#g.j. hobbs

[pesky--dust]

It gets me how Hannibal ate Mischa out of love in order to forgive her, and how he said Abigail that her father cut her throat out of love, too.

[n1angi]

Shrouded in Darkness

CHAPTER 5 : RISOTTO MILANESE

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Will Graham x AFAB character x Hannibal Lecter (Polyamory)

Summary:

In the heart of Baltimore, forensic analyst Sidonie Renard navigates the shadows of crime scenes, concealing her loneliness behind a composed facade. Drawn into a web of intrigue, she captures the attention of profiler Will Graham and the enigmatic Hannibal Lecter.

Word count: 4,5k

Chapter Warning: Murder, Blood, Gore.

The morning air was crisp, with a faint chill in Sidonie’s home, a reminder that winter was fast approaching.

The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a dim light through her apartment, with only the glow from the front door offering any brightness.

She picked up the leather bag she had packed the night before, hearing a soft whimper from her dog. Smiling, she crouched down to give Lucy a gentle pet.

“I’ll be back soon, I promise,” she murmured.

Lucy licked her face, and Sidonie let out a small chuckle. After leaving the house, she locked the door behind her and glanced at the two cars waiting outside. Noticing Jack stepping out of his car, she sighed and began walking toward him.

Today, Sidonie was meeting Abigail Hobbs, and the thought made her sigh. Although she was irritated at Jack for assigning her to a task outside her usual duties, her curiosity ran deeper.

There had to be some connection between Copycat and G.J. Hobbs. Why else would the copycat contact G.J. Hobbs if they weren’t somehow linked? Even if Hobbs didn’t know the copycat personally, the killer had to have some knowledge of him to mimic his actions so closely.

Will Graham had mentioned earlier that the copycat case wouldn’t resurface, but Sidonie had a nagging feeling, almost instinctual, that he would.

Whether Abigail could help with the case or not remained to be seen, but it was worth a shot.

“You’ll be in the second car,” Jack told her.

“Good morning to you too, Jack,” Sidonie replied as she walked past him, heading toward the car behind his.

She glanced at the sleek, expensive vehicle and noticed Hannibal in the driver’s seat with Will in the passenger seat. She gave them a nod before opening the back door.

Her eyes fell on a slender young girl with wide, steel-blue eyes that held a mix of confusion and slight tension. Abigail’s pale, almost ghostly skin made her seem even more fragile.

She leaned away slightly to make room for Sidonie.

Sidonie settled in, placing her bag between herself and Abigail, and greeted her coworkers.

“Good morning to you too, Miss Renard. Did you get any rest?” Hannibal asked with a slight smile as he started the engine, following Jack’s car.

“More or less. Thank you for asking,” she replied, noticing Will slouched in his seat, rubbing his eyes. Now, he didn’t seem to have gotten any rest.

Sidonie turns her attention to Abigail, who looks at her anxiously. Offering a gentle smile, she extends her hand.

“Sidonie Renard. I’m a forensic analyst. It’s nice to meet you, Abigail.”

Abigail hesitantly shakes her hand, glancing between Sidonie and the others.

“I thought analysts were supposed to focus on evidence,” Abigail remarks.

“Umm, Yeah, that’s true. But sometimes understanding the bigger picture helps uncover details. Being present gives me a better sense of the situation, so that’s why I’ll be accompanying you on this trip.”

“Then I’m guessing you’ll be around quite often,”

Sidonie offers a subtle smile as Abigail continues to stare at her. She notes how expressive the young girl’s face is as if her emotions are laid bare for anyone to see.

“That’s right.”

Abigail smiles, but it’s clear that it’s forced, born out of discomfort.

Hannibal glances in the rearview mirror, observing them.

“How are you finding the weather, Abigail? I’ve heard it can be quite a change from what you are used to.”

Will subtly raises an eyebrow at Hannibal's question. Was he really starting a conversation with the weather?

“Winter is milder here than back at home… but I’m adjusting.”

“It’s often the small adjustments that are the most challenging, but they can also be the most rewarding,” Hannibal informs. “This trip can be considered as one of those occasions.”

“I just hope… it brings a bit of peace,” Abigail says softly, her voice almost a whisper.

She lowers her eyes, watching her fingers as they fidget. Her shoulders slump slightly.

“It’s not easy to keep hope alive… especially when everything feels uncertain.” Will murmurs, his voice raspy, betraying his fatigue.

“Will is right,” Hannibal adds. “Hope is a powerful ally, Abigail. You are brave for facing what lies ahead, even when the path is unclear.”

“…I’m- I’m just…Everything feels so heavy sometimes.” Abigail admits, swallowing hard. “Hope feels more like a dream than something real.”

Sidonie watches Abigail closely, placing her hand between them and subtly shifting her shoulders.

“You don’t have to force yourself to move forward if you’re not ready. The burden you’re carrying isn’t light. Sometimes… just staying where you are is enough.”

Abigail looks up at her, then down again with a small shrug.

“Yeah… maybe you are right.”

The car falls silent for a moment. Sidonie clears her throat and reaches into her handbag.

“I didn’t have time to eat anything so…”

She pulls out a chocolate bar.

“I brought some chocolate. Would you like some?”

Abigail nods and smiles shyly.

“Do you prefer dark chocolate or something sweeter?”

“I thought only old people liked dark chocolate,” Abigail mumbles.

Sidonie raises an eyebrow playfully.

“Thanks for calling me old”

Abigail gives a faint chuckle.

