Disclaimer: I own nothing except this story.
A/N: Wow. This is the last chapter. I'm so proud! *hugs self* This is the first story that I'll have finished. Cool, huh? After this I'm probably going to go back to Winter Wonders and then That's My Girl and then perhaps a new story? Or maybe I'll watch Titanic again and work on Titanic. Whatever the case, this is the last chapter of You've Got Mail! and Winter Wonders comes next.
And yes, I know the format is boring but too bad.
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Clarice sat in her car staring at the steering wheel willing the tears not to come and praying that Hannibal wouldn't come out. After a couple of minutes she got herself together enough to drive and so she did. Halfway home on the highway, she felt the tears start to fall and she drove quickly over to the side and turned the car off. She let her head fall onto her arms which were resting on the wheel and began to cry for really. For about five minutes she sat there, sobs racking her body until she stopped crying. Instead she snivelled. Clarice was appalled with herself. She of all people did not snivel. But here she was, snivelling. She decided that she could drive home and pulled back onto the highway and quickly drove the rest of the way home.
As soon as Clarice was home, she heated up some apple cider and turned the TV on. She flipped through the channels but couldn't find anything so she snapped it off and picked up the closest book which happened to be Desperation by Stephen King. Exactly, she thought and put it down again. Trying to do anything aside from think about Hannibal she walked over to her computer and checked her mail. There were three things sitting in her inbox. The first was from Jack Crawford and so she opened it. All it was was reminding her that she had a meeting tomorrow with him. She closed the window and deleted the message. The second was from Ardelia asking if she wanted to get together on Friday. Clarice quickly checked her calendar and saw that she was free so she emailed Delia back telling her that she'd love to. The last message was just an add so she deleted that and sat back at her computer the tears coming back to her eyes. She got up and walked away from her computer, knowing that it would only remind her of him. As Clarice looked around, she realised that practically everything in her house did, from her cell phone lying on her dresser to the skin cream in her bathroom. She decided that she would call Delia to see if she wanted to do anything. The phone rang. Clarice picked up, knowing that it was him and that it wasn't at the same time.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Clarice. Did you get my email?" It was Delia. Of course. She couldn't help be a little disappointed.
"Oh, hey Delia. Yeah I did. I emailed you back, but Friday's fine," Clarice answered.
"Are you ok?" Delia asked concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine," answered Clarice trying to put an upbeat in her voice instead of the wetness that accompanied tears.
"You don't sound like it."
"Well, I am," Clarice snapped. She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."
"What is it?"
"I can't tell you. I'm really sorry," Clarice said, hoping her friend would understand.
Delia sighed. "Let me guess. It has something to do with Doctor Lecter."
"No, of course not. That'd get me arrested," Clarice lied, not surprised at all that Delia thought that it was Hannibal. Ever since Chesapeake, the entire FBI thought that she was in love with him. Clarice had done everything she could to debunk those rumours but it didn't work.
"That's why you can't tell me. Listen, I promise I won't tell anyone. I'm going to come over, we can talk about it at your house," Delia said and hung up. Clarice sighed and put the phone back into its cradle. A few minutes later, Delia walked into the living room where Clarice was sitting. She had given her the key ages ago when Delia had been taking care of her cat. Her cat had died about five years ago, but Delia still had the key.
"What happened Clarice?" she said sitting down next to her friend.
"I can't tell you," Clarice repeated.
"I swear I won't tell anyone," Delia said. Clarice looked over at her.
"You're in the FBI. It'd get me arrested."
"You need to tell someone and I'm better than anyone else I can think of."
Clarice sighed. "You aren't going to leave me alone, are you?"
"No."
She sighed again. "Fine." Clarice told Delia the story, beginning with the first email and ending with her answering the phone. She included all the gory details such as her sitting in the car snivelling but left out where Hannibal was. "And now," she finished up, "I made the worst mistake of my life and there's no way I can change it."
Delia looked at her friend in amazement. "This has been going on for how long?"
"About a month."
"And you never told anyone?"
Clarice shook her head.
"You're better at keeping secrets than I thought. And stop worrying, I'm not going to tell anyone. I do have one question, however."
Clarice cocked her eyebrow.
"Why can't you take it back?"
Clarice opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out. Why couldn't she take it back? Clarice glanced at her watch and realised that if she left now, Hannibal might still be there. "Um, Delia? I have to go somewhere . . ."
Delia laughed. "Ok. I'll go, in case you bring home any guests that I'm not supposed to know about. Call me later ok?" Clarice nodded and got up from the couch. She ran over to where she had thrown down her jacket and quickly put it on while she was running to her car. Clarice jumped in and drove as fast as she could to the cabin. Once she was there she looked around for him car but didn't see it. Her heart fell. She got out of the car slowly and walked over to the door of the cabin. Not surprisingly, it was locked. She stepped back and kicked right below the handle. It opened, like she knew it would. Clarice walked into the cabin, feeling very awkward at having to break into a friend's house, but figured that he had done it to her, so she had a few free times without feeling guilty. She looked around and smiled. Clarice knew that he was still there. To the normal eye, it wouldn't look like it, but Clarice was used to looking to see if people were there. Or maybe it's just because that a bookcase wouldn't normally have a book on psychology. At any rate, she knew that he would be returning so she sat down on the couch to wait.
