Chapter Text
Will spends the next week pretending he doesn’t know that Hannibal caused Georgia Madchen’s death. There’s no proof it was a homicide, and they’re even ruling it a suicide, but Will still knows.
It just brings the paranoia right back.
So much so, that he tells Hannibal to fuck off for three days of that week—although he puts it much nicer than that. Will grows bored though, with it being his spring break, and by day four without Hannibal, and with no work to keep him busy, he finally gives in and calls him.
Will starts smoking again, which he knew would happen, even though he said he’d be done after the pack he bought in Louisiana. He uses smoke breaks as an excuse to leave Hannibal for a few minutes every time he needs to take a step away.
Even though he’s pretending not to know about the drugging, or the murder, Will still watches Hannibal every time he pours them drinks, every time he cooks, and doesn’t accept anything he didn’t see be poured or made. If Hannibal is suspicious at all, he doesn’t make it known.
After that week of either tiptoeing around Hannibal, or straight up avoiding him, Will is relieved when Hannibal gets a call from Jack asking him to get on a plane to Oregon. He even helps Hannibal pack, and drives him to the airport. Will practically pushes him out of the car with a kiss, and a promise to water Hannibal’s herb garden and get his mail.
He calls Beverly as soon as Hannibal is out of the car, asking if she’s going with them.
“No, I’m taking some time off,” Beverly responds. “The kids need me for now, and Hannibal actually offered to help me out with necessities, believe it or not. I made an offhand comment during a session that I can’t afford to take more time off and he convinced me to let him help. I actually can’t believe I gave in.”
“He’s very persuasive,” Will laughs. “He has way more money than he’ll ever need, and he likes taking care of people close to him.”
“You’ve got quite the catch, Graham” Beverly says.
“Yeah. I think I do,” Will says. “Hey if you want to bring the kids over tonight, I can make dinner for the both of us.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
After quick goodbyes, Will hangs up and drives to his grocery store.
Dinner ends up being exactly what he needed. He spends quality time with each baby, learning how to change their diapers, and figure out what they need. He and Beverly talk about all sorts of things, but keep circling back to Hannibal.
“I was looking at rings,” Will says as he bounces Mischa in his arms. “Do you think it’s too soon?”
“You love that man, and he loves you,” Beverly says. “You’ve got a good thing going, so why not get married? What’s stopping you?”
“You know Hannibal,” Will sighs. “Nothing I can find is good enough for him.”
“As long as it comes from you, he’ll love it,” Beverly says. “You ever thought about making one? You find all sorts of things for your lures, you could carve one out of an animal bone or antler.”
Will thinks about that. Hannibal would love something carved from bone, if just for the morbidity of it. And while he’d probably enjoy something carved from one of Will’s own bones best, he will have to settle for something Will finds on his property instead.
“That’s a good idea, actually,” Will says. “Thanks, Bev.”
“Remember, I’m going to be your best man!”
“I know, I know,” Will laughs.
She ends up going home soon after that, and Hannibal ends up calling just as Will is getting into bed. It’s a three hour time difference, so Will is sure Hannibal is just getting done with dinner.
“I miss you,” Will says after they talk about their days. “It’s only been a few hours, but I’m thinking about how long you could be gone.”
“If it’s more than a week, I’ll come back before the case is over,” Hannibal promises. “I love you, darling. Sleep well.”
“I love you too,” Will says. “Goodnight, Hannibal.”
The next morning, Will goes out into the woods in search of things to make his lures with, and for something to carve into a ring. He realizes he doesn’t know Hannibal’s ring size, and he can’t possibly ask, so that’s how he finds himself digging through Hannibal’s box of cufflinks and watches in search for a ring.
He finds one and looks at it, thinking about the size of Hannibal’s fingers in relation to make sure it’s still a good fit.
When he decides it is, he takes it home and gets to work, carving a piece of bone he found in the woods into the same size. He decides he’ll get it inscribed professionally, not trusting himself on something so small.
It’s several more days, and Will finds himself unable to call Hannibal first, for fear Hannibal might ask him for the reason he called. Will would, without a doubt, let it slip that he’s been spending the last few days making the perfect ring for Hannibal.
With it being the first time in a while that Hannibal is out of town, Will finds himself aching for him, needing to be close, but he refuses to call Hannibal and tell him that. He knows Hannibal would answer with a smile, and kind soothing words, but Will can’t take that. It would just make it even more painful that he hasn’t seen him in days.
Just a few days ago, Will was beyond paranoid about what secrets the man could be hiding, and terrified over the fact that he’s fallen in love with a man capable of such violence and manipulation. He spent days pretending he didn’t want to hide from the man. Now, he just wants to pretend he’s not attached to the man to the point where separation physically hurts.
So on the fifth day of Hannibal being gone, he calls Beverly and asks her to come over, and she does. She says the kids are at her parents’ for the night because she wants to follow a couple leads in Baltimore later that evening.
They sit on the couch watching movies and eating pizza, and if Will complains too much about how he wishes Hannibal were here, Beverly just pours Will another glass of whiskey and pats him on the back. Will doesn’t even know half the things he says, but Beverly makes no indication that she’s annoyed. Instead she listens to him with her full attention.
“Fuck, hey, you’re driving toward Baltimore, right?” Will asks Beverly when she’s standing up, ready to leave.
“Yeah, why?”
Will groans. “I was supposed to go check on a few things at Hannibal’s tonight while he’s gone, but,” Will holds up his half empty bottle.
“I can do it,” Beverly says without hesitation. “I’m heading up there to check on a lead, anyway. It’s no problem.”
