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Reid watched Maeve smile and felt just a little bit saner for it. Her home was small and neat and clean and she smelled like jasmine and lavender. She wore soft purples and pinks that went very well with the gentle palette of her office.
“The MRI was clean,” she said, “but we’re not going to give up, Spencer,” she assured him, “Whatever’s causing your headaches, we’ll figure it out.” She hesitated for a moment before adding, “It probably wouldn’t hurt to speak to a psychiatrist though. Just to clear everything on that end. Some symptoms can be caused by psychological strain and you’ve been under a lot of that lately.”
He fidgeted and nodded, “I can talk to one of the bureau’s doctors sometime next week.” He didn’t want to; he was adamantly against this being anything other than some physical problem. His gut twisted just thinking about talking to a psychiatrist, but Maeve was probably right. It would be smart to make sure.
“And you are taking the medication and documenting the headaches?”
“Of course,” he pulled out a small notebook; the pages marred with his small, barely readable handwriting, and passed it over to her. She flipped it open and squinted down at it, her lips quirking just a bit.
“I thought it was medical doctors who had bad handwriting,” she said lightly.
He blushed a bit, “My handwriting’s never been great,” he admitted.
“I’m just kidding, Spencer,” she said, looking back down at the notebook. “At least it looks like your headaches have been less painful since you started taking the medication. I really think they’re being caused by a combination of physical triggers and psychological strain.”
He nodded and fought not to fidget again as she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling at his awkwardness. She took a breath, then hesitated for a second before steeling her nerves.
“It’s a bit unprofessional, but… would you like to go out for coffee with me some time, Spencer? There’s a great shop a few blocks away.”
“I…” his mind was working frantically, trying to read the physical cues and gauge the situation. He wasn’t exactly the best at understanding women or social interaction. “Um, to be clear, you are asking me on a date, right?”
Her laugh was nearly as awkward as his own as she nodded, “I was. Unless of course you would rather it not be…” her eyes were searching as they met his and he blushed but shook his head.
“No,” his said a bit too quickly, his fingers twisting in his lap, “No, that’s… I’d love to. Absolutely.”
The date was going well, or as well as a date between one extremely awkward genius and one slightly nervous genius could go. At least until Reid’s cell phone started buzzing. He had half a mind to ignore it, but Maeve assured him it was alright and she understood he had a busy job – though as a doctor she still recommended he work fewer hours. She was convinced his job was partly to blame for his headaches.
“Dr. Reid,” he answered quickly once he realized he didn’t recognize the number.
“Doctor, I’m sorry for calling you when you’re off duty, but I was anxious to talk to you. My name’s Clarice Starling. I’m in training at the Academy…”
The name sounded vaguely familiar to Reid, though even he couldn’t remember where he’d heard it. Probably in passing from a comment by Morgan about the cadets. He rarely paid those comments much attention.
“That’s alright,” he said, “Is there something you need help with?” It wouldn’t be the first time a cadet had reached out for his help. Generally, they went to people like Rossi - seasoned agents who were practically legends in the FBI – but sometimes they’d hear about his eidetic memory and his impressive degrees and go to him as well.
“This might be asking a lot, but I was told that you were one of the few agents Dr. Lecter ever spoke with openly and I was wondering if you might have any insight on him. Agent Crawford asked me to –”
“Stop,” Reid cut her off, his entire body going rigid at Hannibal’s name. She stopped abruptly, her accented voice trailing off over the speakers.
“I’m sorry, Clarice, but I don’t want to talk about Hannibal Lecter with anyone. If you’re looking to do a study on a serial killer, you’re better off picking one who’s already dead.”
“It’s not for a paper, Dr. Reid,” Clarice was quick to speak, “It’s for Agent Crawford. He asked me to speak with Dr. Lecter, to try and get him to open up. Ever since Investigator Graham’s death, Lecter hasn’t even been responding to letters and he’s usually very good about that. The only person he still writes is you. I just don’t want to go in there blind and I thought you might be able to give me some tips.”
