The Ripper's Love

More than they seem

You grip the handle of the door with shaking hands, blinking hard to shake the lingering tiredness the coffee couldn't rid you of. Images and memories had flooded your mind making sleep an unattainable thing last night, and when you had gotten a call at 2 am from the FBI, apologetic about the late hour, requesting your help on a case, you knew sleep was a long way away. Adrenaline had shot through your body, leaving you shaking with excitement in the early hours of the morning.

Your mind raced, thinking of finally working with the FBI, pondering what case you had been assigned. All that had been said was the time to be at Quantico, that someone would take you to where you needed to go, and that your case would be given there.

God, I'm going to lose it if it's the Chesapeake Ripper. Or if I even see Will Graham. Or Lector.

The rumors about him ran wild, most saying he was unstable and had a, to put it kindly, odd relationship with Doctor Hannibal Lector. You didn't really believe the things that Freddie Lounds and the rest of the news sources said about him, and was one of the many in his small online cult burrowed in the deep inter-webs that stood behind him during all of his trials.

As you followed the student showing you around the campus, you crossed your arms, shivering slightly at the freezing temperature. The student, his name tag reading "Leo Manning," stopped in front of an office with the name plate "Jack Crawford." They wished you luck under their breath, smiling comfortingly at you before scurrying off. You push open the glass door, the shivers now running down your spine not singularly from the cold.

"Ah, Ms. (y/n) (l/n), right on time". Jack smiled at you from behind his desk, gesturing towards the chairs in front of him.

You looked over to the chairs, and were in pure shock to see both Will Graham and Hannibal Lector sitting in front of Jack. Hannibal quickly got up, trying to be gentlemanly. You smile softly at him, taking the seat, balling up the ends of your too long sweatshirt sleeves into your hands.

Will just looks up at you, eyes studying you quickly before turning back to the man behind the desk, seeming uninterested. You relax, happier to be unnoticed than noticed in a negative way. You sink into the stuffed chair, trying to calm your racing heartbeat.

Jack introduced himself, immediately launching into the tasks you were set out to do, the paperwork you would need to fill out before starting on any of the cases or looking at the case files.

"You are being assigned to the Chesapeake Ripper case." You gasped slightly at the sentence, blushing at the attention it garnered.

"Is this an issue, (l/n)?" You shook your head quickly, face heated.

"Not at all, Mr. Crawford. I was just simply surprised. I've been studying all of the information the media has been giving about the Ripper. It is an interesting case."

Jack nodded. "At least you are some-what familiar with the information we have on the case. We need a new set of eyes and we have had many of your teachers and peers at previous jobs say you are top quality."

You feel your face turn a deeper shade of red. "Thank you."

"I also think it would be beneficial to go to weekly sessions with Hannibal, to keep a check on your mental health," Jack started.

"With regards to your results on the screening, and with murders like these, I think it would be wise to keep tabs on your mental state." Hannibal continued where Jack left off, making you whip around to look at him.

The first words spoken to you by one of the people you admired was, of course, about your traumatic past. Wonderful you thought to yourself, your hand tightening into a fist in your sleeve and jaw clenching slightly.

"Of course, I completely understand," You said politely, trying to keep your anger from showing in your demeanor or voice.

"I just realized I never introduced myself," Hannibal started, moving from his position beside Will, who was still silent, to in front of you. "Excuse me for my rudeness, I'm Hannibal Lector".

You stuck your hand out, shaking his hand with the tight grip you learned from your father.

He shook politely, looking over at Will. "And this is Will Graham, who seems to be lost in thought currently," Lector said, nudging Will with the back of his foot.

"O- oh, I'm sorry". He looked flustered, and seemed a bit distressed. You wondered if he was lost in thought about the case, or if it was personal, but decided that asking that wouldn't be the best first thing to say, or more accurately ask, to him.

"You're fine! I know plenty about you, I've read the articles about the two of you in conjunction to the Ripper case," you state, trying to not sound creepy as the words come out.

They both politely smile, nodding their heads.

When the initial meeting was over, you gathered yourself and pushed Jack's door open, ready to get away from the group as soon as possible.

As you walked down the hallway towards the exit of the BAU, you felt a presence beside you. You ignored it, continuing to walk at a rushed pace. You could tell it was Hannibal by your peripheral vision, but you chose to continue walking down the hallway.

"Ms. (l/n), I just want to formally apologize for the way Jack and I discussed your future therapy sessions, that should have been handled in a better manner," Hannibal said suddenly.

You turn on your heel smoothly, looking around to see if there were others that could overhear. When you saw no one, you looked him in the eyes, a smile plastered on your face. "It really wasn't that much of an ordeal," you said quickly, playing it off as smoothly as you could.

"That's a lie, (y/n), you and I both know that."

You hid your surprise at his intuition, raising an eyebrow. You decide that if he was going to be this forward in calling you out, you would be just as forward as him.

"What gave me away, Dr. Lector?" You cross your arms, tilting your head, fire in your eyes.

He seemed slightly surprised by your bold change in attitude, but didn't mention it. "You clenched your fist and the muscles in your cheek twitched." he started mundanely. "Will noticed, as did I," he finished, smiling slightly to your shock. Will looked like he was in a completely different city, how did he notice something so minuscule, you question to yourself.

His smile grew as you stood with your plastered all over your face, and began walking towards the door again. "See you Thursday at 2 pm for our appointment, Ms. (l/n)".

You stood in shock, jaw clenched. You had tried to hide your feelings so well, yet somehow both of them had seen right through it. The person who looked as if he was in another world in his mind had somehow noticed the smallest changes in your demeanor and so had Lector.

It was confusing, and slightly thrilling, that these two had seen much. You begin walking toward the exit, pushing open the door.

Yes, your initial instinct had been right, both of them were more than they seemed. And it made you giddy with excitement as for what was to come.

-

Hannibal walked toward his car, grin still just as wide as it had been. Something about the girl intrigued him, and from the way Will had paid attention to her in subtle ways, he felt the same.

He slid into the driver's seat of his car, and turned to Will. He sat in the passenger side, an eyebrow cocked as he looked at the psychologist.

How he had gotten into the doctor's locked car was a mystery, but Hannibal didn't even look startled.

"I can never seem to surprise you, can I Hannibal?" Will said, leaning back into the seat.

"You do surprise me Will, I just hide it well. And she managed to surprise me too". Will looked over at Hannibal, surprised at the admission. Hannibal turned on the car, and put it into reverse.

"Another thing we agree on. So, who's for dinner, love?" Will asked with a malicious smirk.