Will said defensively.

Alana nodded, conceding. "Just be careful, Will. We both know how he is and, soul mate or not, I don't want you to get hurt."

"I can take care of myself," Will snapped, instantly regretting the outburst. "I appreciate the concern but I think I'll be okay."

Alana stood up and Will stood to meet her. "I should probably be going, but do you need help with anything before I go?"

Will smiled and shook his head. "Uh, no, I'm just going to start repairing the wall, I guess, then get ready for my first lecture in a few hours."

He led her to the door and watched until she had driven out of sight before closing it, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Not only was he mentally unstable, but Alana found out about him and Frederick and it only served to replant a seed of doubt in him. It all felt like too much, too complicated, and it made Will regret ever agreeing to consult for the FBI. He'd gotten in too deep and it was ruining him. He didn't know what he could actively do, so he chose to do nothing and hoped that everything would get better on its own.

The next day, he endeavored to speak with Hannibal about his concerns. He didn't particularly want to, but he had no one else to turn to. Alana wasn't his psychiatrist, nor did he want her to be, and he didn't want to worry Frederick about such things unless he absolutely needed to. So, he settled with the next best thing.

Hannibal eagerly invited him in, opening his door exactly on time as he always did, and Will smiled at him half-heartedly before walking inside. They each sat down, settling into their usual roles, and Will felt as though he were already under his scrutiny. Hannibal mimicked Will's position in the chair, sitting back, hands clasped together and resting in his lap.

"How have you been?" Hannibal said casually.

Will frowned, reaching out to Frederick for some kind of friendly support. Even just feeling his stress and worry was a comforting presence in his mind. "Not well."

"What has happened, Will?"

Will rubbed his eyes hard enough to see spots. "I have started experiencing hallucinations, I think."

Hannibal looked mildly surprised. "Hallucinations? Of what sort?"

"Well, um, yesterday I thought I heard an animal in my chimney," Will said, speaking slowly so that the tremor leaking into his voice wouldn't seem so pronounced. "I went so far as to tear the wall open. Alana showed up not long after and the way she looked at me… I knew, we both know, that it was all in my head."

"Will, have you taken into consideration that you might be mentally unwell?" Hannibal said carefully.

Will laughed, sounding almost manic. "I have, Dr. Lecter. I've taken it into serious consideration. I'm thinking I may just need a few days off."

"Thinking or hoping?"

"Does it matter?"

"I suppose not," Hannibal agreed. "My suggestion, if you wish to consider it, would be for me to conduct a few tests to see if there is indeed a problem."

Will frowned, not particularly liking his suggestion. "Would they be invasive?"

"Not in a physical sense, but yes. Would you rather know for certain or continue to hope?"

Will rubbed his face, wishing he could just go back to the days where he was nothing other than a professor at the Academy. "Fine. I consent to these tests."

"You are certain?" Hannibal said, looking Will in the eye.

"I just want to know the truth."

"Then I will begin right away."

A few minutes later, Will was in a trance that he was both aware and unaware of. Hannibal had explained he would be putting Will in a different state of mind before conducting his tests, but once Will was in it, his conscious mind was gone. It felt both new and familiar for reasons he couldn't place, though those feelings were lost in his mind, left unrecognized. After what felt like a few seconds, he woke up, feeling both confused and disoriented.

"Was that it?" Will said, as he looked around the office in an attempt to regain his bearing.

"You've been under for nearly an hour, Will," Hannibal said in a soothing tone.

"An hour?" Will grabbed his phone from his pocket to discover that their session was, in fact, nearly over.

"When you're in the trance state I put you in, it's something like sleeping. Large amounts of time can pass in no time at all," Hannibal explained as he sat back in his chair.

Will furrowed his brow and shook his head. "Well, uh, did you find anything?"

Hannibal looked deeply concerned and the expression sent Will's anxiety through the roof. "I strongly believe that your problems are mental. I would suggest us meeting twice a week so that we can work through it together efficiently."

Will stood up and headed for the exit, feeling a flutter of panic in his chest that urged him to run. "I respectfully decline your suggestion, Dr. Lecter," he said harshly, not looking back even as he heard Hannibal stand up and start to walk after him.

"Will, where are you going?" Hannibal called after him as Will walked through the door and marched out.

"To get a second opinion," Will replied shakily.

His body felt like it was bathed in a cold sweat, made even colder when the outside air hit him. He shivered but kept walking to his car, determined to leave Hannibal's office as fast as possible in case he was trying to catch up to him. He felt remnants of safety and comfort return only when he'd driven a few miles away, giving him a chance to think and breathe. He wasn't going back to see Dr. Lecter, not until he spoke with someone who could confirm or deny his diagnosis. Not until he spoke with Frederick.

