In Your Head

Chapter 7

Will went back to the Maryland State Psychiatric Hospital for the Criminally Insane the next morning.

He hesitated in front of Grace's room, the nurse who had come to let him in looked at him quizzically.

He nodded at her, and she unlocked the door, propping it open and sliding a caged door back across once Will was inside.

"You know the drill, ring when you're done." She said and walked back down the hall.

Grace was sitting at the window, her hospital gown had been replaced by a jumpsuit that looked two sizes too big.

She turned and grinned as she caught him staring.

"You like the new outfit?" she smirked.

"You look..."

"Like a prisoner, I finally look the part don't I?" she retorted.

Will shook his head and went to sit on her bed. Observing the emptiness of her cell

"I spoke with my lawyer yesterday," Grace said.

"And...?" Will prodded.

"They say my best bet is to plead guilty, but maintain my insanity. However, he thinks I'd be lucky if I get life with parole, much less multiple life sentences." She looked sad.

"Grace, I need to know if you regret it."

She turned to Will, and stood up walking as close as the chains that tethered her to her bed would allow. 

"Haven't you ever loved someone so much, so endlessly, that you would do even the most terrible things if they had asked you to?" she asked, searching Will's eyes.

"I don't think I've ever been in love."

"You loved Hannibal. Isn't that why you did all those things?" Grace urged.

"I had encephalitis, and Hannibal used that to manipulate me."

"But you were obsessed with him, weren't you?" 

"Obsession is not love, Grace."

Will stood up walking closer to Grace.

"You told me you wanted a second chance. Did you mean that?" he asked.

She sighed and turned to walk back to the window.

I really am not a bad person, Will." she said softly.

"You just fell in love with a bad person," Will responded.

"I know it's terrible to say this, but I would kill a thousand more if I could only just see Blaise again. Even if for a moment."

Those words terrified Will.

Grace was becoming more and more confusing, and Will was starting to see that Alana had a point.

"I think I'll go..." Will started.

Grace shook her head at him.

"Am I just a game for you? Another puzzle to solve?" she asked.

"No, I thought you and I were alike, but I'm starting to see past our similarities."

_

Later that day, Will went back to the Vergor mansion to give Alana back the files.

Margot had answered the door, and lead him to Alana's study without question.

"I read the files," Will said, tossing them onto her mahogany desk.

"And...?" Allana asked without looking up from the pile of papers in front of her.

"I think you may be right."

Alana looked up, surprised.

"I thought you'd take more convincing."

"I went to speak with her today, and every time I see a shimmer of emotion in her eyes it gets lost. I thought she was like me, and I thought I could save her."

"Some people don't deserve to be saved Will. She needs to suffer the consequences. She went willingly, she could have been rescued, and yet she refused to go with Jack. She's not like you Will. I've done the evaluations, I've spoken with the FBI and the lawyers. She's going to get life without parole in a maximum security prison." Alana said with a hard look in her eyes.

"We let Hannibal get away, we can't keep making the same mistakes with these charsimatic killers." she added.

Will nodded, "I suppose it's for the best."

Alana smiled and stood, walking over to where Will was standing.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and stared into his eyes.

"You need to heal, Will. Focus on your teaching, continue your therapy with Kate. Hell, maybe you'll even fall in love and have children one day. But regardless, you deserve to be happy, and all this murder and death is not making you so."

Will forced a smile, "I'll try."

Alana grinned and pulled Will in for a hug. Their sweet moment was interuppted, however, by the phone ringing.

Alana pulled away, and went to answer it.

"Hello, this is Dr Alana Bloom." She said.

Will could barely hear the voice on the other end, but he could tell that it was serious.

Alana's face fell.

"I'll be right there." she said and slowly placed the phone down.

She turned back to Will, who was looking at her with questioning eyes.

"Grace Winter is gone."