Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The first realisation and when it had my full attention instead of depressed conscious thoughts wasn’t until I could open my eyes fully; just been going off autopilot and instinct, I guess. I absolutely love dogs, so I can’t be too mad, but that doesn’t mean I wish to be one; however, what I’m I going to do, I’ll get over it. If I didn’t say this to myself; I’ll break down pretty quickly.

I’m glad I’ve already had the realisation that I wasn’t human, thankfully, but it doesn’t make it easier to be surrounded by wiggling warm bodies while suckling for milk off an animal. I’m a Doberman or a similar breed from what I can gather from my mother. I think my colouring is just standard black and rust.

However, from the rest of my surroundings, I believe I’m on a puppy farm, the small cages and surrounding dogs and puppies in the same situation tipped me off. I’m thankful to have at least regained all my personality and memories and not be a confusing, unstable mess in my reincarnation, so that’s something.

I did not enjoy being stuck in this god-forsaken cage for however long I’ve been alive, but it’s getting to the point where we are all on top of each other when we are standing still in this cage, let alone when the instinct-filled puppies around me want to interact and play fight. We have gone without water for ages because of some clumsy puppy paws knocking it over and the undedicated caretaker not filling it up till he can be bothered.

I didn’t think I’d thought about it too much until it happened; my ears were docked. Doberman ears and tails are normal floppy and long; a post-birth surgery dock both of these; my tail hasn’t been docked, so it should still grow long until they dock it, I don’t know if they are planning to do it later, but for my ears, it hurt. They cut the floppy part of my ears and tightly wrapped them with a splint to keep them upright in a non-natural way.

I should have realised from the breed of dogs around me alone and the docking, that it makes my breed look scarier and probably haven’t bothered with the tail because it’s not as visual and probably couldn’t be bothered. While this is definitely a puppy farm, it’s not the type I initially thought, from the fact that we are underground and all the dogs around me are different breeds of stereotypical “fighting dogs”. Dogs who are used in underground dog pits for sadistic individuals to bet money on and get a thrill for a night.

While I thought what happened was really young or old gentle dogs were typically stolen from caring individuals to bait the trained fighting dogs, it appears that this particular one is just breeding the dogs and using their own puppies as they see fit. Whether they have more dogs than they need, or it is a deliberate choice to minimise the risk of detection from dedicated pet owners. I believe it’s a bit of both as this particular ring seems to cater to the higher class of individuals from the clothes and their manner of speaking; I’ve even overheard someone on the phone taking a booking for a business function the other day.

While I couldn’t really get attached to my siblings because of the reincarnation thing, that does not mean I’m okay with seeing them ripped apart in front of my eyes; the other puppies in the cage with me did not make a sound; they came just before we were going to sleep, so most likely just before sunset grabbing a random number of puppies form each cage.

Just from the adrenaline-filled yelling of humans, the smell of death and absolutely terrifying sounds from the dogs in the pit is enough to make any creature go silent in terror. While I can’t blame the dogs in the pit, they have been placed in unwarranted extreme circumstances where it was do or die, and the blame can only be put on the individuals that, in their sadistic way, train and accommodate this so-called vicious sport.

I was preparing for death as it appeared that all the puppies in this cage would be used before each fight to show off the particular fighting dog and hype up the crowd. There is no way I can even begin to attempt to actually fight off the other dog; I’m at most 4 months old, where they are fully grown and will not give me a minute before attacking. Now I was thinking of praying to whatever god placed me here but decided against it; if they wanted my thoughts or prayers, they would have communicated with me, whether before I was reincarnated or even during this shit life.
So, no praying for me; however, a miracle did come.

It was a police raid.

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Will was just trying to do his job; he believes the man involved will go about his regular schedule, not disturbed by the killing he had done. He knows he always found animal cruelty worse than any killing he had the pleasure of seeing. He knows he should be thinking of the victim, but when he realised his suspect was going to a dog fighting ring, he had to be the one in charge of the raid. He had to see the faces of all of them when they realised they were caught, and their lives would be destroyed for this.

He didn’t know how but he managed to follow proper procedure if only because he knew he would get more people involved.

This case is becoming particularly tricky for a murder; they want to bag this guy for multiple illegal issues and can’t just arrest him publicly for fear of offsetting any safety plans in place to do with his criminal activity.
The reason they aren’t just arresting this guy at his residence is he’s known to have multiple most not registered to him or legally obtained and paid for homes, or he goes to a different conquests house, so he’s hard to track and set up a controlled set up without tipping him off, and outside his business doesn’t keep a schedule for his night times.

The only reason they found out about the dog fight is that it’s considered a business function, and they got it from his secretary, who came to them thinking he had murdered someone for his behaviour.

The sectary’s bystander guilt had finally kicked in because they’ve done some pretty messed up stuff for this individual so far. Still, luckily for them, murder was too far, coming forward and even exposing their own crimes just from knowing and association.

Will insured they got some plea deals and even put a good word in for them for knowing their moral lines and helping him out with this one. He’s not sure he could have found this guy otherwise with only the one kill down by himself; this guy’s pretty happy to let others get their hands dirty.

It was worse than all the bodies he had seen put together. All the dogs were malnourished, injured and obviously mistreated their whole lives. Raw anger was the only feeling in his body; he was so glad that no one tried anything idiotic like running; he for once knew he would have no issue pulling the trigger, unlike what his boss says. While he knows he would enjoy it, he could forgive himself, which is why he had problems pulling the trigger in the first place.

They had the building plans and surrounded the building accordingly at about 9 pm. They were aware the dog fighting started at about 8 pm, but Will fought to have it later to ensure if anyone were late, they would get the maximum amount of people in the raid, not just his suspect. He didn’t like the idea of the dogs that would be injured in the time they were wasting, but the only way his boss was on board was because they found out about his suspect, who is known for arriving fashionably late.

Will surveyed the street parking straight away, noting the higher-end cars for this part of town, even though he’s pretty sure most of them are hires and most of these gentlemen properly toke cabs.

Oh, that cocky son of a bitch. Will grabs his notebook and flips it to where he knows he wrote it. Yep, the license plate and car registered to his suspect, the same model and colour car seen at the crime scene multiple times and partially seen leaving the crime scene at the time of suspected death, is parked across the street from the building.

It makes sense this particularly suspect is a high-end narcissistic with his egocentric thoughts; he thinks he’ll never get caught. It’s odd he even comes to this sort of outing; yes, the unnecessary injuries and killings of living beings are up his lane, he’s not going to like it if he loses any money, and dog fighting, in particular, is brutal to predict which is what makes other people love betting on it.

It went really well apart from Will getting distracted by all the dogs. Will was able to know which dogs were happy to be approached, which was not many of them. Lucky, none of the dogs was out of their cages when they raided. Lucky in, they didn’t attack anyone and were shot by twitchy fingers.

Going up to the cage, pushed to the side, was found about four puppies, which was a different reaction because while they were frightened, they hadn’t lost all hope yet because they started yipping and jumping in excitement.

Will looks them in the eyes and gets overwhelmed with the underlining happiness only animals seem to have. Until he looks at one that isn’t jumping, isn’t yippy just looking at him in a sort of judgment. Wills never had any issues with his empathy other than the apparent side effects, but it’s never been wrong. Will opens the top of the cage, brings out that particular Doberman puppy holding it gently in case of unseen injuries, and brings it up to eye level.

The puppy looks at him, funnily enough, he thinks, and feels his unbelief, it might be that it’s never been held like this or not been in a cage, but it feels more like the puppy can’t believe he exists. The puppy looks right into his soul, leans into him and takes a deep breath before looking back and, funnily enough, nodding its head before letting out a tiny but meaningful bark. Will almost feels like she’s thanking him to some extent.
The puppy slowly leans in and licks his nose, and he closes his eyes in shock over the confusing emotions and the overall cuteness. Will actually thinks he might have blushed a little bit.

The puppy then does something totally unexpected and wriggles until it gets his back legs on his chest and pushes, propelling herself out of his hands before Will even has time to realise what was happening.

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I don’t know what and how this has happened. I guess I can’t be surprised like I’ve been reincarnated as a dog; I just assumed it was in the ordinary world, not a fictional one. I shouldn’t say fictional if this is my new life; I need to think of it as I’m unused and in real life. He looks exactly like Hugh Dany; if it weren’t for one of the officers calling him officer Graham, which he didn’t respond to, too busy looking at all the dogs, I would have thought he was Hugh Dany.

Of course, I’ve considered I’ve gone crazy or in a coma, but either way, I lived every second in that tiny cage and agreed that I would live this life to its fullest and use all of my resources to carry it out.

I’m sure if I was in a human body, I would consider staying and communicating with Will to ensure everyone made the best choices for their futures. By everyone, I mean Will and Hannibal; I’ve always admired and wanted to see what their relationship could have been, or I guess now can become from Will being in a police uniform.

As soon as I get free from Will, I run straight up the stairs, lucky not to be stopped by any of the officers who are all preoccupied and may have underestimated how many people would be there because there all busy arresting and reading people their rights.

At the same time, there does seem to be some officers watching the entrances; I stop at the top of the stairs only to hear Wills shout with others before I hear some gunshots; the officers at the top of the stairs send about half of them downstairs where I move out of the way and most definitely not anyone’s main property right now.

The other half of the officers call into their radios; I stick around to ensure Will’s still alive.
“No officers down, repeat no officers injured, shots fired by acting officers in response to suspect lunging at officer Graham” I exhale in relief from what I heard from the radio’s responses.

I ready myself to run outside before I hear what I assume is someone pushing a cage over and then the distinct growl of what I somehow know is mother dogs. I hear screams and people yelling, everyone’s officers and the criminals. What I really want to believe happened is mother dogs went after the individual who toke away their puppies.

However, I need to get out of here before animal control comes to take the young dogs to shelters and probably document and put the other dogs down.
I run to the front door keeping my body low before sprinting out and to the first dark alley I see. I breathe out and look around before feeling what can only be a smile on my face as I look about at the moon and night sky.

I wonder if I was chosen by some higher being, them knowing this would be my response. Do they want to watch my success or maybe add a compilation to an already complicated situation for entertainment? I really want to almost believe that the higher being put me in here because, for some reason, they want Hannibal and Will to have a happier life and know I can do that.

I can’t think like that, though, as I will get lazy and not take my actions into an accountant. While I’m enjoying my freedom, I couldn’t believe much about it because I like to plan and know everything for the following week, minimum, if I have a schedule and see what I’m doing for the next couple of weeks, I’m happy.
I look around, trying to adjust my eyesight to the dark, and think about what I need to consider and decide on a plan.

I believe in season 1, Hannibal is intrigued by Will, mainly his unique empathy and only framed him because Will was close to seeing his nature. Where in season 2, Hannibal regretted what he did, missing Will, where Will finally realising the game he’s in and plays it too close to home, pretending to be Hannibal’s friend, and actually becomes Hannibal’s friend without meaning it and then freaks out about his morals and all that and ultimately betrays Hannibal even though he does choice Hannibal in the end, but Hannibal not feeling this sort of betrayal before does something so un-Hannibal and just lashes out. In season 3, Will does embrace not fully embrace becomes; he does back out of his darker nature and tries that whole normal life thing which he goes back on, eventually. Hannibal realises he wants Will and may be feeling bad for how he acted and allows himself to be arrested so Will can always find him.

If I can help Hannibal and Will not have this tennis match of feelings and get straight to the good parts, I would see that as a pretty good life.
I also kind of want to see the plot play out and get like behind the scenes information and access.

It’s just a metaphor because I have accepted this as my new reality, and I’m not thinking about it too much. Still, I think the dog fighting and puppy farm may have messed me up a bit because in my previous life, while I enjoyed the series, I could never ever imagine injuring and killing someone on purpose.
I can see myself doing it now; I can see myself going back in there and tearing the throats out of the individuals that caused this to be the beginning of my new life.

I think I will fit in this new world with Hannibal and Will really well.

Chapter Text

I decided to wander and get the dog street life experience; it was the worst thing in the world. Fighting other dogs, cats, and even birds over scraps because humans have fucked up the world so much. There was no way for me to survive without scraps, without leaving civilisation, or becoming someone’s dog, but I couldn’t live my life just being anyone’s dog. I’ve committed I will become Hannibal’s dog.

I’m making my way to Hannibal’s house in the show. I don’t exactly have a time frame other than Will is still a homicide detective, so the show hasn’t started yet, but for all I know, he could be becoming an F.B.I. teacher tomorrow or not for a couple of months or years, I just don’t know.

I don’t know how long Hannibal lived there; should I know that. I remember the basics of the story, but I’m sure I’m forgetting things but hopefully nothing too significant.

Either way, I’m going to get what I can and when I get to Hannibal’s house, score it out and then inserts my way unto his life without being too rude. Insert my way into his life in a positive way.

I take it one day at a time, finding tourist maps and food in bins. I want to be embarrassed but got to do what you’ve got to do. I’m so glad for the weather, and while I haven’t got thick fur, I run at a higher temperature, and while I do get cold at night, it doesn’t get too bad.

I’m still young, so lucky I haven’t gone through any heats; I would hide and fight off all dogs that bloody tried it with me. While I think I have snapped, like okay with Hannibal killing the rude and maybe even helping him if we get to that sort of companionship, because that’s what I want, I want to be a companion to Hannibal that can help him make better choices in his life for himself and for Will.

Being young also helps with the stray dogs as long as the food is not involved; they’re actually okay with me coming up and stealing some body heat, as long as I act submissively. Which, again, is easy to do with such a small and young body.

I go through so much that feels minuscule to what I know I will go through if my plan works out and I become Hannibal’s dog. I can’t say I didn’t have some doubts along the way. Second, guessing a couple of times along the way. The only thing keeping me going is if I can get Hannibal to accept me, I can only imagine the treatment I will get.

I could quickly settle with the first people willing to take me in, but I have no way to really know or expect where there going in life. For all I know, they are financially unstable, going to dump me at the first hard corner or most likely treat me like an average dog. I have expected that I’m a dog now and will have to live like a dog, I accept that, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try and get a life where I’m at least treated and recognised for at least some of my intelligence.

While Hannibal is good with Will’s dogs, only for the sake that Will holds them in very high esteem. And while Hannibal doesn’t have one, if he did have a dog, you know it would be treated as well as the Queen’s corgis. As well as, if I proved myself, I’m sure he would offer mental stimulation that my still human mind requires.

Jack is the first recognisable person I see other than Will; I don’t go out of my way to meet him or even track him down. It was one hundred per cent a coincidence. It was nice to get some more clarification that I’m in the Hannibal series world.

I was in a joyful mood during my everyday scavenger hunt, knowing I was getting closer to Hannibal’s office, and came across the smell. When I found the body, it was through its smell; it was terrible. The other animals were affording it, and I couldn’t blame them.

I make my way towards the smell and sneak around a dumpster where I come face to face with a petite woman shoved and hidden; pretty well, if you didn’t have a dog’s nose, you would assume the smell is from the dumpster until later on and might be discovered when the bins are empty, but that’s not a guarantee. The smell of death overpowers the scent of blood, which seems hard to do as there is a lot of blood.

I take a big breath and focus on pushing the scent of death and blood away; I think I can pick up someone’s scent; I can only assume it’s the killers because if I get smelling and picking up multiple scents that are dampened by time and the more recent scents. Yeah, this scent is most pronounced near her neck, where I think I can see some harsh marks.

I swear there has to be some sort of God or higher being manipulating this to some extent because what are the chances that two cops walk past the allele, I’m in. Well, I think there’s a coffee place around here the cops like going to; I think I’ve seen a couple around here; what does that say for the cops that someone hides a body right here then. I think about it for and second and think, why the hell not, it’s definitely not Hannibal’s work, so what the harm in getting the cops in on this? They obviously need the help.

I start barking, making the cops jump, and one reaches for their gun, twitching fingers alright. Oh no, he didn’t bring the gun out; okay, I can respect that being ready for any situation.

“Just a dog, you can calm down,” the other one that didn’t react other than to freeze says to what I can assume is his partner. They look like they’re about to start walking away when I bark again and jump up on my back legs, trying to get their attention and curiosity again.

They just look at each other in obvious confusion. Before I bark again and turn my head to the body, there’s no way they can see from their angle.

I do this a couple of times, barking once, jumping and looking towards the body before one says
“Okay, I’m curious; what do you reckon it’s doing.”

The other one just looks at him and shrugs. “I don’t know; why would I know? Go check it out if you’re that curious.”

“I will” he just nods like he won an argument and comes into the allele. He makes his way towards me, and I respond by backing up a little bit now that I know his coming. He glances around the dumpster quickly and then shouts, “it’s nothing, just rubbish.”

You, sir, are an idiot; I growl in response and rush forward, pushing my head behind the dumpster and grabbing the women’s hair, apologies in my head. I pull as hard and gentle as I can, I don’t move the body much as she’s shoved tightly behind the bin, but I loosen her long hair and manage to bring it out behind the dumpster and in view of the officer.

He gasps and steps back; I do as well once I see that he realises what’s happening because he steps forward slowly to get a better look.

“Hey, come one, just leave it; you said it was nothing; we’re going to be late”, The other officer shouts out in a bit of a huff.

The other officer goes closer to the body and works his way all the way around to get a good look with a face of horror.
“Hey, let’s go” when there is another long pause and no response from the current horrified officer, the one outside the allele makes his way down with what should be a concern but is just annoyance from his heavy footsteps.
He gets to the horrified officer and grabs his shoulder before opening his mouth with what I can only assume is going to be another call out, but his eyes fall on the body, and he freezes.
He snaps out of it pretty quickly, unlike the other officers, who he grabs and drags away before grabbing his radio and calling it in.

I make myself scared and out of the way while multiple officers start making their way to the location. That’s when I see Jack; the officers have cut off access to the alleyway but have been arguing about moving the dumpster. Many photos had been taken before this argument occurred, but now, they want to receive the body and are worried about messing up any evidence. I don’t know what they expect won’t already be contaminated by the dumpster and rubbish around the body, but I guess good on them for trying to not cause any more. I’m unsure why I’m still here, more out of curiosity than anything, and no one’s brought attention to me. I’ve been taking the time to continue smelling the area and trying to distinguish smells and depending on how they treat me, I might even show them the outfit I can sense a couple of dumpsters away.
Jack walks in with confidence but not the sort of confidence I recognise; I don’t think he’s a very high-ranking F.B.I. Agent, not yet anyway, but he does seem to be taking charge, so he still ranks high he must be only recently taking control of cases to prove his abilities. He looks around and goes to the only officers I interacted with in field uniform.
“Who found the body?” Jack was probably expecting to talk to the witness that found the body.
“Are well, we were walking past when a dogs barking got our attention”, one of the officers responded, the one that initially stated back informed.
“So, you guys found it?” Jack asks, taking out his notebook and ready to take notes.
I think the other officer, who’s been trying to be helpful because he feels terrible, he froze when confronted with the body and continued the conversation.
“Actually, I missed the..the body at first, I went to walk away, and the dog came in pulling at the bo..bodies hairs bring it to my attention.”
Jack doesn’t look impressed before continuing and casually writes in his notebook, “Okay…thank you, so if we found Dog saliva, we can know where it came from, and everything to do with the victim’s hair is contaminated.”
“Are… well, the dog, the dog is still here, we aren’t really sure what to do, we think it’s a stray” Jack looks up at that, looks around until he sees me and stops.
“Have we got samples from the dog” Jack yells out to the forensic officers. They look up in shock, probably not used to grabbing samples from dogs, let alone from stray dogs.

“Why do you want the dog’s sample… are..sir?” These officers turned around his attitude, trying to make up for his lack of reactions to the body.

This time one of the forensic officers’ responses, “If we can get the sample, we can compare it to the samples on the victim, its protocol on witnesses that may have come in contact with the body, and if this ever gets solved and goes to court, the defence laws can’t use the dogs contamination as a rule of evidence dismissal because we can directly prove what the dog contributed to our samples.”

“It’s far ahead thinking, but if we get that far and don’t have it, we look like idiots, so yeah, let’s do this.”

The forensic officers look at each other before one grabs a swab and containing tube, and another grabs tweezers and a containing tube. They all look a little concerned, obviously wondering how I’m going to react.

I make sure to sit down calmly and open my mouth after licking my lips for a second to get some saliva build-up. Everyone looks a little surprised and freaked out, to be honest, and I just sit calmly with my mouth open.

Jack, while looking surprised, doesn’t want to miss the apparent opportunity. “Well, do you want it any easier, want the dog to do the whole job for you?”

The forensic officers jump to it, moving towards me “get the saliva first; not sure how it will react when I pull out its fur.”

The first forensic officer with the swab bends down, slowly moves in, and puts the swab at the back of my mouth before pulling it against my tongue; it felt weird, but I didn’t react, not wanting to spook the officers. The officers quickly put the swab in the container, screwed on the lid and quickly grabbed a pen and, I can only assume, wrote out a label for the container stating what the swab is and contains. I close my mouth and again lick my lips to get the taste of cotton out of my mouth.

The second forensic officer with the tweezers looks a little more scared; everyone else looks a bit nervous and noticeable, so I’m not full-grown yet, but I’m still a dangerous breed and stray dog that they have no idea what will happen.

“Good dog… that’s a good dog,” I think he’s trying to be soothing, but his shaking voice would actually put an average dog on edge.

He quickly goes in and just plucks it; I do wince, but other than that, I don’t react. Honestly, I think that freaks everyone else out a little more. The officer does the same as the other forensic officer putting the furs and tweezers in the container, shutting it and grabbing a pen to write on.

I would be concerned, but I doubt there’s any protocol on keeping Dog D.N.A., and I’m pretty sure they won’t even make a D.N.A. profile for me, and I’m literally a dog like they certainly can’t arrest me, and I haven’t even done anything, yet.

They all look at each other “should we, like, call a shelter or get it checked for a chip or something.”

I stand up and shake my fur out; they all jumped, probably not expecting me to move after sitting here for so long without doing anything.

I slowly start walking away. As I go past the dumpster, I can smell something with the individual I sensed on the victim before. I considered lightly pawing on it but decided I wanted to be a bit dramatic; I haven’t had much entertainment these past months.
I have definitely been embracing my dog instincts and behaviours; I was initially concerned and worried I would lose myself when I realised, but then decided that I’m a dog, that is what I am, and I’m actually okay with staying like this and embracing that side of me. I’ve not noticed any concerning issues in my personality or thoughts like I’m different. However, I still feel like me, just with minor Human tendencies, which I actually think is a positive so far.

When I get next to the dumpster, I slowly walk up to it and start growling and lean down in a stalking pose. I can feel the tension in the air and everyone watching me closely.

I hear Jack behind me. “Has any of the surrounding areas been searched?”

I can only assume the response is a shaking of heads from the shuffling sound before someone responds, “no, not yet.”

I get to the dumpster as I lean close to the ground; it looms over me before I jump up on my hind legs and bark again. The horrified officer from before comes up next to me, so I jump out of the way but give another bark before turning away and just walking away.

I don’t look back, but I hear the officer shuffle around, obviously making sure to have a good look and then call out to everyone, “there are some bloody clothes and gloves in here.”

I hear all the officers rush forward, telling him to get away while they start taking photos and notes and getting ready to take the evidence.

I just slowly walk away, like an action hero from an explosion. I keep an ear out and am glad that I did because I hear the original horrified officer ask his partner, “how do I get into the K-9 unit?”

Yeah, I’m not feeling too bad about this dog thing
Now back to my mission of getting to Hannibal.

Chapter Text

I don’t know how this is happening; I’m not going to change or expect everything to work out; while it would be great, I need to remember consequences are a thing.

I have found Hannibal’s house. His car is there, so I’m assuming his home, but I really don’t want to rush this; it could go wrong quickly, as anything not ending up with Hannibal could be considered wrong. Have I become a little obsessed with this? Well, it’s been keeping me going so far, and being Hannibal’s dog has become my only plan. I wonder if some higher beings have planted this thought in my head. Again, I won’t make that affect my decisions, but it is definitely a possibility.

I’m not going to make it a thought I overthink about and just see what I can do and how everything plays out.

I’m a bit surprised. I wasn’t sure I would find it but go me, I guess. I’m not exactly sure what to do now; how do you get someone to take you in. Would he consider it rude if I just start sleeping outside his house and he just eventually takes me in?

I decided to scope out the neighbourhood as discretely as possible, don’t want to start a gossip train, and Hannibal would get a bad impression of me before he even got to meet me.

I didn’t find anything interesting, but I did find a nature reserve nearby; I was not expecting that, but it’s pretty cool and big. I decided to explore it and found a nice spot away from the path, but I’m not too worried about getting lost will just follow my own scent trail.

I don’t want to hope, but even in my past life, I didn’t need certain relationships, those of love, but I had always hoped for a proper family relationship. I think I was pansexual in my previous life, but even then, I didn’t really look for or want that sort of relationship. I had always wanted a family relationship with someone. All the positives of a love relationship, without the side effects of hard consequences when they stop the love. I didn’t like talking and getting involved with others around me, I’m still human, and humans are social beings. Even Hannibal falls to the siren call of connecting with an individual.

I’m a big believer in independence, self-reliance, and self-care, but that doesn’t mean interaction with someone you enjoy the company of and know well isn’t something to look for. Those strong attachments give you something to care for and protect, meaning survival and growth.

I certainly don’t want what Hannibal feels for Will, but even a tiny fraction of that would be all I would need, as long as it’s real, but I won’t be able to know if it’s real until circumstances prove Hannibal’s feeling either way.

Hannibal gets to the point that he loves Will in such a way that he could never leave Will’s life, Will comes to know this. While at one point, Will wants to live a Hannibal-free life but understands that’s only possible if Hannibal’s dead and thats worst for Will. This puts him in a bit of a conundrum of Will becoming a cannibal murderer, never living an everyday life again or killing Hannibal himself to reclaim his only way to have an ordinary life. And it is a conundrum. It’s also not because if you know Will, you know he even stated he can’t live without him. This explains Will doing the unexpected and going off the cliff with Hannibal; it’s his last-ditch effort to do what he realises is socially accepted as the right thing, to be the man he has fought too long to maintain and hold on to. However, Will gives himself something; if they survive the fall, he would, without a doubt, submit to Hannibal and love him entirely back.

If I can somehow get Will to accept his nature sooner, it’s not such a long mental battle he has been fighting for his whole life. It might help if he gets cured earlier, so he hasn’t got such a big grudge against Hannibal and just wants to get back at Hannibal a bit.

I come out of my thoughts and take a big breathtaking at the sights, smells and sounds of this little nature reserve. There are definitely multiple wild animals living around here as well; it’s quite impressive and kept in really well condition, which is understandable with the people living around it. I start to hear some voices.

I make sure to lean down close to the ground to ensure I don’t get noticed but creep closer to get a better look and to hear better.

“Thank you for letting me do this and not telling anyone” I hear what can only be explained as a middle-aged white women’s voice.

It’s the voice that responds that I can’t help peaking up a little bit because it’s, without a doubt, Hannibal’s. I don’t know why, but I can’t help but be so pleased with this; I’ve found Hannibal and my dopamine levels just rise like crazy for completing a task I’ve set for myself that feels like so long ago.

“It’s certainly a pleasure; I’m happy to help where I can, and getting some fresh air helps.”

I peak over the bushes and, sure enough, see that Hannibal and some middle-aged women are making their way towards me but still a little bit far away. So glad for dog hearings.

“It’s been getting worst, the controlling but being distances, I haven’t told anyone about this” the woman was obviously getting a sort of therapy session with Hannibal on a walk.

I wonder why he’s going with it. Does he reckon he can make this woman snap? I make sure to stay down but close by so I can follow them as they continue walking through and learn more.

Hannibal responds in his cold, deep voice that somehow sounds understanding. “It’s quite alright; I won’t inform anyone and, if asked, will just say we came across one another on a walk.”

“Thank you”, the woman signs happily before continuing on “, so I’ve heard sounds that he keeps saying he can’t hear; I feel like I’m going crazy.”

Hannibal hums before continuing, “well, you should be assertive and ensure he understands that you are in his life, and he can’t just leave you in the dust.”

They continue on their way, the woman talking about her miserable life with her husband, whom she just settled for because her father convinced her she was useless, and she needed to settle for the first guy that paid her any attention.
She obviously didn’t say precisely that, but it was pretty easy to pick it up. Hannibal’s response was exciting; he would subtly put in every now and then that she can’t let her husband leave and she has fought for too long to just give up. It’s not the best advice; Hannibal should tell her to leave him and work on making herself her first responsibility. But he is wording it because it’s best for her if she keeps him around and doesn’t get him to life.

I think the angle Hannibal is playing is he reckons her clinginess will make her husband push away even more, and if he tries to leave her or has an affair, she will kill him and herself. It’s obviously only in its early stages, but I think I can see where it’s going.

I keep following them hidden behind bushes and trees that I hope get mistaken as the wind or smaller animals such as squirrels.

As I follow behind them, I step too close to what I realise was a squirrel’s hiding spot; the squirrel spirits away from the managers and me to run in between the two walking individuals. Hannibal doesn’t react at all other than glancing at the squirrel quickly but then looking back forward like nothing had happened. On the other hand, the woman stops in the middle of her sentence and her movements with a gasp.

Hannibal then looks back at her with a very confusing worried expression “are you alright?”

The women look at Hannibal and then to the spot where the squirrel vanished from view.

“You didn’t see that.”

Now adoring a worried expression, Hannibal states, “See what?”

You are a sneaking snake; he is so good at turning anything into his favour, isn’t he.

The women look flustered before shaking her head and replying, “nothing” she seems to be in a sort of mental freak-out state, which is far enough she properly thinks she’s hallucinating.

She eventually continues with some choice words from Hannibal.

“You know I have a little bit of a fear of dogs, one attacked me when I was little, and my husband keeps wanting to get one; I think that’s how it started, he gets annoyed at my insistent decline, and he’s pulling away.”

The thing that Hannibal says next makes me decide to reveal myself; again, maybe be a bit too much of a coincidence, but I’m going with it.

“I’m so glad you’ve been able to tell me now I fear with your hearing and seeing some things and you opening up to me, which is good; it may cause more of this to happen.”

I decide why not; this is the perfect time to reveal myself; I run a little ahead of them and hear the woman dismissing him and promising it’s not that bad.

I come stalking out of the bushes in front of them, not making eye contact with either of them to see what Hannibal will do. He again looks curious but continues as if nothing is different. This is a bit of a gamble for him because if I was a real dog, I could have interacted with him making it difficult for him to pretend I don’t exist.

The woman again freezes, and this time can’t even take a gasp because her breath is pushed out of her completely. I stopped in the middle of her way, not Hannibal’s, so he could continue walking and not give it away by having to walk around me. He turns back to her once again, expressing his fake concerns.

She looks at him in absolute devastation before stammering out, “what I’m I might to do if I see hallucinations, like say a dog” She is playing this off pretty well, considering she thinks she’s going crazy, or she must just be trying to save face in front of Hannibal.

“Are you seeing a dog right now?” He turns around, and his tone is concerned; if I didn’t know him, I would assume it was genuine.

She just looks up at him, trying to take me out of her visual field and nods with a small whimper.

“I wasn’t aware it was already this bad, are the hallucinations acting violent or attacking you in any way” Hannibal is more than aware that is not because he can see me, but because it is what’s expected of him to ask.

She shakes her head and looks down, not moving; I creep closer to her but stop just when she looks up, so I teleported closer from her point of view. She takes a step back and looks back down.

Hannibal, the quick thinker, uses this to his advantage “I think our discussion today has brought all your fears and worries about your husband leaving you come to little and is causing your psych to torture yourself because you blame yourself, but you need to remember you have to fight to stay with your husband and not let him leave” His tone gets darker at the end.

I quickly and as quietly as possible walk off the pathway and out of view for them but with a low view for myself to see them. So, when she looks up and sees no dog, and has a dark look on her face with the words’ fight for him’ correctly repeated in her head and repeats “can’t let him leave”

Hannibal darkly smiles, which she can’t see as she’s looking off in the distance with what can only be described as a murderous expression. I did not think this would happen so fast, but this woman must have been closer than I thought.

She shakes herself and looks up to see Hannibal’s face turned into concern. “I won’t inform anyone of this chat, but if you need me, you can always come to me.”

She just nods and mumbles, “thank you, yes, thank you.” I don’t know if she’s thanking him for the chat or the subtle information that has convinced her to decide if she can’t keep her husband, she will kill him.

She seems to have snapped out of it and looks at Hannibal before continuing again, “I’ll speak to you later, Hannibal, but I better get home now” without even waiting for a response turns around and walks off the way she came.

Hannibal hums in what can only be thought of as an attempt at goodbye and achievement thoughts.

He then starts walking the other way, most likely to make a loop before returning home. I follow behind again, staying hidden for a bit, making sure the women won’t see me. I come out of the bushes and start walking next to Hannibal; he looks down in confusion and surprise.

He stops walking and looks down at me. I also stop, looking up with a tail wag and an open-mouth pant. He hums again and tilts his head, most likely in deep thought. He seems to be examining me as a whole. I’m actually feeling a bit self-conciseness with my dirty fur, and I’m sure my ribs are showing; I’m not exactly starving all the time, but there are some days when I go hungry; I know I’m certainly not eating the recommended amount for a puppy of my age and growing stages.

Hannibal looks up and continues on his way; I jump and continue following him. If I was looking nicer, we would be the perfect pair, Hannibal in his fancy suit and a Doberman walking perfectly in sync next to each other.

Hannibal seems to just continue acting like this was an everyday occurrence.

I was correct; we eventually returned to the same spot we were just at and up, continuing in the opposite direction I initially saw Hannibal and the women come from. Because we take a pretty big loop, not sure if it was Hannibal’s original plan or for him to see how long I’ll follow him. However, it is now getting dark.

Now the only reason I’m surprised about the mugger is that I feel like this area wouldn’t have them and who would mug someone in a nature reserve, but I did smell him before he jumped out, way too much deodorant.