“Okay,” Will swallows a hiccup. He gives her the security alarm code, knowing Hannibal arms it when he isn’t home. “There’s a key under his potted plant. Just make sure you lock the door again and put it back when you leave, and arm the system again.”
“Of course, Will,” Beverly smiles.
She leaves soon after that with a list of things Will was supposed to do; watering the plants, throwing out a few things in the fridge that aren’t good any more, getting the mail from the mailbox. Simple things. He has full faith that Beverly can do them without Hannibal knowing it was her instead of Will.
Will stumbles to the kitchen after she leaves and drinks a glass of water, knowing Hannibal would tell him to if he were there. He lets the dogs out, feeds them, lets them out again, then gets in the shower.
He sends a message to Beverly when he falls into his bed, dressed in just his underwear and another of Hannibal’s sweaters that smells like him.
let me know when you get home safe
Then he texts Hannibal.
i’m going to bed, i love you and miss you. call me when you wake up tomorrow.
He sets his phone down on the nightstand and lets the dogs pile into bed with him. He rolls onto the side Hannibal normally sleeps on when he’s over and inhales the scent of the man he misses so much, then falls asleep.
Hannibal arrives home from the case early, not wanting to be away from Will any longer, and hopes Will is going to be at his house taking care of the things he asked him to do, but Will isn’t there. Instead, there’s a car in his driveway that does not belong to Will, but he recognizes it as Beverly’s, instead. The front door is unlocked when he gets to it.
He checks the car, and doesn’t see any baby car seats, so they’re either inside with her, or they aren’t with her at all.
He opens the door slowly, toes off his shoes in the foyer, sets his bags down as quietly as possible, then makes his way through the house to his kitchen.
The pantry door is open and inside the pantry, the trap door is lifted and light pours into the kitchen. He takes the steps down as quietly as possible and see’s Beverly Katz standing there, hands over her mouth, taking in her surroundings.
“Miss Katz,” Hannibal says with a smile. He’s right behind her now, having moved as quietly and quickly as possible. She attempts to reach for her gun, but she’s off duty, and it must be in her car. He wraps his arms around her small body and restrains her, one hand around her throat, another around her middle.
“You’re… you’re the Chesapeake Ripper,” Beverly gasps as she struggles in his arms.
“Yes, and you have somehow gotten into my house and have done some snooping in places you should not be. Tell me, what drove you here?” Hannibal asks, voice soft and smooth. He glances to the cage in his basement that holds a sleeping Miriam Lass. He’ll have to move her soon.
“Will was drunk tonight, asked me to come here to do his list of tasks, I,” she sobs. “He had too much to drink and the way he talked about you. I was suspicious, so I encouraged him to keep drinking, so he’d keep talking.”
“What did he say?” Hannibal asks, taken aback.
“Something about falling in love with someone he shouldn’t. How he,” another sob, “how he knows he’s doing the wrong thing by being in love with you and keeping you, but that he can’t bring himself to do anything about it. He kept repeating that he should hate you.”
Oh Will . “And you connected the dots, didn’t you?”
“I knew he meant that you do bad things.”
“You know, Will doesn’t know I’m the Chesapeake Ripper,” Hannibal says conversationally. His grip around Beverly tightens but she’s barely fighting anymore. She knows she won’t survive this encounter. “He just thinks I’m several copycats, which is true, but he doesn’t know about the Ripper part. I’m sure he will figure it out sooner or later after this. You deserve to be elevated into art, Beverly. I do respect you greatly, but you have jeopardized my life.”
“Will is never going to forgive you,” Beverly whispers. “If you kill me, he’ll never forgive you. He’ll know. He knows I’m here. Please don’t do this! My kids—”
“Your kids will be just fine, don’t worry. You have my word that they will be taken care of by us,” This causes Beverly to fight harder and scream louder, but Hannibal just continues, “Will believes me to still be out of town, and I will bring your car to your house and make it look like you were taken from your driveway,” Hannibal explains. “He may make the connection, but not right away, and I’ll be the one to pick up his broken pieces when he finds out what happened to you. I’ve attached Will to me in a way that he will never be able to give up.”
“Do you even love him? He loves you so much, and you’re just… using him!” Beverly yells. “You can’t even love. You’re not capable.”
“I love Will with all my heart, Miss Katz. I cannot let him go, and sure I have used some… questionable tactics to ensure he’ll never leave me, but it’s only because I love him,” Hannibal replies, calm as ever. “For you to suggest I do not is entirely insulting.”
He tightens the grip around her throat, cutting off airflow until she goes limp against him. Her pulse is weak, but she’s still alive for now.
Beverly’s phone vibrates in her pockets as he lays her down on an operating table. He straps her unconscious body down, dons his plastic suit and gloves, then removes the phone from her pocket to see a text from Will, requesting a text when she arrives home.
He’s glad he didn’t turn his own phone back on after the flight, no one will have any idea he had come home. Hannibal makes sure Beverly is secured to the table and he takes her car keys, her cell phone and leaves, locking the pantry door from the outside, then gets in her car and drives to several locations around Baltimore, another in Virginia, and then to her home, avoiding traffic cameras that could catch his face, but making sure her phone location services are turned on and might log it or in case she’s sharing location with any friends.
Once he makes it to Beverly’s house, he takes her phone out of his pocket again and replies to Will’s text.
Home safe.
He arranges the car so it looks like she was taken just as she got out of the front seat, dropping the car keys and phone on the ground to look like there was a struggle.