Will listens, feeling a small swell of emotion as he hears Abigail’s chuckle.

He hadn’t been sure if he could reach that part of her, get her to open up. The moments they shared were subtle, but he hoped that she would get to be happy one day. He genuinely wanted her to have a normal life.

“Mr. Graham,”

He glances at Sidonie, holding out a chocolate bar. He nods grabbing the bar from her hand, mumbling small thanks.

He breaks off a section and glances at Hannibal.

“I’ll decline, as I’m driving,”

Will shrugs and pops a piece of chocolate into his mouth.

“Suit yourself.”

As the group arrives at the airport, the terminals are bustling with travelers and the clatter of rolling luggage. They make their way through the crowd, following signs to their gate. After a swift check-in and security process, they board the plane.

Inside the aircraft, the cabin features muted colors and soft, overhead lighting. Will settles into his window seat and pulls down the shade to block the rising sun. Abigail takes the middle seat, looking weary, and soon drifts off to sleep. Sidonie sits beside her.

In the row ahead, Hannibal, Alana, and Jack find their seats together, exchanging quiet words as they get settled. Hannibal’s gaze occasionally drifts back, observing the surroundings, while Alana and Jack engage in a low-key conversation. The plane begins to taxi, and the engine noise grows louder as they prepare for takeoff.

As the plane ascends, the cabin settles into a gentle rhythm of vibrations and occasional turbulence. Sidonie’s eyes are fixed on the pages of her book, turning them with practiced ease. Meanwhile, Will struggles to find a comfortable position.

After a few unsuccessful attempts to fall asleep, he glances over at Sidonie, noticing the cover of her book. It’s “The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath.

“Quite a heavy read for a flight”

“It’s been on my list for a while.”

He raises an eyebrow.

“Interesting choice for this setting.”

“How so?”

“I am guessing you’re not near finishing it,” he looks over the page. “Yeah, not even close.”

Sidonie raises a brow at him.

“No spoilers please.”

He chuckles faintly.

“Such a book is impossible to spoil.”

Her attention turns back to the pages.

“I assume you read often.”

“I wouldn’t say that…”

“That’s what every bookworm says.”

Will shakes his head.

“Perhaps you got me.”

Sidonie smiles faintly.

“Do you read?”

“In my free time.”

“Do you have a favorite?”

“Crime and Punishment, by Dostoyevsky.”

Will nods.

“Classic.”

“You?”

“Frankenstein, Mary Shelley”

Sidonie hums thoughtfully.

“Huh, an Interesting choice.”

Will tilts his head, waiting for her to elaborate.

She places her book on a lap, her hands still holding it.

“Well, if you put it in a certain perspective, both of the characters deal with the consequences of their actions and look into darker aspects of themselves in their way.” she explains “Raskolnikov's surroundings had a profound impact on his actions, while Frankenstein's choices were more a product of his unbridled ambition and intellectual hubris. It’s interesting how both of them are driven to confront their inner demons, despite the different forces pushing them.”

“Huh…That’s a good way of putting it.” Will nods. He hadn’t thought of it that way but found the comparison intriguing. He realizes this is the longest conversation they've had since she arrived almost two weeks ago.

However, his lack of initiative and the irritation that came with Jack’s persistence were the biggest reasons for it. Will leans into his seat.

“Mhh, you have a talent for… connecting dots, even when they seem unrelated.”

Sidonie blinks, realizing she has rambled a bit.

She had felt and knew that Will didn’t think much of her. Perhaps even to say he was not particularly fond of her. But just now, she could tell his tone was slightly warmer and lighter. Even inviting.

“You’ve just described the reason why I’m here.”

“It can be your cognitive capabilities, and… some might consider a personality trait.”

“How so?” She looks at him.

“Well, um, It could mean you're constantly on edge, wary of revealing too much about yourself.” Will says slowly “As if you're constantly guarding yourself.” He pauses as she arches her brow. “Or perhaps you have a deep need to make sense of things, to feel a sense of security.”

"Looks like Dr. Freud is back from the dead.”

Will rolls his eyes, faintly smiling at her sarcastic remark.

“And here comes the humor, a classic defense mechanism,” Will adds in.

“And I’m the one overanalyzing now mh?”

“Touché.”

Abigail shifts slightly in her sleep, her head resting against Sidonie’s shoulder. She murmurs in her sleep, barely coherent.

Sidonie freezes momentarily but then adjusts so Abigail’s head is comfortably supported. Abigail’s face relaxes, showing a hint of relief.

Will watches the scene quietly. The interaction is subtle but undeniably comforting.

Sidonie notices Will’s softened expression.

“Let’s try not to wake her... She has a lot to face today.”

Sidonie tells him as he agrees with a nod.

As she goes back to her book, Will, unable to fall asleep, finds his mind preoccupied with other thoughts, looking forward to returning home.

Two rented cars pulled up at the airport, everyone loading their luggage and heading to their destinations.

The morning sun was dim but bright enough to cast a warm light on the car. The weather was nicer than in Washington, with a chilly breeze rustling the leaves on the ground. Minnesota was greener than Sidonie had anticipated.

The drive was quiet. Will, who had struggled to sleep on the plane, finally managed to doze off with his head resting against the window. Hannibal was driving, looking well-rested, while Sidonie assumed he must have slept during the flight.

In the other car, Abigail sat with Alana and Jack.

Hannibal glanced at Sidonie in the rearview mirror. She had her head propped up with one hand, her eyelids heavy as she looked out the window. The dim sunlight touched her face.

