The same day, a few hours after the talk between Jack, Rana & Hannibal, the smart doctor arrived back at the FBI HQ. Now, in Jack's office, he was presented with the case, what they needed help with and of course the unique Will.

Hannibal had immediately picked up the scent and connected the dots, already feeling intrigued by finding not one but two of his kind in the same place. Although, Will, was so much different from Rana that only made things more interesting for him.

"Tell me then, how many confessions?" Hannibal asked Jack as he sat on a chair next to Will.

Jack was sitting behind his desk, right across from them while Rana was leaning on the wall to Hannibal's right, hands folded and eyes always on the newcomer.

"Twelve dozen last time I checked. None of them knew the details. Until this morning. Then everyone knew the details. Some genius in Duluth PD took a picture of Elise Nichols' body with their phone and shared it with a few close friends"

Rana added right after him. "Worse is that nosy reporter Freddy Lounds ran it on ," she said, almost growling while saying the name of the lousy and nosy reporter that had been a thorn by their side for a long time now.

She had an online blog in which she posted details about murders, illegally taken pictures and of course the many comments of hers about their investigations and works. There was a time she had targeted Rana, trying anything from affairs with Jack to steroids to move ranks faster.

Needless to say, Rana eventually found that woman and was charged with assault. The charges were eventually dropped but Jack gave her one hell of a lecture for losing her temper and allowing Freddy, not only to crawl under her skin but also give her more material for her to write.

Thankfully, with the many cases and murders and mysteries existing, that topic was pushed under so many others that Freddy kept chasing after like a dog chasing freshly cooked meat.

"Tasteless," Will commented, earning her attention but also Hannibal's.

"Do you have trouble with taste?" he asked him.

"My thoughts are often not tasty."

"Nor mine. No effective barriers."

"I make forts."

"Associations come quickly."

"So do forts."

During their little back-and-forth abstract but at the same time targeted talk, Hannibal did not fail to notice how Will as per usual was avoiding looking anyone in the eye. And while he expected that with Rana, he was quick to notice it was with everyone in the room.

"Not fond of eye contact, are you?" he asked and yet Will did not look directly at him.

"Eyes are distracting. You see too much. You don't see enough. And it's hard to focus when you're thinking those whites are white or they must have hepatitis or is that a burst vein? So I try to avoid eyes whenever possible."

Hannibal wasn't deflected from making his observations at all, getting more intrigued to unfold the multi-layered mystery labelled William Graham.

"I imagine what you see and learn touches everything else in your mind. Your values and decency are present yet shocked at your associations, appalled at your dreams. No forts in the bone arena of your skull for things you love."

He had just described Will Graham to a letter and he knew it, but Will was not about to give him the satisfaction of knowing it.

"Whose profile are you working on?" he asked before turning to Rana, who was silently glaring at Hannibal for snooping around his mind. "Whose profile is he working on?"

Understanding what was going on, Hannibal made another silent observation in his mind about the duo before he chose to speak up. "I'm sorry, Will. Observing is what we do. I can't shut mine off any more than you can shut yours off."

"Please don't psychoanalyze me. You won't like me when I'm psychoanalyzed. " Will said, mostly looking towards the direction of Rana.

The young woman noticed the time on the watch on her left wrist. Getting tired and not liking how Will was cornered by Hannibal, while Jack did nothing, she decided to interfere. "Will, I think it's time for your lecture"

Realising it was, he cast his eyes down thankfully to Rana before standing up. "Rana is right. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go give a lecture on psychoanalyzing."

Without another word, he left the office without even sparring them a second glance. Hannibal was internally smirking, having noticed so many things in a such little amount of time. Yet, he showed nothing about his inner thoughts.

Jack let out a sigh. "Maybe we shouldn't poke him like that doctor. Maybe use a less direct approach."

Or a no approach at all, Rana wanted to say but kept her thoughts in her mind. For she knew, partially, Hannibal could help Will and ensure nothing bad took place or that his mind was not going to be affected by the case.

Yet, considering who or better say what Hannibal was and the fact that he had already proven that he was good at psychoanalyzing people. And no one liked to be psychoanalyzed, making them feel exposed to the other person with no room for them to hide.

"What he has is pure empathy," Hannibal said, snapping her from her thoughts. "And projection. He can assume your point of view, or mine - and maybe some other points of view that scare him. It's an uncomfortable gift, Jack. Perception's a tool that's pointed on both ends." He then turned his attention to the photos of the Minnesota murder victims. "This cannibal you have him getting to know... I think I can help good Will see his face."

