The Last Temptation

The Last Temptation
Chapter 7: Counting Blue Cars

Story By: The Adrians
Song By: Dishwalla

Started: August 15, 2007 | 10:43 pm PST
Finished: January 8, 2008 |12:00 am PST

Authors’ Note:

We’ve gotten a little proactive and started writing this note before we’ve even posted chapter 6. Eee. We’re just so excited about this next couple of days in TLT. They’ll be some of the most eventful so far.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed for the last two chapters. EricaH, Lina, Mino, Mary, Anon, Lindsey, M, SilentOmega, and darkangel985 (again x5)
Your feedback is always appreciated!
Simarillion: We’re working on posting TLT to lecterslash. It just takes forever to do all the html for the italicized bits on livejournal. Then we were considering making a banner…Which we’re horrible at, so we don’t know how that’ll happen. Guh…so much to do.
Mary: We’re very aware that Molly’s son’s name is Josh in the film version of Red Dragon. In this story, we’re using the name Thomas Harris gave the character in his book. We’re also using the book relationship. In said book, Willy is not Will Graham’s son. He’s the son of another man (who coincidentally was named Will also) and Molly. In short, Willy is Will Graham’s step-son.
For everyone looking at their TLT calendar, this fic starts at the beginning of day 18 and will end quite possibly at the beginning of day 21.
Enjoy everyone!

Love and love,

T.A.

PS: Please, for the love of all things good in this world, read and review!

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Chapter 7: Counting Blue Cars

It must have been mid afternoon
I could tell by the way the child’s shadow stretched out…

Three days passed before Molly called Will again. And it was only to tell him that Willy’s plane had long since taken off. He’d be in Marathon around nine o’clock that morning.
Will glanced at the clock on the wall of his kitchen. Eight-thirty.
“Thanks, Molly…” He sighed a little, downing his coffee. “I’m going to the airport. You’ll sneak around for the next few days, right?”
Hannibal looked up from the stove where he was tending crepes.
“I’ve been at it for almost a year now, Will. What are a few days more?”
The blonde nodded and headed for the door.
-“Forgetting something?”
Will turned. Hannibal dangled the younger man’s car keys in one hand, his other still tilting the crepe pan.
“What would you do without me?” He asked, not turning his head from the stove.
Will returned to the kitchen and took his keys. “Well, until recently I’d been at it for about nine years.”
-“And look how terribly you live. A several thousand square foot home on the water in Marathon, Florida.” He winked.
The younger man nodded. “Yep. Sheer poverty. Now that you’re here, I expect you to begin drafting a palace.”
Lecter smiled. “As soon as I’m done making breakfast.”
“Good.” Will turned again and made it out the door this time.

Hannibal ate his crepes and drank his coffee at the counter.
It had been three days and things were slowly returning to the way they had been before that fateful night so many years ago.
Will had woken late in the afternoon from a distressed slumber after the news of Willy’s condition. He walked downstairs, face tired and sad, and sat in the chair he’d passed out in the night before. The blonde stared vacantly at the blank television screen. Hannibal had watched him regretting silently for almost ten minutes before opening one of the bottles of red from Will’s wine rack and heating it with a handful of cloves in a saucepan. He gave the blonde a mug full and talked to him gently.
The next day had been better. Will agreed to talk about Willy.
“Sometimes I hated him…” He’d said flatly.
“He was the child of another man, a son no less.” Hannibal added understandingly.
“Willy’s practically the reincarnation of Will.” The blonde sighed.
Hannibal’s questioning look led him to explain further.
“He’s named after his father. He looks just like him. The guy died in some sort of accident. Neither Molly or Willy ever got over him.”
-“The death of a loved one isn’t easy to get over.” The doctor replied.
Will frowned. “Then you shouldn’t get married again. Especially not to a guy with the same name…”
-“It sounds like you hated his father more than you hated him.”
“Probably. Willy was protective of Molly. He sort of guarded her. She encouraged him, thought it was cute. All I could see was a ghost barring me off from my wife.” The blonde sighed again.
“I know that makes me sound like a dick, but I was never good enough for her or Willy. The other Will was always so much better…at everything. Even my in-laws thought so and they made a point of voicing their opinions.”
-“Is she still in contact with the parents of her former husband?”
Hannibal thought he saw a flash of mania in Will’s eyes as he nodded.
“Oh yes. She lives with them in Oregon. They bought Willy a pony. I’m sure the second they found out he was sick they bought him ten more. Just before Dolarhyde came I was debating asking for a divorce.”
Lecter arched an eyebrow. “Why?”
-“They were both cold. She was pissed at me, pissed at you and Willy had to feel what his mother felt.”
“You say she was angry with me…” That was interesting, not unexpected, but interesting.
-“Yes. She’s hated you for as long as we’ve known each other. Your incarceration just gave her a good reason.”
Hannibal steepled his fingers. “It sounds like she was jealous.”
Will laughed. “Yeah. You and I have been pretty shameless in the past.”
The doctor tossed his head and snorted dramatically. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The younger man smiled. “’How I’d love to get you on my couch?’ No innuendos there.”
Lecter smirked. “Certainly not.”
The blonde’s expression was neutral again. “Molly was angry with me for bringing work home with me, I guess. She liked that I was a well paid special investigator, but didn’t like what went along with the job: nightmares, hospitalization, venting. I was supposed to be a superhero without feelings or problems.”
-“That’s hardly fair.”
“I know. After the Hobbes case, things were tense. I couldn’t tell her about anything.” Will paused, looking at Hannibal for a long moment. “The recurring theme in my TAT was not being able to express feelings to those I care about.”
The doctor tilted his head a little. “Do you think it was entirely Molly’s fault? There wasn’t any reluctance on your part in expressing those feelings?”
Will shook his head. “I don’t think Molly was who I wanted to convey feelings to.”
Hannibal started to ask who they were for before he caught the look in Will’s eye.
“There’s no guarantee things would have been different.” The blonde turned his gaze from the older man, but the pain he hoped to hide was too obvious.
The older man’s face became sad. “That January I was planning on leaving the country. I contemplated asking you to leave with me...”
Ocean-blue eyes were watering. “I wish you had…”
-“Where would you like to go?”
Will sniffed back the tears. “Somewhere with water clear and blue where we can drink margaritas on a private dock.”
The doctor put a hand on the back of Will’s neck and squeezed gently.
The blonde let his head fall onto the other man’s shoulder.

