To pursue the heart of Agent Grace Williamson

Part 12

——— Graces home ———

Hannibal read me the book he gifted me as I rested my head on his shoulder. Buddy was asleep on the couch with us but he wasn't cuddling with me and Hannibal. Hannibal said the words so perfectly from the book and it felt as if my grandma was telling me all this. I had cleaned the blood off me from the man at the hospital and we learnt that he had actually killed a doctor for the clothes, and I couldn't help but blame myself. He said he was going to do it to help me.
"Are you okay, Grace?" Hannibal asked me. I adjusted my position closer to him and sighed.
"Oh uh.. yeah, just still... still thinking about what happened at the hospital" I confessed. Hannibal put the book down onto the coffee table and looked down at me.
"You must know it was not your fault, you tried to talk him down but he was just too far along" he reminded me. I sniffled and dug my head into his neck and he rubbed my back.
"Remember that" he said. I got a buzz on my phone but I didn't bother checking, I just wanted to be here with Hannibal a little longer.
"Its from Jack. Said there's another Chesapeake victim" Hannibal exclaimed to me. I pulled away from Hannibal and looked over at my phone - that was on the coffee table. I checked the notification and I sighed.

Jack:
You got another letter and this doesn't look like anyone personal to you, you don't have to come though. Just wanted to let you know

"You coming?" I asked him as I grabbed my shoes beside the couch.
"How could I refuse?" He asked me, faintly smiling at me. I gave him a quick smile and we set off.

——— the crime scene ———

I walked into the house with Hannibal and looked around. No detectives - except for Jack and Will - were in this home. I viewed the framed photos on the wall and saw a Labrador and the Man I passed by in the forest. I gasped and Hannibal viewed it.
"Is he always fucking watching me?!" I shouted, angrily. I walked upstairs to where the crime scene was reported and that's where I found Will and Jack. I saw Will reimagining the scene and Jack handed me the letter, and whispered to me so quietly I had to lip sync a little.
"It's... about your family too" he warned me. I took a few deep breathes to mentally prepare myself. I left the room and I viewed the letter in the evidence bag. I looked up at Hannibal, hoping for some reassurance because in all honesty, I was scared. He put his hand on my arm and guided me to the stairs for me to sit down without majorly contaminating the crime scene.

Dear beloved Grace,
     Seeing that dog Walker treat you so poorly made my fists clench. You don't deserve such hate, especially from a nobody. He was called Richard Mayfair, a man who you would always find at the bar, drinking his life away and always trying to find a woman - always unsuccessful, doesn't surprise me. When you spoke back to him, you still stayed calm and did not make the situation worse, which I admire. When I saw you with Alice, in that tight, black dress, I knew you would be a fantastic mother. The way you spoke to her, carried her, talked about her and made her feel safe. That is one of the many reasons I have grown a liking to you. You also a good mother to your pet. Giving him a good diet, care, attention and training. Also, so sorry for your loss, but I'm not so sorry for silencing him. He cannot hurt you no more.

From yours truly,
   - c. Ripper

I put the letter down beside me and put my hands behind my neck.
"He... talked about the time I was at yours, with my fucking family oh my god" I gasped. Hannibal looked at me with sympathetic eyes, i bit my bottom lip and looked away.
"He talked about me being a mother, to Alice and... and Buddy?" I slowly stood up and clenched onto the stair case for some support. I walked back into the crime scene and Will had his arms crossed as he stared at the corpse on the floor.
"He had a dog... where is it?" I asked Jack and Will.
"We collected it, it's coming home with me and I'll train it to not be as vicious as it is now" exclaimed Will, who was staring down at the body still.
"So what did you see?" Jack asked Will.
"The Chesapeake ripper came today, broad daylight. He scooped out his eyes, maybe to represent simply laying eyes on Grace" Will exclaimed. I shivered just from that and Will continued on "then took his kidney and heart. Two this time" Will walked over to me and he held his palm out. I dropped the letter into his hands and he left the room in a slight hurry.
I walked over to the body and stared down at it, for any clues . His eyes were as a matter of fact, gone. But where to exactly? His chest was opened, as Will said, and I inspected the opened stomach and viewed where the missing organs would be.
"Oh my god... he's eating what he takes" I gasped.

——— Hannibals apartment ———

I was sat at his breakfast bar, thinking about what happened over the week. The ripper, the love notes and all the death - because of me. I pulled the coffee cup closer to me and I took a sip and let out a sigh of relief from the heat of the coffee. I heard Hannibal come back into the kitchen and I put on a smile just so he wouldn't ask me what's wrong or worry. He sat beside me and glanced over at me.
"You don't have to pretend around me" he promised, referring to my fake smile. "I actually got you something so you will smile" Hannibal said to me. I raised an eyebrow at him and he took a hold of my hand and lead me out the room, he lead me to the piano and beside it was a guitar. It was a similar guitar to what I had but it was made from a darker wood, better strings and a stronger polish on it. My jaw dropped and I chuckled nervously.
"No you did not!" I gasped as I hurried over and tried out the strings, it played beautifully.
"You like it?" Hannibal asked me with a faint smile on his face.
"I uh... I don't know what to say" I chuckled and strummed a tune.
"Now we can play a song together" he suggested to me.
"I think that is the least I owe you" I smiled. He chuckled and sat down at the piano stool and put his hands on the keys.
"So what song do you wanna play?" I asked him. He just shrugged his shoulders, implying I should pick a tune. I cleared my throat and adjusted the guitar on my lap. I started to play the song Hannibal played on the piano (song above) and Hannibal then joined in. I strummed the strings and I smiled - even after today's events. Hannibal played the piano well and with my talent on the guitar, it was a sweet melody. I tapped my feet on the floor for a beat and Hannibal kept glancing over at me smiling. I nodded my head side to side a little to the tune and Hannibal changed the tune and I changed my tune with him, since this was all improvisation . Once the song came to an end, I put the guitar beside the piano and Hannibal looked over at me, smiling.
"That was good" I told him as I smiled.
"It was. We should play together more often" he suggested to me. I chuckled and played a key on the piano.
"You want to learn how to play?" He asked me.
"Oh um... not sure, I don't wanna break it or something" I moved my arm away and Hannibal chuckled.
"You won't break it, I promise you" he vowed to me.
"Okay... sure" I positioned myself in front of the piano and Hannibal instructed me to play a key, and I obeyed. Suddenly, a phone call came through. I groaned out loud, annoyed it ruined some bonding time with me and Hannibal. I checked my phone to see it was Jack.
"Excuse me" I stood up and answered it and Jack said something straight away.
"Grace, we know how to get the ripper. You come ALONE, understood?" Jack asked me. I stuttered since I was so relieved yet so confused at the same time.
"Oh uh.. y-yeah, alright.. got it"
Jack ended the call and I turned to face Hannibal again.
"Jack wants to see me alone and since it's late... I guess it's goodnight" I walked over and grabbed my belongings beside the piano.
"I guess you're right" Hannibal sighed as he stood up and pushed the stool in.
"And thank you for the guitar, I'll keep it here so we can play together more often" I smiled. I walked over and I kissed him on the cheek.
"Goodnight" I smiled as I pulled away. Hannibal smiled with one hand in his pocket.
"Goodnight"