Jack and Rana exchanged a look at that, both thinking different things about it but at the same time, they shared the same mental question.

Was this a good idea?


The next morning, they received a call for a new body found in the middle of a field in Minnesota. The girl fit the profile of all the other victims, only that this one was different. This is how the FBI had arrived at the scene, seeing a young woman mounted like a tabletop on antler table legs belonging to the severed head of a trophy stag. The Crows gave the impression of guests at a dinner table.

Jack, Will and Rana stepped over the yellow police tape as they headed for their latest victim.

"I feel like I'm dreaming," Will commented.

Rana decided to focus on the task at hand. "The head was reported stolen last night about a mile from here."

"Just the head?" she gave a nod at Will's question.

At the same time the famous forensic trio Brian Zeller, Beverly Katz, and Jimmy Price were combing the immediate area for forensic evidence. Beverly and Brian were mostly focused on trying to shoo crows away but failing.

Rana rolled her eyes and picked up a good nice stone she found. She aimed and tossed it, hitting one bird with precision while also scaring away the rest of the flock, allowing the body to be finally free for them to investigate.

Brian blinked and looked at her, surprised by her aim and the fact that she used something so simple to scare them away while he and Beverly were trying for the past few minutes and failing.

"Minneapolis homicide has already made a statement. They're calling him the "Minnesota Shrike." Jack informed.

Will lifted an eyebrow. "Like the bird?"

Suddenly, Jimmy entered their conversation. "Shrike's a perching bird. Impales mice and lizards on thorny branches and barbed wire. Rips their organs right out of their bodies. Puts them in a little birdie pantry and eats them later."

Rana blinked a few times at the new information. "That does sound like our cannibal, surprisingly"

Jack eyed the body and the state it was in, unimpressed. "Can't tell if it's sloppy or shrewd."

Will eyed it carefully, his face not showing any sign of emotions or anything that should have been caused by the body of the young girl. Only Rana, seem to look at the poor girl with sympathy and a fit of hidden anger, about the bastard that was behind it.

"He wanted her to be found this way. It's the homicidal equivalent of faecal smearing." Will pointed out. "It's petulant. I almost feel like he's mocking her."

"Or mocking us" Rana added, eyes never leaving the body of the girl, shoulders tense from passive anger.

Jack was confused and looked from the body to Will. "Where'd all his love go?" he asked, remembering what Will had found out about their cannibal.

"Whoever tucked Elise Nichols into bed didn't paint this picture," Will explained as he walked closer to the body, about to try his thing.

At the same time, Brian approached the two agents. "He took her lungs. I think she was still alive when he cut them out."

Jack and Rana exchanged a look before they waited patiently for Will to stop staring pretty much at nothing. At the time time, the trio was working nearby, doing their job.


Finally, after what felt like an eternity for Will, he managed to turn away to give his soul some relief. "Our cannibal loves women. He doesn't want to destroy them. He wants to consume them. Keep some part of them inside. This girl's killer thought she was a pig."

His little monologue had quickly been noticed by Rana and Jack, who were conversing with the local Minnesota police about the perimeters and trying to get more information on how the body was found etc.

Rana was the first to finish and walk towards Will, earning Jack's attention, who soon followed.

"You think this is a copycat?" he asked Will.

Will shook his head as he dropped a new piece of information to them. "He has a daughter. Same age as the other girls. Same hair colour, same eye colour, same height, same weight. She's an only child. She's leaving home. He can't stand the thought of losing her. She's-"

"His Golden Ticket," Rana concluded, cutting him off as she also followed his trail of thoughts and connected the dots. She looked at the girl for a moment too long before looking at Will. "What about the Copy Cat?"

"An intelligent psychopath, particularly a sadist, is hard to catch. There's no traceable motive. There'll be no patterns. He may never kill like this again." Will said and turned, walking away from the body and towards the Police Tape.

"From your mouth to God's ear, Will" Rana commented, mostly mumbling it to herself as she stared at the body of the girl one last time, before following Jack and Will.

Her sensitive hearing picked up easily what Will said next. "Have Dr Lecter work up a psychological profile. You seem to be impressed with his opinion."

Rana came to a halt and watched Will walk further away, wondering if he could pick up that there was something more about Hannibal. If he could sense it, the same way he sensed her but yet never truly connected the dots of his hidden knowledge.


Since they were not close to home anymore, Rana, Jack, Will and Hannibal stayed in a hotel for the night. It would allow them to get some rest for the night before continuing the next morning, searching for clues and connections.