He walked with a purpose
In his sneakers, down the street…

Will drove carefully. His arm was swollen and painful, but life was no longer at stake every time he pulled on a shirt. For that he was grateful.
Things had been calm lately. Much less awkwardly calm then he would have expected. Having Hannibal around felt surprisingly natural. It was as if they’d slipped back in time and were living as they had nine years before. There was still suspicion, but it came mostly at night, when Will was trying to fall asleep. He’d strain his ears, trying to hear the movements of the doctor in the guest bedroom, but he never could. It was disconcerting, but any other arrangement would have been more so. They hadn’t exactly talked or done anything more about the ‘promise’ the doctor made.
The morning after the news about Willy, Hannibal had insisted they go out. Jeremy would be wondering about their absence the day before. The older man left early to shower and change, but promised to be at Jeremy’s at quarter ‘til 8.
Will figured it was better that they go separately anyway. As far as Jeremy knew, he and Hannibal had met only a day or so ago. Arriving together would have been suspicious in more ways than one.
Will turned up at 8:03. Jeremy congratulated him on waking early. The doctor chuckled knowingly. The blonde took the teasing with a smile and sat down between the two men.
“The usual, Will?” The barista stood.
-“Yeah. Please.”
Jeremy hurried behind the counter to make Will his coffee. “I didn’t see either of you yesterday. Doc, you’ve been here nearly three weeks and haven’t missed a morning until just yesterday.”
Hannibal had smiled. “I was a little preoccupied.”
The barista looked up from the espresso machine. “Another of those letters you’ve been getting?”
Will arched an eyebrow. “Letters?”
Jeremy nodded ”Yeah. Doc’s been getting letters from a secret someone. You should see the way his eyes light up when he reads them.”
The blonde couldn’t resist laughter. “Really?”
Lecter shot a look at Jeremy over his mug of coffee.
The barista giggled. “Oops. Maybe I’ve said too much…”
Will was practically glowing. “No, no…Tell me about this secret someone, doctor. This sounds strange, but I’ve been wondering just what kind of person it takes to…make your eyes light up...”
Hannibal shook his head, this time focusing his mock irritation at Will. “If you must know, those letters were from an old friend. A person who will always have a special place in my heart. As for the kind of people it takes to bring any sort of light to my eyes…I think Ms. Marilyn Monroe was on to something when she said ‘Gentlemen prefer blondes…’”
Will did his best to hide the blush staining his nose and cheeks. While trying to find the best angle to position his head so the pinkness wouldn’t show, he caught sight of Jeremy’s face. It was down-turned and red from a deep blush.
Poor Jeremy. Will saw a little of himself in the younger man. He acted just the way Will had so many years before. He didn’t know how to react to such obvious flirting.
It was a good thing Will knew this game. “I agree. And you know I’m sure I heard somewhere that blondes prefer doctors.”
Will looked to Jeremy who was thoroughly mortified, and then to Hannibal who was smiling over the rim of his mug.
After coffee he and Hannibal had returned to Will’s house. Sitting at the bar, Hannibal coaxed Will into spilling some of the pent up guilt. Hating Willy’s father. Resenting Willy. Even some conclusions he’d come to while thinking about his time at Bethesda. God, Willy…
Now that he was only a few minutes away, Will didn’t know how exactly he was supposed act around the boy. They’d parted on overly-polite terms and had only corresponded…politely. And now that Will knew Willy was dieing the politeness would get awkward. Suddenly Will didn’t know why he allowed Molly to send Willy out. He wasn’t the boy’s father. Hell, he wasn’t even much of a step-father. He sighed. Sugarloaf Key’s private airstrip was coming into view. Will could see a small plane touching down in the distance. Now wasn’t the time to be having second thoughts.
He parked the car and walked out onto the strip. The newly arrived plane joined another one at the hanger. As Will approached, he noticed two figures. They appeared to have been watching the new plane touch down. There was a man on one knee and a dark-haired boy Will could only assume was Willy.
Even from far away, Will could tell he’d gotten bigger. Much bigger. It had only been two years, but the boy had grown at least five inches. He hardly looked like the helpless young thing Francis Dolarhyde had once held at knifepoint. Will thought vaguely that if he were the boy’s father he might have been proud of how lean and agile Willy was. In a couple of years he might have been playing football or soccer for a team far beyond his grade-level. As it was, Will didn’t think Willy would ever even learn what a lettermen jacket was. He shuddered. Always with the negative.
The boy didn’t notice Will until the man was more than halfway across the strip. When he did, it felt like a moment in a motion picture as Willy bounded toward him to close the distance. It was slow and dramatic and Will almost didn’t know what to do. The closer Willy got, the more Will wanted to run away. When he was close enough for Will to see the white of his eyes, the boy all but threw himself on the older man. Will hesitated.
“Don’t worry, Will. You aren’t going to break me.” The hug was firm, and the smile was genuine.
Will immediately wrapped his arms around the boy and held him to his chest. It felt different from all the times he’d done it in the past. This time the hug felt real. The boy underneath felt real. And for a moment, Will felt like he was holding his own son.