Making sure no one else is around, he peels off his plastic suit and folds it up small enough to fit in his pocket, then starts walking back toward his house. When he’s far enough from Beverly’s, he hails a cab to get him the rest of the way, paying cash.
When he arrives home, he makes quick work of removing Beverly’s kidneys, then draining her blood. He puts her in his large freezer, already having a plan for this display.
Finally he turns on his phone, and sees a message from Will. Despite Will saying he went to bed, Hannibal knows he needs to call and pretend he got home just now.
“Hm, hello?” Will mumbles through the phone.
“Sorry to wake you, my love,” Hannibal says softly into the phone. “I got an early flight home and wanted to say goodnight.”
“You’re home?” Will asks, a little more awake now.
“Yes, my flight just got in about an hour ago. I arrived home a little bit ago. I wanted to hear your voice, I have missed you so much,” Hannibal says. He takes his bags upstairs to his bedroom.
“I’ve missed you too,” Will says with a sigh. “Can you come over in the morning?”
“I’m tempted to get in my car and come over right now,” Hannibal whispers.
“Would you?”
“If you asked, I would in a heartbeat,” Hannibal says.
“Please. I know you’re tired, and I would offer to come to you, but I drank half a bottle tonight,” Will groans. “I’m still a bit drunk. I just want to see you.”
Hannibal laughs quietly. “Of course, love. I’ll be there soon.”
“I’ll probably be asleep. Wake me when you get here,” Will yawns.
“Of course.”
Hannibal hangs up and gets in his car, driving towards Wolf Trap, leaving Beverly’s body to be dealt with later.
When he arrives, he unlocks Will’s door with his key, and the dogs all get up and lick his hands and sniff his pockets as he shrugs off his jacket. He takes off his shoes and crosses the room to Will’s bed, seeing the man asleep on the side of the bed Hannibal usually sleeps on, face buried deep into the pillow.
Hannibal takes off his pants and gets into bed next to Will, causing the other man to stir.
“Hey, baby,” Will says sleepily and Hannibal’s heart aches. “Come here.”
So Hannibal goes into Will’s now open arms and rests his head on Will’s chest, clad in one of Hannibal’s own sweaters.
“I’ve missed you, darling,” Hannibal whispers and presses a kiss to Will’s chest.
“Me too,” Will yawns. “I love you.”
“And I love you, more than anything I have ever loved. Never forget that,” Hannibal whispers.
“I won’t.”
And oh how Hannibal wishes that could possibly stay true. When Will finds out about Beverly, he knows Will is going to doubt how Hannibal feels about him, after he finds out Hannibal is the man who killed her.
“Will, darling?” Hannibal says into the dark.
“Hm?” And it’s clear Will really isn’t awake enough for the coming conversation, but he has to bring it up.
“Have you ever considered marriage?”
“Are you proposing?” Will asks, slightly more awake than he has been all night.
“I don’t have a ring, but if I di—”
Hannibal is cut off by a firm, “Yes.”
“Yes?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Hannibal tilts his head up so he can kiss Will’s chin. “I’ll get you a ring.”
“I don't need a ring, but please stop talking so I can sleep.”
Hannibal laughs at that and squeezes Will around the waist. He knows that he’s just trying to hold onto Will in any way he can, reminding Will how much they love each other, how far they’ve come since Hannibal asked him out that morning in Minnesota. He’ll get the ring before he displays Beverly’s body, so Will can wear it for a time, so Hannibal can see it before the inevitable anger he knows is to come.
With his head on Will’s chest, the man so trusting below him, sound asleep and clutching onto him, Hannibal feels tears start to fall from his eyes. He lifts his hand to wipe them away, considers getting out of bed to compose himself without the risk of Will seeing, but he stays and holds on tighter.
Is this what guilt feels like? Hannibal hasn’t experienced the feeling over taking a life… ever. He doesn’t know how to deal with the feeling and a sob makes its way out of his chest no matter how hard he tries to contain it.
The arms around him tighten and Will is sitting up, pulling Hannibal between his legs, holding him against his chest.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Will asks, voice so heavy with sleep but still so concerned for Hannibal.
“Nothing, Will. Go back to sleep,” Hannibal says, but he sobs and gasps for air as he says it.
A kiss is dropped to the top of his head.
“You’re shaking,” Will whispers. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing,” Hannibal repeats. He remembers something Will requested of him so many months ago, and whispers, “Drop it, please.”
Will sighs in resignation, but just holds Hannibal tighter as he cries into Will’s chest.
Will is worried about Hannibal for possibly the first time ever. He’s never seen the man display emotions in such a way, and Will can feel so many rolling off of him. Anguish, guilt, even humiliation. He holds Hannibal, shushing him softly as he rocks him back and forth.
“Baby,” Will whispers into his hair. “I have something for you.”
He doesn’t wait for a response before he reaches over to his nightstand and opens the drawer. He feels around the ring box, and when he finally grabs it, he takes a deep breath.
“Your proposing saves me from coming up with the perfect proposal for you,” Will whispers. He opens the ring box and holds it into front of Hannibal, looking down with his chin on Hannibal’s shoulder. “I’ve been trying to think of the best way to do it, but…”
“Oh Will,” Hannibal cries. He takes the ring out of the box and holds it out to Will. He straightens his fingers so Will can slide it on for him.
Will holds it for just another second, and whispers, “There’s an inscription, but I’ll let you read it in the morning.”
He slides the ring onto Hannibal’s finger and kisses his neck.
Hannibal turns around in Will’s arms and kisses him on the lips. Will can taste his salty tears, and can feel how warm his face has become.