However, that night Rana didn't exactly spend resting. In the middle of her sleep, she had a dream...a dream that was only the beginning of more that would follow.

In her dream, she was in a forest. Standing by the edge of a creak, the reflection on the running waters was not of her but of a blond crème wolf.

She tilted her head to the side and for a moment she saw someone standing in the waters. Blinking a few times, the figure proved to be a brown wolf.

The animal looked as if it was staring at nothing, honey-brown eyes unfocused. She was about to take a few steps closer when both picked up the sound of birds flying away. It alerted both of them as from the shadows of the trees a third animal showed itself.

A big wolf, with fur as black as the night sky and dried blood staining its muzzle and front paws. The animal had just finished hunting and walked towards the river with confidence. It eventually came to a stop, eyes staring at Will for a moment too long for Rana's liking. The black wolf licked his lips before he sensed her piercing gaze.

Turning its head, red bright eyes locked and saw right through her soul. Her own eyes turned red before she was awakened...

Rana gasped for a moment, silently catching her breath as red eyes stared at the roof above her. Her chest moved up and down, evident that whatever she saw increased her heart rate. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to calm herself and just as she had started to do that... her phone rang.

She left a growl in annoyance, red irises glaring daggers at the ceiling. She turned her head and picked up her phone, seeing Jack's name written on the screen. Blinking a few times due to the bright light, she swiped her finger and answered the call.

"Stone," she said, leaning with her back on the bed once again as Jack started to rant on the phone.


With the latest body and Freddy's involvement, along with many other things that were left unfinished; Jack had to attend court. However, there was a lead and she was left in charge of both Hannibal and Will. The three of them were supposed to work together to pick up more evidence and find clues.

They were the brains, trying to profile their killer more and she would ensure proper work was done and they stayed away from danger. Needless to say, Rana felt mixed emotions when he said that. She wouldn't mind being with Will but having Hannibal in the mix as well...that complicated things.

In the end, she pushed herself off the bed and started her small routine. Showering and brushing her hair, wearing her casual clothes, and taking her badge and her gun. After stopping by the cafeteria of the hotel for some breakfast, she noticed the time and that there was no sign of Will.

For that, she decided to go find and fill him in. Then, she would go to Hannibal, although Jack said he had already informed him. That felt odd, considering Jack had trust issues. Yet, deep down Rana knew how Hannibal earned that and his quick spot in the investigation. It wasn't just his skills and his smart words...no...it was also his supernatural charm.

And that was no matter of speech. He knew how to exert his aura, and show confidence and protection to the others, making them feel safe, making them feel like he could be trusted. That came naturally to him, similar but also different to what she showed to people around her.

As she moved towards the door to Will's room, she picks up a second familiar scent.

Hannibal, she said in her mind as the scent grew stronger and it was quickly evident that the man had beat her to it in visiting Will. She picked up faintly the sound of conversation between them, even with a closed door.

However, her scent would be detected very soon, especially by Hannibal, so she chose to knock instead of making them think she was eavesdropping. She knocked a few times and was not surprised when Hannibal opened the door.

"Ah, Agent Stones. Care to join us for some breakfast?" he pushed the door open, showing at the far end of the room Will sitting at the table.

He glanced in her direction for a moment before his attention went back to the food. Rana was not surprised but her face showed she was not approving what was going on. Yet, she pressed her lips to form a thin smile as she looked at Will and then at Hannibal.

Unlike the analyst, the psychiatrist stayed by the door and stared back at her with the same aura of confidence and dominance. His posture, his hair and his clothing were perfect. There was no imperfection on him and he knew it, he counted on it. He screamed elegance and raw masculine power, clashing with the aura of strictness, wildness and authority Rana gave.

"I have already eaten, thank you, Dr Lecter," she said, trying to remember her manners. "I believe you have already been informed, Will. There is a car rented for us and we have our first location. Get dressed and meet me by the reception in 30 mins"

Will gave a few nods, picking up the subtle order behind her words like a silent command. He felt the need to stand on attention for a moment, something he had never felt before. Things were always weird when she was around him. While she made him feel safer and more secure, compared to Hannibal or Jack, there were times he felt like a little kid ordered around by their parents.

Hannibal was no fool and he easily picked up the signs and warnings. Putting his most gracious smile full of friendliness, he turned to Will. "I shall then leave you, to get ready. I enjoyed our talk, Will" he said, a ghost smirk on his lips as he picked up the heartbeat of Rana increasing ever so slightly.

He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. He then walked in silence down the corridor, side by side with the female agent. They passed a few rooms and when they were in front of hers, something unexpected happened.