Chapter 23

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While she could carry a tune with her voice and sing quite pleasantly, Saskia was not a woman of music.

She couldn't play any sort of instrument to any sort of decent degree, unless you counted drums but Hannibal didn't have a particular interest in teaching her that. The only reason Saskia was actually good at drums was because her step father had a set of drums when she was in her teens. She was useless at the piano and the harpsichord, along with the guitar and any other instrument that needed strings or the like.

Teaching Saskia how to play the harpsichord was a dreadful and utterly painful thing to watch, and definitely a hilarious sight for Will as Hannibal kept scowling and trying to cover his cringes each time she hit the wrong key. And every time she hit the wrong key, Countess would let out a pained howl.

It took only another hour of this hilariously painful sight before Hannibal stated that they all should start on the paperwork Jack had sent them.

As the days waned on and quickly got closer to Leroy Harris' trial date, they quickly noticed how Will's sleep schedules had changed.

Pages and files littered the dining room table, completely taking up every tiny inch of space. Tie off, Will stood over the files in slacks and a blue plaid shirt, a glass in one hand and his chin held in the other. Rubbing a hand down his face, he scratched at the neat and trimmed beard. Why did there have to be so many files? Why did there have to be so many pages within those files?

Jack had sent them over to Will's classroom one day with a note that said they had to be finished and filed by the end of the week.

Will had a lot to do and he didn't have enough time to sleep. If he was lucky he would get to bed before two in the morning and wake up at six thirty at the latest. More often than not, he slept in the guest room on those nights because he didn't want to wake them up, only to find both Saskia and Hannibal in the bed with him by morning. It was unbelievable how many times he fell asleep on the couch downstairs, only to be relocated upstairs by morning.

"You look ready to rip it all apart," Saskia said, sitting at one of the chairs with her feet on another and a blanket on her lap. She looked up from the book of mythology on her lap, still flipping through the pages that linked to animals and shapeshifting.

"I am close," He agreed before gesturing with his hand. "I don't understand why Jack didn't just do it himself."

"Bella's dying," She said, turning the page. "She has been for a while. Alana said something about lung cancer. She's started Chemo treatment but she's growing tired of it."

"Yeah?" Will sipped at his wine glass. "Sometimes death is unforseen or unwelcome."

She hummed, not even looking up when Hannibal walked in with a glass of Red Stag and coke for her. "Thank you. When Death comes, I'm giving them a nasty right hook."

Hannibal chuckled, standing behind Will before getting the slightly shorter male to loosen his stance and slip his arms around Will's waist and torso. His chin was placed on Will's shoulder, leaning his head forward a little as Will brought up his glass to Hannibal's lips.

"So, Saskia," Hannibal said, hearing her hum in acknowledgement, "How has the planning been coming along?"

She quirked a smile, her eyes still on the book as she changed the page."Why do you think I'm planning something?"

"You're never without one,"

"True," She snapped the book close, looking up. "I've been making preparations for the last week, finetuning things."

"Preparations for what?" Will asked, turning his head a little so he could see Hannibal and Saskia. "Harris is in federal custody and is in solitary confinement until the trial next week. He isn't going anywhere."

Saskia bit the inside of her cheek, tasting blood as she kept biting. She stopped before speaking, "He'll have something planned."

Hannibal's eyebrows bunched together before falling back naturally. "You're thinking he has something planned."

"Of course he does," Saskia placed the closed book on the table, looking at both of them in the eyes, unblinking as she stated, "I made him."

"You made him?" Will tilted his head. "What do you mean by that?"

"If you were to ask me what I was, I'd say an adaptor and a manipulator." She clasped her hands together to rest them on her stomach. "I was young and foolish, but I had the world at my fingertips. I saw potential and I took it by force. I created a monster because I wanted to be wanted. I made a person that could challenge me, be with me, love me for me . As I always do, I got bored."

"What does this have to do with Harris?" Will turned

"Are you saying that you are responsible for his insanity?" Will scoffed as he finished the rest of his wine, resulting in Hannibal smiling at the man's frustrations at Saskia's admittance of truth.

"I was his downfall and if I'm not careful, he will be mine. That scares me and I like being scared," Saskia fiddled with her thumb ring, twisting it lightly instead of letting fear and frustration well up. "I hate the taste of my own fear."