He pulls back and pushes Hannibal’s bangs away from his forehead, then places a kiss there, too.
“I’ll be right back, okay?” Will whispers.
Hannibal nods and climbs out of Will’s lap.
Will reluctantly gets up from bed and stumbles into the kitchen, careful not to trip over any dogs or the cat as he walks through the dark house. In the kitchen, he gets two glasses for water and fills them up, then carries them back into the living room.
He hands one to Hannibal who drinks it slowly, and Will just sets his own on his nightstand.
“You want to talk about it?” Will asks.
Hannibal shakes his head and reaches out. Will is helpless to do anything but go to him.
He falls asleep tangled with Hannibal, but he keeps waking up to Hannibal sniffling.
In the morning, he wakes up and Hannibal is finally sleeping. Will gets up and lets the dogs out as quietly as possible, then gets in the shower.
Hannibal ends up coming in behind him and wraps his arms around Will’s waist. He kisses his neck, and grips his hips.
“You okay?” Will asks.
Hannibal hums against his neck.
“Beyond,” Hannibal whispers. “I apologize for last night. I was so overwhelmed that you had said yes to me.”
Will smiles and turns around so he can kiss Hannibal on the lips.
“I know you’re going to want a big, fancy wedding, but—”
Hannibal cuts him off with another kiss. “Not at all. Let’s go get married at the courthouse right now.”
“Right now?” Will asks.
“This afternoon,” Hannibal murmurs.
“I’ll have to see if Beverly is free,” Will smiles. “I said she can be my best man. She can serve as a witness.”
“I suppose I should ask Alana to be mine,” Hannibal whispers.
Will nods and wraps his arms around Hannibal’s neck. They kiss under the spray of the water for a few more minutes, but when Will tries to go further, Hannibal stops him.
“I have appointments today,” Hannibal whispers. “But I have a long lunch.”
“Are we really doing this?” Will asks. “We’re getting married?”
“I don’t see why not,” Hannibal smiles.
He steps out of the shower, and wraps a towel around his waist. Will follows after him and sits in a towel on the closed toilet seat while Hannibal shaves.
“Should we, uh, talk about our living situation?” Will asks.
“Naturally, I assumed we could live here, but keep my home in Baltimore just in case,” Hannibal says. “I know you prefer living here, but there may be nights we’re at an event in Baltimore and it would make more sense to stay there for the night.”
He knows Hannibal just can’t give up his murder basement.
“That’s fine with me,” Will says.
Hannibal leaves for work, leaving Will alone for the morning.
He calls Beverly, but it goes straight to voicemail for some reason. He tries again, but it happens again. He wonders if she might be on a plane going out of state for a case, but remembers she’s been taking some time off. It’s still very early, so maybe she’s just not awake yet.
He cleans up around the house while he waits for a decent hour to call her again.
Hannibal sends him a message that tells him where to be and when, and with what documents.
can’t get a hold of beverly, Will texts back.
He tries calling Beverly again, but to no avail.
Hannibal doesn’t respond, so Will calls him.
“Hey, we can’t get married if I can’t get a hold of Beverly,” Will says as soon as the call connects. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. I promised her six months ago.”
“Darling, I’m sure her phone is just dead,” Hannibal says gently. “Why don’t you stop at her house on the way to the courthouse this afternoon?”
“Okay, okay,” Will agrees. “I’ll do that. I’ll see you later okay? Love you.”
“I love you, too darling.”
“Did you read the inscription on your ring?” Will asks quickly.
Hannibal hums, and Will knows he’s pulling the ring off his finger to check.
“Remember tonight?” Hannibal asks.
“For it’s the beginning of always,” Will completes the quote. The whole thing wouldn’t fit, so he just got ‘Remember tonight’ engraved, hoping Hannibal would know the rest.
“Dante,” Hannibal whispers. “Lovely, darling. What is the ring made of?”
“Bone,” Will answers. “I carved it myself. It fits okay?”
“Perfect,” Hannibal says. Will can hear his smile through the phone. “I have to go soon, unfortunately, but I will see you at the courthouse. There’s a suit in your closet I’d like you to wear.”
“When did that get there?” Will asks. He heads upstairs to look in his closet.
“It has been there for a while. In the black bag.”
Will opens the closet and unzips the bag and chokes.
“It’s white,” he says.
“Yes,” Hannibal says. “Mine is as well.”
“No other options?”
“No,” Hannibal says. “Goodbye now, Will.”
“Hannibal, wait—”
But Hannibal hangs up before Will can protest any more.
Will gets dressed in the white suit, and carefully avoids the dogs as he makes his way through the house to retrieve his car keys and find his wallet.
He shakes on the entire drive to Beverly’s house, buzzing with both nerves and anticipation over the fact that he’s getting married today. He didn’t think it would happen so quickly, or that Hannibal would agree to such a private wedding. It occurs to him that they’re quite literally eloping, only telling their two witnesses what they’re doing.
Abigail doesn’t even know, Will thinks.
He wishes he could call her and tell her the news, though he’s quite certain that Hannibal does, in fact, know where she is, and would likely tell her himself. He hopes so. He hopes she’s safe, at least.
Pulling up at Beverly’s house, Will immediately sees something is wrong. Her car sits parked in her driveway, but one door is ajar. The house is completely dark.
He barely manages to shut off his car before he’s getting out, phone in hand, ready to call someone. On the ground next to the open driver’s side door are her keys, and her phone. The screen is cracked, and he wants to see if it’s on, but he shakes his head, and pulls his own phone out instead.
“Will,” Jack answers.
