Darklady: Sorry that this took so long guys . . . but its up now and I hope you enjoy it . . .

It was far too early for this and for anyone else she would never have gotten out of bed. Her ankles were slightly swollen and her back ached, really Hannibal wouldn't be pleased to find that she was gone. They'd been up most of the night talking about the twins and making love, it had been somewhere around 2 when they had finally fallen asleep. Not four hours later she had gotten out of bed and dressed to leave the house.

The mornings in Ireland were far from pleasant in her opinion. The air was chilled and damp, serving to wake her up a bit more as she made her way to the Jag. The car purred to life as she warmed it up, trying to make it a bit more comfortable before she started for town. Her eyes were everywhere trying to find any sign that Hannibal was up and watching.

She found herself drawn to their bedroom windows. At six in the morning the cook was the only one up, getting dinner planned and getting the ingredients for a late brunch. None of the servants were allowed on the upper floors until after noon. With Hannibal having always been a night owl and having changed her own sleep patterns, it was rare for either of them to be up before noon. Clarice's pregnancy had made the doctor a bit strict with the rule. If Clarice was asleep or resting not only were the servants banded from the upper floors they were to be as quite as possible throughout the entire house.

At the moment she couldn't be sure if it was her imagination or her husband. Damn him if he followed her. She had been planning this birthday since she had agreed to come away with him. It had taken her months in the FBI to find the artifact in Venice and another two weeks of bribing the antique collector to get it shipped to Ireland.

She pulled away from the house and stopped, pausing as she noticed the dark maroon eyes of her husband at their balcony doors. Her breath caught at the sight of him. He was a predator, still and dangerous, even at a distance. Her eyes took in his graceful form as he grinned, a show of sharp white teeth. Desire shot through her with such force that for a moment she considered staying. Instead she smiled up at him, showing him her own teeth as she pulled away.

She didn't bother looking in the review mirror, he would either follow or he wouldn't. He already knew what she was doing or he didn't. Though something told her that he wouldn't follow, she could never be sure with him.

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"This is absolutely ridiculous!" She yelled passing by the fourth pub in town. "Do these people do nothing but drink?" Jake shushed her as they walked by an elderly couple that was glaring at them. He smiled and waved as they passed, amazed with how rude his fiancé could be at times.

They'd left the O'Connell's because the bacon, eggs, fresh coffee, cinnamon rolls with homemade icing, and warm coffee cake hadn't appealed to her. She wanted a Ruben. In Ireland she wanted a Ruben . . . for breakfast. Oh this pregnancy thing was going to be fun. The silver lining was that Mrs. O'Connell had promised to save some of the breakfast for him, as he'd been forced to leave without even a strip of bacon. "Dee, are you really that blind?" She glared at him. "You don't go around calling an entire town of people drunks, which is what you just did."

"I did not. I merely commented on their lack of restaurants."

"Dee, we've passed six restaurants. They didn't smell right." She pouted something that on any other morning he would have sweet and adorable at the moment it was just annoying. "Don't even. I'm putting my foot down Ardelia. We are going into the next restaurant we see and that's final, smells funny or not."

She didn't bother arguing with him. She'd woke him up at various time last night with her all night throwing up, hauled him out of bed at 6, pulled him away from a tremendous spread of food in search of a sandwich that she had very little chance of finding in their current location. She nodded in silent agreement as they moved through the barely populated streets at 7:30 in the morning.

Ardelia had finally agreed to a restaurant, not surprised in the least to find that they didn't sell Rubens. She surprised however to find that the bacon, eggs, and a cinnamon roll sounded really good to her. "We could have stayed at the O'Connell's and had all of that FRESH, this stuff is probably from the beginning of the week." The waitress walked by and nodded, making Jake's stomach do a flip. It was Sunday! While Ardelia ordered her breakfast, Jake sipped his coffee.

Her food had just been placed on the table when someone caught Jake's eye. She was a pregnant blonde, slender save for her rounded stomach, elegant and graceful as she walked the cold morning street in her stilettos. Her hair was a much lighter shade than what he'd known as Clarice's normal shade, but there was a rumor that Clarice was actually a blonde. Her skin on her face was a shade darker than Clarice's, but perhaps that had something to do with all the sun.

Jake pointed silently to the woman as she disappeared into an antique shop. Ardelia shook her head as she took a bite of very stale cinnamon roll, without having a closer look she couldn't have been sure. The woman certainly fit Clarice's physical description just a bit over 5 feet with an athletic build.