Anxiety and unsurity ran through him as if they had replaced his blood. It only continued to grow worse and, as Will drove down an abandoned road not too far from home, he found himself needing to pull over because his hands shook too much. He put the car in park and stumbled out onto the road before finding a spot to sit in the grass off to the side. Will pulled out his phone with a trembling hand, intending to call Frederick, but his phone started to ring before he could. Frederick had called first.

Will stole a deep breath of cool, fresh air before answering. "To answer your question, no. I'm not okay, Frederick. Not at all."

"What happened?" Frederick said, his voice carrying a tremor of worry.

Will laughed, the laugh cracking into a choked sob. "I don't entirely know. My own mind happened. Hannibal Lecter happened. The façade of normalcy for both of them seems to be crumbling away."

"You just got out of a session," Frederick said, his voice hardening. Will felt his anger and worry flare up. "Damn it. I knew this would… What did he say?"

"He said that I'm not mentally well. I may have been having hallucinations but—"

"Hallucinations? Will! Why have you been keeping this from me?" Frederick reprimanded.

"It only started this week. I was thinking—I still think—it was stress-based. I didn't want to needlessly worry you," Will said, rubbing his eyes.

"Well, consider me worried," Frederick said. "Where are you?"

"Um, almost home. Sitting on the side of the road," Will said, his voice wavering.

"Go home, Will. I have my jacket and my keys. I will be there soon," Frederick said.

"Frederick, n—" Will sighed as Frederick hung up, cutting him off.

Will inhaled a few more deep steadying breaths before he stood up and sat back in his car. He felt like he was driving on autopilot the rest of the way home, the route memorized well enough for him to do so. He thought only of his warm bed, of being surrounded by his dogs, of the safety and comfort he craved. Soon enough, he was there, being greeted by his dogs as he took off his jacket.

He let the dogs run outside as he remained within, pulling away his dirty clothes until he stood in his white shirt and boxers. Bumps rose on his exposed flesh from the cold air around him, prompting him to crawl under his covers even though all the lights were still on and the dogs were still outside. He didn't plan on falling asleep but it happened, passing the time until a knock on the door woke him up.

In a half-conscious state, Will rolled out of bed and opened the door, allowing the dogs and Frederick to pour in. Frederick didn't even pause; he merely walked in and scooped Will into a hug, one arm around his waist while the other hand cradled Will's head. It required a few moments for Will to register what happened, but when he did, he hugged back tightly, crushing Frederick's torso, but he never complained.

"How did I not notice something was wrong?" Frederick said softly as he pulled away a little so he could look at Will. "How could you not tell me about this?"

Will shook slightly, like a brittle leaf still clinging desperately to its tree, and Frederick brushed the hair from his brow before kissing his forehead. "I'm sorry, I just… I hoped it would just go away."

"We're going to figure this out, Will. I'm going to help in any way I can, in any way you want me to," Frederick said as he held Will's shoulders and looked him in the eye.

"What about Hannibal?" Will said, stepping out of Frederick's hold and closing the front door.

"Fuck Hannibal," Chilton said, his voice filled with venom. Will turned to him with a surprised expression. "I haven't trusted him since that dinner he invited me to. I know he's keeping my secret about the psychic driving as blackmail if I talk about what I know but I don't care. Not if he's going to put you through this."

"What do you know, Frederick?" Will said, cocking his head slightly.

"I know that he's not the angel everyone seems to see when they look at him. Deep down, he's just as corrupt as I was before you came along," Frederick said bitterly.

Will nodded, crossing his arms as he felt cold again. "I don't want to talk about it anymore tonight."

Frederick's expression softened from its angered state at his words. "I understand. You rest. Is there anything you need to do that I can take care of?"

Will rubbed his eyes. "Um, I just need to feed the dogs. There's dry food in the pantry."

Frederick nodded and walked toward the kitchen. Halfway across the living room, he whistled and the dogs heard him and fell in line at his heels. Will stared after him oddly, curious and confused how he would've known that was how he usually called the dogs. He shrugged it off and climbed into bed, turning off his bedside light once under the covers. He listened as he heard the dry dog food being poured into the various dishes on the kitchen floor.

A few minutes later, he heard Frederick's footsteps return to the room and felt as he sat down on the other side of the bed. He untied and removed his shoes before standing and removing his clothes. Soon after, he climbed in into the bed and Will turned to face him. They pressed their foreheads together and Will smiled as he looked into Frederick's gorgeous hazel eyes, the color just barely showing up by the moonlight.

"Who said you could be here?" Will teased.

"Well, I could sleep in a chair, if you'd prefer."

Will shook his head before resting a hand on Frederick's cheek and kissing him. He laid his head on Frederick's shoulder, his forehead pressed against his neck, simply needing to be held for once. Frederick obliged, wrapping his arms tightly around Will, radiating affection as he acted as Will's refuge. Will finally felt warm that night and fell asleep easily, dreaming of nothing.