"Fear reminds us that we are alive and still fighting, without it, we do not have much that would keep us going in the face of danger," Hannibal moved until he had an arm around Will's waist but could still reach Saskia a metre away, his hand placed on her shoulder where the tips of his fingers could trace the side of her throat. "Fear and curiosity are two very strong factors in our survival and evolution as human beings. Though some may say that love and hate are our strongest emotions."

"Love and hate," She rolled her eyes but still leaned into his hand. "Too… mundane for my tastes. Nothing is as simple as that. Kill or be killed, I understand. To hate something, you need to have a certain amount of hurt to get to that stage. To love something, you need to have comfort from it."

Hannibal hummed but didn't speak.

"You received comfort from him, from Leroy Harris," Will exhaled slowly. "You got what you wanted from him but it wasn't enough, was it?"

"No, it was never enough," She ran her hand through her hair, pulling it back and out of the way of her face as she looked at the files on the table. "I need people who accept me for me, that is what I saw in Leroy and that is what I encouraged him to become. He accepted me because I forced him to. I broke him into pieces and rearranged him to fit my needs. But it was wrong.

"He was wrong." There was a sudden tightness in Hannibal's features as he spoke, the grip on her shoulder and neck becoming firm and possessive with a distinct air of comfort and warmth. "He didn't love you, he loved the thought of you, Saskia, and that wasn't what you wanted."

She nodded wordlessly as she took a solid gulp of her drink, loving the slight cherry tang of the alcohol. She placed the glass down, the sudden clink as it touched the table sent a ray of chills down her spine but she shook the anxiety off and turned to both of them.

For a second, the only sound in the room, in the entire house, was the sound of a slow tap against the glass.

It echoed and vibrated through them and through the wall, leaving traces and remients of her presence in the form of a memory.

There weren't many memories that she kept locked up in the tiny box in the back of her mind palace.

If she opened the engraved box, a small portrait of Countess' namesake would be glued to the lid. She would trace the picture with her hand and plop a Dutch mint into her mouth before looking to the rest of the tiny keepsakes. The silver ring with sapphires would glitter on her thumb while the golden earrings would stay on her earlobes and the tiny blue gem on her delicate necklace.

The removed ring on her right middle finger was a heavy weight upon her mind, but a welcomed one because it wasn't missing. She didn't miss the ring, the reminder her mother tried to constantly give her. That ring was a constant reminder of her father's death and her mother's presence. She always said that Alexandria should be grateful for her making the ring, for getting it done for no expense on her daughter's part.

The only way Saskia would part with this tiny Memorial Diamond made from her father's ashes was if she got to burn it until she couldn't see the reflection of her mother in it… Or change the colour. That might work. Change the blue that her mother loved into a different colour that Saskia loved.

Maybe maroon red?

There was no place for her mother and sisters in the special place of her mind palace, only those she cared for stayed there. Their memories had been broken down and taken out of that room, put into a dusty area of one of the bookshelves in the very unvisited areas of her mind right between the memory of being beaten up at a young age and the failure of one of her major secondary school exams that prompted her into Psychology and Sociology.

That was peculiar.

The hair clip from the Christmas charity even deemed to tarnish and rust, pieces of the silver going brown and disgusting as flaks of the metal began to fall off. Revealing a sparkling silver white metal, the red gems seemed to glow even brighter and shimmered even deeper.

There was no longer a bronze fox figurine.

What replaced it was beautiful. The burnt orange colour of the amber figurine shone and reflected light with such intensity. It made the room fill with scattered waves of amber glow. It even had the brightest red eyes she had ever seen, its lips curled up as the nine nails around each other to make a criss crossing pattern that laced together behind it.

There weren't a lot of things in the room, let alone in this box that she held under lock and key and protection of the beast.

But each had their place in her world.

Saskia tilted her head one way and the other, placing a hand on top of Hannibal's. "I've made preparations for if I, or we, were ever discovered. A house here, villa there, a few mansions and manors in beautiful sceneries. The first place I would ever go to from here would be the house in Lithuania. I'd grab some things from there, maybe even stay for a while before moving on."

"You've made plans,"

"I made a few, depending on the circumstances. My teachers used to say that if we fail to prepare, we prepare to fail," Saskia grinned. "I think this will be the first time I listen to them."

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The trial date came too quickly for their tastes.

