Evolution Chapter 3

"Starling"

It had been easier than usual to convince Ardelia to leave her be this Saturday night. She wasn't allowed to drink alcohol yet in any case.

"What did the MRI show?"

"Good evening, Dr Lecter, I'm fine, how are you?"

"Don't play with me Agent Starling. What did the MRI show"

Clarice signed and tried to keep from smiling too broadly

"A minor concussion. No permanent damage"

"Good. I hope you've learned not to do something like that again. So, tell me, has there been a lot of resentment at work?"

Clarice's smile faded

"How did you know?"

"Well, I am a highly accomplished psychiatrist my dear. I assume it is Paul Krendler making life difficult for you?"

"Yes" she signed resignedly, barely containing an eye-roll "he's trying to have me suspended. Again."

"Mmm, what if you were to pre-empt him? How much vacation time do you have accumulated? I know you haven't taken any time off since you graduated"

"Um, how do you know that?"

"I've been keeping an eye on my favourite FBI agent. Does that make you uncomfortable?"

"No, not really" she answered truthfully.

"Good" he tried very hard not to sound too pleased "I think a week's vacation would do you a world of good"

"And where would I go?"

"Europe comes to mind"

"Are you back there now?" Only once she asked did she realise the gravity of the question. He took a while before answering and Clarice feared he wouldn't

"Yes"

"Well, I'm glad. It's safer than here"

"Hmmm. Paris is beautiful this time of year"

Now it was Clarice's turn to burst out laughing

"I think Paris might be beautiful whatever time of year one visits"

"Indeed" the good doctor chuckled.

"I'll think about it" she answered pensively.

"Hmm, see that you do. I'll leave you now my dear. Have a good evening, sleep well"

"Thanks, same to you. Goodnight Dr Lecter"
"Good night, Clarice"

Putting in leave at work was met with surprise, as she expected it would. Yet the more she thought about it, getting out of the office for a bit was exactly what she needed. No-one asked where she was going, and she didn't volunteer the information. Only Ardelia knew.

"Paris? Whoa girl that's on another continent. I thought you meant like going to Vegas or something"

They were on the way to the airport and Clarice was very nervous but trying to hide it from Ardelia as just travel-jitters. She was eager to see Dr Lecter but she had no idea what to expect. The only time they had ever truly interacted physically, without bars between them, was when he cradled her head in his hands after she was almost brained with a tree branch. Surely if he had meant to do her harm, that would have been a golden opportunity? She was wounded, vulnerable, literally flat on her back in the mud, and he hadn't looked to harm or injure. That meant something right?

And if not, If I misread him, and offer myself up to him to be killed, I would only get what I deserve.

She couldn't sleep on the plane. He had offered to buy her first-class tickets, but they both knew how unwise that would have been. She also balked at the notion. On the short phone-call the Saturday before she left, she had told him her flight number and he had not asked for any additional information. The check through customs was quick and painless, and she could feel her anxiety creep higher and higher. She had booked in a hotel she could afford and wondered if she should make her way over there, maybe he would seek her out there. She had just collected her luggage, when her name was called over the intercom. Going to the information desk. She found an envelope with her name written in a very familiar hand.

My Dearest Clarice

Welcome to Paris. I apologise for not meeting you in person at the airport. I felt it saver to bring you to me. Inside the envelope you will find a train ticket to Chartres. If you are not comfortable with meeting me there, you are still welcome to stay at your hotel and enjoy Paris. I will not think any less of you. If, however you still want to spend some time with me, I'll wait for you in Chartres.

Yours Faithfully

Hannibal Lecter

Well he might not think less of me, but I will, thought Clarice and so, she found herself on a train on the way to Chartres, which would take about an hour. She couldn't really blame him for his caution. For all he knew, this was an elaborate plan by Mr Crawford to recapture him. Once the train stopped, and she got on the platform, her anxiety had ratchet up another notch. A man dressed in a suit and chauffeur's cap stood on the platform holding a paper with her name on. Clarice signed and walked over, clamping down on the stab of irritation. She was tired and stressed and really hoped Dr Lecter wasn't about to lead her on a merry chase all over Europe.

"I'm Clarice" she tells the chauffeur as she approaches him.