When Will woke up, he was pleasantly surprised to find himself still in Frederick's arms, his head resting on Frederick's chest where he could clearly hear his heartbeat. Frederick was brushing a hand through Will's hair as he had his eyes closed, willing to lie there awake for however long Will slept. Will smiled and relieved him of his duty by gently shifting away to lay his head on his own pillow.

"Good morning," Frederick said as he smiled at Will. "How did you sleep?"

"Very well, thanks to you," Will said.

"Glad to be of service," Frederick said, leaning over to kiss Will tenderly before he crawled out of bed and pulled on his pants. "I'm going to go make some coffee."

Will checked the time, seeing it was a few minutes after eight. "Don't you have work?"

Frederick turned around at the opening connecting the living room and kitchen. "You are more important. I can stand to be a little late."

Will's heart fluttered a little and he heard Frederick laugh from the kitchen, obviously feeling the biological outburst of affection in his own chest. He couldn't help but smile as he followed after him, interested in the aforementioned coffee and some breakfast. He found Frederick sitting in a wooden chair, petting Winston, who was sitting in front of him, as the coffee brewed in the pot.

"What would you like to eat?" Will asked, passing by the two of them on his way to the fridge.

"Maybe some toast or a bagel. I'm not much of a breakfast person," Frederick said, looking briefly up at Will before scratching Winston behind the ears.

"You two look friendly. I didn't think you liked dogs that much," Will commented as he grabbed a bag of plain bagels.

"Oh, um," Frederick said, a little flustered as he pat Winston on the head and stood up. "I like your dogs."

Will smiled as he watched him grab a mug from one of the cupboards and pour himself a cup of coffee. He then returned to his task, dropping the two halves of a bagel into the toaster. Once they'd both eaten and reenergized, they showered and dressed in turn until they both sat in his living room, ready to leave but unwilling to.

"We need to talk about last night, Will," Frederick said softly.

Will averted his gaze but he nodded.

"What have you been hallucinating about?"

"Animal noises," Will said, glancing up at Frederick before looking down at his hands. "I thought I heard a dog being attacked on my property. The next day, I thought I heard something scratching around in my chimney. I tore the wall open to find it. After Alana stopped by was when I realized it wasn't real."

Frederick nodded as Will spoke, absorbing the information. "It doesn't sound especially serious, but hallucinations are generally only a symptom of a larger problem."

"Do you think the problem is mental or neurological?" Will said.

Frederick frowned. "It's hard to say without testing. You should make an appointment for a brain scan." He looked away from Will, feeling helpless and frustrated. "I feel like I should be able to sense it. Whatever the source of the problem, it's in your head, but nothing has felt any different this whole time."

Will held out his hand to Frederick and he grasped it, lacing their fingers together. "We'll figure it out. I'll make that appointment today."

"Do it for a weekend, so I can be there with you," Frederick said in an almost pleading tone.

Will nodded and stood up, bringing Frederick with him, and walked to the front door. "You should be on your way to work."

"I probably should've been several hours ago," Frederick said with a laugh, "but you're right. I should go."

With one hand on the doorknob, Frederick paused to kiss Will, brief but desperate as if to say he'd rather be with him than anywhere. Then he left, climbing into his car and driving away. Not long after, Will left as well, heading to his own job where he hoped to put everything about the previous day out of his mind.

He navigated the day without incident which left him feeling both at ease and uncomfortable. A false sense of security when he knew the rug would be ripped out from underneath him again soon. Frederick texted him periodically throughout the day to check in on him and Will kept reassuring him that he was fine.

Exhaustion gripped him by the end of the day and all he wanted to do when he got home was sleep, but he forced himself to make an appointment with a local neurologist for next Sunday. He texted Frederick about it before crawling into bed, an optimistic part of him thinking maybe a weekend of rest would be all he needed.

Will tried to spend his Saturday as relaxed as possible, but he found it difficult when he expected the worst to happen at any moment. And, as he expected it, it happened. A little after noon, as he was propped up on his bed with a book open in his hands, he blinked and when he opened his eyes, he was staring through the windshield of his car at a busy Baltimore street.

He panicked, completely terrified, and hit the brakes, nearly causing an accident as the cars behind him screamed to an abrupt stop. He gasped for air, glancing around him with frantic eyes. There was a ringing in his ears and it took him a few moments to realize it was his cellphone. He fumbled for it in his pocket as horns blared behind him. Instinctively, he started to drive forward with no real direction as he answered the phone.

"H-hello?" Will said, still entirely disoriented.

