I don't really know where in the timeline of Hannibal that this takes place… Let's put it in the middle of Season 1, where Beverly is alive and Will isn't completely insane yet. Enjoy:)

Chapter One

"You want me to do what?" Will asked, his voice on the border of anger and irritation as he paced around Jack Crawford's office.

"I told you already," Jack replied in a monotonous voice. "We need you to help take care of a little girl for a while. Now if you'd settle down and stop complaining, I'd be happy to further explain."

Will took a deep breath before sitting down in one of the large chairs facing the desk. He looked at Jack's chin, silently urging him to continue while also avoiding eye contact.

"A two year old girl was found at a crime scene where both the parents had been expertly murdered. We ran an ID check and we can't find any living relatives of the girl, so I need you to look after her until we find the killer that did this," Jack stated.

Will squinted and adjusted his glasses. "Why can't you just put her in a foster home or something?"

"We did," Jack explained. "We placed her into a home for children, and we are led to believe the same killer came back to take her. The staff reported that someone broke in and was trying to steal the girl. When they attempted to stop him, he fought back viciously. He showed no interest for any of the other children and none of them were harmed. Three staff members, however, were rushed to the ER because of near-fatal wounds that the intruder inflicted on them."

Will shifted in his seat and unconsciously tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair. "Still, why do I have to take her?"

Jack leaned forward on his desk. "She needs a safe place to stay where we can keep an eye on her," he said.

"Yes I understand that, but why me?"

Jack sighed. "Who do you think would have been a better choice?"

Will met his gaze for a moment before darting away again. "I don't know, anyone else in the world? You, Alana Bloom, Beverly Katz, Jimmy Price, Brian Zeller, Dr. Lecter, whoever's on the police force?"

Jack was quick to shoot down Will's suggestions. "I have to be here and on the field all day, every day. Alana used to be the murdered husband's psychiatrist many years back so she's helping out on the case, and if this goes to court then we can't have her opinion be biased because of any attachments she's grown to the child. Katz, Price, and Zeller all have to be here doing their job, and they can't take the girl to work with them, especially not in forensics. I can't send her to someone on the force because I want her to be with someone close to me, someone I can trust. And Dr. Lecter, well, we've already worked out that he'll be helping you."

"What?!" Will asked, looking up.

"Dr. Lecter works most of the day as well, so he can't take care of her full-time. He can't take her to work either because he could have violent patients. However when he is not working, I expect him to be with you, helping to care for the little girl," Jack explained.

"Why?" Will wasn't necessarily opposed to having help, but he wasn't sure why Jack didn't trust him to be alone with one small child.

"I assumed you could use an extra hand," Jack said simply. "And having Dr. Lecter there to keep you mentally stable is an added comfort."

Will probed his mind for an acceptable excuse to get out of this. "What if I lose time or I forget to feed her or change her or something? What if I hurt her?" He asked.

"Again, that's why Dr. Lecter will be with you whenever possible. Plus, we've all seen how well you take care of your dogs, so I know you can do this," Jack insisted.

Will sighed in disappointment. "Fine," he muttered quietly.

"Good," Jack smiled. "Tomorrow is Sunday, so Dr. Lecter can be with you all day. He will help to get things under control so you will be ready on your own for Monday."

Will nodded, removing his glassing and rubbing at his eyes. He realized he needed to get some sleep; tomorrow's going to be rough.

oOo

Hannibal eyed the child suspiciously as Jack brought it over. It smelled of cheap diapers, but he forced a smile on his face as it was handed to him. He wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to hold it, but he managed to sit it on his left arm while his right hand held onto its back to keep it from falling.

"The name on her birth certificate says Talia Noelle Miller and she just turned two a couple weeks ago," Jack stated.

Hannibal looked at the little girl. She had fair skin, aqua blue eyes and thin blonde hair that was slightly wavy and hung down to the center of her back. She wore a plain pink dress and didn't have any shoes.

"Well hello Talia," he said quietly as he smiled at her.

She started to smile back, and then she shoved two fingers in her mouth and turned to rest her head on his shoulder.

Hannibal couldn't help but grimace when she removed her fingers and placed the same sticky hand on his expensive suit.

Jack laughed, but Hannibal didn't see what was so amusing.

"She hasn't talked very much since we found her, but I suppose two year olds don't generally say a lot to begin with. She might open up once she gets used to you," Jack mentioned. "We also gathered up most of her clothes and toys from the house, I can help you load some of it into your car. And here," he handed a piece of paper to Hannibal, "is a list of her allergies, naptimes, and preferred meals. Luckily, the parents had left this note for their babysitter on the fridge."

Hannibal took the paper in his right hand while continuing to hold the child in his left. He skimmed across it vaguely, before tucking it into his suit pocket. He then held out his hand to Jack.

"Thank you, I should go to Will's now. She's probably tired," Hannibal said.

"Yes, of course," Jack agreed, meeting his hand. "You'll have to put up the collapsible crib once you're there, however. I have the girl's car seat as well, so make sure she's safe."

Hannibal nodded and released Jack's hand as he turned to walk back out to the parking lot. He heard a sucking noise come from the girl and immediately afterwards he felt a slimy hand grasp the back of his neck. He cringed, wondering why he ever agreed to this anyway. He'd only done it so he could watch how Will Graham reacted to responsibility, and he was curious what would happen. However, he now realized the huge hole he had dug himself into with this child.