With a great deal of regret Ardelia parted with her breakfast, grabbing a few strips of rubbery bacon to go with her roll before paying and leaving. They crossed the street quickly, both keeping a careful eye on the door of the shop to be sure that she hadn't left. The shop itself was warm, the bell above the door tinkling as they came in.

The woman in the back peered over the blonde, curious to see who had come into her shop. Seeing the young couple she nodded and smiled and turned her attention back to the blonde. "Just a moment, I'll go get it from the back." The older woman disappeared behind a curtain, leaving the blonde alone at the register.

Dee frowned, with how the woman was standing and where they were there was no way to see if it was her or not. Faking interest, Ardelia moved through the store, making her way steadily closer to the register. Honestly Clarice had always had a love for old things, though she kept it secret, she enjoyed taking a stroll through antique shops. Personally Dee had never understood what the big deal was. She liked things to be new and shiny, the more buttons the better. At the moment the shop did nothing but aggravate her dust allergy.

Somewhere behind her Jake knocked into something, a quick glance said that it was a gag. When the woman turned her head to look, so did Dee. Their eyes met for a moment and met a pair of sad hazel eyes. Her face holding a bit of shock as well as sorrow, looking back at Jake Dee found her heart aching.

Dee turned back to the woman frowning. There was no way that she was Clarice, a fact only proven as she started cursing in Gaelic, though there wasn't much behind any of it. The shop keeper came back out with a small box under her arm and a shocked face. "What the hell are you doing?" Jake blushed under such heated gaze as he tried to right the clock.

"Sorry miss, I didn't mean any harm." The shop keeper nodded.

"Just be more careful for God's sake. That clock is worth more than your life boy."

The blonde paid for her package and left quickly, glaring at Jake as she left. Dee couldn't help but smile as she saw the blood drain from his face. Still there was something about the woman that left her questioning her true identity. Smiling she moved to the shop keeper. "Pardon me, who was that?"

"Mrs. O'Hare, the poor woman. Her husband died not two months after they found out they were going to have their first child." The older woman shook her head. "Can you imagine what it would be like to have your soul mate ripped away from you? Tis' truly horrible what the woman has to deal with all on her own."

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Clarice smirked as she watched Ardelia and Jake walk out of the antique shop. She had been in and was on her way out when she'd caught them walking down the street. If the slight bump of Ardelia's stomach said anything, Clarice and Hannibal weren't the only ones expecting. She watched them carefully, her sunglasses hiding her eyes as the scarf hid her hair and a good portion of her face.

She didn't dare move the car until they had gone back into the restaurant behind her. She watched them carefully through the rearview mirror, shaking her head at their lack of guard. She hadn't always known who was watching her, but she had always known when she was being watched. Smiling she decided that she and Hannibal would be the ones to teach them about keeping their eyes open.

Only once the couple had slid back into the restaurant had she dared to start the car. Even then she had waited a good 10 minutes before moving, making sure they would stay put. On her way home she couldn't help but wonder where they were staying.

She was on the road that led to their home. Hannibal had planned the location very carefully. Up the road was the airport, but theirs was the only house on the road besides the O'Connell's. A quick getaway was quite easy when you kept a personal plane and pilot on standby.

With the house in sight Clarice allowed herself to relax. She'd been very careful to watch the rearview mirror, though she knew she wasn't being followed or watched, it was better to be safe than sorry. She wasn't surprised to see Mrs. O'Connell out in her garden. When she looked up and smiled Clarice found herself compelled to smile back at the older woman.

Pulling into her own driveway she smiled as Hannibal came out to greet her. She sat in the car and let him walk to her. She loved to watch him move, the grace and elegance that poured into every step along with the warning of danger that rolled off him. She opened the door and got her feet out, carefully making sure that her gift was not in sight as he came to the driver's side. "My goodness Clarice you've had less than 4 hours of sleep, I hope whatever you went out for so early was important." She smiled at him. It was his way of letting her know how much he cared for her, as though he didn't tell her enough. With his kindness and patience, the man that so many had called a monster had seen to her every need and given her time and space to do as she pleased.

"Good morning to you too, I hope you slept well." He frowned as he helped her out of the car. The facial expression carefully placed.

"Of course not, you saw to that." She smiled at him, hearing the teasing note in his voice. Whether he meant last night or this morning she wasn't sure and she found she didn't care.