However, the fact that this area is so well off would give some idiots ideas. This guy is definitely an idiot; I reckon he’s got a couple of muggings done by the wavering a gun around in some people’s faces and then getting lucky. This guy obviously thought he could get away with it in a more prosperous neighbourhood and get off big. He chose the wrong person to mug.

“Quick, give me everything you have.” the guy seems nervous for one second and then full of himself another. He is not even wearing a mask or gloves, and I don’t think that gun is even real.

I look up at Hannibal and see that he’s looking at me curiously; I quickly realise this could be a perfect opportunity to show Hannibal that I can be helpful.

I give a deep bark at the mugger. He jumps back, obviously just noticing me for the first time. This guy must be on something to have only seen Hannibal. He drops the gun and goes to bend down and pick it up. Another one of his many mistakes, I bare my teeth and lunge at the guy. I grab his hand with my teeth, viciously biting down. He screams and tries to pull back, just making it more painful for himself as I just bite down harder.

I turn to look up at Hannibal with the guy’s arm still in my mouth. He looks very entertained; this was not original in his plans for the day, but he doesn’t look too disappointed with the outcomes.

I pull hard, making the mugger fall down on his stomach; I then let go of his arm to jump on top of his back with my front paws on either side of his head. I push my hind legs into his back. I lean down my head and growl right next to his ears, freaking him out as he tries to lift his head but flinches back, banging his head on the ground when I bark at him, showing my teeth.

I look up at Hannibal, not moving my body position so the mugger doesn’t get any ideas. I wag my tail and do a more passive face while looking at Hannibal, basically trying to show my submission and that I see him as the alpha.

Hannibal is looking immensely amused with how this is turning out.

He bends downs just so the guy doesn’t have to move his head, only his eyes to look up at Hannibal. I can’t see what Hannibal sees in his eyes but can kind of assume its fear.

“I think you’ve been quite rude; however, as you have provided me with some information that may help me in the future, I’ve decided that I won’t let my dear companion here maul you” Hannibal is kind of bluffing here. In contrast, I’ve done a lot in his favour; he doesn’t really have insurance that I won’t just attack this guy for all he knows.

The guy seems to be nodding. I don’t know what he thinks his agreeing to, but he seems pretty eager with how quickly he’s moving his head. Hannibal does a hum and pulls back up right before looking back at me. I don’t get off the guy, though, I want Hannibal to realise I’m intelligent, but I don’t want him to think I can read his minds, as in I want him to be pretty clear on instructions and on what he expects from me. This is me drawing a line that we can both follow as we continue to get to know each other from here on out.

As we learn and get closer, we can maybe do that whole do without even looking at each other thing, but I don’t see that happening for a long time. I need Hannibal to understand it’s on him to dictate how I act and behave. That way, I have some sort of insurance for future issues that may arise.

Hannibal looks very thoughtful before trying a simple “off.” command.

I can respect that; Hannibal is probably going through the explanations of my behaviour, probably coming to some conclusions I’ve been trained in subduing individuals and is looking for the command I’ve been trained in.

Well, I don’t mind Hannibal using that to justify my odd behaviour; while I have accepted that I’m a dog and will be a dog for this life, I still know I might have odd quirks that could be concerning, not just justified to my intelligence.

I quickly get off the would-be mugger, changing my demeanour completely, and wander back to Hannibal’s side, sitting down.

The would-be mugger gets up slowly, looking up a couple of times, first keeping a particular eye on me, when he almost complete up but reaches for his gun, not sure if he just wanted it back or thought try and use it, I just react by lunging forward and barking again. He falls back on his but this time, scooting backwards before turning around on all fours, scrambling up and bolting off.

Hannibal watches the guy run away with what can only be contentment. I just sit next to him, watching the guy as well.

When the guy is out of view for a while, Hannibal just continues on his way, like nothing happened. I quickly make sure to follow. Hannibal looks down at me again but again doesn’t do anything to stop me.
I make sure to follow, him. Don’t you worry Hannibal I’m not leaving you alone until I have some confirmation that you’re keeping me.

I’ve waited this long.

Chapter Text

When we get to Hannibal's house, I'm unsure what to expect. Is he going to continue ignoring me?

Hannibal gets to the front of his house and seems to be considering something; he looks back at me and seems to have decided something. He goes into his house before giving me a look that appears almost hopeful or as hopeful as Hannibal could look and be.

He then goes into the house and shuts the door. I kind of don't know what to do now; well, one of my plans was to just show up at Hannibal's house and stay near it until he decided to maybe take me in because I had become almost consistent in his life. I was ready for it to take a while, and worst comes to worst; if it got into the series and Will came over to Hannibal's house, I would follow him and commit to him taking me in. That was the backup plan I had come up with. I will stick around Hannibal until the plot starts; that will be my time frame before I try anything else.

I lay down next to the door, out of the way, and I'm pretty sure no nosy neighbours can see me; I want Hannibal to take me in but not because he feels an obligation. I lay down, closing my eyes, but I make sure to listen out. I can hear footsteps inside the house, even those that are hard to hear. Hannibal seems to walk quietly, and everything he does follows.

I wasn't waiting too long before I heard footsteps approaching the door. That made me open my eyes and perk my head up. When Hannibal final reaches the door, he opens it and looks around before seeing me and looking almost surprised.

I see in his hands he has two metal cooking bowls. I tilt my head and wag my tail against the floor a little bit. Hannibal tilts his head in response and leans down, placing the two bowels next to me. I look at them and see one is filled with water and the other with meat.

I'm pretty excited by this prospect; I quickly get up and take a quick drink before getting into the food. My taste buds have been different since I've been a dog, but I can tell straight away it's high-quality meat. And for all I know, some human might have mixed in with it. I don't mind; with my plan, I would have to quickly accept it; no way I could be Hannibal's dog and not expect to eat human.

I eat quickly but as respectful as possible, not making a mess or wasting any of the food. Once I finish, I go back for another drink and look up at Hannibal, who's watching in fascination.

Hannibal leans down, looking reflective before giving me a quick pat on the head before moving along my body; he feels along my side and when he gets to my exposed ribs hums in what could be considered frustration.

Hannibal gets up and goes back inside. I stand up for a little bit longer, keeping an ear out. I don't hear Hannibal come back and instead listen to him get further away and the click of lights off. I don't mind it, as it's more than I could have thought. Hannibal feed me. That was a big step as well, as he seemed to have used his cooking bowels, which means a lot.

I slept pretty well, thinking the first meeting went pretty well.

I can't wait to see where this goes.

The next day I can hear Hannibal when he comes down the stairs, and I get more excited when I hear him get closer to the door. I'm surprised when he opens the door to see some towels in his hands, and he doesn't look too different in a suit, but what he wears every day looks more casual than expected. He looks down at himself and appears a bit put off with his outfit but just takes his hand and straightens it out before sighing and fulling stepping out while shutting the door behind him.

He looks down at me and looks a bit more confident before walking to his car. I stay standing, not really sure what to do. I don't know where he's going and can't really follow him while he's driving.

Hannibal makes his way to his car, looks back at me and goes the to back seat. I'm confused when I see him lean over the seats and lay out the towels. One on the central part of the seat, and he tucks one up on the back of the seat. He takes some time to tuck the towels into the seat to ensure they don't come out or shift around too much.

He then leans back out, looking satisfied. He looks back at me and says clearly, "come."

I quickly jump to follow the command, getting excited that Hannibal is taking me in his car.

I stop at the open back seat door, not jumping in, wanting some reinsurance before doing it; I look up at Hannibal waiting.

He seemed a bit confused for a second before thinking about it and before leaning over me and taping the seats. I put my front legs on the side of the car, then used my hind legs to jump up completely and straight away lay down on the towels. I lay horizontally across the seats, ensuring I was only on the towels. I lay my front paws out in front of me to use as balance as needed but tuck my back legs under me to save space. I look up at Hannibal when I'm comfortable and not touching anything to do with the car.

Hannibal looks pleased before shutting the door and making his way around to the driver's side; I follow with my eyes till he gets around and sits down in the driver's seat. He quickly looks back, properly ensuring I haven't moved around, before turning around and starting the car.

I didn't think about it straight away, but what if he's taking me to a shelter. I don't show my panic outright because I would surely scratch the car or annoy Hannibal, which would not help my situation.

It would not be ideal, but if worst comes to worst, I will escape it and find my way back to his house. Show my determination to be by his side.

I lie down but look out the window, watching the passing trees and streetlights. I'm too low to see anything else, but it's keeping me entertained. I make sure to lean with all the turns, not putting pressure on the back of the seats; however, Hannibal seems to be driving very smoothly. I look over at Hannibal every now and then to see if I can find out his intentions, and he gives nothing away.

It's not until we come to a complete stop and Hannibal turns the car off that I realise we got to our destination. I want to stand up and see where we are but don't want to risk moving the towels too much. Hannibal gives me a final look before taking the keys and leaving the car. He doesn't come around to the back seat and instead moves forward, has me lean forward a little bit to follow him, and can actually see the building he is walking into.

I lean forward even more and can see a sign on the building. It's a vet. Oh, that's pretty good. It could still mean Hannibal is planning to drop me off, but it's not a shelter straight away, so that's something.

Hannibal comes back with a young woman looking charmed that is holding a slip leash. They come to my side and open the door; the woman almost looks ready to grab me if I bolt by the way she tenses. I just stay still looking at Hannibal. The woman leans forward and puts the end of the leash around my neck; I let her.

She looks at Hannibal in surprise and says, "you sure it's a stray."

Hannibal just looks back at her with a raised eyebrow. "That's why I'm here."

She just nods at him and tries to pull me out. I don't move to let her push and pull me out as much as she wants, but she just slips up, not expecting me to not follow. She stops and turns back, talking to me in a babyish voice, "come on, come on."

She pulls again; I look at her before looking up at Hannibal. The woman looks at Hannibal and puts the handle of the lead in his hand. He seems a bit put back by her forwardness. Hannibal gives her a confused look.

She responds, "that dog sees me as nothing and has no respect for me at all, but seems to view you in high esteem."

He then looks at me before saying, "come."

Hannibal steps back a bit, and I quickly jump out of the car, carefully standing next to him.

He then shuts the door and looks back at the woman. She looks more impressed than annoyed at my behaviour.

She then continues back to the building, which Hannibal follows, and so do I, standing next to Hannibal.

Once we enter the building that has massive windows, the woman opens the door for us. The smell is that of a hospital with sterile chemicals and that of many animals as well. I look around and see a bunch of plastic chairs, empty, to my right, and a reception table to my left, and straight ahead, there is a hallway with a couple of doors that I'm assuming is the veterinary offices are behind and maybe even surgery rooms.

The woman walks around to the other side of the reception table before looking up at Hannibal and saying, "He shouldn't be too long, so just have a seat and relax."

Hannibal looks at the plastic chairs and decides to just do as instructed. He goes to the seats on the wall facing out, so I can assume he can see everyone entering and exiting the building and the office doors.

I turn and face the same way before sitting down next to his leg. I kept a lookout as well. Just trying to show Hannibal how nice it would be to have me around.

Hannibal seems happy to sit and watch his surroundings. The receptions are all walking in and out with papers and folders. Vet nurses go-between storage rooms and offices, and the occasional vet walks around. I wonder if he remembers his time as a surgeon.

I can see a woman outside, and I'm not one to judge. Still, she reminds me of a stereotypical sugar baby, or with a wealthy father, with her short sparkly dress, long purse, full face of makeup that doesn't exactly match her skin tone, and excessive expensive-looking accessories.
Of course, I can see as the woman gets closer; she has a bedazzled leash attached to, of course, a chihuahua. The little thing appears to be pulling with all its might, but its slight build is doing nothing to the woman not paying attention as she's on the phone.

Hannibal seemed to have seen her as well, but it's the receptionist's response to seeing her that gets Hannibal's and my attention.

When they notice her, they start arguing about who will handle her and tell her about the dog cage again.

They eventually decided on a stern-looking woman who just sighs and nods when asked. The others make themselves scarce most seem to be running into a break room, while one looks back at Hannibal and quickly makes her way over. She gets in front of Hannibal and starts talking with a nervous hand fiddle.

"umm, just to inform you, one of our clients, that is late, and we thought we cancelled but umm anyway, her dog is not the friendliest with other dogs, such be prepared, we will be informing her that she needs to put him in a dog carrier, but she's, umm know to not, umm exactly follow how to advise" the poor girl looks terrified wringing her hands together the whole time.

Hannibal looks not pleased but not too annoyed and responds, "That's quite alright, dear I will be prepared and won't take my frustration on the situation out on any of the employees."

She looks so relieved it's funny how her face goes from tensed and stressed to relived and thankful; she does an odd almost bows whispering a quick "thank you."

She then turns around quickly and glances at where the woman is before walking rapidly to hide where the rest of the receptions have gone.

Hannibal again looks interested in the circumstances that have occurred, most likely not expecting this trip to be so fascinating, with the appeal of a confrontation about to happen.

The woman walks through the door, loudly talking on her phone; I don't know what about, because I tuned her out straight away because of the high voice and almost wheezing laugh. I can't notice the chihuahua yipping and running out of me as soon as it gets in the room and sees me; again, it doesn't get far but is indeed tyring with all its might.
I'm not sure what to think; this is an obvious sign of little dog syndrome. This dog has not been appropriately socialised and feels, for some reason, it can take any dog on; the whole thing is literally at most as big as my head, at most; I think it is one of those miniature chihuahuas.

I don't start paying attention to what she's saying until she finally hangs up the phone and starts talking to the receptionists. "Bella has been throwing up each night."

"Miss Taylor, you are an hour late, and we have already replaced your appointment, and we have informed you that Bella is required in a carrier cage as she is not good with other animals" The receptions doesn't even flinch; who has been named Taylor, from her screeching tone.

Taylor looks horrified like someone just shot her; the receptions doesn't even blink like staring down a shark.

Nothing is said, and I'm confused. Taylor is either trying puppy dog eyes before transitioning to crying in hopes maybe the receptions will take pity on her or something.

It either works, or the receptions want to be done with this as soon as possible and realise giving in is just quicker; she sighs and continues, "you may have a seat, and someone will see Bella; however, this is only because it could be a major health issue."

Taylor seems to do a total one-eighty and just spins around on her high heels and sits down before she looks to see Hannibal for the first time and her eyes almost light up. Hannibal doesn't react to a slight tension in his body, and I can understand why; she looks like a hungry wolf that just found a newborn fawn.

While I'm sure Hannibal is used to women hitting on him, he's probably not used to ones that look and act like this because of his usual social circles.

She is about to make her way towards Hannibal, most likely to get a seat near him; how does she not realise this would have been the worst idea because her dog is still barking and pulling towards me.

She takes her time getting over to us because before she can have stopped on her way to grab her hand-held mirror and check herself out, how does she not realise that is the most trashes thing I've seen? It makes her look so vain.
Lucky, a vet comes out before she can finish getting ready, calling Hannibal's name.

I will never admit that I saw Hannibal almost jump and fly across the room in front of the vet, but I will say Hannibal must be ready to get out of here by moving slightly faster. I drive just as quickly as Hannibal walking by his side perfectly.

When we get in front of the vet, Hannibal and he shakes hands, introducing themselves.

"Hello Mist, oh Doctor Hannibal, I am Doctor Hayes, um, let's continue on, shall we?" it was good of Doctor Hayes to correct himself on Hannibal's title.

He then turns his hand to indicate for us to follow before leading us a couple of steps down and opening the door to an office, there is a table along the back of the room, which is at three different heights, obviously for other sizes animals to stand on, but all be at a comfortable height for the vet to examine.

The vet shuts the door behind us and tells Hannibal, "Up on the second level, I reckon for me."

Hannibal then leads me up the first table, which acts as a step onto the middle one between the two heights and makes my head about shoulder height.

The doctor goes to the side of the room with some benches with a sink, draws and cabinets. He grabs a stethoscope from the bench next to the sink and asks Hannibal as he makes his way over to me.

"So, what's the situation?"

Hannibal doesn't look annoyed by the vet's obviously straight-to-the-point way of dialogue and, in turn, responds, "Well, this dog showed up yesterday. Obviously, a bit starved, I was a little out of my depth."

"Are you thinking of keeping her?" the vet says before putting the stethoscope in his ears and then using his hands to feel around the side of my body before putting the end of the stethoscope in replacement of where he placed his hand.

Yes, Hannibal answers the question.

Are you going to keep me?

Chapter Text

Hannibal being respectful or not knowing the answer, doesn't respond until the vet is done listening to my heartbeat. Doctor Hayes grabs some gloves and says the words "open."

I, not wanting this to go any longer than necessary open my mouth wide. Doctor Hayes hums in appreciation before leaning down and checking all my teeth and then grabs my lips, pushing them up to get a look at my gums.

Hannibal finally responds when the vet pulls back and looks up at him, "We will have to see whether she's microchipped first, won't we."

The vet looks up knowingly before humming and then, going to the bench taking his gloves off and opening a drawer, brings out what can only be a handheld computer designed to read microchips in animals.

The vet walks back and waves the computer over the back of my neck; he moves it up and down my neck. He brings it away, looking back at Hannibal and saying, "Nope, definitely no chip; she's all yours if you want. I've never seen a well-behaved stray puppy, and you said you only got her yesterday."

Hannibal looks surprised and questions, "puppy?"

Doctor Hayes just looks up, nodding "yep, I would say at most her age would be nine to ten months from her teeth."

Hannibal looks a bit surprised before watching the doctor as he continues. Hayes grabs some more gloves and feels along my body again, frowning as he gets to my ribs. He continues to feel them on both sides before looking up at Hannibal and explaining, "Look, she's definitely not emaciated, is on the thinner side, but that let's just say I've seen worse in looked after dogs, so for a stray has done very well, I'm not saying she was always a stray, but yes with the state of her being I would conclude she's a stray."

I feel a bit proud of myself; I'm glad to hear I keep myself healthy. If a dog looked too scruffy, I did avoid it trying to limit fleas or other parasites on me, so that's a bonus.

The doctor moves his hand down under my bell and moves further along, getting to a private area; I just try to think about something else.

"I don't think she's been spayed that something you want to schedule?"

Hannibal looks back at the vet and responds, "I have no experience with personally owning a dog, and If I'm to consider this would like your help in maybe learning what she's learnt, she seemed a little too well behaved for a stray, and then now you've mentioned that of a puppy as well."

The vet looks up happily "understandable, I'll grab some treats, and we can do the basics, see what she acts like and move on from there; as I said, she seems like an easy dog to have, which I've never seen a dog so well behaved, or behaved like this at all."

Thanks, doctor Hayes for helping me out; I'm so excited; I hope Hannibal didn't just lie to the vet to get him to help him figure me out to then abandon me.

The vet again goes to the bench and instead goes to a cabinet above his head before bringing down a sealed bag of dog treats.

He opens the bag, and instantly I get a big whiff of them; they don't smell half bad. Okay, doctor Hayes let's do this and prove to Hannibal how good of a dog I would be.

Hayes starts off easy by backing to the other end of the room and saying in a clear tone, "come."

I, for a second, considered not following Haye's orders and then hoping that Hannibal would try and only follow his, but I couldn't be sure he would try, and Hannibal would consider all of this a fluke and move on. We can work on me only following his commands when he takes me in.

And I like Doctor Hayes.

So, I quickly jump off the table and run up to Doctor Hayes, making clear eye contact. He looks impressed before saying "good girl" and offering me a treat. I sniff at it again and get a better smell; I think it's pig, I like pork crackling, so I grab the treat gentle and just imagine it's that with the crush in my teeth, but it doesn't taste half bad.

"sit" I quickly sit right where I am. Another good girl and a treat. This continues on with Doctor Hayes asking the basic commands for me, following them perfectly, and getting a treat.

When Hayes does all the basic commands, he moves on to more complex ones. Bark, Crawl, Spin, Stand Tall. I follow them all again, getting a treat after each one.

Doctor Hayes is looking more and more impressed after each trick. He looks up at Hannibal and says, "This is amazing; she's young but has known all of these, without even a hesitation; now I have one more thing we can try that I reckon can at least help a hypothesis on how this has happened, you up for it?"

Looking impressed, Hannibal also nods with what can only be a curious face.

"Okay", Doctor Hayes points at Hannibal and says the words clearly ", Protect."

Yes, Doctor Hayes, you are close to becoming my favourite person right now. I follow Hayes's hands with my whole head, like a dog processing the command lock onto Hannibal and quickly rush to him. I walk around him thoroughly once before settling in front of him, almost touching his legs and slightly growling outwards, not specifical at Doctor Hayes but more of an intimating factor for anyone.

I can't see Hannibal's face, but I really hope it's one of a surprise, in a good way.

Doctor Hayes looks very surprised, but that quickly shifts to happiness. "Yes, um, so let me explain what I think is happening here, so Doberman breed with some mixes, helps my theory, so some rich, or individuals with criminal intent, well buy dogs already trained to a high standard. Whether it's for intimating factors or protection, its normally breeds such as Doberman, Rottweilers, etcetera."

Hannibal doesn't get a response, but with a quick lookup from me, I can see his looking down at me with a thoughtful face.

No one says anything for a while, and then Hannibal says the words that I won't ever be able to forget.

"What do I need to know to own a dog?"

"Well, first can you give her a command to back down, I'm not exactly sure how she's been trained, so I'm a little worried she might attack if I even move" that's my bad, Doctor Hayes, when Hannibal said that his wants to know about owning a dog, I think a pulled my teeth back more in what is a scary dog version of a humans smirk.

I can't see Hannibal's face, but his tone is that of contentment with a firm, clear vocal of "enough."

I instantly relax; all of my muscles stop growling and instead sit down and pull my head back to look up at Hannibal with a tongue out of happy pants. I actually feel a sense of underlining happiest from just following his commands. I'm going to be careful with this. I'm pretty sure a massive amount of endorphins were released, and I could become addicted to this feeling.

"Very good, so yes, I should start; you shouldn't keep her if you don't want to because that just makes it worst for her in the long run" The doctor gives Hannibal a look before continuing.

"First thing first, what's your schedule like do you have time to spend with her?"

Hannibal hums and replies, "I'm a psychiatrist and can rearrange my hours if I seem fit."

Doctor Hayes nods. "That's good, so the main thing to know is dogs need exercise, toys, and mental stimulation. Make sure there's nothing in your house that she can get into that will affect her health, and be prepared for an adjustment period. And we will need to book her in for microchipping and get her spayed."

Before Hannibal can respond, there is a loud commutation of barking and people yelling from the waiting room. Doctor Hayes jumps and quickly opens the door slightly and pokes his head out.

He then runs out towards the chaos; Hannibal follows just out the door to see what is happening to interfere; I do the same.

What I see is that Bella, the miniature Chihuahua, is attacking a Jack Russell from the looks of it, who obviously recently entered the building; another dog Bella has gone and attacked, making the Jack Russell run away, and seems to have gotten out of its owner's hands everyone is yelling the receptions and Doctor Hayes trying to grab Bella who has also gotten out of its owner's hands.

Trying to be the keyword as if they get too close, Bella snaps, backing, biting them, making them pull back, and then Bella continues on her chase. The Jack Russell tries to hide around its owner; the owner goes to pick the Jack Russell up, trying to get the Jack Russell out of Bella's reach; before she can, Bella jumps, catching the Jack Russell that causing the dog to jump out of its owners' hands trying to run away again.

During all this, there are growls, barking, yelps, and, of course, humans yelling.

Before I realise what is happening the, Jack Russell has decided to run towards Hannibal and me, more precisely, directly at me. The Jack Russell, obviously very unsure of its life right now, chose to run towards a more giant dog in the room through my legs to escape the crazy smaller dog chasing it. The Jack Russell through my legs causes the Chihuahua that is on a hunt to try and follow; I bend my head down just as the Chihuahua is about to go through, and I release a vicious bark.

I wasn't sure if Bella would get the hint or have a go at me, but it appears she does have some sense as she stops in her tracks, whimpering; she completely turns around to run back to her owner.

Miss Taylor looks like she's about to have a meltdown. Another vet that came out in the commotion comes up to her and gets in her face before stating, "you are to come with me, we are going to examine Bella, and then you are never allowed in this office again; you were told multiple times Bella had to be in a carrier when she was here."

She looks like she can't decide to argue or break down in tears; the unnamed vet gives her a stern look before bending down and picking up Bella, turning around, and walking off towards another closed door behind which he locks them.

The Jack Russell, now seeing the Chihuahua gone, decides to run back to its owners jumping up and down on them.

The receptionists all going up to the Jack Russell and the owner, properly ensuring there both alright. Doctor Hayes sighs and comes up to Hannibal before saying, "I'm so sorry about this, but if you're sure about this, you should probably get to a pet shop anyway; they will definitely have some more than willing to help. So, we can wrap up for today, get her eating more and when you bring her in for microchipping, when can check for weight. You can keep the leash, and don't worry about payment today. We want to create safe spaces for everyone, especially the dogs; just call in the next couple of weeks to book the microchipping and decide if you want to get her spayed."

Hannibal doesn't seem put off by his dismissive tone, but that's more to do with everything that's happened. Hannibal nods and walks out with me following, I thought it was a little odd, but from what I understand, I don't believe Hannibal was initially planning to leave with me. I'm so happy about this outcome, though.

When we get to the car, and I'm in, and Hannibal is in the driver's seat, he pulls out his phone and appears to be typing and reading a lot.

I make sure not to shift around or anything, but it's been a while, and there is only so much I can cloud watch from one position.

Hannibal is not giving away too much of what he's doing, but I'm assuming his researching about having a dog.

When Hannibal puts the phone down and sighs, he looks back at me, and I lift my head to look at him back. He turns around and starts the car pulling out and going to an unknown destination again.

We end up at the pet store; I'm excited because this is more evidence that Hannibal will take me in. I think it will take a lot of reassurance, but I'm still excited about the possibilities.

Hannibal doesn't get out; instead just sits and watches; he watches as people leave and enter, most by themselves or with kids or other people and every now and then, people with dogs on leads as well.

Hannibal starts to get out and again comes around, takes some out, and we make how way to the store.

The smell is very different from the veterinary; it's obviously not as well cleaned and just an overpowered smell of almost everything, food, animals, plastic and of course, people.

Hannibal quickly looks around before grabbing a basket and walking to the aisle with a sign above it stating 'Dog.'

When we get to it, we can see it's filled with treats, toys, collars, leashes, harnesses, beds and more.

Hannibal walks slowly down the aisle, stopping now and every then, putting things in the basket but not before making sure to read everything available about it.

Hannibal goes through a couple of treats, reading their ingredients before he grabs a couple of different favoured ones, mainly on the higher end of the price.

The same is with the toys. Reading the labels about the toys and what they accomplish, he grabs many more than I reckon I'll need, but I'm not going to complain. He seems interested in the ones that supply mental stimulation, like ones that require me to use my nose to move the thing to get the treat.

He seems to be taking the collars and leaches into a lot of consideration. He spends a lot of attention looking and feeling their material; he doesn't seem too happy about any of them but decides on some simple, entirely black ones.

The harnesses come in multiple different styles, and Hannibal seems unsure about it before someone enters the same aisle with their own working sheepdog.

He comes up and sees Hannibal; he gives a knowing simile and comes up to Hannibal, putting out his hand to shake. Hannibal, not being unpolite, takes it. The sheepdog takes this as an okay and comes up to me sniffing; I don't mind having a sniff back.

I then take a closer look at the individual as the sheepdog has fun sniffing my neck; I don't mind as it's given me no indications of being hostile. The person looks familiar for some reason; he has short hair for practical reasons, maybe a little long at the ends. He's wearing overalls and seems he tries and keeps busy all the time, with the hint of a moustache growing through or not having time to shave.

"Yeah, the harnesses are the most annoying, but I honestly recommend..." He travels off as he looks around and then grabs a middle-range priced harness "this one."

He goes on to explain why "it's the best for medium-sized dogs, and you honestly don't need the more heavy-duty ones, and unless there hard to control, that's what all the handles are for, to grab them if need be, and this is honestly the easiest one to get on and off."

The harness he picked does look the easiest to use, with two holes for my front legs and the clips above that, so my legs go in it and then it's clipped around my shoulders.

Hannibal looks interested, grabs it from the guy, and starts reading the labels on it; he puts it in the basket and looks back to the guy, "much appreciated."

The guy just smiles and walks back to the other side of the aisle; the sheepdog needs a little bit of a pull away from sniffing me but does go with its owner.

Hannibal looks back at the harness in the basket, nods and continues on. We get to beds, and Hannibal seems to have made a similar decision as with the collars and just grabs a circle fluffy black one.

Once we get to the food section Hannibal looks at the wet and dry food sections; he moves to the puppy section; he takes his time reading each ingredient before settling on some different bags of dry food and wet. He probably wants to test them all and decide which one works best.

We lucky get out of there pretty quickly once Hannibal's paid; he makes a couple of stops at accessories for dogs, like the clothes and brushes; he grabs a brush before he decides to be done with it today. I wouldn't be surprised if Hannibal just wants to get the necessities and then do some research when he has more time.

When we get back to Hannibal's house, I'm pretty excited and happy with how everything has been done. When we exit the car, Hannibal takes the towels off the seats by folding them up carefully so their furs don't fall off the towels and onto the seats.

He goes to the trunk and brings out the bags full of his purchases. I am wandering over to the sidewalk staying on Hannibal property but putting my head done and getting a good smell, trying to familiarise myself with it.

Hannibal calls out, "come."

I look over and see he had put the bags down next to the door but has taken the brush out. I rush to him, slowing down when I get closer and stopping right next to him.

He sits down on the step, obviously wanting to brush me out. I move closer and sit down next to him. Hannibal starts brushing; he is a little rough, but it feels really good, and I shiver in appreciation.

Hannibal is very thorough, brushing everywhere, even my belly and legs. Hannibal looks happy after a while and then goes for a couple more full-body brushes before stopping.

When he seems happy and done, he gets up and brushes his clothes off; he doesn't look that happy about that part of it but looks at me and seems comfortable.

When Hannibal grabs the bags and opens the front door, he lets me in, he let me in. I didn't know what to do, but it was the best feeling. I can't wait for the plot.

I hope Hannibal keeps me; it would save me some time because I will be part of his life whether he wants it or not.

Chapter Text

I have been with Hannibal for a while now, and I'm sure the series will start soon. Through a lot of effort and patience, Hannibal and I have a pretty good relationship.

It's a bit scary how this is playing in real life, how composed and elegant he is, even when no one is here. Well, apart from me, but as this is the first visual introduction to Hannibal, I know the scene well, and from observing him even from a lower angle, nothing seems to have changed. He is slow and truly savouring every bite.

The only thing different from my perspective is I got to see the process of what went on that plate. Getting to know the process of who went into it was interesting, but I guess I could say I'm used to it by now; I have worked too hard to be useful and a source of almost a comfort to Hannibal. However, the cooking process could be considered an art form, liver in smoked paprika with what could be called pork belly with red and spring onion and a wine drizzle; I don't know; I got distracted by then. As much as I can watch the process and actually eat it, I don't have the focus to pay that much attention to something with no big payoff and that I could never do.
As Hannibal's pet, I would have to quickly accept eating what I once was in my last life. When Hannibal offers you food, you eat it, and it's not cannibalism as I'm a different species now, right. Just don't think about it too much.

The other difference is me, of course, and the objects Hannibal has added to his house for me, the most elegant but simple food bowl and water dish hidden under the wall of greenery made up of herbs that are watered and cared for on a strict schedule. The bowls, while hidden, are not out of place if sported.
My toys, which can be found in again an elegant box, of which I'm expected once done with them to put them back. My toys are few which is more my choice than Hannibal's, after a time of him realising I'm not going to play with some of them, surprisingly he was really generous considered I was not precisely chosen, when he first went shopping for me, he purchased almost every different style of toy, most likely to ensure no chewing of his items occurred. I still like to chew on some of the toys to help clean my teeth and gums and sometimes just something to do. The fake femur bone is one of my favourites only for the pleasure it brings Hannibal, which is not surprising considering all the cannibal jokes he makes.

I think he must like me to some extent, not just because he keeps me around but because there is a beautiful dog bed in his office and in his personal room. That's right, he lets me sleep in his room, now my bed is as far away from his clothes as possible; I don't blame him, but he could 100 per cent make me sleep outside, and it would still be meaningfully, in the fact he kept me. My bed is the same colour and design as Hannibal's bed bench. I mean, this dog bed is the most comfortable thing in the world, more comfortable than my bed in my past life and probably just if not more expensive.

When it's a workday, he usually takes me for a walk at the end of the day just so he doesn't have to get ready twice in the morning; while it never happened, his obviously worried about getting dirty during our walk. I sit around waiting for him to get ready and follow him to the kitchen that I never fully enter without his explicit permission. He's given me some of the leftovers from last night mixed in with some expensive dry dog food. It's not as bad as you think. When his ready to leave, he puts on my coat; I'm Hannibal's dog. Of course, I can't leave the house without something expensive. Today's one is a beige coat to go with Hannibal's tie.

Believe it or not, I can see colours pretty well, considering I'm a dog now, I can't see reds, oranges, yellows or greens precisely the same, but I can still tell what they are like. They are different cream-coloured variations.

I jump into the backseat of Hannibal's Bentley when he opens the door and gives the signal on the passenger side, which is covered in a piece of black fabric designed for this car and that Hannibal can take out and wash. I sit up using the back of the seat to stay upright. I don't move around unless necessary to stay upright and never use my claws in the car. I always make a conscious decision to be the perfect dog to continue to build Hannibal's positive thoughts of me. Nothing exciting happens on the trip to his office.

The plot has officially started.

The sobbing was the worst. If it continued, it would only prolong the already too long, uncomfortably moment for all involved.

Lucky Hannibal, he can turn any situation into a positive for himself. So, he must feel a form of discomfort, even minor and then shape the situation to his design.

Oh, I missed him passing the tissues and Franklyn whining about his emotions instead of doing anything about the circumstances.

Hannibal is already saying that the lion is not in the room, and you would know if it was. I feel like that's a direct lead to the moment for Hannibal, who cannot wait until Franklyn realises the lion was always in the room. Well, the predator Hannibal has, much as the metaphor fits, is in no way just a simple Lion.

