A/N: Hello, people!

I don't own Hannibal.

I have no beta.

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The next time Kailani saw Will, he looked terrible. He was late for his appointment by ten minutes and was fidgeting. Taking pity on him, she moved over to the small table that held the coffee maker and heated the water up again, fixing him a cup of coffee and adding a splash of vanilla and mint for flavor.

He went into the office, sipping the hot drink and looking annoyed, but guilty. He'd never been late before. Poor guy was probably feeling terrible. And on the holidays too.

He did come out of the office looking much better than when he went in, so something pleasant must have happened.

Hannibal didn't know exactly what happened but one moment the dinner was going fine and the next, Alana was standing with a confused look on her face, staring out the window. "Hannibal, I think your secretary just stumbled by!"

She was already going for the door before he could collect himself.

A moment later, she was leading Kailani Taikefu into the room, however the tall woman was leaning heavily on Alana and her steps were fumbling.

"I think she's drunk and I don't understand what she's saying!"

Kailani blinked at Alana and then opened her mouth and words he'd never heard before were spilling from her pink, painted mouth.

"I believe that is the Polynesian language she was taught by her parents. Polynesia has two languages and many dialects, so I can't even begin to guess."

He peered out the window, not seeing her car anywhere on the street.

"Which way was she walking?" he asked.

Alana pointed to the right.

"She was walking to her house then, it's a few houses over. Her car is nowhere to be seen though."

He managed to get her to relinquish the death grip she had on her purse and looked for her cellphone. No one had called her and she had called for a taxi three times. He then looked through her schedule, finding the reason for her inebriated state.

"She went to a bar for a drink, managed to write that she had up to 8 shots of Vodka and 2 of Tequila before her writing becomes illegible. The bar itself is about half an hour from here, by car, it's well known. She called for a taxi three times however I think in her current state of mind, she was unable to speak English and confused the service workers. Walking would probably be an hour or a little more and done while inebriated, I'm amazed at how far she got, especially while in those shoes."

Said shoes were very large, platform heels.

"We should take her home," said Alana, still trying to keep the other woman upright.

"Her key is here," Hannibal said, pulling it form her bag.

This would be a good opportunity.

"I'll escort her, if you could watch Abigail for me?" he asked, already moving to relieve her of her burden.

"O-Okay then. Hurry back."

Kailani mumbled something and the only word he managed to understand was his surname. He pulled her along, holding her left arm around his shoulder in order to keep her standing.

She was larger than him, dwarfing him easily with the shoes on. He could only wonder how someone with long limbs such as hers, managed to get anywhere without falling over themselves.

Finally, they made it to the door and he unlocked it, bringing her inside.

The house wasn't as lavish as his own, but was nice all the same. The walls were white, along with the furniture in the living room they passed. He brought her up the stairs and into the open doorway on his right, which had a bed at the far end of the room.

The room itself was a mess. An artistic mess.

Sketch pads littered the floor along with various pencils and pieces of charcoal, sharpened and non. Sketches were hung on the walls. So she was artistic as well. Good to know for future purposes. He'd have to come back in the morning or at the nearest convenience.

Once she was settled on the bed and her shoes were removed, he reluctantly slipped the key into her bag and set it on the floor before taking his leave quickly, locking the house door behind him.

Much had been revealed that night. Much he hadn't expected but enjoyed.

Kailani rose around two in the afternoon, groaning in pain. Her head was throbbing, her mouth was dry and she craved water, her feet ached, and she could smell something that wasn't her, in her room.

Her room… that she had not made it to alone last night.

Yeah, she'd met Alana Bloom and Dr. Lecter had taken her home.

Shit.

That was not supposed to happen.

With great effort and much pep talking, she got herself to roll off the bed. The crash to the floor jarred her awake, as well as every pain receptor in her body, but it worked. She shifted to her feet, hissing as the pain was sharp and needle like.

She rubbed her eyes and yawned, limping toward the stairs. She needed Advil, water, and a whole hell of a lot of food.

Pain relief, hydration, food, rest, in that order.

Of course halfway through the food part, she began feeling guilty and starting to bake a fucking pie for Dr. Lecter in order to apologize for him having to help her drunk ass home.

She made apple crumb, let it cool for an hour - in which she took a nap - and packed up the plate later on. Getting dressed was a chore, but she did it and managed to call Maritza and leave a message on where she was going and if she didn't call exactly an hour later, to call the police just in case. She then got herself outside and down the street to her boss' home.

He answered the door on the fourth ring, looking a little surprised to find her there.

"I wanted to thank you for helping me out and to apologize for you having to see me like that."

She held up the pie plate, making it level with his chin. "I bring good tidings and pie."

Dr. Lecter opened his door further, "Would you like to come in?"

"No, no that's okay. I don't want to-"

"I insist. I couldn't possibly eat this by myself, could I?"

His calm smile and those fucking cheekbones were working against her. Also, it'd be fucking rude and she actually liked him so this would be difficult. On the other hand, spending time with him while not at work would be great. She could totally plant more thoughts of Will this way.

She accepted his invitation.

"Do you have experience with cooking?" asked Dr. Lecter as he led her to a very spacious kitchen and gestured to a chair for her to sit in.

"I can't cook at all. I bake though."

"This looks lovely," he smiled, fetching plates and silverware.

"If you say so."

It was a brown blob in a small pie plate, sprinkled with more brown blobs.

"It smells delightful, also."

Dr. Lecter made a gesture for her to follow and he led her to a dining room where he placed his gathered utensils down in two spots and began setting the table carefully.

"Are you not going to celebrate Christmas with your friend?"

"She's at a family reunion in Pennsylvania and I don't celebrate Christmas."

"Is that a religious belief or…"

"I don't have a religion. I don't know enough about religions to follow one in particular and I believe personally that it's possible there is some form of divinity and possible that there isn't. Fifty-fifty, really. Is or isn't and both are possible."

He handed her the knife and she cut the pie carefully, using the server to give him his piece. She took her own.

"Your actions in life can go unhindered without the belief of some higher being that would punish you for who you are. It seems to be a relief, to be yourself without religious morals to impede you."

"What about you doctor? Do you have a religion?"

"Not particularly, no. I was raised Catholic and know the right things to say, but I do not believe in it. I know about almost every religion in the world. If one wishes to understand a culture in its entirety, one must know their religion as well. And while I respect the various religions of the world, they do not hold precedence over my desires and actions."

"Seems nice, being able to do what you want without guilt," she remarked, taking a bite of pie.

"It is… liberating."

He followed suit and smiled around his forkful of pie. He liked it.

"Perhaps you would like you join me for dinner this evening and we can add your pie to the dessert menu?"

"I don't know. I'd think you'd want to spend Christmas with someone important, like Will."

He sighed, "Why do you persist with this?"

"You like him, you want him to like you back. In order to do so, you need to communicate when not in sessions or on cases. Invite him over. Wine and dine him. I assume he did not come to dinner with you and Agent Crawford and I'm sure he'd like to do something so he isn't all alone."

"Will isn't alone, he has seven dogs."

She whistled. Damn that was a lot. Still.

"Can they provide him the stimulation that you can?"

And that was a double entendre if she'd ever heard one. She was so proud of herself!

He did smirk though.

"You are an odd one, Kailani."

Yes. She was.

A/N: Another is done.

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