"My name is Louis. I'm to take you to your hotel madame. Let me take your bag"

Clarice was relieved that he didn't hand her more instructions and would ordinarily have objected handing over her luggage but really, she was too tired to argue. She didn't really take in much of the ride over to the hotel. Once there, the driver helped her with her luggage and she reported to the front desk. She felt intensely self-conscious. It was a grand five-star hotel and she felt decidedly underdressed.

"Good morning. My name is Clarice Starling"

"Good morning, Madame. Welcome to our hotel. Here is your room-key. Pierre will show you to your room"

Clarice walked behind Pierre as he prattled on about the hotel, where the pool was, what time the restaurant opened but she hardly heard any of it. Pierre opened the room for her and bowed to let her precede him. She felt rather self-conscious but then her mind was pre-occupied with the opulence of the room. She was in a spacious sitting room with a fireplace and a balcony over-looking the square below. Pierre was just starting to explain about the three doors leading out of the room when the door behind them opened again and Dr Lecter entered.

"Ah my dear, I'm glad to see you. Thank you, Pierre, I will show my wife around the apartment" he said as he swept off his cream fedora and handing Pierre a hefty tip.

Clarice was frozen in place as he approached her and gently squeezed her shoulder and kissed her forehead.

"How was your flight? Did you manage to get some sleep?" he stepped back and placed his fedora on the table as Pierre closed the door behind him.

"No not really, I may have dosed off for a minute or two"

"Here, let me look" he spoke softly as he stepped back into her personal space and cradled her head in his hands. It echoed the scene in the park after her attack so strongly she was sure it was intentional. It did however calm her, which was no doubt his intention and she relaxed as he gently brushed the hair from her forehead to inspect the small scar.

"Do you have any residual headaches? Dizziness? Nausea?"

Now she smirked at him a bit "No doctor"

"Hmm" was his only reply. But his eyes were gentle as he regarded her. He dropped another kiss to her forehead.

"Let me show you to your room. I guess you want to take a shower?"

Clarice was quick to supress the stab of disappointment at the mention of her own room.

What did you expect? He is a deeply courteous man. He won't presume

She followed as he carried her suitcase through one of the doors, revealing a beautifully furnished bedroom with its own small balcony and a huge fourposter bed.

"Each bedroom has its own ensuite bathroom" Dr Lecter said as he opened another door to show her the fanciest bathroom, she had ever been in. Just her room alone was almost as big as the communal area of the duplex she shared with Ardelia.

"Take a shower, then we will have a light snack before you take a nap" he was again standing very close and brushed some of her hair behind her ear "you must be tired".

He must have seen something of her thoughts in her eyes because he gently took her head in his hands again. It seems like it was quickly becoming the move the made when he wanted to calm her.

"I booked an apartment with two bedrooms so that you would not feel pressured to share my bed before you are ready to do so. When I do have you quivering beneath me in pleasure, I don't want there to be any doubt in your mind about the rightness of it. This is not rejection on my part. Quite the opposite. Once you are mine, you are mine. There will not be going back"

He searched her eyes and must have seen what he wanted, or expected to see, because he smiled and dropped his hands. As he turned to leave, Clarice caught his hand in hers, halting his egress.

"Dr Lecter. Thank you"

He smiled and left her to her shower.

Dr Lecter picked-up the phone in the sitting room and ordered some room service. It will help Clarice to clear the jet-lag. He reflected that their initial interactions went very satisfactory. He had anticipated that she might be a bit apprehensive being with him alone for the first time, not counting the incident when she was attacked, and had but some thought into how to make her feel more comfortable. Entering while the bellboy was still present had been a good move. He had also noted how she had reacted when he had cradled her head back in their single unobstructed meeting and had deliberately echoed both his words and actions of that day. He was secretly delighted in how she not only didn't shy from his touch, but leaned into it. When he saw the slight disappointment when he showed her to her room, he had momentarily feared he had made a mistake, but he still felt strongly that rushing into a physical relationship with her, much as that was desirable, would not be conducive to her choosing to stay with him in the long run. Her life was littered with men trying manipulate her, and he was determined to not be amongst their number. He was mildly surprised at the intensity of the euphoric little kernel in his chest at the fact that she actually came, and that alone. He had more than half a mind that it was all an elaborate trap to recapture him. He had waited in the hotel lobby, quietly reading a newspaper in the corner when she arrived and the thrill passing though his body at the realisation that she came alone, was wholly unexpected. A very satisfactory start indeed.