Oh, good his leaving. I can get up; as much as I would prefer that Franklyn didn't know I existed, just to save a dog the existence of being owned by Franklyn just because Hannibal has one, I prefer being with Hannibal and getting to see the plot unfold. So just not interacting with Franklyn will have to do, plus coming here with Hannibal is such a privilege and has become routine. And I think it shows Hannibal's like for me, not sure what sort of emotional attachment Hannibal can really have, especially if his not at attached by now, it's obviously not going to happen. Still, at least his tolerant of me; I wouldn't be around if he wasn't.

Getting up now after the hundredth time on four legs isn't as unnatural as one would think. Really want to shake out my fur to dislodge the hairs poking me from laying down but knowing Hannibal likes it better when I don't shred and shaking will just encourage the lost hairs.

"Doctor Lecter?" Jack looks like such an idiot shaking the wrong guy's hand; however, I'm sure this has made Franklyn's day, being mistaken for Hannibal.

Hannibal quickly realises what has happened and corrects him, "I hate to be discourteous, but this is my private exit for my patients."

"Oh, Doctor Lecter. Sorry. Um, I'm Special Agent Jack Crawford with the F.B.I. May I come in?" Jack has always had an alpha male presence even through the screen, but I'm not seeing it right now. I wonder if he'll remember me, probably not, like I'm a pretty general coloured Doberman dog and Jacks, not that perspective.

"You may wait in the waiting room" Lucking, Hannibal has dealt with plenty of alpha males and knows precisely how to put them in their place.

Hannibal continued directly to Franklyn, then Jack, "I'll see you next week, Franklyn. Unless, of course, this is about him." Franklyn stops at that with a confused face looking at Jack.

"No, this is all about you" Jack seems to be scrambling to get some control back.

When Hannibal opens the door again, all he's done is clean up after Franklyn and move some of his more apparent drawings away; he learns his lessons. He also ensured all his hidden scalps were where they should be. Even though, if I remember correctly, he will get one out in front of Jack anyway.

Hannibal shuts the door behind Jack as he makes his way in and starts talking before Jack can get an entire look at everything. "So, may I ask how this is all about me?"

"You can ask, but I may have to ask you a few questions first." If Hannibal was a more irrational person, he could have attacked Jack straight away because, from his point of view, this could almost be an interrogation.

"You expecting another patient?" It would almost be polite to ask, except Jack has already been rude from the unannounced arrival.

"We're all alone" Jack looks around again till he stops on me, with a confused face. I'm sitting next to Hannibal's chair; it could be a scene from a rap video with the Doberman next to the throne.

Hannibal continues almost jokingly, "I promise she will not repeat anything said here today."

"Oh, good, I'll probably want information about that later, but continuing on, no Secretary?" Jack seemed like he had let my presence go to get to what he wanted quicker, but he kept glancing back at me, so I imagine he will definitely be asking about it later.

"Was pre-dispositioned to romantic whims. Followed her heart to the United Kingdom. Sad to see her go." I'm not; she was not a dog person, I don't know if Hannibal ate and killed her in the series, but he did here. Whether it was for a different reason or Hannibal was just looking for a reason, her kicking me when she thought he wasn't around was definitely rude. He did it amazingly, taking him so many talks and subtle convincing that she eventually called her family cutting ties telling them she was going to the United Kingdom in such a way that they would never feel the need to report her missing.

Jack has made his way to the drawing and studied the meticulous pencil drawings of Parisian landscapes, unaware of how dangerously alone he is with Hannibal. "Wow. Are these yours, Doctor?"

Hannibal indicates to the rendering of a school "Among the firsts. My boarding school in Paris when I was a boy".

"The amount of detail is incredible" Jack is now glancing over at me as I'm assuming he made his way to one Hannibal did of me, his not wrong I've seen them even with my new different eyesight; they really are amazing.

Hannibal picks up the pencil placed there purposefully, for if the inspiration hits, he grabs the scalpel, cutting the pencil's point. "I learned very early on that a scalpel cuts better points than a pencil sharpener."

"Well, now I understand why your drawings got you an internship at Johns Hopkins" Hannibal puts down the pencil, not the scalpel; I can see Hannibal look directly at Jack's jugular.

I can hear Hannibal's heartbeat; it is incredible how steady the rhythm stays, no matter the situation; however, I can see his nostrils flair and eyes dilate before a calm exhale.

"I'm beginning to suspect you are investigating me, Agent Crawford." Hannibal is always straight to the point. I've positioned myself on the other side of Jack, so his between Hannibal and me; I've also gained his attention, taking it off Hannibal.

While I know Jacks is not here to investigate or arrest Hannibal, I need Hannibal to know I'll attack if he gives the command; I look into Hannibal's eyes over Jack's shoulder, proving myself ready.

Jacks turns back to Hannibal, chuckling and asking his head, "No, no. No, you were referred to me by Alana Bloom in the psychology department at Georgetown." Just as Hannibal's demeanour changes slightly, I change mine as well, almost in response to Hannibal's, tucking my paws closer into my body and sitting back down, making it harder to jump and attack.

Hannibal almost smiles and continues, "Most psychology departments are filled with personality deficient. Dr Bloom would be the exception."

"Yes, she would. Yes, she would" Jack continues to look around before looking directly at Hannibal. "Well, she told me that you mentored her during her residency at Johns Hopkins."

Hannibal always wants to appear humble "I learned as much from her as she learned from me." Which I'm sure is true on some level; Hannibal is constantly learning from human interactions.

"She also showed me, uh, your paper, Evolutionary…Uh, Evolutionary Origins of Social Exclusion?" Good job, Jack, appearing to Hannibal's ego.

"Yes", Lucky Jack, Hannibal is curious about where this is going.

"Very interesting. Very Interesting. Even for a Laymen" That makes Hannibal fully smile; he always loves when people realise their place, even if he recognises some people are intelligent.

"A layman?" Hannibal's questioning tone says it all. "So many learned fellows going about in the halls of Behavioural Science at the F.B.I, and you consider yourself a Laymen."

"I do when I'm in your company, Doctor." Jack is such a suck-up. "Uh, I need you to help me with a psychological profile" there it is, what we have been waiting for; it definitely piqued Hannibal's interest, though.

Now, this is where the scene cuts, so I'm not sure what will happen next. We obviously know he is talking about Will, but how is Hannibal meant to know that? Oh, yep, Jack is explaining about one of the agents that he wants Hannibal to work on. Keeping him at a hundred per cent and always providing the best for whatever investigation his on.

When Jack continues explaining Will's impressive abilities and empathy, Hannibal looks interested.

Hannibal lets Jack leave after he says he will make his way to the F.B.I Academy, as he has no more patients today.

I wasn't sure if Hannibal would take me home, leave me here or leave me in the car at the Academy. Any option would be alright with me; I know there is no way I can actually go into the Academy as much as I would love to.

"Now, what are you thinking, Janina" I look expectantly up at Hannibal and even wag my tail a bit. "Good girl" I know he means my wiliness to attack and be prepared to protect him. I know he doesn't need me to protect him, and he knows it as well, but it must be nice to have a living being love you enough to protect you, that he doesn't have to pretend around. And I think I love him, a family sort of love, but a love nonetheless.

The way he acts and treats me makes me believe he also loves me to some extent. There's no reason for him to keep me around and treat me the way he does; from what I understand, he doesn't get any benefits from it other than me acting like a good dog. So, I guess he does manipulate me to some extent, treat me well, and I'll protect you, but he treats me better than well.

He takes me home before going to the Academy; I can only assume the meeting with Will goes the same as my memory.

Hannibal has studied the Minnesota murder well and knows what he needs to do to give Will some insight into them; this will be Will's first test, is he good enough to see the differences in the kills. I think at the minute, it's out of curiosity, but I'm interested to see whether this can become more. While Hannibal does liken himself to a god, he mainly kills because he, on some level, knows what it's like to feel powerless, and this particular kill was because of a whim.

Hannibal has only met Will and has been given the task of Will's caretaker of Will's sanity from Jack and has taken that because he wants to see how Will's mind works and better understand him. I think he's taking a risk just to aid Will.

Hannibal doesn't take me on all his hunts, he did not take me on this one, but that is likely mainly because it's the almost last-minute plan, not really; Hannibal plans for everything but compared to his kills that he will have prepared for weeks, months even this one is sudden.

I know Cassie Boyle is dead and impaled when Hannibal comes home pretty clean considering what has just happened, with a cooler in his head that he places on his counter to then go and get cleaned and changed.

Before he arrived, I had grabbed a spare towel that I brought up to Hannibal when he placed the cooler down. I wagged my tail and looked up expectably. Hannibal was a little surprised every time I did this, as he never trained me to but grabbed it with a hum and a "Good girl."

He only used the towel on his hands, the cooler and his shoes, not too surprising as it was in my mouth, but how else was I meant to bring it.

When Hannibal came back down, he was wearing a white shirt and grabbed a half apron, white as well. I know a reason for wearing white is that it doesn't absorb heat like other colours and offers protection. Still, the main reason Hannibal wears it is definitely because of his commitment to cleanliness.

Even when he is the only one eating, everything is done immaculately, getting all the bowls out he'll need, the ingredients, some red onions, tomatoes, and some wine stock, and so forth. Oh, this is the part where he flattens the lungs to allow for a more even cooking.

I'm getting a bit bored while I love watching and being with Hannibal; his mind and how he works are extraordinary. I've seen this scene multiple times, so I'm going to go and check outside because I know the scene and Hannibal by this point; I know once the food is ready, he will go and quickly get changed to eat.

When Hannibal comes back down from getting changed, and before he comes into the kitchen to rewash his hands, I go blocking his path and present my neck. I'm so glad Hannibal knows me and what I need by now. He bends down and takes off my coat, and I give a gentle and tiny woof to represent my thanks.

"Yes, good girl, I will see you before bed?" there's no reason for him to make it into a question statement, but I appreciate it and give another quiet "woof" in agreement with a tail wag.

Hannibal just nods his head and continues onto the kitchen, where he cleans his hands and what I assume to start his dinner.

I make my way around to the living room and through to the conservatory room, where Hannibal had a hidden doggy door installed. The doggy door was hidden behind a throne chair and then hidden from the outside with a planetary box made around it.

While it's dark, I still like going out to ensure I don't ever become reliable on my eyesight and can help train my nose more.

I don't know whether Hannibal knows what I do when I spend so much time outside. I would assume he does; his too controlling not to understand. I probably have a tracker in me or my collar, at the very least. Can't believe I've never thought of it before.

I don't mainly go out to do anything, and I like wandering the back streets and again training my nose outside the backyard. I have to be careful because this is a high-end neighbourhood, and one of these high-end individuals would, without a doubt, call animal control. Especially in the dark with the breed of dog I am.

I don't mind seeing if I can also get a scent of any of Hannibal's stalkers. Only got Franklyn's scents once or twice, reckon that will increase soon, but I never follow it. Franklyn would jump at the chance to 'find' Hannibal's lost dog and take advantage of it, and Hannibal would not appreciate me being caught.

Nothing interesting happened like usual, but I did get distracted by a squirrel; I couldn't help myself. I did catch the squirrel, but once I saw it, I didn't know what to do with it; I didn't really need to kill it, not for food and not for any sort of revenge, so I let it go, and it runs off very quickly, can't blame it, would have been a terrifying experience. I fell into mud on the way back when I thought I'd definitely picked up some dog instincts for some reason.

Hannibal's not going to be happy. I'm so dirty.

I come back through the doggy door; I stand just inside, unsure what to do. I don't think I've ever gotten this dirty before, well, not since I've been with Hannibal. Hannibal's pretty scheduled at brushing my coat once a week, generally after a walk. He even takes me to a groomer once a month, which isn't necessary for my breed, as I don't grow an undercoat and his weekly brushings. It is really appreciated, though. I feel so lovely and clean when it happens.

So, this is why I feel so hesitant to go into the house. I listen for Hannibal, but I can't hear him downstairs, and he must have already gone upstairs. I consider barking, but I'm unsure whether Hannibal would appreciate it, as I would have to bark louder than usual for it to reach upstairs, and I'm a little worried when he sees me so dirty.

I don't know how long I sat here, but at least it wasn't in the cold. I hear footsteps coming down the stairs and closer. I look up and can't help but wag my tail at seeing Hannibal in his sleepwear.

"I thought we had an agreement to meet for bedtime" Hannibal turns on the light, stops, and just looks at me before sighing.

I tuck my tail around my body and look down. I haven't done anything that could be considered wrong or lousy behaviour since I've been with Hannibal, so I'm not sure what Hannibal's actions will be. Even during our training sessions, and I wasn't always a hundred per cent confident about what he wanted, I would figure it out, and Hannibal never raised his voice.

The only time Hannibal had to disciple me was when we were on a walk, and I came across one of the individuals that were part of the dog fighting pit I grew up in. The only time I've felt Hannibal's true strength, his lucky that he buys expensive and strong leads and collars, I was ready to tear away from Hannibal and rip him apart.

We had been through a lot, but it helped that this showed Hannibal I have my own thoughts.

That was the start of Hannibal fulling accepting me.

Chapter Text

-Flashback-

I had been with Hannibal for about one month, and while he had given me human meat as treats and everything to survive, that was about it. We didn’t really have a close relationship; he did everything a dog owner expected. I hope I can change that soon; I chose to become Hannibal’s pet, not Wills because I knew I could be the only one.

While it’s impressive that Will loves and takes in so many dogs and he is so good at giving them everything they need. I know I needed a little bit more individual attention, and with Hannibal, he is always thinking ahead, and I feel I would be a bit safer with Hannibal than Will. Funny that safer with Hannibal, an already serial killer, than with Will.

Well, Will just attracts trouble, and if I’m on Hannibal’s side, he can be considered the primary enemy of Wills, no matter how much he enjoys his presence and mind.

If I can even somehow convince Hannibal to not do the terrible things to Will, that would be such a bonus. Even in the series, Hannibal regrets what he did to Will to some degree.

The walk was becoming our new routine, but we hadn’t quite figured out a schedule, so this particular walk was later in the night than the others, so fewer people were around. I caught the scent of something familiar. It made me angry; I stopped in my place, confusing Hannibal, who had never had any issues with me.

I could feel hackles rise to unknown heights even higher than when I’d gotten in fights with street dogs over scraps. I recognise the scent straight away. The bastard that pulled me and some of my siblings out of our cage and into a new one that was to be used as bait. To be slaughtered with no good moments to remember in life. I looked around and instantly locked onto the only other person on the street.

I’m not usually a very vocal person, even if I’m in my previous life, but this is the first time in this life I’ve barked with all my rage. My lips curl back and show all teeth. It was scary even to my ears. The bastard instantly jumped in fright, probably remembering what happened last time he heard those sorts of barks. I tried running at him but got choked by Hannibal not letting go of the lead; I did not care, jumping up on my back legs and continuing to bark at him.

I felt Hannibal shift around, probably from confusion, as I’ve never reacted like this without him initiating it. The guy falls down straight onto his ass, shaking in what I can assume is a panic attack. The guy deserves it, and I hope it happens daily for the rest of this guy’s miserable life.

I’m surprised Hannibal hasn’t given any commands, but he probably wants to see what will happen. I can feel Hannibal pull me back a couple of steps before he walks away, and I’m still stuck in place, still barking at the guy across the street, mind you.

Hannibal gives me a confused look at our surroundings before he walks over to the guy. Hannibal bends down to the guy who hasn’t even noticed him yet.

“I need you to breath in and out” the guy’s response was to fall back again, trying to get away from Hannibal.

“Don’t touch me; I’m fine, just tripped” He was quick to pretend nothing happened, obviously thinking his masculinity would be affected by this.

“You are having a panic attack, and as it appears it might have been my dog’s fault, and I’m a certified psychiatrists, I would like to offer my help” While I will need to have time to think about Hannibal’s reasoning for this response, I’m more concerned with maiming this guy.

I turn around and see that Hannibal has tied my leash to a fence along the street. I’m so glad Hannibal didn’t go with the chain leash he first looked at, but it wasn’t the most stylish and has Hannibal has never had issues walking before and probably saw no reason to.

I start chewing on the leash, pulling against it tight, so I can push the leash back to my back teeth, chewing harder and fast.

I can feel it breaking and keep chewing before breaking it; I hear a frightened gasp and stop to look up, continuing to growl and see the bastard looking at me again and Hannibal just looking confused and almost entertained.

“I feel it is best you and I leave in opposites directions; I must admit I’ve never seen her react like this and I’m unaware what she will do once’s she free, however because of this inconvenience I would like to get in touch with you to make up for it, do you have a business card?”

The guy is definitely in some sort of shock but does lightly nod his head before freezing again. I get up on my hide legs again, continuing to bark but not pulling like I was before; if Hannibal asked for a business card, I really hope it’s for the reason he usually wants them and not just because he actually wants to compensate this guy.

“Good, give one here, and I will take her away.”

The guy quickly scavengers through his back pocket and, by some miracle, pulls out what appears to be a business card that Hannibal takes and puts in his pocket before humming in what I can assume is satisfaction.

Hannibal straightened himself and his suit before continuing, “I would like you to stay seated, breathing in and out, count your own breaths and visually 5 things you can see before trying to stand and continue on your way.”

Hannibal hummed before continuing again, “I would maybe inform someone of this if you wanted them to know you are susceptible to having panic attacks” The guy’s face was of horror before Hannibal turned away, and I saw his whole face; it was a dark smile.

I realise what he did calmed me down; Hannibal wouldn’t give this advice in a way that he knows no idiotic narcissistic male would follow when worded that they will be losing face value.

I fall down onto four legs but don’t stop growling while looking at the bastard still on the ground.

“Janina” His tone is firm but still curious. He was probably making sure I would not snap at him; even if I was in an anger-induced rage, I’m not asking for a death wish.

I meet his glance quickly before looking and growling at the guy again. “Janina, no more” that was a dark tone.

Obviously, he was taking the tough love approach he read in all those how to train and dog books. He probably also wanted the swift walk away, so the bastard has absolutely had no time to think about the situation and call Hannibal out but is being interrupted by having to untie and bring me along.

I don’t have a death wish, but I look Hannibal in the eye, look at the bastard just to see him lying there, the pathetic piece of shit he is. I give a final growl looking in the bastard’s eyes before stopping and looking back up at Hannibal. I deliberately turn away from the guy and stare of into the distance.

Hannibal hums and bends down to untie my leash on the way looking at the torn part of the leash with what can only be described as a ‘tsk’ before looking at me in what could be called an affectionate annoyance.

I had to physically stop myself from looking back but couldn’t help myself from stealing glances at Hannibal all the way back home.

When we finally got back home, Hannibal still hadn’t really said anything, obviously in deep thought. I just keep my head down when it all hits me how I may have screwed this all up. I really hope Hannibal doesn’t decide to get rid of me.

We do the same routine when we get home; he grabs a towel placed close by before we left that he puts down in front of me; he then gives the command “wipe” and a hand swiping motion; I do my part and step my front paws on the towel wiping them hard, moving forward and doing the same to my back paws.

Hannibal just hums and says quietly, “Good girl.”

I look up, wagging my tail a little bit but still hopeful; Hannibal looks down and takes my leash off, looking at it closer before standing up and taking it to the bin in the kitchen. I follow him to the entrance of the kitchen. Hannibal has already had dinner, and regularly he will go to his upstairs office for a bit; I’m not sure what for; I haven’t been allowed upstairs at all. I usually just go to my bed in the living room and think about my options.

I’m still waiting, kind of waiting for Hannibal to do something; he makes his way upstairs before looking back at me and saying, “Come” I respond by tilting my head.

I know the command, obviously, but his at the bottom of the stairs, and part of my training was learning the stairs and the kitchen are off-limits.

Hannibal smiles and pats his leg before saying “come” again. He then turns forward and starts walking up the stairs; I run over to the bottom of the stairs, looking up; I kind of need another reassurance before I can feel comfortable going up the stairs.

Hannibal’s about halfway up before he looks back and sees me with one paw on the first step and wagging my tail hopefully.

Hannibal’s never let me upstairs before, and I feel this would be a positive move in our relationship, which is not how I thought this would go.

“Janina, come”

I don’t think I want to admit how quickly I jumped up the stairs two at a time, joining Hannibal and stopping while looking up with a big tail wag and open-mouth pant.

When Hannibal continued walking up the stairs, I continued as well, making sure not to get too close to his legs and trip him up or anything.

When we reached the top, Hannibal continued to a door where I saw his home office. When he opened the door, I peeked around Hannibal’s legs to look inside, unsure if this opportunity would happen again.

He walks in and goes behind his desk, where he opens a drawer and grabs a book before making his way out of the room; I quickly get out of the way of the door, letting him past. Hannibal just goes across the hall and opens another door which is a library with a couple of throne chairs and a fireplace.

Hannibal leaves the door open and makes his way into the library, sitting down in the throne chair with a side table next to it; Hannibal crosses his legs, opens his book and leans the book against his leg. I can see that the book is now a sketchbook, especially as Hannibal grabs a pencil from the side table and he looks up. Hannibal looks pretty content and looks at me; I sit right at the door’s threshold and again wag my tail and open my mouth in a happy pant.

I think that was a slight and genuine smile on his face, which just makes me perk my ears and wag my tail a bit harder. Hannibal pats his knee and says again, “come.”

I won’t let him change his mind; I go right up to Hannibal, not touching him, I've come this far. Hannibal has patted me before, but he doesn’t seem to like prolonged touches, and I’ve never initiated the contact back.

Hannibal hums, bring his hand around, and gently grabs my ears, rubbing them. It feels pretty lovely; Hannibal continues on and pats my head and rubs down my neck. I lean into his hands. When he pulls back, I realise I had shut my eyes and opened them again; I can feel my tail softly wagging behind me.

Hannibal pulls back and starts drawing, and from his glances at me every couple of minutes, I think his drawing me. While I’m sure Hannibal could draw me without looking multiple times, only needing to see something once to draw it in extraordinary detail. I look around, noticing that, like every other room in Hannibal’s house, it is exceptional and like it’s straight out of a fantasy.

I’m actually getting a bit tired; well, it is late, and typically when we get back from our walk Hannibal goes upstairs, and I just go to my bed in the living room. I blinked, slowly trying to get the sleep out of my eyes, but it only induced a sleepy feeling.

It might be the tiredness of talking, but I’m considering laying my head down on Hannibal’s leg. I do another slow blink before deciding why not; life is made to take risks, and we’ve been going well; worst comes to worst, he can just tell me no, and I’ll get off and lay down to go to sleep.

I noticed it in my days of being a street dog, but it’s impressive what positions I can be in and go to sleep. Even as I get bigger, I think I’m almost at my full size, or at least very close; I would be surprised if I’m not bigger than the average Doberman because of linage is of a specific breed fighting dogs. At the minute with Hannibal sitting down, I’m at the perfect size to on after lean down about 2 centimetres to lean on Hannibal’s leg.

I do it slowly so Hannibal can stop me if he feels fit.

Nope, I’m resting my head lightly on Hannibal’s leg and nothing but a slight shift in his position. When Hannibal does nothing but continues drawing, I sleep, my head falling on his leg. When again Hannibal doesn’t do anything, I shut my eyes and start to fall asleep.

I’ve released as a dog that it’s harder to go into a deep sleep, but it’s so much easier to just fall asleep and wake up alert. The next time I wake up, it’s in the same position not sure how much time has passed, but I released I woke up from Hannibal shifting his legs and rubbing my ears again.

I blink myself fully awake before pulling myself off Hannibal; I shake but pause when I hear a hum from Hannibal. I look up and see he got a disdained but accepting look. That’s good. I think that means Hannibal is maybe accepting me and getting ready for me in his life. I give myself a silent promise to maybe try and stop shaking whenever I get the need to, though.

I’m not sure what we are doing now, not sure what his acceptance of me is right now, but Hannibal gets up and stretches himself before putting his pencils back on the side table and putting his sketchbook down as well.

Hannibal starts walking outside the room, and I follow behind. Hannibal gets to just outside the door before moving aside and grabbing the door but moving out of the way to let me past and then shutting the door behind me. He goes to the office door, shuts that one as well and makes his way down the hall again before stopping at another door. Hannibal looks back at me before turning and opening the door fully.

It’s his bedroom, again just a fantastic-looking room that only kings in the past could even dream of sleeping in. He seems to stop and think about something again before nodding to himself and continuing into the room, leaving the door open.

If he had shut it, I would have gone back downstairs happy with the positive build in our relationship. However, as Hannibal has left the door open, I wonder if he will let me sleep in his room. No way I’ll be allowed to sleep in the bed, but still, this was amazing, and I wasn’t sure this would ever happen. Hannibal doesn’t look at me again and happens to start getting ready for sleep and goes into his ensuite.

I think about it before walking quickly downstairs. I think about it as I stare at my dog bed in the living room; I decide to grab the tiny pillow that sits on my bed and matches the living room decoration. I hold it tightly in my teeth and quickly go back to the stairs. I contemplate it before deciding again to go through with it.

I probably look funny holding the pillow in my mouth and jumping up the stairs. I make it down the hall and to Hannibal’s bedroom, whose door is still open and his just coming back out of his bathroom in his sleepwear.

I stand just outside the bedroom with the pillow in my mouth and a wag of my tail, looking up at Hannibal with hopeful eyes.

Hannibal looks very thoughtful before deciding to look around the room and then just continue on his way to getting ready for bed. I walk in, not sneaking in any way so Hannibal can stop me if necessary, he doesn’t. I make my way over to the other side of the room, put the pillow down circling it a few times; you know the reason dogs do that; it’s the easiest way to position myself. I get a good view of everything around me, and at the same time, it’s easier then to step sideways to get in position.

I lay down with my upper body on the pillow with my front legs tucked in under me and with enough room for my head on the pillow when I lay it down and with the rest of my body on the floor.

I don’t lay my head down yet. Instead of looking up and watching Hannibal getting ready for sleep to found him, in turn, watching me. I wag my tail against the floor for a second before stopping and just watching him. Hannibal doesn’t look too annoyed with the process and instead seems quite pleased.

I watch as Hannibal comes closer to me before bending down and giving me another quick rub on the head before switching the lights off and getting into bed.

I lay my head down and believe how happy I am just for being able to sleep in his room and of day’s outcomes.

I wonder what Hannibal’s plays to do with the guy.

I hope he lets me join.

Chapter Text

-Present-

I come out of my musing wondering it actually could have been worst, and I need to stop being so negative, well, I need to be cautious, but I shouldn’t automatically jump to the worst possible case. In that case, it actually turned out better for my situation; Hannibal and I became so much closer.

Hannibal looked down at me, “you stay; I’ll be right back” I wag my tail happily in response.

He doesn’t seem too mad, and when I see him come back with a towel, I feel nostalgic. I see he has two, one looking slightly damp, the other dry; Hannibal leans down and starts wiping me down with the wet towel.

Hannibal puts out his hand and asks, “paw.”

I put up my front paw closest to him, and he again starts wiping them down roughly but not too harshly, just trying to get all the dirt out between my pads. We repeat this for all of my paws before Hannibal rolls up the now dirty, damp towel and grabs the dry towel to again wipe me down.

He leads me upstairs to the bedroom. I can’t believe I get to do this every night, and it’s the best.

Hannibal sets up my automatic timed feeder with the homemade baked dog food; he doesn’t normally feed me dry dog food, even though he's made it, normally it's home-prepared meat and a couple of veggies that are considered good for a dogs diet. However the dry food works better for his unknown trip, but I know he still uses special broth that he keeps from the meat that he usually makes my food from, the ingredients a special kind of pig. He fills up my self-refilling water bowl as well. The food is all. This was obviously because Hannibal was unsure how long he would be gone.

He then spent longer than usual making his protein scramble, the one he’s going to feed to Will, his excitement. He had made the sausages the night before but cooked them this morning; he was very watchful, and everything was perfectly and evenly cooked.

When Hannibal left for the Minneapolis motel in a little bit of a rush, I know he was excited to have a personal conversation with Will.

I chilled around, waiting for Hannibal to come back. I can again only assume everything went as expected.

Will and Hannibal are bonding over Will being a mongoose and then getting a bit closer. They’re tracking down Garret Jacob Hobbs and Hannibal tipping him off.

Then they go to the Hobbs house, Hannibal lagging behind to let Will take over. The door opens, and Louise Hobbs steps out, dying in Wills’s arms.

Hannibal strolled casually up the walkway giving the dead Louise a passing glance, listening for what occurs in the house.

Will was wild-eyed, adrenaline-filled and working his way gun first into every room. Garrett Hobbs slashing at Abigail’s throat, and Will, in turn, shooting Hobb’s, one after the other.

Them saving Abigail. Hannibal joins her in the ambulance. Hannibal and Will sitting in chairs next to each other in her patient room.

I hear Hannibal’s car pull up; I’m a little confused as I thought he would be away longer because he would be with Abigail in the Hospital still; like he went in the ambulance with her; maybe he comes back home and then goes; it’s not like there are many times stamps between shots in the series. It can become easy to assume there is almost one after the other, but it’s definitely possible it doesn’t happen like that; I need to remember to consider this.

I don’t go up to greet Hannibal as I normally do. Instead, I went upstairs to grab my blanket, which was really comfortable and warm. I don’t always know where Hannibal will set up for the night, so I like taking a blanket with me so that I can set up wherever he does, and if he's going to live soon I don't mind I'll just sit in a corner waiting for him to get ready.

My blanket was on my bed in his bedroom, and I didn’t see a reason to run and get it. It’s the only room Hannibal leaves open when he’s gone for a while, which is still really considerable, he could shut them all, but he lets me inside when he’s gone, so that’s so nice.

I only go into that room at night to sleep; otherwise, I spend most of my time in the living room bed with my toy box or outside.

As I make my way down the stairs, carefully because as I tried to fold the blanket up as much as possible, it’s still a blanket that can trip me up as it drags around me, as I have to hold it in my mouth.

I hear a second voice that confuses me. The only time Hannibal had people over while I’ve been here was during a dinner party; it was the best because it was one of the first times I want hunting with him, and it involved a personal person I wanted dead.

However, during the actual dinner party, I stated up in Hannibal’s room, not by him asking by my own choice. He left the door open, but I stayed in the room the whole time; when people asked about his new dog, he spun a story about my poor background and I’m shy in front of new people, but he promised next time they came, they would get to meet me. It helped Hannibal’s image of a lonely bachelor with a kind heart.

I heard the other voice again, but it was so quiet I don’t know if Hannibal could even listen to it. I hear Hannibal say, “I want you to treat this as your home; it’s why I even offered”

When the other voice responds, I realise who it is, and it surprises me on a whole new level.

“You didn’t really ask; you guilted me into it, stating you were worried for my health and that you would blame yourself if something happened” it’s Will; I don’t know why he’s here; surely, this would have been shown in the show.

Hannibal replies happily, “I also bribed you with the promise of food.”

Will looks at him in what I think is some fury; his about to reply, but it’s just as I come into the vestibule. Will gasped, and his whole face lit up like he wasn’t wearing blood-covered clothes. Hannibal looks at me and back at Will; he looks charmed.

“Will, I would like you to meet Janina” Hannibal pats his legs, calling me over. I quickly walk over, wagging my tail along the way, with the blanket still in my mouth. I push against Hannibal with my nose and the blanket, and he pats my head.

I spin around and look up at Will with a tilt of my head. Will looks intrigued and hopeful; I’m not sure why hopeful.

Will bends done basically on the floor, patting his leg; I look up at Hannibal, basically asking for permission. I got to be honest; it was all for show; even if Hannibal hadn’t given me the command, I was ready to go up to Will. However, Hannibal nods his head, giving his approval.

I wiggle all the way to Will because my tail wags so hard. I can’t help it; I’m so excited; this seems to be a massive step in their relationship. I don’t know if this happened in the series; I feel like it would have been shown. If it wasn’t, that’s annoying, and I need to consider that as well.

That doesn’t matter; I’m just so excited to get this chance to interact with Will while Hannibal is here. However, I’m wondering if Will and Hannibal are going to the hospital after this; I can only assume everything at the end of episode 1 has happened because they are covered in blood, more Will than Hannibal.

Will is more than happy to be patting me; however, I can see Hannibal’s face in the corner of my face, and he doesn’t look too content, but mesmerised either way, probably not happy about the bloody Will is transferring to me.

Hannibal’s had to clean me a couple of times from blood, and his very schedule like he has towels everywhere and washes me off as much as possible outside dries me off and then gives me another good soak and scrub inside. Having a bath in that massive marble bath is fantastic.

Hannibal seems happy at the moment to just watch Will and me, but I know him, and he will want to change and get dinner ready soon, especially if Will’s going to be eating it. He is lucky he stayed stocked up and didn’t use all his supplies on Will’s breakfast.

Will still seems pretty upset with what I can assume is him killing Hobbs. I get closer to his face, look him in the eyes, and lick his nose, precisely as I did when we first met. It might have been the eye contact, but Will basically freezes, not moving a muscle.

“Oh, it’s nice to meet you again” he sounds affectionate and close to tears, it's nice he remembers me.

“Will, are you okay?” Hannibal seems genuine in his concern.

Will grabs my fur tightly, pulling me closer and putting my face in my fur before he lets out one choked sob and then straight away starts taking deep breaths.

Hannibal does something I was not ready for; he moves closer and starts to reach his hand out to Will’s shoulder. I don’t move, not wanting to freak Will out. However, when Hannibal does get closer enough, Will stiffens.

I don’t know how Hannibal will handle this; I don’t think he knows either because no one says anything for a while.

“Will we need to get you changed and then something to eat” Hannibal is trying to comfort Will in the best way he knows how. I’m not sure but this seems a little more sincere than normal for Hannibal, maybe because he isn’t trying his standard psychiatrist tricks.

“I killed her”, Will whispers into my fur. Hannibal’s response sounds like his confused.

“Will, I was there, and I can assure you, you did not hold the knife, nor did any of your bullets hit her”

I’m sorry, what, who are we talking about? Because first person to come to my mind is Abigail, but she definitely survived the series, unless they mean the fact that she’s in a coma. Like that was a big thing that Hannibal stabilisers her bleeding, and Will and Hannibal are in the hospital together at the end of episode 1; it’s how Hannibal and Will bonded. I could never figure out if Hannibal helped her out of an almost obligation and responsibility to begin with or if she was always a way to toy with Will through her.