He had many questions
Like children often do…

After finishing his breakfast, Hannibal made sandwiches for Will’s return and left them on the counter. The boys would probably get hungry after all that awkward silence.
While they caught up, Hannibal thought he’d go out for some velum and pencils. The more he’d thought about it, the more appealing drafting a palace for Will became. He could already picture the stone pillars, the high arches, the deep, mysterious gardens. There was a small art store at the corner of town. He’d be able to find everything he needed there.

“How’s the pony?”
Willy laughed. “Oh, he’s real good. Grandma and Grandpa bought another one to keep him company after mom and I moved back to Oregon.”
Somehow Will wasn’t surprised.
“Your grandparents take pretty good care of you, huh?”
The boy nodded. “Yeah, mom says they spoil me rotten.”
Will chuckled. “You’re the only grandson, right?”
-“Yup. But I think half of it’s ‘cause I’m sick.”
Will’s eyes got wide. That was certainly not how he expected the subject to arise.
-“Don’t worry, Will. I already know.”
-“I’m sorry, Willy…”
The boy smiled. “I’m not.”
They sat in silence for the rest of the drive.
“Do you want to stay in your old room?” Will asked as they got out of the car.
“Wow, yeah! Are all my things still there?” The boy ran excitedly for the door.
“Well, everything you didn’t take with you to Oregon.” Will followed with Willy’s bag.
Willy ran up the stairs and into his room. The bed and dresser still stood in their old positions. Blue sheets similar in color to the blue paint on the wall covered the bed. The coverlet featured Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner at their usual antics. Will smiled as the boy flopped onto the bed and kicked his feet happily.
“So what do you want to do today?” The older man asked as he set Willy’s things by the dresser.
“I could really go for something to eat before we tear up the town, Will.” The boy laughed.
Will laughed too. He nodded and waved for Willy to follow. There was a lot of food at Will’s house recently, as Hannibal was cooking all the meals. Will was confident he could find something.
Willy followed the older man down the stairs and into the kitchen, where he took a seat at the bar counter and grabbed one of the sandwiches on the plate while Will rummaged through the fridge.
“These are good sandwiches, Will.” Willy said happily.
“What sandwiches?” The older man asked before thinking. He turned to look at Willy and the plate before laughing nervously.
“Oh...yeah, those. I'm glad you like them.”
“You're funny, Will...” Willy laughed.
Will was just happy the boy was still young enough to laugh at strange occurrences like that one.
Will fixed the both of them a glass of milk and sat beside Willy at the bar.
-“What're we gunna do today, Will?”
The older man took a bite of his sandwich and chewed thoughtfully. “I dunno. What do you want to do?”
-“Do you have the boats still?” Willy looked hopeful.
Will smiled. “I do. I've got both actually. Do you want to go fishing?”
Willy bounced excitedly. “Yeah! Yeah! Fishing in Oregon isn’t like fishing down here. You never catch anything in Oregon.”
Will laughed. “I’ll bet…”

“Did you find everything alright, sir?” The woman at the counter of the art supply store asked as she began ringing up the items on the belt.
The customer smiled a little. “Yes, thank you.”
“Oh good.” She smiled back. There was a lot of oil paint and charcoal, all by the best brands the store carried. This man knew what he was doing. She hated when people came in looking pompous and self-important then bought tempra paint to make their 'masterpieces.' The man had an air about him that suggested he might have talent enough to make good use of such expensive materials. He had big hands with long fingers. They weren't extensively calloused and the ring finger of the right hand bore the gentle slope of a writer's mark.
The rest of him wasn't bad either. He looked a little over fifty, maybe. It was hard to tell. His hair was long and dark, nearly black she'd say except for a small shock of grey that rested on the left side of his face. She couldn't quite determine the color of his eyes. They were mysterious. Worthy of an artist. Worthy of a work of art.
Then she saw it. Velum. Just behind the paintbrushes. It was the fatal error she had been hoping against. Paint won't stick to velum. Charcoal was much too soft and would smear. She knew this man was too good to be true.
It was hard for her to not to show her extreme disappointment as she rang up the pad of offending drafting paper. “That'll be $107.34, sir.”
The doctor noticed the growing agitation of the cashier and inquired politely as to what the matter was.
She furrowed her brow, looking pained and slightly embarrassed. “Oh, well...I suppose it's none of my business...”
Hannibal lifted his eyebrows. “No, what is it?”
-”It's just...You've purchased a bunch of things for a painting...But then you bought a pad of velum. I don't have many people who know what they're doing come in here...and for a minute I thought maybe...No, I'm sorry...I just... Paint and charcoal-”
-“Don't stick to velum. Yes...I'm quite aware of that.” The amused look in the man's eyes made the woman unsure of whether she wanted to laugh or cry. The man spoke so calmly and warmly, with an almost untraceable accent: the way she imagined a work of art might if it could speak.
“I'm purchasing velum because I've run out at home. I've already got plenty of drafting pencils there though. I also have plenty of decent paper and canvass for painting. It's the paint and charcoal that I was running frightfully low on. I plan on drafting a building then painting it. I hope that's alright.”
Her face turned red and tears welled at the brim of her eyelids. She looked down, obviously ashamed.
Hannibal smiled gently and placed two bills on the counter. “No need to fret, miss. It was a valid concern. I appreciate it.”
She looked up into dazzling red-brown eyes and was momentarily lost.
Hannibal nodded and took the bags from beside her before he made his way to the door. “Keep the change,” he called over his shoulder.

