Ner words in this chapter: 2,390

"Talking"

'Thinking'

{Talking on the phone}

{Text message}

Thinking in 3rd person POV/Dream/Memory/Flashback/Others

Letter/Journal/Book/Newspaper

Time change/Date of time

Change of POV

Chapter II

–Social Services–

Friday, 2013

HL's POV

Hannibal opened his front door and frowned at finding both Grahams.

"I'm sorry. I know it's at a tight time and you probably have others plans."

"Dad has a new body in Minnesota and after the journalist last time Agent Crawford's bosses made him swear I wouldn't go into crime scenes again."

Hannibal stepped back.

"Young Graham can stay here with me." He agreed. "May I wonder why me?"

"Only person besides Dad who doesn't flip at my sight. Doctor Bloom is a no-no. She wants to study both me and Dad. Claims that I can see even though I can't." The boy put in and shrugged.

"Thank you, Doctor Lecter. I'll be owing you one."

"After the other day I'd say that we are even." Will nodded. "Come on, Young Harry. Let me guide you through the house."

Harry entered and Will turned returning to the patrol car where Jack Crawford was waiting for him.

"Because of the sight, even with the massive amount of dogs we have, I'm not allowed by the social services to be left alone."

Hannibal entered inside with Harry.

"You are completely capable of watching over yourself." He argued.

"Prejudiced old hags. Want to do everything possible to get me away from Dad since late June '11 when they found out I existed. Probably I shouldn't have told them the crocodile story."

"Probably not." Hannibal agreed. "If you'd tell me their names I may be able to help out."

Harry shrugged. Which seemed to be an usual reaction from the blind teenager. Harry made no move to walk forward. He waited for the guidance. Hannibal could tell what freaked out Amanda Bloom. Hannibal offered him his arm which Harry took out of practice and Hannibal guided him through the entrance to the living room, dining room, kitchen and bathroom. As they walked, Hannibal could clearly see a houseplant being drawn mentally inside Harry's mind. It was written all over his face. Will used his imagination for getting inside people's mind, Harry to be able to see where he was going.

"I'm sorry. Did you say something? Was making step counts."

"I was watching how you do it. I have to admit that I never got a blind person in my office."

Harry smiled.

"Not all blind people require psychiatric evaluation." Harry put in. "Which is what flips out Doctor Bloom. That I'm not sick and in need of a guiding hand to do everything."

"You lost your sight very young. You have no knowledge of what it may be."

"Yet seeing-people don't understand that." Harry agreed with a smile, before sobering up. "Aunt and Uncle taught me from very young to be self-sustainable. When they finally located my dad they shipped me off in the next plane."

"Do you miss them?"

Harry made a facial expression that was typically Will's, that was neither disgust nor nonchalant it was something in between.

"I definitely don't miss the cupboard under the stairs. My room."

"You were neglected." Hannibal frowned and could clearly see the signs.

Harry had all the mannerisms of a child without love. Yet, Will had done something right…

"Did you know that like… a month after arriving Dad's place I found a stray dog and brought her home? Doctor Bloom says that my dad collects strays."

"She was obviously meaning you." Harry nodded. "Does she know that you are the one who collects them?"

"For her to start going on and on about the blind person can't do that talk?"

Hannibal chuckled as they returned into the living room and he let Harry walk by himself. Still getting used to the place Harry knew vaguely where he was going.

"Chair." Harry immediately raised his hands forward and, at feeling the chair, he walked around it. "With a pack at home you must have it full of toys all over the place."

"As I walk, there is always one who decides to walk with me. Normally it's Darkness. The first one. I thought she looked dark… once bathed and cleaned, she was white as snow. Dad said that he didn't say anything because naming is a very important step in taking a dog in."

"And I'm sure that Darkness most likely has some inner side of her that is just as dark as her name."

"If Doctor Bloom visits and I'm home, she will spend the whole time either growling or peeing on her."

"Dogs can sense when their owners don't like someone. Darkness has, most likely, taken you under her paw as an oversized pup of hers."

