It had been a few hectic days for Rana and the FBI, with their latest killer or better say, killers. A group of missing boys, having been raised by a woman they called mother and ended up going after their original families.
The cases were brutal and it led to two late nights of looking at pictures and looking for evidence. In addition, the whole concept of the family hit too close for almost everyone. Most specifically with Will, whose relationship with his mother was complicated and almost nonexistent.
Jack had also been put on second thoughts about the kids but it was already too late for him and his wife to have one.
Rana, as well, felt a little unsettled by the brutal butchering of families and missing kids. Somehow, the crime scenes hit too close to home and it drained her mentally, to contain her usual mask on and do her work.
Things got more complicated, towards the end when she and Alana were with the only survivor. It was a young boy, who had managed to be stopped from murdering his family and also was free from the evil woman that twisted his mind.
Alana was working with the kid, ensuring he was okay after the brainwashing and that he could go with his true mother back home. At the same time, Rana stayed back to finish the report and ensure the kid and the mother were safe, all while informing the mother as well.
It was then that Alana received a call, that Hannibal had taken Abigail out of the hospital without her approval. Needless to say, the woman saw red at that moment and Rana had to step in and use a little of her "charm" to make her stand down and allow the female special agent to handle this, also reminding her of the traumatised kid that had almost killed his entire family.
And so, Rana found herself in front of the door at Hannibal's house. She had never been there before but she had found the address and she was thankful for the GPS. She took in awe at the grand House with the extinguished architecture before she rang the doorbell.
She didn't have to wait long before Hannibal opened the door. Unlike the other times she had seen him, this one he was in a simple pair of pants and had a white shirt on, sleeves rolled up to the elbow, tie gone and the first two buttons open.
It took her a moment to focus, taken aback by the difference in his appearance before she gave a small and tired smile. "Dr Lecter. I hope I am not intruding" she said.
The man opened the door wider, motioning for her to enter. "Not at all. We were expecting Will or Alana to show up"
Rana took off her jacket and Hannibal, gently took it from her to hang it. She turned to face him. "She was close in coming. She is not happy, taking Abigail without informing her. Took me quite a while to persuade her from coming in here and most likely calling the cops on you" she said, something that seemed to amuse Hannibal.
"My aim was not to question her power, but rather did it as a request from Abigail herself. She is the kitchen, if you wish to check up on her" he told her with sincerity.
Other times, Rana might double question but right now, she was tired and she didn't wish to pick up any fights. She gave a small nod and headed for the kitchen, finding Abigail sitting on one of the stools.
"Hello, Abigail. How are you feeling?" She asked the girl, who smiled faintly upon seeing her.
She had a little bit of a distant look in her eyes but she looked more relaxed than she used to be.
"I am good...better..."
Hannibal approached the two of them. "I gave her something to calm down, allow her to process things better without stressing and losing control" he explained.
Rana gave a nod, understanding what he meant. The first change was always the scary one and it took time for the mind and body to accept it, especially if triggered by bad emotional stress. However, she was curious about what he gave her until she caught a faint scent from Abigail's mouth.
"Mushrooms?" She concluded and turned to him, eyebrows frowning. Hallucinogens were illegal unless for medical purposes and even then, they were on the "black list" due to how unpredictable they could be when consumed. Hannibal seemed to be surprised she detected with accuracy and she quickly covered him. "I have busted enough junkies to recognise the smell of different drugs"
Abigail suddenly spoke up. "Hannibal made breakfast. Are you hungry? Want to join us?"
Those questions caught her off guard, mostly one word in particular. "Breakfast?" She questioned, glancing from Abigail to Hannibal that gave a nod to his head for confirmation. She then turned to Abigail, who was looking at her with hope in her eyes. "I don't see why not if Hannibal doesn't mind"
The man did not mind at all, for being called by his name for once was already pleasing him inside. Now, her joining them for dinner or breakfast, in that case, was more than he could have hoped for. He had already achieved working with Abigail and ensuring her loyalty to him would not change.
Now he had a chance to work with Rana, considering they hadn't seen each other ever since the day they found Abigail's victim and had to hide the truth from everyone else.
He pulled a stool for her to sit on, which she gladly accepted with a smile before he went to fill three plates and place them on the table. Rana and Hannibal sat across from one another, with Abigail next to the female agent.
They started to eat, mostly the two adults and Rana was quick to comment on his cooking skills. This made him smile with pleasure, hiding his smirk of satisfaction before he noticed Abigail staring at them.
"What do you see, Abigail?" He asked her.
The girl smiled as the images of the two adults blurred and for a moment, she saw her real parents sitting at their place. She felt calm, like in a very nice dream that she did not want to wake up from. "I see...family..."
The rest of the dinner/breakfast was spent with a few comments here and there. After everyone had eaten, they moved to the lavish living room. Hannibal offered Rana a glass of his finest scotch while he poured himself a glass of special red. Abigail was quick to fall asleep soon after.
She had been sitting next to Rana, her head on her shoulder. Her eyes closed and her breathing was calm, the girl no longer of the nightmares that haunted her dreams. The older female watched her sleep, one hand gently passing through her brown locks.
Hannibal watched her in silence, the fireplace flames creating shadows on half of his face as he sat on his armchair across from them. His gaze was dark and haunting as he stared at them, observing how gentle she was with the girl.