"Will? Fuck, Will, where have you been!?" Frederick said, his voice sounding hoarse. "I've been calling for the past hour. I'm in my car trying to find you. Jesus!"

"Frederick, I-I'm sorry. I don't know what happened," Will said, gripping the steering wheel with his free hand for dear life as if it was the only thing grounding him in reality.

"You were gone! You were there in my head and then you were just gone. I thought the worst. I thought you—" His sentence was cut off by a soft, strangled noise.

"I'm so sorry. I think I'm somewhere in Baltimore. I think, um, that I lost time. One second I was at home and the next I'm sitting here driving down some street and you were calling," Will's stomach dropped and he felt ill. "Oh, god, Hannibal was right. I'm losing my mind."

"Will, Will, no. Please listen to me. Take a few deep breaths and try to tell me exactly where you are," Frederick said in a calm, soothing tone.

Will tried to calm down as he looked around him for anything familiar, street names or landmarks. "I think that I might be close to your house, Frederick. I think that's where I was headed."

Frederick exhaled, feeling relieved. "Okay, good, go there and please wait for me. I'm twenty minutes out."

He hung up and Will was left on his own, but having a close destination gave him a purpose that he could fully concentrate on as he ignored what had happened. When he arrived, he parked in front of the garage door like he did last time and waited, focusing on the emotions he could feel from Frederick rather than his own. Worry, relief, fear, unsurity. None of it gave Will much confidence about his own situation but he tried not to think about that. He remained still in his seat until Frederick pulled his car up behind his own and parked.

Will practically threw himself from the car as he raced to meet Frederick. They ran into each other's arms, the only place where either of them felt any comfort. Will felt Frederick weaken as he fought back waves of sadness. He held him tighter, keeping him on his feet.

"I'm sorry, Will. I just… thought I'd lost you," Frederick said, his voice wavering as he tried to collect himself. "I'm going to call in some favors and see if I can get you an appointment tonight."

"I'm the one who should be sorry," Will said. "I should've said something sooner, this could've been taken care of."

Frederick stepped back, holding onto Will's arms. "It doesn't matter right now. All that matters is that you're safe."

That last word struck a chord in Will's head, a careful hand plucking a single, precise note. He blinked, the world falling away from him as everything grew dark and the word safe echoed in the arena of his mind, so loud it hurt his ears. Waking. You're waking in a pleasant room. Safe. Will wrenched himself from Frederick's hold, stumbling back, looking up at his face without really seeing it. You're waking now. Safe. Frederick's voice, the comfort it once held splintering from the noise.

"No," Will whispered, feeling horrified as Frederick's face swam back into his vision, his voice still pounding in his ears.

"Will, what is it?" Frederick said.

Will could feel his concern but it felt tainted, poisoned. Frederick stepped toward him and Will flinched away, holding up his hands defensively.

"I hear your voice in my head," Will said, his voice barely above a whisper. "This is you. It's all you."

"What is? I don't understand," Frederick replied, blatantly confused but realizing enough to keep his distance.

"You were in my head, you've been in my head this whole time," Will growled, tears stinging his eyes and blurring his vision. He charged at Frederick, hitting him square in the chest and nearly knocking him over. "This is your fault. EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING TO ME. HOW COULD YOU?"

Frederick looked horrified as he scrambled away from Will. "I didn't do anything. I would never do anything to hurt you."

"I hear your voice, Frederick," Will hissed. "I see flashing lights. You've been manipulating me. I trusted you, oh god. I TRUSTED YOU. I LOVED YOU."

He wasn't sure why he admitted that then, perhaps to hurt Frederick the way he'd hurt him. If that was the case, it worked. Frederick appeared and felt sick, his legs unable to support the weight of his body any longer. He dropped to his knees on the paved walkway in front of his house, looking up at Will with hopelessness in his eyes.

"I swear to you with everything I have, it wasn't me," he said, pleading. "Please, Will. I've kept my promise. I wouldn't do this, it's someone else. It's… Hannibal. Oh my god."

"I don't believe you," Will spat, backing away from Frederick. He rushed to his car, throwing open the driver's side door.

"WILL, IT WAS HANNIBAL," Frederick called, pushing himself to his feet and running after him. He stood on the other side of the car, hands up in surrender. "Don't believe me if you want, just, please, stay away from Hannibal Lecter. Get the brain scan. I'm begging you."

Will couldn't bring himself to look at Frederick as he ducked into the car and started the engine. He registered his words but didn't respond to them. Instead, he slammed the door shut and drove across Frederick's yard since his car was blocking him in, nearly hitting Frederick in the process. He could hardly think and he could still hear Frederick's voice in his head, over and over on a loop. Tears started to fall, burning his eyes and his skin, but he tried to contain them. He felt so deeply betrayed that it made his chest ache. He didn't know who he could trust anymore.