“Tips?” Reid scoffed and took a shaky breath, “If you’re asking for my advice, Clarice, the only thing I can tell you is not to go at all. Dr. Lecter isn’t the usual psychopath. There is no way to be safe around him.”
“I can’t do that,” Clarice sounded frustrated, “I’m doing this, Dr. Reid. I’ve already spoken with the Chief of Staff and I’m arriving there tomorrow afternoon.”
Reid sighed, “Then I sincerely hope he doesn’t talk to you, Clarice. Because if he does, you’re in trouble.”
Reid knocked impatiently on Jack Crawford’s office door. Peering in through the slightly opened door he spotted Jack hunched over at his desk, frowning over a tablet in his hands. He glanced up at the taps on the door and blinked, standing slightly.
“Dr. Reid, come in,” he waved him in, setting the tablet aside and shifting in his chair, “Can I help you with something?”
Reid slid into the office, careful to shut the door behind him. “I want to talk to you about Clarice Starling,”
Jack froze, his eyes narrowing, “She’s a promising cadet. Smart girl, a lot of gumption. What about her?”
Reid scowled, “Do you even remember what happened to last trainee you sent after Lecter, Jack? Miriam Lass is dead and we still don’t have her entire body.”
“Lecter’s in a cage, Doctor,” Jack was insistent, “Clarice wants to get a feel for this and she’s got the spirit to take him on. I don’t see the harm in it.”
“He was in a cage when he sent Jack Napier after my father,” Reid snapped, “He was in a cage when he sent Dolarhyde after Will Graham. This is reckless and stupid.”
“And not your call,” Jack cut him off, “Starling wants to work in the BAU for my team; I’ll test her however I see fit. She’ll be fine.”
“That’s exactly what you said about Miriam and Will,”
“You’re pushing it, Dr. Reid,” Jack warned, scowling at the younger man. “I’ve got work to do here. I think this conversation is over.”
Reid sighed and stood, glancing down at the files and the tablet sitting on his desk. The screen was still showing what Jack had been looking at – crime scene photos from his team’s recent case. The name stuck in Reid’s mind: Buffalo Bill. Stupid name. He frowned.
“You aren’t trying to get Lecter involved on another case, are you?” his eyes widened when Jack simply glared at him, “Do you even care about what happened the last time?”
“My case, Doctor,” Jack snapped, “My call.”
Reid left the office fuming, trying to think of some way to salvage this situation before things got out of control. He barely even noticed the beginning hints at another headache.
“Spencer! This is a surprise,” Hannibal’s grin was animalistic as he sat back from his perch in the farthest corner of his cell. He clasped his hands across his front and watched the younger man pace anxiously.
Hannibal looked worse than he had the last time Spencer had seen him. He was thinner, his cheeks hollow and his skin ragged looking. Idly, Spencer wondered if it was all a result of hearing about Will’s death or if the conditions in the hospital were worsening. He made up his mind to speak with Chilton about that.
“What’s on your mind, Spencer?” Hannibal asked, eyeing the cagy agent. “You seem frustrated.”
“I am,” he said, pausing for a moment and then coming to a stop directly in front of Lecter’s cage.
“Why did you lead Starling to that old storage building?”
Hannibal paused, his smile turning into a smirk, “Are you jealous, Spencer?”
Spencer scowled, “Dr. Lecter just answer the question,”
Hannibal thought about that, “My, you’re in a mood aren’t you? You’re not usually rude,”
Spencer huffed and his fists clenched, “Please,” he had to force the word out from between tightly ground teeth, “tell me why you gave Agent Starling the address to that storage shed.”
Hannibal nodded, “Better,” he said, “It was a test, Spencer. She seemed like a smart girl, but she’s very young, isn’t she? Have you met her?”
“Not in person,” he said, “We spoke on the phone.”
“Ah,” Hannibal nodded. “I wondered. She told me you warned her not to come here. Why would you do that?”
“Because I know what kind of monster you are,”
Hannibal’s eyes widened, “I’m a monster now, Spencer? I don’t recall that being your diagnosis.”
“That was before you had my father killed,”
“I suppose I can see how that would change your opinion,” Hannibal conceded, “though I still don’t understand the concern for Agent Starling. From what I’ve seen, she is quite capable of taking care of herself. She only wants to prove herself and I’m simply giving her the opportunity to do so.”
