Chapter: On Guard

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Five Months Later

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Small sounds, jerky movements and eyes that still appear a green color with blue in the mix.

Hannibal hands clenched around the edge of the dark wood crib, taking in the sight of the one month older arousing from a small nap. Hannibal watched those eyes open again, and he hoped the newborn eyes would become the eye color like Anastasia's eyes.

Letting go of the crib, Hannibal reached into the crib and carefully picked up the newborn boy. He held the baby close and he walked over toward the changing table to change the diaper, and put the newborn into a new fresh, clean onesies.

When there was a small fussy sound from the one month old, Hannibal made a gentle shushing sound and began to hum softly.

"Let's go see what your mother is up to, Octavian?" Hannibal asked with a grin.

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Anastasia laid across the couch, reading a history book when she heard the sound of feet. Putting the bookmark into the page, she shut the book and set it on the table. Her attention turned to the left where she watched Hannibal walk through the doorway with their one month son in his arms. A smile began to appear on her lips at the sight.

Octavian Ajax Lecter was born exactly eight pounds and twenty-one inches in length. He welcome the world with loud cries, and Anastasia remembered how she cried at the beautiful baby boy. But she also remembered, and would not forget about the tears in Hannibal's eyes. She knew he was good when it came to faking emotions, but when he held Octavian in his arms, Anastasia witnessed and knew those were real tears in Hannibal Lecter's eyes.

"Come to see what I was doing?" Anastasia smiled as she accepted Octavian into her arms.

Hannibal sat down beside her, and wrapped his left arm around her waist. The two of them stared down at Octavian as he would open his eyes and then shut them. His tiny fists would shake, unclench and then clench again.

Anastasia bent down to lay her lips against the top of Octavian's head before she lifted her head up and turned her attention onto Hannibal.

"How was work today?" Anastasia asked softly.

"It was slow today."

"Not many patients appointed today?"

"More like their conversation did not capture my attention as much, making the time appear very slow."

Anastasia drew her eyes off of Octavian to look at Hannibal. She rested her head against his shoulder and took in a deep inhale then a deep exhale. She felt the muscles in Hannibal's shoulders move underneath her head, and she felt him rest his chin on top of her head.

"What are you thinking?" Hannibal asked softly, reaching out to brush his fingertips along Octavian's tuft of hair.

"I'm going to admit, you are probably not being captivated by your patients like you did with Will."

A low hum escaped Hannibal.

Lifting her head off of Hannibal's shoulder, she stared at him with raised eyebrows. He brought his hand up and brushed his thumb underneath her bottom lip.

"Will was an interesting case." Hannibal said.

"He is an interesting case, and will continue to be, Hannibal. Now, you are walking in Will's shoes helping with Crawford on cases, you are feeling what Will feels. Will is an interesting person, Hannibal, even I admit that." Anastasia told him, staying still as his thumb ran across her bottom lip now.

"Yes, yes he is." Hannibal nodded and leaned forward to brush his lips against her own.

A small squeal sound made them to pull apart to stare down at Octavian. His bluish green eyes were staring all around. Anastasia lifted him up and brought him close to press her lips gently against his forehead and then held him against her chest.

When Octavian began to become fussy, moving a lot more in her arms and his mouth opening and closing. When Octavian began to nuzzle against her breasts, she stood up from the couch. She bent over to peck Hannibal against the lips and then she walked toward the kitchen.

Footsteps behind her made Anastasia to know Hannibal was a few feet behind her. She sat down in the sofa chair in the corner of the kitchen hear the wine cellar, and she grabbed the folded up light blue nursing blanket cover on the arm of the chair.

When she was all set with Octavian, she looked at Hannibal as he began to pull items out of the refrigerator to start dinner. As if he felt her eyes on him, he looked up and gave her a small grin then gone back to the task at hand.

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Couple Days Later

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Anastasia pulled away from double checking the baby seat was secured and that Octavian was secured safety in the baby seat. She smiled down at her sleeping baby boy before she shut the car door as softly as she could.

Opening up the driver's door, she slid in and locked the door when she shut it. She pulled on her seatbelt and pressed the ignition button. For a couple of minutes she let her car warm up, especially with being in the mid of the fall season.

As the car ran, her eyes flicker to her rearview mirror to stare at the baby seat. Although her eyes flicker upwards to see a familiar face. Her head tilted a little as she noted it was Beverly Katz, but something did not sit well with Anastasia.

She noted how Katz sat in her own vehicle, and appeared to wait for Anastasia to move. To see if she was not being over paranoid, Anastasia put the car in reverse and backed up a little in the parallel parking spot. She pulled out when the street was clear and pulled way from the spot in front of the baby store she had been in prior.

Glancing in the rearview mirror again, Anastasia saw Katz had pulled out too, and she was following. Anastasia did not want to make it obvious that she knew Katz was behind her, so Anastasia dodged the idea of taking many turns to see if she would continue to follow. Anastasia only took a few extra turns than her original route back home, but she decided to go to Hannibal's office.