Harry nodded and they arrived the living room. Hannibal waited as Harry took in the place he had just been passed through. Hannibal never showed him the place's locations. A small stick was taken from his pocket, that Harry started opening until his white stick was as tall as him. Using it, Harry used it to find the couches. Every single one. The piano, the liquor cabinet and the fireplace. Finally Harry stored the stick again and walked slowly to the couches. Harry took out his backpack with a red superhero in it, set it on the floor at the corner of the couch so not to bother anyone and, then, he sat down.

"You play piano?"

"Indeed I do. You could learn yourself. So long as you learn the keyplaces you can do anything."

"I have a small one, I believe that it's an electrical one? It doesn't work any longer and Dad can't teach me so I just don't try anymore."

"Why doesn't it work?" Hannibal wondered.

"Corgii, with double I. When he arrived he was still biting everything. We had to trade both our laptops' chargers and the TV's."

Hannibal smiled amused at Harry's eagerness to speak about his strays.

{You received a text from Dad. You can say Read It or Ignore.}

Harry picked his vibrating phone.

{Read it.}

{Just because we forgot; Love you, Son.}

Harry unlocked his phone and started clicking on the touchscreen. Hannibal could hear the keys being pressed and the letters being spoken as he typed, before a text was sent back.

{I lov yo too.}

Hannibal didn't comment on the usual typo while writing blindly, principally on a touchscreen.

–TS–

Saturday

Hannibal accepted the phone call.

{Good night.}

{Doctor Lecter… I'm sorry, did I woke you up?}

{I was just about to go to bed.} Hannibal lied smoothly and checked the time as he stood from the bed. {Harry's asleep.} He added as he left his bedroom and descended the stairs.

{I understand. I… I will have to stay here longer. Field work job. Take advantage I'm already here.}

{What type of field work?} Hannibal asked and walked into the kitchen.

{Knocking on doors. Trying to find out our guy.}

{Sounds fun.} Will huffed. {I'd love to peek under the curtain.}

Will chuckled as Hannibal's coffee machine finished.

{Technically, you are part of the case.} Will agreed. {I'm going to see if I can get some sleep. Did Harry bother you? He is at that age…}

{Harry was perfect.} Hannibal argued. {Have a good night sleep. We'll speak in the morning.}

Will hung up and Hannibal set Harry's phone in his pocket, before picking his own phone and dialling Jack, not caring that it was already past midnight where the other was. If Will was awake so would've be the FBI Agent.

{Hello, Jack.}

{Hannibal… are you free tomorrow?}

{I can make a couple calls.} Hannibal agreed. {Is this about Will knocking on doors tomorrow?}

{Yes. I've just got news that I will have to be at the council… Will called you?}

{He called his son who is already in bed.} Hannibal argued.

{Oh…} Had the man already forgotten the child? {I completely forgotten that Young Graham was with you…}

{We will be just knocking on doors. Nothing that will interfere with the investigation.}

Hannibal could practically hear the wheels turning inside Jack's head all the way from the phone line.

{You'll take full responsibility for the youngest Graham?}

{I'll sign a document if that will calm down your bosses.}

{Thank you.}

Hannibal stored his phone as well and, after drinking his coffee, he set up three containers with breakfast and two thermos. When he was done, he checked his phone and already Jack had mailed him the two tickets under both names. Hannibal went to Harry's bag and looked on the front folder for the wallet, at finding it he opened and was glad to see that Harry had a business card from Will's FBI Professor job with the word Father handwritten on the top of the card. It was a nice touch. If something happened to Harry if they checked his wallet, Will would've be the first to be contacted. Facing the card was Harry's IDs. Looked like Harry had dual citizenship. Storing the wallet in the same location, Hannibal went to print the tickets before going to wake the teenager in the house.

"Sir?"

"We have a plane to catch, Harry."

Sleepily, Harry stood and got ready for the day. As soon as they got into the plane the boy fell asleep. Hannibal looked at the time and let himself rest his eyes as well. Of the two of them he had been the one with the less sleep.

Wide awake when they arrived, Harry was a lot more reactive now.

"Where are you taking me?"

Hannibal chuckled at the scared tone. Someone had been warning the boy one too many times to be wary of strangers.

