Chapter 1

It had been exactly a year since the incident at the Chesapeake house. A year since she had last seen Paul Krendler alive, brains displayed for the entire forensics team to see. It had also been a year since she had last seen Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The ridicule she received from the investigation was crippling to say the least. She felt the burning glare of eyes while she was being taken in to the hospital and, later, into questioning at Quantico in that dress he had purchased for her. She was interrogated through the whole process. An agent on suspension, with a gun, rescuing one of the 10 most wanted and coming up empty handed. Astonishingly she wasn't fired. It helped that Ardelia had worked herself pretty far up the ladder and was able to vouch for her. It also helped that Krendler wasn't around anymore spewing his venom. Clarice never wished the man dead or wanted Hannibal to handle the situation, but secretly, deep down, she was thankful. They had found the payments made to Krendler's account from Mason Verger as well as the numerous correspondence between the two. After an intense 4 months, Clarice was back in action as an Agent, although the jobs she had received were bottom of the barrel so to speak. But life must carry on.

On this particular evening, Starling had worked rather late. She pulled the Mustang into her garage and glanced at the clock on the dash. It read 11:55pm.

"Damn. Seems like time just keeps getting later and later."

Clarice closed her eyes and gently rested her head on the steering wheel. An audible sigh escaped her lips.

"One day at a time Starling, come on."

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard her cell phone ringing from inside her purse. She dug through the bag and answered,

"Starling."

"Clare. How's it going?"

"Ethan….it's going alright I suppose. Why are you up so late?"

"Thought I would check in on you….you seemed…I don't know…off at work today?"

Clarice smiled, "Well…it has been a year to the day exactly you know?"

Ethan murmured something Starling couldn't make out, "Sorry, guess I wasn't thinking. But you know….you have to learn to let that shit go. I mean come on….it's been a year since you have seen the man. What is it Clarice?"

"It's hard to explain. I told you….I just feel like he is always here. I can't shake this feeling. I have had it for days now."

"Need me to come over?" Clarice could hear the hope in his voice.

"Sorry, gonna have to pass on that one."

Ethan laughed, "Can't blame a guy for trying Clare. I mean really though…you haven't gone out since that day for any fun or anything. Don't you want to go have some fun or just go out in general?"

"Not really. Look Ethan….I appreciate you looking out for me and supporting me in all this but I just can't. I just need some time to myself….really. Look, I just got home….I think I need some rest. It has been a long day."

"Alright, sounds good. If you change your mind…you got my number."

"I know. Bye Ethan."

Clarice hung up and smirked, "Haven't gone out huh?"

It's true…Clarice hadn't really tried dating, going out much, or hanging out with friends or anything since that night. She just never felt the same. Her therapist thought it had to do with some form of PTSD. But Clarice didn't feel that deep down. She honestly sat there and thought of him. Over and over he ran through her mind. She couldn't let anyone know though. No one was safe with that information. Not Ardelia, not Ethan, not the bureau. Not in a thousand years.

She was unsure of her own feelings, and a year of reflection did not offer much clarity on the matter. But the bureau had made it very clear that if she so much as mentions his name or they catch her digging into his file that she was done. That was the deal. No Lecter again, ever. But why did that make her feel this way? Does she indeed have some repressed feelings? That kiss she thought about every night. What would have happened if she had reciprocated? What would happen if she hadn't called the FBI? What would happen if she had called them sooner? Was this feeling regret that he had escaped, and that she was unable to capture him?

She had always hoped so, but when she thought of him in chains and behind bars, something in her heart sank. But why?

Starling felt like she was afraid of the answer. Afraid of what others might think. So she always refuses to go down that path. After all, they were done with one another. This was it. This was her life now, and she was going to make the best of it.

She grabbed her purse and headed in her house. She opened the door that lead into the kitchen and tossed her purse on the island counter. She was beginning to make her way to the living room and she froze.

Something….wasn't right. She could smell something…it smelled….like blood.

Starling pulled out her gun and turned off the safety. She glanced around in the kitchen and checked the pantry before making her way back to the living room. She hears the faintest sound coming from the corner of the stairway. Starling approached with pistol held high, "Get your hands up where I can see them now." She walked forward and noticed the figure did not raise their hands. "I'm warning you now. So much as move, and I will shoot you." Starling went to the opposite side of the door where the light switches were. She could only see the shape of the person. They were covered in blood, and the person was wheezing.

Starling flipped on the light and the sight before her made all those feelings from the past year come flooding back in an instant. She felt paralyzed. Lying there at the bottom of the stairs leaning against the wall was Hannibal Lecter, covered in blood. He was struggling for air and his eyes and hers met for the first time since that night at the Chesapeake.

"Cla…rice….hhhheeelllppp. Pp…lleeaassee."

Author's Note:

To be continued…please don't forget to review. The comments are always appreciated.