Bloodlust: A Hannibal AU

Chapter Two

Beatrice sat in her running car, hands placed on the steering wheel. Her heart beat a mile a minute. Why was she so nervous? He was a stranger, a part of her job, but she couldn't help the lump swelling in her throat. She took a deep breath and turned off the engine.

Just as she stood outside the car and closed the door behind her, a group of dogs of every breed came rushing toward her. Behind them ran a frazzled Will Graham. When he saw Beatrice standing there, he stopped dead in his tracks. He breathed a deep sigh and asked, "Did Jack send you to sway me?" Beatrice let out a laugh as she crouched to pet one of the dogs. It began to lick her cheek.

"Believe it or not, it was your charming therapist that suggested I sway you." Will stepped toward her.

"I don't have a therapist." He called for the dog, and it ran to play with its brothers and sisters.

"Could have fooled me." Beatrice shoved her hands in her pockets. "You have a lot of dogs."

"I have a thing about strays." Will pulled his jacket closed around himself. The fall chill ran through Beatrice's bones and she shivered. She took out her wallet and showed it to Will.

"That's my baby, Cujo. She's a Bernese Mountain dog." Will smirked and nodded awkwardly.

"Well, did you want to come inside to start that swaying?" Will paused for a moment and his face turned red. "I didn't mean it like that."
Beatrice giggled and followed the embarrassed Will Graham into the quaint home, all of his dogs in tow.

Will offered a cup of coffee as Beatrice took off her coat and placed on it the back of the chair in the kitchen. She sat at the table and Will placed a steaming cup of black coffee in front of her.

"So, how long have you known that therapist you don't have?" Beatrice wrapped her hands around the cup to warm them. She smelled the coffee, then brought it to her lips and smiled. Will watched her intently, bringing his own cup to his mouth.

"Since the Hobbs case started." He looked to his feet.

"You shot him, didn't you?" Will nodded. She kicked herself for asking such a stupid question, and for the one she wanted to ask most. "What did it feel like?" He dropped his mug onto the counter with a CLANG. He composed himself, then simply shrugged.

"It was the right thing to do." He paused. "It was the only thing to do. Hobbs was a bad man."

"That isn't what I asked." Beatrice put her cup down and stood. She approached him cautiously, standing next to him by the sink. "Is that why you don't want to use that imagination of yours?" Will looked away from her and nodded. "You enjoyed it, didn't you?" He returned his gaze to hers for a brief moment. She turned away first, walking toward the couch in the living room. "That was how it was with the Westfield Killer case."

"What do you mean?" Will sat across from her.

"It was my first case as lead detective. I was so nervous. I was given the case of the Westfield Killer, you know how the press is. Any chance to name some psycho. Well, I was able to track him down to this old warehouse off the interstate. It was through this horrible brush, and I got caught in a thorn bush just trying to find the place. My partner at the time, he got there first." Beatrice shifted in her seat as Will leaned closer, placing his elbows on his knees and listening with an intensity that filled the room. "When I entered, the bastard already started gutting him. I had no choice. I fired twice. The first shot hit him here." She used her index finger to poke at Will's shoulder. "Lousey first shot. The second was better." She moved her finger and placed it lightly on his forehead. "Boom." Beatrice whispered. "I stood there for a minute, trying to figure out what to do. I was so panicked and pumped with adrenaline I was shaking. Then, I realized what was happening when my partner spit out blood. He was still alive. I called in for an ambulance, and they showed up just in time. He barely made it, took a lot of recovery. He quit the force right after that. I don't blame him. He had a baby on the way."

"And how did you feel, after killing him?" Will's voice turned dark. Beatrice looked toward the dying embers in the fireplace.

"I was so happy, it scared me." She laughed a little at her own words, then turned back to Will. "I had never been so happy in my life." He was silent, processing this story. Will stood, grabbing both mugs, and handing the one to Trixie.

"When do we start?"

---

The morgue felt colder than usual. Will stood over the body of John Doe #2, making notes of every minor mark on his body. Beatrice, Jack, and Hannibal stood against the wall closest to the door. Trixie watched intently, finding Will's methods hypnotizing. Hannibal took notice and smirked. Jack finally approached Will and put a hand on his shoulder. "Ready for the crime scene?"

The woods seemed red from the slowly setting sun. The trail was rough and ridden with boot prints of all shapes and sizes. It was a worn path, well used and well loved by hikers and bikers alike. As they approached the scene, Jack put an arm out in front of Beatrice to stop her from venturing in further. Hannibal stopped next to them, and they all watched as Will walked through the scene. He stood surprisingly close to where the body was found and closed his eyes. He began to speak.

"This is my design. I wait by the tall oak, like I said I would. Soon, I spy him. The moonlight reflects off his golden hair. I approach. He kisses me first, without a sound. We don't need words for this. When we are done, I reach for my bag that I had hid next to the tree. In a flash, my rope is around his throat. I strangle him swiftly, kissing his temple as I do so. He has served me well. When he stops kicking, I take my knife and beginning slashing at his torso. Under his nipple, above his belly button, the tip of his groin. Marking my territory. I pack my bag, wipe him clean, then place him on the ground with a pile of leaves as his pillow. He is at rest, and I am at peace, until the feeling comes again."

Will opened his eyes, gasping as he does so. He sank to his knees. Beatrice and Hannibal ran first, followed the rest of the Behavioral Science Unit. Trixie knelt next to him, placing her hands on his shoulders. After he caught his breath, he looked up into her hazel eyes. "I can feel his cravings," Will stammered out. Hannibal was about to reach for him, but Beatrice grasped onto Will, holding him in a tight embrace.

"You're okay, Will. You're okay." Trixie looked up past him toward Hannibal. He stood there for a moment, then scooped to help them to their feet.

"I'll take him home," Hannibal stated. They got into Hannibal's car and rode off. Beverly, Zeller, and Price watched the car drive away as Jack cursed.

Trixie stood by the tall oak. As she turned the corner, she found it: a round mark indicating a backbag had been placed there. She cursed herself for not noticing it before, and then silently thanked Will Graham.