The shower was glorious. The warm water doing a lot to wash some of the cobwebs from her mind. She reflected on how normal it felt when Dr Lecter introduced her as his wife.

So that is where he sees this going?

She dressed in plain jeans and an old FBI T-shirt. The wardrobe in her room was filled with expensive looking clothes. All in her size. The amount of money he was spending on her was making her a bit uncomfortable.

We are going to have to talk about expenses before we go much further.

Dr Lecter was sitting reading a paper when she came back in to sitting area. He looked every bit the sophisticated gentleman as he got up to pull her chair out for her.

"Feeling better?" he asks sitting down himself. Her mouth watered at the sight laid out before her. It was a variety of fresh fruit, some cold meats and fresh baked pastries including croissants.

"Yes" she replied reaching for the nearest croissant "I didn't realise how hungry I was until I saw all of this"

"Yes well, airline food often leaves much to be desired" he stated and she smiled at the thought of him being asked to choose between chicken or beef.

"Don't you fly first class? I though the food is much better there"

"It definitely is, but it also pays to fly under the radar in my case"

Clarice refrained from answering as her mouth was full but his point was well made.

"I thought you might like to have a nap; it will help to clear the jet-lag. Later I'd like to show you around town, if you find that acceptable."

"I'd like that. But we need to talk. My clothes are nowhere near fancy enough for these types of places, and I'm not sure how I feel in you decking me out"

"You might not have my means at your disposal, but you do have some taste, Clarice. You possess natural beauty and grace. Don't sell yourself short. As for the clothes, you are free to use as much or a little as you like. There are no obligations or expectations attached to them"

This did make her feel better and the rest of the meal was passed in easy conversation. Clarice reflected how easy it all felt as she crawled into bed to take a nap as he suggested.

That afternoon, Dr Lecter took her to Chartres Cathedral where he quietly explained the history to her. He gently led her by the elbow and she was struck by just how easy and effortless it felt to be with him like this. The enthusiasm in his voice was audible and contagious. She wore one of the new blouses he had provided for her in soft teal with dark pants. The clothes fit her almost better than the ones she brought with her. He looked dapper in his suit with cream Fedora and she saw more than one appreciative glance directed towards him. It made her feel powerful to be the one at his side, holding his full attention.

They had a light dinner at one of the outdoor cafes near the cathedral. She wondered if food in France was this good everywhere, or if Dr Lecter's selection of places to dine had more to do with it. She was looking forward to a good night's sleep, for despite her nap, she felt like she could sleep for a week.

"Do we have plans for tomorrow?" She asked once back at the hotel, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Only whatever you'd find most pleasing my dear. I had thought to take you to the local theatre tomorrow evening for a performance of Debussy if you find that acceptable. Perhaps you'd like to go for your accustomed run tomorrow morning hmm? Physical exercise should clear the last of the jetlag from your system"

"You'd trust me to go running?"

"I'm not your jailer my dear. If a relationship between us is to work, we'd have to trust one another, no?"

"Yeah, I guess we do"

"Well then. I think your day has been considerably more strenuous than mine, so I'd not find it amiss should you want to retire for the night"

Her face alerted him that that wasn't quite the right thing to say

"I'm not dismissing you my dear. I just thought you'd like to go to bed early tonight"

Realising her emotions were plainly displayed on her face, Clarice flushed a bit. She had not meant to be so transparent.

"Thank you for a wonderful day, Dr Lecter. I'm glad I came"

"You are most welcome my dear. So am I. I think it would be appropriate for you to start calling me Hannibal, don't you agree?"

She regarded him solemnly before a slow smile broke through

"Hannibal"

He had been touching her in small ways all afternoon, and could simply not resist stepping into her, placing his hands gently on her shoulders and kissing her forehead.

"Sleep well, my dear"

"Thank you. Hannibal. Same to you"