He said,
Tell me all your thoughts on God
Tell me am I very far...?

“Sandwiches?”
“Check.”
“Fishing poles?”
“Check.”
“Tackle box?”
“Check.”
“Beer?”
“Ch-hey! I can't drink beer, Will!”
Will smiled. “Live a little, kid. What your mother doesn't know won't hurt her.”
Willy laughed. “Okay, okay. Check. But not too much. The doctors say alcohol thins blood and mine's thin enough already.”
Will nodded. “Not too much then.”
The older man started the boat he hadn't used in nearly two years. He loved the water but he had little passion for boats of late. They always reminded him of Molly.
His mind began to wander around the subject of their failed marriage when Willy's happy shouts broke his thoughts.
For the better, Will figured.
“Will! Will! Can we go crabbing too?” Willy called from the portside railing.
Will chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, if you can find my nets. We'll have to catch a little bait first though.”
The boy bounded down the stairs and into the cabin where he searched for the crab nets. A few minutes of excited searching revealed three nets and a curious round black object similar to a marble.
“Hey, Will! I found the nets...and something else too!”
Will had driven the boat out a few hundred yards before Willy turned up with the nets and something else. He shut off the boat, figuring this spot was as good as any before he climbed down the ladder and onto the deck where Willy stood.
-“What did you find? I'm sure it must be a mess down there.”
-”Look. Is it a marble?” Willy held out his hand. In it rested a marble-sized black pearl. It had a dull, old looking luster that made Will remember more than he would have liked to.
“No, Willy. You found the pearl your mother gave me before we got married. It was sort of a good luck charm.”
Willy looked hard at the small black object in his hand. He let it roll in the crease between his palm and his fingers. He wondered idly about his mother and Will before looking up at the older man.
Will was frowning again: that impersonal, thinking frown that the man seemed to wear a lot. It felt like he was looking through Willy when he frowned like that- Like he was remembering something.
“Willy...” The older man said softly.
-“Yeah, Will?”
“Why don't you take the pearl? I think it might serve you a bit better than it did me.”
Willy nodded and tucked the pearl into his pocket. Will stared off for a few more moments before a more carefree look slipped back into place. Will baited his line and motioned for Willy to follow him portside. The two sat in silence for a while, just listening to the sound of the waves splash against the boat. Willy thought about his mother and so did Will, at least for a time. The boy looked at the older man's face, watched the frown turn into something else. It looked a little like a smile. The man's eyes were certainly a lot less cloudy. He seemed to be thinking of something or someone pleasant. The more he watched, in fact, the more pleased Will looked.
Willy smiled. That was good. Will deserved to be-
Before he could finish his thought, there was a tug on his line. Willy tugged back and began reeling in what felt like the biggest fish he'd ever hooked.
Will stood beside Willy, cheering him on and looking over the rail for the fish in the water. What he saw was certainly not something he'd expected to see. A fair sized swordfish was throwing its entire weight against the line Willy was tugging on. Will had seen grown men thrown off a boat by these fish. He grabbed Willy's pole from behind him and helped the boy jerk the large fish towards the boat. More than thirty minutes of struggle left the fish exhausted and mostly easy to pull into the boat. Will took a step back and looked at it. Any bigger and the line would have snapped or Willy would have gone in head first. Will figured the boy would have been absolutely ecstatic either way. He had hooked quite a fish.
Later tonight, he'd see if he could find a way to sneak Hannibal in to cook it.
Willy giggled happily. And that pleased look on Will's face had come back. He must have been thinking of that nice something again.
Willy smiled. Will deserved to be happy.

