The Eyes of a Lamb

China Doll

Clarice sat impatiently in Dr. Lecter's office, her hands underneath her thighs as she almost seemed to bounce in the chair. It was Jame, Jame Gumb was back on the scene, and his next intended victim was going to be his last if she had her way. She saw the pattern, saw what Jame was trying to do. Sage's room had a rabbit in it, and Clarice bet anything that the next girl would have a bear in her room.

Custom paint jobs like that take work, and since Jame was staying within city limits, she could bet that they would narrow down a bear paint job in a little girls room. Will had gone out to tell Jack Crawford about what they had found, and a team was already researching every possible house that would require the bear painting.

So why was she stuck here in the doctor's office? Why couldn't she be out with the others, looking up houses and checking out various places that Jame could be?

Jack Crawford had a lot to do with it, she guessed. Will must have told him how she had taken the girl's houses without much stride and Crawford was sending Clarice to be evaluated.

"Well that's what they get" she said to herself "Putting me through this."

"Putting you through what?" Dr. Lecter said as he came in from another room, carrying a tray with desserts on them and two glasses of wine.

"Dr. Lecter you didn't have to do that" Clarice said standing up.

"Please" Hannibal said gesturing for her to sit down "It is my pleasure to give you some comfort, if only it be food. You have had a traumatic experience, and Jack Crawford is not too kind to those who have experience in them."

"It's not like I asked for the experience" Clarice said taking a cookie "Thank you" she said quietly.

Hannibal sat and watched her take small bites of the German dessert, studying the way her eyes looked down and the graceful way her hair flowed to one side and then the next. Her cream colored skin was beautiful to him in the light, his one wish would be to place his lips on it, just to taste her for a minute...

"Your staring doctor" Clarice said looking at him with those blue eyes.

"I was just watching you eat, you have a very delicate manner about you" Hannibal said as he crossed one leg over the other, his hands poised as Clarice simply shrugged. Even the simply gesture was angelic, the innocence of her showing.

"I was taught not to chew with my mouth full is all" Clarice said with a small smile "But I have to ask you, is it really necessary for me to be here? I could be doing something far more useful than being in therapy."

"Jack Crawford has asked me to simply make sure you are able to continue on this case" Hannibal said leaning forward "After Will Graham, he does not want you to get wrapped up in the past."

"But the past is all I have to give" Clarice said matter of factly "It's the only way we will ever catch Jame Gumb, and it's the only way to save those girls."

"Tell me about what happened" Hannibal said genuinely interested "Tell me about Jame."

"He's strong" Clarice said looking away from Hannibal "He's careful, very careful. He takes his time with every little detail. He will know the layout of the houses, the parents, what they do, what kinds of jobs they have, how often they spend time with their child. And then when he decides to strike he strikes hard. So hard that the family has no time to even realize what's going on."

"Is that what happened to you?" Hannibal said watching the past drift into Clarice's eyes.

"No" Clarice said shaking her head "No my father was ready for him. He put up a fight" Clarice said shaking her head "He didn't let Jame torture him like he had done with all the others."