In the following weeks, they hadn't met. Doctor Lecter had called her and informed her that he would be unavailable for a time as something had come up with a case in Minnesota. She briefly wondered if he was helping with the Minnesota Shrike case. It was awful, those girls vanishing and not a trace being found. They were supposed to meet in an hour, however, he had returned yesterday. She was going through her mail before pausing at an envelope. She had listened and gotten a DNA test just out of sheer curiosity. She grabbed her letter opener, lightly slicing it open. She pulled the paper out, neatly unfolding it and skimming over it.

Mother - The name was blacked out by the company with a note saying it was to honor the wish of remaining unknown.

Father- Hannibal Lecter

She stared at the second line the longest. Eliana stood, setting the paper aside. She immediately crossed the living room to her kitchen, opening a bottle of wine and pouring herself a glass of red. She took a very long drink from it, Morrigan rubbing against her ankles.

"Well. My fucking therapist is my father." She explained to Morrigan, who meowed up at her in hopes of treats.

Eliana returned to her spot on the couch, moodily taking another drink. She felt tears stinging her eyes and gave in, starting to softly weep. The fuck was she supposed to do now? She knew who he was. Would he hate her? He couldn't continue being her therapist, certainly. It would be a conflict of interest. Her sobbing grew worse and she hadn't realized that it was five.

Hannibal looked to his clock, lightly frowning. He had returned to Baltimore after the case with Garret Jacob Hobbs was resolved. He had resumed appointments and his current one was supposed to be Eliana Shaw. He grabbed her file from the stack on his desk. She was the last one he had today. He stood, grabbing his coat and keys, shutting the lights off before heading off for her address. Thirty minutes or so later, he parked in her driveway, lightly frowning. He had brought the proper tools with him, should he choose to kill her. He opened the door, stepping out and taking in the sight of her small house. It suited how she presented herself. He approached the front door, lightly knocking on it.

"Miss Shaw? Are you home?" He called through. There was the noise of stumbling and swearing, Eliana opening the door and staring at him. His nostrils flared as he inhaled. She smelled heavily of alcohol. "Miss Shaw, I have a strict 24 hour cancellation policy… Are you alright?" He frowned a little.

"Fuck… I forgot. Fuck." She grumbled, forgetting him and returning to her spot on the couch. He briefly hesitated before taking it as an invitation to step inside.

He lightly frowned again as he took in the interior of her home. At first glance, it was very cat heavy. She seemed fond of bits and bobs of cat related things, such as pillows or small statues. The art that hung on her wall was of nature landscapes, those at least were pleasant to look at. A quick glance told him the direction of her bedroom and kitchen. He turned his focus on the living room. A black cat was asleep in a bed, oblivious to her human mother currently drunk on the couch. He saw that it was at least only one bottle thus far and he knew she was not on any medication.

"Miss Shaw, would you like to tell me what has you so upset?" He asked gently. She stiffened and hastily crumpled up a paper on the table, shoving it in a pocket.

"Just… Nothing. It's nothing!" Her lip trembled a little.

"Miss Shaw, you are on the verge of tears." Hannibal gave her a look, studying her face. She was avoiding making eye contact with him, something she had not done before. "Is it something to do with me? I apologize again for my extended absence-"

At that, she broke into more tears. Hannibal took a breath to calm himself, pushing the irritation that rose up down. He had seen potential in her, he would not squander it just yet. He knelt in front of her, lightly taking her hands in his. His voice was stern and gentle.

"I can only help if you are honest with me, Eliana. What is it that has you upset?" She slid the paper out of her pocket, her hand trembling as she handed it to him. Hannibal lightly frowned as he unfolded it, smoothing it out. She had chosen to get a DNA test after all… As his eyes went down the paper, even he was not expecting what he saw there. He was not a man known for showing outward emotion, quite the contrary. People found him hard to read and it made him attractive and alluring. But re-reading the line stating who her biological father was made his lips part in surprise. He folded the paper into a neat square, setting it on the table. There was a chance that it was wrong. He was usually so careful with protection with all of his affairs. And yet a small part of him wanted it to be true, that part surprised him. He felt a twinge in his chest, a space that had once been reserved for his sister. It both served to sadden and annoy him.

"I'm sorry." Eliana blurted out, grabbing a tissue box and wiping at her face.

"For missing your appointment? It's a fairly understandable reason." He was pleased that his voice was level.

"No. For existing." She whispered, avoiding his gaze.

Hannibal Lecter watched her for what felt like an eternity to her. His expression was unreadable. He was almost unsure of what to feel. That twinge had bothered him a touch. He lightly rested his fingers under her chin, cupping it and lifting her head. "Look at me, Miss Shaw." He gently commanded.

Eliana sniffled as she lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. "Do not apologize to me for existing. If nothing else, I should be the one apologizing to you. I was unaware of your existence. I had intended for you to find some peace in knowing the identity of your father, but I had not anticipated that it would be me." He lightly frowned. "This is a conversation we should have when you are sober."

"I am… Perfectly capable of having a conversation…" She hiccuped, swaying a little and sinking back into her couch. "The fuck do I do now? I was s'posed to get help so I don't snap at people, but my psychiatrist is my fucking father! S'not fair… Or right…"

"Miss Shaw, you really must alter your language. Such vulgar words are not suited to a young woman." Hannibal lightly lectured.

"You don't get… To tell me… What to say!" She snapped at him.

Hannibal exhaled, pushing down his anger. "Would you like to hear my opinion on the matter, Miss Shaw?" At her small nod, he continued. "Regardless of our blood relations, I would like to continue your therapy. I will admit that this coming to light is a factor in that, but I would be more comfortable with you seeing me for personal matters than another. I would also like the opportunity to get to know you better. We are, after all, father and daughter. Do I expect you to think of me as such immediately? Certainly not, nor do I view you as such. Such bonds take time to cultivate, if they are possible to grow at all."