"I call Miss Saskia Alasite to the stand."

With the confidence that would have made the deities quake, Saskia gave each of her men's hands a squeeze and stood from her seat. She smoothed the black, form fitting skirt down, getting to the stand before tugging down the cuffs of her blush pink blouse, having ridden up when she checked her watch earlier.

"Do you solemnly swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

God had nothing to do with this trial.

This trial was of man and monster, confined to the laws humans made to contain the human race's inclination to the so called dark and evil acts. There was no need for God because he would bestow upon forgiveness if Leroy Harris repented his sins and admitted to them, but for him to repent for them, he had to mean it.

The only way he could repent his sins to his creator was lay six feet down in a casket in his cold, dead shell of a body for the next eternity and even then she would want him to be further punished for his transgressions against her.

"I do," Saskia said without hesitation, dropping her hand from the book.

"Please sit down," The judge nodded, an elderly man with a stern face and mean posture.

"When did you first meet Mr Leroy Harris?" The prosecutor said.

"I was barely twenty two and was finishing up my last year at university,"

"Did you meet him in class?"

"No, I met him through a mutual friend of ours, Liam Osborn. He's dead now."

"Alright. Your books, the trilogy, what inspired them?"

Saskia tilted her head. "I had a rough childhood and I guess writing allowed me to get my emotions out in a healthy way. I had a thirst for mystery and a dash of murder that included women as the killers. I got sick of reading of male serial killers, and only women when they were scorned by men."

"Did you ever expect your books to become reality?"

"No. They were fiction and they should have stayed like that,"

"Miss Alasite, you were a consultant for the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, under Special Agent Jack Crawfords' request, is that right? When and how did this arrangement start?"

"Three years this march. My ex boyfriend, Samson Tyler was killed and strung up on my mantelpiece at my house," Saskia said calmly. "I called it in and the FBI came. I met Jack Crawford then. One of the scene investigators tried to go to a closed cabinet that contained the unpublished manuscripts of the second and third book of the Murder with Miscreants Trilogy. They asked why they couldn't look and I explained to them I was Syn. Within about a month, I had Mr Crawford at my door to ask for my help because the bodies of several people started to look like the victims of my first book."

"In total, there have been twenty one victims."

"Is there a question in that?"

"Abigail Hobbs was kidnapped three weeks again, why did you think she was going to be the next victim when all twenty one of them have been found?"

"I wrote that the last victim would be taken on the twenty first of the month, and she was taken the night before. Abigail Hobbs has had a troubled past, and we were concerned about her to begin with."

"We? Can you elaborate on that?"

"Through Jack Crawford, I met Agent Will Graham, Doctor Hannibal Lecter, and Doctor Alana Bloom, all of whom had an experience with Abigail before myself. I knew about her circumstance and helped her write her book, because of that, I got to know Abigail and now I deeply care for her," Saskia allowed a low amount of sadness to enter her voice. "With Leroy Harris killing people and even going to the lengths of stabbing me, we didn't want to think of what he could do to someone like Abigail."

"How did you find out that Abigail Hobbs was missing?"

"Marie called me an hour after she realised Abigail was gone,"

"And what did you do?"

"I told Hannibal,"

"Doctor Hannibal Lecter?"

"Yes. He called Jack and Will Graham while I called Alana. I left for the university while he went…"

The questions for the prosecution went on for another ten or so minutes. Saskia never fidgeted, slouched or even tapped her finger. She concentrated on the questions at hand and answered them to the detail that was needed.

Then the defense began.

"You are Saskia Alasite, and you are thirty three years old and born on the fourteenth of November"

"Yes," She crossed her legs at the knee, placing her clasped hands on the knee as she sat up straight and alert.

"There are no records of a Saskia Alasite in Lithuania,"

"I was born Alexandria Alasite, and changed my name before moving to the United States,"

"Is there a reason you changed your name?"

Saskia turned to the judge, "Your Honour, do I have to answer these questions because I do not see how they pertain to this trial?"

"Humour him, please,"

"Of course," Saskia looked back at the defense lawyer for Leroy Harris, knowing that the man had been a new friend of his. "I had bad memories with that first name."

"Why didn't you change your last name along with it?"

"It was my father's last name,"

He paused. "What are these bad memories?"