The table was covered with velum and pencils and rulers and tape. He had a pencil tucked behind his ear and one between his teeth, while still another was in his hand, moving smoothly over the nearly-transparent paper. There were charcoal smudges all over his hands and a sort of endearing one just beside his nose.
Hannibal was hard at work.
He began as soon as he arrived home, spilling the contents of the bags onto his workspace. He was drawing even before he thought to sit. When the mood caught him, Hannibal tended to hyper-focus. Drawing was often the medium of his focus. He'd drawn the faces of his sister's murderers, the scene from Belvedere Square and Clarice with her lambs, but none of those could possibly compare to what he was going to create just now.
He would draft a palace, room by room, with painstaking detail to each little nuance. When he was finished, he would present it to Will and be satisfied to watch the blue eyes light up with adoration.
Just now he was finishing up the third-story ground plan. He was writing in the measurements for the master bathroom when the phone began to ring. The older man was tempted to just let it, but something told him he might want to take the call, so he stood and walked across the room to the analog phone and picked up the antique receiver. -“Dr. Oliver Fell.”
“It's Will...” The man's voice was a whisper. Hannibal's eyes narrowed.
-“Is everything alright?”
-“Yeah, everything's fine. I'm whispering because Willy's around somewhere.” The older man relaxed a bit.
-“Ah. What did you do today?”
-“We went fishing and Willy caught one of the biggest swordfish I've ever seen.”
-“Those are wonderful when seasoned with lemon salt and-”
-“I was hoping you'd sneak in for me-” Will stopped for a moment. “That is if you aren't busy...”
Hannibal could almost see Will's blush. It made him smile. “Never too busy for you, Will.”
-“Thank you! I'll leave the back door open. I'm taking Willy out to buy things for s'mores-” Now the older man could picture the excitement in Will's face. It had been quite a while since he'd seen anything like that.
-“Ah, Will?”
“Yes?”
“How do you plan on explaining how the fish got cooked without you being there?”
There was a pause followed by genuine laughter.
-“You know, I hadn't thought of that.”
Hannibal chuckled softly. “Yes, I can tell. I don't think he's young enough anymore for 'magic' to be a suitable explanation.”
“Well, how about I turn on the oven and get out the things you need then leave and say I left it to cook?”
The older man could hear the rising excitement in the other's voice. Who was he to shut him down? Hannibal shook his head, smiling a little. “Fine, fine. I'll be over in fifteen minutes. Be out of the house in ten.”
-“Thank you so much!”
-“No problem, Will.”
Then the line went dead. Lecter hung up the receiver and walked into his bathroom to wash off his hands before heading to Will's.

Must have been late afternoon
On our way, the sun broke free of the clouds…

“We’ve got everything, right?” Willy hung over the basket of the cart, looking inside as Will pushed.
“Well, let’s see…Marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers, right?”
Willy nodded. “Yup, that sounds right.”
Will smiled and headed them towards the check-out counter.
On the way home, Will decided to stop at the candy store to give Hannibal extra time. Willy ran about, looking in barrels and bins for the candy he wanted. He couldn’t choose so Will told him he should get a little of everything.
The boy’s eyes lit up and for a moment Will wanted to cry.

Hannibal sprinkled a little lemon salt gently over the wine-marinated fish just before he put in the oven. It was just in time too. Just as he closed the oven door, he heard the door open and Willy’s soft, boyish voice excitedly tell Will he would head out back and start the fire. Lecter slid into the laundry room, waiting to hear the back door click shut before he came out.
“Hannibal?” Will called.
“Over here, Will.” The doctor replied.
Will turned as the older man stepped out of the laundry room. He smiled. Something about hiding the other man made Will feel like he was 16 again. It reminded him of hiding girls in the closet when his mom came in to take the laundry. The younger man chuckled at the thought.
-“Where did you park?”
Hannibal arched an eyebrow at the chuckle. “Under the covered drive, beside your larger boat.”
Will nodded. “Did you find everything you needed? I know I’ve been living like a bachelor for a while…”
The older man walked back into the kitchen and set the timer on the oven. “Remind me to buy you a set of saucepans, Will.”
Will looked apologetic. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to do that…”
The brow lifted a little higher. He turned to Will who was now only a few steps behind him, his hands in his pockets and his eyes downcast. The man was gorgeous when he was embarrassed. Hannibal closed the distance between them and put a hand on the younger man’s cheek. “No need to be sorry, my dear…It’s my pleasure.”
Will turned his head into the hand, sighing and closing his eyes.
Hannibal smiled.

Willy knelt next to the bowl-shaped brazier he was trying to light. He just couldn’t get the magnesium shavings to catch the kindling. He could really use a bit of lighter fluid. With a sigh, the boy stood up. He felt dizzy for a moment. He wished it was only because he’d stood up too fast. He swallowed a wave of sadness and headed back up the dock to the house. It was dark now and Will hadn’t turned on the porch lights yet. Walking back here in the dark alone scared the boy a bit. It reminded him of the night he thought was his last. Willy shivered and hurried for the porch.
He stopped before opening the back door. The scene on the other side of the glass window was one he somehow knew, but wasn’t sure how. Will was pressed against the bar counter by another person, another man. He was about five inches shorter than Will and had dark hair that was tied neatly back. His hands were holding both of Will’s hips and his head was tilted back, listening as Will spoke. Will’s hands supported him on the counter. When the shorter one spoke, the smile Willy saw earlier returned to Will’s face full force. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against the other man’s. They stayed like that for a few moments, talking with their heads together, until the stove beeped. Will jumped a little and the other man kissed his forehead before pulling away. He walked around the counter into the kitchen and out of Willy’s sight. The boy moved out of the door way, his back pressed to side of the house, brow furrowed in thought. The other man was someone Willy recognized. But from where? The boy dropped his head and closed his eyes. It couldn’t have been from the books he’d read in school. Maybe there was a way to see his face better. Willy walked along the deck towards the kitchen window. He could see the man’s back as he bent to get the fish from the oven. When he turned a moment to set the dish down, Willy saw enough to know exactly how he recognized the man Will was with.
This was the man who killed people and ate them, who almost killed Will, who had sent Francis Dolarhyde to kill him and his family.
Hannibal Lecter.
Willy wondered why exactly he didn’t feel frightened.