"Well, perhaps you'll join me for a nap before brunch?" He wrapped an arm around her middle as he held her own hand with the other as he walked them back to the house.

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"How was your trip to town?" Eric asked as Ardelia and Jake walked back into the house a little past 3. Jake rolled his eyes as he closed the door with his foot, a dozen or so bags hanging from his arms as he glared at the back of Ardelia's head.

"Oh fine, thanks." She said brightly. "I'm going to head up to my room, I'm a bit tired. Jake are you coming?" He shook his head, trying to keep his emotions in check.

"No sweetie, I think I'll go see if I can get something from the kitchen." Ardelia nodded and continued her way up the stairs without saying another word.

Jake waited until he heard their door close and her moving around above his head before he threw the bags on the ground with a curse. "That woman . . ." he groaned and glared at Mr. O'Connell who was smiling at him. "What the hell do you find so funny?"

"How did your trip to town fair? Did you find your friend?"

"No and I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I don't think she wants to be found, I'm not even sure that she's freaking here!" Jake said as started walking towards the kitchen. He hadn't eaten all day and right about now, even the diner's week old rolls sounded good.

"Maybe I can be of some help, my wife and I have lived here all our lives. We know just about everyone in town."

"I don't think it would be right for me to bring you into this." The man raised a brow.

"You are staying in my home. I'm sorry to have to point it out, but I'm already in this."

Jake sat at the small table in the kitchen and thought for few minutes. Honestly he was right, there were already involved. Still, they didn't know anything really. They knew that he and Ardelia worked for the FBI and were looking for a friend who was a little lost in her own head, other than that though . . . they were in the dark. Without speaking to Dee he couldn't be sure that telling them anything more would be a good idea. The idea however wasn't very appealing in the first place. How would Eric or Alyssa do if they came across Dr. Lecter and a very pregnant Clarice, knowing what they were both capable of? Alyssa interrupted his thoughts as she came back in from her gardening. "I just saw our neighbor head home." She said cheerily to her husband.

"I didn't think that they were up this early." Eric said back, frowning as he kissed his wife's cheek.

"Doesn't matter, I'm sure that Richard will send her to bed." Alyssa smiled at Jake. "Poor Isabel hasn't been feeling very well as of late." Jake smiled back as Alyssa put a cup of fresh coffee and a roll from early that morning, down in front of him.

"What's wrong with your neighbor?"

"The same that is wrong with everyone woman, he husband wouldn't leave her alone." Though she had meant it to sound stern she couldn't help but smile at her own husband. They had wanted children so badly. She'd gotten pregnant twice, to lose the baby the first time before she had even started to show and then buried their daughter. God had called her back home two weeks after she'd been born into the world. Not a day went by where she didn't think of her babies.

"What do you mean he won't leave her alone? Does someone need to talk to the guy?" Alyssa started laughing hysterically.

"Do you think that he's abusing her? Dear Lord that man would sooner cut off his right hand than harm that woman." She calmed long enough to wipe a few tears from her eye and continue without much interruption. "No, the man cuddles her far too much. He's always worried about her health, making sure that she's getting the proper rest and eating right. She's far more likely to hit him than the other way around." She shook her head. "But enough about that have you eaten today?"

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"Care to tell me what you were doing so early this morning?"

"You, if I remember correctly." She answered with an innocent smile that was belittled by her darkened eyes. Hannibal laughed, the sound ringing through the air and down to the ground below.

"Very good Clarice, I'll rephrase. What have you got planned for me?"

Clarice sat on the balcony, glaring at the question Hannibal presented to her. "Hannibal, you know better." She said sipping at her tea. She'd never been able to stomach decaf and now with the twins, though she had to stay away from one of her favorite beverages, she still wouldn't touch the bland black swill. "You never ask it spoils the surprise."

"I am quickly learning to recent that saying." He said with a grin.

"Turnabout is fair game, honey. You did say you liked to play games, has that changed?" She sipped her tea. "If you would really like me to spoil the surprise and simply tell you what I have planned for your birthday . . ." She smiled at him. "I will. So tell me Doctor, are you tired of your games?"

Hannibal sat back in his seat, his pointed fingers resting under his chin. This was the Clarice that the F B I had tried to take from him. The confident, sharp mouthed, intelligent woman that gave as good as she got. He shook his head. "I would no sooner tire of you my dear." He answered calmly, moving his left hand to her neck as he stroked her jaw.

