Chapter 33
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Jack called late that night, making Saskia go to the back of the train to take the private call so Chiyoh could sleep in peace.
"Hello, Jack,"
"Hello, Saskia. How's your vacation? Are you still in Lithuania?" He asked.
"No, I'm on the train out of there," She said. "I went to visit Will and Hannibal. Apparently, Hannibal's uncle is getting healthier. Something about his cooking just made it easier for him to become healthy again. I've referred a hospice doctor I knew about to him, so Hannibal won't be needed unless it's an emergency."
"Good, good. I'm glad everything is good," Jack said. "I've got good news too. Bella's in remission."
"Oh my god. Jack, that's wonderful!" She smiled, keeping her voice down since the other people were sleeping on the train. "I'm so happy for you both. I'm glad she's getting better and I hope it stays that way. Hey, I'm actually gonna be back in the USA soon enough."
"Ah, yes, Alana and Margot's wedding is this weekend, isn't it?" He said. "You're coming, aren't you? I don't think Alana would approve of you not going, especially because of Morgan and Megan. I heard she said that they apparently miss you."
"How a baby might miss someone will never quite comprehend with me," Saskia laughed. "But, yeah, I'll be in Maryland by the middle of the week."
"Good. Good," He muttered. "Listen, if you ever want to work for us, for the BAU and me again, you just gotta ask. I think the higher-ups will try and convince you otherwise though, keeping you on retainer in case something happens again since Will is on sabbatical right now. How is he?"
"He's good, sad that he's away from the dogs but he's fine," She shifted, standing up. "Hey, it's really late where I am and I got a long day tomorrow so I'll call ya later, Jack."
"Okay, bye," He said. "And Saskia?"
"Yeah?"
"Make sure they treat you right,"
She smiled, "I wouldn't have it any other way."
She ended the call, holding her phone loosely as she leaned on the railings of the back end of the train. She let the cold air flash past as the train continued on its route, chilly winds making her hair fly around in the loose braid she had it in. She just smiled into the air, letting it consume her for but a moment before heading back inside.
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She didn't go back to Italy, letting Chiyoh go there by herself as Saskia told Will and Hannibal to expect a visitor.
Saskia's first task back in the USA was to visit Abigail and the dogs in Pennsylvania, leaving her bags in Baltimore as she had to go there to get her motorbike. She took it because she preferred that way of travel since it was more convenient.
She didn't take much to Italy with her in the first place so there wasn't a lot for her to take back either.
Spending time with Abigail and the dogs was good for Saskia, reminding her that there was life outside of the trio of serial killers and plain plotting and scheming. Seeing Abigail was good for Saskia's soul, or lack thereof, as it showed the woman other sides of life she often forgot to look at.
Why would she look at the family side of things? Of friends? Of platonic love when she had her lovers?
She sometimes forgot.
While monstrous at times, she was still human, one that needed more than the simple romance, intimacy, and support that her relationship with Hannibal and Will gave her.
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It was on the Saturday night in the middle of October when Alana and Margot married, both in ivory white dresses with satin ribbons of soft orange and light pink respectively attached to their waists.
Saskia had on a beautiful rose gold dress, one-shouldered that draped over her figure modestly enough. As long as it was dust rose gold, neither bride cared what style Saskia went for, only that it was the exact colour as it would then match the decor and the other very few bridesmaids.
In the photos, Saskia had one or both of the twins on her hips or arms as a way to get them into the wedding photos too. Saskia even carried them down the aisle so that Margot and Alana would have pictures of them in their cute little wedding onesies, which later got stained and changed.
The twins were angels for their parents, posing perfectly for each picture and eating rather well for little children.
The professional photographer they hired made the photos beautiful, letting it show the love that the couple had between themselves and their children.
The back garden was beautiful and that was where the wedding was going to happen. The aisle was long but there weren't many guests. Black chairs lined the aisle with guests, spread evenly.
At the very end was a giant willow tree where Margot and Alana would stand underneath, enough space for just them and the officiant.
It was a dozen metres tall. Its long and wispy branches graced the ground, barely leaving anything bare besides the roots. Each leaf was a vibrant shade of emerald green, healthy and strong. The bark was soft and yet firm to the touch. It was so close to being unnatural.
The roots had warped over time, leaving a small alcove right in the middle for the trio to stand as the officiant married the two women and they kissed under the willow tree.
They both took on the double-barreled name of Bloom-Verger, keeping both their lineages alive in their children.
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Closing the door to her Baltimore home, she released a breath as her hold on her human mask faded. It was like peeling off your bra as soon as you got home, which she promptly did as well as taking her shoes off so she didn't dirty her floors.
She had an appointment with Bedelia later that day, so planned her day accordingly around it. She had a few hours left before she needed to leave, so she picked up a book and sat down on her couch.
To have an empty house was a rare thing for her.
No dogs.
No men.
No one.
It was freeing.
It was freeing to not have to mask, to hide, to change for the benefit of another.