If she’s dead, was it an accident or on purpose, she's probably not dead maybe the coma's worst than the series portrayed.

“I slit her throat scared to see her life without me, and caused it because she was going to leave me” Wills stopped crying, but he seemed to be going into a state of numbness.

Hannibal grabs Will pulling him away from me and forcing him to look into his eyes. Will eyes open in shock, but he doesn’t try and look away. I move to the other side of Will, forcing myself under his arms and just sit my head on his legs, covering them with the blanket still in my mouth; I think I’m slightly chewing on it out of anxiety.

Hannibal, after forcing Will to look into his for what felt like an eternity, speaks evenly “you got in his heads with the aftermath of his kills, and you were him when he killed his daughter, but you are not him; you are not Garret Hobbs, you are not responsible for his actions or the cause of peoples deaths, that he chose to take.”
Whenever Hannibal said ‘him’ or ‘his’, he would emphasise them, most likely trying to separate Hobbs from Will.

Was that confirmation, is Abigail dead, is this somehow my fault, oh what does this mean for Hannibal and Will.

I’m sure Hannibal wasn’t annoyed about seeing Will kill Hobbs; he was probably adequately annoyed it was by a gun, Hannibal personally doesn’t like them, and Will’s nature would be the same. Not personal enough. Hannibal is not happy that Will is taking on and understanding Garret Hobbs.

While Hannibal likes Will’s empathy, and it intrigues him, he does, on some level, want to be understood, and Will is the closes he can get to that. However, that doesn’t mean he wants Will stuck as someone else; Hannibal is also most definitely a jealous creature and things considered, he is just that, plain and simple.
And with Will being this vulnerable right now, Hannibal himself can let more of those thoughts and emotions through without Will picking them up so quickly and risk Will’s rejection because with his head going at war with all the feelings, his less likely to pick up on Hannibal’s.

Will seems to have come to some sort of conclusion in his head and nods slowly but firmly.

Hannibal gets up and pulls Will up with him; I, in turn, have to move my head but then push my head right into Will’s leg again, making me grab my ears in an almost death hold like they’re the only thing keeping him grounded.

Hannibal clears his throat and continues, “We are both going to get washed up, then I’m going to get dinner ready, and then Janina can show you her favourite toy and then we can both get a good night’s sleep before we go to your home and check on your dogs.”

Will looks down at me, and I look up at him with an open-mouth pant before whispering, “Can Janina come?”

“She can take you to the guest room, and if you wish, she may sleep in the bed with you” I almost choke; Hannibal has not let me anywhere near furniture. The fact that he would let me in the bed just to help Will is stunning and almost out of character, but if I’m looking at this in particular, Hannibal wants to release his nature, he doesn’t particularly want to damage Will, and this might have been too much too quickly.

Will nods again and releases my ears, sighing, and I grab the blanket in my mouth tighter while pushing it into Wills’s hands a couple of times until he gets the hint and grabs it. I slowly start to pull it, leading Will deliberately; he follows with an odd, fascinating look on his face.

I pull Will the whole way up the stairs and towards the guest room directly across the hall from Hannibal’s room. Will hesitates to open the door, but I turn a bit and rub my head against his leg in affection, so his mind wonders to me as he looks down but continues to open the door without the anxiety of entering a new space.

Will looks like a stray, especially entering the luxurious room with his dirty appearance and lost face. I continue to pull him into the room through his grip on the blanket. Will seems to blink and come back to himself, whether it’s the new environment or simply from being away from humans for a second.

If what I think has happened, then Will has been surrounded by people since killing Hobbs, and if I understand from losing Abigail. Will’s empathy is extreme, and I’ve always wondered if his emotions are always his.

He seems to be taking deep breaths before making his way to the guests’ bathroom. He goes in and shuts the door. I make my way right up next to the closed door, keeping an ear out in case Will seems to be about to have a breakdown.

I hear the sink run and some splashing, followed by another relief sigh before it’s shut off and the shuffling of clothes. I then hear the shower come on. That’s good his following some simple routine that will help him think for himself, hopefully without anyone else in his head.

I hear more footsteps and turn my head to see Hannibal going to his own room. Obviously peeking into Will’s room, he nods at me when he realises Will is getting cleaned and ready in the bathroom. Hannibal comes into the room very quietly, trying not to alert Will in any way.

Hannibal goes up to the guest room draws, opening some of them to show clothes. He looks displeased, probably wanting to dress Will up in better-quality clothes. While it’s certainly never happened while I’m here, Hannibal likes being prepared, which means having different clothes available for unexpected guests or ruined clothes during one of his dinner parties. However, again all of Hannibal’s guests would rather die than embarrass themselves in an accident that got them dirty enough to need a change of clothes.

Hannibal grabs what he decides is the best fit and highest quality clothes he has for Will, taking them out and placing them neatly folded on the foot of the bed. Hannibal quickly looks around, probably making sure everything is still up to his acceptance. He nods before coming over to me, again very quietly patting my head and with a knowing look of approval of my actions.

I watch as he leaves the room and goes to his in what I can assume is to get cleaned and ready, so he can start to get dinner ready.

I think about Hannibal and Will’s relationship, especially with this new revelation about Abigail. Hannibal wants Will to go through his becoming; he does this on some level to everyone he can, like his patients. However, Hannibal knows becoming’s are not easy and seems to take Will’s illness when it presents an opportunity to control the trauma more. Hannibal, however, does not allow Will to lose himself in killers. Most of the time, he emphasises forcing Will to recognise the difference between him and the killers even when it gets worse because of his illness. Even when Hannibal frames Will to protect himself, it’s in a way that Will might be able to release the truth about himself.

Even in jail, Hannibal uses specific words and language to make Will realise and take responsibility for who he really is. On the surface sounds like he’s trying to get Will to accept he was the copycat killer. Hannibal doesn’t like Will being someone else, and I always believed it was precisely Hannibal trying to get Will to accept and take control of the situation.

When Will finally realises the truth, Hannibal states he has faith in Will and even tries to get him out of jail early, angry with the judge who prevents it.

Hannibal is out and ready just as I hear Will turn off the shower. It’s a combination of Will taking a long time in the shower and Hannibal going faster than usual to finish so he can start dinner. Hannibal looks conflicted about staying and waiting for Will to come out of the bathroom but ultimately decides to go downstairs and start dinner.

When Will’s finals come out of the bathroom, he looks delighted to almost trip over me as I’m still plastered at the door.

I’ve never wanted to get physical with anyone or got close enough to even want to try, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate people’s attractiveness.
Will coming out of the shower with wet hair and a towel wrapped around his hips is not a bad look.

Will looks around quickly before seeing the clothes and giving a reluctant relieved smile. He is probably happy to be wearing clean clothes, but knowing Will feels conflicted about taking what to him feels like Hannibal’s charity.

Will quickly gets changed, buttoning up the dress shirt and only gets confused about the suit jacket, which he looks at but leaves it alone, he starts to look lost again with no direct direction, but I quickly intervene, coming up behind him and nudging his hip with my nose. He immediately reaches down, patting my head; it must be an unconscious response by now.

I almost lead him by pushing him to his side, forcing him to walk forward. He gets the hint and starts walking without me pushing him. I still stay a little bit in front, and I notice Will keeps me in sight the whole time.

When we make it to the kitchen, Hannibal is in full go moving back and forth, getting everything ready. Will looks out of his depth, just standing at the kitchen entrance, almost like me, knowing he is not allowed in the kitchen. Hannibal doesn’t even notice Will immediately in too much of a hassle getting dinner ready.

When Hannibal notices Will, he seems to be assessing his outfit; he doesn’t look too annoyed that Will didn’t wear the suit jacket and instead looks enticed.

Hannibal nods in evident acceptance and returns to what looks like finishing dinner. Will stands there awkwardly, taking notice of everything around him now that his mind is a little bit clearer.

“Is there anything I can do to, um, help?” Will, while asking, looks on in confusion, probably having no idea what and why Hannibal is doing certain things, knowing he would just be a hindrance to Hannibal in the kitchen.

Hannibal looks amused before declining, “It’s alright, Will; I’m overbearing in the kitchen and like having full control.”

Will grabs my ears, rubbing them before releasing them and replying, “you’re controlling in every situation.”

Hannibal looks up in surprise and fascination at Will, looking away and grabbing at my ears again. I don’t mind; I wonder if it’s a comfort for him and increases his confidence. Do you know how many nerves are in dogs’ ears, and just touching them raises endorphins levels? I certainly know right now.

Hannibal chuckles a little bit before responding, “Dinner is almost ready; for me, can you take Janina out? I’ve never seen her warm up to someone else like this”

Will looks down at me again, and I do the happy dog tail wag and open-mouth pant up at him, not knowing what Hannibal wants from me right now; he knows how I usually act in front of people. Does he want that to put Will out, or does he really want me to comfort him? You know what, Will, you are soothed by my presence, and maybe me liking Will and showing it will help Hannibal in his behaviour.

Now I have a doggy door, and the only time Hannibal took me out was during the first couple of weeks together, him trying to figure me out and what I know before he realised, I’m fulling house trained and was happy to take myself out. So, I’m taking this as just giving Will something to do, Hannibal loves being a provider and would love to be one for Will, but he knows him enough that Will needs something to do so he doesn’t feel useless.

It’s impressive that Hannibal knows Will like this already because I have to remind myself that they’ve only known each other for a couple of days. However, this could be a sense of love at first sight; Hannibal is very good at understanding people; however, Will is unpredictable, but I also have to remember that Will isn’t trying to play or confuse Hannibal yet, and Will is really curious about Hannibal’s interest and even being friends with Hannibal at this stage.

Will nods and turns around, he doesn’t know where to go, but again he takes his movements from mine. So, I lead Will outside, where he opens the door for me, stepping out himself and taking in the cool night air.
I’m actually not sure what to do; I’m not sure whether Hannibal wanted me to distract Will while he gets dinner finished or just quickly make Will feel better about staying and eating Hannibal’s food.

I make a show of going around the perimeter, sniffing and even circling a plant that I think used to be a squirrel’s favourite spot, but the scent is fading, so they must not want to risk it anymore with me being more active outside. Since I’ve found out, Hannibal doesn’t mind if I get a little bit dirty, as long as I don’t bring it into the house, and he will clean me off when he notices; I’ve been having more fun outside.

I look over at Will to see him watching me close; I wag my tail and run up to him. Will bends down, patting me again; his better at it than Hannibal.

I wonder if Will is going to have nightmares tonight.

Chapter Text

Hannibal finally comes out of the kitchen, and he calls, “Dinner is ready.”

Wills looks calm and more ready to handle dinner with Hannibal. I don’t know if the fresh air or the thinking time allowed his calmer composer. I wonder if because Abigail lived, he had more guilt to face; as weird as it sounds now, he doesn’t have to face her knowing he killed her father as well as knowing that her whole life, she isn’t going to be criticised and judged for her father’s sins, she'll been seen as a victim to his sins instead of a companion to them.

Will turns around, walking inside; I quickly walk in as well, and Hannibal shuts the door behind us.

Will makes his way into the dining room, following Hannibal. I know Hannibal would go all out, almost trying to show off to Will, but this is insane. Hannibal has gone all out; I thought he would hold back for the same reason he let Will believe he was being helpful by taking me out.

Hannibal has made his way to the dining table. Will, however, has kind of stopped in the doorway. I wouldn’t blame him; his probably so overwhelmed right now. It looks like Hannibal has used up most of his supply for this particular moment.
Guess we will need to go hunting soon.

Hannibal sits and looks up at Will in anticipation. I can tell Hannibal is a bit nervous about this; it’s why he didn’t consider Wills’s nervousness and unwillingness to eat such an extravagant meal. Will not having enough interaction with Hannibal at this stage looks downright uncomfortable.

Will looks around and slowly makes his way to the table to his prominent spot. Hannibal did not sit at the head of the table; he sat at the middle and set up Will’s seat directly opposite his. Probably wants to get a perfect look at Will’s head-on.

Hannibal is actually looking a bit anxious, and Will seems to be studying Hannibal from the tilt of his head; now that Will has had time to clear his head from the day’s events and is kind of stuck with Hannibal, he seems to be more motivative to figure him out. It’s like their roles have switched.

Will sits completely and titles his head before stating, “Thank you, Hannibal, it looks, um, it looks delicious” I don’t think Will was lying; he’s just a bit dazed.

Hannibal doesn’t take offence to the pause and instead perks up a little bit. “Thank you, Will; please enjoy.”

Hannibal makes a show of picking up his cutlery. Will mimics but looks down, not knowing where to start, before grabbing at the meat first, probably because it’s familiar compared to the slightly more complicated side dishes Hannibal has made; I reckon he did that on purpose.

Hannibal watches in anticipation, slowly cutting his own food. I know Hannibal doesn’t mind talking during meals, but I reckon his too busy watching Will to make any conversation at the minute.

I make my way into the living room, knowing Hannibal probably wants time to observe Will, not wanting to tempt Will to try and sneak me some food. Hannibal doesn’t mind me eating leftovers but never from the dining table itself.

I make myself comfortable and listen out for any conversation between the two. And think about the indications of the plot if it is, in fact, Abigail that is dead, and that certainly appears to be the case.

I wonder if this is a positive for me; I initially wasn’t sure what to do about Abigail; I personally didn’t love her character, but she reminded me of the definition of changing to the winning side, and while I have nothing personal against that, it was her survival instincts, but I didn’t feel she was perfect for either Will or Hannibal’s relationship.

So, my thoughts for when she did pop up at Hannibal’s was to honestly ignore her, that sounds harsh, but I honestly couldn’t see myself interacting with her anyway in particular, whether positive or negative, because I had no way of knowing how she would react and how it would affect Hannibal and Will, me reacting with her either way.

It created too much pressure for Will too quickly, and he couldn’t process it all probably; he needed to offset himself from Hobbs before he went and saw Abigail because it just created an attachment that even if he got Hobbs out of his head, he was always going to stay attached to her. This Hannibal used to his advantage like he always does.

Hannibal didn’t help pushing the relationship between Abigail and Will, as well as himself and Abigail, to use to his advantage with Will.

I at first thought it was a little weird how they are acting right now, but this is probably similar to what happened in the hospital room, silence but being in each other’s company.

However, I wonder if Hannibal took advantage of the circumstances differently, couldn’t get close to Will through Abigail or staying at the hospital together, so Hannibal swooped in to get Will to come back to his house and eat his food and stay in his home.

Indeed, a way to get closer to Will, but I don’t think Hannibal takes everything into account here. Will has had a hard day, but instead of being constantly surrounded by people, officers, nurses, doctors, everyone, he’s had time to process everything, and Hannibal has brought him to his house. Hannibal’s territory was probably a gamble to try and show Will his softer side, get Will’s guard down around him even a little bit.

Because he couldn’t be seen by Will sitting and waiting next to the child’s bedside he saved, but instead show him his house, which is empty apart from the lovely dog he rescued, certainly a way to win points with Will. However, I reckon if Will is like me, that might make him a little more hostile and truer to his nature without the social aspects stopping him. I reckon he will push Hannibal a bit more, and this, in turn, Hannibal will become more smitten and harder to hide his intentions.

Because I haven’t heard the sound of cutlery on plates or eating for a while. I’ve decided to do something that could be considered idiotic. I don’t want Will to stay ignorant of Hannibal’s darker side, but if he understands his feelings for Hannibal first, he could learn to accept his and Hannibal’s darker side easier. As I make my way outside, I hear their conversation start up, increasing my thoughts on this idea.

“Hannibal, what is this?”

“What do you mean?” I can’t tell if Hannibal is general confused or if he’s that good at acting. His never generally confused; he’s probably faking it, probably wondering how Will will react.

“Why am I at your house having dinner after shooting someone and two others dying in front of us? We barely know each other” I can’t see Will’s face, but I’m pretty sure he put down all his cutlery, and he started directly at Hannibal, not wanting his bullshit.

Hannibal is either at a loss or could simply be observing Will and trying to determine the best thing to respond with. Will and Hannibal are very similar in some ways, but in others, they are two extremes of a spectrum, one too much empath and one too close to a psychopath. Both isolated by nature, another similarity, and Hannibal, who had terrible things to Will, could be considered an attempt to indeed have Will has his own, in his misguided psychopathic way.

I creep outside through my doggy door and turn around, ready to go inside again; I’m so embarrassed with what I’m about to do. I just want to stop Hannibal from doing anything he later regrets because he has the same issues that Will has; he doesn’t release how much Will means to him. Will, I’m sure he will be able to see a side to Hannibal that I’m sure will increase his likeability of Hannibal’s worried dog owner.

I jump up on all fours and put my all into making any sort of sound, it’s a thud against the ground, and just as I land, which doesn’t really hurt, I let out the biggest yelp I’ve done in my life, followed by some loud whimpers.

I then rush to run back inside, bringing up my front paw a tiny bit, pretending it’s hurt and I don’t want to walk on it hardly. I get through the doggy door and then stop, still holding my front paw slightly off the ground; I look up, waiting for Hannibal or Will to come into view.

I can only assume that they both stopped what they were doing because very quickly, Will is the first person I see come into sight; I think it was because he was closer, especially as Hannibal is right behind him with wide eyes.

I look up at Will with the biggest puppy dog eyes, lowered ears and slight shaking and limp forward a little bit before stopping and whimpering. It sounds pretty real if I do say so myself.

Hannibal also seems to have brought it because he looks really concerned. I don’t think his even putting it on for Will; he seems generally concerned; the shaking might have been too much.

Will leans down in front of me, and I look up while Hannibal automatically looks around. Will gets closer and looks down at my held-up paw.

Will starts petting my head and does long strokes down my back gently before repeating and saying in an equal gentle tone, “you’re a good girl, it’s okay.”

Hannibal seems to be looking for external injuries through his rapid-moving eyes and frustrated “tsk” when nothing obvious is present.

Will pulls back and tries to get a good look at my paw as well. Will goes to grab it as he keeps patting me and whispering in a soothing tone, and I let him with minimal fake winces. He starts slowing pulling it out, making sure it still extends; I don’t wince here, not wanting them to think it’s too injured or something to be really concerned about.

“I don’t think it’s her leg think she just hurt her paw and panicked a little bit”, Hannibal responded with what I believe to be a relief sigh. Will keep stretching my paw out at full length and then back bending it but seem satisfied that I’m not too injured; it probably helps that I’ve stopped shaking and have perked my ears up like I’m enjoying the attention.

Hannibal looks up at Will, probably now realising their positions, Will in front and Hannibal basically draped over the side of him to get a good view. This is the closest I’ve ever seen Hannibal with anyone, and it only occurred during his panic; I’m actually a little touched that he was concerned enough for me to discard his normal social behaviours. This is not particular what I thought would happen; I was initially just trying to distract and take the focus off complex topics for the night or maybe show Will a quick glance at Hannibal showing unguarded emotions.

This is much more than I initially thought would happen, but I think it’s working in my favour. Will doesn’t look as freaked out as a socially awkward person should. Instead, he seems thoughtful and intrigued as he stares back at Hannibal while he still gently pats me, most likely an unconscious response.

Meanwhile, Hannibal pulls back and gets himself in a more posture suiting of him; he clears his throat and seems to be thinking before speaking, “Thank you, Will.”

Will gets up and seems to have come to a discussion before continuing, “Let’s see how she walks; it might have been shocking the whole time; how does she normally act?”

Hannibal looks a bit confused, and I’m right there; what do you mean normally act? This is it.

“I’m not sure what you mean, she’s not acting abnormal, but I would like to see her walk around before I decide if her behaviours are affected by her pain.”

Will shakes his head and explains, “Sorry, I meant when she’s normally shocked; what’s her reaction afterwards? Buster, for instance, will keep going even if his hurt, while Max will get as much attention as possible until something better comes along, whereas Ellie will spend the rest of the day getting all the attention, even if she’s completely fine.”

Hannibal looks a little put out by all the information thrown at him; he had probably not put much thought into different dog behaviours after being hurt.

“I must admit we haven’t been in situations where I have been able to observe that sort of behaviour from her.” Will looks a bit confused but maybe mildly impressed.

I don’t want them to think it’s broken, so I walk gingerly but still put my paw on the ground and put less pressure on it than I would typically; I give the slightest limp but keep waging my tail, trying to ease their worries. Will looks happy at my body language shift.

I walk closer to Hannibal, waging my tail harder; I’m feeling a bit bad about worrying him, so I go up to his hanging hand, trying to get a scratch, and he complies, still looking at Will.

“Come, Will, I will clean up, and we can sit and converse.”

Will looked annoyed and sounded accusing, “what, you ask questions and my answering; like a therapy session, no thanks, I’ll just go to sleep.”

“Or both of us asking and answering questions, having a conversation getting to know each other, as you said, we barely know each other, but we can change that.”

Will actually looks a bit sheepish about his accusation but doesn’t go to apologise and instead just nods his head.

Hannibal, in turn, smiles and turns around, returning to the dining room to clean up. I will follow, and in turn, I do as well. When we get to the dining room, I can see Hannibal has grabbed most of the dishes; Will quickly goes to grab the rest, and Hannibal smiles at him.
They quietly make their way to the kitchen to clean the dishes; I peek in and see that Hannibal has already cleaned up all the cooking materials, and they only have a couple of dishes to clean.

Hannibal makes hast of cleaning them as Will watches on in thought with a tilt of his head.

Hannibal washed his hands before putting his hand up in a leading motion. Will follows, walks out of the kitchen next to me, and lets Hannibal pass. Hannibal allows it and leads Will up the stairs and into his library.

Hannibal goes to the same chair he sat in when I first entered this room, and Will casually stands a little awkwardly before taking a confident step and taking the only other throne to sit in the room. Hannibal must have moved the chairs because I know they weren’t orientated like this when Hannibal original left the house.

He has set them up off to the side and slightly tilted into the middle of the room. Most likely to give the illusion of equal playfield but not precisely like that of a therapy session, so Will might be more willing to converse with Hannibal.

“Now I must admit my first curiosity, do you know Janina Will” Straight to the point, but not the traumatising experience Will has had today; I’m impressed, Hannibal.

While looking awkward but thoughtful, Will looks relieved for the first question, “I’m pretty sure, I don’t know, I just I’m sure it’s the same dog.”

Hannibal silence asks for Will to elaborate; I make my way up to Will and sit exactly like how I sat with Hannibal the first time I was in this room, with my head on his leg and waging my tail. Will looks down and smiles, rubbing my head and ears.

“One of my harder times as a homicide detective was innocent bystanders getting hurt, and it’s never worse than when it’s innocent animals. I ended up at a dog fighting ring my suspect was at, and the worst part of it all, I had never been more motivated to solve the case than when I found out about the dogs. I couldn’t think about the victim; all I saw was those dogs injured and scared and wanted to kill everyone in that room.”

Oh, I can’t believe Will just admitted that. I can’t believe he admitted to Hannibal he was ready to kill them. Like, I’m not surprised because if Will would kill anyone, to begin with, it would be animal abusers but to just up and admit that right now to Hannibal. Hannibal himself doesn’t react outwards at all, but I swear I hear his heartbeat slightly faster for a couple of seconds.

Will looks back up and Hannibal, who again says nothing, willing to see where Will will go with this unprompted.

“There were puppies dead with pieces in the pit and a cage at the back of the room; I looked into their eyes and only saw the underlying emotions of young, innocent dogs that hadn’t quite released their cruel life, except one. Had no emotions other than contempt; I hadn’t felt that from animals before and was a bit put back. I looked at that dog and saw nothing but acceptance for its death until I seemed to give it new life, and it ran off.”

“I looked for her, you know, unknown what had happened, not even sure it was real until other officers confirmed it. I didn’t think I would see you again” Will aims the second part of his sentence at me; I extend my tongue and give a particular hard wag of my tail, making a soft thump sound.

I should have been paying more attention, but I had a lot to think about.

-----------------------
Hannibal was not prepared for this, not something he rarely has the pleasure of feeling; even in his perturbed state, he can find an outcome or plan to work with. Only a few times in his youth did he feel entirely unsuited to a position. Another mistake on his part was that his face portrayed that at times during the night, and he felt like a teenager learning the differences between facial and body expression again.

He learned a lot from their conversation from tonight, and while it wasn’t meant to be a therapy session. Hannibal would still say it wasn’t as dull as he’s typically are; it did end with him manly listening and asking questions, but Will still got a couple of questions in, but he didn’t seem to put off with the outcome and went to bed even thanking him for his trouble.

Hannibal, of course, responded humbly and instead pushed Will to bed and encouraged this by pointing out Janina doesn’t sleep unless he usually does, and it will most likely be the same for when she sleeps with Will.

During the night since Will arrived at his home, he has been making sure to review his facial appearance, ensuring a good read on his expression. Multiple times during the night has seen the same thoughtful expression he held while explaining the differences between his helpful display and that of Hobbs, not that Hobbs ever displayed his usually. Apart from Elise Nichols, of course, curious that just because he couldn’t use one thing, he had concluded he couldn’t use anything.

Hannibal himself didn’t particularly agree, but then again, they had nothing in common- their targets, their style, and their diet. While an outsider might think they are similar, Hobbs and him they must not have any intelligence for the difference between intent and worldview.

Hannibal is aware that he may have felt that his excitement of today’s events and revelations may have caused him to get on a one-way track, and he can admit he may have become a little obsessed with his thoughts and plans for Will. He sure needs to re-evaluate them, especially with Janina’s reactions and his assessment of Will now. He will admit he is a slight bias, but Wills’s standing may have increased further because Janina likes him. She, much like her owner, has high standards on the company they keep.

At first, her presence was out of curiosity and almost of repayment for the help she initially supplied with his more fundamental studies. Still, one non-less, it was one of his quickest turns on what he suspected would have originally been a long process and would have just ended in suicide in response. He had a few outcomes he was prepared for and aiming towards, like always, but originally from her timid and self-conscious thoughts, he wasn’t sure if he could get her to the extra mark to commit what would have surely let her show her complete devotion.

At best, he thought suicide in front of her spouses was the most he would get, he of course, with his patients, he was going to keep at it but to get a murder-suicide, he was quite impressed with how quick she turned at the thought of her mind going against her in the form of hallucinations.

He almost wished he had pushed a little more to understand why the thought of her mind turning against her was, in fact, the reason her mind indeed turned against her. He wonders if it was from her non-existing confidence and overall issues of fitting into the mould she and those around her desperately tried to fit her into. Still, it’s a successful outcome nonetheless and, in turn, helped him obtain his new companion, Janina.

Oh, Janina, he honestly didn’t mean to get so attached; he didn’t think he would or even sure he could. But it helps that she can provide intelligent input, more than most people he interacts with, especially as he has been able to read her body language more. Of course, his companion would be much more intelligent than the average of her kind.
First, it was curiosity, then out of social obligations to do the right thing with the vets. Then it actually turned into a genuine want and enjoyment from her company and behaviours.

He didn’t lie to Will; he has never been in a situation with her where her injuries weren’t adrenaline-filled and miner enough that she didn’t have any particular behaviours afterwards. He doesn’t even really use her for actually harming, she might damage the meat no matter how well trained and intelligent she is.

He finds Janina works better as a scare and deterrent factor than anything, which has its positives and negatives. Sometimes he wants their best fight, which Janina is not keen on allowing so far, so he has to leave her at home for some of his hunts. Even when he plans to just have her as stay where she is, he can’t yell at her for getting involved when his attacked, even if it was an original part of his plan; he must admit something happens when she gets angry and attacks on his behalf.

However, even when she’s at home, she’s still involved when he returns home and sees her waiting patiently for him to come home, no matter what he did before. Hannibal understands his emotions well and believes it’s the only way to stay in control, he is aware that he is a lot more attached than he wants to be, but he can’t be annoyed about the outcome.

He walks out of his room after a lot of time has passed, and he can assure that Will should be asleep unless he doesn’t plan to sleep tonight. However, that means Janina won’t sleep, so he’s pretty sure she can get him to sleep. He just wants to check on Will and Janina; his unsure how Will will change behaviour tonight in an unfamiliar bedroom.

The issue has been that it’s got him thinking about things in his youth he had given up on. While it’s no shortcoming on Janina’s part, it’s what else is missing. He isn’t sure he would have these thoughts again if it wasn’t for all the walks he takes with her; he was aware the statistic of couples and dogs was high. But he had no reason to think about it until he came across all the couples together walking their dog. And well, his partnership of equal stands was considered a fantasy on his part; he must admit he is close to hoping with Will.

It will take a lot of slight adjusting on Will’s part, but that just makes it all the more enchanting because it’s what he enjoys, and his quite sure Will is close to perfect. He isn’t a couples therapist, but he does know compromise is key to making it work. He can comprise as well, but maybe after Will has accepted his true nature.

He opens the door slowly once he determines no lights are on or any sounds are coming from the room; he can state he wants to check on him if Will catches him. He still opens the door quietly, no squeaking present as he makes sure to look after everything in his house.

He sneaks in and sees Will completely asleep, barely under the covers. He obviously tried to touch the minimal amount of the bed as possible by sleeping right on edge; Janina’s head rises up from the other side of Will, keeping him from rolling off the bed. He is surprised at how happy he is to see her on the bed, mainly when she lies her head back down, this time on the top of Wills’s hip, still looking at him. His more so with how well she seems to fit in this situation; for some reason, Hannibal can even see himself on that bed. Pulling Will back onto the bed and giving him adequate covers to stay warm with their body heat mingling.

What’s even worse is he sees Will fitting into it, and it’s obvious he can’t stop this fantasy; his plans will definitely have to change, but luckily it was very early days, and both plans started with getting close to Will, so he doesn’t have to rework that part of his first plan just the outcomes, not Will becoming, that will occur no it’s his dependences. It should be Hannibal; Hannibal should always be the first person Will goes to about anything; his feelings, thoughts, and wants should all be shared and experienced with Hannibal. And if all goes to plan, it will be equal, and Hannibal, in turn, can share with Will.

He could maybe see starting a family with him, but Abigail might have been perfect in tying Will to him in other situations. He knows now he doesn’t want particular want that sort of connection through manipulation. Janina has undoubtedly shown him how much he does; while he doesn’t mind manipulating the situation, he doesn’t want to force Will into this before his ready. He doesn’t in any way want him to break or not be Will when his with him. He can’t go that far for what he wants to be an equal partner.

He’s not sure he would have figured it out as quickly if he didn’t have Janina because the way Will expresses himself to humans is very different to how Will interacts with dogs. Hannibal is confident in himself that he would eventually be able to get through Will’s “forts” and get closer to his true personality without the social issues he holds, eventually. But he was not sure he would have seen how attracted he was to it till it was too late. Not too late, never too late, but it would have taken a long time to convince Will without trying as soon as possible before he understood his nature.

To see Will fully open up and have that confidence he had well using Janina has a comfort showed Hannibal his true nature is already closer to his becoming than he thought possible. And it excited him in ways his sure he hadn’t felt before. He can and wants Will to be a more significant part of his life than he first realised. His not too annoyed usually; he knows and understands his feelings and plans about people on their first meeting, but Will has proved him wrong; his plans have flown out the window.

He watches Will breathe evenly and sees a future with Will, Janina, and maybe even Will’s dogs. He will have to meet them and build on the compromise with Will that maybe Janina gets some special treatment; he is sure Will will understand. He shouldn’t get too carried away; he has a lot to plan and make happen.

He takes the current image of Will in bed with Janina to memory and makes his way back to his bed. He has some exciting dreams to get to.

Chapter Text

Will knows he's a one thing at a time sort of person, one happy thing, and he's had a very good day. One sad thing, he can get through that, maybe one good thing and one bad to cancel each other out; that’s a pretty good day for him. A lot has happened.

While knowing he needs to get some sleep, Will still splashes some water on his face before putting on the pyjamas Hannibal gave him and sitting in the bed thinking.

Will wasn’t sure what to think. Hannibal’s concern was genuine during Janina’s panic, which isn’t the surprising part. It’s him comparing it to early in the day when Hannibal was there trying to save Abigail, he thought he was concerned, but Will has come to a realisation. Hannibal was not, in fact, concerned during any of the circumstances of today.

It should concern him, and it does but the fact that he showed concern for Janina is kind of redeeming himself in Will’s eyes, though. That’s also the only reason he’s been able to understand it, a lot has happened, and no way he would have had time to reflect and compare if he didn’t get to see Hannibal’s actual concern. He’s sure he wouldn’t have gotten it if he didn’t see the concern so close to the fake emotions. Hannibal is obviously very good at faking emotions.

Will knows he can empathise with anyone, as much as he won’t admit it precisely like that out loud, fear of those wanting to know more or people getting expectations. However, and he hates admitting it, it’s always been easier with what could be considered the darker side of humanity; he hates to think what that means about him deep inside.

While with Hannibal, it’s almost like he has to be actively looking for it even when he can see into his eyes and face clearly; at first, that was because, again, Hannibal wasn’t of the darker side of humanity himself, but now he thinks it because of how he relays emotions. He seems to have high control of himself, and even in his lapse of control, it was minimal, and Will doubts many other people would have picked up on it.

There were a couple of times during the night when Hannibal froze only for a second or two, but he held himself still like movement would make him fall apart. Will is stunned by himself because he’s interested.

Hannibal is graceful, intelligent and gentle in a way. There didn’t seem to be the correct words to describe him fully; complicated might be the right word. Moreover, he thinks he would understand if their talk from this morning meant anything. He actually made him laugh.

He seemed to have the same sense of dark humour he has.

Will doesn’t go around experimenting with his empathy, whether that’s a habit from his childhood or his wants for normalcy; he never really decides what he can’t and can do; it’s always been and is always trusted.

As much as it brought negatives to his life, it is him, and he trusts his instincts. Right now, they are telling him to try and have a friendship with Hannibal.

He makes sure to settle into the bed as easily as possible; he moves his head and sees Janina at the foot of it, just picking her head over. He focuses on the thumping of her tail to calm and centre him.