The moment Anastasia pulled onto the street of Hannibal's office building, Katz turned right at the four-way. A low hum escaped Anastasia and she was curious why Katz would follow her. She pulled in front of Hannibal's office building and sat for a few seconds in the car, wondering what Hannibal has done this time to make even Anastasia to be followed.

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A text message was sent to Hannibal about her arrival and she would wait in the waiting room for him to finish up with his afternoon patient. She sat for about twenty minutes in the waiting room, flipping through a magazine and occasionally glance at Octavian in his baby seat still peacefully sleeping.

The door soon opened, and Anastasia set the magazine back into the pile on the coffee table. She grabbed the handle of the baby seat and walked by Hannibal to enter his office. He shut the door behind them while she walked over to the lounge chair and set down the baby seat carefully. She checked to make sure Octavian was still asleep before her attention was on Hannibal.

"Good evening, my dear, how was your day out?" Hannibal questioned as he moved across the room to come stand before her.

Anastasia tilted her head a little back to stare up at Hannibal, shutting her eyes for a brief moment when he brought his hand up and brush his fingertips along her jawline. His hand came to a pause against her jawline and he bent his head down a little. She leaned up and she pressed her lips against his own before she was the first to pull back.

"It was good until I was being followed. Or I'm being paranoid since Jack's team took our clothes two days ago to be analyzed." Anastasia told him.

The hand on her jawline slid away and Hannibal eyes narrowed for a split moment.

"Who?" Hannibal asked lowly.

"Beverly Katz. Something is telling me she is up to something, or she has been talking with Will."

"I have noticed she has been cautious around me, and not lightening up around me either. I suspect she could be going on whatever Will told her about us. She is most likely investigating and indulging in figuring out more about us." Hannibal explained, brushing his hand down her arm and then pulling away.

Anastasia turned as Hannibal walked around her and he stared down at the sleeping Octavian. Hannibal reached out and his left pointer finger brushed along the bridge of Octavian's nose in a gentle manner. He pulled his hand away and stared at Anastasia.

"How far will she go, Hannibal? The way she is acting with you and then following me. I wonder what Will told her." Anastasia mumbled, running her right hand through her long brunette hair.

"I believe we will find out soon enough." Hannibal assured her.

"You think so?"

"Yes, and it will be soon if she is getting this curious about us to the point she is following you." Hannibal told her as he looked away to stare at Octavian.

Anastasia turned her attention onto Octavian, and saw him began to awake from his nap. She stayed back as Hannibal took Octavian out of the baby seat and held him against his chest, gently speaking to Octavian. The sight of father and son made Anastasia to smile.

Hannibal walked over to the seat he sits in during his sessions, and continue to speak softly to Octavian, who was moving around and making cooing sounds.

"Do you have any more appointments today?" Anastasia asked while she stared at Hannibal.

"I have an appointment with Bella Crawford in about ten minutes." Hannibal answered.

"How has she been doing?"

Hannibal simply shook his head.

Anastasia frowned a little while she walked up to Hannibal and stared down at Octavian. Hannibal tilted his head back a little as Octavian hands moved around and he slapped his tiny hands against the underside of Hannibal's chin. When Octavian let out a fussing sound, Hannibal's nose twitched, which Anastasia caught.

The moment she saw Hannibal's nose twitch, she knew Octavian needed to be changed. She held her hands out toward Hannibal, but he stood up with a shake of his head. Anastasia stood back as she watched Hannibal move around her to grab the changing bag and walked toward another section of a room where he cleared a table.

Anastasia relaxed as she always got a sense of surprise whenever Hannibal took over with Octavian. She knew she should not be always surprise by his actions, but to her and everyone else, he does not appear to be a man to have a 'normal' lifestyle, especially having children.

"You still get surprise whenever I take over with Octavian." Hannibal said, as if he read her mind.

"Sorry, it's just an interesting imagine."

Hannibal glanced over his shoulder at her with a smirk and then turned his attention back on Octavian, who let out a small coo sound with a gummy grin.

When Hannibal finished up with Octavian, he held him close and he took in a deep inhale.

"All clean." Hannibal said softly, bouncing Octavian a little in his arms.

She walked toward Hannibal, and he glanced at her as she stepped closer. Hannibal adjusted Octavian in his arms, and he bent down to run his nose along her jawline. Anastasia could not help but tilt her head a little off to the side when Hannibal's nose trail down her throat and his lips pressed against the junction of where her shoulder and neck meet.

Hannibal pulled back a little to where Anastasia could look into his eyes, seeing them darker than usual.

"What was that about?" Anastasia grinned a tiny bit.

"What about a soufflé tonight for dessert?" Hannibal asked, his lips brushed against her lips.

A small teasing smile came onto her lips.

"Why do I get the feeling you want more than soufflé tonight?" Her left eyebrow raised with the teasing smile still on her lips.