Two Hours Later
Dr. Hannibal Lecter drove into the little grove in front of his cabin and stared in surprise. The black Jaguar he had bought for Clarice was sitting where he usually parked. He parked his car where it was sitting now and got out. He walked over to the car and made sure that Clarice wasn't in it. She wasn't, of course. He guessed that she had just brought it back because she didn't want it, but then realized that she couldn't do it without a friend. He stopped. Hannibal realized that she might be mad enough at him to involve the police. He didn't think it was likely, but you never know. He took out his harpy and slowly approached the door. It was open about a crack and so he peeked in. Instead of the police/ FBI brigade he had expected, he saw Clarice lying down on the couch, apparently asleep. He wondered if it was a trap and decided it wasn't. He put the harpy back, but kept his hand on it and walked into the cabin. Glancing around, he confirmed that there weren't any police or anything like that. Hannibal walked over to Clarice and squatted down next to her, reluctant to wake her up; she looked so peaceful lying there. Instead, he gently placed a strand of hair that had been in her face behind her ear. She stirred slightly and woke up, her eyelids flickering.
"Hannibal?" Clarice said softly as if she wasn't sure he was really there.
Hannibal smiled. "Hello, Clarice. Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, thank you. I can't believe I fell asleep, though," she muttered, closing her eyes for a second and then opening them again.
"I'm here, if that's why you're blinking," he said, still smiling.
Clarice smiled back. "I knew you were coming, but somehow I knew that you weren't . . ." She shook her head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. "Listen, Hannibal, I-" before Clarice got a chance to finish, Hannibal placed his fingers over her lips.
"I know," he said and replaced his fingers with his mouth. Clarice closed her eyes and enjoyed the kiss, wishing it would never end. Eventually they broke apart, if for nothing than lack of air.
"I'm sorry," Clarice said and leaned her head onto Hannibal's shoulder.
"It's ok," Hannibal whispered back. He gently lifted Clarice's head up and sat down on the couch, the latter being much more comfortable. He took Clarice's hands in his and looked into her eyes. "Clarice, will you marry me?"
Clarice blushed and looked down, staring at Hannibal's hands rather than his face. She contemplated her answer for a couple of milliseconds and looked back up and Hannibal. "Yes," she said and kisses him.
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Yay! I finished my first fic! *hugs self* I'm so proud! *does a little victory dance*
So, do you like it? And please don't ask me to write more. That's the end, and that's that. Ta ta,
-Nicky
A/N: Wow. This is the last chapter. I'm so proud! *hugs self* This is the first story that I'll have finished. Cool, huh? After this I'm probably going to go back to Winter Wonders and then That's My Girl and then perhaps a new story? Or maybe I'll watch Titanic again and work on Titanic. Whatever the case, this is the last chapter of You've Got Mail! and Winter Wonders comes next.
And yes, I know the format is boring but too bad.
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Clarice sat in her car staring at the steering wheel willing the tears not to come and praying that Hannibal wouldn't come out. After a couple of minutes she got herself together enough to drive and so she did. Halfway home on the highway, she felt the tears start to fall and she drove quickly over to the side and turned the car off. She let her head fall onto her arms which were resting on the wheel and began to cry for really. For about five minutes she sat there, sobs racking her body until she stopped crying. Instead she snivelled. Clarice was appalled with herself. She of all people did not snivel. But here she was, snivelling. She decided that she could drive home and pulled back onto the highway and quickly drove the rest of the way home.
As soon as Clarice was home, she heated up some apple cider and turned the TV on. She flipped through the channels but couldn't find anything so she snapped it off and picked up the closest book which happened to be Desperation by Stephen King. Exactly, she thought and put it down again. Trying to do anything aside from think about Hannibal she walked over to her computer and checked her mail. There were three things sitting in her inbox. The first was from Jack Crawford and so she opened it. All it was was reminding her that she had a meeting tomorrow with him. She closed the window and deleted the message. The second was from Ardelia asking if she wanted to get together on Friday. Clarice quickly checked her calendar and saw that she was free so she emailed Delia back telling her that she'd love to. The last message was just an add so she deleted that and sat back at her computer the tears coming back to her eyes. She got up and walked away from her computer, knowing that it would only remind her of him. As Clarice looked around, she realised that practically everything in her house did, from her cell phone lying on her dresser to the skin cream in her bathroom. She decided that she would call Delia to see if she wanted to do anything. The phone rang. Clarice picked up, knowing that it was him and that it wasn't at the same time.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Clarice. Did you get my email?" It was Delia. Of course. She couldn't help be a little disappointed.
"Oh, hey Delia. Yeah I did. I emailed you back, but Friday's fine," Clarice answered.
"Are you ok?" Delia asked concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine," answered Clarice trying to put an upbeat in her voice instead of the wetness that accompanied tears.
"You don't sound like it."
"Well, I am," Clarice snapped. She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."
"What is it?"
"I can't tell you. I'm really sorry," Clarice said, hoping her friend would understand.