"To your Father."

Harry frowned as the taxi driver looked back over the backway window.

"Oh… we're in Minnesota then?"

"Indeed." Hannibal agreed amused at seeing how the wheels turned inside Harry's head.

"Mr Driver, how long until our destination?"

"20 minutes, Chap."

Hannibal's eyebrow twitched at the name used, only for his hand to be grabbed. Hannibal looked at Harry who had obviously sensed his discomfort. Just like his strays.

–TS–

HJG's POV

Harry knocked on the motel room's door and waited. The door opened and Harry grinned at sensing his magic reacting to Father.

"Harry?" Harry walked forward and hugged his sweaty and in nothing but boxers adoptive father. "What are you…?"

"Jack is in a board meeting. It will be just us three today. May I come in?"

Father stepped back, while still holding Harry, and let Doctor Lecter enter his motel room.

"You need a bath. Nightmares again?" Harry whispered.

"Remember who's the parent." Father whispered in return and Harry huffed. "Yes. Now go sit down." Harry turned around and a hand immediately offered him guidance to a chair. "I'm going to take a quick shower and put some clothes."

"We'll wait for you then." Doctor Lecter agreed.

Father picked something and then walked into a door by the side.

"We must look like a strange family to you."

"Not really. You were mistreated at the relatives' house. That much is obvious." Harry turned his head towards the psychiatrist sitting by his side on the table. "Will taught you love and even though you are entering that age where teenagers abhor hugs, you never had touch before that."

Harry snorted.

"Half a day and you have me more figured out than Doctor Bloom ever did in her constants visits."

"You are afraid of being sent away from Will. Of the Social Services."

Harry blushed and made certain he could hear Father in the shower.

"Don't tell Dad. He is not at fault. He…"

"He taught you how to love and how to feel wanted. Even if biological father, most children – after what you spent through – have trouble accepting the new family."

Harry lowered his head to hide his embarrassment. The bathroom door opened and Father approached, sitting down. Doctor Lecter picked something and set on the table, opened some lids before Harry felt the Doctor offer him.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I'm very picky about what I put in my body, so I end up making most meals myself. Some bacon, some eggs."

Harry accepted the fork as Doctor Lecter offered another container to Father.

"This is delicious!" Father pleased and started eating.

Harry felt a glass be set down before him. Harry picked it up and sipped carefully.

"Chocolate milk?"

"I believed you'd prefer to plain simple milk." Doctor Lecter agreed. "I brought coffee for me and your Father."

"Thank you."

Harry ate his breakfast as the two started talking over the case.

"What did your copy killer did that gave him away?"

"Everything. This last one was practically gift-wrapped. It was like I had to see the wrong to be able to see the good."

Harry snorted.

"Sounds like the copy killer knew exactly what was that you couldn't see then."

"Tattle crime dot com did get a lot of information out with plenty of details." Father argued. "You were the one to point that out to me."

"Why would've your copy killer bother doing it in all the wrong way if not on purpose?" Harry wondered.

"How so?" Doctor Lecter asked Harry, almost like amused.

"He sounds cocky. Full of himself. Or herself for that matter. You say that he did everything in the wrong way?"

"Our killer loves his victims. This one treated her like a pig."

"A pig for slaughter… you have another cannibal on your hands who found funny to show you what was that you were missing."

"Why'd he do that?"

"Boredom… I would've, wouldn't you?" Harry shrugged and finished his breakfast. "Besides if this person is a killer, he wouldn't be able to go to you personally and tell you what you weren't seeing yourself. He'd be accused of murder."

Doctor Lecter chuckled.

"I can see who Harry takes after."

Harry blushed and Father put a hand on his shoulder.

(TBC)

Who noticed that Harry has lines so much alike Will's? «I would've wouldn't you?» They've been living together for several years, they are bond to have mannerisms.

Also if you noticed that I sometimes write in UK spellcheck and others in US you aren't wrong. I bothered every time Harry thinks or it's his pov to put in UK and each time anyone else's POV or thinks in US (wasn't easy) but totally worth it

~Isys