“Don’t,” Reid snapped, then sucked in a sharp breath at Hannibal’s warning look. “Just leave her alone, Dr. Lecter.”
Hannibal smiled, “Now why would I do that? If Jack is so desperate for my help that he’d resort to dangling such a beautiful young thing in front of me, he’ll simply have the face the consequences once more.”
Reid closed his eyes tightly, “Then punish Jack, not her,”
Hannibal’s eyes sparkled, “That’s precisely what I’m doing, Spencer,”
“Agent Starling!” Reid managed to catch the young woman before she could reach Crawford’s office and she turned around, eyes wide. Her brow furrowed in confusion until she placed his voice.
“Dr. Reid?” she said it like a question and he nodded. Her accent wasn’t as thick in person as it was over the phone.
“Can I speak with you for a second?” he asked carefully.
She motioned toward Jack’s door, “I’m supposed to be meeting with Agent Crawford -”
“It won’t take long,” Reid assured her. She hesitated, but nodded and followed him to the empty break room.
“This is about Dr. Lecter again, isn’t it?” she asked.
He nodded, “I know you’ve already heard the stories about him,” he said, “but hearing stories and experiencing it are two different things. You really shouldn’t be talking with him.”
“I appreciate the warning, Doctor,” Clarice said, “but I can take care of myself. I’ve read the case files and incident reports. I know all about you and Will Graham. I’m not going to let myself get too close.”
Reid smiled a bit and shook his head, “That’s exact what I said, Agent Starling,” he told her, “It’s never that easy when it comes to Dr. Lecter. He’ll pull you in whether you like it or not and before you realize it, he’s inside your head.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,”
“Don’t just keep it in mind,” Reid said, “Just don’t go back to Baltimore.”
“If there’s even a chance that he can help us find this missing girl alive, I’ve got to,” Clarice was adamant. “Saving lives is what we’re supposed to do, Dr. Reid.”
“At what cost?” Reid’s voice was strangled a bit and he shook his head, “You can catch this guy without Lecter’s help.”
“In time to save this girl?”
Reid’s shoulders slumped and he sighed, shaking his head, “Most likely not,”
“That’s what I thought,”
“They’re moving him from maximum security!?” Reid’s voice was too high pitched, too loud. He stared at Jack with wide eyes. Hotch was sitting next to him and started to say something, but Reid wasn’t finished.
“Are you insane?”
“We don’t have a choice,” Jack sounded defeated and weary, but angry at the same time.
“You would if you hadn’t made Agent Starling lie to him,” Reid snapped. “I told you involving him was a bad idea.”
“He’ll be under constant guard,” Jack said, “We’re taking every precaution we can possibly take while we move him.”
“That’s comforting,” Reid’s tone was flippant and Jack had come to realize over time that when the younger man felt cornered and angry, he didn’t bother censoring anything he said. “The last time they took Lecter out of his cell without restraints he ripped a woman’s tongue out of her mouth. She nearly lost an eye!”
“That won’t happen again,” Jack assured him, “He’ll always be in restraints. Chilton and I are going to oversee the entire move.”
“So he won’t escape because you’re there, Jack? Is that what you’re saying?”
“Reid,” Hotch’s tone was warning and the young man sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. His head was throbbing painfully and it was hard to concentrate.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “but this is a very bad idea.”
“I agree,” Jack nodded, some of the anger leaving his eyes, “but like I said, we don’t really have a choice in this anymore.”
“Spencer,” Maeve’s voice was gentle as she reached across the small table and placed a hand over his. “Spencer, are you alright?”
He blinked and rubbed his temple with his free hand, nodding, “I’m sorry, it’s just -”
“Another headache?”
He nodded and closed his eyes, his lips pressing together tightly. “This thing with Dr. Lecter has me on edge. I don’t like it.”
She nodded, “I’m beginning to see a common denominator in your headaches,” she said, “Any time you’re involved in anything with Dr. Lecter they get worse.”