“I can wake you when we arrive, Miss Renard,” Hannibal offered softly.

Sidonie turned towards him, her gaze lazy.

“It’s okay. I prefer to sleep in a bed.”

Hannibal nodded and returned his attention to the road.

He gently pulled up to the motel, as Will had chosen to stay there rather than go into the city.

Sidonie stepped out of the car, and Will looked at her, still half-asleep. He had expected her to stay in the city with the others.

“Hannibal is heading to the city,” Will said, just to let her know.

“I know, but I’d rather get some rest right away,” Sidonie replied.

Will nodded and looked at Hannibal, signaling him to call before picking them up.

They received their keys and went to their rooms on the second floor, two doors apart, and settled in.

Sidonie looked around the room, noting the full-sized bed with white sheets, a small TV in the corner, and a table with two chairs. She drew the curtains and turned on the light. Setting her bag on one of the chairs, she sat on the bed and then lay down, closing her eyes.

The first day of travel had been exhausting, and she needed time to adjust to the new environment. She hoped she could trick herself into sleeping, but after ten minutes of silence and shifting uncomfortably, she gave up.

Getting up, she opened her bag.

Fortunately, she had picked up some food at the airport before their flight. She took out a sandwich and sat down in the wooden chair, leaning back.

As Sidonie unwrapped the sandwich, her mind drifted to a distant memory. She remembered sitting in the kitchen with her mother, a table of similar size between them.

She gripped the steel spoon with the delicate flower carvings. Her gaze fixed on the soup in front of her, which she could distinctly remember the smell of. It was earthy, and fresh, with a hint of onions, garlic, carrots, and celery mingling together. The smell should have felt comforting, but instead, it brought haunting tension to her.

Her eyes slowly drifted to her mum's hands, which were always empty of any jewelry. She could remember the navy dress she wore. She couldn’t quite place if it was old, or if she rarely wore it.

The memory of her face was blurry. All she remembered was her lips; tight and down casted. Her jaw clenched.

Sidonie took a bite of the sandwich but immediately felt her stomach churn.

It tasted acidic.

She spat it out and stood up, grabbing her bag and pulling out a water bottle to drink quickly. Her face showed her distaste.

Had she been given expired food?

Her eyes scanned the package, and the fresh date stared back at her, contradicting the discomfort she just felt.

The sleek, white car pulls into the driveway and Will glances back at Abigail. She looks over at Sidonie, prompting her to open the door. Both step out of the car, with Will and Alana following closely behind.

Abigail's gaze fixes on the large, graffiti-like letters scrawled across the front of her house. The word "CANNIBALS" glares back at her. She stares at it, her brows furrowing, her lip trembling slightly.

Hannibal and Sidonie stand behind her as Abigail slowly moves toward the house. Sidonie takes in the surroundings—a traditional two-story house with a classic suburban look. The muted brown bricks and siding give it a rustic feel, and fallen leaves are scattered across the black, sloping roof.

As Abigail nears the entrance, her eyes fall on a faded, rust-colored stain on the front step.

“Is this where my mum died?”

“Yes.” Will nods.

Her eyes slowly brim with tears.

“I was sort of expecting a body outline in chalk or tape.”

“They only do that if you’re still alive and taken to the hospital before they finish the crime scene.”

He explains as she stays silent for a moment.

“Goodbye, Mom.”

Abigail mumbles softly as she steps into the house. Will lingers outside for a moment, staring into the distance before turning back to glance at everyone else, then heads in.

Sidonie follows, her eyes briefly falling on the faded stain by the entrance. She pauses, staring at it, lost in thought. When she looks up, she catches Hannibal’s gaze. He silently urges her to move along with the others.

They all step into the dimly lit room. Antlers are mounted on the walls, and the interior is dominated by dark wood and deep browns. Sidonie can't help but admit that the decor isn’t to her taste.

Alana stays close to Abigail, while the rest follow behind. Abigail hesitates in the doorway before entering the kitchen. The room has been scrubbed clean, every surface meticulously wiped down by the cleaners. The evidence box sits on the table, waiting for them.

“If you ever want to go, you just have to say so and we will go.”

Alana reminds her.

“Go where? Back to the hospital?”

“For now.”

Abigail notices that all the family pictures, once proudly displayed, have been turned around, their images hidden from view.

“They turned all the pictures over.”

“Crime scene cleaners will do that.”

“They did a really good job.”

She glances at the spotless table and then shifts her gaze to the floor.

“Is that where all my blood was?”

Will nods.

“Yes.”

Abigail faces him.

“You do this all the time? Go places and think about killing?”

Sidonie glances at Abigail and then shifts her eyes to Will.

“Too often.”

“So you pretended to be my dad?”

Will steps forward, moving closer to Abigail.

“And people like your dad.”

“What did that feel like? To be him?”

Hannibal eyes subtly narrow as he observes the exchange between Will and Abigail.

“If feels like… I’m… talking to his shadow suspended on dust.”

“You think you knew him?’

“I tried to know him. I still try.”

“Even after you killed him?”

“Maybe because, I killed him.”

Sidonie crosses her arms, her eyes lowering to the floor.

Abigail nods.

“No wonder you have nightmares.”

“The attacks on you and your mother, they were different. Desperate. Your dad knew he was out of time. Someone told him we were coming.”

Will explains.

“The man on the phone?”

Sidonie’s eyes drift back to Abigail and Will. Hannibal’s gaze follows hers, taking in her reaction.