We count only blue cars
Skip the cracks in the street…


Hannibal set the pot holders down on the counter and grabbed two plates from the cabinet. “Go get Willy. I’ll be back later.”
Will nodded and headed for the back door.
When he looked outside it was dark except for the glowing brazier on the dock. He called for Willy and only had to wait a moment for the boy to come bounding up the path towards the porch.
“Hey, Will. See my fire?”
Will smiled. “Yeah. Good job. The fish is done. Want some?”
Willy nodded. “Yeah!”

At home, Hannibal went back to working on his drawings. With the ground plans done, he could start the individual rooms. The ground floor dining hall first. He wanted to save the best for last. Will’s bedroom would be a masterpiece in itself.

“What happened between you and mom, Will?” Willy asked after his second beer and fourth s’more.
Will mentally noted it was time to cut the boy off alcohol. “Well, Willy…It’s really complicated. I-“
-“Did it have something to do with Hannibal Lecter?”
Will’s eyes widened. “What?”
Willy sat up in the beach chair he was resting in.”Did it have anything to do with Hannibal Lecter?”
Will’s heart pounded in his chest. For a minute he saw Molly sitting in the chair across from him, not the boy he’d recently come to care about.
His voice was shaky when he answered. “What do you know about Hannibal Lecter, Willy?”
The boy sat back. “I know what you told me when I was little and I know what mom’s always told me.”
Will knew what Molly liked to say about Hannibal. "He’s the most horrible man in the world…He kills people and eats them…He tried to kill me and Willy…He tried to kill you…He’s jealous of what we have…"
“Well, some of that’s true and some of it isn’t.” Will began cautiously. “I guess you could say part of why your mom and I didn’t work is because of Dr. Lecter.”
Willy yawned. “Is it because you love him?”
Will was silent for a long time. If he was taken aback by the first question, this one was like a kick in the stomach.
“I understand if you don’t want to answer that now, Will.” The boy said sleepily after the first few minutes stretched into fifteen or twenty.
Will stared at the fire, mind mulling the innocent question. Hannibal had only been physically in his life again for four days. He had to admit that having Hannibal present was much different than having him only in thought. Maybe it was because his eyes didn’t glow with frustration at the cage he was penned up in and his tone wasn’t laced with acid the way it had been the last time they met.
“He’s free now…” Will thought, letting his head fall back against his beach chair.
He wondered idly how Willy might guess his relationship with Hannibal had been anything less than professional. Probably Molly…She had a way of slipping things into casual conversation. “Well, you know Will…more in love with a maniac than he was with me…” or “The pretty ones are always more attracted to psychopaths…”
He sighed and turned to Willy. The boy was asleep in his chair. Will smiled a little at his peaceful face. There was still color in it and he was still breathing. It made him shiver to think that that might soon change.