He blinked and frowned, meeting her eyes for a moment, “Are you suggesting he’s causing them?”
Maeve shook her head, “Just that he’s augmenting the pain,” she said, “The stress is making your headaches more intense. It’d be better if you tried to avoid him or any cases involving him.”
He pressed his fingers against his eyes, nodding, “I think you’re right,” he said slowly, “but I don’t want to leave this one alone. I feel like I should at least be trying to help make sure things don’t go wrong.”
“That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself,” she noted.
He sighed, “It is,” he admitted. “You’re right. I won’t even mention him again tonight.”
She smiled and squeezed his fingers gently, “That’s better. I wanted to talk to you about the recent tests I ran…”
“Are those Dr. Lecter’s?” Reid caught Clarice again in the elevator as he was leaving a few days later. Hannibal had already been moved out of Baltimore and they were preparing to move him to the new facility, but he was currently being kept under constant guard until they could finalize everything.
Clarice glanced down at the folded drawings under her arm and nodded, “Dr. Chilton removed them from his cell after what he did to Miggs… I thought he might like them back before they finish his transfer.”
Reid nodded, “You think he knows something else,”
She smiled a bit, “I think he’s got more to tell, yes,” she said.
He eyed the drawings more carefully, “So you’re bringing him a peace offering.”
“I’m pretty sure he won’t appreciate that I lied to him,” she said, “even under Jack’s orders.”
“You’re right, he won’t,” Reid said, “and he’ll make it hard for you even after you return the drawings.”
“You aren’t going to tell me to be careful, Dr. Reid?” she sounded half curious as she studied him. He shrugged and shook his head.
“You’ve already made up your mind. I think you’re smart enough not to do something stupid.”
“I think that was a compliment…”
He smiled a bit, “Just pay attention to everything he says. He plays mind games, but he’ll give you whatever you need to find this guy if he really does like you and I think he does.”
She nodded, “Thank you,”
“Don’t thank me,” Reid said, “not until you’ve actually saved this girl.”
“HE ESCAPED!” Reid’s breathing was too fast, his eyes wide. He wasn’t the only one in a panic this time though. Jack was practically hyperventilating with his fury. “You let him escape!”
“I didn’t let him do anything, Dr. Reid!” Jack snapped. He was already angry enough and he did not need the younger man to remind him of how royally fucked they all were at the moment.
“He was restrained and in a cage when we left him. There were half a dozen capable officers there and - ”
“And he used a pen to escape because no one bothered to search him before he left Baltimore!”
“We’ll find him,” Jack said, “He can’t hide forever.”
“I don’t think we’re talking about the same person, Agent Crawford,”
Reid’s smile was tight as he shook Clarice’s hand after the ceremony. He spotted Jack standing in the back, eyeing the two of them. Probably waiting until Reid was gone to congratulate Clarice on her graduation.
“You certainly earned that badge,” he told her.
She smiled softly, “It’s a little bittersweet though, isn’t it? With Lecter escaping and everything.”
“They’ll find him,” Reid sounded confident, but he wasn’t. He knew Hannibal. He would not be easy to find. “At least you saved that girl.”
She nodded, “I did,” she said, “…with his help.”
She sounded sad and Reid couldn’t tell exactly why. One of her friends from the Academy waved her over and he let her go, trying not to think too hard about Hannibal Lecter.
He found the envelope on his table when he got home, slipped carefully underneath a leather bound copy of Plato’s Republic. His hands shook as he reached for the envelope, not bothering to be careful about fingerprints. He knew exactly who had left it.
He tore it open and pulled the neatly folded paper out, wincing at the familiar handwriting.
I hope you appreciate the gift, Spencer. It’s been far too long since we’ve had a proper conversation. I’d like to rectify that as soon as possible.
Don’t bother trying to get your gun. It’s already too late.
He blinked and frowned, his hand already going toward the gun still at his hip when a strong, powerful arm wrapped around his neck and he felt a sharp sting in the side of his throat.
A familiar, gentle voice crooned in his ear before the blackness over took him.
“Shh, it’s alright. Just relax, Spencer. I’m not going to hurt you…”
-end-