She could be herself, reading aloud every other sentence if she so wished, letting the pencil she had circle words or phrases she liked, making comments in the margins about the book, about the characters and the lives they lived, of wonders they conquered, of hardships they survived.
She liked her books, her stories, knowing there were whole other worlds within the pages she could open at any given time and dive right in. She experienced situations she otherwise wouldn't, fell in love, cried, grieved, shouted, and laughed with the characters within the stamped words on dead wood.
Using plots and using plans from her books and others she read, Saskia was able to think of many possible circumstances that could occur in her life. How another may react depended on their personality, on their childhood, on their life.
Having a little control was always nice.
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Knocking jolted her awake, making her go for the blade on the side but she realised it was just someone at the door. She got up, checking her watch to see if she still had another hour before she had her therapy appointment, and opened the door to see a police officer with a grinning Countess on one of those loop collars they used to get dogs under control.
"Hello, ma'am," He said. "We caught this one uptown and had her checked over. Her microchip said she lives here? Is she yours?"
"Yes," Saskia said, looking at Countess fondly. "Funny thing is, she's supposed to be in Pennsylvania with a friend right now. But I guess she wanted to come home."
He laughed charmingly at that as Countess wagged her tail, "Do you have some ID that I can confirm against her records?"
"Yeah," She took out her phone, taking the case off to get her driver's licence. "Here."
"Thank you," He scanned it against the document he had in his other hand before giving it back. He kneeled to take off the loop collar and watched as the dog trotted into the house without a care. "Gorgeous dog you got there. When did you get her?"
"Couple years ago," She said. "She's beautiful and she knows it."
"The attitude on that dog is unbelievable," He said just as Countess poked her head out the door again, looking at her owner before looking at him and huffing and going in again. He laughed at that. "Have a good evening, ma'am."
"Thanks, you too,"
She closed the door.
"And what the fuck are you doing here, young lady?" Saskia turned to her dog, putting her hands on her hips. "Abigail's probably worried sick."
Countess just wagged her tail as she laid down, a smile on her face as she was glad to be home.
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She walked through a marketplace on Monday morning, bright and early and a little hung over from the night before. While Saturday was the wedding, and Sunday was a day to recover from the party, Saskia had realised she didn't have much food in the house and she wasn't going to be eating mouldy bread.
It was chilly so she wore a long coat, a turtleneck under it as she walked around in boots, trying to find the right fresh vegetables.
After living with Hannibal for so long, his little food habits rubbed off on her. She couldn't just have any fresh vegetables, they had to be the right ones. No spots, no spoiling, not even a hint of being out of the ground or away from the tree for more than a few hours.
He spoiled her.
She looked at every single piece before she even dared to pick one up to examine it, making sure she didn't choose one that didn't look right from the start. It took a minute or two at each stand but she found the good ones soon enough and continued.
She did that for an hour or two, getting everything she needed for a nice meal for herself.
She didn't expect to see the same officer from earlier at the market.
She smiled, finding a new piece of prey to play with as he flashed a charming grin at her.
Oh, how easy it was to lure in a fly.
After all, you could catch more flies with honey.
It didn't take much to lure him into the Lecter house, getting out there with the promises of a great dinner and an even greater night.
It didn't take much to kill him. H didn't fight back as he leaned in for a kiss but found a knife in his stomach instead.
She twisted it, watching his eyes with a blank expression of interest as life left him. She slashed the blade across his stomach, feeling the way blood splattered across her heels before she let him drop.
She went to the door, taking off her shoes before letting Countess back in the house. She turned on all the lights, soon enough dragging the body to the basement before she began to cut him up.
After being taught by Hannibal, it didn't take her long to become good at cutting. She was able to slice through his skin with ease, taking out his liver as she swayed to the music she had on. She put that aside, getting out the heart and his lung too. Perhaps his kidneys, she thought, she'd leave them here for when her men got back.
She sat down at the dinner table, at the head of it with all of her plates and cutlery and food, before she frowned. It was too formal, she thought, so she moved everything into the living room and turned on the TV.
Saskia needed this.
She needed to show herself she was still capable alone.
She didn't need the two men but she desired them to be by her side so that was all that mattered.
And being able to provide a delicious…human… meal for herself was part of it.
It proved to her nagging little voice that she was always capable of eating meat, but this time on her terms. She ate swine below her, tossing Countess a piece of the man's liver before she sipped at her chianti.
She added a drop or two or ten of something very special and very red to her glass, letting it stain the rim as it dripped to the wine.
Saskia tasted the tainted wine, finding comfort in its new metallic flavour.
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She waited in the restaurant, sitting alone in the same booth as last time as she was expecting a pair of men to come.
Patty the hostess brought her the coffee just as she liked it, letting her wait in the booth for them.
Carlo and Matteo Degracias sat down before her, only after putting a kiss on her knuckles with a wink. She just smiled in return, flashing her teeth in a feral but reassuring way.
"Hello, Ms Alasite," Carlo greeted, clasping his hands together on his stomach as he leaned back in his chair. "How have you and Countess been fairing? I heard you were at Mrs Mason-Bloom's wedding, how was it?"