“It was a blocked call. Did you recognize his voice?”

“I had never heard it before.”

Abigail’s eyes flick briefly toward Hannibal, as Hannibal tilts his head slightly.

“Was there anybody new in your father’s life? Someone you met or someone he talked about.”

Alana asks.

“He may have been contacted by another serial killer, a copycat.”

Will’s voice is gentle as he addresses Abigail, who furrows her brows in visible distress.

“Someone who’s still out there?”

“Yeah.”

Abigail swallows hard, a realization dawning on her that her nightmare is far from over and hope feels increasingly out of reach.

Sidonie walked through the hall and entered the room bathed in soft cream pastel hues.

This was Abigail's room. Her gaze swept over the full-sized bed with dark blue sheets adorned with white flowers, flanked by wooden nightstands. One of them held a white lamp and a photo of Abigail with a friend.

Approaching the desk on the right, Sidonie noted its neat arrangement of books. Above it, posters of horses, bands, and pictures from trips decorated the wall. Two small shelves displayed a few trophies, all earned from horse riding.

The room had a peculiar, somewhat unsettling scent.

As Sidonie examined the trophies, Abigail entered. Her eyes took in the sight of the woman In front of her.

Although Sidonie’s strong, distinctive features and deep, articulate voice were intimidating, just now there was a softness in her demeanor, which contrasted with her usual presence.

“Do you like horseriding?”

Sidonie shakes her head.

“Never tried it before.”

“But do you want to?”

Abigail asks her, and Sidonie glances over with a gentle smile.

“Now that I remember it, I would love to try.”

“I used to be afraid of the horses when I was small. They used so huge in my eyes.” Abigail shares “But after my dad forced me to start horse riding… I grew to love them.”

Sidonie gazes at her for a moment, lost in thought.

G.J. Hobbs had appeared to be a loving father, and despite everything that had happened, Abigail still seemed to love and miss him.

She wondered if it was truly possible to love a parent who had caused so much harm.

“I see.”

“They are suspecting me, aren’t they?”

Abigail suddenly asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

“It’s natural that they do,” Sidonie reassures her.

“Yeah…Why else would they send you here.”

“I’m not qualified for what they asked me to do. The only reason why I agreed, is for personal interest.”

“Personal interest?”

“Copycat killer.”

Abigail nods slowly, her gaze drifting away.

“I see… um, how does he kill?”

“He displays them theatrically. Like pigs. Leaves no evidence. Quite the character, I would say.”

“And you work on evidence.”

Sidonie nods in agreement.

Abigail crosses her arms and swallows, her expression tense.

“Is he… going to come after me?”

“There is a high probability that he might.”

Abigail nods her mind elsewhere.

Sidonie tilts her head slightly, observing her.

“Do you remember anything about him? The tone of his voice? Anything can help Abigail.” She gets closer to her “If we catch him, you will be safe.”

“Why do they suspect me?”

Abigail shifts the topic, drawing Sidonie's attention for a moment.

Alana had noted that Abigail seemed adept at gathering information while holding back her own—a subtle form of manipulation. Yet, Sidonie knew there was nothing to hide about their suspicions of Abigail. The girl was sharp enough to understand that much on her own.

“They’re struggling to understand how your father could have lured the girls.”

“I wouldn’t… I didn’t do anything.”

“The evidence doesn’t point to you. It’s just a theory.” Sidonie pauses. “But… it’s more likely that a copycat might be targeting you.”

Abigail’s gaze locks onto Sidonie’s, a flicker of terror in her steel blue eyes contrasting sharply with her calm olive green ones.

“If you remember anything, even just a small detail, it could help us solve the case. You’re under FBI protection, but that might not last forever. So if something comes back to you, you need to let me know.”

“He… He might have had an accent.”

Abigail mumbles.

Sidonie’s eyes widen slightly.

“An accent is a good detail. Can you remember anything else about it? Maybe where it was from or what it sounded like?”

“I’m not sure...”

A knock on the door interrupts them. Hannibal stands there, watching them.

Sidonie looks up, and Abigail, startled, glances at him.

“Dr.Bloom asked us to stick together,” Hannibal says, addressing Sidonie.

“Alright, let’s go downstairs.”

Abigail nods and moves past him, avoiding eye contact. Sidonie offers Hannibal a polite smile.

As they walk away, the wood creaks slightly under their steps. Hannibal’s gaze lingers on Sidonie’s back. His eyes darkened.

She was proving to be a complication.

Sidonie, along with the others, carefully unpacks the evidence box in the room.

“Can you catch somebody’s crazy?”

Abigail looked at the item in her hand.

“Folie a deux.”

Alana replies softly.

“What?”

“A French psychiatric term. ‘Madness shared by two.’”

“One can not be delusional if the belief in question is accepted as ordinary by others in that person’s culture or subculture. Or family.”

Hannibal adds as he sets another box down.

“My dad didn’t seem delusional. He was a perfectionist. After he skinned a deer, he would pluck the loose hair. Most people use a torch. Dad would remove all the hair by hand. He wanted to make sure he got every one of them.”

“Your dad left almost no evidence.”

Will said.

“You let me come home to find the evidence.”

“It was one of many considerations.”

Hannibal informs her.

“Are we going to re-enact the crime?”

Abigail as she looks at Will and Alana.

“You be my dad. You be my mom.”

She looks at Sidonie.

“You can be Agent Graham”

Then she looks at Hannibal

“And you be the man on the phone.”