"It would seem the Dr. Hannibal Lecter is growing soft." He laughed again, this one sending a shuddered through her body.

"Would you like me to show you how wrong you are?" He asked in the metallic rasp that she'd heard during that first meeting.

"Later tonight perhaps, I'm still a bit sore from earlier." She said with a grin of her own. An idea hit her, a game that she wondered if he would be willing to play. "Quid pro quo Doctor." His brows arched in surprise.

"It really is my birthday." He sat back in his chair, a delighted smile reaching his eyes. "Alright my dear, I'll play."

"Why did you agree to speak with me that first day?" She asked simply, her folded hands resting over their children.

"You were a woman." He smiled at the fire growing in her eyes. "Clarice, do calm down. That was in no way a remark towards my lack of physical release." He said watching her relax, a bit. "Do you know how many women I had come to visit me, Clarice? Do you know many women that would have traveled down to the bowls of the building to meet me and my neighbors?" He shook his head. "I agreed to see you because even before I met you, you had the moxie to prove me wrong, to surprise me." He grinned. "Quid pro quo Clarice."

"The floor is yours doctor."

"Why did you agree to see me?"

"I was told to Hannibal."

"No. You were offered the chance to help, why did you agree."

"I wanted to understand what made you so scary." She answered honestly.

"Do go on Clarice."

"I don't really know how to explain it. You confused me and that you didn't frighten me, frightened me. I could understand why you did what you did . . . do." She added after a moment. They had never discussed his continued killing."Compared to all the other killers I'd read about, sex crazed bastards that got their jollies off raping women before they slit their throats or beat their heads in . . . ." She shook her head. "In a strange way you make the world a better place. I'm not saying that I would go out and kill Brittany Spears, but . . . I can understand what you did. I wanted to know why everyone thought you were so scary." She smiled. "Quid pro quo Doctor."

"Go ahead Clarice."

"Did you always know . . . ?" She paused, frowning as she searched for the right words. "Did you always know that there would be something more between us?" He grinned at her, his surprise at the question never appearing on his face.

"You are quite a wonderful surprise my dear. I was wondering if you'd ever ask." She moved her hands over her stomach soothing the now active children and waiting for him to answer her question. "Did I know that we would end up here? I suppose I did . . . or perhaps I was merely hopeful." He shook his head. "No, I'm sure I knew. The moment that you told me to take a look at myself and write down what I saw . . . I knew what you really were. They say that predators can sense their own." He smiled. "I sensed Willie and I recognized you." She nodded.

"Are you saying that we are the same?"

"Cut from the same cloth perhaps, but no my dear." He smiles. "I believe it's my turn." Clarice narrows her eyes, but nods. He doesn't wish to continue the conversation at the moment, there is no point in trying to force him.

"Fine Hannibal, what is your question."

"Do you ever regret coming away with me?" She frowned at the question, was this, a glimpse of weakness from the infamous Dr. Lecter?

"No." She stood and touched his lips with her own, a soft kiss of love and admiration. She smiled at him and pulled away. "Now you stay right there."

She left him to his thoughts as she went to get the gift that she had retrieved earlier. She hadn't bothered with wrapping the carved case, though she had seen that one of the servants brought it back to its original polish. The case and the violin inside it had been in his mother family for four generations. With her heart racing she made her way back to the balcony. "Hannibal, close your eyes."

She handed the box to her husband, barely masking her voice as she told him he could open his eyes. He didn't look at her, but gazed down at the box that she had set in his careful hands. His hands moved over the carvings, as though trying to commit them to memory through his fingers. He slowly opened the box, watching him go eerily still as the perfectly polished and retuned violin came into view.

His hand hovered over it for a moment, never really touching. She stood carefully still watching him, trying to predict his emotions, his mental workings and finding that no matter how hard she tried, she could never read him as well as he could her. "Where did you find this?" He asked, his voice holding no emotion.

"Ah, I can't tell you that. How am I ever to remain a delightful part of your life if I give all my secrets away?" She said with a teasing glint in her eye. He nodded and looked back to the instrument in his hand. She frowned, suddenly feeling self conscious about her gift. "If you don't like it, I'm sure I can find you something else. I just thought . . ."

*grins evily* Cliff hanger . . . I know . . . but I couldn't resist . . . . Don't forget to leave a review ;)