“Jack, I just stopped at Beverly’s house and— and she’s—” Will rushes out, frantic and on the verge of a panic attack.
“Breathe, Will. She’s what?” Jack asks calmly.
“Been taken! I don’t know? I couldn’t get a hold of her, and I just got here and it looks like she’s been taken!” Will wails.
“I’m on my way,” Jack says, and hangs up.
Will collapses to his knees, not caring about his white suit.
His best friend is gone. She was following leads, and one of them must have… she must have found who she was looking for.
Will’s phone starts ringing in his hand, and he checks to see Hannibal’s name on the display.
He can’t get married now. Not when the one person he promised to invite can’t be there. He doesn’t know what to say, so he doesn’t accept the call. It rings again, and he lets it go to voicemail again. Alana calls next, and he ignores that, too.
Jack shows up on the scene, trailed by more agents, including Zeller and Price.
“What’s with the getup?” Jack asks. He looks at Will down on the ground, taking in the white suit, now dirtied by gravel, and maybe even blood.
“Me and Hannibal were going to get married,” Will mumbles. His voice is hoarse, and he realizes he must have been yelling during his crying. His cheeks have tears drying on them, but he really doesn’t recall any of that happening.
“Today?” Zeller asks.
Will nods. “I came to see if Beverly was free to be my witness. She wasn’t answering her phone.”
“Where’s Lecter now?” Jack asks.
Will shrugs. “At the courthouse waiting for me, probably. He called me, but I don’t know what to do.”
“Jimmy, call Hannibal,” Jack sighs. “Get up, Will.”
He offers a hand and Will takes it, letting himself be pulled to his feet.
“Tell me what you know,” Jack says gently.
“Beverly came over last night to hang out with me. She said she was going to follow a few leads in Baltimore when she left. I told her to text me when she got home safe, and she did,” Will says. “But someone must have followed her. I don’t know.”
“Where were you?”
“At home, drunk off my ass,” Will mumbles.
“Anyone that can confirm that?” Jack asks.
“You think I had something to do with this?” Will scoffs. “But yeah, Hannibal came over last night, he can tell you my level of inebriation.”
“You said she was following leads. Any idea who?”
Will shakes his head. “She said she was going to stake something out, but we talked about so many people last night, I have no idea if she even told me a name.”
“Is there anything else we should know?” Jack asks.
“I asked her to check on a few things at Hannibal’s last night because I thought he’d be out of town for a while longer. Speaking of which, when did you get home?” Will asks.
“Crack of dawn this morning. Hannibal bought a ticket for an earlier flight as soon as we wrapped up. He didn’t mention seeing Beverly?” Jack asks.
Will shakes his head. “He called me to tell me he got home way after she told me she was home.”
“Can I see your call logs?” Jack asks.
Will nods and pulls his phone out of his pocket, giving Jack free range of his phone.
Jack frowns. “Took Lecter a while to call you after his flight was supposed to land. You’re sure he didn’t get home sooner than this?”
“Will?” Hannibal calls. Will turns to see Hannibal and Alana pushing through the police line and rushing toward them.
He’s dressed in a suit that matches Will’s own. A blood red tie offsets all of the white, and Will realizes he isn’t wearing a tie at all, himself.
“Doctor Lecter, I’d like to ask you a few questions about your whereabouts last night,” Jack says, just as Hannibal pulls Will into an embrace and kisses his hair.
“Of course, Jack,” Hannibal says. He doesn’t let go of Will, but Will knows Hannibal is looking at Jack over the top of his head. “As you know my flight got in last night around eight thirty, I was out of the airport by nine. I ran a few errands before arriving home at eleven thirty, then I showered and drove to Will’s house.”
“You didn’t go home before your errands?” Jack asks.
“No, it was time sensitive.”
“Do you have proof of your errands?”
Hannibal lets go of Will, and tells Jack he’ll be back in a moment. He comes back with a small box and a receipt. Will’s heart stops.
“You…” Will trails off.
“I bought an engagement ring last night, but I hadn’t planned on proposing until later this week, hence me not having the ring last night when I did end up asking,” Hannibal explains. “Unfortunately, Jack, I do not have receipts for my other purchases last night, but if you were to ask the cashier at the drug store I frequent, she would likely be able to help you.”
“So you are completely unaware Beverly Katz was in your home last night, then?” Jack asks, pushing in a way that makes Will grow uncomfortable. Why he suspects Hannibal, Will can’t quite figure it out. Hannibal would never hurt Will’s best friend.
Hannibal turns to look at Will, an eyebrow raised.
“I asked her to get the mail and water the plants,” Will admits.
“I had seen those were done, but I assumed you did that earlier in the day before you drank yourself into a stupor,” Hannibal says. “I didn’t realize Miss Katz was the reason for my security system not being armed when I arrived.”
Will groans. “I told her to arm it again before she left.”
“It’s alright, no harm done,” Hannibal murmurs. He kisses Will’s temple. He turns to Jack again. “I apologize I can’t help more. I wish I knew of Beverly Katz’s whereabouts so she could be safely returned home. Has her mother been contacted?”
“Shit,” Will mutters. “The kids. Her parents can’t take care of them full time.”
“We’ll contact her mother, and hope someone else can take them in,” Jack says. “You two go get married. Congratulations to you both.”
Will shakes his head, and bites his lip, and turns to his fiancé. “I can’t, Hannibal. Not until she comes home. I’m sorry.”
“It’s entirely understandable, my darling,” Hannibal whispers, right into Will’s ear. He looks at Jack again. “Will was named a guardian for the children. We can talk to her parents.”