Hannibal did not say anything, but his dark maroon hazel color eyes got a cunning glint in them, which made her to laugh softly. She leaned in and gave his lips a small peck before she pulled back, earning her a low growl.

"The chocolate soufflé first, Dr. Lecter." Anastasia winked at him while she took Octavian from his hold.

"Of course, dear." Hannibal smirked, tucking his hands in his suit pant pockets.

Anastasia grabbed the items, and began to buckle Octavian back into his baby seat. She felt Hannibal come up behind her, and he brushed his hand across her lower back.

"Are you going to go to the market now?"

"Yes, I was going to go right after shopping some clothes for Octavian, but I saw Katz."

"Keep an eye out, Anastasia, even though I believe she would do nothing toward you. It is more toward me that she is after." Hannibal told her.

Anastasia nodded as she took the changing bag from Hannibal to sling it over her left shoulder. She grabbed the handle of the baby seat and smiled down at Octavian before her eyes looked upwards at Hannibal. He brought his hand up to brush a few strands of her hands back, and he pressed his lips against her forehead before he stepped back to allow her out of the office.

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Late Evening

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She did not enter the house until Hannibal got home.

When she had come back from shopping, she had sent Hannibal a text message about Beverly Katz's vehicle parked nearby their home. She got a reply back from Hannibal about him coming home as fast as possible.

Within fifteen minutes, Anastasia heard the familiar sound of the supercharged Bentley. The Bentley pulled in quick in the driveway and Hannibal stepped out with a firm expression. Anastasia got out also with Octavian in her arms, since she fed him while she waited for Hannibal to arrive home.

The two entered the house with silent steps.

Anastasia settle Octavian in his baby seat carefully as Octavian was fast asleep. She stared at Hannibal as he stared toward the kitchen and then he glanced at her. Anastasia moved toward the living room, and set the baby seat on the coffee table.

"Ana." Hannibal whispered.

She smiled down at Octavian before she followed Hannibal toward the kitchen and into the wine room built off the kitchen.

The room not only contained various wines, but a large refrigerator with glass doors containing various herbs, but also there were certain types of 'meats' packaged seal tight in the refrigerator. There were other herbs all throughout the room, hanging and drying out. But it was the hidden floorboard, which caught the couple eyes.

Hannibal gone down first and Anastasia took in a deep inhale then exhale before she followed him.

The two stood next to each other, and stared before them in the dim lit basement. There was plastic panels around certain areas of the basement, chains hanging around in some areas, and there was a section in the room where there was a surgical table with various surgical tools on a table beside it. At the moment, there was a body on the table, and standing in the middle of the basement was Katz. It was clear how horrified Katz was at her discovery.

Slowly, Anastasia moved away from Hannibal and hid herself in the shadows. She stared at Katz, who stared around the room in a horrified look. It was clear Katz knew who and what exactly Hannibal was and did. Anastasia knew Hannibal would not let Katz out of this basement.

Anastasia moved her eyes over to Hannibal, and could not help but feel the hairs on her body to raise at the sight of him.

There were only a few lights on, and they were not bright. The image of Hannibal at the bottom of the steps with his shoulders tensed and his head dropped, where his chin almost rested against his chest. The motion caused the darkness of the basement shadows to shroud most of his face except his eyes. He appeared as if he was formed from the darkness, and he welcome the darkness as if it was an old friend.

When Katz realized she was not alone, she slowly turned around to face the dark expression of Hannibal. The gun was raised, and quickly Hannibal hit the light switch to make more lights turn off before he disappeared into the darkness.

Anastasia crouched down as she watched Katz shoot in spots where Hannibal made sounds to draw attention. However, he hid behind a pillar and Katz kept her gun trained on the pillar and began to move towards it.

Without hesitation, Anastasia stood up and walked out of the darkness to appear behind Katz. Knowing it would be risky, but to draw Katz attention away from Hannibal, Anastasia let out a sharp, short whistle. It caused Katz to whirl around with the gun out, but Anastasia spun around her to get around her backside.

As Anastasia done this action, Hannibal appeared out from behind the pillar and grabbed ahold of Katz's arm, pushing it upwards where she fired another shot and it gone through the ceiling. Anastasia watched as Hannibal disarmed Katz and then put her into a sleep hold.

Standing there, Anastasia watched as Hannibal pulled Katz over his shoulder and carried her toward another surgical table beside the other one. Chains and cuffs were put on Katz, keeping her against the surgical table.

Hannibal looked up at her when she stepped up to him, brushing her hand across his back. Anastasia eyed him, sliding her hand down his back and then she turn away. She would go back to Octavian while Hannibal would deal with Katz. Anastasia glanced over her shoulder, seeing Hannibal stare after her with dark maroon eyes before his attention turned back onto Katz, and most likely figuring out a design.

Anastasia looked back forward with a blank face and disappeared upstairs.

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Here was a new chapter.

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