And ask many questions
Like children often do…

Hannibal snuck inside Will’s front door just after midnight. It had been hard to tear himself away from his drawings, but he didn’t intend on leaving Will alone, even if there hadn’t been sign of Clarice for days. He was more worried now that she’d been gone a few days than he had been when she was in town. There was no telling when she’d turn up. And he was certain she’d find her way back sometime soon.
After locking the door, the doctor started up the stairs. He’d slip into the guest bedroom as silently as possible. He didn’t want to wake Willy, though he had a sneaking suspicion the boy already knew he was there. Call it intuition, but windows didn’t often project the silhouettes of eleven year old boys onto the porch.
As he walked past Willy’s door he heard a rustling. Hannibal would have ignored it if the rustling hadn’t been followed by a soft “Pssst…I know you’re there. Don’t worry, just come in please.”
Well, that’s one way to prove a suspicion. The doctor pushed open the door and stood in the frame. The room was partially lit by a night-light. It was just bright enough to discern the color of the bedspread, but not the detail on it. “Now, isn’t it past your bedtime, Willy?” The older man asked with a small smile.
The boy chuckled a little as he sat up in bed. “Yeah, it is, but I heard you come in, so I thought we could talk.”
Hannibal arched an eyebrow, his head tilting a little in curiosity. “I see. I don’t mean to be rude, but do you know who I am?”
Willy nodded. “Yes. You’re Dr. Hannibal Lecter.”
-“A smart boy. Tell me, what do you plan on doing now that you know I’m here?”
Willy frowned a moment, “Well, first I thought we could talk. I’d like you to explain something to me, please.”
Fair enough. He saw some of Will’s courage in the doe-brown eyes fixed on him. It was a tad endearing. “I’ll try my best, Willy.
Willy nodded. “Did you have anything to do with my mother and Will’s divorce?”
Of all the questions Hannibal expected, that was probably the last. He blinked once and found himself stepping forward a few feet before he even fathomed an answer.
“I suppose you could say that I did.” He finally managed.
Willy frowned again. “That’s what Will said.”
Lecter’s brow arched higher. “You asked Will?”
The boy nodded. “Yep. He said about the same thing. He didn’t answer me when I asked him if it was because he loved you.”
The doctor laughed out loud at that, not sure if he could quite believe what he was hearing. “You’re quite forward, aren’t you?”
The boy shrugged a little. “I was kinda drunk when I asked.”
Hannibal nodded. “What makes you think it was those sorts of feelings that ruined your mother and Will’s relationship?”
Willy bit his lower lip and squinted a little in thought. “Well, today when we were fishing, I watched him smile when he thought about something. It was a happy sort of smile. Then later, when you two were in the kitchen talking, he smiled the same way. I just sorta figured…”
Hannibal nodded. “That’s some very keen observation, Willy. Now, I think Will was unable to answer your question because he isn’t quite certain he knows.”
The boy looked a little surprised. “I didn’t think of that. That might be it.” He looked down at his bedspread for a moment. “But that doesn’t answer my first question… Are you the reason they divorced?”
The older man sighed. “I don’t think I helped the situation any.”
Willy’s face scrunched in thought again. “What was the situation?”
Hannibal took the chair from the small desk at the side of Willy’s room and sat down in it. This might take a while.
“I’m not certain of all the details, Willy, but I’ll tell you what I know.”
The boy nodded and waited for him to proceed.
“Your mother and Will had been married only recently when he and I met. We worked together, you see.”
-“For the FBI?”
“Yes and no. Will worked for the FBI. I had my own private practice and offered my services to the government. Since our first case together Will has been rather special to me. He’s not like everyone else…But I think you already knew that.”
Willy nodded. “Yeah.”
“I suppose your mother suspected something from the very beginning. Even if Will never said anything out loud, he communicates everything through those eyes of his. She might have been jealous. At least until Will put me in prison…” Willy nodded, as he remembered the hospital bed and Will hooked up to at least a dozen machines. “But what about afterwards?”
“You mean the Dolarhyde case?”
The boy shivered a little and Hannibal felt a tiny pang of something in his chest. “I suppose the last straw for your mother was Francis Dolarhyde. I gave him this address and told him to kill everyone.”
-“Even Will?”
-“No. I didn’t think Will would be here.”
-“Then just me and my mom?”
-“Yes.”
-“…Why?”
Hannibal sighed. “I think I might have been a little jealous too.”
Willy smiled. “I understand. It’s hard to share things that are special.”
The doctor nodded. “Yes, it is…”
When he looked at Willy next, the boy’s big brown eyes were filled with something peaceful and sad. “You don’t have to worry about sharing for much longer though. Mom and Will divorced and I don’t have a whole lot of time left.”
Lecter nodded slowly. “I take it you know about your condition.”
-“Yeah. Mom and Will don’t know that I don’t have nearly as much time as they think.”
-“Are you frightened?”
-“A little…”

We said,
Tell me all your thoughts on God
‘Cause I would really like to meet her
And ask her why we’re who we are…

The next day and a half was something like perfect.
In the mornings, Will and Willy woke to the smell of breakfast cooking below. They got up, tired and mussed, but never stayed that way for long. After breakfast the two went out for the entire day- boating, swimming, fishing, or doing anything else they could think to do. They usually stayed out for lunch and only came in to change clothes or get things for the next item on their agenda.
In the evenings they would come home to dinner already made. Will was certain Willy knew Hannibal was around, but if the boy was bothered by it, he didn’t show it. That made him happy. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because someone else wasn’t horrified or appalled, then he wasn’t totally crazy.
Just before bed, they would have a beer or two and talk about things.
And when Willy went to sleep, Hannibal appeared to fill the emptiness that sunk in with every passing minute.
“He’s getting weaker…” Will said the second evening of Willy’s stay.
The reddish eyes softened a little. “He’s dying, Will.”
Blue ones closed slowly. “I know.”
A hand pressed its warmth into Will’s shoulder. “He may not make it much longer.”
“I know!” The shoulder stiffened and shrugged from under the hand.
Hannibal sighed, but his tone was gentle. “Have you thought about calling Molly?”
Will nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t know what I’d tell her.”
-“Tell her what to expect.”
The blond shook his head. “Easier said than done. Why don’t we wait until tomorrow?”
Hannibal didn’t have the heart to tell him that tomorrow was all he might have.

Tell me all your thoughts on God
Cause I’m on my way to see her
So tell me am I very far?
Am I very far now?

The dawn on the third day of Willy’s stay was a particularly glorious one. The sky was red with flecks of vibrant gold and purple. It was something a person might see in a movie. Willy woke up and stayed in bed for a few moments, enjoying a sunrise. The he went downstairs to meet Will for breakfast. Willy stopped half way down the stairs and panted a little. He was tired. More tired than usual. He wasn’t quite sure he’d be able to take another day like the last two. When he saw Will’s face though, he couldn’t find it in himself to deny the older man anything.
“How’re you feeling, Willy?” Will asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
“Great, Will. What’re we doing today?” He thought he saw a flash of sadness across Will’s face, but it was quickly replaced by cheer.
-“Well, I don’t know. I thought we might head for the beach.”
Willy yawned into his arm and nodded as he sat down at the bar counter. “Sounds good.”