“If you’re sure,” Jack says, looking between the both of them.
“Yeah,” Will breathes.
He really hopes Beverly is found because he is not ready to become a father.
Hannibal tosses his keys to Alana, and asks her to drive his car back to his office, where they met today. He takes Will’s keys out of his pocket, and brings Will to his car. Will gets into the passenger seat, and Hannibal drives away, toward Beverly’s parents house. Hannibal was given their address for emergency purposes, and it’s about an hour drive there.
He takes the ring box out of his pocket again, and holds it out for Will to open while he drives.
“I didn’t realize you got rings last night,” Will says.
Hannibal smiles, but doesn’t tell Will that he absolutely did not pick them up last night. He has a jeweler friend who owed him a favor. Hannibal helped him after an attempted burglary of his shop resulted in a dead burglar on his showroom floor.
All he needed from the man today was a receipt dated the night before, and to corroborate the story that Hannibal was there for a decent amount of time before and after the purchase. He reminded the man that if he doesn’t comply, Hannibal has something to hold over him. He didn’t say so, as much as implied it, reminding the jeweler of the attempted robbery. He trusts the shop owner to play along should the FBI go to him for further proof of Hannibal’s whereabouts.
Will opens up the ring box and Hannibal hears his breath hitch in his throat.
“This is just an engagement ring,” Hannibal says. “I told my jeweler we would most definitely come in together to pick out our wedding bands, but of course we would not have had time considering we were going to elope.”
“We rushed into it,” Will murmurs. He snaps the box shut, then says, sincerely, “It’s beautiful, Hannibal.”
“Put it on,” Hannibal encourages.
Will slides the box into Hannibal’s pocket, much to Hannibal’s disappointment. Is it rejection?
“Properly propose how you wanted to,” Will whispers. “I’ll say yes, don’t worry.”
“I will admit that I have always planned on proposing at a dinner party in front of all of our friends and acquaintances,” Hannibal tells him. “Given the circumstances, a dinner party seems inappropriate. I’ve been scrambling to find an alternative since Abigail was abducted.”
“You’ll figure something out.”
Hannibal nods in agreement, and takes Will’s hand in his own, clasping them together, and settling them on his knee while he drives.
Will breaks the news to Beverly’s parents, tears streaming down his face as he does. Hannibal catches Mrs Katz from falling to the ground, and guides her over to the couch. Mr Katz asks Will how this could have happened.
“These are not the circumstances I hoped to meet you under,” Mrs Katz says to Hannibal. “Beverly spoke very fondly of the both of you.”
Hannibal smiles, and returns the sentiment, telling her Beverly has always been appreciative of everything her parents do for her. He feels that same stabbing feeling in his chest that he felt last night as he tells her that he’s confident Beverly will be returned home safely.
“Why are you dressed like that?” Mrs Katz asks after a few minutes.
Will is still explaining what he knows to Mr Katz out of the front entryway of the house, and Hannibal can faintly hear them.
“Will and I were going to marry today,” Hannibal says. “Beverly was going to be one of our witnesses, but when Will arrived at her house to pick her up, he unfortunately noticed that there were signs of a struggle outside her car.”
“Beverly is strong and smart. Whoever took her, she’s likely just biding her time until she can make a proper escape,” Mrs Katz says confidently. Hannibal’s heart clenches in a way he’s never felt before.
Tears escape his eyes against his permission, and Mrs Katz pulls him into a hug. They sit there on the couch, crying for two different reasons.
For a man with a plan for every single outcome, he’s at a loss for what he’s supposed to do regarding Beverly’s death. He doesn’t know how he can possibly hide it from Will when it weighs so heavily on him. Perhaps with time, it’ll get better. Perhaps once he elevates her to art, and honors her by eating, and sharing her kidneys, then it won't be so hard. Until then, he has to bite his tongue, and hold his breath, lest something escape that he can’t take back.
They leave after coffee and more conversation. Hannibal gets the babies’ seats secured in the backseat, and Will sits in the passenger seat nervously biting his nails.
Once Hannibal’s in the driver’s seat, he turns to Will. “I have to finish my appointments for the day. Would you be comfortable driving home from my office and watching the children for the rest of the day? I can come over tonight, though it may be late.”
“Yeah, that’s fine,” Will mumbles. “You’ll bring dinner, right?”
“If you wish,” Hannibal smiles.
Hannibal drives to his office, and watches as Will gets out and walks around to the driver’s side. He pushes up on his toes to kiss Hannibal once before getting into the car and driving away.
He waits until Will is out of sight, then gets into his own car and drives home.
It’s difficult to maneuver Beverly’s frozen body through the trapdoor, but he manages it then gets her into a tarp in his trunk, then takes her to a remote cabin he owns under a different identity. It’s a bigger space to work, and he has more materials there, such as sheets of glass that will aid in his tableau.
He spends the afternoon cutting Beverly into sections and putting together his display. He decides he’ll have to make an appearance at Will’s tonight, and display her body later.
It’s a clear Ripper kill, which means he’ll need two more, and soon. He can wait until after Beverly’s body is displayed to have a full idea of what he’s doing next, but he’ll have to be careful not to take a longer break than usual during this next week. If the FBI suspects Ripper’s taking a break because he’s busy—which he will be, with the investigation and funeral, and becoming a parent, and getting Will to marry him—then they might conclude that the Ripper is someone close to Beverly, and the FBI.
His next week needs to be planned down to the second, with hardly any room for error.