Uncharacteristically, Hannibal is caught off guard by that. More so by Abigail’s steely nonchalant stare that followed.

Hannibal looks away as Alana's voice softens.

“We wanted you to come home to help you leave home behind.”

“You’re not going to find any of those girls, you know.”

“Why so?”

“Because he’d honor every part of them. Made plumbers putty out of elk bones. At least that’s what he told us. Whatever bones were left of those girls is probably holding pipes together.”

“Where did he make this putty?”

Hannibal asks.

“At the cabin. I can show you.”

“Abigail... there’s someone here.”

Everyone turns to see a girl with dark hair and a dark red leather jacket. She looks to be about the same age as Abigail.

“Hey, Abigail.”

“Hey, Marrisa.”

Marissa and Abigail head outside, with the adults deciding to give them some space. Will and Alana follow, standing at a distance to monitor the situation.

Inside, Hannibal and Sidonie go through the evidence box.

Hannibal’s gaze shifts to Sidonie as she fixates on a package containing a golden wedding ring. Her eyes locked on the ring, that had a slight stain of the blood.

Hannibal notices her intense focus, a subtle curiosity evident in his expression.

“You seem lost in thought Miss Renard.”

She puts it back down.

“Just thinking about the case.”

“I believe there should be more reasons for your agreement to accompany this case.”

Sidonie glances at him, her frows furrowing subtly.

“Perhaps, it is something personal,” Hannibal adds in.

“And what gives you that impression?”

“Everyone has a reason for doing what they do. Even being here has a purpose for each of us.  For Abigail, it’s a hope. Leaving her old life, to start anew.”

He watches her intently. She meets his gaze, her eyes briefly meeting his with a hint of curiosity. Raising her brows and sighing, she shifts her focus back to the evidence.

“I’m here because of the copycat killer. I’m curious of him.”

“Curiosity takes us to many places, but it always circles back to our mind. The real intrigue lies in the canvas itself, not just the strokes on its surface.”

She furrows her brows slightly, her gaze moving from his hands to his face.

As he examines the evidence with a calm demeanor, Sidonie feels an unsettling chill, as if something unseen is creeping up behind her. His calmness contrasts with the intensity of his scrutiny making him seem almost omniscient, adding to her discomfort.

“I suppose we all have our reasons for being drawn to certain things. If there’s something more personal, It’s my matter to handle. Not anyone else's.”

A faint smile tugs at the corners of his lips.

“Ah, a well-defended boundary. It seems that you have mastered the art of self-preservation Miss Renard.” He pauses “While such skill is admirable, it often leads to a certain solitude.”

Sidonie hesitates, the urge to deny the truth rising within her, but she can't escape the reality his words hold.

The loneliness she feels is palpable, shaped by her nature and circumstances. It leaves her with a sense of vulnerability as if she’s suddenly been laid bare.

“Perhaps there is some truth to that. Being alone is something I’ve grown accustomed to, but that’s what I chose, and manage just fine.”

She looks him in the eyes.

“But I can say for certain that catching this copycat killer will personally satisfy me. Knowing I’ve apprehended him will simply boost my ego and credibility.”

Hannibal’s eyes darken slightly, sensing the hint of need in her voice, almost a desire.

He smiles subtly, feeling a twinge of excitement.

A subtle yells come out of the yard as they look away.

A distant shout breaks the moment—Marrissa and Abigail are outside, calling someone out.

They look away, drawn back to the present, as the moment slips away and reality reasserts itself.

[pesky--dust]

What's your take on Will's fear as a consequence of his heightened empathy? Do the murders he commits dampen that fear or amplify it?

Sorry it took so long, but life got the better of me very hard and I felt I don't have time to write the answer in a way that would be satisfactory enough for me.

First of all, I consider it as a very muddy topic and let me clarify: Will's heightened empathy comes from the book and there it is Doctor Bloom who points out that Will deals with heightened empathy and it is the reason for his fear.

In the show, the last part is left to Alana, but it's Hannibal who "diagnoses" Will with heightened empathy and considering that this is Hannibal who is curious about a lot of things — I'm unsure if we can trust him with that diagnosis completly or not. I have to also admit, even to myself, that at this stage, Hannibal would have had no reason to mess around in this matter, since he had just met Will and he had no way of knowing yet how their lives would intertwine. Messy from the very beginning!

However, what Will does borders on magical realism anyway, so it's possible that this is really the only diagnosis he can get.

And I also believe Chilton is right about most things in the series (because he is Cassandra of the show), so his diagnosis of Will in court?

Let's break this down a little bit. We do know that Will actually hid all his life, fearing that he understood criminals so well because he had such tendencies himself (by the way, this is also taken from the book).

For the purposes of this analysis, I believe these words from Chilton are most important: "Saving lives is just as arousing as ending them. He likes to play God".

But for now, let's focus on Bedelia's words for a second:

And yes, in the series we see Will only killing actually bad people (criminals): G.J. Hobbs, Randall Tier, Francis Dolarhyde, he also constantly fantasizes about killing Hannibal. It is righteous violence, isn't it? Because he is compassionate.

And having covered all this, I feel we can now move on to answering your question.

Will is afraid, but only for a while, as even Alana points out:

I think his empathy actually frightened him because he was afraid of what his fate might be if he let himself get carried away by it. He spent his entire life trying to convince himself that he was a good person… only to end up in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane anyway! For things he didn't even do!!!