"You have a fancy way of talking…" Eliana mumbled. "I try to talk like that so people fucking listen…"

"People will listen if you show them that you have control and composure." Hannibal explained, watching as she hugged a pillow close to her, moving to be laying down. Shortly after, her breathing evened out as she fell asleep.

Hannibal watched her for a few minutes before unbuttoning his bottom button, pushing his hands in his pockets to think. It was certainly an unexpected turn of events. He had never expected to have a child. He was surprised that it saddened him a touch that he had missed the most crucial years of her life, years that he could have spent shaping her, molding her. She had already killed someone, perhaps his… Appetites had been passed along to her and simply needed guidance. As she slept, he chose to look through her home. As he had observed before, it was very cat heavy. Certainly something that would need altering was her tastes. He glanced into a small bathroom, there were bits of hair dye dried onto the walls and the counters were a bit messy. He was surprised at the lack of jewelry, most women enjoyed such trinkets. Moving on in his search, he stepped into her bedroom. It was very simply decorated, a desk facing the window with a sketchpad on it. He gently pushed it open, curious, and was disappointed to see that any drawing that was in there had been angrily scratched out. She had a few books on psychology and medicine, but nothing that pointed to a higher form of education. He was pleased to see that her taste in clothing was simple and older in style, much less gaudy and revealing than what most wore. As he stepped into her kitchen, he noted that it was likely the cleanest and most well kept room in the entire house. As he studied the contents of her kitchen, she noted that her food was on the cheaper side while she seemed to spend more on cat food. He glanced to the creature watching him warily, giving a light chuckle.

Eliana stirred, groaning and opening her eyes. "Shit, ow…" She hadn't realized how much she had drunk the previous night. Wait, night? She was confused at the daylight outside and even more confused by the smells coming from her kitchen. It smelled delicious. She frowned at the glass of water and pills on her table, sitting up and taking them. She got up, grabbing her cane and walking into her kitchen, leaning against the doorway in confusion. Hannibal Lecter was in her kitchen, cooking eggs and sausage.

"Good morning, Miss Shaw. How is your head?" Hannibal asked without turning.

"Throbbing. More importantly, why are you still here?" She frowned at him.

"I was concerned by the amount you had drank and wanted to make sure you were alright. You slept through the entire night. I also took the liberty of calling Doctor Chilton's office for you and telling them you were sick."

"You what?" She snapped. "I need money! Ow…" She lightly rubbed her eyes, sighing. "I… Appreciate it, I guess. What exactly did we talk about? I remember that you saw the results…" She looked away from him. "Nothing after that."

"We spoke about the results and that it does not make me your father in any way besides blood. Such a relationship must be nurtured, it cannot be forced. I wish to meet with you for sessions every week, perhaps twice, if you are comfortable with that." He turned, setting a plate of eggs and sausage down for her. "Twice a week is because I wish to get to know you and monitor you. Please, you must try to eat."

Eliana hesitantly sat at her table after grabbing a fork, poking at the eggs. "Monitor me?"

"Please do not play with your food." He waited to speak until she ate a small bite. "Two strong life events so close together could have a negative effect on your mind. You killed a man in self defense in this very house and then discovered the identity of your father."

"And why do you care?" She asked in a flat tone. She had to admit the eggs and sausage were delicious.

"You were my patient even before we both discovered our relation. I have a concern for your wellbeing." Hannibal explained.

She paused, her fork hovering above her breakfast. "If we're related, am I still expected to pay for my appointments? I mean, it doesn't seem particularly fair."

Hannibal met her eyes. "Are you attempting to manipulate me, Miss Shaw?"

"Yes." She didn't bother lying. She noted that he smirked ever so slightly. "You stayed in my home overnight without permission, I could call the police on you."

"You could. But what would that accomplish?" He countered.

"Nothing. It would put things back. I came to you because I was afraid of how I felt after killing someone. I'm still afraid." She frowned.

"If you wish to manipulate someone, you must be subtle about it. But please do not attempt to manipulate me, it is quite rude." Hannibal turned to start washing the dishes he had used.

"Uh, please. I'll get those." She was somewhat surprised at herself. "You made breakfast, the least I can do is clean."

"Thank you. Not a fan of coffee?" He pushed a hand into his pants pocket. "I couldn't find any."

"I'm out, I would kill for a cup right now…" She gave a soft laugh, leaving her food half unfinished to get up and start dishes.

"You should finish your breakfast." Hannibal lightly frowned at her. "Especially after drinking so heavily."

"I will after… I don't like leaving dishes out for long." She shrugged as she wiped the plate off with soap and hot water. Hannibal noted that the water was steaming but she barely flinched. He lightly rubbed his fingers together in thought in his pocket before pulling it out.

"How long does it typically take you to become sober after drinking?" He asked suddenly.

"A few hours, give or take… Why?" She frowned at him.

"Come to my office when you are able to." Hannibal gave a slight smile. "We missed our session yesterday and I want to have it today. I will see you then, Miss Shaw." He gave a nod before walking out of her kitchen.

She listened to the front door close, staring incredulously after him. He was different and yet the same man that she had met weeks ago. She set the dishes in her drying rack beside the sink, frowning. He had told her not to manipulate him and yet, was he attempting to do the same to her? The idea of having a father, the concept of family felt entirely foreign to her. He was right, the relationship couldn't be forced. It wasn't even a guarantee, shared blood meant next to nothing. Regardless, she did find herself a bit curious. She finished breakfast, quickly doing the dishes for it before going to get herself showered and presentable.