He gets to Will’s house to find him asleep on the couch, both babies in bassinets in front of him. The TV is on a children’s channel, even if the children are too young to understand what’s happening on TV.
He sets the tote containing dinner on the counter in the kitchen, and returns to the living room to find Will stirring slowly.
“Hey, baby,” Will mumbles, voice thick from sleep.
“Are you hungry?” Hannibal asks.
Will hums and nods then pushes himself off the couch.
“Do we have a stroller?” Will asks.
“Yes, there’s one at my house,” Hannibal answers. “I can bring it here tomorrow. Along with cribs, as well.”
“Okay.”
“We can set them up in Abigail’s room,” Hannibal offers.
Will stops walking, but quickly recovers and nods in agreement. He opens the bag of food and pulls out containers. Will doesn’t bat an eye at the meal, and devours it quickly, having no idea that part of it is made from his best friend, and having no idea that he’s been drugged.
Hannibal just needs two and a half hours to get to the observatory, break in, display the body, and get back to his fiancé. Two and a half hours, and he’ll be back beside him.
In the morning, Will wakes and knows that it has happened again. He glances over at Hannibal sleeping beside him, and has no idea what to expect for the day. A feeling of dread washes over him. Everything that has happened in the last few weeks has had him completely on edge, and this is no different.
He gets a call from Jack, and the first thing he can hear is the roughness in his voice that accompanies crying.
“It’s the Ripper, Will. The Chesapeake Ripper got Beverly,” Jack says into the phone.
Will drops his phone on the mattress in shock.
He hadn’t expected the reason for him being drugged to be this.
“Are you sure?” Will asks when he gets the phone back in his hand.
“Almost entirely. Look, you don’t have to come—”
“I’m on my way. Send me the address,” Will says, and hangs up.
He knows Hannibal is the Chesapeake Ripper and has stayed with him. He must have said something to Beverly that made her suspicious because he knows the man he loves would not kill his best friend for no reason, but god it hurts so fucking bad.
He needs to stay strong until he knows for sure. He can’t let Hannibal know he knows it was him just yet, not until he can say goodbye to Beverly, and know for sure.
He kisses Hannibal’s head, causing the man to move, chasing Will’s lips with his own. Will laughs even if it should be the last thing he wants to do.
“Jack called,” Will whispers. “I have to go.”
“I’ll come with,” Hannibal says, getting out of bed.
“No,” Will says, pushing him back down. “Stay here with the kids.”
“Mm, I have appointments,” Hannibal murmurs. “Come to Baltimore tonight.”
“Yeah,” Will agrees.
Will spends the entire drive in tears, both for himself, and for Beverly. He gags once or twice, thinking about how possible it is that he ate her last night. Because he didn’t even question the source of the meat. He remembers how Hannibal was sobbing against his chest the other night, asked about marriage, then pushed for a quick ceremony. He bets the rings weren’t actually bought after his flight got in, but that he called in a favor to fabricate a receipt.
He pulls up to the observatory, finding FBI agents in different states of distress and sadness, depending on how well they knew Beverly. Zeller and Price hide around the side of the building, and Will can see them in an embrace from afar. Jack waits for him at the door, cheeks stained with tears.
“No Hannibal?” Jack asks.
“He had appointments this morning. Just me,” Will says.
Will is led inside and up the stairs to find the display. He has to grab onto Jack’s arm when he sees Beverly in slices behind glass panels. Jack puts a hand over his, and offers him the support he needs while Will tries to get himself together.
Fresh tears fall freely from his eyes now, no doubt dripping on the floor and contaminating the scene.
He gains his bearings, then glances over to Jack, who promptly nods, and leaves, giving Will privacy to read the scene.
He thinks he can feel Beverly standing at his shoulder, and can hear her speaking to him, saying, “You did this. You’ve come to me scared about whether or not you had a hand in past murders, well…”
He knows it’s just his subconscious, but it sounds so real to him.
Will takes a step closer. He closes his eyes, and the pendulum swings, pulling him into Hannibal’s head. The second he sees the first bit of evidence—strangulation—he pulls himself out again and turns on his heel to leave the building.
“Well?” Jack asks, following him toward his car.
“I can’t,” Will says. “I took one look at her, and I’m sorry, Jack, but I can’t.”
“No, you’re right,” Jack says, rubbing his shoulder with one hand. “I shouldn’t have told you to come out here. Take care of yourself, kid.”
Will nods, then turns. “Are Brian and Jimmy doing the autopsy?”
“They want to,” Jack sighs.
“I’m coming in. Today?”
“As soon as we get the scene finished, yes.”
“I’ll wait in my car and leave with the rest of you. I… need to call Hannibal, and Mr and Mrs Katz,” Will says. He dreads both of those calls.
“We’ve sent officers to her parents’ house already,” Jack says. “Call Hannibal.”
Will takes a deep breath and nods, then turns and gets in his car.
He dials Hannibal’s number.
“Hello, love,” Hannibal answers.
Too calm, too happy. Pretending he doesn’t know the exact reason Will is at a crime scene right now. Still thinking Will has no idea that he’s the Chesapeake Ripper.
“It’s Beverly, Hannibal,” Will sobs. “She’s been killed by the Chesapeake Ripper.”
“Oh, darling,” Hannibal whispers. Pretending to be shocked, and saddened, and…
Will wants to strangle him like he did to Beverly.
“Just…” Will stops, then stops, voice catching on a sob. “Hannibal.”
“Darling, come home to me,” Hannibal whispers. “I can leave my office now. Come home.”
“I have to go to the autopsy,” Will tells him. “Hannibal, I think we should get married as soon as possible, and adopt the children.”