"She trusts you," he said, making her look at him confused. "We talked before, and she did talk about you. You have left an impression on her"
Rana glanced at the sleeping girl for a moment, her expression hard to read even for him. "I don't think I am the best for such impressions. Kids and I don't truly mix"
This piqued his interest and he leaned a little forward, looking at her as she kept her gaze on Abigail. "And why would you believe that?"
Rana knew what he was doing and she didn't truly feel like answering. She was not someone to open up to, let alone allow others to study her. She was a very private person, never truly forming any strong bonds with others...only very few and that to a certain extent. It was the lonely life of her kind since there were always differences between humans and wolfskin.
She looked at him with all seriousness and faint pain in her eyes, mentally deciding that she would allow him this once, to learn a little more...just only cause she was tired and the last case had brought up a lot of locked issues and memories.
"It's hard to be good with kids when you haven't truly been one" she admitted, emptying the rest of the content of her glass in one go. "We are not in a session, Hannibal and I am not your patient. So, no more personal questions for you won't get any more answers"
Hannibal had watched her carefully, listening to her words and her tone and her bidden emotions behind them. The way she spoke, she passively and very subtly referred to her childhood that had been cut short. One of the few ways this could happen, was simply by a traumatic event that mentally changed her perspective and she could no longer look at the world the same way she used to.
Per her request, he didn't chase after this lead. He knew that certain things required time and patience, especially when it came to trust. He had already achieved more than enough, with her staying over, calling him by his name and even opening up ever so slightly about her past.
"My apologies, Rana. I did not mean to psychoanalyze you" he said with sincerity, something that seem to put her at ease. "However, I do feel this is not the case with Abigail. We are both aware that she is not just any kid...and the point is, that you have grown attached to her" before she could argue, he continued speaking. "Will and I have also done that, much to Jack's dismay. We cannot help it. We share a bond that he will never understand" this made her go silent again, leaning more back on the couch and eyes looking at the fire that was slowly dying after so many hours of burning wood. "Were you aware that Will made a gift for her?"
This made her focus back on him again, eyebrows frowning faintly. "A gift? Of what kind?" She wasn't sure how personal that information was, but she was suddenly curious.
"A fishing gear. He had the intention to teach her, the way he had been taught" this made her smile faintly. She had been at his house only once and had noticed the fishing gear as he made it all by hand, yet she never commented on it.
She could imagine a shy Will trying to express his own emotions and ways to Abigail through the gift, and it felt a lot like that was his idea. She had him more than capable of that.
"Are you suggesting I should get her a gift?" She asked him, remaining amused. "I can't exactly teach her much, for she learnt how to hunt from her father" she admitted, passively exposing to him that she had hunting as one of her hobbies.
And of course, Hannibal being who he was, quickly picked that up. However, he chose not to focus on that now, since he had other goals in mind.
"You can teach her about us and herself" Rana knew what he was talking about and she could not help but stare at the sleeping girl as he continued. "It is clear that you have the most knowledge about it and you could help her into this new part of her life"
This made her go silent. She could, truth to be told, teach Abigail how to control her other side. Although, the irony was, that she didn't have the best record for doing so. She could still try, especially with all the incidents being fresh in the world of Media.
"Perhaps. Will see" she said before she checked the vintage clock on the wall. "It's late, I should better get going," she said, slowly moving her body to allow Abigail to lean on a pillow before standing up.
Hannibal was kind enough to take her glass from her and leave it on the coffee table before he escorted her to the door.
Despite the latest case and how she felt when she first came, she now could not help but feel better. She calmed down after that excellent food and then had a peaceful time and talk with Hannibal. Yes, they did reach some more sensitive topics but the night went far better than she had planned.
She allowed Hannibal to help her wear her jacket, a genuine smile on her face as she moved her hair to be above her jacket. She lifted her head to look up at him, as they now stood merely a foot apart. He looked a little more relaxed than he usually was, and she got a moment to admire his sharp look, well-shaved face and exotic features.
"Thank you for the dinner, Hannibal. It was the best meal I ever had" she said.
Her words seem to please him in more ways than one but the most obvious hint was the small smile forming on his lips. "It has been a pleasure having you over, Rana. Perhaps, you can grace us with your presence again" he leaned slightly more forward, one hand extending to grab the door handle and open the door.
The cold night air hit her first, making her realise how much warmer it was inside the house and not fully wanting to leave that for her cold car. Yet, she sucked it up and tried to ignore the closer proximity the two of them had. She took a deep breath, focusing on the present as she turned to face the door.
"Perhaps some other night. We will see" she said, once again not wanting to make any valid promises.
She wasn't sure how to feel about those offers and suggestions, being conflicted about them internally. To ensure she didn't take a side she might not want to support soon, she tried her best to stay as neutral and abstract as possible.
Another thing he had started to notice and mentally save in his mind was to write it down later. He kept his small smile and watched her walk towards her car, her strong scent still present as if she was still standing in front of him.
He kept control of himself, reminding his mind of the big steps they had managed to achieve already. As she drove away, he took one last breath of his intoxicating scent as his eyes glowed red.
"Soon" was all he said, a small growl following after before he closed the door and locked it.
