HANNIBAL: The Art Of Obsession (slow updates)

Ep. 2 The First Fall Of The Rabbit Hole

Morgan and Raymond walked into Jack new office. Morgan stopped near the glass doorway looking around. There was something familiar about it.

Raymond turned around back at her, "What?"

"This was Dad's old office." Morgan reminded. 

Raymond began to notice the similarities but he knew she spent more time here instead. 

"Yeah, I guess so. It's weird seeing it like this." Morgan agreed with him.

She continued to take a seat across from the desk. However, changed her mind when she touched the back of the chair. Morgan walked around the corner of the desk and sat in the big chair. Raymond looked at her curiously, standing behind his own, then smiled and took a seat.

"You know he's gonna come back in a few seconds and get upset right." Raymond chuckled.

"Nah, he'll just try to flatter me to get info." Morgan then posed, smiling and batting her eyelashes, "And who can get mad at this face." :)

"Sure. But lets remember he has Mr. Will Graham too now." Morgan nodded, "Speaking of which, what is his position? Who is he to him?" Raymond rose a brow at his sister, "You jealous that Jack has a new pet?" Morgan cringed, "Ew no. "Pet"" she muttered. "Just curious... and worried about him."

"He's a professor here but Jack takes him out and about under Special Agent. Why?" "You remember staying with Jack. Imaging working with him," she gestured, "especially with such a stressful job." 

"- And not to judge. - Even though I'm going to right now- Have you seen him?" Morgan stares at the floor in thought, "The bags under his eyes and his closed off posture. Jack has already begun drilling him...." Morgan glanced at her brother and shrugs, "I'm just worried about him."

"I understand." Raymond paused, "I remember when that was your position before we moved to Spain." Morgan hummed.

Raymond leaned forward in his seat, smirking at her, "Well...." he began, then put on a serious look, "Not to - you know-  judge. But..." His smug expression came back, "I think Mr. Blue eyes likes you~" He teased.

Morgan rolled her eyes, "You mean the little thing he did back there?" He nodded happily.

"You think everyone who looks at me is all of a sudden infatuated with me. You even tried setting me up with the Headmaster, Daryl Hallberg! - And he's three-times my age!"

Raymond waved her off, "Okay, okay, I'll admit, that was my mistake. But you've got to agree he looks good for his age."

Morgan did agree on that. When they went out once (not a date), she even asked what his skincare routine is. Only to find out that he didn't have one. He just threw water in his face and called it a day. Morgan cursed his good colonizer genetics. 

"Look, I won't say your wrong. It is a possibility. But then again, I don't think he knew who we were. To him, I just showed up like a walking corpse." Reminding him of the her dead doppelgänger.

Raymond momentarily tilted his head in thought, getting along with the idea. However, he wasn't going to let go of the idea, just...put it in the back of his mind.

The conversation ended when Jack walked into the room with two boxes. He stopped short when he noticed his chair occupied. Morgan smiled at him saying nothing, she gestured to take the seat beside Raymond. To their surprise he did, but not before setting the boxes in between them.

Jack sat down and quickly drew out a piece of paper for Morgan to sign, "This relieves you from land and house property damages and it gives us full access to it." 

"And these are for you to take." Jack slaps the top of the pile of boxes.

"What are they?" Raymond asked, searching for a label on them.

"They're the everything from the Orphio case." Jack informs.

Morgan spins the piece of paper around and stared at it. Raymond noticed her hesitant behavior. He knew the only reason she didn't sell -not that she could anyways considering it's history - was because that was only thing she had of her past life, good parts at least.  

Raymond shifted in his seat and cleared his throat, "Jack, is it possible to give her the house after the case ends or after you guys are done with crime scene, assuming that you CSIs are still collecting samples?"

"Yes, but considering who it is.... It will be long before we hand it back." Jack looked over Morgan.

After some thought, she spoke, "I will only sign on one matter..." Jack sucked his inner lip, contemplating. 

He nodded after a couple seconds.

--

Wolf trap, Virginia

Jack, Raymond and Morgan drive to crime scene. Jack parks the SUV before the yellow tape and everyone gets out.

Raymond stands besides his sister, who didn't even bat an eye at him and only stared at the house. He could see recognition and memories flash across her face. Raymond lets his sister go under the tape as he waits for Jack.

Before the Agent could pass him, Raymond gently pushed his chest back from going any further into the scene. Jack glares at the man but immediately dials it back and stares at him curiously.

"We should let her go alone." Raymond states.

Crawford was hesitant to agree, though eventually he did. He slipped his hands into the pockets of his coat and studied Morgan's body language as she walked up the steps of the front porch. Or what was left of it. 

"The house looked a lot different in the photos. Morgan only told me she was remodeling it but...this does not look like the original one. What happened?" Raymond asked.

In The Orphio case, the house was two if not three stories high, with red-bricked walls and dark pointy roofs. Half of the house was covered in vines with purple flowers, the grass was predominantly healthy, and the front porch had children's toys. 

Overall it was a family home. The walls turned into green-colored planks, the roof lost it pointiness, and the windows were bigger. There were no signs children's toys and there were a few patches of healthy grass here and there, though it was mostly dirt. 

"After the fire in 1991, the house lost a small part of it's structure. Since it's mostly made of bricks and was made to withstand harsh climates, only the wood inside burned. However, I wasn't aware of Morgan remodeling." Jack looked at him, "Did she tell why she was remodeling?"

Raymond nodded, "When we were younger, it was pretty difficult paying our rent. But when Morgan found out she still owned this house and it had been payed off, she jumped at the chance to make it our home. Even when there were things in that house she wasn't ready to face yet."

Jack looked back the house. He sighed deeply through his nose, thinking about....well everything. Especially Morgan and if she was still trustworthy.

Suddenly and unconsciously, his attention flickered off to the side of the house. Where he noticed a small part glass high yet below the tip of the trees peering out. He could see a part of tarp covering it. He knew what it was. It was an old run down greenhouse, filled with all types of flowers and plants.

He made a mental note to check it out once again.

And to bring a shovel.

.... And maybe Will Graham.