Maybe I'll Teach Her To Fish

Maybe...

After the fall from the cliff they had pulled themselves from the water. They found themselves a small place at the edge of the water that seemed not to have any current residence and helped each other heal. Raking turns to stitch each others injuries - Wills much neater and easier, Hannibals slower and done as the man talked him through the act - once the two got back to health a few more scars they moved, Hannibal happily taking Will travelling to different places.

Hannibal waited a til they found a small place to settle before he started picking up his old habits and getting his tastes back to his "higher" standards. The home they had finally settled in was modest, In Hannibals opinion anyway, with a nice kitchen and a view of the ocean. The view was Hannibals choice, Will had protested but He had made a comment about the water being a reminder that will had chose death with him over life with the fbi, Jack and his new 'family', after a while in the home will had grown to enjoy the view as well as much as he had rolled his eyes at the older mans sentiment over it the water was calming. And it helped when he decided to work as a marine mechanic giving him more time on the boats and by the water through the days. He didn't work full time due to the work so on days he needed to do something and was generally in ned of a distraction Hannibal finally lead him a dog shelter and he was signed as a volunteer and worked odd shifts, Hannibal had to continued to make sure he didn't adopt all of the strays. Hannibal on the other hand went to work in a small practice as a doctor. They had found themselves new names to go by as they did their best to stay hidden from the FBI.

As years pass the pair easily fell into an easy routine and they grew close to each other. A few years pass and Hannibal casual gifted Will a silver band on the "anniversary" of their new life, Brushing it off as a gift for him to get woman to stop making passes at him as he worked or shopped but Will had simply rolled his eyes putting the ring on and watching Hannibal smile a few day later noted the man had a matching ring. He found himself running his thumb over the ring to calm him on stressful days and it catching his eyes in the sun as he fished, the sight of the ring made him smile, but never in the view of the older man, god forbid the older male new of his affections so easily.

Not even a year later the man had casually mentioned a young girl that had lost her parents in an accident recently and had no where else to go and needed home, and was subtle to in implying thsat it may be time for he and will to ... expand their family now that their lives, and they themselves, were more stable. It had taken a while for will to be convinced but once he had Hannibal had basically finished the paperwork having been rather sure he woulf get his wish. When they'd met with the young girl. She already seemed taken with Hannibal after talking to him at the hospital. She was slightly shy meeting Will properly but smiled and they talked carefully. He wasn't able to ignore tthe feeling of joy and want filling him as he watch her and Hannibal interacting, he didn't exactly realise till then quite how much he had wanted to have a family again.

He knew it wouldnt be the same as Abigail again, or even Walter, he still grieved Abigail and missed Walter and probably always would. But the young girl seemed like the perfect, this may be a bad idea - Hannibal had bad history with families - but who knows. He'd protect her with his life, or anyone elses if he had to.

When she joined them home and she got to place her thing into her own room and Will made a comment about "borrowing" Hannibals card and them redecorating her room to be what she wanted once she was relaxed enough to do so. Hannibal gave a small sigh but smiled as the girl giggled lightly and nodded in agreement with the comment. It was a few months before they actually did so, soing it while Hannibal was away as she decided she wanted to paint her room so will and her had been rather messy in their clothes as they painted ending up with paint over themselves and flicking at each other. Hannibal getting home to find them covered in paint and eating fast food and Will just happily shrugging as Hannibal berated the food choice and the fact they got paint on their seats.
The older male ended up teaching her to cook in the kitchen starting with desserts finding the girl enjoying to sneak chocolate while he pretended not to notice her do so. Will was happy coming back to find them in the kitchen. He wasn't allowed to help though, Hannibal wouldnt allow him to now, hed tried a few times but he seemed too mess things up - whether that meant the food burning because he put the timer on wrong or he ruined on of Hannibals shirt and wasted some of the food. But will always enjoyed watching his family cooking together and Hannibal teaching things gently and slowly as they worked together and the concentration on theeir childs face as she focused on the more specific parts of the recipes.

Maybe he'll be able to teach her to fish.