"You wish for me to recall bad memories even though I have stated that they were bad?" Saskia narrowed her eyes to the smallest fraction. "Fine. I was abused by my mother, and by my sisters to a certain degree. From the age of about six onwards, I became the middle child and the attention was bestowed upon my younger sisters."

"What about your father?"

"He wasn't in the picture much. He's an army man, and he was until his death fourteen years ago. None of us share a father besides the two youngest, so I got support from him but he was in a different country all my life."

"You changed your name before or after you dated Leroy Harris?"

"After he decided to try and kill me, I changed my name permanently before I went travelling around the world."

"You say he tried to kill you, there are no records of this."

"In the UK, there are. I even had a restraining order placed against him." Saskia lifted a hand to the hairline at the back of her neck. "I have a scar from him."

The man hummed. "Last year you were admitted to the hospital because of a stab wound. You say you were stabbed by my client but he states he did it in self defense because your dog bit him. Is this true? Remember you have sworn an oath of truth."

"I was running with Countess, my dog. We stopped in an area of the forest because we wanted to catch our breath and that's when I met Leroy. We talked and eventually got to the conversation of him going to prison for his actions. He panicked and stabbed me, making Countess attack him because while she is trained to be an Emotional Support animal, she is also a guard dog."

"How do we know you did not stab yourself in the shoulder? Reports state that you were calm and were able to walk onto the ambulance. Even your doctor was surprised by the amount of collectiveness you held while he was examining you."

Saskia took a breath in, undoing the top button of her blouse before tugging the material and putting the thick scar on show. "Do you really think I would give myself something like this? I would not be able to stab myself with the force it took to create this little piece, nor could I get the correct angle. I had Leroy Harris' DNA under my nails where I scratched him in the face. The blade had his fingerprints on it.

"I'm not one for self mutilation to the point of scarring. There is enough evidence that states that Leroy Harris is the Miscreant Killer, including DNA, handwriting analysis, fingerprints, and footage of Abigail Hobbs' kidnapping. There is even footage of him leaving a body in my house. Why are you asking me such questions that would make you think I was an accomplice of his?"

"You don't have a good relationship with your mother."

He was deflecting her question. She pursued her lips before biting her cheek because she was ready to argue with him but knew it wasn't her place, at least not today.

"Well I can't, can I? He killed her, on my birthday no less."

"And your alibi for the night?"

She listed them off with her fingers. "Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham, Alana Bloom, Abigail Hobbs, Jack Crawford and Bella Crawford. We all had dinner at Hannibal's because it was my birthday. Let me ask you this, is there any evidence, solid evidence that links me to any of the murders or to being an accomplice of his? You've begun to ask questions that could lead to answers that might incorrectly incriminate myself if not given the right context."

"The recording the FBI got from the night of Abigail Hobbs' kidnapping." He stared at her unblinkingly. "You were able to get Leroy Harris out and onto the roof, with enough time to get the reinforcements to come in. Why would you keep him talking when you could have gotten him arrested quite easily?"

Saskia ran her tongue against her teeth, sitting up even straighter. "I wanted full proof evidence that would make sure he stays behind bars. He has terrorised me for the last three years. The reputation of my books have been tarnished because he decided to take my life's work and make a mockery of it."

"You used to date him."

"Yeah, used to," Saskia felt the anger bubble but it stayed at a low temperature for now. "We hit off in university and we loved each other. The past tense. When I tried to leave him, he kidnapped me for a week and tried to let me drown, because of that, I have a phobia of drowning that I had to get over. I was stabbed by a relative of one of the people he killed, and I lost my ability to have children. And then he kills that woman as the twenty first victim while I was in hospital, the days after I had the surgery. He left a gift."

"What was the gift?"

"In Jack the Ripper style, he cut out the womb and wrapped it all up nicely and sent it to me while I was recovering," Saskia turned her head to the judge. "I feel like I've answered enough questions pertaining to this trial, may I have a few minutes?"

"Ah, of course. You have been answering for quite some time." He then looked out to the court. "Everyone, we will take a ten minute recess."

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Hannibal took the cigarette out of her mouth before she could even light it.

She sighed as his other hand touched her lower back in support, her face tucked into the crook of his neck and shoulder. "Thanks."

"You only smoke when you are stressed enough to dismiss the consequences, and you never dismiss them," Hannibal said, softly placing a kiss at the crown of her head. "You know it is a disgusting habit, and you have made us promise to never let you start it."