When he realized that empathy had become his only weapon, he began to use it skillfully: a scene where he cries in front of Alana and Hannibal that he is scared, lost and needs their help? Allowing Chilton to be the only one to test him? Exclusive rights to his story for Freddie Lounds? He knew that these people wanted it, so he gave it to them.

So in my opinion? Will's fear was never a direct result of his empathy, but rather the fact that he was afraid of the consequences of using it — hence being a cop, a special agent. He was trying to prove to himself that he was good and normal. Moral. Moral person cannot be killer, right? Right??? He wanted to believe so.

And now about dampen that fear or amplify it. The opinions of Chilton and Bedelia, which I inserted earlier, will be useful here.

Will was vulnerable in the first season when he was sick, but Will himself is a huge manipulator; he plays not only with other characters, but also with the audience.

Will tried to live as a good and moral man.

After killing Hobbs, he said that he did not consider him his victim, but dead. He had hallucinations of Hobbs, but this could have been the result of encephalitis combined with work-related stress.

After killing Randall Tier? While at the crime scene, Tier told Will that it was the becoming for him too. Killing Dolarhyde? "It's beautiful".

BUT! Do you remember the body that was set on fire as the body of Freddie Lounds?

Will had a nightmare about this, where the burning body had his face on it. He woke up sweating like at the beginning of the show. There was still a moral dilemma.

He came back to this job after three long years because of the Red Dragon's case. And so, Hannibal was right as they stood in their memory palace over the broken mirror, "Like you, Will, he [Dolarhyde] needs a family to escape what's inside him" — soon after that Will wakes up drenched in sweat from a nightmare. And when he looks in the mirror then, his reflection is falling apart, which I think parallels nicely with what he said in season one ("I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I looked through me, past me. Like I was a stranger"). Is it his person suit falling down right now?

And now... In my opinion Chilton and Bedelia are right. Killing can be enjoyable to Will if he feels it is morally justified. The killings he committed were like that.

He had a nightmare after "killing" Freddie because he was playing a very dangerous game with Hannibal, but he also knew that compared to the other perpetrators, Freddie's crimes were minor.

He is like God. He is the one who administers justice. The murders — or transgressions, like what eventually happened to Chilton because of him — that Will commits don't make him more and more afraid, but rather… he becomes more and more confident.

[pesky--dust]

Was she "wasted" or venerated? Kinda wanna say a bit of both. Set aside on a pedestal, her death could never be like the others rude/banal flesh. She was going to die in hobbs desperation(he was caught, if he couldn't eat her, he could still have her death) or Hannibals shattering(she wasn't able to be the teacup come back togther.) There's an au in me somewhere, where she devours her father figures not out of revenge but out of love(?) for them and their craft

Hi! Honestly, I thought about it, too! And I want to agree with your opinion, but allow me to put it into my words and expand on it the way I see, too.

Abigail was different than their "regular" victims, and though both of her fathers' "love" was toxic, she was too important to die like others (not that both G.J. Hobbs or Hannibal had any time to elevate her to any culinary actually) - true, I completely agree with that.

But at the same time... the way she died negates everything she was taught about killing. Her father taught her that not eating their victims (human or not) is just a plain murder. Hannibal said to her that her father cut her throat out of love and you point out to that desperation, too!

We don't know whether she knew about Hannibal's "mottos" or not; however she was aware that Hannibal was a cannibal (Trou Normand's script says that Abigail recognizes the taste of the meat) and she had to have some thoughts on that then too, but sadly, we don't know anything about them, since she didn't confront Hannibal about the source of the said meat.

Moreover, we - as an audience - know that Hannibal believed he ate Mischa out of love and in order to forgive her.

But then again, when it came to Abigail - Hannibal killed her out of somewhat childlike tantrum, and so she became a sacrificial lamb that died because of the sins of her another "father" (Will).

I believe she knew what was coming, when he gutted Will and she realilsed that she made a deal with the devil, and so she undestood that there is no way out and she is about to die. Earlier, when they were faking her death, Hannibal told Abigail that if he ever wanted to kill her, he would do this the same way, her father did. It could be somewhat comforting, but at the same time? Dying in such a way seems to me a betrayal of all the values she has been taught.

It is such a banal example since I don't want to get into a true crime case that stuck into my head, but: it's like you were all you life taught by your parents that smoking is bad and you shouldn't do it only to find out that they are smoking all the time they were telling you it is bad! And so Abigail was told that killing and not eating victims is bad, only to end like an example of the "bad" killing.

I'm sorry for writing so much, but Abigail's fate touches me sometimes so much that it feels like my head is about to explode and so I like to vent my emotions by talking about her.

And I like your au so much!! It kinda reminded me about the fanfic I read, in which, in order to honour Abigail's mother, she and Hannibal baked a bread of her ashes. :(

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Abigail’s blood is on all of us.

Abigail Hobbs from Hannibal TV series and the historical Abigail Hobbs, who was convicted during the Salem Trials.

For more on the historical Abigail Hobbs, please see the links I got my information from: dbedia.org, Salem Witch Trials, tamuc.edu, research gate.

Yes, I know that Abigail in the series is older, but based on her conversation with Marissa, I believe they haven’t finished school yet (Marissa talks about people talking at the school in Potage).

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Do you remember Freddie Lounds' articles from the show that came out during the Red Dragon case?