She creeps around, slowly moving her whole tail with the complex, strong tail wags. She obviously got the blanket back and has its back in her mouth. He wonders if it’s a comfort for her or if maybe she treats it like a toy; he hopes it isn’t a nervous habit and she’s uneasy with him. He is pretty sure it’s not the case from her behaviour and his empathy, but when it comes to dogs, his always been more worried than humans about how they think of him and feel around him.

He really wants them to trust and like him. He used to feel like that with people when he was a kid, but he hasn’t felt that in a long time; he just stopped caring as much; until Hannibal. He generally wants him to like him.

If he’s honest with himself, it freaked him out, and he’s sure it would have if he didn’t see how Janina was behaving. She’s obviously very well looked after and very well trained, his a little jealous, but he can blame that while he gives his dogs all the attention they need, and he ensures they are highly trained for the sake that it makes everyone’s life easier and gives him peace of mind.

He looks down and says Janina is leaning her head on his leg; he can feel himself smile, and he makes sure to give her a good pat on the head for being such a good dog.

He pats the spot next to him on the bed; Hannibal had ensured him it’s alright for her to go up on the bed, and he didn’t even try and pretend to argue because when he became to, Hannibal just raised his eyebrow and smirked in entertainment because they both know he wants it.

Janina tilts her head, still wagging her tail; he tries again, patting the bed and tries saying, “okay, up.”

She seems to be thinking about it before he sees the tensing in her back legs, signalling she’s getting ready to jump up.

He won’t admit it to anyone else, but his heart swelled when she finally did and snuggled into his side, putting a lot of pressure and forcing him to lay down completely on the bed. She keeps pushing into his side, and he finally gets the point; she’s trying to get him to move offer and make more room for herself. He’s a bit confused about why she doesn’t just step over him and use the rest of the bed, but he gets him in a slightly more comfortable position.

Again, his unsure and fascinated about what’s a trained behaviour or not, but this probably is. Janina spreads out the blanket with her mouth and nose before finally laying down parallel with him. He knows his watching in fascination for too long; when she huffs and pokes her head into his head, he obliges and scratches before letting his head fall entirely on the pillow and pulling the covers over himself and mostly over Janina; she seems to appreciate it if the tail hitting his leg means anything.

He’s a little curious where this will go, but he’s happy to just go along with the flow and see where it takes him, but he probably needs to do something for Hannibal to make up for today. Maybe he can catch some fish that he can help Hannibal cook up for dinner together.
He can feel the thought bring a small smile to his face before he drifts off, letting his hand rest on Janina.

It was a lovely sleep, which was confusing because I thought that Will would have nightmares.

I’m not going to lie. I thought it would be awkward, but I slept well, and the body heat was appreciated; the only interruption was Hannibal checking in on Will in the middle of the night and in the morning.

Hannibal, the early riser he is spent another 5 minutes just observing Will before he went downstairs, which I can only assume was to make breakfast. I tried getting up out of habit to join him before Will shifted like he was getting woken up, so I quickly settled and watched Hannibal watch Will.

I think it’s a good thing; he seems interested; I can’t really understand if it’s the same interest he held in the show or if maybe it’s a little more than that, I hope so, but I don’t want to be tricking myself into something that’s not there.

I remember thinking to myself if it came to it, I would maybe fight Hannibal for Will in the end because while Will betrayed Hannibal, I still think Hannibal was more in the wrong, to do with his messing with Will; the killing is a whole nothing story, and I’ve come to accept that. I can’t criticise too hard; I myself was a killer in my previous life, and I’m certainly one now with how I help Hannibal in his hunts.

Back to it, Will deserves all the help he can get, but I hope Hannibal will understand his feelings sooner and doesn’t make it harder for himself in the long run.

Will is waking up if the movements and fluttering eyes are anything to go by. He opens his eyes, and I watch as they come into focus before he looks around in confusion before a sign feels from his mouth, and he forces himself upright, throwing the covers off himself.

I wasn’t expecting the sudden loss of the covers and felt myself shiver in response before putting my front paws on the ground and slowly walking outwards with my back legs on the bed to stretch myself out before letting my back legs fall to the floor as well.

I look back deliberately at Will like I’m waiting for him, which I kind of am. It gets Will moving, so that’s all I need; I go to the door and look back, waging my tail; he huffs a bit and luckily gets the hint quickly, going through his morning routine. Putting on clothes again laid out by Hannibal this morning and runs his hand through his hair before shaking his head and looking back up at me.

Will follows me all the way downstairs, making sure I lean down and rub my head every couple of steps; I currently don’t do anything to discourage it, especially if it brings him so comfortable.

I really should have paid attention to their conversation last night; I got a little bit; it was kind of like their first therapy session from the show, Hannibal asking questions and Will answering almost out of necessity, but there was definitely some more curiosity on Will part as he asked more questions than I thought, more about Hannibal as a person than his thoughts and his on questions. Such as why he is a psychiatrist and does he actually enjoy it, which expanded onto Hannibal’s hobbies which form what I did listen to Hannibal respond traditionally, with opera and such. From what I did listen to, I’m pretty sure it went well, especially for a conversation after a traumatic event.

But it’s only the very beginning. Early days.

When we get to the kitchen, Hannibal is in full swing again. Guess he had some unique ingredients left; after all, knowing him, he put it aside last night, especially for this morning.

“Good morning” I’m proud of Will; the was not a hint of hesitation in his voice.

Hannibal looked up with his mouth open, about to speak but seemed to have paused. He shuts his mouth and appears to be observing Will before responding.

“Good morning Will; I hope you sleep well?”

Will just nodded and looked around the kitchen; Hannibal smiled, not insulted by Will’s lack of response.

“Can you take Janina out again for me, and breakfast should be ready very shortly?”

Will jumps up and, in fact, looks guilty as he looks down at me and nods, quickly turning around, knowing where to go this time to let me out. I wonder if I should just stop using my doggy door at this point; damn, Hannibal, use me as a distraction, why don’t you.

I follow closely behind Will and rush out the door when he opens it like I was waiting for it. I do my business behind a bush; I’m pretty chill being a dog but still don’t love the idea of being watched as I go to the toilet.

I look up once I’m done and see that Will isn’t even looking at me and seems to be thinking hard as he looks off into the distance.

I quickly run back to Will and get his attention again by licking his hand; he looks down and smiles before bending down all the way and smooching my face together while he pats me and tells me I’m such a good girl. I wag my tail in response; I know.

Will again looks more in control of himself and straightens out before going back inside, I run in after him, and he shuts the door before making his way to the kitchen.

We get to the kitchen and see Hannibal bring what appears to be my food, so I’m assuming everything else is ready in the dining room. Will quickly follows Hannibal into the dining room, most likely to see if there is anything he can help with.

We follow and get to the dining room to see if my assumptions are correct and Hannibal final acknowledge us.

“I’m sorry, it’s nothing more, Will, just similar to what I brought you yesterday, a protein scramble and some sausage; I had some left and didn’t want to waste any.”

Will looks intrigued and quickly shakes his head. “It’s alright; I’m just thankful I get to have so many full meals in a row.”
This doesn’t particularly please Hannibal, hearing of Will’s bad eating habits, which Will picks up on and tries to change the subject by looking at the bowl in Hannibal’s hand. “What’s that?”

“I hope you don’t mind, but I normally give Janina her main meal during breakfast with myself and don’t want to disturb that routine.”

Will looks almost assaulted and then amused. “I certainly don’t mind; did you make that yourself?”

“Yes, I found most brought dog foods lacking in so much and thus prefer to make my own”

Will respond so quickly that it catches me off guard “really.”

Will blushes a bit at his high voice and clears his throat before continuing, “I, um, I make my own too, uh, for my dogs.”

Hannibal’s mouth widens into a smile. “Really, we must discuss ingredients.”

Will nods, and before he responds, I walk forward in front of Hannibal and sit down; Hannibal similes down at me and puts my bowl down in its spot. I don’t go to it yet; looking at Hannibal in the eye, this is another routine of ours that I don’t want to mess up, especially when I’m sure Hannibal intends to use it as a way to show off to Will.

Hannibal looks away and walks to his seat with his food on the plate ready; I still don’t move to watch him closely. Hannibal looks up at Will and tilts his head.

“If you don’t mind, Will”, Hannibal then gestures to the seat across him, Will catches on quickly and sits down, looking back to me once before looking forward but watching me out the corner of his eye.

Hannibal picks up his utensils before looking at Will and smirking a bit again. “Breakfast is served.”

I quickly dig into my own food, don’t judge, but I eat the sausages first. I pretend that Will isn’t watching me every now and then; I don’t mind too much; Hannibal did it for a while when we first started to get acquainted. I think original Hannibal wanted to figure out what I preferred eating; it always comes back to food with Hannibal, doesn’t it.

Hannibal and Will talked about their cooking styles for dogs, and Hannibal seemed impressed until he asked what Will made for himself, and Will didn’t respond. They got talking about dog training and what they found worked best, Will complementing Hannibal multiple times about my behaviour, Hannibal pretending to be humble and stating I was an easy dog to train, which probably isn’t actually to humble as I certainly think it’s true, especially compared to other dogs, I wonder if Hannibal actually knows that or not.

It eventually comes to Will asking, “How is she with other dogs?”

Hannibal looks like he’s thinking, but he is without a doubt going to be jumping on this opportunity “I must admit there are not a lot of instances that occur that allow me to socialise her as much as I should be, the dog parks we have tired never quite work out.”

Hannibal sounded almost upset at the end of his sentence, trying to lure Will into offering his dogs for a play date, no doubt. But to be honest, that’s probably where Will was going with this, so it can’t be too much manipulation. Hannibal didn’t really lie. We have tried one dog park, and it was a disaster, with dogs jumping on Hannibal and dogs not giving me enough space.

I honestly haven’t had much interaction with dogs; I definitely have some dog instincts to interact with and fight for dominance. I don’t love playing with them; much like my human life, I have always preferred observing to interacting.

“Well, how about if you don’t have anything else on, um, if you want to, maybe you can bring Janina over today; it will probably help, get my mind on other things?”

Is that a bit of a manipulating tone in Will’s voice? Is he just trying to convince Hannibal and thinks this is a good way because his a psychiatrist, or is he almost trying to guilt trip him, and it would be rude to decline after that. I honestly don’t think Will is as traumatised as I first thought. I hope I’m not reading too much into this.

I wonder if Will in the show has changed or if Will was never as traumatised as I first thought in the front, only pretending because he feels it is morally the right thing, and his illness expanded on that. I wonder if that explains a lot about Will because sometimes you can see what Hannibal sees clearly, that darkness lurking beneath.

Hannibal lights up like he hadn’t even thought of that; he was totally aiming for this. “I would be honoured, Will, if you would allow Janina to interact and get to know your own pack; at the same time, we can get to know each other more.”

Will is obviously too excited to make any sort of rebuff about how to direct Hannibal just was. I do notice that Will is eating a bit faster, and I don’t know if it was because he was embarrassed and wanted to stop himself from talking or because he wanted to get through breakfast quickly and get to see his dogs as soon as possible.

Lucky for Will, Hannibal was in a similar mode and by no means didn’t rush and still savour his meal and take the time to watch Will enjoy his, but he did get through breakfast without holding up conversations.

Will insisted on helping with the dishes, so that also want quickly.

Before I knew it, I was in the car in my harness, Hannibal put on my coat, and Will’s face was that of envy and amazement; I get that; I don’t think I could see Will being able to dress his dogs and he probably founds it not necessary. But I’m sure he still appreciates the time and training required to get me to stay still and leave my legs without being directed.

I’m sure Will knows a lot about dogs, but he looked very impressed by the cloth covering Hannibal’s car; he’s probably never seen the need for it.

The ride was long, and Hannibal and Will were that entertaining. They made some more small talk; whenever it got too quiet, neither were too quick to fill it, and when Will looked nervous, Hannibal was quick to ask about his dogs, which got Will destressed and excited. I noticed that when that happened, Will would also usually expand or be willing to answer just about anything Hannibal asked him.

Honestly, I couldn’t stop thinking about meeting Will’s dogs, he has Winston, who might be odd because he is only in Will’s care, but I can ignore him until his worst comes to worst. Honestly, I can ignore all of them, but I will try to get along, maybe run after them or let them chase me. It’s a good exercise, if anything else.

Wait, how many dogs did Will have, 7 or 8? Oh, why can’t I remember? Come on, there was Winston, Buster, Ellie, uh…. Jack, and Zoe, maybe a Max, and a Hediee or Harley. That’s annoying; I’m going to be thinking about that for the rest of the trip there.

Still, it should be interesting where this goes.

Chapter Text

It's seven, Will has seven dogs. I tried, I really tried to walk away and not interact too hard with the dogs, but obviously, the new dog was too interesting even with me trying to show my disinterest.

I must admit I'm pretty overwhelmed right now, there are dogs everywhere I look, and their noses are pocking me at all parts of my body. When we went to the dog park, I ignored the dogs, and they would find another dog pretty quickly and just leave me alone. These dogs all know each other; they don't want to play with each other they want to sniff and play with the new dog.

Now I'm not exactly proud of what I'm thinking of doing right now, but if this doesn't let up, I'm either going to bolt to Hannibal and use him as a sort of barrier to run around. I might just bolt; I could live in the woods; yep, that looks like an excellent idea right now.

I look up and see that Will is coming back out of his house in different clothes, his clothes. He obviously rushed a little bit, wondering if it was because he didn't want to leave Hannibal to allow outside with his dogs, or maybe feeling bad he left Hannibal outside at all.

"Sorry, Hannibal, I'll wash the clothes and get them back to you, but thank you so much for everything; I think I would have been a lot worse off if you didn't offer, uh, everything you have so far."
Will sounds very sincere right now. Hannibal looks a bit through off.

"That's quite alright, Will; I'm happy I could provide you with some comfort after the circumstances."
Hannibal looked like he was going to continue, but Will had stopped looking at him and made his way towards us. I can tell that Hannibal doesn't seem to mind and has returned to thinking.

Yes, Will recognised my discomfort and save me, unlike Hannibal, who was to busing look at the environment to notice. He makes his way over and starts petting all the dogs, including me; every now and then, he does that, and all the dogs lose interest in me, all flocking to be closest to Will to get more pets.

He looks down and grabs a stick; oh yep, they obviously all know what that means. All the dogs have tensed and started running in circles around Will. Will wined his arm back and looked at all his dogs before throwing the stick; very far, obviously well practised, has the stick goes flying. I won't admit it, but I almost sprinted up and ran after it as well. Just the thought of sprinting at full speed, like I'm chasing down my prey and it can't run fast enough.

I don't, I almost do, but I don't. I watch as the larger dogs, Jack, Max and Harley, pull ahead while Buster, Ellie and Zoe fall behind but don't let that deter them while they move their legs as fast as possible. As I look at the dogs, I realise there's one missing; I look around before spotting Winston behind Will.

Slowly making his way up to Will from the porch, where I assumed he waited for Will instead of crowding me like the other dogs. He makes his way to the side of Will, looking nervously around at Hannibal and then me. He has only been with Will for a very short time, so I'm not surprised; he probably has some separation anxiously from his saver.

Has the other dogs start coming back, I see that while the bigger dogs got to the stick first, the little ones had managed to steal it from them; Zoe and Butter are holding onto the stick as the other also trying and get a bite of it. I make my way over to Hannibal, basically mimicking what Winston is doing to Will.

"I have to be honest, Hannibal, what's happening right now, you and your dog here, at my house, after yesterday what do you get out of it?"

"Well, if all works out, Janina has the chance to be social with other dogs, and I could gain a friend."

Hannibal, for once, isn't looking directly at Will and is instead looking off into the forest, then the group of dogs, then to me and then looking directly into Will's eyes as he says the word 'friend'.

Will chokes up a little bit and looks very unsure about life right now; I reckon a bit surprised at how genuine Hannibal's words are. Will looks away from Hannibal, taking a deep breath and looking back at Hannibal directly in the eye before continuing.

"Yes, I would like that."
Will is the one to break the staring contest between the two; he bends down and grabs the stick; the dogs have finally put it down next to his feet and have been dancing in-between each other and around Will's feet.

Will throws the stick before looking down at me; I wag my tail in response. He then looks down at Winston, who's basically plastid against Will's side right now.

"Would you like to go on a walk through the forest with me?" Will looks off into the surrounding forest, not having enough courage to look at Hannibal again, most likely scared of rejection.

So unknown to Will, Hannibal lights up from the suggestion and quickly agrees.

"I would much enjoy that with you, Will."

However, both Hannibal and Will must have forgotten what the 'w' word does to dogs; all of Will's dogs have stopped what they were doing, chasing the stick, and have instead started bolting directly at Will, excited for the promise of a walk.

Even Winston is jumping up a little bit, and I'll never admit it, but I can feel my tail wag a little bit faster than usual. It must be an unconscious response.

Will, though seems to be too staggered at Hannibal agreeing and doesn't do anything further. I look back up at Hannibal and see him having an amused face before talking.

"I will follow your lead then, has this is your territory after all" Hannibal almost smirks have he looks off into the surrounding area.

Will jumped forwards and nodded quickly before whistling really loudly, getting all of his dogs' attention, who looked at his face directly. Will carefully looks at them before holding one hand up; they all tense, and Will flicks his hand as he speaks loudly to them.

"Okay, go" In response, all of Will's dogs, except Winston, who stays by Will, run sprinting off in the direction Will had his hand.

Will looks at Hannibal before he turns and starts walking, and Hannibal follows suit. I wonder if Hannibal will be taking this time to learn the area's layout. Has he said this is Will's territory, and if they ever fight here, Will most undoubtedly have the upper hand? I might be thinking too hard about this again.

I make sure to follow Hannibal's lead, stepping in time with him. Winston does something similar with Will put, looking more nervous and looking everywhere.

"We talked about how I was feeling about everything yesterday, but how are you feeling, Hannibal?"

Hannibal looks touched and amused. "I must admit I have some guilt as well for yesterday, and I'm upset about the outcome of Miss Abigail and feel responsible."

Will looks away and seems very upset himself. "I know exactly how you feel."

Will takes a deep breath before continuing, "but like you said last night, it's not going to do any good, and while we can take responsibility for our actions, I shouldn't take on the actions of Hobbs; you should do the same"

"Thank you, Will, you are correct. I need to take my own advice, especially if I'm encouraging you to behave the same way" Hannibal smiled back at Will, who quickly turned away, looking ahead. Is that a blush on Will's face? Maybe just the light, but I will keep an eye on that.

I decided to be a bit adventurous and walk over to Winston; he flicks his ears flick towards me before his head turns; he makes sure to stay close to Will and looks up at him every now and then; I make sure to continue walking straight ahead and on a slight angle slowing making my way to him. No reason to freak him out; he got to remember his most likely either an abandoned or mistreated dog.

Winston looks up at Will a couple more times, Will, in turn, doesn't react other than to look over to me and continue looking straight ahead and make sure not to falter in his step.

I feel Hannibal looking at me curiously; I am never willing to interact with dogs, so he's probably a little confused about my behaviour.

"I only got him recently, so I still need to train him up, but honestly, Winston has been one of the easiest I have, a little attached, but that's to be expected." Will is definitely more confident and willing to discuss his dogs.

"You mentioned in the car that he doesn't jump to interact with your other dogs. Should I ask Janina to leave him alone? I certainly don't want to start this off badly?" Hannibal is most likely picking up on Winston, tensing and pushing closer to Will each time I take a step closer. I make sure to look up at Hannibal when he says my name and stop making my way to Winston; I'm only about halfway between Hannibal and Will.

Will deliberately doesn't look down at Winston. "I think this will be good for him, just keep your voice level and don't watch too closely; if we aren't tense, he will be more relaxed about the whole situation."

Hannibal nods and looks forward, not glancing at Winston or me anymore to put him off. I walk closer to Winston very slowly, not looking directly at him either; that might help, so it doesn't look like a slow approach now at him; instead, it was a mistake I got so close.

When I'm right next to him, and he doesn't snap at me in any way, I take that as a positive to continue. I sniff his ear; poor Winston almost jumps out of his skin but just bumps into Will and turns his head towards me. He makes sure to lower it as well as I notice to constantly touch Will. He is the essence of submission right now, as much as you can be as we are still walking.

I pull my head back and let my tongue out, panting a little bit and wagging my tail hard so Winston can see it. Something I picked up on the streets with other dogs is they rely on body language as much as humans do on speaking. It makes sense, and dogs don't rely on spoken language like humans do; I wonder if that's why Will is so good around Dogs.

People lie and contradict their own body language where a dog's body language is; no lying or confusing words are placed in between with unnecessary commentary. What you see is what you get.

Winston finds courage, leans his head towards me, and takes a quick sniff under my chin, still holding his head lower than mine. I just let him do whatever if it makes him more comfortable. I can still hear all the other dogs running ahead, chasing each other, chasing animals, and stopping for an exciting scent.

It's amusing to watch; when one dog finds a scent, you can bet the other dogs will make their way over to investigate, all crowding together.

Winston seems to have built confidence because his leaning off Will and rubbing his head under my chin. He must think I'm high up on the pecking order to behave this submissive, or maybe he just thinks his at the very bottom.

I trot a little before slowing down to a walk again, making it, so I'm in front of Will and Hannibal. I look back at Winston, who seems interested; with a final look at Will, Winston decides to trot ahead as well, becoming up to me just slightly behind.

I walk to the side feeling Winston's body heat following me. I find traces of a rabbit scent and lower my head to follow it. I see Winston out the corner of my eye doing the same; good, I wanted to start having more animal behaviours and have fun.

I follow the scent and find an entrance hole. I move my head away from it, and Winston seeing the opening, rushes to stick his nose in the same spot. I don't blame him; when I was human, I looked at things to make sense of the world, while as a dog, using your nose is just more natural. Using your nose as a human provides minimal information as a dog. It can give some much-transmitted information. Scents even include information on the past.

While I don't think I'm using my nose as much or as well as other dogs do, I'm trying. I'm sure dogs obtain more detailed information from scent than I think I can even imagine. It might have something to do with my mostly intact human mind. Human noses and brains simply aren't wired that way, and while I certainly use scents to my advantage as much as possible, I'm aware I rely on my sight more than other dogs would. I must work on this.

I'm glad Winston got an excellent chance to sniff out the hole, as shortly the other dogs had caught on and joined at sniffing at the rabbit hole, pushing him out. It smells fresh too, so they must be delighted with this find.

Winston moves away from the other dogs as they push each other around. He moves closer to me, primarily likely preferring my calmer temperament.

Following the rabbit track, I decided to lead him to another rabbit hole. I give it a quick sniff and move away, letting Winston sniff at it; he does before we are interrupted by the other dogs again. I don't mind; it's a bit endearing. I know Hannibal wants Will's dogs and me to interact with them as a way to spend time together. So, I should probably act like I'm trying to socialise with his dogs. I feel like a replacement for the time he would have spent talking and being with Abigail, with Will.

I don't mind; it will be exciting and ensure that I can observe more of their relationship if I'm used as a chip for them to gain a connection, saying that they seem to be going on the right track.

In his own territory, Will is thriving and explaining everything to do with the surrounding area. Where he usually gets the best feathers for his fishing hooks and what trails he goes on during the winter.

I tune them out. Hey, I said I wanted to be a spectate for the show's plot, but there's only so much you can listen to conversations when you can't contribute to them.

The dogs seem happy to follow me as I've proven to be a reliable source of new smells. It's not until a rabbit runs out of its hole that I realised I had made such a high impact on these guys.

Now it might have to be that I was the first to notice and take off, but the fact that I was in front and the other dogs were following me felt good. Okay, they might have been just following the rabbit, and I had to rational human sense to go for shortcuts to try and cut the rabbit off instead of just blindly chasing.

It felt good, running full speed folding my body in half and stretching out as far as it would let me make long strides. I take quick glances and see the little dogs had fallen behind a little bit but surprised me in that they haven't been lost too far behind, the adrenalising making up for their smaller strides.

I manage to pull myself in line with the rabbit off to the side, seeing no point in lunging and taking it down, but I'm enjoying the chase. I kept listening in case Will or Hannibal called a stop to our pursuit but found myself surprised that they did not interfere.

The bigger dogs seemed to have a similar idea. I'm surprised again to see them doing a similar thing and notice that no dog has actually tried to bite the rabbit; yes, there was plenty of barking and growls, but no actual snaps were made at the rabbit.

Until the rabbit fell, I couldn't blame the poor thing; it was looking every other way, unsure what to do with the abnormal surroundings. Obviously didn't look in front of itself until too late, tried to jump the fallen log and managed to clip it with its back legs. The rabbit goes down and just stops. Do rabbits play dead, or dis we give them a heart attack.

I get closer and give it a quick sniff and listen to it. It's still alive. I can hear its heartbeat; it's going really fast. Okay, I feel a bit bad. The other dogs come closer and sniff at it as well; it's not until little Buster gets a little too close that I see him open his mouth next to the rabbit. I snap at him.

I bare my teeth and lean into him before snapping; Buster gets the hint and yelps before jumping back. He runs around behind Max before barking at me. I left my head up, and if I could, I would raise my eyebrow; I can, but it's harder and doesn't give the same reactions as in human form.

While Buster did not like that, I snapped at him; I'm glad the other doesn't seem angry at me. We continue on like this for a while, I have picked up a pattern, but the other dogs certainly seem to like following me around.

Eventually, Will calls everyone with one long, loud whistle; all the dogs, including me, perk up and start running towards the sound. I'm glad because while I don't mind going into instinct mode, there's only so much you can sniff and chase things; even if physical, I think I could continue on, at least it's good exercise.

I hope I've done enough for Hannibal to convince Will they should set up more play dates. We continued running, and I realised we had made our way back to the forest edge line; oh, Will and Hannibal must have walked around, and I didn't even realise; oops must have got more lost in my head and let instincts take over then I released.

I run up and hear the end of their conversation as all the dogs slow down, still trotting but not outright sprinting toward them anymore.

"I'm glad we have similar thoughts on hunting; I would have felt bad asking you not to bring Janina because she was killing animals, and uhm. You don't have to try out the buttons; I just thought it would be something you might be interested in."

"Yes, I must admit, Will; I will definitely be looking into the buttons, and I'm finding that I'm actually excited to see how it all goes."

Will is looking over all his dogs as we make how way to him, probably making sure nothing too astray but continues talking to Hannibal.

"I would really like to maybe help out if that's okay; as I said, it's hard for me to do it because too many dogs to try and train at once for something like that really needs repetition and individual interactions for it; to work."

"I would be honoured to work on this with you, Will, plus I believe the use of multiple people would certainly help to distinction comprehension against direct repetition."

I have no idea what they're talking about, but Hannibal looks interested and pleased with this conversation, so that's something. Will's dogs split off from my path as they make their way to Will, and I, in turn, make myself up to Hannibal.

"I must go home Will, but I have your number; you have mine, and we can set up times so you can show me your recipes, and I will make sure to do my research and have some buttons to order and set up."

Will looks up at Hannibal and seems a little upset but nods in response.

"Yes, I probably have some calls to make, anyway; thank you, again, Hannibal, I really mean it. I would have been worst off if it wasn't for you."

Will looks thoughtful before smiling up at Hannibal, who seems to have almost frozen.

I pushed against Hannibal's leg with my body breaking him from his frozen state as he responded to Will with his own genuine smile.

After that, we went home after Will promised to stay in contact about anything because Hannibal was more than happy to help out in any way.

And did they stick to that, as Will called Hannibal later that day, apologising, but said he needed to make sure it had actually happened. Hannibal was happy to ensure Will was here for him and even keep Will on the phone with him for an hour.

Hannibal initiated the second call the next day, and they have been calling each other at least once every couple of days. I was initially surprised, but Hannibal seems to be enjoying it, almost like a mediative state to relax; we even have a new schedule for it, Hannibal will sit down in his office, and I sit my head on his legs, and he basically pets me the whole time.

Hannibal wasn't thrilled when Will told him he was returning to work for Jack, especially since he mentioned that his regular work was getting to him. He admitted that talking to students and just pretending they aren't there is complicated because they keep interacting with him and asking about what happened with Hobbs.

Especially one student asked where he went wrong and what he could have done to save Abigail. That had Will spiralling a bit, and he said he kept remembering Abigail on the floor, struggling to breathe, her wheezing through her slashed wind-pipe, Will trying to apply pressure to the wound with her head in his lap.

He mentions how Alana had checked in on him and said that he could respond genuinely with his getting through it, instead of an unknown response he insisted would have happened if Hannibal had been helping him.

He had some concerns about this being over-the-phone therapy, but Hannibal insisted this was over-the-phone friends checking up on each other. Hannibal even went above and beyond and insisted by talking about his own troubles. While this happened, he had grabbed my ears and almost pulled them off, not really, but it was a lot of force. Before he committed and explained some of his issues with his social groups asking him about specific recipes they have tried and wanting him to attend their own dinner parties. Will had laughed a little bit at Hannibal for that, but he sympathised with his displeasure in their subtle acts of asking, even tracking him down during his shopping.

Will even brought up his displeasure in Jack talking about maybe Abigail being part of her dad's hunting, to which Will said he responded with a why does it matter if she was, she's dead. Jack apparently went on a rant about stopping the next Garret Jacob Hobbs and knowing them better to catch him.

It's through these talks that I know the beginning of episode 2 has begun, and I can't wait, especially if Hannibal and Will will go through their in-person session like they did in the original.

Will said at; first, he was sceptical with Alana and Jack backing him into the therapy session; even when he denied wanting it to be with Hannibal as well, they thought he just rejected it in general, and he admitted to not wanting to let them know how much they had already been talking.

Hannibal stated outright after Will confessed this that he would rubber stamp him, and they could just go about having their conversations like normal, but in person. Will made a joke about it being scheduled, but he laughed it off and agreed to state he would call Jack the next day to set it up.

Hannibal smiled the whole time after the end of that phone call; he even let me have two of the brought treats. Hannibal doesn't like paying for treats often and rarely allows me to have them, but while he makes good food and dog treats with his meat, there is just something about jerky that is so fun to eat.

I can't wait for the next in-person Hannibal and Will meet up. I can tell Hannibal can't wait either.

I wonder if it will be similar to the original or maybe really different because they have already gone through the awkward meeting and getting to know each other phase.

Chapter Text

My week started with a hunt with Hannibal. I’m unaware who the person is, but they were obviously rude to Hannibal at some stage in their life, as Hannibal had picked them from the Rolodex. He spent a good couple of days researching them before we actually went out on a couple of walks surrounding the area they lived.

Hannibal being Hannibal, not giving anything away, someone noticed him and connected him on the slight chance. That seems almost impossible with how Hannibal got rid of the body. Because while he takes care in all his kills, this one is not for the Ripper to take credit for, just him basically going shopping for meat cuts.

I notice, specifically he cut out the muscle from between the upper part of the hipbone and under the false ribs on the backbone. He also made it look like a slashing afterwards, which helped that he didn’t have to lure this victim either; they were just trying to find a prostitute, and Hannibal was following them at the right time. It appeared to be a mugging gone wrong, especially when Hannibal specially made it appear that way.

I didn’t do much other than cut off the escape route for the victim. Funnily enough, they paused to decide to take on a vicious-looking dog or a person their instincts were screaming at them to run away from, and they actually tried to go through me instead of fighting Hannibal; however, their pause had cost them, and Hannibal had used that time to be in attacking distance.

Hannibal is sitting elegantly in his office like always, this time with a prescient smile on his face as he watches Will. When Will entered, I ran up to him, getting all the pets. Hannibal tasked and called me out for it but didn’t seem too upset.

Hannibal always takes his time setting up his office between clients, but he definitely spent longer and was more methodical before Will’s arrival.

To me, Will didn’t appear to be as awkward as he was in the show, but he still fidgeted a bit and wandered around, ending up on the mezzanine looking through all the books. When Hannibal placed the high-quality stationery folder on the table, Will didn’t even say anything, just raised his eyebrow and trusted Hannibal to answer.

“Your psychological evaluation. You’re totally functional and more or less sane. Well done.”

Hannibal looked back up at Will in certainty, almost searching for approval. Will still looked a bit shocked even though he knew this would happen.

“You won’t get into trouble or something for this, will you, you know, rubber-stamping me?”

Will genuinely looks a bit concerned with the prospects of Hannibal getting into trouble for him.

“It’s quite alright; Jack Crawford may lay his weary head to rest knowing he didn’t break you, and your and I can continue as we were unobstructed by paper.”

Will doesn’t look convinced.

“Jack thinks I need therapy.”

“If I was genuinely concerned for you, Will, I would inform you, and I wouldn’t rubber stamp you; I might even refer you to someone as we do have the issue of conflict of interest as we are friends. However, what you need is a way out of the dark places when Jack sends you there, and I can be the one to help you.”

Will smiled a bit down at Hannibal; I moved to the ladder and sat down, looking up at Will. When he moved his head to see me, I jumped up, falling down quickly with any open mouth pant. Will smiles and makes his way back down. Will, I’m sure, enjoys the simplicity of it as well as the encouragement of his friendship with Hannibal.

Once he makes his way down, he makes sure to pat me and keeps patting me as I move with him as he sits down, me in between his legs.

“It’s good because therapy doesn’t work on me anyway.”

While talking to Hannibal, Will is basically only looking at me, pushing my fur around and patting me.

“Yes, I’m sure the act of stealing into other minds has taught you how to fortify your own”

Will looks up and chuckles at Hannibal’s call back, still patting me, might I add.

“Last time he sent me into a dark place, I brought something back.”

I wasn’t sure where this was going, what Will could be talking about, Abigail is dead, or even in the show, did he not mean that? I always wondered if Will was never talking about her; even in the show, I think I remember Will being conflicted over Hannibal’s jump in about a surrogate daughter; I wonder if he meant the actual killing itself and his feelings about it.

“Yes, we have talked about your obvious guilt but relief in catching Hobbs at all, both obviously conflicting emotions.”

That’s right, I’m pretty sure I remember them talking about it on the phone at some stage.

“Yeah, and then you got me talking about things I could have been doing differently to have had a different outcome.”

