Hannibal's office, Saturday

[sharp_as_knives]

At least staying at the hotel and meeting in his office meant that it was a short (and pleasant, if cold) walk to work, rather than a drive in Baltimore traffic. Which was especially welcome as his morning routine took a little longer as a woman.

Hannibal chased off the squirrels with a rum bribe and a forbidding look, turned the heat up to a comfortable range, and set out water, then sat at his desk to read a bit while he waited for Derek.



[OOC: NFB because therapy!]

Comments

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal would have to start an entire mental cabinet for "things to ask you later", Derek.

"And was this place still safe?" He was beginning to get a picture here.

[justlurkinghere]

"It was," Derek said quietly, face contorting into an extreme amount of grief. "She kept begging for it to stop hurting."

[sharp_as_knives]

"That must have been very difficult," Hannibal said calmly. "Seeing someone you cared for in such pain."

That picture was definitely coming clear, but he suspected Derek needed to say it himself.

[justlurkinghere]

Well, congrats on making him an even sadder sack than normal, Hannibal. "I didn't know what to do."

[sharp_as_knives]

Derek really didn't need much help with that; that's why he was here. "So what did you do?"

You could say it, Derek. The serial killer wasn't going to judge you.

[justlurkinghere]

Shhhh. With your logic.

"I--I helped her." With claws and enhanced strength. And apparently crying like he was now.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal reached for his pocket square automatically, and grimaced when he remembered women's suits didn't have those. He walked over to his desk and retrieved a box of tissues from it, set them by Derek without comment, and sat back down.

"You helped her in the only way you could," Hannibal pointed out. "How did you do it?"

[justlurkinghere]

Which were ignored as Derek attempted to be stoic again. "I held her."

Tightly.

[sharp_as_knives]

Not what he meant, Derek. But he would try not to sigh; you had come quite a way.

"And then what?"

[justlurkinghere]

Derek sighed, looking down at his hands. "I--there was so much blood on my hands."

Blood and disgusting black ichor as she rejected the bite.

"My uncle showed up and took her from me. And then my mother later."

[sharp_as_knives]

"And they helped you? Did they know what had happened?"

[justlurkinghere]

"I don't know," he said, staring down still. "I was wrong from then on. I was different."

With his fancy blue eyes.

[sharp_as_knives]

"This was your first such loss," Hannibal pointed out. "I would be more surprised if you weren't, even without the other circumstances. And being forced into such a decision at a young age can't have been easy, either."

[justlurkinghere]

"If she hadn't known me, she wouldn't have died."

[sharp_as_knives]

"Possibly," Hannibal conceded. He waved his hand at the doorway. "I could be attacked by one of this island's odd occurrences and die on the way from the building." Not likely, but possible. "I'm only here at this time because of our appointment; it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't known you. That wouldn't make it your fault."

"Was she attacked or ill because she knew you?"

[justlurkinghere]

He didn't even understand why Ennis had been in the school that night. "She was on her way to meet me when she was attacked."

[sharp_as_knives]

"And if she hadn't been, perhaps she would have been on her way to meet somebody else, and still been attacked," Hannibal pointed out. "Or somebody else might have been.

Hannibal watched Derek closely. "Do you blame her for her death for going to meet you?"

Not a rhetorical question, Derek.

[justlurkinghere]

"I'm the one who asked. I'm the one to blame."

Oh, guilt.

[sharp_as_knives]

"So you don't blame her attacker, then?" Hannibal may have arched an eyebrow at that.

[justlurkinghere]

"What?" With your logic there.

[sharp_as_knives]

"You said that you're the one to blame. You don't blame the person who attacked her for her death?"

Deal with the logic, Derek.

[justlurkinghere]

You can't make him!

Which was why Derek was bust staring at his hands, much less bushy eyebrows bunched up in thought.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal was still very good at waiting. Although he was finding the temptation to tap his foot was greater with the extra bit of heel on these shoes.

He refrained.

[justlurkinghere]

Well, they were nice shoes...

"I was the one who ended it."

[sharp_as_knives]

Congratulations, Derek, that was very nearly actually saying it!

"Would you have done that if she hadn't been attacked and dying?"