"I did, didn't I?" She just wanted to nuzzle into his neck while he hugged her and have Will on his other side where she could touch both of them and just not have to think . "I'm just really frustrated and tired."

Will shifted his feet so he could stand closer, clear eyes peering over the glasses all three of them knew he didn't need. "You were on the stand for more than an hour."

"And the defense's questions? They didn't seem like the properly questions that should have been asked at a criminal trial, perhaps at a martial one but not a criminal one,"

"They didn't seem like the usual questions that are asked. They were misleading in some ways, definitely. You were right to ask what you did." Will glanced at his watch. "We'd better get back."

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The relief she felt when she heard the verdict was unreal.

He would never walk the streets again. He would never be there to terrorise her again. She didn't ever need to see his face again. She could finally get rid of him.

The trial ended with Leroy Harris being declared guilty but mentally ill, resulting in him being detained to the Baltimore State Hospital For The Criminally Insane. Even before then, that was where he was put to be kept under watch before his trial. And now the place became his home for the foreseeable future.

Saskia was concerned when he didn't try to incriminate her with Samson's death. She was surprised he didn't try but she knew he had something planned. For the time being, they were fine.

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That evening, instead of having a celebratory dinner that was Hannibal's fashion, the trio were to go out to a bar and restaurant to meet up with Alana and Margot to celebrate. The trio at the BAU labs were also invited, Saskia hadn't spoken to them in a while so she was happy they were coming too.

Saskia had her music on in her bedroom, prancing around the room in a bralette and a thong as she tried to get an outfit ready.

"Are you going out to drink with Harumi?" Will asked, standing at the doorway as he just watched Saskia walking around in her room. Saskia held up two tops, comparing them as she felt Will's arm lace from behind her to rest them on her hips as she swayed to the music.

"Black or purple?"

He took the royal purple top with the high neck and no sleeves, and placed it so it sat on her front. "This one looks nice on you."

"They all look nice on me," She pouted.

He laughed. "Very true."

Will shook his head when she smiled at that, turning her head so she could peck him on the cheek before snatching the top back. She shrugged it on before turning to look at him, biting the side of her lip a little.

"Dear fucking gods…" Saskia's jaw almost dropped at the sight of the two men.

Will's navy blue shirt was fitted to perfection and hugged his muscles enough to make Saskia stop thinking for a moment. It was even worse when she saw Hannibal in his burgundy red shirt, the top two buttons undone with a black waistcoat. She had never seen trousers that tight on either of them before.

"I think it worked," Will grinned as they looked at the expression on her face.

She could play at that game.

Saskia walked out of the bathroom a minute later, wearing the tightest pair of black leather trousers she owned. She knew the things these trousers did to her ass, and she wanted to see how they liked being beaten at their own game. She finished the look with a pair of heels.

"I felt underdressed." She bit her tongue when she saw the little shuddering breaths they took in. She walked past them, patting Will on the chest as she leaned forward. "Don't try and outsmart the master when it comes to looking this good."

"Witch," Hannibal muttered.

Will clicked his tongue in agreement.

She called over her shoulder. "I prefer Vixen."

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The night started as soon as they got to the Lily Flower, a semi known bar.

Alana and Margot were already there and sat in a huge booth, both having drinks but only one being alcoholic.

Unsurprisingly to anyone at the booth so far, Saskia sat her bag down and went straight to the bar.

"A glass of the best scotch you have, one beer, and a Red Stag and coke," She rattled the orders off, already knowing what her men liked.

Her men.

She liked the sound of that.

Saskia brought the drinks back to the booth, watching as Hannibal got up and allowed her to sit between him and Will in the U shaped booth. Alana sat on one end with Margot on the inside, Will to Margot's other side. There was still enough room for three more people to join them.

Saskia had already finished her drink and sneakily started to take sips of Will's beer and Hannibal's scotch. Both of them knew she was doing it, and she knew that they knew. It was useless to get in the way of Saskia and her alcohol, just as it was the same with caffeine. If she got drunk, they had nothing to worry about.

She was not a stupid drunk, though her tongue couldn't stay still. Regardless of her state of mind, Saskia was responsible enough to know a few things; never admit anything she wouldn't while sober, never have sex with someone while drunk, no drugs, and don't walk into the road.