If no, then here they are, because I would like to talk about them for a moment:

In the series, Will seems furious that he “had to justify himself to an eleven-year-old”, but in the book, Will was not happy about it either, as he would rather talk to his stepson (in the series: Wally, in the book: Willy) on his own terms about his past, which means killing a man (G.J. Hobbs) and being in a mental institution, but Lounds made this impossible for him.

However reading these articles, I think the questions Wally asked Will aren't the worst.

Here is the orginal script, which is also very much the same in the book:

Given that Freddie Lounds had been involved with Will's “case” from the very beginning, knew that Will and Hannibal were Abigail's surrogate fathers, that Will had followed Hannibal to Europe, and even called them “murder husbands”, Freddie could remind all of that in these articles if she wanted to, but she didn't.

If she did, the questions Wally asked Will were always could be worse, like “Dad, why is the press calling you Hannibal the Cannibal's murder husbands? And what does it mean that you had a child together????”.

Be grateful for that, Will.

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I was the lure. (Relevés)

It pains me that she always was the lure: for G.J. Hobbs to kill girls similar to her, for Hannibal in order to get closer to Will, and for Will to try and catch The Copycat.

[pesky--dust]

We all laugh (or get annoyed) at Jack for being stupid. I do it myself, but let me stand up for him right now.

Let me start quite obviously: Jack had no ill intentions when he brought Will Graham into the FBI's work. He was convinced that Will could save lives and was ready to support him in that — he wanted Alana Bloom to be his psychological support, and when she refused, he went to the psychiatrist she recommended — Hannibal Lecter.

Yes, I'm annoyed myself with how he keep putting pressure on Will (e.g. episode Coquilles: "You go back to your classroom and there’s more killing that you could have prevented, it will sour that classroom forever") and his way of thinking, which he admitted to Hannibal Lecter in Buffet froid, which I will show with a fragment of the script of the said episode:

(that feeling when you agree with cannibalistic serial killer)

It was after Coquilles in which Will said that he want to quit because it is bad for him, so no Jack, I don't think Will feels the same way.

But this post was supposed to be a defense of Jack Crawford, so let's get back on topic.

Jack didn't know the truth about Hannibal, he didn't know that Will had autoimmune encephalitis, and he had no reason not to believe Hannibal that what was wrong with Will was psychological. After all, Dr. Lecter was the psychiatrist recommended to him! And Jack had every right to believe that Hannibal was giving Will the psychological help he needed in his work with the FBI.

And Hannibal prepared the ground for the version that Will has a mental disorder. The story that Hannibal presented made sense: due to his empathy disorder, Will began to believe that he was G.J. Hobbs and continued his work, ultimately taking the life of his daughter.

Jack recruited Will to work with the FBI, believing in his abilities, but Hannibal made him believe that the job had broken Graham mentally. And it's not unusual for disappointed patients to blame their therapists, so it would be quite a natural turn of events for Will to start claiming that Hannibal is the copycat killer, just to avoid being the one to blame. And there was no evidence against Hannibal, because he took care of it.

And now let me focus on the episode titled Yakimono.

Miriam Lass turned out to be alive. Hannibal's partial fingerprint was found at the place where she was held! And on top of that, Dr. Chilton referenced a cannibalistic joke he heard from Hannibal! And Jack ignored it all!!!

But are you sure? In my opinion, he was already planning to use Will again. I think Jack started to suspect something when Beverly Katz was murdered. In Futamono, he tested the food served at Hannibal's party. No human flesh was found there. With Yakimono though, Will's honey pot act in regards of Hannibal begins.

And my theory may seem to make no sense to you, but let me dig into it.

Let me show you a deleted scene from Kaiseki which I find particularly important, crucial one, here:

Tl;dr: Hannibal is social anti social, Will can shape him somehow, because Hannibal believes that Will is as unique as him himself.

Which leads to the conclusion that…

To catch Hannibal, the FBI must take advantage of his weakness towards Will.

And during his honey pot act, Will was still working with Jack, so why wouldn't Jack trust him? However, in Mizumono, Will called Hannibal, warning him, which led to the bloodbath, so why, even after hearing in Aperitivo that Will wanted to run away with Hannibal and a part of him would always want to (Dolce), did Jack continue to trust him? I think it was because Jack thought Will blamed himself for Abigail's death and since he was trying so hard to be a parent to her, he thought that if he ran away with Hannibal, Abigail would be still alive. And in the end, Will "got" Hannibal arrested, right?

Why did Jack allow Hannibal's fake escape in The Wrath of the Lamb and involved Will in that?

In my opinion it connects with the paragraph from earlier. Three years had passed, Will had gotten married, adopted his wife's son, so he had mentally recovered from the bloodbath and the death of his surrogate daughter, right? He told Jack he was really happy, right?

Will may have warned Hannibal and wanted to run away with him, but he was the reason Hannibal was caught. Three years have passed and Will has gotten himself together. In front of Jack he was playing (at least partially) about how he doesn't want to be drawn into the "game" he was playing with Hannibal again, he warned Molly that when he came back he would be different (he didn't come back), he said Alana that seeing Hanniabal for the first time in three years made him feel like Hannibal was looking through to the back of his skull; felt like a fly flitting around in there (... and the Woman Clothed with the Sun), he assured her that he wouldn't let Hannibal into his head again. Will seemed to be traumatized by all this. Up until...

This is the scene where Will is in Jack's office watching what the Dragon has done to Chilton (The Number of the Beast is 666). He looks terrified, panicked, and then suddenly… he becomes sort of relaxed, calm? Would you agree with that? I guess so. But have you ever noticed that there is a transition between these two reactions? It is in front of Jack and Alana that he is terrified, in front of Bedelia he is calm and admits to her that maybe he exposed Chilton to the Dragon on purpose because he actually hates him (just like in the book, although in the book he set Freddy Lounds up to the Dragon).