Delia sighed. "Let me guess. It has something to do with Doctor Lecter."
"No, of course not. That'd get me arrested," Clarice lied, not surprised at all that Delia thought that it was Hannibal. Ever since Chesapeake, the entire FBI thought that she was in love with him. Clarice had done everything she could to debunk those rumours but it didn't work.
"That's why you can't tell me. Listen, I promise I won't tell anyone. I'm going to come over, we can talk about it at your house," Delia said and hung up. Clarice sighed and put the phone back into its cradle. A few minutes later, Delia walked into the living room where Clarice was sitting. She had given her the key ages ago when Delia had been taking care of her cat. Her cat had died about five years ago, but Delia still had the key.
"What happened Clarice?" she said sitting down next to her friend.
"I can't tell you," Clarice repeated.
"I swear I won't tell anyone," Delia said. Clarice looked over at her.
"You're in the FBI. It'd get me arrested."
"You need to tell someone and I'm better than anyone else I can think of."
Clarice sighed. "You aren't going to leave me alone, are you?"
"No."
She sighed again. "Fine." Clarice told Delia the story, beginning with the first email and ending with her answering the phone. She included all the gory details such as her sitting in the car snivelling but left out where Hannibal was. "And now," she finished up, "I made the worst mistake of my life and there's no way I can change it."
Delia looked at her friend in amazement. "This has been going on for how long?"
"About a month."
"And you never told anyone?"
Clarice shook her head.
"You're better at keeping secrets than I thought. And stop worrying, I'm not going to tell anyone. I do have one question, however."
Clarice cocked her eyebrow.
"Why can't you take it back?"
Clarice opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out. Why couldn't she take it back? Clarice glanced at her watch and realised that if she left now, Hannibal might still be there. "Um, Delia? I have to go somewhere . . ."
Delia laughed. "Ok. I'll go, in case you bring home any guests that I'm not supposed to know about. Call me later ok?" Clarice nodded and got up from the couch. She ran over to where she had thrown down her jacket and quickly put it on while she was running to her car. Clarice jumped in and drove as fast as she could to the cabin. Once she was there she looked around for him car but didn't see it. Her heart fell. She got out of the car slowly and walked over to the door of the cabin. Not surprisingly, it was locked. She stepped back and kicked right below the handle. It opened, like she knew it would. Clarice walked into the cabin, feeling very awkward at having to break into a friend's house, but figured that he had done it to her, so she had a few free times without feeling guilty. She looked around and smiled. Clarice knew that he was still there. To the normal eye, it wouldn't look like it, but Clarice was used to looking to see if people were there. Or maybe it's just because that a bookcase wouldn't normally have a book on psychology. At any rate, she knew that he would be returning so she sat down on the couch to wait.
Two Hours Later
Dr. Hannibal Lecter drove into the little grove in front of his cabin and stared in surprise. The black Jaguar he had bought for Clarice was sitting where he usually parked. He parked his car where it was sitting now and got out. He walked over to the car and made sure that Clarice wasn't in it. She wasn't, of course. He guessed that she had just brought it back because she didn't want it, but then realized that she couldn't do it without a friend. He stopped. Hannibal realized that she might be mad enough at him to involve the police. He didn't think it was likely, but you never know. He took out his harpy and slowly approached the door. It was open about a crack and so he peeked in. Instead of the police/ FBI brigade he had expected, he saw Clarice lying down on the couch, apparently asleep. He wondered if it was a trap and decided it wasn't. He put the harpy back, but kept his hand on it and walked into the cabin. Glancing around, he confirmed that there weren't any police or anything like that. Hannibal walked over to Clarice and squatted down next to her, reluctant to wake her up; she looked so peaceful lying there. Instead, he gently placed a strand of hair that had been in her face behind her ear. She stirred slightly and woke up, her eyelids flickering.
"Hannibal?" Clarice said softly as if she wasn't sure he was really there.
Hannibal smiled. "Hello, Clarice. Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, thank you. I can't believe I fell asleep, though," she muttered, closing her eyes for a second and then opening them again.
"I'm here, if that's why you're blinking," he said, still smiling.
Clarice smiled back. "I knew you were coming, but somehow I knew that you weren't . . ." She shook her head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. "Listen, Hannibal, I-" before Clarice got a chance to finish, Hannibal placed his fingers over her lips.
"I know," he said and replaced his fingers with his mouth. Clarice closed her eyes and enjoyed the kiss, wishing it would never end. Eventually they broke apart, if for nothing than lack of air.
"I'm sorry," Clarice said and leaned her head onto Hannibal's shoulder.
"It's ok," Hannibal whispered back. He gently lifted Clarice's head up and sat down on the couch, the latter being much more comfortable. He took Clarice's hands in his and looked into her eyes. "Clarice, will you marry me?"
Clarice blushed and looked down, staring at Hannibal's hands rather than his face. She contemplated her answer for a couple of milliseconds and looked back up and Hannibal. "Yes," she said and kisses him.
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Yay! I finished my first fic! *hugs self* I'm so proud! *does a little victory dance*
So, do you like it? And please don't ask me to write more. That's the end, and that's that. Ta ta,
-Nicky