“I believe what I said was that it is human nature to fantasise about different scenarios of one’s own actions; I wonder if any of my actions would have allowed a different fate for Abigail Hobbs.”

Hannibal looks back at Will in annoyance, probably because he misused his words to torture himself with.

Will looks back up with a bit of a tilted smile, like an amused child who purposefully didn’t listen to instructions. Hannibal eventually smiles back, chuckling softly. Will’s face falls after he obviously has another thought cross his mind.

“Jack thinks Abigail Hobbs helped her dad kill those girls.”

“It’s entirely possible but certainly vulgar.”

“I told him it’s not what happened, and she’s dead, so why does it matter anyway.”

When Will says the word dead, he basically spits it out.

“Do you really believe that?”

Hannibal certainly takes on a dark look, probably trying to figure out what would have happened had she survived.

“She’s dead; it doesn’t matter.”

Will looks up at Hannibal, a little angry about the questioning. Hannibal doesn’t say anything at first. In the silence, you can tell they both don’t believe it, but Will is still a little too attached to the innocent victim thought than the killer’s helper.

“Even if she did help her father, it would have been out of survival instincts than any actually willing to hurt someone, and she did what anyone in her situation would have done.”

Will looks back up at Hannibal with a tight face before he releases a relieved sigh and a quick nod.

“She was the golden ticket.”

Not sure if Hannibal understood that reference, but Will mumbled it to himself anyway, most likely appreciating the ability to have her as the victim again in an easier way than lying to himself about the circumstances and reality of the situation.

He looks back down at me and pats a bit harder than before, looking back up at Hannibal. Hannibal watches him before deciding to change the subject to lighten the mood.

“The Fluent Pet Tester Kit and the Basic Vocab box arrived yesterday.”

Will basically lights up, almost vibrating in his seat.

“You got the Basic Vocab box as well?”

“Yes, I honestly see Janina having no issues.”

Will looks down at me and smiles.

“You are a very smart dog, aren’t you? You will definitely do so amazing. Can’t wait to see what goes on in your head.”

Now while Wills’s words sound like baby talk, he actually said them in a pretty sincere voice. I appreciated that and wagged my tail harder to show it.

I’m getting excited about the buttons. I found out what they were when Hannibal watched videos of other dogs using them; I’m actually really excited but will definitely have to think about how I will progress with them. However, it looks like I’ve not given dogs all their worth.

The dogs in the video seem to be able to create cohesive thoughts, even in some moments asking about death. The dogs seemed able to even use words together previously not used or only recently added. While the buttons themselves are limited, I can’t make complete sentences anyway; people can record their own to add more words, which I hope Hannibal does when I show him my capability.

So maybe using them at my full ability won’t be too bad. Perhaps I won’t be putting full sentences together, but I can certainly have conversations with Hannibal now.

“Yes, I’m excited to get started. Would you be enticed to come over to dinner tomorrow, so we could start Janina’s training together?”

Will looks up excited and quickly nods before looking upset again.

“Will, while this is a friendship, I can help you if you want to talk about what you saw in the field?”

Hannibal obviously picked up on Will’s saddening mood and wanted to get Will talking about it.

“I saw a hallucination of Hobbs.”

It’s interesting that Will has skipped through all the dialogue and has directly spoken about what happened. A little concerning that the hallucinations are definitely starting and staying even in this version.

“Does Jack know?”

Will shacks his head, looking up at Hannibal.

“Do you want me to run rubber stamp you? I can break it down to stress, not worth reporting.”

Oh, Hannibal is giving Will the ability to take himself out of work. I wonder if he doesn’t mind because he still gets to see Will a lot. I think Hannibal is taking a different approach to Will, especially now that they have definitely been made and accepted each other as friends.

So, he doesn’t have to use the needed therapy to converse with him and instead is just using it as an easier way to see each other in person more.

“This isn’t me asking a therapist for advice, but what do you think?”

Will looks genuinely interested in Hannibal’s response and advice. It makes sense he does reckon something’s wrong with himself, and honestly, I don’t know if Hannibal can smell the encephalitis yet, but I might be picking up on a smell. It doesn’t smell like anything in particular, but there’s something small that smells foreign and almost hot on Will every now and then.

“Well, the mechanism that distinguishes conscious perceptions from internal perceptions simple misfired. You displaced the victim of another killer’s crime with what could arguably be considered your victim.”

“We talked about this. I don’t want to consider Hobbs, my victim.”

“Yes, you just want to consider him dead. So is it the act of killing that’s the link, the feeling you felt, and this killer feels?”

“Yes.”

When Will answered, he was strong, and for the only time so far, he had stopped patting me as he looked up at Hannibal. I’m sure Hannibal appreciated the simplicity and honesty of Will’s answer. As well as the first real confirmation for Hannibal that Will could come to join him on his hunts.

The rest of their conversation goes about the same, with Hannibal and Will discussing the mushroom man’s victims, so I start to tune it out. I must admit I’m pleased with the way things have been going. They’re nightly talks, Will’s willingness to call Hannibal his friend, and both enjoy spending time together.

Tomorrow should be engaging with them, trying to teach me how to communicate with the buttons. I have no idea how they will work together for it, are they going to tag team or only Hannibal teaching Will and me putting in his input or just observing.

Oh, the mushroom man, doesn’t he end up in Abigail’s hospital room, trying to form a connection with Will, and chose her because of miss Freddie’s article? Now that she’s dead, I wonder how that will go. Wait, isn’t Freddie here now?

I perk up with my realisation, and I take a big breath. I got too relaxed with Will patting me; I could pick up an unfamiliar person sent, with a perfume underline. I’m assuming it’s Freddie’s scent and is muffled by the door. I’m so stupid I completely forgot about this moment. Should I do anything? I shake out my fur and unconsciously realise my fur has risen.

I can feel Hannibal and Will watching me closely, recognising my odd behaviour. I lower my head and slowly make my way towards the door sniffing at the ground, trying to pick up and make sure I can recognise Freddie’s scent from now on.

I look back at Hannibal over my shoulder when I get to the door. I look back at it and release a silent bark, making sure to not even have my teeth make a clicking sound when I shut my mouth. I pull my ears back and show my teeth, again making sure to not make any sounds. It’s what Hannibal taught me to do when sneaking up on people that are threats or we are hunting.

I turn my head back, just watching Hannibal but holding my body low and facing the door. Will looks up at Hannibal with concern.

I see Hannibal watch the door closely, and I see out the corner of my eye what he was waiting for; a shadow shift ever so slightly must have been Freddie just shifting from one foot to the other, not even moving that much.

“Hannibal.”
Will whispers, okay, so he’s picked up what’s happening as well.

Hannibal looks back at Will and starts talking like nothing was wrong; even picking up where they left off, he made his way over to his desk. I can see him grab a piece of paper and a pen from his draw, writing down something.

Will responds when appropriate to Hannibal’s questions, but they are kind of repeating themselves, not giving any new information.

Hannibal shows Will the paper, and I can see it says. *New patient, early*

Will nods his head, and while he does realise, a sigh still seems on edge, probably because as comforting as Hannibal’s response was, I probably got him freaked with my reaction and behaviour.

Hannibal perked up.

“Is that what your farmer is looking for? Some sort of connection.”

Again, as Hannibal was speaking, he started writing on the other side of the paper. He showed it to Will again. *5:30 pm tomorrow? *

If I could laugh, I would; that is so Hannibal defuses Will’s thoughts with dinner plans.

It seems to have worked, Will smiles back at Hannibal with an amusing eye roll. Will nods and speaks up.

“I will see you next time, but I must return to my dogs; thanks for today.”

Hannibal smiles back at Will and gets up. Hannibal pulls out his arm, leading Will to the patient’s exit door. I turn around, away from the other door and rush over to Will, and he pats me before saying.

“Goodbye Janina, be a good girl, bye Hannibal.”

Hannibal smiles back at him, holding the door open.

“Goodbye, Will”

Hannibal keeps smiling even at Will’s back and takes his time shutting the door and getting himself ready to deal with the following situation.

I moved closer to Hannibal, almost touching him and looking up. I’m unsure how he will want me to act today.

He flicks his hand over to his chair and speaks.

“Sit”

Hannibal then makes his way around, ensuring everything is placed perfectly before looking up at the mezzanine and smiling a little bit before shaking his head and straightening himself out. I make myself over to his chair, sitting down, not even moving my tail, the only sign I’m not a statue being my breathing in and out.

He makes his way over to the door, purposefully letting his steps make a sound. I can hear Freddie shuffling, probably shoving the tape recorder into her bag and stepping away from the door. He looks back at may as he reaches for the door handle and says.

“stay”

He then opens the door quickly.

“Miss Kimball.”

Freddie replies in her fake high voice.

“Yes”

“Good evening. Please come in.”

Hannibal steps aside, letting Freddie through, shutting the door behind her and just watching her from behind. If only she knew who she was alone with, she wouldn’t have turned her back to him.

I can see her taking everything in, not letting anything escape her gaze. I don’t appreciate it when she turns her eye to me and continues observing me like I’m a decoration in the room.

I can see Hannibal almost following her gaze, observing everything in his own office. As Freddie turns her gaze away from me, she continues in her high fake nervous voice.

“I’ve, uh, never seen a psychiatrist before. And I am, unfortunately, thorough, so you’re one of three doctors I’m interviewing. It’s more or less a bake-off.”

She’s almost making it a competition, so rude. She turns around, taking everything in before looking at Hannibal.

I can see Hannibal’s lip twitch, probably in amusement; he can see right through her.

“I’m very supportive of bake-offs. It’s important you find someone you’re comfortable with.”

I can basically smell the lies and certainly hear it in her voice and heartbeat as she nods and continues. That or she’s really excited, and her heart beating fast, but because of my inside knowledge, I know it’s because of her lies.

“I can imagine you as my therapist, which is good. If I can’t visualise opening up emotionally, I know it would be a problem.”

Honestly, I feel sick from her voice and how fake it is. She’s sussing him out, maybe even wondering if she could sleep with Hannibal like the cops and get information from him. She would have a perfect inside scope, Will’s therapist.

Lucking, I know Hannibal would never let someone else do that sort of manipulation especially let someone do it to himself, or I guess he wouldn’t be manipulative for real. Still, he couldn’t even let someone think there getting one over him.

“May I ask why now.”

She obviously didn’t put too much thought into this; she just wanted to get as much information out of Hannibal as possible; significantly, as such tries to change the subject and doesn’t have a lot of backstory prepared. She sits down with a bright fake simile.

“Do you mind if I ask you a few questions first?”

Oh, good, honestly, her smile is putting me off, but I’m making sure to stay in the perfect position. Just tilt my head towards who’s talking with no other movements.

“Of course.”

Hannibal still hasn’t moved, just standing above her.

“I love that you’ve written so much on social exclusion. Since that’s why I’m here, I was wondering..”

Hannibal completely cuts her off, done with this charade.

“Are you Freddie Lounds?”

It’s like he snatched the air straight out of her throat. She looks away from him and stares at me for a second; I don’t move and, in turn, look her straight in the eye; she looks confused for a second before looking down into her lap.

“Ah”

Hannibal has no issues humiliating someone further; she looks humiliated and continues quickly before she can get any footing.

“This is unethical, even for a tabloid journalist.”

As Freddie starts to stand up, looking down at Hannibal, I stand up and sneak up just behind her, out of sight on the side she has the bag.

“I am, ug, I am so embarrassed.”

Hannibal nods slightly, appreciating the fact that she’s at least realising acknowledging her wrongdoings.

“I’m afraid I must ask for your bag.”

Freddie doesn’t look away from him as she answers in confusion.

“What?”

“Your bag. Please hand it over, and I’d rather not take it from you.”

Freddie looks down at her bag and sees me standing next to her jumps a little bit, but must realise the tone in his voice that he will take the bag from her, and I probably don’t help will I look up at her with my ears slightly tilted back just watching her for any sudden movements.

She does as instructed. Hannibal being the polite person he is, even thanks her for it. Hannibal opens the bag, and Freddie shuffles a little to the side away from me and tries to save face.

“I was recording our conversation.”

Hannibal is certainly not impressed by her attempt. He almost sounds mocking.

“Our conversation? Yours and mine?

Freddie stays firm to her excuse.

“Yes.”

“No other conversation?”

“No.”

I’m impressed with her attempt to stay to her lie; when it’s obvious she’s caught, she almost sounds insulting. I slowly make my way over to Hannibal and feel her eyes on me before they flick back to Hannibal. I sit next to Hannibal, sniffing at the bottom of the bag as he goes through it before shutting it and continuing.

“You were very persistent about your appointment time. How did you know when Will Graham would be here?”

Her face says it all; she knows she’s been caught and doesn’t even look too ashamed, just annoyed she got found out.

“I may have also recorded your session with Will Graham.”

“You didn’t answer the question. How did you know?”

“I can’t answer that question.”

I wonder if she doesn’t want to answer it because she slept with Brian Zeller and feels even a little bit bad about it, or she doesn’t want to give up her underling, if you will. Or maybe she doesn’t want to admit that’s what she had to do.

Hannibal looks down at me with a thoughtful face before turning quickly towards the sofa under the ancient Chinese paintings. I quickly follow, making sure to sit on the floor next to him on the end of the couch to not obstruct Freddie from sitting down but still being really close. Hannibal studies Freddie, then pats the cushion of the seat next to him, funnily enough, beckoning her like a dog.

“Come. Sit by me. Delete the conversation you recorded. Doctor-patient confidentiality works both ways.”

Freddie seems to rattle under Hannibal’s penetrative gaze and keeps side-eyeing me as well. Probably unnerved by the unspoken way Hannibal commands me, it would be a little off-putting when a sizeable scary dog breed almost moves without any direction.

“Delete it, please.”

Freddie deletes the files and hands her device back to Hannibal, who examines it quickly before putting it back in the bag. Hannibal then placed the bag on the opposite side of the sofa, away from Freddie, closer to me, probably to create a deterrent from her grabbing it and running before he had said what he wanted to say.

“You’ve been terribly rude, Miss Lounds. What’s to be done about that?”

Freddie is locked on Hannibal’s gaze; I wonder if she realises how bad her position is. Hannibal finishes the sentence. I bark quietly but enough to make Freddie jump and turn her attention onto me, breathing heavily; her eyes are open.

I’ve always wondered why Freddie locked on to Will’s hidden darkness when right now she must release that Hannibal is the more significant threat.

And I think it’s because of what Hannibal says next. Obviously, the scene was cut here onto food to give the impression that Hannibal had killed her, but it was too risky; he doesn’t know who she might have told or what back u plans she might have. He liked some of the stuff she wrote; it helped make Will unstable and make it harder for him to make friends, becoming even more dependent on Hannibal.

Hannibal sighed, put up his hand, and started to pat me as he put on a faked, worried look. He looks back up at Freddie before obviously making his decision.

“If you did research on me like you said you did, you understand if it got out that I had allowed you to record something in this office and write an article on it.”

Freddie looks slightly calmer, but she still seems on edge; that might be because she’s been caught and isn’t getting everything she thought she would from this excursion. She nods to the logic of Hannibal’s reasoning but doesn’t make any moves to continue trying to defend herself but seems very worried but looks angry for a second.

I thought Freddie would try and convince Hannibal to join her or give her some things every now and then, but she’s obviously aware that it wouldn’t work, or she understands on a primitive level his the top predator; however, what she says next shocks me. She stands up, not speaking and goes to grab her bag; I growl softly, but it’s enough to make her fall back onto the ground on her but.

Hannibal, in turn, sighs and quickly gets up as well, not reprimanding me in any way, might I add? Hannibal holds out his hand to her with a fake apologetic face.

She pulls back even more and goes from scared to angry very quickly, getting herself up and brushing her skirt down before starting at Hannibal angrily. My bad might have gone too far; she was already freaking out. Hannibal, in turn, grabs her bag and holds it out to her; she snatches it back.

“Worried people will learn you are caught up with a psychopath. He what trained the dog for you, and you fell over heels. I heard the way you were both talking.”

She turns her gaze to me, and I can see the emotions on her face. She is obviously embarrassed by being caught and embarrassed overall and lashing out in what can only be a wrong choice of self-preservation, preferring to try and save face rather than her life.

Hannibal simple raises his eyebrow but doesn’t react in any other way.

“If you wish for a real appointment in the future, not concerning Wil Graham, you know how to book one; however, we are done for today.”

Freddie goes red in embarrassment before turning and storming out the client’s door, not before doing a subtle glance back before continuing on, trying to slam the door but failing as she trips in her rush.

Hannibal sits back on the couch, and I follow closely, this time sitting between his legs. He starts inattentively patting me with a very thoughtful expression on his face.

Okay, now we know no matter how much planning I’ve thought I’ve been doing, it’s not helpful as I’ve obviously forgotten moments in the series. Hopefully, nothing too important, but this was concerning.

Well, I remember. I’m pretty sure dinner with Jack is tonight.

That should be fun, something that I’m sure won’t change too much even with the changes in the series so far.

Chapter Text

Hannibal set the table for two once we got home and started dinner. Hannibal changed when it got closer to Jack’s arrival time, leaving the dinner in its place for the perfect timing of finishing it. He feeds me before the scheduled dinner tonight; as much as it amuses him to watch me consume humans, the appeal of humans eating humans is probably much more alluring, and he doesn’t want me distracting him. My dinner consisted of a lot of his rejected cuts of loin.

Hannibal came back down to check on everything while I gave Hannibal a warning after hearing a car pull up, with a quiet single bark from my spot in the living room. I see Hannibal poke his head into the living room, checking on me before going towards the front door. I lean down and grab my blanket, pulling it up with me. I make myself towards the dining room. I hear him chuckle a little bit before going to the front door.

By the time Hannibal greets Jack and gets him to sit down, dinner is ready to be served. I have made myself comfortable in the corner of the dining room closer to Hannibal, not even looking at Jack playing on the shy, scared dog behaviour.

“Loin served with a Cumberland sauce or red fruits. Strawberries, raspberries, currants.”

Jack, not wanting to look out of his depth and to at least appear some form of interest, asks.

“Um, loin. What kind?”

Hannibal without any sort of flinching answers.

“Pork.”

“Wonderful. I don’t get many opportunities to, uh, eat home-cooked meals. My wife and I both work, and, as hard as I tried not to, I did wind up marrying my mother.”

Hannibal, the ever-pleasant company, smiles at Jack’s confession.

“Your mother didn’t cook?”

“She did, she did. I only wish she didn’t. There was this meal she used to prepare, and she liked to call it oriental noddles. Spaghetti, soy sauce, bouillon cubes, and spam. I was very thin as a youngster.”

“Well, next time, bring your wife. I’d love to have you both for dinner.”

As Jack responds with a thank you, I can’t help but release a heavy sigh in amusement, they are funnier in person, the cannibal jokes. I’m pretty sure Hannibal flicked his eyes to me, and I saw a slight smirk as he put in his next bite of food.

“Mmm. Lovely. So, why do you think Will Graham came back to see you?”

“I’m sure he recognises the necessity of his own support structure if he is to go on supporting you in the field.”

“Well, I believe that a guy like Will Graham knows exactly what’s going on inside his head, which is why he doesn’t want anyone else up there.”

“As a psychiatric professional, I feel duty-bound to point out that blackmailing somebody or guilting somebody into therapy tends to negate positive benefits.”

Hannibal is getting defensive and starting a lot earlier, blaming Jack for pushing Will harder than in the series. Jake takes a sip of wine and savours it.

“Mmm. This wine is delicious.”

“Piorat from Catalonia”

Jack obviously realises his simple flattery won't work just quiets and returns to what he wants to know.

“Why did he go back?”

“Well, Janina might also have something to do with it.”

Hannibal raises his wine glass and turns his head over to me; I react like any dog hearing their name with a raised tilted head while I look back at Hannibal, with the blanket in my mouth, might I add.

Jack looks over at me as well with a sort of thoughtful expression, but he doesn’t look convinced. Jack mumbles to himself.

“He does like his dogs?”

Hannibal continues again, more on the script this time.

“Are you not accustomed to broken ponies in your stable?”

“Your think Will Graham’s a broken pony?”

“I think you think Will is a broken pony. Have you ever lost a pony, Jack?”

Jack at least appears to be taking in what’s been said and thinking about it.

“If you’re asking me whether or not I’ve ever lost someone in the field, the answer is yes. Why?”

“I want to understand why you’re so delicate with Will. Because you don’t trust him, or you’re afraid of losing another pony?”

“I’ve already had my Psych Eval.”

Hannibal smirks, knowing he’s getting somewhere, especially as he knows exactly who Jack is talking about, one trainee hidden away, not that Jack knows that.

“Not by me. You’ve already told me about your mother, and why stop there?”

Hannibal raises his glass to encourage the free-spirited feeling; Jack responds as expected, raising his glass; I hear as they both have a sip and go back to eating.

Funnily enough, as much as it seems Jack is a bit more married to his job than his wife, he spends most of the night talking about his wife, what she does, and what she likes. Says she’s going to be very jealous when he tells her about the fantastic meal and wine he had tonight. This, of course, makes Hannibal insist harder that he would be honoured to cook for the both of them.

Jake doesn’t stay long after dinner is finished, more than happy with the bits and pieces; he did get out of Hannibal that night and is more than happy to get back to his wife as soon as possible. Hannibal certainly doesn’t mind; the main part he enjoys is the eating, so his more than happy to show him out as the host should.

The next day goes boringly, avoiding the patients Hannibal has that aren’t of any interest, though one is on a very close edge, asking Hannibal each time to make me let them pat me. Hannibal always says while this is a therapy session, I’m not a therapy dog.

It’s interesting the different ways he words things depending on the patient. This particular patient asks each time and seems to be getting more frustrated, so Hannibal doesn’t change his response, just waiting for how long this patient can last. While another patient basically cried while asking if I could be patted, Hannibal responded that I was in therapy being this close to a stranger, slowly getting over my fears of strangers. That made them cry harder, talking about their own anxiety.

When Franklyn asked, though, he ignored the question, not even bringing attention to me, denying Franklyn any insight into Hannibal. That, in turn, just made him more willing and wanting

The day was going fine until Will gave Hannibal a call.

“Hi Hannibal, I’m sorry, are you with a patient.”

While I’m sure Hannibal would have found a way to answer even if he was with a patient who reassured Will, it was alright.

“No such issue Will; what can I help you with?”

“Well I’m sorry, Hannibal, I’m going to have to reschedule tonight; we have a lead on the killer and going to see if we can get him.”

“That’s quite alright, Will; stay safe. Are you sure you don’t want to come after it?”

“I don’t...”

Hannibal quickly interrupts Will before he lets Will stop; no one gets in Hannibal’s way to see Will, not even Will.

“I certainly don’t mind a late dinner, and you can stay the night; surely you don’t want to have to cook, and I know you have it, so your dogs are fine by themselves without you, just for the night.”

I can hear Will chuckle at that and quickly what I assume is a nod from the brush of movement I heard over the phone before replying.

“Okay, I’ll see you, Hannibal; I’ve got to go; I just wanted to let you know.”

“Goodbye, Will; I will see you later tonight.”

While Hannibal smiles while talking to Will, he seems annoyed to have to hang up.

Will must be on his way to Eldon Stammets work, not finding him but finding his car and his latest victim.

I remember the scene not until Hannibal sits in his office late at night, even after his last patient. It’s a little different with me here; I sit next to him as he reviews his iPad. Leaning on his leg as his done for the day and doesn’t mind the little bit of dog hair transfer on his suit, or more likely he understands this is a necessary evil to keep me happy every now and then. I’m not complaining because his patting me; I don’t think his even realising he’s doing it, just an unconscious behaviour at this point to when my weight is on his leg.

I can tell his reading Freddie’s recent article when he seems to narrow his eyes. I can smell his change in emotions, and they are definitely contradictory to each other. He is probably upset with the hostile mental attack on Will with his possessive feeling at the minute but is still enjoying some insight into Will through someone else and wondering how Will will react to it. He could swoop in to make him feel better, gaining more of Hannibal’s favour.

“You are naughty, Miss Lounds.”

Hannibal puts his cover on his iPad before looking thoughtful and down at me, patting my ears.

“What are we going to do about that.”

I open my mouth in response and try smirking while tilting my head into his hand. I think I got my point across when Hannibal scratched harder with a final pat. He nods and starts getting up.

We started to get ready to go home with no difficulties, other than me sniffing around where Freddie sat the day before and Hannibal taking the hint that he didn’t clean it enough, sprayed it with some more deodoriser neutral spray. Hannibal’s properly getting excited for Will tonight.

As we make our way home, all I can think about is what’s happening with Freddie right now. Has Jack confronted her yet for her post? I also can’t stop thinking about what will happen with Eldon now that Abigail is dead. I wonder what was written in the article because I can see what Freddie may have written and what Eldon might lock onto.

I’m surprised when we make it home that Will is already there; when Hannibal realises the same thing, he rushes to him, as much as Hannibal can run and still be obviously calm and sophisticated in something.

“I thought you would keep me updated; I’m very sorry, Will.”

Will laughs it off with a far-off look and then a sad smile before answering.

“It’s alright; I kind of went into autopilot after and just ended up here.”

Hannibal doesn’t look pleased but starts leading Will into the house and asking about it.

They both start to make their way to the kitchen, both acting in sync with each other, Hannibal letting Will in, and both taking their coats off and hanging them.

Will then goes on to tell Hannibal about them finding out who Eldon is, how he picked his victims and then trying to catch him, only to find him missing and his latest victim.

Instead of getting changed, Hannibal had just rolled up his sleeves and started getting dinner ready. Will also goes into the kitchen, leaning on the edge of the counter and watching Hannibal move around the kitchen while talking.

I had been patted by Will a lot until I was haltered at the kitchen threshold.

“Why did Mister Stammets run, was he tipped off?”

Will looked down, sighing in obvious annoyance before continuing.

“No, we think, uhm, he had read an article written by Freddie Lounds about….”

While Will had paused and looked uncomfortable, Hannibal continued preparing dinner; he had the meat slow-cooked for the whole day, so he mainly prepared the sides, from what I can see. Hannibal had deliberately not reacted or spoken, waiting for Will to continue on his own account.

“About how I connect with serial killers because I’m like one.”

“I didn’t think what some no-name journalists thinks would be this troubling to you.”

“I actually found it a bit funny.”

Will has a bit of an unashamed face on which I can see Hannibal smile at as he goes to the fridge to grab some drinks.

“Well, I’m glad you weren’t too emotionally affected by it; there’s no reason for you to be. You certainly don’t need to prove anything to the masses.”

Will smiles back at Hannibal, quickly taking a drink from the beer Hannibal handed over.

“Oh, this is amazing.”

“Thank you, Will; I brewed it myself.”

Hannibal barrel ages his beer with the barrels he uses holding body parts, and the sides of the barrels are lathered with human fat. I also think he adds blood, but I haven’t seen that process for myself yet.

“I know it’s late already, but uhm, after dinner, we could maybe at least have a look at….”

Hannibal cuts him off, obviously knowing what he’s talking about and eager to prove his inner knowledge of Will.

“I haven’t even opened the packages yet.”

Will looks up from his beer, basically sparkling before then looking embarrassed.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“It’s quite alright, Will. I was more than happy to wait.”

I can see Will looking up shyly before looking back at his beer.

Wait, my arse, while Hannibal hasn’t lied, he hadn’t opened the packages; he has fiercely been looking at all the booklets and instructions the company provides, as well as other people’s experiences and trails with the buttons and their own dogs. Hannibal is not going into this as blindly as his making it appear.

He had already chosen the voice he needed to download onto the buttons and everything. Funnily enough, he had chosen a female British voice, and it was the closest he could get to his own accent from what I could understand of his reasoning for picking it. The voices available for the buttons weren’t too diverse, but I’m delighted he didn’t pick the American accent; its sample voice was a little rough.

“Come, dinner is ready, and then we can start on the training.”

That excited Will, and he quickly grabbed the two plates Hannibal had already plated up with food, walking towards the dining room, at this stage knowing the way. I believe Hannibal is plating the food, knowing that Will won’t find it rude and most likely to encourage Will to eat more than he usually would if he was serving himself. Hannibal responded by grabbing the cutlery and following.

I quickly get out of the way and follow behind Will, making my way towards my spot in the dining room, laying my head down and tuning Hannibal and Will out; I think about what to do with the buttons.

Honestly, I see no reason to hold back. This isn’t a magical world; it’s a fictional world from where I originally came from, buts it’s true intent was never any fantasy, more crime and psychological horror. So, it’s not like Hannibal’s first thought will be a person in a dog’s body. Even if he concludes that I’m too bright, he will not be disappointed, and it only benefits him on all accounts. Most likely, Hannibal concludes that dogs are more intelligent than is believed and me more so.

I did a similar thing with his initial training; while he knew I understood a lot of the basic commands before he even took me in when we had training sessions, he went through everything to see what I did know and what he wanted to teach me. Of course, we did repetition training, and Hannibal would sometimes adjust my stance. I sometimes pretended not to know what he wanted every now and then. Sometimes I wasn’t acting, like when he taught me commands in his mother tongue, that was tricky, but it just took me a bit longer.

I tuned back in just as it seemed to have gotten interesting.

“Sorry, I was going to cancel on you today.”

“How about you make it up to me? Come to the opera with me this Saturday.”

“I thought me helping you with the button training was the favour.”

“Will, please, you would have begged me to be part of this experience.”

Will looks a bit sheepish but doesn’t retaliate or deny it.

“The opera, with me, your serious.”

“I feel you know me enough now to know when I’m joking.”

“I also know you enough now to know you won’t take no for an answer, will you?”

Hannibal smiles back at Will, enjoying Will opening up with him. Will does continue, though, trying to get out of it.

“We haven’t been out together in public, are you sure?”

It was Will trying to get Hannibal to reconsider without hurting his feelings in the long run when he thinks Hannibal will cancel on him.

“I’m sure, Will.”

Will doesn’t respond but looks away, putting his final bite of food into his mouth and nodding. Mainly to stop himself from arguing. Hannibal, while his facing expressions don’t change, his eyes definitely light up.

Press, press, press, press, press, press, press. They had finished dinner and did the ritual of cleaning up and getting straight into training. Press, press, press, press.

“Will.”

While the buttons don’t make any sounds, the only sound was the machinal click of the button itself. They are trying to make sure I use them and press them correctly, target training, I think they called it. I might be taking advantage of it by pressing the button repeatedly.

“Okay, okay, Janina, enough.” Will finally stepped in after seeing Hannibal was getting to his limits.

Hannibal had actually wanted to step in earlier, as soon as I pressed the button correctly three times in a row. Will had stopped him saying he didn’t want to move on quickly; that’s when I took advantage of it because Will gave me treats every time I hit the button correctly without any direction. It’s one thing to get a dog to hit a button on command; it's another for them to hit it alone.

I look back at Will with my tongue out; he sighs and holds out his hand with another treat, probably the final one for this action. Hannibal, I hear sigh off to the side; while we are at stage one, we are already seeing some conflicting thoughts; however, it's interesting to see Hannibal kind of step back a little bit.

“What word do you want to start on?”

“Original, I intended for a walk to be the first word, but it’s a little late to follow up, and from the research that is the most significant part of this training, what do you reckon, Will?”

“Well, start simple, maybe outside.”

Hannibal goes over to the table where all the buttons had been opened and slightly laid out. He grabs one and then takes the labelled stickers, obviously choosing the one he wants, placing it on the top of the button and then placing it on a holding mat.

Here we go.

Chapter Text

"Did she… did she just?"

I must admit I'm feeling a bit accomplished with the fact that I made Hannibal speechless and Will so confused.

"You didn't pre-train her, did you?"

Hannibal looks back at Will and just shakes his head. While Hannibal might do that to impress people, he certainly didn't want to do that with Will, instead using this as an opportunity for them to bond together.

I didn't even do anything too impressive from a toddler standard, but by dog standards, I guess it was a bit of a shock. Hannibal was off to the side, placing all the buttons he had down, organising them into the groups he wanted; when he returned to Will and started discussing how to positively reinforce me, he tried to hold off on the treats.

I decided I wanted to jump ahead a bit, concluding that I wouldn't be able to go through all the training from scratch. So, I looked over all the buttons; they already had stickers, mainly because they are decided on the button's actions rather than the customisable for the beginner's pack.

So, I pressed two of them; more specifically, I insisted on 'want' and then 'treat'.

That throws Hannibal and Will off, making them a bit speechless.

I do the dog thing and tilt my head, kind of waiting for the treat.

"I had my suspicions that she was previously trained before being abandoned."

Will just nods and continues to stare before I see his eyes light up as I move my paw up again. I stand over, looking at the buttons again, seeing if I can find one that will help get my point across.

'treat' 'please'.

I then make sure to look back at Will, who, this time, gets it rushing a bit forward to hand over a treat. I happily eat it enjoying the expressions on their faces.

"I wasn't aware that this sort of training was involved, though."

Hannibal, I see; once he gets a hold of himself grabs his phone. I can't see what he's his doing, but his working quickly.

"I feel a bit silly making you go through all that target training, girl; sorry about that."

Will looks a bit sheepish as he looks down at me, speaking before looking back at Hannibal and giving him a questioning look.

"I am purchasing more buttons."

Will smiled and chuckled a little bit.

"Okay, different plan; let's go through all the buttons and see what she knows."

That is a good plan, Will; let's do that.

And so that's what we did all night. Will would press one of the buttons, like 'walk'. I would show I understood by walking over to the front door where Hannibal placed my lead. When he pressed 'play', I ran to my toy box, grabbed one of them out and thrashed it before quickly putting it back and going back to the buttons. We went through different ones, like scritches, and settled; they got out the slightly more advanced box Hannibal had originally gotten for when I had been trained on the beginner ones.

Once it became clear I was comfortable using all the buttons they had by themselves, Hannibal started getting the others he had ready and set up. Will mentioned maybe waiting and seeing how I went, but then I decided to show off again.

'Happy,' I make sure to wag my tail hard to get the point across.

Hannibal, I saw, basically smirked at Will in response, Will himself kind of laughed it off and nodded his head.