"Oh, it was brilliant," She said, "It was so sweet and the twins were actually well-behaved until bedtime."
"We're glad," Matteo said. "It's sad we didn't have time to go. We've been real busy trying to sort out the shit show the pig did to that Christian camp."
"It is coming together?" She asked.
They nodded, "It is. Your donations have been put towards better child safeguarding and counselling for the children who have been affected. So is there anything you needed?"
"No, not really," She said. "I mainly asked to see about the camp and everything else. I like knowing where my money goes and it's going towards a good cause. No, I just have a body I need to have disposed of and I will be all set. Will that be a problem? And I need you to change that his records state he went on a trip and was mauled to death. Countess might have… gotten to him afterwards."
They just nodded to each other, watching as Patty the hostess brought out their drinks with a smile and wink.
"That won't be a problem," Matteo said. "We've got rid of bigger problems than a body."
"Thank you."
Having both Carlo and Matteo Degracias in her debt was becoming greatly useful. Both men were low-levelled members of a local gang, one that worked with the Vergers for a couple of decades now.
And now, since she helped them, they would help her.
If they tried to out her, she had many crimes already planted onto them. They wouldn't dare if they cared for their nieces and nephews.
As much as Saskia didn't like to hurt children, there was always a line to be crossed for her safety.
She was a selfish creature and would do anything to keep anything hers safe.
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After a lovely call to Abigail, and a quick session with Bedelia, Saskia was back in Italy with her canine companion and an expensive bottle of Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva in hand.
She walked into the Italian apartment, creeping in as it was late evening and she didn't want to startle either of her lovers into thinking there was an intruder.
"Hello," Chiyoh greeted. "They are in the bedroom. You did not tell them I was coming."
She shrugged, "Nope. I need to talk to them. You wanna open the bottle?"
Chiyoh nodded, taking the bottle before walking quietly to the kitchen.
Saskia tried to walk past the bedroom but the door opened just as soon as she got near it. Hannibal's imposing form stared at her before he pulled her in.
He was upset and angry, she already knew.
"What were you thinking?" He asked her.
Will lay on the bed, reading in his only briefs while Hannibal deposited Saskia on the end of the bed as he spoke to her. Hannibal had a pair of sleep trousers, striped white and blue that sat low on his hips.
As he paced before her, her eyes kept drifting down to his hips.
"Hannibal," Will warned, not looking up from his book. "Put a shirt on, you're distracting both of us."
"I'm not complaining!" Saskia smiled even more as Hannibal stalked over, leaning over her with his hands on either side of her. She just put a peck on his lips and his dissatisfied frown disappeared with a sigh and a mutter of an ancient tongue even she didn't know.
Hannibal just leaned over her until she was forced to lay down, and then he just hugged her. Will snickered from the head of the bed, rolling his eyes at them before he put his book down.
"I believe he missed you," Will said as Hannibal just laid on top of her, hugging her tight and remembering her scent, mixing it with theirs again.
Hannibal just huffed into her shoulder, putting a kiss on her pulse point.
He sat back, kneeling over her before he began to slowly pull her outfit off. The shirt was first, then trousers alongside socks until she was only in her underwear.
"You brought wine?" He asked.
She nodded, "Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. I gave it to Chiyoh to open."
"I'll grab some glasses," He said, leaving and coming back within a minute, finding her cuddling Will under the covers. "Don't spill it on the sheets. They're clean."
Saskia hummed into the wineglass, making a dissatisfied sound at the wine. She still didn't like wine but she drank it.
"I did what I had to," She said, curling up as Hannibal got under the covers with them.
"I know you must have had your reasons," Hannibal said, curling an arm over her so he could bring her closer. "I just wished you had spoken to me before you went to her."
Will picked up his book again and told them not to fight about it.
She gave Hannibal a look, "Would you have allowed me?"
"No,"
She settled against his side, letting him take her wineglass while one of her hands went to touch Will's thigh in reassurance. He held her hand, squeezing it before continuing to read.
"Exactly," She shrugged, "besides, I wouldn't have listened if I thought it was for our well-being."
He sighed, pressing a kiss on her temple, "I know. Oh, Pazzi is dead. I made sure he had a fitting end just as his ancestors did."
"What he means," Will started, putting down his book once again. "Is that Pazzi went a little too out of his depths when speaking to us. He hadn't realised who Hannibal was, even with Hannibal not changing much over the years. We strung him up and killed him."
She snorted, "So nothing out of the usual then. I spoke to Jack and the others. I told him that your uncle was getting better, and with Leroy dead, you can come back when you want to."
"It will take a few weeks," Hannibal said. "There are a few things to tie up before we can leave. What about Chiyoh? What is your plan for her?"
"She's quite the helper," She said. "All she wants is to help and do good, or as good as she can do. She won't betray us."
Will gave her a look before laughing, turning on his side to face her. "You threatened her, didn't you?"
She grinned, "I'll get my way, one way or another."
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