And so they went…
The beach wasn’t very crowded that day. Only a few people dotted the sand here and there. Much of the waterline was open for Willy to wade through and search for shells he liked.
Will walked with him and kept all the shells he chose in a plastic bag.
They were mostly silent, just appreciating each other’s company. Will wanted so badly to say something, to tell Willy he loved him, would miss him, would never forget him..but nothing came. After a while, Willy got tired and they sat in the sand.
“You know, you never answered my question, Will.” He said thoughtfully as he rifled through his bag of shells.
“What question is that?”
“If you and mom didn’t work out because you love Dr. Lecter.”
Will sighed a little. “Oh, that…”
“Dr. Lecter said the reason you haven’t answered is because you might not know yet. I think you do. I can see it in the smile on your face and the look in your eyes when you think about him. You love him more than anything in the world and maybe it doesn’t feel like that now, but I’m sure it will someday…When the water’s clearer.”
Will arched a brow. “What?”
The boy shrugged. “I just got this picture in my head of crystal blue water- kinda like the color of your eyes.”
It was silent again for a while.
Will had finally fought back the urge to cry just as Willy’s head hit the sand.

It’s getting cold, picked up the pace
How our shoes make hard noises in this place…

Hannibal looked into the room at Willy’s unconscious form. His face was pale and his breathing was shallow. It was almost astounding the turn his body took in a few short days. Will was downstairs calling Molly and the doctor was about to start dinner when he heard the boy’s voice come softly from under the blanket.
“Dr. Lecter…”
“Call me Hannibal.” The man replied with a wink.
Willy smiled. “Hannibal, then. I have to tell you something. I’m not sure I understand it, but she said you would.”
Hannibal’s brow furrowed. “She?”
The boy nodded. “A little girl in my dream. She has blond hair and beautiful blue eyes. She says she knows you.”
The doctor took a step back. He might have gone for the boy’s throat if the next words from his lips hadn’t frozen him where he stood. “Graþus, Hannibal…graþus lopðinë.”
The boy looked far more tired than before. “Lullaby…”
The doctor nodded, his eyes suddenly very soft. “Did she tell you anything else?”
“That she loves you…and that it’s time you started loving too. She’s happy and she’d like you to be as well…”
Hannibal swallowed thickly.
-“I think she was talking about Will…I know you aren’t bad, Hannibal…You just don’t want to hurt. Let Will take away your pain…and you can take away his…maybe then you’ll both be happy.”

Lecter shuddered and left the room, left the house. He drove back to his flat and drew.

Our clothes are stained,
We pass many cross-eyed people and ask many questions
Like children often do…

Will hung up the phone. Molly would be in Florida in the morning to take Willy back to see the doctors in Oregon. He climbed the stairs and with each step he thought of how many times he’d let himself be resentful of Willy. Every time he took a step he became a little sicker. By the time he reached the top landing, Will was nearly doubled over in disgust. How could he have let himself be so possessive of his relationship with Molly that he felt threatened by the boy, her son?
He leaned against the wall outside Willy’s room. He was afraid to go in.
The shallow breathing was audible from outside the room and Will didn’t know if he could take the sight. Slowly, he turned the corner into Will’s room.
Seeing slaughtered men and women from pictures in his head was nothing like seeing a dying child in real life before him.
Death looked so different in reality. It wasn’t the brightly lit camera-death of the FBI’s pictures. It wasn’t the gloomy grey death of the movies. Death was a little boy tucked into Wile E. Coyote covers, breathing softly his last breaths. The sight made Will’s head spin with the boldness of life’s injustices.
“Will…” The boy’s voice was so tired.
-“Yeah, Willy?”
-“Tell mom that things will get better, okay?”
-“Yes, Willy.”
-“I love you, Will…”
-“I love you too, Willy.”
Willy smiled one last time before shutting his eyes and letting out the final breath of his life.

Tell me all your thoughts on God
‘Cause I’d really like to meet her
And ask her why we’re who we are…

Will was very calm as he tucked the blankets more tightly around Willy’s body. He turned off the night light and closed the door to the room. Down the stairs he went. He grabbed his coat and his keys and headed out the door.

Hannibal answered the polite knocking on his door a little after midnight. He knew it couldn’t have been the hotel staff. The man standing on the other side was different somehow from the last time Hannibal had seen him. He was glowing…
In an instant, the glowing man’s lips were pressed flush against his. His fingers clung tightly to the front of Hannibal’s shirt and his teeth tugged needily at the doctor’s bottom lip. Lecter didn’t resist for one moment. His thoughts were exactly where Will’s were.
When the younger man ran out of breath and his panting turned into sobbing, the older one gently closed the door behind him and led him to the spare room.
“Come on, Will…Let’s get you to bed.”

Hannibal sat in his bed reading, or at least trying to. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t focus long enough to get past the first sentence. Willy’s voice, the Lithuanian lilt it had taken at Mischa’s words, rang in his ears. He was ready to give up when there was a knock on his bedroom door. Will didn’t wait for a response. He entered silently. His eyes were puffy and downcast. He had the look of a child who had just had a nightmare.
-“Can I-?”
-“Of course, Will.”
Will Graham pulled the covers back and slid into bed beside the only person in the world that mattered anymore. Hannibal Lecter wrapped his arms firmly around Will’s waist and pet the man's hair back gently while he cried.

Tell me all your thoughts on God,
‘Cause I’m on my way to see her
So tell me am I very far

Am I very far now?
Am I very far now?
Am I very far now?