"Okay, your call Janina."

I wag my tail up at Hannibal. He had just finished setting up all of the buttons he had.

I check over the buttons and observe them, trying to get the layout, so the action words are in the middle, such as play, settle, and help the objects next to that food, treat, and toy; we have some places. Oh, he even added descriptor words and social wordings, such as good, mad, more, later and now.

"Look, I always knew dogs were smarter than most people gave them credit for, but this is just… wow."

"Yes, I agree; while most research agrees on 70 words minimum, some do suggest dogs are cable of understanding up to 300 words; Janina has certainly beaten expectations."

I just can't help myself, inserting myself into the conversation.

'Walk' '??'

"Walk later, Janina, you know this."

'Walk' 'tomorrow' '??'

"Yes, good girl. Thank you, Will; I don't know if we would have gotten to this point without you."

"Well, you can thank me by letting me keep coming over."

"Always Will, always."

Hannibal had utterly changed his tone from gratitude to pure want and bliss, Will definitely picked up on it, and I could hear a rush of blood going through him with visual confirmation of some redness in his cheeks. He looks away for a second before looking back at Hannibal with his own look of gratitude.

Will then gets a look in his eye and turns away again, rubbing his hands together in a nervous habit.

"About the opera, I, I don't think; I don't even have anything to wear?"

"I was hoping to take you to my tailor to ensure we correspond."

That makes Will go green and look close to having a breakdown.

"I'm not so sure about that, Hannibal."

Hannibal doesn't interrupt and lets Will take a deep breather before he continues.

"I don't really like strangers getting that closer, and no way I can afford what you consider appropriate."

Hannibal almost looks offended.

"Please, Will, I would never ask you to pay after initiating the invite and then personally bringing up the tailors."

If anything, that makes Will look even more nauseous.

"And I hope one day you will go to the tailors with me; however, we can do a basic measurement here, and I can go alone, this time of cause. It won't be specifically fitted but can do for one day."

-----------------------
For one day, he wants to buy me a tailor-made suit that he will only wear once. And one day, this time. All insinuating a repeat of this activity and his not being super subtle about it. He wonders if Hannibal is very good at getting himself comfortable with people or if he is slipping; it's never been this easy to identify with people in a way that he still feels like himself but a better, more accepted version of himself, somehow.

He starts getting a response in his head but can't find the right words and, instead of embarrassing himself, further nods to Hannibal's suggestion. Even with his nerves on edge, a different sort of edge than he's used to, he feels himself respond to Hannibal's smile with his own before adverting his eyes, not wanting to see everything, just wanting to be in the moment.

While it is unsure if Hannibal was getting closer than necessary on purpose, Hannibal was insisting it was essential to ensure he got the correct measurements, especially as he wasn't going into the store himself. He knows it was getting him embarrassed, nervous, anxious, and just all of the above, with some excitement thrown in the mix. Which is just fabulous not like he has issues with his emotions as they are.

He basically refused to look down at Hannibal on his knees as he took the measurements; the few glances he dared to take, he swears he saw a smile, or it could be considered a smirk on his face. He won't admit it, though, because that's not good for his emotional state; he might be in a little bit of denial.

Now denial, as much as people might think it's a large part of him, it's not. He works very hard to ensure denial is never part of his emotions because it leads to more confusion in the long run, and he has enough issues without throwing denial into the mix. But this time, it might be okay; he will face it when he needs to.

He shouldn't, he really shouldn't, because this could become a massive misunderstanding and build until he has no idea what's going on. He really should ask and clarify if the opera is a date. He knows he should come on, Will; worst comes to worst, he laughs at you. Okay, not helping that is literally the worst thing that could happen.

He won't mention Hannibal, almost mumbling about how he could get such a nice suit when he gets one specifically tailored to his body; it just makes him blush. He also won't call Hannibal out for it, but he was pretty sure that Hannibal was definitely lingering longer than he needed to. Maybe it can wait a little bit when he's not feeling his face burning in embarrassment. Even asking for some clarification after the opera can't hurt. He will need some clarification on what this is between them, he doesn't have many friends, and that is what Hannibal is calling himself, but even he knows some of this is pushing a line.

'settle' 'now' '??'

He won't admit that he jumps out of his skin, especially as he has been watching the only other person in the room who, for not even a few hours, okay, was the only person who could contribute to the conversation.

He watches Hannibal for his input, as it's not like he can dictate bedtime, but he does find it very sweet that Janina doesn't want to go to bed with them. His also interested that she basically picked up that Hannibal was finished.

"Yes, it is past your bedtime, isn't it, Janina."

Will can feel himself melting at Hannibal's almost fond and teasing tone directed at a four-legged creature of perfection. Good time to test her complete understanding.

“Need to go outside Janina mhm?”

'All done 'settle' 'now.'

He honestly was just freaking out; he was conversing with a dog. Like a proper conversation, one is going to be honest with his or more engaged than he has with other people.

The black stag walks around his room, almost in curiosity; he watches it move around in an unknown pattern of no simple plan novelty, and he already subconsciously thinks of this room as him; it scares him with the familiarity of it in such a short time. It's odd his not cold even though his fulling out of bed and sitting on top of it watching this unique creature; he almost gets up to join it, but he decides to just observe.

He follows a sensation he feels by turning his head over to the door and seeing it opening into a vibrant green forest that shows a grey doe watching him back; the black stag is making its way over to the doe. He notices that the doe is more significant than the stag, and as the stag gets close, he sees vicious-looking fangs that slowly move up back into the doe's mouth when the stag gets close enough so their noses touch, and then, he jolts.
While the stag isn't apparent in its weapon, he has them; those antlers can easily use them, and it intrigues him. Still, even more impressive is how the doe, while more prominent and vicious with its weapons and nature, is actually the one most people would be comfortable with; it's an outstanding actor. No actor, that's insulting, it's but on a different persona to always to lure but to figure out and live a better life; he almost thinks the stag could learn a thing or two from it, as the stag is almost clumsy in comparison.

The stag turns its eyes and stares him down, and then he is the stag, he feels its strength, and for a second, his head feels heavy and overwhelming, but he stances harder to ensure the antlers don't topple him or hinder him in any way. They are there for his protection; he can't let them get the better of him.

When he gets his bearings, he turns his head to look at the doe again; he should feel overwhelmed in the presence of this creature that is bigger and more dangerous, but instead, he feels empowered to be able to be this close and to observe the hidden fangs and to have this remarkable creature show him any worth but just standing this close and watching him in turn.

He awakes before he realises anything significant of the dream, but he knows it was and is pretty sure Hannibal is in it. He will get through the opera and decide whether he wants this to continue going the way it is. At the minute his liking it, but he's in no rush to force himself to make decisions that will affect not just his future but his relationship with Hannibal. He wants the phone calls, checking in with Hannibal, and their conversations and debates; he really enjoys dinner, especially since it's an enormous deal and part of Hannibal that is very obvious. He wants to keep doing this and while doing more is different from what he wants, he is unsure if he can risk what he has at the minute.

Only the future will tell.

-----------------------
-Outside a motel-

A shaken Freddie Lounds is attended to by Paramedics with only a tiny amount of blood-spattered, seen not wholly wiped off but with a visible blanket. The dead body is wheeled away, which makes her yell for Jack.

"Jack."

Jack dismisses the office and walks away as he gets in front of Freddie.

"Where's Will Graham?"

"We have an eyewitness to the murder. We don't need Will Graham.

"No, that's not why I'm asking."

Jack studies her for a moment, realising quickly and yelling out to a subordinate.

"Somebody get me Will Graham!"

He quickly focuses back on Freddie.

"This is about Will?"

Freddie almost sways in her explanation.

"He was talking about people having the same properties of a fungus."

"Stamets?"

"Thoughts leaping from brain to brain. They mutate, they evolve."

"Well, what does he want with Will Graham?"

"Someone who understands him. Graham was right. Stamets is looking for connections."

"What did you tell him?"
Freddie doesn't respond, looking away as Jack starts directly at her.

"I need to know what you told Eldon Stammets, about Will Graham."

"I told him about his therapist, Doctor Lecter."

"What did you tell him."

Freddie looks at Jack, this time with a softer voice.

"Everything, it's all I had. He wants to help Will Graham connect with him and bury him."

-----------------------

Waking up cuddling to someone, with their body heat mixing with yours, is lovely; while I enjoy being in Hannibal's bedroom, I'm not allowed on the bed, so I certainly don't mind when Will comes over, and I get to sleep with him in the bed. I listen out and hear that Hannibal is wide awake, working in the kitchen. I look over at the clock and see it's actually pretty late for me to wake up. Basically, the afternoon, oh, what will Hannibal think? I'm always up with him or even before, noticing his shift in sleep and waking up just before he does.

Well, to be honest, Will was shifting a lot, and I was kind of worried about him and about Stamets; I know Abigail Hobbs is dead, I'm not sure what to expect from him, and I don't even know whether Freddie but the right things in her article for Stamets to even latch onto Will. He got away, so I'm still sure he saw the article, but I have no idea whether Stamets will go after Will or someone else entirely. He might just back up and go, for all I know.

I reckon Will feels the same with his groaning as he looks at the clock. Will, obviously feeling more motivated than I am, quickly gets up, rushing to the bathroom, too, I assume, to get ready.

When he came out, I decided to get ready as well, jumping down from the bed and shaking. Will calls it irony and chuckles at me.

Will returns to the bed and makes it, certainly not the Hannibal stands of a made bed but not terribly done.

We then both make how way down the stairs. I rush ahead and am excited to start communicating all the time now.

'good' 'hi'

Yeah, can't wait for some more selections, but that's the closest thing I have to good morning right now. I see Hannibal poke his head out of the kitchen to look over at me near the buttons in response to my pressing them.

"Good morning, Janina; good morning, Will."

Will looks a little sheepish and pats my head as I walk up to him.

"Morning Hannibal, sorry about sleeping in."

"Oh, please, Will, no apologies needed; we did stay up pretty late last night, and what sort of host would I be if I forced a wake-up time on you."

"Still, I feel bad; what can I do?"

Hannibal knows by now to let Will help, or he becomes a nervous wreck and shuts down. Hannibal, I don't think you mind it because it shows equilibrium between the two.

"You can start butting the toast for me?"

Will basically jumps to it, eager not to just be standing around.

"Any plans for today, Hannibal?"

"I'm planning to go and get the suits down, so if any adjustments need to be made, we still have some time."

I can see Will slightly blushing again, but before he can open his mouth, there is a ring from the doorbell. I jumped even more than Will because I hadn't heard a car pull up and was not expecting it.

Will looks at Hannibal in obvious question and slight concern. Hannibal is already getting his apron off and making his way to the entrance.

"I'll be right back."

When Will doesn't look any eased, Hannibal continues.

"I will send whoever it is a way; not to worry, Will, if you wouldn't mind getting the eggs off the heat, they can sit till I get back."

Hannibal could have quickly done it in like two seconds, but one trusted Will enough with the task to do with food and knew it was something that Will needed to ground himself.

I decided to go with Hannibal; it's just natural at this point, and it's not like I can go into the kitchen to comfort Will anyway; he could finish and come looking for me, but this is a 2-second thing; we don't get many salesmen's mainly in this neighboured but every now and then someone will try.

Before Hannibal opens the door, I hear Wills's phone go off; I know it's not Hannibal from the ringtone.

Hannibal straightens his jacket; even if it's a nobody, it still doesn't hurt to look your best and opens the door.

It's the smell of stress and sweat that freak me out, and what I notice just before the gun is pointed right at Hannibal's face. That's the new thing I'm freaking out about, and I have no idea what to do.

Hannibal barely blinks, instead looks very interested in what's occurring.

"Do you have the right house?"

Hannibal sounds interested in what's happening right now. Me, not so much; I haven't acted yet because Stammets whole interest is on Hannibal; I don't think he even noticed me yet. I want to keep it that way until Hannibal works, or I guess I need to act.
I listen out for Will and hear him on the phone before I hear what can only be a shocked gasp and then quiet, which I assume means he hung up his phone.

"I'm going to need you to come with me quietly."

Before anyone can do anything, I hear a winded Will run out from the kitchen, and I turn my head only slightly to see he has a gun raised as well. Instead of attacking Stammets like I want to do, I do something that I hope Hannibal doesn't get mad at me for. I will have to trust Will because I see this as an excellent development for Will and Hannibal. Hopefully, no one gets hurt; no one doesn't mind Stammets getting broken.

I tackle Hannibal, not attack; I gently nudge him out of the way by jumping up and making him fall over to the side. I can tell he doesn't appreciate it at first, but then I'm pretty sure he gets a view of Will holding a gun and seem to take over, pulling me close to him and rolling on the side to not just get out of the way but get back on his feet in a swift, methodical motion.

This allows Will to rush forward, startling Stammets, who moves, giving Will enough time for Will to shoot. The bullet goes through Stammets shoulder, propelling him backwards, with his gun clattering to the floor. Will's instincts rush forward, and he lowers, running ahead, kicking the gun away, funny enough, over to Hannibal. Hannibal doesn't bend down to pick it up, though now more than ever very interested in the outcome of today and seems to be enjoying watching Will right now.

Especially as this can all be taken as Will protecting Hannibal. Stamets looks up at Will in shock, Will keep his gun trained on him, looking straight down at him.

"What were you going to do?"

"We all evolved from mycelium; I'm simply reintroducing him into the concept."

"You wanted to bury Hannibal alive."

Stammets is still in a state of shock. Still, in his mind, he must be able to appeal to what he thinks is Wills's mind and continues sometimes looking over at Hannibal in his explanation. Still, he talks about it as if Hannibal isn't a person, so his focus is mainly on Will.

"Opisthokont, a superkingdom of animali and fungi together. That Journalist said you understood me."

Will just looks more engaged.

"I don't."

"Well, you would have, you would have."

Stammets pain and shock of emotions on the last day must be getting to him as he begins to ramble.

"If you walk through a field of mycelium, they know you are there. They know you are there. The spores reach for you as you walk by. I know who you're reaching for. I know"

He walks over to Hannibal; this time, he continues and returns to Will.

"You should have let me plant him; you would have found him in a field where he could finally be able to reach back!"

I listen out as I hear sirens in the distance, most likely the investigation team approaching them.

Will looks down at him with what can only be described as a discussion.

"You should know I'm a terrible shot. I was trying to kill you."

I sneak a glance at Hannibal and see a dark expression that shows he is most pleased with today's outcome.

Stammets is quickly arrested when Jack and some officers arrive; he does not resist and stares at Will in disbelief and what could almost be heartbreak.

Jack quickly got through, making sure everyone was alright and then asking what happened; that was an exciting question, primarily as Will or Hannibal didn't lie. Will was in the kitchen while Hannibal answered the door, and then Will got Jack's call.

When Jack asked the obvious question, which was why Will was in the kitchen of Hannibal's house. Will didn't look up to answer, and Hannibal quickly stepped in.

"While I understand the question, it doesn't relate to the investigation, especially as it's obvious what's happened."

Jack doesn't look particularly happy about that answer. In fact, he seemed to get a bit angry before shaking his head.

"If this affects your work at all."

Will quickly shakes his head, denying Jack's conclusion or the questions I'm not sure about. Will then go into trying and justify himself.

"It's not like that, Jack; come on."

Will and Hannibal hadn't even got that far yet in what they are classified as; it's still too early for Will, and they haven't even really gone on any dates yet, all the late-night calls don't count, but Jack has definitely pulled on a conclusion from his instincts and presented evidence. Let's be honest, though; Jack will sit in his office finding case after case and as long as it doesn't get in the way of Will working will pretend to not notice. It's a little taboo with him being Hannibal's patient, but that's not exactly true, is it?

And when Jack walks away following the cops pushing Stammets in the car, you can tell that's the end, for now at least.

-----------------------

He was vicious and wanted to see him pushed; what would he do? This was tamed, thought out aware of the outcome. He was almost close to worship because he could only be worthy of seeing his actual being. Maybe then Will would grace him with even a slither of that angrier, that methodical fighting ability that falls down to instinct. He protected him and was in such a clear mind during it; he wasn't like that when he was watching someone else, just for him.

He was in a sense of awe during the whole time; he could have disarmed the threat, could have him on his knees, and then Will could have come in and seen his abilities, could have shown off to Will; however, he does want to keep some cards to himself and doesn't want Will looking to close at his abilities, not this early in the game.

The outcome was better than he had thought; he defended him without a second thought, and while Will killing Stammets would have been pleasing, the thought-out gunshot and the questioning were beautiful. Even better was the taunt at the end; whether Will was speaking the truth, he felt he needed to first discover and dig for a little bit.

"When you shot him, who was it that you saw?"

A bit on the nose but Will can certainly handle it, especially with Janina leaning against Will's legs and holding most of his attention, it works well to get Will distracted and more willing. His going to have to hold some more training with Janina; while the push worked out well and allowed Will to act, he didn't like her acting without his permission with such significant consequences, but it was an excellent outcome, so he won't be too hard on her, this time.

"I didn't see Hobbs, don't worry."

He enjoyed Will's almost reassuring words, like he was trying to comfort him, oh his special darling. His muscular body and strong-willed protector. His place will be able to convince Will to sleep the night again, for Will is a guarded individual a most certainly wouldn't allow himself to feel asleep near someone if he didn't feel safe if he didn't believe that someone could protect him.

He must also get Janina on some sleep training because she didn't even shift last night when he visited to observe Will in such a vulnerable state. He hopes it's because it's him she wasn't deserved. After all, he knows she can go from a sleep state to an attack state in a second.

"Then it's not Hobbs; a ghost haunts you, is it? It's the inevitability of there being a man so bad that killing him felt good."

He couldn't waste this opportunity. He was amazed and pleased to see Will at such ease in his house after what just happened, not that he was not pleased with it. He was slumped into his seat, nimble hands rubbing into Janina's ears.

"Really, right now, you want to do this."

Will huffs a little bit, looking back at him. He doesn't respond to Will taking the time to just observe and see where Will will take this conversation.

Oh, his eyes with such emotions they look into your soul; his untrimmed face begged to be delicately down by his own hands, his lips slightly parted for the breath of air that is begging for his. He observed his hair, knowing when he finally gets the time to do a proper portrait of Wil, not just his sketches, he will have to combine the finest browns to get even close to the correct colour.

"Killing Hobbs just felt, so I can't even explain it; that's the problem Hannibal; I should be able to say bad, but I can't."

Oh, his sweet moral Will, he could push, and he does want to see that, but he doesn't want to break.

"Which is why I wanted to talk about it, to prove that the feeling is from trying to save a life rather than the actual killing."

"I didn't save a life, and I didn't feel the same when I shot Eldon Stammets."

Oh, Will, you could never feel the same because it was me, not just some random.

"You didn't kill Eldon Stamets, and you did save mine."

Will stops and looks up at him in surprise and embarrassment; that's something he needs to work on with Will; while he doesn't mind the embarrassment, he can only show it to him as he goes a beautiful pink with a flushed bedroom look.

"I thought about killing him. I'm still not entirely sure that wasn't my intention pulling the trigger. Especially as I saw the gun pointed at you and I just."

Oh, Will, stop; you already have my full attention. You don't need to do anything more. Now that he realises Will doesn't need as much comfort as he original thought, he continues.

"If your intention was to Kill him, it's because you understand why he did the things he did; it's beautiful in its own way. Giving voice to the unmentionable."

"I should have stuck to fixing boat motors in Louisiana."

If you had, I still would have found you, I'm sure of it.

"A boat engine is a machine. A predictable problem easy to solve. You fail; there's a peddle. Where was your paddle with Hobbs."

"Aren't you, my paddle?"

Yes, just need you to acknowledge it completely.

"I am. It wasn't the act of killing Hobbs that got you down, was it? Did you really feel so bad because killing him felt so good?"

Come on, my dear Will. His weighing the statement, admit it to me, Will. Janina is squinting her eyes in what I'm assuming is a little bit of pain as he can see Will digging his fingers tightly into her ears; he quickly stops it and rubs softly where he was tightly pulling and obviously helps as she starts wagging her tail again.

"I liked Killing Hobbs."

Hannibal feels like he wants to allow a shiver through his spine and needs to dig his hands into Janina's ears to try to cover up his enjoyment. Still, he had masted the act of masking his emotions long before Janina came along so he could hold it in now, barely. Will looks more nervous the longer he doesn't get a response, so he quickly moves in to make him feel a bit better.

"Killing must feel good to God, too. He always does it, and are we not created in his image?"

"Come on, Hannibal, I don't want a lecture on religion right now."

"A roof dropped onto thirty-four people in a church last Wednesday night while they sang a hymn."

It does something to him that Will scoffs to cover up his laugh; he understands, and his getting there quicker than he thought, but that's okay; that certainly isn't a negative for him.
"He must have felt very good then."

Hannibal, in turn, gives a genuine smile to Will.

He really is perfect, isn't he?

Chapter Text

“You can’t be serious?”

Will, don’t mock me; Hannibal tried getting nice ones; this is very nice compared to the other ones they make. Hannibal doesn’t respond to Will’s mocking tone either.

“Look, I don’t care what people think of me, but even I’m not willing to walk into an opera, an opera Hannibal with a therapy dog.”

Yes, we get it. Will you have issues with people noticing you. Hannibal got the final strap on, making sure it wasn’t too tight and then got up and responded.

“Please, Will, shes more then qulified to be emtional therpary dog, I could easily prescribe her as one, however she is more of a service dog in training.

Will scoffed and then laughed a little bit, shaking his head.

“How did you even do that?”

“Will, please, all I've had to do was check with the faculty before I booked the tickets.”

That's short hand for Hannibal used his high connections to basically let me in anywhere, with the reassurance that I'm very well behaved. The place isn't going to say no to Hannibal, anyway, certainly not after he made a massive donation, Will probally doesn't need to know that though.

“This will be my first time introducing Janina, and I understand this will be difficult for you. I have promised to minimise my usual mingling, as you put it; I felt it was time and Janina herself will take some of the attention off of you as well.”

Hey, so you assume I want all that attention but looking at Will’s relieved face, I will take some of the attention for you; it’s not like they can touch me or even converse with me.

But I can talk to Will to ease his emotions. I make my way over to my buttons.

Will, in turn, responds and makes his way over as well; they have a system where when I go over to the buttons, they make sure one of them is close and can respond or act.

‘outside’ ‘car’ ‘?’

“Yes, we are going outside to the car, good girl.”

It’s a little concerning how little Will talks during the ride there, don’t get me wrong, these two certainly have silence in solidarity moments, but while this one wasn’t awkward, it was different.

-----------------------

Will knows he’s not exactly the mentally healthiest person in the world. He doesn’t have many friends outside his dogs, but will they be his life? They don’t always provide the best mental stimulation.

He admired how Hannibal looked; he always had a vivid imagination with his interpretations of places, things and, more importantly, people. If he saw a row of roses, he might imagine them turning white as they drip away the red, which is blood; he should have become an artist; they can have the craziest imaginations and are considered unique, not crazy.

Come on, Will, keep it together, at least for a night when you are with Hannibal in public. Don’t want to drag him down with me too much.

“Will.”

He doesn’t want to admit how much he tried to jump out of his skin from Hannibal’s startling him. He doesn’t want to admit this is the most uncomfortable he felt with Hannibal, and it has nothing to do with Hannibal himself.

He knows it’s biasing attention, but all he can think about is the people other than Hannibal; he will have to interact with, probably mostly rich snobs. Well, that is kind off what Hannibal is, with some more depth than others, but still.

“I’m okay, just a bit nervous, I guess.”

Well, if he can’t be honest, it’s not like Hannibal can’t figure it out himself, so he decided against pretending too much tonight, and it’s not like Hannibal doesn’t already know how much this will freak him out.

“Good because we are here.”

He appreciates Hannibal’s ability to know when to push and leave it alone, and his soothing voice helps a bit.

“Okay, Okay.”

He says it more to himself than Hannibal, even shaking his head slightly to sike himself up.

Fewer people were walking around than he thought, but Hannibal allowed them to only get there 10 minutes early rather than his regular 30 minutes to minimise interactions. He is thankful for that.

He gets out quickly, not giving himself the chance to just stay in the car and never get out.

He starts fiddling with his hands so he doesn’t tamper with his shirt, the one Hannibal keeps fixing and changing on how it was worn, making him feel like he is between a child and an accessory piece. He didn’t say anything as Hannibal had been buzzing in excitement about this night, even washing Janina out twice before allowing him to brush her out because he needed something to do.

He did think her collar was a bit much but thought it was Hannibal compensating for the fact she couldn't wear one of her nicer jackets. While his not one to dress up his dogs, it’s more because of cost and time than anything else. It’s a routine Hannibal and Janina have; if she didn’t enjoy it, he would have said something, but how much she does is self-evident.

He was less nervous when he had to give his statement about Stammets, and then Hannibal asked if he wanted him to press charges even though it would be Hannibal having to press charges.

He watches Hannibal get out, assembling himself and then moves to get Janina out. She jumps out, waging her tail and starts looking around. She looks adorable with her vest on that; now that he looks at it, it’s the same colour as his coat and Hannibal’s tie. Because he gets to know Hannibal, he knows it isn’t a coincidence.

Next time he should probably be there to pick the colours; who’s he kidding? Hannibal will pick one, and he will just agree. Wait, hold up; next time, his thinking way too far ahead again.

He lets Hannibal take the lead and understands it will be a prediction for the rest of the night but finds himself not minding too much.

He almost wants to comment on the fact that they had to park the car themselves but remembers Hannibal mentioning something to do with this isn’t one of the more prominent theatres he usually goes to, and it’s not the first viewing. He even explains it as more of a mini-performance with some opera singing, with no intermission and just an expansion on inspired songs from a Latin Text called La Vita Nuova.

As he looks at the building, it’s still impressive and certainly not lacking like Hannibal made it sound when apologising, but this was the soonest opera without an included dinner, which Hannibal said was very improper to avoid. Will just remembers nodding and rolling his eyes as he patted Janina, saying it was fine and he didn’t really care.

It was funny because Hannibal just ignored him, continuing to apologise. He knows it’s because, unlike him, Hannibal does like having an image, a particular image that he has worked on his whole life. While he knows Hannibal likes having him around because he can see through the image and just see him, there is still that routine of keeping up the image.

Oh, he hadn’t even realised they were in the theatre and making their way over to the bar. Yes, that will help with his nerves.

He sees a man start approaching and takes deep breaths holding the leash tighter, not showing his surprise that his holding Janina’s leash and forcing himself to take notice of the man coming closer.

He was in his late fifties, with small callouses on the top of his fingers and palms of his hands, a labourer but not lifting, more like detailed work.

He looks around and decides to focus on Janina to see how she handles everything.

-----------------------

Will is holding himself together quite well, I think. He seems a bit nervous and doesn’t even realise that Hannibal had handed him my leash, unconsciously holding onto it as I walk in between the two.

It helps with the image of an emotional support dog, the timid nature Hannibal has built up over time, and the appearance of Will and Hannibal being together. If our matching outfits didn’t clue people in.

A man starts approaching, and with how open the room is, Hannibal and Will immediately notice him. Both of them don’t react in any way, so I don’t either; I turn my head and watch him approach directly because while it’s rude to stare, not as a dog.

“Hello, Doctor Lecter; how are you?”

“Hello, Mr Orefice, I’m very well, thank you, Mr Orefice, this is Will Graham.”

Will nods in response, and this Mr Orefice gets the hint; nodding respectfully back, he looks down at me and looks very pleased, not sure what at, but he seems satisfied.

“It’s nice to see my custom works; nice to meet you, Janina; I must say it was a first, I wasn’t sure how the leather of that width would work, but I’m very pleased with the outcome.”

I acknowledge him with a head tilt and a very small tail wag for the greeting and appreciation of my involvement by people other than Will and Hannibal.

Hannibal looks down at me as well, and I release they’re talking about my collar; it’s the first time I’ve worn this one; I was stunned when I first saw it because it had actual jewels in it, but who I’m I to question Hannibal’s fashion sense.

“Mr Orefice is my jeweller and horologist; he made all of Janina’s collars personally.”

Oh, I didn’t know my other collars were custom-made as well; it makes sense, but I hadn’t thought about it just noticed sometimes Hannibal would come home with a new one that he would put in one of his pull out draws under his bed which holds the rest of my collars. In an awe-inspiring display, oh my god, I’m the most spoiled pet in the world.

What dog needs more than one collar? Well, to be honest, they all usually match either Hannibal’s ties or coats, but I probably don’t have many chances to wear them or show them off.

Okay, I promise I will be present at the next dinner party.

“You flatter me, Doctor Lecter; I work with jewels and leather repair, which means I work with jeweling and watches.”

Will at least looks interested and, surprisingly, is the one to continue the conversation.

“So, not a lot of custom orders, and Hannibal is one of the only high ends clients you deal with consistently and personality.”

Mr Orefice looks delighted and almost laughs at his response.

“Yeah, I deal with repairs to try and recreate people’s projects, but then some high-class snob comes in asking for a repair where they want to change something integral or create something they can’t even in vision, and I’m not going to be dealing with there attitudes.”

Will himself nods, and I can see some tension leave his shoulders as he appreciates Mr Orefice’s honesty. Mr Orefice gestures to Hannibal and continues.

“Doctor Lecter here is straightforward to work with, knows what he wants, and even provides a specific sketch of what he wants. Don’t have to go through all the stupid nonsense talking and explaining why having an uncut bottom on a diamond with a ring that they want as an open bypass.”

Okay, I don’t know what an open bypass is, but I’m assuming it’s a type of ring. It’s nice to see Will enjoying himself as he continues talking to Mr Orefice, mainly about his magnifying instruments, Will must use a similar one for his fishing hocks.

“I’m going to get a Sangiovese; what would you like Will?”

Will blinked at him slowly before replying.

“Just a whiskey, thanks.”

I almost couldn’t help myself and went to walk with Hannibal but realised that would not be the best look, with Will being the one to hold my leash.

I hear her high heels before I notice her; they’re powerful and consistent, which is impressive in the size of the heels she has on. She also has a powerful perfume on, or that might just be because of my dog noise everyone’s scents are more noticeable. The artificial fragrances aren’t the same as when I was human; I appreciate Hannibal’s powerful scene of smell, as he avoids the more potent one.

“Sorry to interrupt, gentlemen, but I couldn’t help myself but did you, sir, just walk in with Hannibal Lecter.”

The question is directed at Will, but Mr Orefice is the one that responds first.

“Hello, Mrs Nieves, you okay stunning.”

“Thank you, Roger. Haven’t I told you to call me Tamara?”

She gives him a laugh and looks over herself in appreciation, which I would say is narcissistic if she didn’t look outstanding. So good on her for being aware of it, I guess.

“You have, and I said I don’t get too familiar with my clients.”

She laughs again and turns her full attention to Will, who has tensed up slightly again, but if you don’t know him, you probably can’t see it.

“So, I’m Tamara Nieves, and who might you be.”

She spins her wine and makes it clear with her expression that she’s only interested because of his connection with Hannibal, but she doesn’t seem too forcible.

“Will Graham.”

He doesn’t go to continue and tenses even further; I help him and push against his leg with my head gaining her attention. She raises an eyebrow and seems confused before little shrugging herself and continuing after I assume she reads my vest.

“And who might this be.”

I feel Hannibal before I see him, and he makes sure to step as close to Will as possible as he halts the conversation and hands Will his drink, who discretely takes a sip straight away.

“Hello Tamara, I’m surprised to see you here; I am sure last time I saw you, you mentioned having seen Vide Cor Meum already.”

Hannibal, being Hannibal, pronounces it with such clarity still amazes me.

“Please, Hannibal, Vide Cor Meum deserves multiple viewings.”

Her pronunciation is obviously from multiple hears, not of natural ability, with a slight hesitation between each word. She looks over to Will and Roger before directing it to them.

“Vide Cor Meum is one of the inspired songs and is most definitely the best, which is why they have it last, don’t get me wrong, the others are just as good, but.”

She trails off, looking expectedly at Hannibal. He nods in agreement, and she continues with the positive confirmation she isn’t making a fall of herself.

“Anyway, I was just asking Mister Will Graham here how he knows you and who his four-legged friend is.”

“Will Graham is a very close friend Tamara.”

There was a deliberate pause there to cause speculations, one that Tamara seemed to take straight away as she brightened and looked over Will again, he in turns seems to be going slightly pink and quickly took another sip of his drink while looking down at his other hand holding my head to hide his embarrassment. Even Roger seems interested.

“And this is my companion, Janina.”

When he says my name, he looks down and holds one of his hands like he is presenting me.

“Oh, of course, this is the loving Janina we have heard so much about; I’m so glad to be getting to see her finely.”

Oh, didn’t love that; it felt like a dig at Will because she hadn’t heard about him, and she talked about me like a piece of art Hannibal had kept hidden from everyone.

Before anyone could say anything, the sounds of an orchestra warming up stopped all conversations, and just like that, everyone dispersed with a quick goodbye and a see you later to get to their seats.

Hannibal quickly grabbed Will’s waist and started to lead him, who in turn leads me towards a staircase where I assumed they would be sitting.

I see Will is not even looking where he is going but looking down at where Hannibal’s hand is and looking very surprised.

They don’t share any words as they sit down, with Hannibal’s hand leaving Will’s body and him sitting down and placing his glass on the provided shared seat tables. No words even when the lights dimmed, and in turn, the music rose. I see Will seemed to have shaken himself out of it, placing his drink on the table and appearing slightly off because of it. I know right there’s a table, not just cup holders.

Will look at me and moves the lead over his body to the other hand, placing it in his seat cushions; I take the hint and move over to in between Hannibal and Will and quickly release unless I stand on my hind legs, I’m not going to get a good view of the stage so just decide to lay down and just listen.

Will breathes out softly before leaning back and getting comfortable in his seat.

I let the opera flow in the background and decide to take a nap, just thinking about how forward Hannibal is in his own atmosphere. Basically, he is taking Will to a new environment where his alpha and Will has no idea what to do and must rely on him.