"Harumi!" Saskia said, getting out of the booth with Hannibal's help before encasing the woman in a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"My brother's dating Beverly," She said, rolling her eyes as another man came closer.

Saskia released Harumi and put the new man into a tight hug. "Hyeon, hurt Beverly, and I hurt you."

"Good to see you too, Saki."

"Drinks?"

"Captain Morgan for me and Bev," Harumi smiled. "She's in the bathroom right now."

"Hyeon, you?"

"Gin and tonic. Don't give me that look. It means you won't steal my drink too."

"Fine," Saskia smiled before going to the booth as Harumi and Hyeon sat down and introduced themselves. "Any more drink requests?"

"Since someone has stolen most of mine," Will said, tilting his beer before looking up at her accusingly. "I'll have the same scotch that Hannibal had. Alana, more beer?"

Alana hummed. "I'll have a simple martini."

"Another orange, please." Margot said. "It helps settle Morgan. He's been restless all week."

"Two Captain Morgans and coke, Gin and tonic, scotch, martini, orange…" She listed them off as Hannibal stood up.

"I'll help you carry the drinks back," The fond smile he held was always beautiful to her, and she liked the way he put his hand on the small of her back as they walked through the small crowd of people. They stopped at the bar, somehow everyone seemed to split as both of them walked over. "What are you having?"

"No, I'll have water," Hannibal shook his head, tracing his thumb against her back as she looked at him. "Someone has to drive us back. How drunk do you plan to get?"

"You've never seen me properly drunk, have you?"

"I believe I've seen you very tipsy, but never black out drunk,"

"Here's a warning then, I will get onto that dance floor with either Harumi or Beverly, or maybe Hyeon, or maybe even a stranger, and I will… start to dance like I don't have social constrictions." Saskia said with a giant sheepishly smile, her hand placed on Hannibal's chest as she felt his calm heartbeat. "It will get a little dirty and a little too sexy, but it means nothing because they're not the ones I'm going home with. Are you comfortable with me dancing like that with strangers? I know some people aren't comfortable with their partners being as promiscuous as I can be."

Her smile had tapered off by the end, slight concern lacing her features.

"You can be as promiscuous as you want," Hannibal's hand went from her back to her hip as the bartender brought out the drinks and placed them all on the bar. "Because you will be going home with us. I'd prefer it if you didn't kiss anyone, however."

Saskia's eyes dropped to his lips before going back to his red eyes. "Not even you?" She winked and took most of the drinks on the tray.

"Vixen," He cursed.

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It was early in the morning but they had decided to take a walk around the block and let some of the alcohol wear off before getting home.

The weather was slightly wet but it didn't rain while they walked. It was nice, just walking and talking. The air was fresh and cooling on their heated skin. Saskia was already greatly regretting wearing her shoes, so when she took another step, only for her ankle to roll and make her tumble, she wanted to give up. They had to catch her by the arm to keep her upright.

"Fuck this." She crouched down and unzipped her heels, reaching into her clutch bag. Dropping a pair of black flats, she stepped into them before picking up heels and holding them.

"You thought ahead,"

"No, Hannibal did," Saskia smiled and turned to him. "How did you know I'd be sick of my heels by the end of the night?"

"Christmas. You walked barefoot to the car and into the hotel," Hannibal said, glancing at a man as he walked past them. His narrowed eyes warned the man's leering gaze as Hannibal tucked Saskia "I doubt we need you complaining that you've stepped in glass or the like."

"You complained enough about the cold already," Will said because Saskia had already stolen the coat Hannibal had brought with them for this very reason.

Saskia flushed, sucking her teeth a little as she remembered. "Oh so true. Thank you."

The night had ended so well, dancing, drinking, more dancing until she was able to get Beverly and Harumi there too. Every other drink, Hannibal had brought out a water glass for Saskia. She didn't complain or even try to challenge Hannibal on his insistence of her drinking water between glasses of alcohol. She knew she needed to stay hydrated between glasses because she wouldn't get a hangover in the morning then.

He even stuck a bar of her favourite chocolate into her bag without her realising.

She loved that man.

Fuck.

She found comfort in him, in them. She liked having them around and liked their conversations, their silences, their quiet presences and loud absences.

She loved them.

Oh, for fuck's sake.

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