Will played in front of Jack until the end. Even when suggesting using Hannibal as bait, Will pretends he's not 100% sure it will work, even though he already had a deal with Francis Dolarhyde (The Wrath of the Lamb). It was us as the audience who knew this, not Jack.

I think that Jack believed Will, because he wanted to; it was his way of trying to rehabilitate himself after what Will had to go through because of him because Jack didn't believe him from the beginning that Hannibal was the Copycat. I think that after it turned out that Hannibal was not only the Copycat Killer, but also the Chesapeake Ripper, Jack decided to never doubt Will's abilities again. And that doomed him, just as Kade Prunnell and Alana Bloom predicted.

[pesky--dust]

Tbh, sometimes, going about my day as usual, I suddenly remember that part of the conversation between Will and Willy from Red Dragon about G.J. Hobbs and I get incredibly sad when I remember that Hobbs’ daughter in the novel has no name, but “she’s all right now”.

Like— how dare you. MY EMOTIONS.

I also love how the show practically copied this dialogue, but I wish Wally asked about Hobbs’ daughter. However, maybe this means that Freddie respected Will’s request and didn’t write about Abigail anymore after "Kitchen Nightmare"...

[pesky--dust]

I wanted abigail to be away from hannibal and will’s mess so badly like let her heal omg. It was just weird and off putting bc she was too grown for them to act like that with her.

Fr! I have so many thoughts about this!

(I keep promising myself to write an analysis of Abigail and her relationships with others actually, but I can't bring myself to do it, because it would be a looong post)

Writing as brief as possible for now though:

I believe it would be best for Abigail to remain at the facility, under Alana's care. However, considering G.J. Hobbs and his obsession with his daughter, I understand why she ended up in a rather similar and toxic relationship with Hannibal.

Because let's face it: G.J. Hobbs' love towards Abigail was toxic and victims often don't see these relationships as abusive and yet, they are aware that they shouldn't be speaking about them with anyone; they often tend to ignore all the red flags in current or future relationships.

In Abigail's case, it is tragic because she did not experience such a relationship in her adult life as a fully developed person in a romantic relationship, who grew up in a healthy and loving household, who knew better; she lived in such a relationship from an early age because this was her father - it was his love which was toxic. Having lived this way since childhood, it became the norm for her and living in such an environment changes the way you look at many things.

She may not be fond of Will and Hannibal, but she was already used to the mess. She believed that Hannibal would save her, because after all they were in this together - she killed someone and he helped her to hide the body. If she would end up in jail, he would end up in jail too.

Will's attitude towards Abigail: Did Will love her? No. He thought he loved her. Because he empathized with G.J. Hobbs (which already makes it toxic), blamed himself for failing to save her mother and since he killed her father, she became an orphan. Moreover, he saw her as a victim of G.J. Hobbs, just like himself. Will wanted also to believe that he could be "good" and "normal", by taking care of her; Alana told him that Abigail is a success for him, right? And Hannibal took advantage of all of this to convince Will that they were now responsible for her.

Hannibal's attitude towards Abigail: I think it's complicated. I believe there were several reasons he saved her (I have a post queued on that). He knew from the beginning that she could be useful to him, and when she outright suggested that he be the man on the phone, letting him know that she knew it was him who called her house, he knew he had to keep an eye on her. I won't believe he didn't have to bribe someone to become her guardians along with Will after that.

But I also believe that Hannibal became kind of fond of her. Because saw an opportunity in her. As I wrote in one of the posts, Hannibal could not turn back time to save Mischa. He could turn back time for Abigail; he faked her death and then "brought" her back to life.

The script says he feels genuine sadness when he slits her throat. And I think that's true to some degree, because it turns out he couldn't save Mischa and he couldn't save Abigail from his wrath when Will hurt him. Like a child, he wanted to hurt both Will and Abigail, as much as he felt hurt. It turned out that Abigail was not Mischa; she was Will's Mischa.

She was not truly loved by anyone. She was just a "father's joy" and each of her fathers saw in her what he wanted to see. Hobbs wanted her to remain his little girl. Will wanted to believe that he could be "good" and "normal". To Hannibal, she was a tool, and for a moment he believed she could be the "Mischa" he could save, for Will.

This all made her unable to stay away from the mess.

Of course this answer ended up being longer than I intended, so tl;dr:

Considering G.J. Hobbs and his obsession with Abigail, I understand why she ended up in a rather similar and toxic relationship with Hannibal. Having lived this way since childhood, it became the norm for her.

Will acted this way, because he thought he loved her (he empathized with G.J. Hobbs (which makes it itself toxic), blamed himself for failing to save her mother and killing her father, which made her an orphan; he saw her as a victim of G.J. Hobbs, just like himself. And Hannibal took advantage of all of this to convince Will that they were now responsible for her).

Hannibal's relationship with Abigail is more complicated. When she suggested that he be the man on the phone, he knew he had to watch her. However, I believe he saw an opportunity in her. He could not turn back time to save Mischa. He could turn back time for Abigail; he faked her death and then "brought" her back to life. But it wasn't enough to keep him from killing her, feeling hurt by Will.

She was not truly loved by anyone. She was just a "father's joy" and each of her fathers saw in her what he wanted to see.