The movement in my ears slowly wakes me up but doesn’t concern me as I can still smell Hannibal and Will, and there are no scents of stress or sounds that are off-putting, just the feeling of nails scratching on my head and rubbing my ear.

I realise at some point, instead of just laying down on my belly, I’ve rolled onto my side with my head laying at Wills’s feet and my own sticking out. I don’t immediately get up, instead enjoying the sounds of the orchestra dying off.

I feel my eyes closing again, but the music stops, and I jolt as the theatre is filled with claps. Hannibal, as always, seems delighted in the performance and claps as well, Will quickly gets his hand off my head and starts clapping as well.

I decided to get up, shaking my head to wake myself up completely and sit down, just waiting for either Hannibal or Will to get up.

“Did you enjoy yourself, Will?”

Will looks away again and grabs my ears again in comfort.

“I… I did, thank you, Hannibal and thank you for, you know, not making me interact with a whole bunch of people.”

Hannibal looks even more delighted, if possible, and responds before poor Will dies of embarrassment.

“I’m pleased.”

Hannibal looks pleased and starts to get up before Will squeezes my ears and then blurts out what he has obviously been psyching himself for.

“Is this a date?”

Oh, did not see that coming.

I turn all my attention towards Hannibal, waiting for his response.

Chapter Text

Hannibal looked deep in thought, while Will was obviously getting nervous, I was almost sure he was going to blurt out and take the question back but before he built up his courage again Hannibal respond.

Hannibal turns and stares straight into Will’s eyes, Will’s eyes go wide and instead of his normal unfocused gazed where he turns away quickly, he seems to have decided to stay still and his eyes are shifting quickly but not leaving Hannibal’s face.

“I don’t think you're ready for that answer Will, but next time you ask me I will be hundred percent truthful.”

I can’t tell if Will looked relieved or more frustrated at the answer, he just stands there staring directly at Hannibal, Hannibal in turn doesn’t move and let’s Will search for whatever he's looking for. Will seems to come to some conclusion and doesn’t push instead nodding his head and turning away.

No words are spoken on the way out thoguh Hannibal still doign his best for his image with him nodded at a few people on the way out but he keep walking doing the unwritten rule of don’t bother engaging with me I’m not interested right now, they of course all follow this, even if a few people look very close to stepping in the way and body blocking Hannibal and Will in their tracks. However, no one wanted to be that person and be labeled as rude by Hannibal and miss a chance at getting an invite.

It was until we got to the stairs, I realised Hannibal had my lead which explained why there was no tugging, we are very in sync when walking now, but I’m pleased to see Will in step with us as well even though he seems to be deep in his own head.

He won’t be for long, the doors are opened and as I feel the breeze on my face that brings with it a certain redheads perfume.

I look down to where the car is packed and see her, just standing there smiling holding her small purse that matches her gloves and jacket, sure that purse holds other recorder, the one trick pony. She’s leaning against Hannibal’s hood right on the midnight blue Bentley, waiting.

This is a scene in the series I’m sure of it, but it certainly didn’t happen at night and certainly not as Hannibal and Will left a opera together, but I guess she can’t meet up outside of an hospital room of someone who’s dead and doesn’t pose any interesting article for her like Abigail did as she’s not alive, but if Freddie isn’t here to use Will’s attachment to Abigail and try and get more of the story, one what is she’s going to try and use against Will and two why is she. I guess even without a survivor the Minnesota Shrike murders are still article worthy, a considerably normal father kills girls looking like his daughter and then the police make him kill his innocent family is one way to spin it and Freddie will spin it anyway she can to get views.

She spots Hannibal and Will and stands quickly almost like she’s trying to be respectful. She starts walking towards us as soon as we get in normal hearing distance. I hear Will let out an almost scoff and I can only assume he shakes his head in disbelief as well, I can’t say for certain as I don’t want to take my eyes off Freddie right now. She has the biggest smile on her face, which just looks wrong.

“Special Agent Graham. I never formally introduced myself. I’m Freddie Lounds.”

She brings out her hand obviously trying to shake Will’s hand. He of course ignores her hand and I notice that Will has stepped fast making him in front of Hannibal, I in turn end up being in the middle of them but slow down to get in line with Hannibal.

“Are you trying to salvage this joke from the mouth of madness?”

I notice Will put on his glasses that he grabbed from his jacket pocket but he's still looking down, I can’t see his face but I’m assuming it's annoyed directed at Freddie even if he's not looking directly at her. I take a glance at Hannibal and see a neutral face but can tell he is as much annoyed by the interruption as Will.

“Please let me apologize for my articles. I just write what I see and the information I gather, they were maybe misguided. And hurtful.”

Hannibal has stepped up right next to Will but still slightly behind, almost overlooking, I in turn had stepped back and was on the other side of Will, stepping right into his leg without pushing him off balance. Hannibal was the next one to speak as Freddie’s eyes run all over Will and his outfit and I can just see her mind coming up with a lot of gossip articles.

“Miss Lounds, now is not the time.”

I see Freddie’s eyes stare right into Hannibal’s and feel a bit sorry for her, she’s just painting a larger target every time she interacts with him. I don’t know if she is smart or so stupid but she turns away from Hannibal and back to Will almost dismissing Hannibal or not wanting to anger him any more I’m not sure.

“Look, you and I may have your own reasons for doing what we do but I also think we genuinely care about the truth, I can get it out there.”

I glance back up at Hannibal and while I feel I have become very good at reading his expressions I’m going to say his a bit unsure about Freddie at the minute as well, on one hand he loves the attention she brings to the Chesapeake Ripper and he doesn’t mind the emotions she brings out of Will only so he can be the one to comfort and stabilise Will but also seeing Wills unstable said at the same time. On the other hand she interprets the first date of a possessive serial killer and a profiler on a fine line of becoming a serial killer.

Nether Will or Hannibal had responded so Freddie seems to take that as a further reason to try and justify herself.

“Look, you would be an amazing source and people would learn the truth. Did Abigail Hobbs have any idea what her father was doing?”

Will seems a bit thrown back for a second and looks up quickly into her eyes but quickly looks away and seems to huff out his response.

“You wrote that I was insane.”

Freddie seems to blink quickly in more irritation than necessity, but it gives her what she thinks is the way to get Will to do what she wants.

“I can undo that.”

Will seems to almost laugh in amazement of her very obvious bribe, which in all fairness doesn’t mean that much to Will, he doesn’t really care what people think about him just their behaviors and how if they have negative thoughts it's more difficult for him to get what he wants done.

“You help the world see me as more of not an insane FBI deranged hidden tool that got a family killed, and I help you with online sales?”

From the way Will has worded everything I’m assuming his directly quoting Lounds article written about the Minnesota Shrike and in a way throwing it back into her face to work her up. It’s working. She looks very annoyed for a second but like most narcissists instead of backtracking from what they’ve said, as they can never say wrong, she feels challenged and decides to threaten, with a smile on her face.

“I can undo what I said. I can also make it a lot worse.”

“Miss Lounds, it’s not very smart to piss off the people who think…”

Before Will can finish his sentence that I know brings him grievance later on, Hannibal decides enough is enough and steps forward stopping Will from continuing and basically taking over Freddie’s attention and the whole conversations. Hannibal starts by putting his hand out gesturing for Freddie to get off his car and leave.

“Miss Lounds it is late, you are on the borderline of harassment, if you don’t want them to be reported please if you would be so kind.”

I take my turn and release a small bark backing up Hannibal’s statement and I see her flinch but she doesn’t turn to look at me just stares down Hannibal with what can only be anger she can’t vocalise because she turns back to Will after Hannibal does nothing more then rise an eyebrow.

Freddie spits out the next words.

“A lot worse.”

She looks down on me this time and huffs seemingly walking off in the direction I assume her car is.

Will just watches her go and so does Hannibal. Hannibal is the first to straighten out his suit and goes and opens the door for Will, Will who in turn doesn’t know whether to be annoyed at Hannibal interruption or a bit romanced by the visual of Hannibal opening the door for him, I assume hesitates.

Will gets into the car crossing his hands over each other and just looks forward before shutting the door before Hannibal can without a word. Hannibal in turn purses his lips and opens the door for me signaling me to go in, I do not wanting to add to Hannibal visible frustration in any way.

Hannibal shuts the door for me and seems to get himself together again as I see him straighten out an already straightened out suit a couple of times in his frustration to calm himself down.

I make sure to not make a single sound as we start driving and both Hannibal and Will seem to not be the one to break the silence either, but I know they couldn’t let this fester, so did something I know Hannibal would apprentice, and lean forward in my seat poking me head next to Will's head rest forcing my way and leaning into Will’s space.

Will's head turns slightly as my snout nudges against his headrest, but he doesn't resist. Instead, he reaches out a hand and gently pats my head, the motion absentminded yet comforting. His touch is a reassurance, not just to me but perhaps to himself as well.

Hannibal glances at us, his expression softening imperceptibly. He understands the unspoken language that flows between us, the silent support that I offer to Will in moments like this. It's a connection beyond mere words—a connection of empathy, shared experiences, and unspoken understanding.

The car moves smoothly through the city streets, the quiet enveloping us like a blanket. Outside, the lights of the city flicker past, casting fleeting shadows on the car's interior. The atmosphere inside the car is charged with unspoken tension, an undercurrent of unresolved emotions swirling beneath the surface.

After a few moments of contemplative silence, Hannibal breaks the quietude, his voice a calm melody cutting through the stillness.

"Will, I know that encounter was unsettling," Hannibal begins, his tone measured. "But please know that you handled it admirably."

Will remains silent, his gaze fixed somewhere beyond the window, lost in thought. He's processing the encounter, dissecting it with the precision of a profiler analyzing a crime scene. Hannibal knows this well—understands the intricate workings of Will's mind.

"You needn't dwell on her words, Will," Hannibal continues, his voice a soothing cadence. "Freddie Lounds thrives on controversy. Her words are mere echoes in the grand symphony of our lives."

Will finally turns his gaze toward Hannibal, his expression a mix of weariness and resolve. "I know, Hannibal," he replies, his voice soft yet resolute. "It's just... frustrating."

Hannibal nods in understanding, his eyes reflecting a quiet empathy. "Indeed, but we cannot allow her provocations to disturb our equilibrium. Her motives are transparent, and her presence fleeting."

I sense a shift in Will's demeanor—a subtle relaxation, a release of tension held tightly within. He exhales slowly, a breath he seems to have been holding since their encounter with Freddie.

"You're right," Will murmurs, his voice edged with reluctant acceptance. "I shouldn't let her get under my skin."

Hannibal smiles faintly, a glimmer of pride in his eyes. "Precisely, Will. We are the conductors of our own destinies, not mere players in someone else's narrative."

The car glides along the familiar route toward home, the distant lights of Hannibal's estate drawing closer with each passing moment. The weight of the evening's events begins to lift, replaced by a sense of quiet determination.

As we approach the wrought iron gates of Hannibal's estate, Will's gaze shifts back to me. His hand lingers on my head for a moment longer before he withdraws it, a silent acknowledgment passing between us.

Hannibal pulls the car to a stop, the engine purring softly in the background. He turns to face Will, his eyes reflecting a quiet reassurance.

"Shall we retire for the evening, Will?" Hannibal asks, his voice a gentle invitation.

Will nods slowly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Yes, Hannibal. Thank you."

With that, Hannibal exits the car and circles around to open Will's door. Will steps out, his posture more relaxed than when he first entered the car. As Hannibal and I follow suit, I can sense a subtle shift in the air—a quiet resolve, a shared understanding that transcends words.

Together, we ascend the steps to Hannibal's estate, the evening's events fading into the background. In the quiet embrace of the night, a bond strengthens—one forged by challenges overcome and unspoken support shared.

And as we cross the threshold into the warmth of Hannibal's home, I can't help but feel a sense of quiet satisfaction—a feeling that, despite the trials of the outside world, here within these walls, we are safe, we are understood, and we are home

Chapter Text

The walk was lovely, I never realized it but I think dogs have better night vision then even people. Maybe it's my larger pupils, or the layer in a dog's eyes that reflect light through the retina better, but as we walk and Will describes his house being a boat at sea I don't get the same effect he is talking about.

Not to take away the beauty that this walk has been, for once Hannibal and I had dinner at Will’s, Hannibal still cooked of course, Will didn’t put up too much of a fight. It’s obvious he understands Hannibal on that front. Will and Hannibal then went on a sunset walk and Will is describing why he left the lights on when we left.

“Like a boat on the sea.” Will seems generally at peace and his voice expands on this.

“I just feel so safe.” I hear Hannibal take a deep breath at Will’s confessions.

“Do you want to discuss how you felt about seeing Melissa Shule, impaled in Hobbs’s antler room?”

“I tried so hard to know Garrett Jacob Hobbs. To see him. Past the slides and vials beyond the lines of the police reports, between the pixels of all those printed faces of sad, dead girls.” Will finally stops walking, shuts his eyes and breathes deeply for a second, before turning and looking up at Hannibal to answer his question.

“Guilty.”

Hannibal had a slight frown to his face before inferring "Because you couldn’t save her.”

Will shock his head. “Because I felt like I killed her. I got so close to him… Sometimes, I felt like we were doing the same things at different times of the day. Like I was eating or showering or sleeping at the same time he was.”

I see Hannibal let himself shutter as soon as Will finished talking and turned away, either in envy of what Hobbs made Will feel or maybe in anger that Will got so close to another, it's hard to tell with Hannibal at this point. I also know Hannibal only let himself that uncontrolled controlled movement because one Will turned away and two even if Will did see it could be explained away by the chill in the air that becomes more pronounced the longer the sun is away for.

“What about after he was dead?” Hannibal must be a bit of a masochist, because no answer is good for him here.

Will either admits yes and Hannibal must compete with a dead man or he says no and Will has too much control of what Hannibal wants him to let go of. All this happens as the wind changes and I instinctively do Will’s dog take a big breath in taking in the new and flowing smells being carried by the wind.

“I get deep Hannibal, but I do know who I am, I’m not Garret Jacob Hobbs, I have never actually been Garrett Jacob Hobbs, I have and will always be Will Graham."

“I apologize if that came across to forward dear Will.” Hannibal actually looked a little sorry as well, Will still didn't buy it and rolled his eyes, shaking his head and continuing to walk back to the house. Hannibal and I followed a slight step behind.

“To make it up to me how about putting those old surgeon skills to play and finishing the salmon fly lure you've been eyeing.” Hannibal acknowledges Will teasing with a slight smile that reaches his eyes.

Will gives his own smile and a slight huff.

I looked around as we walked in silence back to the house noticing that as we got closer to the house while a couple of Will’s dogs speed ahead further then Will normally lets them go but he doesn’t call them back obviously because its obvious that they are heading towards the house and not at risk of running of. I stay close to Will and Hannibal.

When we get to the porch Hannibal and Will take the left out towels and started wiping down all the dogs, yes Hannibal even wiped off some of Will’s dogs specifically the little ones, he prefers moving and pushing the dogs around to his whim where Will lets the dogs circle and move around working around them as he wipes them down. He also takes a lot longer than Will only doing 2 little ones and me in the time it takes Will to do the rest of his pack. I almost feel jealous but Hannibal does spend that extra second on me as well as more through which while would annoy a normal dog, but I appreciate the cleanliness feeling that comes with it.

When we are all inside the dogs including myself all lay down off to the sides of the main room, me to stay out of the way using common sense, the other dogs I’m wondering if Will trained them to or if he ever stepped on them once or twice and they learnt.

True to his word when we all settle Will turns on the lamp set up at his lure station and waves his hand with an almost smirking challenge. Hannibal is always one to rise to the challenge, and certainly show off to Will, takes the cue and sits down at the station.

Hannibal actually moves the Magnifying Glass away, picks up the last feather that needs to be added, lines it up with the almost complete lure and starts wrapping the left over line. He grabs the pick and uses it to make the first knot, before picking up the scissor using the left of line to guide them as close as possible before snipping. All in about 30 seconds I reckon.

Hannibal does a final touch of his added feathers admiring the now completed fly and hook, before turning to Will looking for some sort of praise. Will gives it with a smile and a leaning in to look at the lure closer before turning to Hannibal now his face a lot closer and smiling again. Will then obviously has a thought as his face drops and he steps back.

“I would offer you to stay the night like I have at your place, but I don't have an extra bed or anything, maybe I should get one if I have the room.” Will mumbles the last bit to himself.

Hannibal looks smitten and his face softens a lot before reassuring Will.

“That's quite alright Will.” The amount Will moved his face away Hannibal doubles it and gets that close to Will's face. Before Hannibal continues in his husking, definitely flirting voice, Will looks like he has stopped breathing, his definitely blushing and his eyes are moving down Hannibal’s face.

“One night you will invite me to stay the night and there will still be one bed in this house.”

With that Hannibal straightens up and starts walking to the door he grabs his keys from his jacket pocket, one he left on as we went for a late walk. The grabbing of the keys is an indicator for me and I get up from the floor giving a shake, one I rarely do in Hannibal’s home and walk up to him. He turns to Will once more, Will in turn has not really moved.

“Goodnight Will.”

With that he opens the front door letting me walk out first before he does and shuts the door softly behind him. I hear and I assume Hannibal hear because it was quiet but Will obviously tried to still say it loud enough that Hannibal would hear.

“Night Hannibal.”

The next day is pretty ordinary but Hannibal gets a call from Will asking if he could feed his dogs for the night. His got to go to a case, a whole family killed. Hannibal of course says yes.

The day after that Hannibal goes early to Will’s house and feeds his dogs. I can smell the dogs and the sausage Hannibal used to feed them when Hannibal gets back. He takes me for a walk before getting ready for the work day, and we go to his office.

Hannibal had it scheduled that his normal clients he normally get done through the morning and early afternoon, his late afternoons are for paperwork, and evenings are for Will and his cooking and hunting.

So he has no more patients for the day and is filling in the last patient's notebook. I hear a car and footsteps coming into the office entrance just before the buzzer goes off. Hannibal looks up and stops writing. I look up pulling just my head up but stay laying down. Hannibal looks over to me and can deduce a couple of people the person at the door could be. I react differently to different patients.

Franklyn I go and hide my head under Hannibal desk but leave my back half out so Franklyn knows I’m there but paying him no attention which makes him want my attention more. I do the same for a few others, some I stare directly at them the whole time as soon as they enter, they have paranoia, it freaks them out. Will I go up to the door and for a few that I generally don't care about I don't move, that's what I do know, I just put my head back down but can see the whole door from my spot.

Hannibal gets up looking at his watch on the way, I wonder what times after are considered rude if no warning is given and just turns up, is that a thing, is there a specific time or is it always rude with no warning given.

Hannibal opens the door and finds Alana Bloom.

“Hi.”

Hannibal's voice stays the same tone for the joke he delivers. “Do you have an appointment?”

Alana barely blinks before responding in kind. “Do you have a beer?”

Moments later Hannibal is walking back with a beer and wine in hand, handing the beer over as he asks “Anything interesting happening then?”

Alana takes the beer clinking it with Hannibal's wine glass before speaking.

“Just thinking about Will, tried catching up with him today but he's off again solving another family's murder.”

I guess with no Abigail to be worried about, Alana’s transferred all of her compassion more directly to Will then when Abigail did survive. I guess she's expecting him to unravel more easily, she really should confide in Hannibal about this, just giving him more ammunition, but pretty sure Hannibal's on Will's side this time. Maybe. Hopefully.

“I just, there know way he doesn’t start wrestling with some low-grade depression, at the least.” takes a sip of her beer when she finishes speaking.

Hannibal almost smirks and watches her closely as she's taking the sip. Before almost speaking in an accusing tone.

“He is?”

Go for it Hannibal, she just said she hasn't talked to him, she's just assuming on the little she actually knows about Will. Alana doesn't look up at Hannibal instead she's actually looking down at me.

“Nothing wrong with a little self-medication, right, Doctor?” Hannibal smirks at her declaration and takes his own first sip of his drink.

Alana breaths deeply, looking up before continuing "Professional neutrality be damned, it’s hard to see such a bright neurodivergent mind be so adrift.”

“I think Will’s mind works best when busy and put to the test.” Hannibal responds quite confidently. Of course you think that Hannibal. I let myself huff, which to the humans is probably just a random sound, but I swear Hannibal gives me a knowing look for a split second.

“Yes and then when he completely breaks down he will have found his limit so we have tested that, what does that prove?” She does seem generally concerned for Will taking a challenging tone with Hannibal, but it comes off as a caregiver not a friend.

“I’m not suggesting that but with the Hobbs case, Abigail specifically, his mind will chew itself up before spitting itself out if he just sits and reflects.” Hannibal probably is right. Will's mind needs to be doing something, building boat motors, making lures, fishing, looking after his dogs, school, work, he's pretty busy and if he just stops all that, who knows what his mind would do to him.

“You and Will both feel responsible for her death don’t you?” Alana has turned this around hasn't she, weren't they just talking about her depression.

Hannibal almost ignores the question stating the obvious next.

“I am qualified to help him.” Yeah but there is something called personal conflict Hannibal, also aren't you qualified to help all you patients doesn't mean you do.

“You are the sanest man I know.”

“I would agree.” Hannibal what, I think he generally believes that as well.

“However I heard some rumors that you are getting a bit close to Will.” Alana looks accusingly at Hannibal.

“The opera, looking after his dogs. Hannibal, what are you doing?”

Hannibal looks off to the side, takes a drink and looks directly back at Alana before responding “Helping a friend.”

She looks a little shocked. “I can’t tell you what to do. But if you insist on taking a personal interest in his welfare, you can’t just walk away. That would break him, his… delicate.”

Hannibal and Alana obviously see very different versions of Will, I wonder which version will win.

“We break it, we buy it?” Hannibal is in a joking mood today, or maybe he likes to let loose if you will with Alana, I think he generally likes her, to a decree. Alana doesn't look very happy with his response though.

“This is a man who becomes emotionally attached with killers, so much he struggles with people. Overly so, in fact. You stepping in as a friend” she said friend like she wanted to put her hands in air quotes, like the fact Hannibal actually wanting to be friends with Will is insane.

“You will only be a crutch, he needs to work these things out, in a healthy, safe, controlled environment, that gives him the confidence to move forward.”

She has just doubled right down hasn't she, Hannibal has taken an almost offence to her statement though but must see she isn’t going to budge anytime soon and bows his head.

“I defer to the passion of my esteemed colleague.” He raises his head and glass for another toast before continuing.

“Passion’s good. Gets the blood pumping."

Is that another subtle cannibal joke, like the blood flowing makes the meat better or something, sometimes it's hard to tell with Hannibal.

Alana and Hannibal stay off the topic of Will for the rest of their drinks, obviously abiding to the un spoken rule Hannibal had set. But Alana follows it thinking Hannibal will back off, and Hannibal follows it knowing he wont, no matter what Alana says.

Later in the day Will comes in, obviously from examining the bodies, he smells a bit like death, but it doesn’t send warning or adrenaline like I heard it does to humans, the smell of death. Hannibal if anything might get more saliva in his mouth from the smell I wonder, nah he's too controlled for that but its a funny thought.

“Ask me about my mother Hannibal.” Will you are being so bold today, did you have a nice day with the team or something, some witty banter between the five of you.

“An interesting place to start.” Hannibal also obviously interested himself, sitting up even straighter than before which I didn't think was possible.

I have my face on top of Will’s legs as he pats my head and ears.

“I never knew her, you talked about your past, do you miss her?” Will tones down the teasing tone when he asks the question.

Hannibal looks to the side and has a soft simile. “Yes I miss my family.”

Will looks a little sadly at Hannibal before going on. “There’s something so foreign about family. Like an ill 'fitting suit. I never connected to the concept.” Will also shakes his head when he talks about himself not connecting.

“I would say you created a family for yourself, know?”

“Please, I created a pack of strays. Thanks again for feeding them while I was away.” Wills reaches out his head before placing it back on my head stretching out his thanks I guess.

Hannibal nods his head in a you’re welcome before verbal reassuring Will even further. “You are most welcome Will, I hope you ask of anything you need from me again.”

Will rolls his eyes a bit, obviously a lot more aware of Hannibal's true intentions then he has been and knows Hannibal's laying it on a bit thick.

“Do you want to discuss your current case, the Turner Family? You don't have to just bring work to me but if you would like to talk about it.” Hannibal being a lot more gentle then he was in the show but I think Will’s also a lot more hardy then he was in the show as well.

Will answered the question without answering it but going straight into detail “They lived like they had money.”

“You mentioned your father didn't have a lot, always moving, always the new boy.”

Will nods but doesn't look too unhappy by his past, almost smirking up at Hannibal.

“Harboring any half-buried grudge against the rich?” Is this you asking if you should tone down how much wealth you have Hannibal you just trying to get a reading of what Will thinks about it.

Will takes on a teasing tone again. “Aren’t we all.”

“What grudge was Mrs. Turner’s killer harboring against her?”

This makes Will stop patting me and look up when he responds.

“Motherhood.”

I guess Will never had a mother and hasn't thought about it deeply enough but Hannibal quickly shakes his head and corrects him.

“Not motherhood, a perversion of it.”

Will looks thoughtful but then nods.

“Yeah that makes sense. Anyway, what have you got on tonight?”

Hannibal takes the change of topic but then looks upset. “I would invite you for dinner but Jack is coming over tonight.”
Will rolls his eyes. “To discuss me, I assume.”

Hannibal just smiled a bit but didn't say anything in response.

“Okay tell me what I’m missing out on.” Will knows Hannibal likes to brag about his food, he would much prefer Will also eating it I’m sure.

“A modified Bouidin Noir from Ali-Bab’s Gastronomie Pratique.” Will doesn't look impressed if anything he looks a bit annoyed before he speaks.

“I know the people you dine with might know what those words mean, or they are too shallow to ask because they wont admit they don't know, but can you please say again in English this time.”

Hannibal does a very small shutter. “A traditional French blood sausage, I got the recipe from Ali-Bab cookbook Practical Gastronomy published in 1907, his real name Henri Babinski, an engineer who, after losing his sense of appetite, spent the remainder of his life cooking for his brother.”

Hannibal takes a pause, maybe wondering about a life he could have spent cooking for his sibling.

“He developed a theory that great cultures meet their ends solely as a result of their cuisines becoming too decadent.”

Will looks fondly at Hannibal. “You don't think that's possible do you, your food every getting too luxurious.”

Hannibal shows a very quick all teeth predator smile before opening his mouth but Will interrupts him finishing his own thought.

“Know too much pride in being able to outdo yourself I’m sure. Anyway what will you be telling Jack?” About me goes unsaid between the two.

Hannibal softly smiles this time. “That children transport us to our own childhoods.”

Hannibal stands up from his chair talking steps closer to Will as he talks. “That you feel a tug to a simpler life, filled with boat yards with Dad.”

Hannibal stops in front of Will, Will in turn doesn't move but I can hear his breathing picking up, not in a panic attack way, in a oh what do I do way.

Hannibal behinds down grabbing Will’s t-shirt on the shoulder, fixing it, straightening it and taking off fluff, in turn making Will stretch his neck and look up, as Hannibal looms over him looking down.

“That life is an anchor streamed behind you in heavy weather, and that you need an anchor.”

Will looks up and gulps just before swallowing speaking. “Well, if you're offering.”

That's basically all of Will’s confidence I reckon because he leaves pretty quickly after that, stating getting home to his dogs and a busy day giving a lecture tomorrow. Hannibal lets him go with a lustful look. Guess Hannibal's not holding back as much anymore. Oh god I’m going to have to learn to tune out moans pretty soon aren't I. Well I found another bonus to Hannibal having a 24/7 open doggy door for me, running outside when it gets heated.

The next day I think of poor Will going into work hoping to teach, and Jack coming in to interrupt, taking him to that Christmas house of death.

It’s later in the day that Hannibal gets a call from Will, Will kind of using Hannibal as a sound board it seems like, talking about ADHD medication and its side effects in weight loss. Will sounds angry and Hannibal just listens and hums when appropriate letting Will rant a bit, when Will sounds like he calmed down before he says his got to go Beverly just walked in. Hannibal hums his goodbye again, before getting back to work like nothing had happened, and he didn't just have a very domestic phone call about nothing and everything. He does go back to work with a slight smile this time so maybe he does know.

Later in the evening when Hannibal and I are home, I hear Will’s car and go to greet him at the door. He doesn’t even knock walks in a little huff, taking his shoes off and hastily putting them to the side not properly away like Hannibal likes. He also turns and locks the door behind him. Hannibal had informed Will he leaves the door open when he expects him so he doesn't have to stop cooking or whatever he was doing to let Will in. Pretty sure Hannibal just wants to give Will a key but knows there is a chance Will wouldn’t accept it. Will does stop to give me a pat and a hello.

“Hey Janina.”

I wag my tail in response before running to my buttons pressing the ‘Hello’ ‘Will’

I run back to Will to see the biggest smile on his face, one I see every time I do this. To be fair you don't have to love dogs as much as Will to smile if a dog greets you by name.

“Hannibal?” Will calls out, he obviously knows his here but not sure which room.

Hannibal calls back very domestically might I add. “Kitchen.”

Will lets a little huff out and looks down to me. “Where else would he be?”

I responded with the tongue out head tilt. Will responds by bending down patting me again, focusing on my ears. Will gets up and starts walking to the kitchen.

He enters the dining room grabbing one of the chairs and pulls it to the entrance of the kitchen and sets it just inside, so he can face Hannibal but he can also be next to me. Hannibal doesn't love me in the kitchen especially when he's actually cooking so this is Will’s fix so he can still pat me. Hannibal looks a little fondly annoyed at Will, who looks back all innocent and they both pretend it's completely normal. The first time Will did it Hannibal talked about how I’m spoiled enough, Will disagreed that a dog could ever be over spoiled.

Hannibal breaks the silence first as he mixes who knows what to go into or on top of who knows what. “So what's got you in a mood?”

Will doesn’t look all that happy to be called out, or maybe the way Hannibal worded it who knows, but he answers anyway.

“I’m angry about the boys. I’m angry cause I know when I find them, I can’t help them. I can’t give them back what they gave away.”

Hannibal stops for a second and responds, again releasing Will doesn't want a full conversation just a presence.

“Family.”

Will looks down and rubs his face quickly before whispering in agreement. “Yeah.”

Hannibal is one who doesn't mind pushing. “Freddie Lounds has coined these young killers the Blood Brothers.”

Will rolls his eyes. “We call them the lost boys.”

Will looks sad for a second. “Abigail was lost from the start, she didn't have a chance did she.”

Hannibal continued his cooking and answers. “ With a father like hers, she would have to fight to prove her nature.”

Will nods. “Nature versus nurture. What do you think, what's your professional opinion, Doctor Lecter.” Will chuckles a bit as he says Doctor.

“We don’t invent our natures, they are issues to us, with our lungs and pancreas and everything else. Can’t fight it.”

Will nods but then stops. “You don't think some situations push people over the edge.”

Hannibal stops what he is doing completely and stares Will in the eyes from across the room. “If all they need is a push they would have eventually jumped.”

Damn Hannibal getting a bit close to home there for you and for Will, also in your plan for Will, though that plan certainly backed off a physically pushing more of a hand held pull I reckon Hannibal's going for now.

I wonder what Hannibal will do with his time instead of drugging Abigail and pissing off Alana Bloom.

The answer is he works like normal, cooks like normal but specifically makes food for Will, while answering Will’s calls he figures out mother figure and where C.J Lincoln and the rest of the boys are, and where they are going. Hannibal answers the call, where Will explains that the mother did not appreciate Will questioning her motherhood and he thought he himself has been shot for a second but it was Beverly who shot Eva and Beverly who moves the boy Chris into an almost motherly guide to get him away. Will felt nothing but condemnation at what she had done and taken from these boys.

The change is the next knock at the door. It isn't Will’s but Alana's. She doesn't look very happy, so I guess Hannibal did piss her off somehow. Hannibal lets her in and she storms past before just staring at him, he shuts the door and they both avoid the common greeting.

Alana breaks the silence fast and loud. “As someone who makes such a big deal about common courtesy, I’m a little taken back, that you would have such a friendly relationship with someone I told you to stay formal with, someone you are treating and someone I consider a friend.”

Hannibal says nothing in response straight away, which seems to be the correct choice as Alana continues her rant. “Hannibal, if I didn't know any better the rumors and the chats I was seeing Will have with you over the phone, you have become a crutch, with what the rest of the team is gossiping about the two of you.”

“You have a right to be upset, I overstepped your boundaries, but you must not know me any better.” Go Hannibal make your intentions known even to others, good job.

Alana looks taken back. “What?”

“There is no label. I don't suspect there will be one for a while, but he is also not my patient. We have conversations?" Alana does not look any happier at Hannibal's honesty that's for sure.

Hannibal then goes over to pull out a chair gesturing for Alana to sit, she still looks a little shocked and does so probably in instinct then anything.

With the timing that is perfect, Hannibal's phone goes off, it’s Will’s ring tone. Hannibal normally one that finds it rude to pick up a phone when with a guest does so without hesitation.

“Early night Will.”

I hear Will’s response but I doubt Alana's human ears do. “Just waiting for the last of my dogs to settle then I can sleep.”

“Yes, your own children are nice and happy in their beds.” Hannibal said softly. Alana looked even more shocked than before, it was kind of funny, she's never seen this side of Hannibal but maybe an imitation of it, but this is for Will and only Will I reckon.

Will laughs on the other end softly before saying what he called for. “Goodnight Hannibal.”

Even though Alana can’t hear him, if Will knows she was in the room with Hannibal I don’t think he would have said it but it's not like Alana even needs to hear what Will said when Hannibal responds context clues make it obvious.

“Goodnight my dear Will.”

Hannibal's finishes his sentence by turning to Alana and waiting for Will to be the one to hang up before putting his phone away. He then pretends none of that was, was weird for Alana and offers dinner.

“I made breakfast for dinner.”

The night continues like that Alana obviously still in some shock and unsure how to proceed. She eventually by the end of dinner starts hounding Hannibal that he's taking advantage of Will and what is he doing etcetera etcetera. Hannibal takes it all with a smile and declining he will stop. She doesn't seem to jealous to be honest still mainly angry and in denial if anything I reckon.