“Yes, I agree,” Hannibal says.
“Tomorrow,” Will says, not leaving any room for argument. He needs spousal privileges in case Hannibal is ever suspected. He can tell everyone it’s for the children, so it doesn’t seem suspicious that they’re marrying so quickly after the death of a friend.
“Tomorrow,” Hannibal agrees.
Will goes to the autopsy and watches as Zeller, Price, and Jack try not to cry. He doesn’t keep himself as composed as they try to be. Eventually, he gets up and leaves the room for some air. He comes back, and Jack stops him with hands on his arms.
“This is not your responsibility, Will,” he says. He turns to Zeller and Price. “It’s none of yours. Allow yourself to grieve the loss, not wade through it.”
“What about you, Jack?” Will asks.
“I can’t afford the luxury of grief.”
“No luxury in feeling this way,” Zeller mutters.
“If I grieve Beverly, I’m not catching the Ripper,” Jack grits out.
No one’s catching the Ripper, Will thinks.
“We’re not running away from this, Jack. Beverly wouldn’t,” Jimmy says.
Will lets out another sob, and has to excuse himself again.
“Go home, Will,” Jack says. He shuts the door behind Will, and Will doesn't try to go back inside.
He goes home, lets the dogs outside, and props the door open so they can come back on their own. He dumps a bunch of dry dog food on the floor so they can eat, then he scoops Beatrice up so she can’t follow them outside.
He goes upstairs to the bathroom, and shuts the door. Beatrice jumps up on the counter and sits there, head tilted as Will fills the bathtub and gets inside. He stays in there for as long as he can, the water going completely cold.
His phone rings multiple times and he ignores it all, not wanting to talk to anyone at all.
He can’t talk to any of his friends knowing that his fiancé killed Beverly. He can’t talk to his fiancé without letting something slip. He just sits there, shivering in the cold water, but unable to get out and dry off.
Winston paws at the door, but Will can’t get up to let him in.
He wishes Hannibal would have just killed him instead, so he wouldn’t have to live with the fact that his best friend is gone, and it’s all his fault for never turning Hannibal in.
Eventually the door bursts open and he’s pulled out of the bathtub. He’s enveloped in a warm towel, and a strong embrace, then carried, and set down in his bed.
He curls up on his side, knowing the man spooning him is the killer that caused all this pain. He lets that killer hold him tight, and offer him comfort, even after everything. He drifts in and out of sleep in Hannibal’s arms, held tight and safe.
It tears him apart to know that he’s still choosing Hannibal after what he did.
It’s an insult to Beverly’s life, and all of her work, and their entire friendship, but now Hannibal is almost all he has left, and he can’t let that be taken away, too.
In the morning, they don’t even discuss it. They just get dressed in two new, clean suits that Hannibal brought over. Will’s is a deep red, and Hannibal’s is black, with a red tie to match Will’s suit. They go to the courthouse and sign the papers for the marriage license, and Alana, as well as Bedelia du Maurier, who Will remembers from a dinner party so many months ago, serve as their two witnesses for the ceremony.
They exchange their engagement rings as their wedding bands, and Will realizes Hannibal never did end up properly proposing, but he’s too sad, and exhausted to care.
Their marriage is sealed with a kiss, and signatures, and they leave the courthouse with their babies in their arms. Will carries Lucy, and Hannibal carries Mischa. Will looks down at the baby in his arms, then the one in Hannibal’s, and starts sobbing all over again. Knowing they will grow up not knowing their birth mother, nor the aunt that took them in as her own when their birth mother died. Knowing that they will never have a normal life, not with two dads, and one being a serial killer and a cannibal, and the other being too in love to do anything about it.
“Let me take them for the night,” Alana offers when they get to Will’s car. “You two have a night to yourselves.”
“Thank you, Alana,” Hannibal smiles. He kisses her on the cheek, and hands the baby to her so he can move their car seats into her car.
“We’re closer to your house than mine,” Will mumbles.
Hannibal nods. “Alana, would you also mind taking care of the dogs tonight? Will and I will be staying at my house for the evening.”
“Of course,” Alana agrees.
They all part ways, and Will feels no different as a married man than he did before. Will Graham-Lecter has a nice ring to it, he thinks. The only difference he truly feels is that they’re now legally bound.
At Hannibal’s house, Hannibal makes dinner while Will watches. He puts on music while he cooks, and when their dinner goes in the oven, he extends a hand to Will.
“Dance with me,” Hannibal says.
Will can’t help the smile, and the blush that spreads on his cheeks as he accepts Hannibal’s hand.
He puts his arms around Hannibal’s neck, and his husband sets his hands on Will’s waist. They just sway together, looking into each other’s eyes with tears of both sorrow and joy. Will rests his head on Hannibal’s chest and holds him tight as they spin around the kitchen together.
Eventually a timer goes off, and Hannibal pulls away, leaving a lingering kiss on Will’s lips as he goes.
They eat quietly, the hands not holding forks, clasped together.
They finish and both go into the kitchen to wash dishes together. Hannibal tells Will to go upstairs, and says he’ll bring up more wine, and Will leaves the room, a smile on his face.
He remembers he left his cellphone on the counter, though, and in case there’s problems with the dogs and Alana needs to get a hold of him, he wants to have it near. He spins around and goes back into the kitchen just as he sees Hannibal slip something into his wine glass. He backs out slowly and quietly, then makes noise as he comes in again.
Hannibal turns with a smile and hands Will the drugged glass of wine. Will looks down into it and lifts it to his lips.